Nokia recently released two Windows Phone 7 handsets and while the phones do not have any distinctive feature, they have been
priced quite competitively. However, it is not only Windows Phone 7 trying to corner mobile market on the strength of lower price, Android is also playing the same game. According to a latest report released by the market research firm In-Stat, Android is expected to ship 339 million units of sub-$150 handsets.
If these stats are any indication, it looks like that Android fragmentation issue is likely to get more intense. The latest iteration of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, is not expected to be available on the low cost handsets, as it has a definitive hardware requirement list. The report also suggests, "Most low-cost Android smartphones are likely to be released with Android 2.2 or 2.3, since these versions are a good blend of features with modest memory and processor usage."
The low cost segment is likely to flourish but at the very same time, do not expect the handsets to company with the latest features. Android is also expected to face competition not only from Windows Phone 7 and Symbian, but even Apple is now looking to target the market. iPhone eGS is now available for free on contract. While most of the companies are now planning to phase out their feature phones, we should now await the era of low cost smartphones.