Entry level Android numbers to increase tenfold in 2011

As the high end of the smartphone market becomes saturated, all of the growth will come from the low end.

Android phones below $150 via Android Central

A report today from Taiwanese Digitimes shows some explosive estimates for $150 and cheaper, contract free Android phones.  Specifically, the paper says it expects to see 20-25 million entry level Android devices ship in 2011, up from 2.5-3 million in 2010.





Global smartphone sales will hike 54.5% from 2010 to 445 million units in 2011, of which 165 million or 37.1% will be Android models, surpassing Symbian to become the largest smartphone platform.

Most of those who can afford a $400-$700 smartphone have already purchased a device.  However, as smartphones go down in price to where high-end feature phones are priced today, traditional feature-phone buyers will move into the smartphone camp.

While mature markets accounted for more than half of the 2010 global sales of entry-level Android smartphones, emerging markets will dominate the handset segment in 2011. The China market will see demand for 10-13 million entry-level Android smartphones in 2011.