While technology enthusiasts look forward to a number of high-end smartphone announcements vendors are preparing for Mobile World Congress next month, 2012 will see entry-level smartphones become more popular than ever. Market research firm Deloitte estimates that the number of sub-$100 smartphones in use globally will surpass 500 million this year, and by the end of 2012 there will be 200 million NFC-equipped devices in the hands of consumers. The firm also sees apps continuing to play a huge role in the mob...

Global shipments of low-cost Android smartphones are expected to explode over the next four years. A new report from market intelligence firm In-Stat suggests that annual shipments of sub-$150 Android phones will reach 339 million units in 2015. In-Stat says that consumers in the market for smartphones with such a low unsubsidized cost only have one option — Android — leaving current (Symbian) and future (Nokia’s secret new OS) platforms high and dry. Even in 2013, however, In-Stat views fragmentati...

As Nokia fights to regain its footing, the company recently abandoned Symbian and MeeGo to instead adopt Windows Phone in an effort to stabilize its declining smartphone business. But that move only addresses half of Nokia’s problem. A firm position in the big-margin smartphone market will be paramount to the vendor’s success moving forward, but the market for low-cost devices is still massive. Just as Nokia’s smartphone sales have spiraled downward in recent quarters, Nokia’s featur...

Google may have just unveiled its preliminary plans to bring contactless mobile payments to the U.S., but mobile payments in using various technologies are prime to blow up in several other markets around the world as well. Swedish wireless analyst firm Berg Insight on Thursday issued a report on mobile money in emerging markets, and the group believes adoption will skyrocket over the next four years. In 2010 there were 133 million people in emerging markets who used their cell phones to move money or pay for...

Images of what appears to be the unannounced Nokia C2-06 have been leaked by Hackintosh India. Judging from the photos, the C2-06 will be a new S40 device with a slider form factor that’s capable of accepting two SIM cards at the same time. A dual-SIM phone is a good option for frequent travelers, or for two people that want to share a single device with two phone numbers. The device appears to have a low resolution touchscreen as well as a slide-out full alphanumeric keypad. Given the lack of amenities...

As much success as Nokia has had — and still has — in emerging markets, it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume the Finnish company’s lineup is already jam-packed full of durable handsets. That assumption, at it were, would be wrong. Say hello to the company’s first water and dust resistant handset, the Nokia 3720. With IP54 certification, the 3720 will also be shock resistant if and when it drops (wink, wink) some time in September. Beyond that, our guess is that we’re looking ...

Nokia on Tuesday introduced six new mobile phones and two new services that target emerging markets. The phones will include the 7100 Supernova and the XpressMusic 5130 and will retail for €25 to €90 ($32 to $115 USD). The first handset to hit the market in late 2008 will be the Nokia 7100 Supernova, a slider with a touchscreen and 1.2MP camera. Following the Supernova will be the XpressMusic 5130, Nokia’s low-cost music phone which is slated for a Q1 2009 release. The remaining four phones are stan...