20 Million Entry-Level Android Smartphones to Sell in 2011

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One of the most important enemy of the iPhone is not a flagship top-of-the-line Android handset, since these come and go every few months without managing, at least until now, to deliver significant blows to Apple’s devices, but an entry-level Android handset.

A cheap, ultra-affordable Android handset is still a smartphone that will help smartphone owners get used to the new environment. As soon as they become acquainted with a basic Android phone, and as soon as they realize such a device has its limits, Android owners could be interested in upgrading to a better Android handset, since, after all, they are familiar with the platform and they could already be in love with the features of the OS.

Apple on the other hand doesn’t have a cheaper iPhone, the kind of device that would be available with pre-pay contracts for a low, unsubsidized price. Sure, new smartphone owners could always get a second-hand iPhone, an older version, as there are plenty such devices to go around, from the original device to the latest version, but that still isn’t the cheaper iPhone Apple could sell in its stores every year for less than the top-of-the-line iPhone.

A recent report is suggesting that entry-level Android handsets are going to be a lot more popular this year with 20 million to 25 million units expected to be sold in 2011. That’s up to 25 million potential smartphone customers that would choose a new smartphone this year, albeit an entry-level device, and that’s up to 25 million smartphone customers going Android, even if that means not getting the latest top-of-the-line Android super phone.

On comparison, last year 2.5 million to 3 million entry-level Android devices were sold, so the expected growth is quite significant. It’s interesting to notice that up to 13 million of this year’s entry-level Android devices are expected to be sold in China, which is the largest handset market in the world.

Naturally this report might be totally off, and it’s too early to tell whether people are that interested in cheap Android devices or they’d rather go for a more expensive alternative. But it’s definitely clear that the cheap Android phone could be a tough iPhone rival in the months to come.