The low-end smartphone market has to be the target for the manufacturers as 'feature phones' become less attractive to modern buyers.

Global sales of mobile phones fell in 2012 compared with the previous year, according to a report from research company Gartner.

It said 1.75 billion handsets had been bought, marking a 1.7% decline.

Analysts at the firm suggested "tough economic conditions" had been partly responsible for the drop.

Report: Global Mobile Phone Sales In 2012 Dropped By 1.7 pct [bbc.co.uk]

Gartner's data suggests weakening demand for feature phones - lower-end devices with limited functionality - led to the drop. It said that in the final three months of the year, 264.4 million such devices had been sold - 19.3% fewer than over the same period in 2011.

Although smartphones had seen a 38.3% year-on-year gain over the fourth quarter, they had still remained in the minority with 207.7 million units sold, the study said.

I still use a 'feature phone' as it's perfect for making calls. It weighs very little and it doesn't matter if I drop it on the ground and break it. The battery was last charged in November, if memory serves me correctly, although I don't leave it turned on all the time. The phone, that is, not my memory. ;)

With careful use of the high-end smartphone, I can stretch it to two or possibly three days use before it needs recharging. I dropped it once and it survived. I really don't want to accidentally drop a high-end smartphone again: They don't bounce well.