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According to a new study from Juniper Research, as low-cost cell phones and premium smartphones continue to grow, the market for mid-range handsets is shrinking and vendors of such devices are suffering.

By the end of 2014, low-range handsets and high-range smartphones will together account for nearly 79 percent of new cell phones, exceeding 1 billion units. Shipments of entry-level devices are expected to grow by 22 percent to more than 700 million units over these years, while sales volumes of high-end smartphones will increase by 13 percent to reach almost 360 million units worldwide. Mid-range handsets, being squeezed in the middle, will experience drastic fall in demand by more than 41 percent over the period.

Apple, Research in Motion and Nokia, who are active and competitive participants in the smartphone business, will probably benefit most from these trends. As more and more consumers emphasize easy Internet accessibility and mobile computing ability on handsets, the future for smartphones looks bright for the coming years. Nevertheless, those vendors who target at the mid-range market, such as Motorola and Sony Ericsson, are facing great challenges to retain their market share and stand out in the crowd.

Meanwhile, the segment of low-cost phones targeting at developing markets, such as India, Africa and Middle East, is no doubt the one with the largest growth potential. Juniper Research estimated by 2014, these cell phones would make up over 50% of all devices sold all over the world each year. Apparently, the key to tap into these emerging markets lies in reducing the cost of handsets to cater to low-income users. Nokia, the Finnish company, may be a bit ahead of other vendors in this field. Last year, it introduced a range of affordable devices and services such as Mail on Ovi and Nokia Life Tools, which make the Internet available in the developing regions.

Following this trend of development, it seems very likely that the cell phone market will undergo shifts of power in the coming years. Operators and vendors better prepare themselves to encounter these upcoming changes.