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14:51
In its ongoing battle against Samsung, Apple may be forced to unveil a smaller, cheaper version of its flagship phone, says Strategy Analytic.
Will the iPhone get a baby brother?
Will the iPhone get a baby brother?
Is an "iPhone Mini" on the horizon? Strategy Analytic analyst Neil Maws ton thinks so. But why?
Samsung has been the clear winner in the smartphone wars, with Apple playing second fiddle. And that lead may wider further in 2013.
Maws ton expects Samsung to carve out a 33 percent chunk of the smartphone market this year, up from a projected 31 percent in 2012. At the same time, Apple's share will inch up to 21 percent from 20 percent last year. Samsung could sell as many as 290 million smartphones this year, while Apple is likely to sell 180 million i Phones.
The Korean handset maker has the edge over Apple in large part because it "plays in more segments," Maws ton told Reuters, allowing it to "capture more volume than Apple."
To fight back, Apple may try to win over a larger base of consumers by launching a smaller, cheaper variant of the iPhone, dubbed the "iPhone Mini" by the analyst.
With the iPhone 5 grabbing huge demand and sales, a low-end model may not be on Apple's agenda this year.
