With the current condition of things, it’s no wonder that cell phone manufacturers are also feeling the pinch. I personally know more than a handful of people that have lost jobs in the last 2 weeks from telecommunications companies.

During the forth quarter of 2008, two major market researching firms (IDC and Gartner) depicted a drop in mobile handset volumes for 2009. Both companies too expect the sales of smartphones like the iPhone and Blackberry to also slow, although be still going up. The research firms “believe that smartphones represent the biggest opportunity for mobile device makers.” With reports suggesting that “consumers are hungry for smartphones that can access the Internet and run different applications.”

In 2009, the sweet spot looks to be the in the $200 range. Many phones around this prices are also subsidised through long term contracts. It may be seen this year, with the tightening of our wallets mobile operators may subsidize the cost of phones even more to push sales volumes. The financial condition may also see the rise in lower price (and smarter) phones providing basic networking capabilities. The analysts within IDC and Gartner believe even through tough times; the smartphone market will grow, handsets will still be sold, but I am broke – who is with me?

[via CNET]