Cell phone makers are expected to report buoyant sales of lower-priced, feature-packed smartphones as consumers opt for “cheap chic” amid the global recession. As every other industry, the mobile one has also suffered.

While demand for phones as a whole has lowered, smartphones are actually becoming more and more popular among users. Having a long list of technology and features in a phone is not really winning, what is a cheap price. According to Reuters, RIM has indeed surprised investors on April 2 with a high profit, thanks to its more affordable BlackBerry models. However, the source mentions that Nokia, the currently leading smartphone manufacturer, is not that flourishing.

Consumers are demanding a cheap smartphone, getting more at a lower price. A lot of companies have found it difficult to stay relevant to the new market conditions, delivering fancy but expensive gadgets that only a few people could afford. Analyst see that examples such as the Nokia 5800 Xpressmusic spread around the world, this could help it achieve sales comparable to the ones of the iPhone however the company’s profits overall are struggling. The bigger question is longer term growth, mixed with consumers getting what they need at a price they can afford.

[via Reuters]