Speaking at the Open Mobile Summit in London, Richard Windsor, a senior analyst with Nomura Securities, observed that traditional vendors are set to come under intense competitive pressure from new entrants to the market.
He observed that growth and profitability is going to be affected as this segment of the handset industry undergoes a radical change.
"Based on the company's research, the high-end smartphone segment is fast becoming saturated, and the market for handsets costing around $500 is running out," Windsor commented.
He added: "We could see Apple start to struggle."
Last week, HTC confirmed that its sales for May reached £860 million, more than double the same month a year earlier.
The monthly sales of the Taiwanese firm are compared with £400 million a year ago and £820 million in April.
Posted by Simon Jones
