Samsung envisions Android phones below $100

While Samsung was busy yesterday talking up the Reclaim, its new messaging phone for Sprint Nextel made from recyclable materials, the company let slip its view of the Android handset market, and indicated that prices for Android phones are likely to decline. According to a New York Times blog post, Casey Ryan, Samsung's product manager for the Reclaim, said that by next year touchscreen Android phones with full Web browsers will be on the market "for well under $100."

A Samsung spokesperson said that Ryan's comments referred to the broader wireless market and not about Samsung's potential Android offerings specifically. O2 Germany is selling Samsung's first Android phone, the i7500 (a.k.a. Galaxy), for a little more than $99 on contract. Currently, the two Android handsets in the U.S. market sell for well over $100. T-Mobile USA sells the myTouch 3G for $199.99 with a two-year contract and the G1 for $149.99 with a two-year contract.

However, there are indications that the price of Android phones may decline as more make it onto the market. Motorola, which is betting heavily on the success of its future Android phones, intends to offer lower-tier Android phones. 

For more:
- see this NYT blog post

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