The first mobile phones cost $5,000 and more when launched in the mid 1980s. Today, a growing number retail at less than $50; one manufacturer plans to launch a $25 phone in 2008; and one wholesaling at $10 is expected in 2009.

The lower the price, the greater the addressable market. While more than 80 per cent of the world’s people live within coverage of a mobile network, half live on less than $2 a day. For these, low-cost handsets could become an essential tool in making a living.