Smartphone price in Brazil falls 12.5% in 1 year

The SÃO PAULO-smartphones are becoming more accessible to Brazilians in prices. A survey released on Thursday by consulting 13 IDC reveals that the average price of handsets fell from $ 439 (about $ 900) to $ 384 (about R $ 790) in the first quarter of 2012 compared with the same period this year.
The fall of 12.5%, was checked before the exemption of smartphones comes into force in April 2013. The measure exempted appliances produced in Brazil that cost up to $ 1,500 of PIS/Cofins, taxes levied on these products. For IDC, the reduction in the value of the cell phones can reach R $ 199, but the fall should be average of $ 69.
This scenario most optimistic forecasts of feeds sector that bet that smartphones will overcome the feature phones (simpler phones) even at the end of this year. No operating system, these devices are still the most sold in the country. In the first three months of 2013, they have sold 8.7 million units, against 5.3 million smartphones. But, when the quarter this year is compared with that of 2012, a 7% drop in sales of feature phones and an increase of 86% in the more sophisticated phones. The information is the newspaper O Estado de s. Paulo.