When it comes to growth, it depends on how you look at it, as much as I've said trend, the question is which trend measure. That is to say, which derivative of the underlying performance indicator. Whilst they are still growing, the rate of growth has slowed, this is at a time everyone is jumping up and down to sell more to the BRICs, most importantly China. A Vietnamese friend of mine has a really bloody good Andriod device, I forget the brand name, good specs, good construction (argably more robust than iPhone 4 lets put glass with glass) and it cost penuts, about $100 including sales taxes.

So this is why I'd say, it depends on the idea of a high end device. There are plenty of bloody good phones at 4" and below, but many suffer from cameras that are poor, not expandable memory etc.

In fact I'd dare as far to say as someone who doesn't want a good camera, can't go wrong with the Nokia 620 at £140, sim free, no contract in the UK.

However Nokia should be aware bottom pickers get sticky fingers as they say.

What I do think has changed, from a UK mobile phone buyers perspective is market differentiation. In 2008 there was huge competition in the £100-200 range, but not much above. Each firm had a 'flagship' but little effort really went it to it, they didn't expect to sell many. the iPhone 1, which I stand by saying was a turd with a web-browser (buggy, short battery, no games, and ultimately no GPS - as a Londoner cardinal sin) came in at £1200 tco minimum. This was a massive game changer. If you had the cash, or didn't because it was on credit via a contract, there was nothing else near it. It's not just a choice between a Lambo and Ford, its a Lambo or a bicycle.

Within about 2 years the others jumped to arrange themselves, and here 5 years on samsung has shown you can have a diverse range, something that can max out each persons budget, but still sell something to the person that only has £100.

Apple isn't doing that fast enough, the iPad mini is a good example of them adapting to the competition, but sitting in with a one offering, at one price point, which doesn't have: The Best Camera or The Best Games or The Best Web Browser or The Best Design, isn't going to work. Sure some people are bought in, trapped on the ecosystem, but people fear that they are loosing product share to competitors. This year will be a tell. I think its unlikely Apple will be 450 come year end, much more likely 600, if they crack this mid end or 350 if they don't. imho.