As part of an interview with Bloomberg, France Telecom CEO Stephane Richard says that sales of "premium" smartphones such as the iPhone and Galaxy S models may start to suffer as the economy of Europe continues to stagnate. The top smartphones bring with them high subsidies and up-front costs which are no longer fashionable, creating more demand for lower-priced models to accompany the cheaper plans that some European customers enjoy. Customers have become more frugal, says Richard.
