Android phone repair cost telcos billions: study

Fitting older versions of Google's Inc popular Android software to cheaper cellphones could send the repair costs of global telecoms operators up as much as $2 billion, a study by wireless services firm WDS showed.

Costly hardware failures are more common on Android devices than on Apple Inc iPhones and Research In Motion Inc BlackBerry phones, which have strict control over the components used in their devices, WDS data showed.

Cheaper Android models, costing as little as $100 to make, have helped Android emerge as the dominant platform in smartphones, attracting dozens of manufacturers ranging from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd to no-brand Asian vendors. "While this price point sounds very attractive, when you look at a total cost of ownership its a different story," said Tim Deluca-Smith, Vice President of Marketing at WDS, which offers device management and call center services to operators.