HTC, Sony Mobile Communications and LG Electronics appear to have shifted their efforts to focus on the US$300-400 mid-range smartphone segment due to increasing saturation in the high-end sector, according to industry sources.

　　HTC has unveiled its mid-range flagship model, the HTC Desire 816 and will start marketing the model in China in cooperation with China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom soon, said the sources.

　　The HTC Desire 816 comes with a Qualcomm 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 CPU and 5.5-inch HD display, with features including HTC BlinkFeed, BoomSound, Video Highlight and Zoe album, while supporting 4G LTE. The HTC Desire 816 will be available at CNY1,799 (US$293) unlocked.

　　Sony Mobile will start marketing its mid-range flagship model, the Xperia M2, in April. The model is equipped with a 4.8-inch qHD display, Qualcomm 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 CPU, and 8-megapixel camera.

　　Sony Mobile is outsourcing production of the Xperia M2 to Taiwan-based Compal Communications, the sources revealed.

　　LG will launch a mid-range model, the LG G2 mini, which will come with a 4.7-inch IPS display, Qualcomm or Nvidia quad-core CPU, and 8- or 13-megapixel camera, the sources indicated.