Smartphones have an unexpected rival

Feature phones intended for calls, SMSes are making impressive gains

Last week, an Indian government official announced that iPhones will start rolling off an assembly line in Bengaluru by the end of April, targeted at local customers. It’s a big moment for Apple Inc, which is counting on India’s emerging middle class to make up for slowing sales in other markets. But don’t bet on the iPhone conquering India, or any other emerging market, just yet.
 
That’s because smartphones of all kinds are facing stiff competition from an unlikely new challenger: feature phones. With simple handsets and small screens intended mostly for calls and text messages —similar to the Nokia