Published in Mobiles

$3.70 phone goes on sale

by on24 June 2016


Freedom 251 is being touted as "suspect" by some

A while back we ran a yarn about an Indian company which was bringing out a $3.70 smartphone. The phone was controversial because some Indian politicans thought it was a scam.

Now the Indian smartphone company Ringing Bells has announced that it will begin shipping its suspiciously cheap Freedom 251 phone from June 30.

It is a 4-inch entry level Android-powered smartphone and Ringing Bells has more than  200,000 units of Freedom 251 ready for shipment.

The company's founder and CEO Mohit Goel didn't help his outfit's case when Ringing Bells was caught disguising an Adcom Ikon 4s, which retails for around $60, as a Freedom 251 for marketing and media purposes back in February.

Goel previously told the Times of India that his company had partnered with a number of software firms to place their apps on the phone, with that revenue allowing Ringing Bells to sell the device that low. However Ringing Bells is still facing a loss of about 140 to 150 rupees per unit, and is seeking help from government.  It is not clear if he ever got it.

The Freedom 251 unit which will ship to consumers reportedly features dual-SIM capability, 1GB of RAM, a 1.3GHz processor from an unnamed chipset maker, 8GB of internal storage, an 8-megapixel rear camera, 3.2-megapixel front-facing shooter and a 1,800mAh battery.

Last modified on 24 June 2016
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