Freedom 251 from Ringing Bells is probably the cheapest smartphone in the world costing less than USD 4. It comes with decent specs like 4-inch qHD screen, 1GB RAM, quad-core processor, Android 5.1 and 1,450mAh battery.
An unknown Indian company by the name Ringing Bells has introduced what's probably the cheapest Android smartphone for just Rs 251 which is less than USD 4 (actually $3.65 at present rates). What's even more surprising is the looks and specs of Freedom 251. Take a deep breath and have a look at this.
Freedom 251 Specs
4-inch qHD screen with IPS
1.3 GHz quad-core processor
1GB RAM
8GB internal storage
microSD slot for up to 32GB of external storage
3.2MP rear camera with auto focus
0.3MP (VGA) front camera
3G support
1450 mAh battery
Android 5.1 Lollipop
The above hardware specifications look like an entry level smartphone from 2014 with no major compromises. Going by the published images, it doesn't look bad either, at least not an eyesore that one would expect for a phone costing less than what you'd pay for a coffee at Starbucks. Actual image of the phone is at the end of the article. Still, it comes with Android 5.1 Lollipop, 3G, microSD support and 1GB RAM. There is no mention of the brand of the SoC, so we shall dig around and update as and when it will be available.
The phone is launched Yesterday in New Delhi by the Defense Minister of India, Mr Manohar Parrikar. It's quite possible that the phone is being subsidized by the Indian government (no official confirmation on this yet). Ringing Bells is a Noida based company and says that Freedom 251 launch is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for "empowering India to the last person, transforming India's growth story".
India is amongst the fastest growing smartphone markets in the world and recently overtook US as the No.2 market in the world. With greater majority of people still not having access to smartphones, initiatives like this will accelerate the smartphone penetration in the country. It remains to be seen how good and effective the Freedom 251 is, but Ringing bells claims that their smartphone is very capable. They are bundling in India specific apps like Women Safety, Swachh Bharat, Fisherman, Farmer, Medical and global apps like WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube.
Currently, Ringing Bells will be assembling the Freedom 251 phones in India, but will soon start manufacturing in its Noida plant. The booking for the phone will start tomorrow, February 18th from 6am onwards. The actual availability details will be announced later today, so stay tuned for more details. [Update: Newspaper ad mentions that the Freedom 251 smartphone delivery would be complete by June 30th 2016]
This is How the freedom 251 Looks Like.
Pacman
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Magical Cat Adventure
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