Technology Just today, Ringing Bells announced that it will soon deliver the second lot of its Freedom 251 smartphones, which are given for Rs251 ($3.70).
It said it will ship 65,000 more units. Last month, it claimed to have sent 5,000 units. Earlier this year, Ringing Bells announced the world's cheapest smartphone and stunned the world. Millions of people paid the money to book the smartphone, some of them in disbelief. It started delivering the devices last month.
Inspired by Freedom 251, in April, a previously unknown smartphone maker, Docoss announced an Android device for Rs888. A month later, Bangalore-based Namotel said it will offer its smartphone for Rs99. Though these unbelievable offers are viewed with much of skepticism, the idea of "ultra-cheap smartphones" has caught the imagination of the Indian customer and more popular smartphone makers are offering heavy price cuts to awe and woo them.
For instance, Reliance slashed the price of its economy 4G handset, LYF Flame, by 25 percent to Rs2,999, making it the cheapest smartphone in the segment in India. Four models of LYF Flame are up for grabs at the same price and they also come with a free Jio SIM card, bundled with free unlimited data usage and voice calling.
Another 4G smartphone, Xolo Era with a five-inch HD display and Corning Gorilla Glass is offered for Rs4,777. It boasts of a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor and 1GB RAM.
Intex Cloud Glory is another 4G-enabled smartphone that runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It comes for Rs3,999. Another five-incher, Lava A88 is priced at Rs4,949. This device is also powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor.
Intex Aqua 4G Strong comes for Rs 3,499.
Meanwhile, Lava unveiled its A76 smartphone which supports an upgrade to 4G technology for superfast internet connectivity. Lava A76 features a 4.5-inch display, is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor coupled with 1GB RAM and 8GB expandable storage. It has a 5MP rear camera with LED flash and a VGA front camera.
It is believed that such low-budget smartphones have arrived earlier than expected, thanks to the cutthroat competition.