Reports reaching our desks, is about the world’s cheapest smartphone, “Freedom 251” that goes for 4 USD (roughly 13,700 ugx).
According to Ringing Bells Corp., the first 200,000 handsets are ready to be shipped, BBC reported.
Earlier, the company handed over smartphones made by a different companies to journalists for reviewing purposes alongside Freedom 251 and justified by claiming it as a prototype device and that the final Freedom 251 handset would be similar. One of these companies to review the phone was BBC.
According to reports from BBC journalist, Shilpa Kannan, it was hard to really test its capabilities, as it had very few apps, covering only the basic tasks such as; calculator, music player, web browser, email.
He also added saying, the handset seemed to work like a basic smartphone and also felt somewhat like Apple’s iPhone 5 when held.
The smartphone had received around seven crore registrations when it was announced in February. The company had promised the final model would be made available for scrutiny only after 30 June, but the date had been delayed until 7 July.
For the price of 4 USD , the company promises to offer a 4-inch qHD display with 960×540 pixels resolution with Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system, 1.3GHz quad-core processor 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage (up to 32GB expandable), 3.2MP rear camera, 0.3MP front facing camera, 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and a 1,450 mAh battery and will come only in two models; Black and White.
Questions are being asked about whether the company will be able to deliver millions of these handsets and the company responded, Yes.
One member of the Indian parliament, Kirit Somaiya, suggested a “huge scam” is being perpetrated, while the head of the Indian Cellular Association also said the sale seemed to be “a joke or a scam“.
Mohit Goel, the Founder and CEO of Ringing Bells, denies the allegations of fraud.
