The cost of technology can reach extraordinarily low levels, and mobile devices are heading in that direction. The latest news comes from India, where the Freedom 251 smartphone has gone on sale. As its name suggests, the official price is just 251 rupees, which is less than four dollars per unit. The question is: will people actually see this device on the streets, or is this another case of vaporware?
Despite the interest of many companies, the search for the "Ford T" among smartphones continues to yield negative results. For example, Google virtually acknowledged the failure of its Android One initiative last year, due to constant conflicts with OEMs and some very misguided strategic decisions (including selling only online), so the famous "smartphone of 100 dollars" with high-performance components does not exist. Of course, the market offers other alternatives. Names like Xiaomi move with enviable skill in the low-cost sector, but that's not enough in certain regions. Even so, a surprise always emerges, and the latest one has a name: Freedom 251.
What Exactly Do We Know About This Smartphone?
First, it has gone on sale in India, or at least that's what it appears. Its official page is completely down, and anyone interested in that country will have to keep trying until next February 21, the day when its pre-sale supposedly ends through the official distributor, Ringing Bells.
- Quad-core 1.3 GHz SoC
- 4-inch screen
- 1 GB RAM
- 8 GB internal storage
- A modified version of Android Lollipop 5.1
- MicroSD slot
- Dual-SIM support
- 3G connectivity
- Two cameras (3.2 and 0.3 MP)
- 1,450 mAh battery
- One-year warranty
Its final price is in the name: 251 rupees, which at the official exchange rate is less than four dollars (USD 3.60).
So Where's the Catch?
First, if you think it looks like an iPhone clone, you're right. Both the case and the icons in the interface borrow several elements from Cupertino, but something tells me a copyright claim will be very difficult to pursue.
And second, the Freedom 251 is actually a rebrand of the Adcom Ikon 4, a Chinese phone that usually costs 16 times more in the Indian market. This wouldn't be too serious a problem (after all, smartphones with changed names are everywhere) if it weren't for the detail that the Freedom 251 was launched under the "Make in India" campaign. In other words... they promote local production with a foreign product.
There's no doubt that the Freedom 251 is real, but whether Ringing Bells can fulfill all orders is another story...
