Ringing Bells Freedom 251 could be the real democratisation of the smartphone. At this price, there should be no one in India who doesn’t own a smartphone and everyone should be online within a couple of years. That is the kind of effect a Rs 251 smartphone will have on the market, not to speak of the dozens of smartphone companies that will go out of business.
Sanchit Vir Gogia, CEO & Founder at Greyhound Knowledge Group, says the phone is very interesting. “Lowest we have seen till now was $28 (about Rs 1,700), but this a new low. But then, it is highly subsidised to start with and whether or not it stays is a huge question.” Gogia says while the phone can be compared to a feature phone, it may not do justice to users expected experience. “While smartphone is a factor of price, the other major factor is better touch experience and apps,” he explains.
Gogia says it will be difficult to sustain the price in the long term. Also, the fact that the company founders don’t have experience in this field might prove detrimental to its prospects. He is also not willing to take the company’s claim that there is no government subsidy on the phone. “The phone is loaded with Make in India apps. Clearly, there seems to be some arrangement,” he said, adding that even if they source components locally, they don’t come cheap.
Source: Indian Express