In February this year, Ringing Bells created ripples in the already fierce Indian smartphone market by announcing the Freedom 251, the controversial smartphone priced at Rs 251. It’s been about six months now, ensued by a lot of drama over the availability of the device. But what’s even more interesting is in mere six months there are four other companies that have emerged out of nowhere to woo Indian audiences with a jaw-dropping price point. Soon after Freedom 251, we saw the Docoss X1 , another brave attempt. We call it brave as it was announced just amidst the ongoing conundrum over the Freedom 251. Like Freedom 251, Docoss managed to grab eyeballs just because of its price point that read Rs 888. A 4-inch smartphone with 1.3GHz Cortex A7, 1GB RAM, 4GB onboard storage and 2MP rear snapper and other decent specs at that price ensured it became the talk of the tech town. There were obvious comparisons drawn, mostly how it could be yet another scam. Yes, Freedom 251 has left us with a bitter sour taste, and that’s one reason why the Docoss X1 was marred with suspicion. And, so will every other device that plays around the price point. [caption id=“attachment_300368” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  The Freedom 251 has the Indian flag printed on the back of the device. Image: The Mobile Indian[/caption] But, has that stopped companies from announcing such phones? Well, not yet. We soon saw Namotel Acche Din smartphone with a price tag that made it cheaper than 1 kg toor day. At Rs 99, the Ache Din smartphone promised specs almost similar to Docoss X1 and Freedom 251, and clearly didn’t sound legit. Does anyone own a single unit of the Ache Din smartphone? Now, the latest company to hit headlines, simply owing to its jaw-dropping price tag of Rs 501, is ChampOne Communications. The ChampOne C1 smartphone comes with even more lucrative specs sheet that includes 5-inch display, MediaTek processor, 16GB onboard storage, 2GB RAM and 8MP rear snapper. And, all of that and more, at Rs 501. Yes, you heard that right. Though there is suspicion, the company has said that it will be an introductory/ promotional price, post which the device will be priced at Rs 8000. Users can register for the device and the first flash sale slated 2 September will allow them to buy it at Rs 501. Interestingly, the device will be available only on cash on delivery. That speaks volume about how cautious the company is to ensure that it isn’t branded to be fake. But selling a Rs 8000 device for Rs 501 is a big move, and we wonder how many units it has planned for the flash sale. [caption id=“attachment_311801” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  The Docoss X1 smartphone that is priced at Rs 888.[/caption] Looks like, the lucrative price point is just to grab attention of users who are spoilt for choices in the budget segment in India. The strategy to play around the price point has made everyone sit straight and take notice of this company. However, Freedom 251 has taught us not to be too hopeful . Looks like, the cheaper smartphones are nothing but a trend of sort to bring some recognition to the company.
It was in February that Ringing Bells created ripples in the already fierce Indian smartphone market by announcing the Freedom 251.
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Written by Naina Khedekar
Armed with a Bachelor of Electronics Engineering degree, it is writing where Naina finds her calling. She has got her finger on the pulse of what's new and trending in the world of technology, right from gadgets to innovations. When she isn't hammering away on her keyboard, she is busy looking for figurines to add to her growing collection of Kinder toys. It doesn't get more diverse than that. see more