DHAKA: An Indian smartphone manufacturer, Ringing Bells, is set to launch an affordable smartphone called the Freedom 251 on Wednesday (February 17) as part of its attempt to connect every Indian.

The company will launch the phone set ‘with immense support from’ the India government, reports ndtv.

The Freedom 251 is being touted as India’s cheapest smartphone - and likely the most affordable smartphone in the world as well.

The company said that it will reveal the exact retail price of the handset and other details like its specifications at the launch event.

The manufacturer added the launch event will see the presence of a number of top Indian government officials including Minister of Defence Shri Manohar Parrikkar and Shri Murali Manohar Joshi MP.

Ringing Bells says that the smartphone is in line with India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to connect every Indian and enrich their lives.

The company also asserts that its smartphone is built to meet the goals of Make In India, the government’s project to entice multinational as well as domestic players to manufacturer their products in India.

With making a smartphone available at a price under Rs. 500, the Freedom 251 has the potential to significantly improve the lifestyle of people in the country with a low income.

It will be interesting to see whether or not Ringing Bells is able to manufacture and sell this device at a large scale.

Ringing Bells made headlines earlier this month when it launched the Smart101, a 4G capable smartphone at a price point of Rs. 2,999 (approximately $44).

It sports a 5-inch display, a 1.3GHz quad-core SoC, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of inbuilt storage which can be expanded using a micro SD card (upto 32GB), the report added.

BDST: 1107 HRS, FEB 16, 2016
SR