25 lakh bookings for Freedom 251 but phones yet to be made
The telecom ministry said a phone with the specifications of Freedom 251 would cost about Rs 2,300 and not Rs 251.
By TNN | Updated:
Ringing Bells director Mohit Goel said on Friday that he had met his target of 25 lakh initial bookings of Freedom 251, touted as the world's cheapest smartphone at Rs 251, reports Sharmila Bhowmick. That's an upfront payment of almost Rs 73 crore, including a delivery charge of Rs 40 per piece.
As income tax officers and cops thronged his office in Noida Sector 63, Goel, who is yet to begin manufacturing the phone, said he didn't want the money generated from online bookings till he delivered the phone at the end of April. “If need be, we will also keep Goel's documents and passport with us till he delivers,“ DSP Anoop Singh said.
The telecom ministry said a phone with the specifications of Freedom 251 would cost about Rs 2,300 and not Rs 251.
As income tax officers and cops thronged his office in Noida Sector 63, Goel, who is yet to begin manufacturing the phone, said he didn't want the money generated from online bookings till he delivered the phone at the end of April. “If need be, we will also keep Goel's documents and passport with us till he delivers,“ DSP Anoop Singh said.
The telecom ministry said a phone with the specifications of Freedom 251 would cost about Rs 2,300 and not Rs 251.
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Text: Debashis Sarkar, TOI Tech
A working smartphone for Rs 251, without any government subsidy, is bound to attract apprehensions in the market. Especially, if it is from a little-known Noida-based company called Ringing Bells, which was recently established in 2015.
Whatever the case maybe, the fact is that the company has brought the Freedom 251 smartphone to India and is selling it at an amount, which is lesser than a good fast food meal. As noted in our first impressions, the Freedom 251 is a full-fledge usable smartphone.
The target audience, people for whom Rs 251 still matters, have nothing much to really ask for before buying it. However, people who might not use the smartphone primarily have got a lot to ask.
While initially there might be a lot of doubts around the Freedom 251, Ringing Bells is just clinging on to the price of device to silence critics, which by the way are growing by each passing minute.
So, here are the answers to all the major questions raised by consumers.
A working smartphone for Rs 251, without any government subsidy, is bound to attract apprehensions in the market. Especially, if it is from a little-known Noida-based company called Ringing Bells, which was recently established in 2015.
Whatever the case maybe, the fact is that the company has brought the Freedom 251 smartphone to India and is selling it at an amount, which is lesser than a good fast food meal. As noted in our first impressions, the Freedom 251 is a full-fledge usable smartphone.
The target audience, people for whom Rs 251 still matters, have nothing much to really ask for before buying it. However, people who might not use the smartphone primarily have got a lot to ask.
While initially there might be a lot of doubts around the Freedom 251, Ringing Bells is just clinging on to the price of device to silence critics, which by the way are growing by each passing minute.
So, here are the answers to all the major questions raised by consumers.
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