Booking for Freedom 251 smartphone enters 3rd day; quantity limited to 1 per user

 

The quantity of handsets which was unlimited earlier, has been restricted to just one per user now.

So if you get lucky and are succesfully able to place your booking, you can only place order for 1 unit of Freedom 251 smartphone.

The smartphone's website is down on day 2 of pre-booking owing to which the excitement around the phone seems to be fizzling out.

The company has put out the sale date of Freedom 251 smartphone on its website now. It says, “All deliveries will be made by 30th June, 2016 through courier”

The smartphone went on sale at 6 am on Thursday morning, which was its first day of sale. But the company had to later stop accepting orders after its website crashed.

Even before the server crashed, many people faced problem in booking the phone because of glitches in the payment window within an hour of opening of the bookings.

Freedom 251, hailed as India's most affordable smartphone was launched at just Rs 251.

The 3G handset, Freedom 251, features a 4-inch display, Qualcomm 1.3-GHz quad-core processor and 1 GB RAM.

The Android Lollipop-based handset has an onboard storage of 8 GB with support for expandable memory of up to 32 GB. It features a 3.2-MP rear and a 0.3-MP front facing camera and a 1,450-mAh battery.

Guess! How much a smartphone like Freedom 251 would actually cost

 

"The Ministry has analysed the issue and it feels that such a device can be manufactured for about Rs 2,300," sources said.

However, they refused to say if any action will be taken against the company in the matter.

Earlier this week, Noida-based firm Ringing Bells launched the world's cheapest phone -- Freedom 251 -- priced at Rs 251, hogging limelight globally.

Indian Cellular Association, which represents the handset makers industry in India and has members like Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, Lava and Micromax, had also written to Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

The body said the bill of material value for a product like this when sourced from the cheapest supply chain cost approximately USD 40 (Rs 2,700).

When translated into retail price after addition of applicable duties, taxes and distribution and retail margins, the cost of the product would be at least Rs 4,100, it added.

ICA requested the Minister to get into the depth of the issue, saying the price could not be below Rs 3,500 even after a subsidised sale.

Ringing Bells, on its part, said the manufacturing cost of the phone is about Rs 2,500, which will be recovered through a series of measures like economies of scale, innovative marketing, reduction in duties and creating an e-commerce marketplace.

Apart from the jaw-dropping price, the company that was set up five months ago by Amity University graduate Mohit Kumar Goel, is also in the midst of controversy with analysts alleging that its maker has merely rebranded a device by its rival, Adcom.

Analysts allege that the design of Ringing Bells' Freedom 251 handset resembles that of Adcom's Ikon 4, which is already available in the Indian market at Rs 3,999.

Interestingly, most built-in app icons on the Freedom 251 seem to be a direct copy of icons on Apple's iPhone, they added.

Despite the controversies, the device has continued to grab attention from consumers. Following a heavy demand, Ringing Bells suspended bookings for 24 hours yesterday. It resumed bookings today.

Freedom 251: Online booking for Rs 251 smartphone resumes today

 

The smartphone went on sale Thursday morning at 0600 hrs but the company later stopped accepting orders after its website crashed.

"Dear friends, we are very grateful for your enormous response and your kind patronage and would submit that as of now we received approx. Six Lacs hits per second as a result of your kind overwhelming response, servers are over loaded," Freedom251 said in an apology to customers.

"We humbly submit that we are therefore taking a pause and upgrading the service and will revert within or before 24 hours," it added.

The Noida-based firm Ringing Bells, set up five months ago by Amity University graduate Mohit Kumar Goel, launched the Freedom 251 at a high-profile function last night, attended by BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi.had unveiled the smartphone yesterday.

Ringing Bells' president Ashok Chaddha said manufacturing cost of the phone is about Rs 2,500, which will be recovered through a series of measures like economies of scale, innovative marketing, reduction in duties and creating an e-commerce marketplace.

"By going for Made in India components, we can save on the 13.8 percent duty. Also, we will be selling online first and thus save the costs incurred on large distribution network," he said.

Chaddha also rejected speculations of the handset being subsidised by the government.

"The phone will be manufactured in Noida and Uttaranchal. Two plants will be set up for Rs 250 crore each with a capacity of 5 lakh phones. The money will come in the form of debt and equity (1.5:1)," he said.

Chaddha added the equity is being met by the promoter family of the company that is "engaged in agri-commodities business" in Uttar Pradesh but declined to give further information.

The industry has also raised concerns about the pricing of the device and has asked Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to get into depth of the issue, saying the price could not be below Rs 3,500 even after a subsidised sale.

"For your kind information, the bill of material value for a product like this when sourced from the cheapest supply chain cost approx USD 40 (Rs 2,700). And this when translated into retail price after addition of applicable duties, taxes and with distribution and retail margins would be at least Rs 4,100 while the product is being sold at Rs 251," ICA National President Pankaj Mohindroo said in the letter.

 

Know the person behind India's cheapest smartphone Freedom 251

 

The Freedom 251, despite having the latest specifications, comes at a price that many experts feel, is way beyond imagination.

Not much has been revealed about the person behind this device, but media reports say that the company Ringing Bells is promoted by Mohit Kumar Goel.

Noida-based Ringing Bells Pvt. Ltd was established in 2015.

Goel has a graduation degree from Western Sydney University and holds an MBA degree from Amity University. He ventured into telecom field only in last September.

Goel's father runs a grocery store in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district.

Financial daily, livemint, quoting data from the Registrar of Companies said that the company has Sushma Devi and Rajesh Kumar besides Goel as its directors.

Freedom 251, hailed as India's most affordable smartphone was launched yesterday at just Rs 251.

The 3G handset, Freedom 251, features a 4-inch display, Qualcomm 1.3-GHz quad-core processor and 1 GB RAM.

The Android Lollipop-based handset has an onboard storage of 8 GB with support for expandable memory of up to 32 GB. It features a 3.2-MP rear and a 0.3-MP front facing camera and a 1,450-mAh battery.

Freedom 251: What makes us wary and suspicious about this smartphone

 

While the smartphone has generated quite a buzz, it has left tech analysts with more questions than answers.

Here are some of them:

- The preview device shipped to reviewers bears the logo of Adcom, which was hidden with whitener, and not Ringing Bells or Freedom 251! Adcom is actually a Delhi-

based importer of IT products which also ships in smartphones and tablets. Freedom 251's looks and specifications are also similar to that of Adcom Ikon 4.

- The user interface of Freedom 251, which is powered by Android Lollipop, resembles an iPhone! Many of the app icons appear to have been lifted straight from the iPhone and that should make customers wary as that has the potential to attract copyright infringement case. Also, the home button on the phone appears to be a clone of the one on iPhone!

- Further, Freedom 251 is not reported to have secured Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification, which is mandatory for all phones sold in India.

- While bookings for Freedom 251 start on February 18 at 6 am and close on February 21, the phone is not likely to ship before June 30 – that's nearly four and a half months later.

- The preview phone is not at all what it looks like in promotional pictures. In fact, the images of the phone posted on the official website and the phone given for reviews appear to be two totally different phones.

- Analysts are wondering how Ringing Bells is managing to sell a smartphone at Rs 251! Calculations done by various websites put the factory/assembling cost of the phone at well above Rs 2,500! Even the Adcom Ikon 4 is priced above Rs 4,000 on e-commerce websites.

- Last but not the least, the company has shied away from answering the doubts in the minds of people, including journalists, so far. While this makes us suspicious, we would still like to wait and watch how the entire things plays out.

 

Cheapest smartphones Freedom 251 : 10 interesting facts

 

Manufactured by Noida-based Ringing Bells, the smartphone will be priced at a mere Rs 251 only as the name suggests.

Here are some interesting things about India's cheapest phone.

• While it is India's cheapest phone, at USD 4 or Rs 251, it is also the world's cheapest phone

• From every possible angle, it looks like a copy of Apple's iconic iPhone

• Cheaper than 1GB of one-month net pack (Rs 259 for Airtel and Rs 255/297 for Vodafone)

• Freedom 251 is cheaper than most branded headphones/earphones that are sold in showrooms

• Ringing Bells was set up in September 2015 with three directors, Mohit Kumar Goel, Sushma Devi, and Rajesh Kumar

• The directors had been in agricultural business but ventured into technology business, the ministry said

• Booking for the world's cheapest smartphone starts February 18, 6 am onwards and will close on February 21, 8 pm.
• Freedom 251 will get services in over 650 centres across India
• It comes with a one year warranty
• The delivery of Freedom 251 will be done till 30th June.
•  

 

Booking and delivery dates of the world's cheapest phone Freedom 251

 

A move that is likely to disrupt the smartphone market, Freedom 251 had already created buzz much before its official launch.

Booking for the world's cheapest smartphone, Freedom 251 will begin February 18, 6 a.m. onwards and close on February 21 at 8 p.m.

Delivery will be done on first-come first-serve basis and will go on till June 30. However, the date of the quickest delivery is not known.

Payment has to be done online via net banking, credit card or debit cards.

There is NO Cash on Delivery option.

Mobile industry raises concerns on 'Freedom 251' smartphone

 

The Indian Cellular Association (ICA) also said that it is not appropriate for the senior political and government leadership to be present at the launch till the air around this is cleared and it is not shrouded under controversies.

Noida-based Ringing Bells is launching India's most affordable smartphone, priced at Rs 251, a move that is set to disrupt the booming Indian mobile handset market.

The 3G handset, Freedom 251, features a 4-inch display, Qualcomm 1.3-GHz quad-core processor and 1 GB RAM, according to details shared by the company.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikkar will launch the smartphone Freedom 251 later this evening.

"For your kind information, the bill of material (BOM) value for a product like this when sourced from the cheapest supply chain cost approximately USD 40 (Rs 2,700).

"And this, when translated into retail price after addition of applicable duties, taxes and with distribution and retail margins would be at least Rs 4,100 while the product is being sold at Rs 251," ICA National President Pankaj Mohindroo said in the letter.

He further added that even if the product is sold at lower margins in an e-commerce type subsidised sale, the final consumer price cannot come below USD 52-55 (about Rs 3,500-3,800).

"Further, there is no visible mobile operator subsidy involved in this, which in any case is not the way the Indian mobile market operates," he added.

Mohindroo said it would be advisable that officers from Deity get into the depth of this and ICA will provide any technical assistance, if required.

"We are bringing this to your kind notice, so that a scenario does not arise in the future, where the nation, the government of India, industry and trade are seen in a poor light," the letter added.

How to book BUY FREEDOM 251 MOBILE ONLINE BOOKING RS. 251

 

Bookings for the Freedom 251 will begin on February 18 at 6 am and close on 21 February at 8pm. The company says deliveries will be completed by 30th June 2016.

Here's how you can book the smartphone.

 http://www.freedom251.com/

Freedom 251 is cheaper than 1GB of net pack: 10 interesting facts

 

Manufactured by Noida-based Ringing Bells, the smartphone will be priced at a mere Rs 251 only as the name suggests.

Here are some interesting things about India's cheapest phone.

• While it is India's cheapest phone, at USD 4 or Rs 251, it is also the world's cheapest phone

• From every possible angle, it looks like a copy of Apple's iconic iPhone

• Cheaper than 1GB of one-month net pack (Rs 259 for Airtel and Rs 255/297 for Vodafone)

• Freedom 251 is cheaper than most branded headphones/earphones that are sold in showrooms

• Ringing Bells was set up in September 2015 with three directors, Mohit Kumar Goel, Sushma Devi, and Rajesh Kumar

• The directors had been in agricultural business but ventured into technology business, the ministry said

• Booking for the world's cheapest smartphone starts February 18, 6 am onwards and will close on February 21, 8 pm.
• Freedom 251 will get services in over 650 centres across India
• It comes with a one year warranty
• The delivery of Freedom 251 will be done till 30th June.
•  

 

Freedom 251: World's cheapest 'Made in India' smartphone launched at just Rs 251

 

The 3G handset, Freedom 251, features a 4-inch display, Qualcomm 1.3-GHz quad-core processor and 1 GB RAM, according to details shared by the company.

The Android Lollipop-based handset will have an onboard storage of 8 GB with support for expandable memory of up to 32 GB. 

have an onboard storage of 8 GB with support for expandable memory of up to 32 GB. It features a 3.2-MP rear and a 0.3-MP front facing camera and a 1,450-mAh battery.

The mass market device will come with preinstalled apps including Women Safety, Swachh Bharat, Fisherman, Farmer, Medical, WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube.

Bookings for the Freedom 251 will start tomorrow. Previously, the company has launched the most affordable 4G smartphone for Rs 2,999.

Last year, DataWind had announced that it is teaming up with Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Communications (RCOM) to launch the world's most affordable smartphone, priced at Rs 999. The phone is yet to hit the market.

5 Key features of India's cheapest smartphone Freedom 251

 

Here are five key features of the Freedom 251 smartphone.

Display

The smartphone comes with 4 inch (10.2 cms) qHD IPS display.

Camera

The smartphone houses  a 3.2MP AF rear camera and .3MP front camera. Freedom 251 with its inbuilt touchless technology is good for selfie lovers.

Processor

Freedom 251 comes with 1.3 GHz Quadcore Processor.

Operating System and Battery

The smartphone runs Android Lollypop 5.1. It comes with 1450 mAh battery.

Memory

It has 1GB RAM and 8GB internal memory, expandable up to 32GB using SD card.

How to book India's cheapest smartphone Freedom 251

 

Bookings for the Freedom 251 will begin on February 18 at 6 am and close on 21 February at 8pm. The company says deliveries will be completed by 30th June 2016.

Here's how you can book the smartphone.

Go to the company's website http://www.freedom251.com/. You will see the booking option button on the homepage. Though it is not functional now, you can do so early morning tomorrow when the booking starts.

India’s cheapest smartphone 'Freedom 251' set to be launched at just Rs 251 today

 

The launch is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for “empowering India to the last person, transforming India’s growth story”, the Noida-based company said.

The phone's price has been revealed. It will come at mere Rs 251, something that resembles the phone's name too.

  

 

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikkar will launch the smartphone ‘Freedom 251’ on February 17. “The phone will be popularly priced at under Rs 500… this event and launch stands as a true testimony of success of the latest initiatives taken by the Government of India,” according to a media invite sent by the firm.

At present, smartphones available in the market are priced around Rs 1,500. Last year, DataWind had announced that it is teaming up with Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Communications (RCOM) to launch the world’s most affordable smartphone, priced at Rs 999. The phone is yet to hit the market.

Established last year, Ringing Bells will start with the assembly of handsets in Phase-I and aims at full indigenous development of the feature-rich smartphones, it said. It did not disclose any other details about manufacturing, products and pricing.

A new entrant in the Indian mobile phone market, Ringing Bells had launched one of India’s cheapest 4G smartphone at Rs 2,999, recently. It has launched two other feature phones in the market.