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Ringing Bells to launch India's cheapest smartphone at Rs 251

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This would be a sure shot disruption of mobile phone industry!

Ringing Bells to launch India's cheapest smartphone at Rs 251


Booking for the phone open on February 18 at 6am and close on 21 February at 8pm


Press Trust of India | New Delhi February 17, 2016



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Domestic handset maker Ringing Bells will launch India's most affordable smartphone for Rs 251 today evening, a move that is set to disrupt the growing handset market in the country.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikkar will launch the smartphone 'Freedom 251' in an event presided over by Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi.

Important specifications of the Freedom 251 include a 4-inch display, 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage (expandable up to 32GB), 3.2-megapixel back camera, 0.3-megapixel front camera, and a 1450mAh battery.

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

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.

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.

India, one of the fastest growing smartphone markets globally, is poised to overtake the US as the second-largest market in next few years.

In the last few months, global smartphone makers, including the likes of Xiaomi, Motorola and Gionee have commenced assembling their handsets in India, where the government is pushing local manufacturing through its Make in India initiative.


http://www.business-standard.com/ar...est-sub-rs-500-smartphone-116021500773_1.html
 
Here's everything you need to know about the launch of the "world's cheapest smartphone" Freedom 251, and all the uneasy mystery surrounding it.

There’s been much hubbub on the net off-late, surrounding the launch of the cheapest smartphone in India, and indeed the world, the Freedom 251. Launched today by Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar at an event in New Delhi, the new smartphone from recently formed Ringing Bells Pvt Ltd was touted to absolutely wreck the industry on release. And that’s when more details started trickling in.
First and foremost, the phone, and the company behind it. While the initial announcement made was that the phone would cost Rs 500, subsequent clarifications revealed it would instead be priced at Rs 251. Sounds too good to be true? Well, that might be because it is.

The Freedom 251 features a 1.3GHz quad-core processor with 1GB RAM, has a 4-inch qHD IPS display with a 3.2MP rear cam and a 0.3MP front cam. It’s powered by a 1450mAh battery and has 8GB internal storage (expandable up to 32GB). But what the ads and promotional material don’t tell you is what the phone is actually like in your hand. And, unfortunately, reports coming in paint a foreboding picture.
Hindustan Times published the first review we saw today, which indicates the device is a jumbled mishmash of other existing phones. The screenshots of the Freedom 251’s UI clearly show ripoffs of icons from iOS. Apple’s Photos, Safari, and Email icons are sitting pretty beside standard Android Lollipop fare. That’s a copyright infringement lawsuit in the making. In addition, HT claims the trial device they were sent by the company actually featured branding of an entirely different company, Adcom. Even more bizarre, the brand name was whitened out. Adcom is an IT product importer from Delhi, and they say they have nothing to do with Ringing Bells. So what exactly is going on then? No one can be sure, but just take a look at this.
Here’s an official photo of the Freedom 251, where the phone looks suspiciously like Ringing Bell’s own Smart 101.
They didn't even bother removing the text that says "Android 5.1 Lollipop". It's so laughably and utterly stupid at this point, that I shouldn't be surprised anymore, but of course there's more to add to building pile of manure. On a third website, dedicated solely to Freedom 251 updates, the company lists the reasons one should buy the phone. And, of course, that gloriously exaggerated list is coupled with yet another picture of the Smart 101.
Of course, that's okay in this context because Ringing Bells has a disclaimer on the website.
http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/report-the-freedom-251-fiasco-what-the-hell-is-going-on-2178927

What is true, Vganeji?
 
hi

i feel 2 things here.....how much quality of this smartphone....may be some chinese useless parts/ technology? next...

making more fools into smartphone business....finally ...janata ko ullu banate hai....
 
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The Freedom 251 may be the world’s cheapest smart phone but the device released by Noida-based Ringing Bells is riddled with problems, including a possible copyright infringement of Apple’s iconic iPhone, HT has found.
The phone – that buyers can purchase for Rs 251 from the company’s website from Thursday -- was launched at a high-profile function attended by senior BJP MP Murli Manohar Joshi and Madhya Pradesh legislator Omprakash Sakhlecha in Delhi at 7pm.
Ringing Bells has called the phone “India’s most affordable smartphone” in full-page newspaper ads, pitching it as a huge push for the government’s Make in India and Digital India initiative.
But when HT got its hands on a Freedom 251 unit, it had multiple problems.
A Ringing Bells spokesperson refused to answer any of HT’s questions stating they have not actually seen the phone.
COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT
Most built-in app icons on the Freedom 251 are a direct copy of icons on Apple’s iPhone. Take a look at the screenshot below for a side-by-side comparison of the icons on the Freedom 251 and the iPhone. Even the web browser app is a rip-off of Apple’s Safari browser that only exists on iPhones, iPads, and the Mac.
_e9603d22-d56c-11e5-bf98-84b7c9dfc99d.jpg

[h=2][/h] MISMATCH
The phone doesn’t look anything like Freedom 251’s photos on Ringing Bell’s website. Here’s a side-by-side comparison. The model we received looks closer to an iPhone, complete with a round home button.
_f99e7e24-d56c-11e5-bf98-84b7c9dfc99d.jpg

[h=2][/h] MADE IN INDIA?
The front of the Freedom 251 is emblazoned with a shiny brand name that says Adcom. In the phone that was sent to HT, this logo was covered up with whitener.
A quick Google search revealed Adcom is a New Delhi-based importer of IT products. This particular model is listed on multiple e-commerce websites including Gadgets360, Amazon, Snapdeal and Shopclues for approximately Rs. 4,000.
When HT got in touch with Adcom, the company’s marketing head denied any knowledge of Adcom’s logo being used on the device. “We have no idea that our branding is being used on the Freedom 251,” Adcom’s marketing head Deepanjali Arora told HT. “We will look into this.”
BROKEN PROMISES
The phone’s official website says Freedom 251 will be pre-loaded with the Swachh Bharat app, a women’s safety app, and YouTube, WhatsApp, and Facebook, among others.
However, the model that HT received did not have any apps pre-loaded.
“These apps will be there in the version of the phone that we actually sell,” a Ringing Bell spokesperson told Hindustan Times. “This is just a preview version of the phone that we’re giving to media to try out.”

http://www.hindustantimes.com/tech/...with-issues/story-3DrgODgrvjhnGcO07uIB4M.html

Should government be involved in such shenanigans?
 
[h=1]How are they managing such a low price with input costs being Rs 2700! Something fishy!!

'Rs 251 smartphone' upsets mobile industry
[/h]

February 17, 2016 21:02

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Expressing concern over the launch of a smartphone at price as low as Rs 251, mobile industry body ICA has written to Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to get into depth of the issue, saying the rate could not be below Rs 3,500 even after a subsidised sale.


The Indian Cellular Association 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 launched the smartphone Freedom 251 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.



http://news.rediff.com/commentary/2...ile-industry/66d9cf5ac5fd2b57c5e34ddc48b4ce1a
 


Freedom 251: After initial euphoria, flak from all sides and bookings suspended


The website was down at times


After Freedom 251, stole the headlines on Wednesday for being the cheapest smartphone in the world, the manufacturer Ringing Bells have now made news for all the wrong reasons.

Following its much hyped launch on Wednesday amidst presence of union ministers, the website where the phones were to be sold from 6 AM since Thursday as stated earlier reported glitches.


Since early morning it remained a topic of discussion on Twitter with nearly 25, 000 mentions although most of them complaining of unprocessed orders despite repeated attempts.


The website was down at times with the following message stating that their servers were overloaded.


See moreat: http://www.thenewsminute.com/articl...bookings-suspended-39191#sthash.khcJm9oQ.dpuf
 
No doubt technology and mass production for a big market like India can definitely bring down the prices of smart phones but delivering a smart phone for Rs250/- I feel is not practical right now . Nokia helped people get cheaper feature phones and on the same lines someone can definitely develop a cheap smart phone version but I doubt whether for Rs250 a fairly quality smart phone can be delivered at this stage .
 
Ringing Bells claims 30,000 orders even as website crashes; government keeping close watch on Freedom 251 smartphone

N
EW DELHI: The telecom ministry is monitoring sales of the world's cheapest smartphone for Rs 251 each by a company called Ringing Bells, which claimed to have received 30,000 confirmed orders and over 6 lakh hits per second on its website on the first day.

"The ministry is keeping a close watch due to the huge consumer interest at stake," a person familiar with the matter said. "An initial internal assessment of the ministry shows the price of the smartphone can't be less than Rs 2,30 ..


Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...ofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
 
In the Facebook, there are several posts that make a mockery of this product. It appears that the website does not work, denying the aspirants to book the order for buying. Many have posted a joke from a Vadivelu film மூட்டைப்பூச்சியைக் கொல்லும் நவீன மெஷின்!. Any product with incredibly low price will definitely disappoint the users - Let us be careful before choosing them.
 
[h=1]BJP MP Kirit Somaiya seeks telecom department inquiry into Freedom 251 phone pricing[/h]The Mumbai leader raised concerns about company Ringing Bells marketing the phone without a required certificate.

The Department of Telecommunications has sought clarification from Noida-based company Ringing Bells for marketing its smartphone Freedom 251, which was launched on Wednesday, without a Bureau of Indian Standards certification. Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kirit Somaiya on Thursday said on Twitter that the Uttar Pradesh government had been asked to look into the firm’s credentials, PTI reported.

In a series of other tweets, he confirmed that the telecommunications department had raised the issue and directed the UP government to check whether the company was bona fide. Besides the DoT, Somaiya approached the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Security and Exchange Board of India, Reserve Bank of India, state governments and the ministries of consumer affairs, corporate affairs and finance. He questioned the pricing of the mobile phone at Rs 251and requested these departments to look into it. The telecommunications department has yet to comment on the BJP MP’s queries.


Read more at: http://scroll.in/latest/803823/bjp-...rtment-inquiry-into-freedom-251-phone-pricing
 
Freedom 251: Top 5 unanswered questions

By Sandeep Budki


A new entrant in the handset space, Ringing Bells yesterday launched the world’s cheapest smartphone, the Freedom 251, for just Rs 251. At the event the company’s president Ashok Chadha, director Mohit Goel and technical head Vikas Sharma tried to decode the mystery surrounding the price of the device but they were not able to come up with satisfactory answers to The Mobile Indian’s five questions.


Read more at: http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/freedom-251-top-5-unanswered-questions-300358.html
 
Hope proper action is taken against the Company!

3G phone like Freedom 251 would cost Rs 2,300, finds DoT: With questions being raised over the promised price of Rs 251 for a 3G smartphone by new entrant Ringing Bells, the Telecom Ministry has found that a device with such specifications would cost about Rs 2,300.


"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.

http://news.rediff.com/commentary/2...00-finds-dot/b84bb27b6063d7841ce170b567789eee
 
Ringing Bells in trouble, comes under excise, incometax departments' scanner.

428283-freedom-251-2-pti.jpg



The telecom ministry to dig deeper in the issue.


Ringing Bells, makers of the world's cheapest smartphone, has come under the scanner of excise and income tax departments as debates around the feasibility of offering a Rs 251 handset rages on.

According to the sources, the I-T Department is looking into the financial structure of the Noida-based company and have obtained documents, including those from the Registrar of Companies (RoC), in this regard.

Read more at: http://www.dnaindia.com/money/repor...-under-excise-i-t-departments-scanner-2180018
 
The latest news is that they have closed the bookings as the number of bookings went against their capacity or expectations. May be they thought of giving some 100/200 handsets and create a history. But it was sure a mass hit which might have touched into several crores of confirmed orders. Now what ?
 
25 lakh bookings which amounts to Rs 62.75 crores collections and there are 7 crore registrations! Now the Company has clarified how it is going to make money...Read this amazing business plan! It will be a game changer for sure!!

Will make profit of Rs 31 on each Rs 251 phone: Mohit Goel

Pankaj Doval | TNN | Feb 22, 2016, 12.26 AM IST



51083416.jpg


Director of Ringing Bells Mohit Goel during the launch of Smartphone-Ringing Bells Freedom 251 in New Delhi on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: Since he announced the launch of a mobile phone for Rs 251, Mohit Goel has faced widespread scepticism, along with visits by police and income tax officials at his rented two-storey office in Noida. However, the Amity University graduate insists that he will not only deliver the phones at the stunning price he has quoted, but also make a profit of Rs 31 on each handset sold.

"Why am I being hounded? What wrong have I done?" Goel asked in the course of an exclusive interview with TOI. The director of Ringing Bells insists that his new venture is not a fly-by-night operation and will begin customer deliveries from April 15. "Has there ever been a case of income-tax evasion against me or my company, or has there been an FIR filed against me in any police station? Why am I being called a 'bhagora' (who'll run away with the money)? I intend to do a valid business, just like any other startup, and I have a business plan ready."

The company claims it has received over 7 crore registrations on its website since it started accepting applications on February 18. "We are taking online bookings for only 25 lakh units in the first batch due to limited supplies, while giving another 25 lakh through offline distributors. I will deliver the handsets before June 30. All the money that we receive from customers through the payment gateway will be kept in an escrow account and we will touch it only when we deliver the devices." The company has an account with ICICI Bank.

Goel, and his much-older confidant Ashok Chadha, who is the president of the company, insists that there have not been any infringements on design and other matters. "Some of the devices had the Adcom branding as we sourced panel (screen) from them. However, the final device will have our branding and the phone will have the same features and design that we had showcased."

The dual SIM Freedom 251 device carries a 4-inch display, 1 GB RAM, 8GB internal memory with a 1.3 GHZ quad-core processor, dual cameras and comes with a charger, headphone and one-year warranty.

The duo say that they have a carefully laid-out business model to manage the disruptive price for the device "The price that works out per device is roughly around Rs 1,500," Chadha says. insists, though significantly lowering it down from the Rs 2,500 he had announced on the day of the unveiling of the device. "We will source the devices from a supplier in Noida, who will be assembling the units for us after getting components from Taiwan." And while we do this, we also start the work to identify land and suppliers for setting up our manufacturing locations. For this, we have identified Noida while also looking at locations in Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Bihar and Punjab," Chadha says.



And just how does he bring down the cost to Rs 251, and also earn a profit? "Economies of scale gets it down to around Rs 1,200, and thereafter an online sales model cuts down marketing and sales expenses, giving us further savings," he says. And to this we will add marketing piggybacks from companies whose applications we load on the devices. We will save around Rs 300 per device more through this," Chadha says.

The unveiling of the phone on February 17 had created quite a flutter among existing handset suppliers, prompting industry body Indian Cellular Association to file a complaint with the government. (ICA) - which has members such as Samsung, Apple, Sony, Lava, Micromax, Karbonn, Motorola and HTC - ICA president Pankaj Mohindroo wrote a letter to telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, expressing doubts about the intentions of Ringing Bells, saying it is not possible to supply a phone for Rs 251. Also, there were allegations that the company had ripped off the design of the prototype from American phone major Apple's iPhone, while also giving out devices sourced from a local electronics importer Adcom.

The company is also talking to large e-commerce companies, such as travel website Goibibo, to get their apps on the devices. "We will also monetize from the heavy traffic on our website and will make it into a marketplace for other brands to hop on. This will also help us to bring down the cost."


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...251-phone-mohit-goel/articleshow/51083300.cms
 
Mohit Goel is at pains to stress that his business plan is sound .

He says that the money he has collected is in escrow acount not touched by him .

Besides, the first few lakhs of phones , he is directly importing and giving .

Balance , he is assembling and delivering.

He is confident that he will deliver what he has promised.

He says he is breaking no rules.

Let us see.
 
Now the cat is out! They are going to import & then start manufacturing!

Will any one trust them now??
[h=1]Ringing Bells to import first 50 lakh phones: Govt. official[/h]
Ringing Bells will import the first 50 lakh units of its handset, a government official said following a meeting with the company's promoter. The firm had earlier claimed that making devices in India would help it sell a smartphone for as little as Rs. 251.The company, which claims to have received more than 6 crore registrations for its Freedom 251 phone, has promised delivery of 50 lakh handsets by June 30. Of this 25 lakh will be online orders and 25 lakh would be those received offline.
In a meeting with Department of Electronics and IT (DeitY) officials following a summons, Ringing Bells President Ashok Chaddha and Promoter Mohit Goel on Monday “explained their business model”. This follows instructions from the Communications and IT Minister to examine the “veracity" of the venture.
According to a senior ministry official, Mr. Chaddha and Mr. Goel stated that initially they plan to import 50 lakh handsets to meet the demand and will then start manufacturing in India in a phased manner.
When contacted a company spokesperson said the company is presently importing components from Taiwan and will be assembling them at a pilot facility in Noida, UP. The company plans to set up at least two manufacturing plants in the next 6-8 months with an initial investment of Rs.350 crore.

http://www.thehindu.com/business/In...ovt-official/article8268425.ece?homepage=true
 
When people spend thousands to buy smart phones , Mohit goel will be the spoiler.

They have to reduce their prices and not make windfall profits.

Most popular brands sell only models which are getting phased out abroad and dump them here.

I also got conned into buying samsung P7 last week.

I understand it is a very popular model.

I do not know its real worth or capability.

We end buying many things which are far beyond our capability to utilise its features.

For all you know , a 251 rs mob would have been good enough for me personally.
 

Ringing Bells starts refunding money to customers.


"We don't want customers' money initially. We have investors to back our project."


Noida-based Ringing Bells, which has promised to sell smartphones for Rs 251 apiece, has started refunding money to customers due to negative speculation around its claim.

"There was a lot of negativity around us so we have decided to take money from customers only after delivering phones to them. We are refunding money to those who have paid for booking the phones and giving them an option of cash on delivery," Ringing Bells Director Mohit Goel told PTI.

Read more at: http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report-ringing-bells-starts-refunding-money-to-customers-2183591
 
It is a desperate attempt by the promoters to save themselves from the negative publicity. Now, with money getting refunded to the persons who had booked for the smartphone, technically there lies no contract or obligation on either side.

We had lot of fun during the past one month with no viable result. Strange are the ways these people behave !
 
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