In November last year, to cash in on untapped wannabe 3G users, Idea Cellular announced a range of 3G smartphones starting from just Rs 5,850 and now the company is planning to make its 3G handsets available in three more states.
An Idea spokesperson said to The Mobile Indian, “By March, Idea 3G smartphones Blade and id280, which are based on 2.2 Android operating system, will be available for mobile consumers of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Odisha.”
The spokesperson further said, “Idea wants mobile consumers to experience the power of Android and 3G using their affordable smartphone phones. Also, consumers are free to use connections from any service provider as the phones are not locked to Idea.”
Regarding availability, the spokesperson said that Blade and id280 will be available through retail as well as Idea stores in the three states and users might get some special introductory data plan when they buy these phones.
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Idea 3G smartphones Blade and id280 are based on Android 2.2 operating system and have 3.5 inch and 2.8 inch screens, respectively.
Blade is basically ZTE Blade smartphone, which is also sold in the country as Dell XCD35. It has a 600 MHz processor and a capacitive touchscreen.
On the other hand id280, which is made by Huawei, is the same phone that MTS, a CDMA operator, sells under its brand name. It has a 2.8 inch capacitive screen with 320 x 240 pixel resolution, 528 MHz processor and 256 MB RAM.
Blade is priced at Rs 7,992 which makes it at least Rs 500 cheaper than the Dell XCD35, which obviously will not come with any free data bundle. And id280 is offered at Rs 5,850, while it is sold by MTS at Rs 5,500 and with a much more attractive voice and data plan. However, the biggest benefit with Idea’s phone is that it can be used with any operator’s SIM card and is not locked to Idea.
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Also, wherever Idea 3G phones are currently available the operator is offering data services worth Rs 3,500 with a Rs 259 pack. Hence, for the id280 Android smartphone, which is priced at Rs 5,850, an Idea 3G user gets it for a value of just Rs 2,609. Likewise, the Blade, which is priced at Rs 7,992 has a value of just Rs 4,751 for Idea 3G users, thus making them the best buys in their respective segments.
The Rs 259 pack offers free subscription to Idea TV for three months, 1 GB of data download per month for three months, 3G Double Dhamaka benefits for 6 months, and talktime of Rs 25. This offer is available for both prepaid and postpaid users.