Airtel, Vodafone and Idea May Launch 4G Smartphones at ₹500: Report

If you thought the ₹ane,500 rupee JioPhone was the bargain of the century, think over again. That's because Airtel, Vodafone and Idea are all reportedly working with smartphone manufacturers to offering 4G smartphones for as low as ₹500, if a report from The Economic Times has it right. The three major telecom players are also plain looking to parcel vox and data plans worth ₹60-seventy per month with the ultra-affordable devices.

Co-ordinate to an unnamed executive at ane of the three aforementioned telecom operators, "We will gear towards depression-cost smartphones via alliances. Smartphones are expected to become cheaper, and so for an offer with them, it makes more sense than setting upward our own phones".

It'southward worth noting here that all these three operators are already offering low-priced 4G smartphones by teaming upwardly with OEMs and east-commerce portals. While Vodafone is offering devices like the Intex Aqua A4 at an effective toll of ₹999 as function of Flipkart's #MyFirst4GSmartphone scheme, Airtel last December teamed up with Celkon to offer the Star 4G+ for just ₹1,249 after all the cashbacks and discounts. While the Intex device comes with an initial downward payment of ₹three,999, the Celkon phone has a ₹2,749 price-tag.

Meanwhile, the device that started it all, the 'effectively free' JioPhone, comes with a ₹1,500 price-tag that volition be eventually reimbursed after three years if buyers recharge with ₹ane,500 in the outset yr, ₹ane,000 in the second year and just ₹500 in the third year. While the JioPhone is a feature telephone, the upcoming devices are said to be total-fledged smartphones, which is what makes the deal much more interesting for those looking to get their hands on a 4G handset without even paying a 1000 bucks for information technology.