Ringing Bells, a new India-based mobile manufacturer surprised us all with its dirt cheap Freedom 251, priced at 251 INR or $4. Yes, this is not a trick, the device is really priced at this amount. Starting today, the phone manufacturer has started the registration process for the device, asking for 4 months to get it delivered to your doorsteps. With a meagre 40 INR, that is, less than a dollar of delivery charge, you can purchase this device by clicking here.
It may look a bit odd to you, but we have decided to compare this device to a well-known flagship offering, the Samsung Galaxy S6, a $650+ device. The comparison will be based on the design, display, camera, specs and battery of the two devices, thus figuring out if the quality of the two handsets differ as much as their price tags do.
Design
The Freedom 251 comes with an all-plastic design that is now garnering much controversy due to its resemblance to the iPhone 5S and higher models. Overall, the design looks well-built, given the price at which it sells for.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 is a premium device by the South Korean smartphone manufacturer, so it will not be feasible to compare it with the dirt cheap phone. As for the dimensions, the device measures 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm (5.65 x 2.78 x 0.27 in) and weighs 138 g (4.87 oz).
Display
The Freedom 351 features a 4 inches wide display that has a resolution of 540×960 pixels.
As for the Samsung Galaxy S6, it features a 5.1 inches wide display with 1440 x 2560 pixels resolution and 577 ppi pixel density.
Specs
The Freedom 251 is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core and it comes with 1GB of RAM. Intenral storage wise, it features 8GB internal memory that is expandable to 32GB via external microSD card.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 is powered by an Exynos 7420 Octa processor clocked at 2.1GHz along with 3GB of RAM. As for the internal memory, it comes in three non-expandable memory options of 32, 64 and 128 GB.
Camera
The Freedom 251 features a 3.2-megapixel primary camera on the rear and a 0.3-megapixel front shooter for selfies.
On the other side of the ring, the S6 features a 16 MP rear camera and a 5 MP front-facing selfies camera.
Battery
The Freedom 251 comes with a 1,450mAh battery and the S6 comes with a 2,550 mAh one.
Software
The Freedom 251 runs of Android 5.1, whereas the S6 has just received the Android 6.0 Marshmallow treatment.
Τhe Verdict
For the prize, the specs of the Freedom 251 do seem unrealistic and the device itself is attracting a lot of conspiracy. There have been speculations that suggest that the company may be fraudulent and the price of the handset may be less but, according to the projected number of registrations, the company will benefit a lot.
Owing to the phenomenally cheap price of the handset, people will not mind even if the promised device is not delivered. In a market where obtaining a decent pair of headphones at this price range is a severe ordeal to go through, a smartphone with such specifications that comes at that price does raise some questions.
However, if this is not a fraud and the device indeed delivers what it promises, the prospect is then definitely a smart initiative and the Freedom 251 will cause a noticeable shift in the market.
Finally, a major question is that will the Indian brand, Ringing Bells, that is new to the market, be able to handle so many orders for the device? All these questions still remain to be answered.