nitink 279 Report post Posted November 24, 2011 Mumbai: GSM operator Idea Cellular today launched 3G Android smartphones in association with Chinese companies to attract its 2G subscribers to the 3G services. Idea has tied up with Huawei to source 2.8-inch screen smartphone, to be sold at Rs 5,850, and with ZTE to source its 3.5-inch screen Blade smartphones priced at Rs 7,992. “These smartphones will further drive our existing 3G services. Users will now be able to access the Internet through these devices. We are also studying if we should enter the 3G tablet market. But we have not taken any decision on it,” Idea Cellular MD Himanshu Kapania said here. However, he did not give a time-frame by when he expects increased 3G smartphones penetration. “We don’t plan to enter the 3G handset business. Our objective is to create the ecosystem for 3G penetration and hit an affordable price point. We are also not subsidising these handsets for our users,” he said. Though there won’t be any voice plan bundling, as a special introductory offer, Idea will offer data services worth Rs 3,500 with its Rs 259 pack, along with these 3G smartphones. 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 six months and a talktime of Rs 25. This special introductory offer will be available for both prepaid as well as postpaid users. “Worldwide, smartphones are witnessing rapid uptake due to their multitasking capabilities and vast range of applications. While data uptake has witnessed steady growth ever since 3G services were launched here, the progress and proliferation will be spurred with the availability of affordable 3G devices,” Idea Cellular chief marketing officer Sashi Shankar said. source : 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
@mitJ@in 256 Report post Posted November 24, 2011 At these prices these handset are not cheaper, these are infact a lil bit costly. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
inception 75 Report post Posted November 24, 2011 ZTE Blade is rebranded as Idea Blade. This is the same model as Dell XCD35 - which is available at much lower price on e-commerce sites Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KanagaDeepan 1,084 Report post Posted November 25, 2011 So handsets are NOT at all cheap and it is their IDEA, that is very very CHEAP... Shame on you Idea... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mgdelhi 192 Report post Posted November 25, 2011 ZTE Blade is rebranded as Idea Blade. This is the same model as Dell XCD35 - which is available at much lower price on e-commerce sites And even if the hardware is same, Dell is a better brand to hold in hand. Service will also be better of Dell. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deepv84 2 Report post Posted November 25, 2011 Idea always launch always costly schemes thats why i moved to docomo Sent from my LG-P500 using Tapatalk Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shrik 9 Report post Posted November 25, 2011 Are these handsets locked to Idea? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mspamed 3 Report post Posted January 19, 2012 Are these handsets locked to Idea? No these are just normal GSM phones... ZTE Blade is rebranded as Idea Blade. This is the same model as Dell XCD35 - which is available at much lower price on e-commerce sites At these prices these handset are not cheaper, these are infact a lil bit costly. I have the Dell XCD 35 for over a year now... I bought it for 13 K then... I don't care what ppl say this is an awesome phone the body may seem weak but I can bet no one will be able to find a single scratch on it... Also the screen isn't a Gorilla glass but I have never applied a Scratch Guard and yet its scratch free... The hardware is awesome too... I know its a 600 MHz Phone but due to it being very mod friendly almost all the roms (Including the alpha Ice Cream Sandwich) support overclocking of anywhere between 720 to 749 Mhz... also its minimum processing speed can be underclocked to 129 Mhz giving an incredible boost to battery life... In my daily use I charged it once every alternate day.... The charging speed is awesome too it will be charged fully in max 40Mins even after 1 Year... The Screen is the best feature... its very crisp and clear thanks to its high density... with 480*800 Pixels fitted in a 3.5 inch screen trust me the movies look brilliant... I also have the epic 4g and when fully zoomed out many websites texts look distorted where as in the XCD 35 it looks amazingly clear... Trust me the second you will turn the phone on for the first time the screen will mesmerize you... ^-^ Also the phone dimensions are impressive... I know I might seem a bit too excited about a mid range phone but that is what surprises me, as even after 1 year I still love the phone so much... 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Honest 836 Report post Posted January 19, 2012 ^^^ Welcome on board dear Akshay. Good to see your love towards Dell XCD 35. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mspamed 3 Report post Posted January 29, 2012 Thanks... am currently getting some epic 4g love ... its my brothers he has given it to me as he is on an overseas tour... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shrik 9 Report post Posted July 14, 2012 (edited) I was looking at the latest phone to be launched by Idea - the ID 918, which seems to be a rebranded and unlocked Alcatel OT-918D. This phone is available on ebay for as low as Rs 5,250. Using ebay's 10% coupon, this becomes Rs 4,725. Doing a Rs 260 recharge on the handset gives 10 minutes of free calls every day for 90 days (worth Rs 396 say using Idea's alternative STVs) and 2GB of data each month for 3 months (worth Rs 1350) So for someone who talks more than 10 minutes daily and uses 3G data, the net cost of the phone is Rs 3,239 which I feel is fantastic value for a handset whose specs compare well with the HTC Explorer. Even otherwise, Rs 4,725 is quite good for the specs on offer. Edited July 15, 2012 by shrik Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
