The handset is now available in India for only Rs 6,189 (€70/$95) off contract

Sep 2, 2013 23:01 GMT  ·  By

Karbonn, one of the handset makers that own a major smartphone market share in India, has just announced the immediate availability of one of the cheapest devices powered by Android 4.2 Jelly Bean platform, the A8.

As fonearena points out, Karbonn A8 is now available for purchase via major retailers across India for only Rs 6,189 (€70/$95) outright.

For the time being, customers can choose from two color options (black and white), but additional versions may be launched in the future, depending on sales.

The smartphone does not bring anything new in terms of hardware or software, instead it offers customers one of the most affordable smartphone alternatives.

Dual-SIM (GSM + GSM) support is included as well, but only Dual standby. On the inside, Karbonn A8 sports a decent 1GHz dual-core processor, which is complemented by 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory (2GB user available).

The good news is that owners will be able to further expand storage up to 32GB via microSD memory card. Even though the phone is positioned on a lower tier, Karbonn A8 sports a more than decent 5-megapixel rear photo snapper with LED flash.

No word on additional features of the main camera, but Karbonn has confirmed that its cheap smartphone also comes with a secondary VGA front-facing camera for video calls.

There’s more to it as Karbonn A8 fully supports 3G networks, which will allow users faster data speeds while browsing the Internet.

The A8 also sports a big enough 4-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports 480 x 800 pixels resolution, as well as an 1500 mAh Li-Ion battery that has yet to be rated by the manufacturer.

Other highlights of the smartphone include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS with A-GPS support, Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio jack port and FM Radio.

The Indian market is flooded with very cheap Android smartphones, which makes it hard to tell whether or not the A8 is the cheapest handset powered by Android 4.2 OS, but it’s definitely among the most affordable.