14 DAY TRIAL // Indian handset maker Karbonn Mobile is making another attempt at bringing Android to the masses by launching a very cheap smartphone, the K9 Smart.
Unfortunately, the smartphone fails when it comes to specs, especially since it comes with Android 4.4 KitKat operating system onboard.
Even though many would claim that Lollipop would not perform too well on such a low-end specs, KitKat is almost an outdated mobile OS.
According to Karbonn, the K9 Smart will be powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, coupled with just 512MB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory that can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card slot.
Karbonn K9 Smart has been officially released in India and customers can now purchase the smartphone for just Rs 3,990 ($60).
Aside from the fact that it comes with KitKat onboard, Karbonn has also announced the K9 smartphone supports 12 Indian languages at the system level. It also includes typing support in 21 languages and phone/contacts in 11 languages.
Disappointing display resolution, low amount of RAM
Moreover, K9 Smart sports a 5-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports only 854 x 480 pixels resolution. It comes with a 3.2-megapixel camera on the back, which features LED flash and video recording, as well as a 1.3-megapixel camera selfie camera.
Naturally, Karbonn K9 Smart offers dual-SIM support, but also some other connectivity options like 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microUSB 2.0 and GPS with AGP support.
Last but not least, the entry-level smartphone is powered by a decent 2,300 mAh battery that should provide a few days of continuous usage.
“With the launch of the K9 Smart, the company aims to dissolve language barriers, which are a major impediment inhibiting smartphone adoption among the non-English speaking population.
“The growing consumption of local language content on mobile phones is a clear indicator of the need for vernacularising the smartphone ecosystem for bridging the gaping digital divide,” said Shashin Devsare, executive director, Karbonn Mobiles.