14 DAY TRIAL // Indian carrier Idea Cellular has just announced the upcoming availability of two affordable smartphones that will go on sale through its official retail channels in the coming days, the Ultra II and !d 1000.
Both devices are aimed at Indian customers who prefer dual-SIM handsets over single-SIM ones. According to AndroidOS, the ULTRA II will be available for purchase for Rs 12,500 outright, which is about $205 or €150.
The Idea !d 1000 is an entry-level Android smartphone, which is why the carrier will offer the handset much cheaper. Customers in India will be able to purchase the !d 1000 for only Rs 5,400 ($90 / €65) off contract.
Although there’s now word on when exactly they will go on sale, Idea Cellular has confirmed that they will be available in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra & Goa, MP & Chhattisgarh, Haryana, UP West, and UP East telecom circles.
As mentioned earlier, apart from dual-SIM support and the fact that they are powered by the same Android 4.2 Jelly Bean platform, Idea’s two smartphones do not have any other specs in common.
Specs-wise, Idea ULTRA II comes equipped with a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, most likely provided by MediaTek. In addition, the smartphone packs 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory, but users will be able to further expand storage up to 32GB via microSD memory card.
The ULTRA II offers HSPA+ support, along with a plethora of other connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and microUSB.
The smartphone features an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2-megapixel secondary camera in the front. It also boasts a 5.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display of unknown resolution and 2500 mAh battery.
Next in line, Idea !d 1000 is equipped with a less powerful 1GHz dual-core processor, only 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. Just like the ULTRA II, it comes packed with microSD card slot (up to 32GB).
However, the !d 1000 features a smaller 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display, along with a sub-par 2-megapixel photo snapper on the back.
“We have witnessed consistent growth in data uptake in our 3G markets where Idea branded 3G smartphones have been selling, for the past two years. This has encouraged us to further expand our devices portfolio with the launch of our first 5.5-inch 3G smartphone, ULTRA II, and the entry-level !d 1000, which will help us target consumers at both ends of the spectrum,” said Mr. Sashi Shankar, chief marketing officer, Idea Cellular.