India’s $4 smartphone seeks to digitize the nation, but is it too good to be true?

For those paying retail price for the newest iPhone, top carriers will set you back between $700 and $900, depending on how many gigs you get, and sans any activation fees, monthly network plans, etcetera. Enter Ringing Bells, an India-based phone manufacturer that will offer the Freedom 251 smartphone for a mere $4, making it the world’s cheapest smartphone.

Established in 2015, Ringing Bells Pvt. Ltd. is one of the fastest growing smartphone companies in India, offering smart products at an affordable price. Paying mind to affordability, the Freedom 251, an Android Lollipop 5.1-based smartphone, will come to market priced at $4. Nearly 200,000 units of the Freedom 251 are set to start shipping on June 30th to those who pre-ordered the device.

Compared to other smartphones, the phone sports average specs such as a 4-inch display, a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor and 1 GB RAM. It also features an 8MP camera with a 3.2 MP front-facing camera, as well as 8 GB of storage for all your selfies. But, with all that said, it’s just four dollars. 

When the smartphone was announced just a few months ago, it fell under a lot of skepticism. In addition to the unprecedented price point, the device initially portrayed on the company’s website did not resemble the unit presented in a newspaper advertisement. In fact, the initially previewed handset bore a remarkable similarity to Ringing Bell’s $45 Smart 101 phone. After the phone’s launch event, the company updated the site with images of the actual device. However, in the months after the event, Ringing Bell has come out with three different imges of the phone on their website, Twitter account, and newspaper ads, casting even more doubt on the actuality of the decive.

The scrutiny about the price even caused the Indian Cellular Association (ICA) to lobby the country’s telecom minster to figure out how Ringing Bell was accomplishing the feat. In a letter to India’s Minister of Communications and I.T., ICA national president Prankaj Mohindroo  said that “even when using the cheapest components, such a phone would cost at least 2700 rupees ($40) to produce. After accounting for taxes and duties, the price should be at least 3500 rupees ($52).”

Listed at 251 rupees (about $3.65), the price is certainly causing quite a stir. Speaking to The Indian Express, Ringing Bell’s Founder and CEO Mohit Goel said that the price has the potential to “revolutionize India’s devices market and make Internet access affordable for tens of millions of people.” The $4 price point won’t make Ringing Bell any money unless it’s widely popular. Goel even said the company incurs a 151 rupee loss on each device, but is “happy that the dream of connecting rural and poor Indians as part of the ‘Digital India’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives has been fulfilled with ‘Freedom 251’.” 

Sources: TNW , CNN