Since last year, we have heard plenty of rumors about a low cost 399 Yuan ($64) smartphone from Xiaomi based on a leadcore processor. However, just recently, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun explained via Weibo that the company had no plans for such a low cost machine mainly due to the quality constraints at such a price tag. Naturally, we were all disappointed to hear the news.
However, looks like China Unicom is developing a low cost smartphone that is said to cost just $64 or 399 Yuan. So, although we may not see a Xiaomi smartphone at this price range, at least we get such a device from a leading carrier from China.
It is said that China Unicom will jointly work with a manufacturer from Shenzen, one of China’s largest cities and leading manufacturing hub. The device will be aimed at budget and first time smartphone users and will cost just 399 yuan.
However, if you are expecting below par specs, then get ready to be surprised. It is said that the phone will feature decent specs such as 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage (most likely expandable too), a 720p display (expect it to be around 5-inches) and a 64-bit CPU (entry level Mediatek SoC?). And the most promising part is that the phone is already in the final stages and is expected to launch before the end of this month.
This will surely be a great move in bring smart features to the extremely cheap market. However, given its modest specs, expect the performance to be just good enough for basic everyday usage.
Still, its good to see that companies are ready to produce smartphone even at this price range. However, for the time being, don’t expect such low cost phones to make it to the international markets.
