Freedom 251: Worlds cheapest smartphone only Rs 251

Ringing Bells Freedom 251 smartphone was launched in February 2016. The phone comes with a 4.00-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 540 pixels by 960 pixels

The Ringing Bells Freedom 251 is powered by 1.3GHz quad-core and it comes with 1GB of RAM. The phone packs 8GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 32GB via a microSD card. As far as the cameras are concerned, the Ringing Bells Freedom 251 packs a 3.2-megapixel primary camera on the rear and a 0.3-megapixel front shooter for selfies.

The Ringing Bells Freedom 251 runs Android 5.1 and is powered by a 1450mAh removable battery.

The Ringing Bells Freedom 251 is a single SIM (GSM) smartphone. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, FM. Sensors on the phone include Proximity sensor.

About Ringing Bells

Established in 2015, Ringing Bells Pvt. Ltd. made a name for itself when it announced the Freedom 251, the most affordable smartphone in the world. Ringing Bells, a little-know Noida-based company, has launched what it is calling India's most affordable smartphone, but Freedom 251 might well be the cheapest smartphone in the world. Here's what you need to know about the Freedom 251.

Specs

Ringing Bells has launched the Freedom 251, as it had promised. This becomes the cheapest smartphone in India. The company launched India’s cheapest 4G smartphone, Smart 101 at Rs. 2,999 recently. It has a 4-inch qHD display, is powered by 1.3GHz quad-core processor, has 1GB of RAM, comes with 3G connectivity and runs on Android 5.1 (Lollipop). It has a 3.2-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a VGA front-facing camera.

• 4-inch (960 x 540 pixels) qHD IPS display
• 1.3GHz quad-core processor
• 1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with microSD
• Android 5.1 (Lollipop)
• Dual SIM
• 3.2MP rear camera with LED flash
• 0.3MP front-facing camera
• 3G,WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth, GPS
• 1450mAh battery

The Ringing Bells Freedom 251 comes in white color and is priced at just Rs. 251. It comes with 1-year warranty and the company says that it has over 650 service centers across India. It will be available for order through freedom251.com starting from 6AM on February 18th till 21st February at 8PM and the phone will be delivered only by June 30th 2016. 

On Friday, Ringing Bells issued a statement saying there has been unprecedented demand for the Freedom 251 and it has temporarily suspended bookings. Earlier on Thursday, many users reported problems while trying to buy the smartphone. When we tried to buy a Freedom 251 unit, we were thrown back to the screen that asks for shipping details, and based on reports on social media we are not alone.

Things to remember before you buy the Freedom 251

1. A general rule in life - if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
2. Ringing Bells is an unknown brand with no track record in electronics, so it's difficult to ascertain at this point what the quality of the final product and the after-sales will be like.
3. We noted other concerns with our Freedom 251 review unit, though the company later told us it does not represent the final unit that will ship to customers.
4. The company says it may take up to 4 months for your unit to ship - so keep that in mind before you book a Freedom 251. Given the company's lack of any kind of a track record, there's an outside chance that it may never ship at all.
5. There seems to be no kind of return policy on the website, though it does say your Freedom 251 unit is covered by a one-year warranty.

How to book The Freedom 251

Ringing Bells says bookings for the Freedom 251 will reopen on Friday. Now that you hopefully know what you are getting into, here are the steps to book your Freedom 251 unit:

1. Head to the official website freedom251.com.
2. Click on Buy Now button.
3. Note that the Ringing Bells is charging Rs. 40 for shipping Freedom 251 to your home so the total you will need to pay is Rs. 291.
4. Enter your shipping address, accept the terms and conditions and click on Pay Now to proceed to the payment page.