Idea unveils low-cost Android phones

MSN News says.

Priced reasonably between Rs5 000 and Rs10 000, these phones offer most features found in a basic smartphone.

Idea's devices are not completely unknown. In fact, the ID 280 is a re-branded version of Huawei's Ideos X1, and the ZTE Blade has been re-branded as the Idea Blade. Both the phones run on Android's 2.2 OS. The ID 280 is powered by a 528MHz processor and offers 256MB RAM and 152MB of internal memory. It runs on a 1200 mAh battery. The Blade is backed by a 600MHz processor and includes 150MB of internal memory that is expandable up to 32GB with a microSD card.

The touch-screen smartphones, based on the Android operating system, are being sourced from Chinese firms Huawei and ZTE, Idea's MD, Himanshu Kapania, told reporters in Mumbai, India, adding the company was also studying if it could enter the tablet PC market, The Economic Times reports.

"We are not competing with handset makers. We want to provide customers a low entry-point for smartphones," he said.

These devices come pre-loaded with Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, YouTube, Opera Mini and Idea TV apps, Gigjets notes.

Users will also get an exclusive offer, which includes 3 500 INR worth of data services free for Idea 3G subscribers after purchasing a Rs259 pack to avail this offer.