Ultra-affordable smartphones usually make a mark for themselves in the price-conscious Indian market, more so when they are feature-rich and deliver the goods as promised. Riding the digital India bandwagon, home-grown electronics manufacturer Micromax’s Bharat 2 smartphone, seems to have clicked well with users, especially with a a price tag of only Rs 3,499. Going by the company’s estimates, the Bharat 2, launched in April this year, has already sold half a million units in 50 days, becoming one of the most sold 4G VoLTE-ready smartphones in the country.
The Bharat series of Micromax smartphones aimed at feature phone users looking to become first-time smartphone users. The Bharat 2 enabled the next phase of smartphone adoption in the country by hand-holding consumers to upgrade.
In terms of specifications, the Micromax Bharat 2 is powered by Spreadtrum SC9832 1.3Ghz Quad Core processor with 512MB RAM and 4GB ROM. The smartphone sports a 4-inch WVGA display and has 2-megapixel (MP) rear camera and 0.3MP front camera. The handset runs Android Marshmallow and is equipped with a 1,300 mAh battery.
Commenting on the success of the Bharat Series, Shubhodip Pal, chief marketing and commercial officer, Micromax, said: “At Micromax, we are working consistently to make technology accessible for our users. With the launch of the Bharat 2, we have truly driven the next phase of smartphone adoption in the country. In a short span of 50 days we have sold more than half a million Bharat 2 smartphones.”
He added: “We also believe that Bharat gives Micromax opportunity to kick-start a digital revolution, helping India progress. The company has further strengthened its distribution network from 34-35,000 to 60,000 outlets as a majority of users in this category are offline ones looking for compelling products that connect them digitally. Going ahead, we expect the Bharat series to account for over 40 per cent of the Micromax portfolio.”
According to a statement, the company is working on another compelling handset in the Bharat series – the Bharat 1, which will be a 4G-enabled feature phone. The phone might see the Google lighter operating system meant for low-cost phones.
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