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Almost six months after Micromax subsidiary YU launched its first smartphone, Yureka, the model is set to become available without the need for registration. So far available through flash sales, the device will be made available for an open sale that might go on for 48 hours, from May 6. The company took to social networking site, Twitter, to announce the ‘flash-less’ sale. The tweet did not mention the number of units available, so the duration of sale remains unconfirmed.
The model has been a commercial success, earning Micromax sizeable revenue and providing a jumpstart for the YU Televentures, a joint venture between Cyanogen Inc and Micromax Informatics Ltd. Earning tech fame among consumers in the mid-range smartphone segment, it is pitched by major tech and mobile device reviewing websites as one of the most in demand in the market.
However, the model has also been criticised by some for limited availability. Willing consumers, they say, are not able to receive the phone because of the small number of units made available in the market, and unpredictable flash sales.
The device runs on the popular open source CyanogenMod OS, based on the Android mobile platform. Priced at Rs 8,999, it offers some fairly impressive specifications in its price bracket. The dual-SIM smartphone features Cat 4 4G LTE connectivity, and runs Cyanogen OS 11 based on Android 4.4.4 KitKat.
YU Yureka bears a 5.5-inch HD (720 x 1280 pixels) IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3; a 64-bit 1.5GHz octa-core Snapdragon 615 SoC (MSM8939); an Adreno 405 GPU; 2GB of RAM; a 13-megapixel Sony Exmor CMOS sensor rear camera with an f/2.2 aperture and flash; and a front-facing 5-megapixel fixed-focus camera. It has 16GB of inbuilt storage, which is expandable to up to 32GB via microSD card, and a 2500mAh Li-Po battery.
It’s also worth noting that the company’s latest move to go for a limited-period open sale could be an attempt to clear stocks ahead of the launch of the YU Yuphoria smartphone. The Yuphoria has almost the same specifications as the Yureka, except the camera & processor clock. It will be launched on May 12.
