Telecom service provider Bharti Airtel partners with Intex to launch affordable 4G smartphones range

Telecom service provider Bharti Airtel is partnering with handset maker Intex to launch a range of affordable 4G smartphones with an effective starting effective price of Rs 1,649. The phones are being offered with Airtel Rs 169 plan, which includes data and calling benefits.

Users need to make a down payment of Rs3,149 and get a Rs1,500 cashback from Airtel, subject to terms and conditions, which brings the effective cost of the smartphone down to Rs 1,649. To avail the  cashback, users need to make 36 continuous monthly recharges of Rs169 from Airtel. After 18 months, users will get a refund Rs500 and another Rs1,000 after the completion of 36 months, taking the total cash benefit to Rs 1,500.

The dual-SIM Aqua Lions N1 is powered by MTK chipset and features a 4-inch screen. It has 2-megapixel cameras on the back and front and the phone features 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage, expandable to up to 128GB.

''We are really pleased to see the continued positive response to our 'Mera Pehla Smartphone' initiative from customers as well as smartphone manufacturers," Bharti Airtel chief operating officer (India and South Asia) Ajai Puri said.

According to commentators, this comes as Bharti's third tie up with a domestic handset maker under its strategy to encourage 2G subscribers to opt for entry-level 4G smartphones. The company earlier partnered with Karbonn and Celkon to launch entry-level 4G smartphones effectively priced at Rs 1,399 and Rs 1,349, respectively.

The Intex Aqua A4 is being offered at an effective price of Rs 1,999, against the market price of Rs 4,999. It is powered by 1.3 GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM and had 8GB of internal storage which can be expanded up to 64GB. It comes with a 5MP primary camera on the rear and a 2MP front shooter.