The world's cheapest 'smart phone' is on the market in India, and a presentation, peppered with Bollywood actors and actresses, brought the Intex Aqua i7, as the newcomer is called, to the screens. This week sees the debut of the Intex Aqua and the manufacturer expects to sell half a million in the next three months. Indian company Intex has teamed up with California-based Mozilla – who created the Firefox browser – to produce a cheaper alternative to Apple's iPhone or Samsung's Galaxy. Mozilla has also entered into agreements with Alcatel, Huawei and LG to promote low-cost smartphones in emerging countries.
Intex spokeswoman Joyeeta Mitra said the target audience is first-time smartphone buyers. For now it will be sold in India but then the distribution will expand to other countries in Asia. The Indian market is expanding rapidly. Market research firm IDC said sales rose 186% in the second quarter of this year compared to a year earlier. Three-quarters of cell phones sold are under $200.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/tech/computer/429060/maker-of-33-smartphone-hails-new-era-for-india
