Motorola to launch $40 handset in India

NEW DELHI: Motorola India is on its way to unveil its ultra-low-cost mobile handset in India. The phone with the price tag of around $40 will be distributed through Bharti Cellular. The minister of communications and IT, Dayanidhi Maran will be launching the low cost handset at the Cellular Summit 2005 in New Delhi on Tuesday, 26 April 2005.

The phone was initially launched at 3GSM World Congress in Cannes on 14 February 2005 and is considered to be the first step by the industry towards a sub—$30 handset.

Motorola is planning to offer a family of products built on its new, ultra-low cost C114 platform, which is optimized for durability, long talk time, and design preferences of emerging markets. Motorola is also working on a strategy, along with GSM Association (GSMA), to develop follow-on products at sub—$30 price points.

About manufacturing of C114 phones in India, Percy Batlivala, GM, South-West Asia, personal communications sector, Motorola said, "We continue to look at manufacturing and when business makes sense, we will announce it."