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Bangladeshi largest mobile operator launches affordable China-made smartphone models

Xinhua, May 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

Bangladesh's top cellphone operator Grameenphone has partnered with two leading China-made smartphone brands, LAVA and Okapia, to reach out to the country's millions of mobile users who can't afford to buy a smartphone.

Currently, Grameenphone officials at the launching ceremony of the smartphones Sunday in capital Dhaka, said only 23 percent of Bangladesh's about 131 million mobile phone users use smartphones.

Rest of the users are, therefore, unable to make optimum use of the internet due to compromised experience, they said.

Against this backdrop, Grameenphone, the market leader in the telecom sector of Bangladesh with over 56 million customers, Monday launched the affordable LAVA Iris 505 and the Okapia Alo to enable current feature phone users to upgrade to smartphones.

The Lava Iris 505, priced at only 2,945 taka (about 37.55 U.S. dollars) packs a 4.0" TFT WVGA Screen, a 1.3 GHz Dual Core processor, a 4 GB ROM coupled with a 512 MB RAM, a 2 MP rear and a 2 MP front camera, and a 1400 mAh Lithium-ion battery.

Run by Android 4.4 KitKat OS, the phone is 3G, EDGE, and WiFi enabled.

Lava is an Indian company that offers China-made mobiles and tablets in India, Bangladesh and elsewhere in the world.

The Okapia Alo, on the other hand, packs a 3.5" WVGA screen, a 1.0 GHz Dual Core processor, a 4 GB ROM coupled with a 512 GB RAM, a 2 MP rear and a 0.3 MP front camera, along with a 1400 mAh Lithium-ion battery. Run by Android 4.4 KitKat OS, the phone is 3G, EDGE, and WiFi enabled. The phone is priced at only 2595 taka.

Officials says customers will receive a number of value propositions from Grameenphone on purchase of the handsets.

The smartphones are the lowest priced 3G-enabled smartphones in the local market, they said.

"This will not only help a major chunk of the Bangladeshi people to upgrade their lifestyles, but will also help drive the digital vision forward in the long run," said Yasir Azman, Chief Marketing Officer of Grameenphone.

He said the introduction of handsets will now help more people to stay digitally connected. Endit