Intex and Mozilla have launched a new Firefox-OS powered Intex Cloud FX smartphone in India, which is billed as cheapest smartphone in the country, on sale at just Rs1,999 (£19.90).
Aimed at offering the smartphone experience at the price of a feature phone, the new device is claimed to force traders of Android devices produced by Samsung and Google to bring down prices or roll out new ultra-budget phones.
Integrating a 1GHz Spreadtrum 6821 processor together with 128MB of RAM, the new dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) device features 2mp-rear camera and a 3.5-in HVGA (320×480-pixel) capacitive touch display.
With an inbuilt capacity of 46MB of storage, the device can be expanded by up to 4GB via a microSD card and it does not come with 3G support, while offers connectivity options via GPRS/ EDGE, Wi-Fi, Micro-USB, Bluetooth, FM radio, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
However, its low price will allow individuals in developing nations to transform from feature phones to more flexible smartphones, while the Firefox OS does not offer wide range applications as on Android or iOS, which potentially limit their utility and appeal.
Mozilla used HTML5 to enable the operating system to be very lean, while consuming less memory, while it is also planning for larger device range in the coming months.
