While this isn’t as big as a surprise as the Infibeam Pi was, this certainly is an attempt by Infibeam to cash in on the booming mobile market along with other new entrants like Micromax, Karbonn, Wynncom etc. The entire strategy of getting Chinese ODM’s to make handsets with a brand label that can be sold to the masses seems to be working. Sources tell us that Micromax is doing killer business in Tier II / III cities and they just don’t care about the educated crowd in metros (who prefer branded smartphones). Though it has been our persistent complaint that these phones are no good and often sold with false specifications / advertisements or simply unusable for a lot of things they get advertised for; the launches continues. Already Videocon and Wynncom has disappointed us with really poor products (which we fear infringe on IP of other companies), the Micromax lot was much better and looked like they had put some effort in getting the product designed. So what does the Infibeam deliver here?
Frankly, till we go hands on with these models, we wouldn’t really have a true opinion (interacting with an Infibeam guy and looking at what they promised with Pi, I am was somewhat optimistic about them). Here are the three models that Infibeam has outed and are currently on sale.
The Infibeam I666
Sporting popular Blackberry looks which almost all low end handsets are trying to sell on, the I666 is a Dual SIM phone that costs Rs 5999. This thing features WiFi, DVB-T (digital TV) and Dual cameras. The other usual suspects like Bluetooth, MP3 etc are all there, but what catches our eye is the 8.0 Megapixel label on the back of the phone. Really? And how about Windows Mobile shown in the image, but not mentioned in the specifications? The company mentions a Java based OS in the description and you should do just fine with some apps like Opera Mini, but I am certainly not happy with what I am seeing in the image above!
The Infibeam I500
The I500 is a full touchscreen that borrows its looks from the Sony Ericsson Satio. Features here is a 3.2″ touchscreen, Dual Camera, FM, WiFi, Bluetooh etc with a Java based OS. This also has a 3.5 mm audio jack pictures on the top and the price tag is Rs 9999. The camera here is quoted as 2MP. You an get a Nokia 5000 series touchscreen (running Symbian) and several Samsung / LG models in the range (do check them out).
The Infibeam I5000
The I5000 (Red) is is a not so small clamshell that features audio controls on the outer screen. This one I suppose is here to please the girls and while it doesn’t really twinkles in our opinion (you do have a attractive Red box promised with it), the features are Dual SIM, Dual Camera, WiFi, Bluetooth and 2.2″ screen. The camera here is quoted as 1.3 MP. This one is priced at Rs 7499.
All these sets are Dual SIMs, have a flash light with video recording support and you can add a MicroSD (T-Flash) card here. The Infibeam guys might not be the best people to do a smartphone business (they still refer the MicroSD as T-flash for example), but I can only appreciate the bold move and hoping to go hands on with these products soon!
Sorry to say…. but infibeam mobiles are those cheapo chinese 1s ……