Vodafone launches mobile phone at Rs 799

New Delhi: Vodafone Essar has launched, what is said to be, the cheapest mobile phone available in India.

With the Vodafone 150 (VF 150) the company seeks to break into the largely untapped market of rural India. "The cost of handset can be a significant barrier for people in accessing and benefiting from the mobile revolution. At the price point of VF 150, many more people will become part of the connected world," says Sanjay Warke, CEO, Vodafone Essar.

The VF 150 weighs 70g and measures 104 x 46 x 15 mm in size. It has a 1" B&W display with a 96 x 64 resolution. The ultra-low cost handset supports GSM 900/1800 networks. Other features include a speakerphone and torch.

Vodafone claims the phone has a standby time of up to 431 hours and talktime of up to 7 hours.

The Rs 799 price for the VF 150 is inclusive of VAT, but the price could vary in states with different tax structures. While in many Vodafone circles the phone is priced at Rs 799, in Delhi it is available for Rs 809.

While there have been a number of phones priced around Rs 1200 in the market for quite some time, Vodafone's venture into the sub-Rs 1K category has all the ingredients to start yet another price war in the competitive mobile phone market.