Once Reliance announced their ‘effectively free’ JioPhone and started shipping it, we heard multiple mobile carriers partnering up with indigenous phone manufacturers to launch cheap 4G VoLTE devices.
The latest addition to the list is Bharat 2 Ultra, which is the collaborative product from Vodafone and Micromax. Going by the claims of the company, the device will effectively cost only Rs. 999. But let's dive a bit deeper.
When you buy the Bharat 2 Ultra, you will have to pay Rs. 2899 up front. If you do cumulative recharges of at least Rs. 150 per month for the next 18 months, you will get Rs. 900 back. As you continue with the recharges for 18 months more, you will get Rs. 1000 more in your Vodafone M-Pesa wallet. And, that makes the effective price of the device Rs. 999.
Micromax Bharat 2 Ultra specifications
- 4-inch (800 x 480 pixels) WVGA display
- 1.3 GHz Quad-core, Spreadtrum SC9832 Processor
- 512MB RAM, 4GB Internal Storage, Expandable up to 32GB with microSD Card
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 2MP Rear Camera, LED Flash, Fixed Focus, 480p Recording
- 0.3MP (VGA) Front-facing Camera
- 4G VoLTE, Dual-SIM, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, FM Radio
- 1300mAh Battery
More Effectively Priced Smartphones - Jio's JioPhone, Airtel's Karbonn K40, BSNL's Micromax Bharat 1
For the JioPhone, you have to do minimum recharges worth Rs. 1500 per year for the first three years to make yourself eligible for the cashback. Jio has a Rs. 153 plan exclusively available for their phone users. To get the phone you have to pay Rs. 1500. If you stop recharging or want to give up the phone before 3 years, there is a penalty, which you can read more about here.
The Airtel Karbonn A40, on the other hand, comes with an effective price tag of Rs. 1399. Even though you pay an initial amount of Rs. 2899, you will get Rs. 1500 as cashback only if you follow their recharge rules. You will get the first cashback amount, Rs. 500, if you recharge for a minimum amount of Rs. 3000. The rest of the amount will be credited to you when you do the same recharge for the same amount. Airtel also launched an exclusive offer for their phone users at Rs. 169 per month.
The state-owned BSNL also managed to rope in Micromax for their 4G VoLTE phone collaboration. Priced at Rs. 2200, the Micromax Bharat 1 doesn’t offer any cashback. However, you only have to recharge for Rs. 97 per month, which brings down the expenditure to keep the phone active in your pocket. The Rs. 97 plan gets you unlimited calls and data as well.
