Bot at 15:06, 31 August 2023

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{{Short description|2016 controversial smartphone}}

{{infobox mobile phone
| name = Freedom 251
| logo =
| image = Freedom251image.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| brand = [[Ringing Bells Private Limited|Ringing Bells]]
| manufacturer = Ringing Bells Private Limited
| price = ₹251 ([[Indian Rupees|INR]])(4 US$)
| series = Freedom series
| carrier =
| networks = [[2.5G]], [[3G]], [[HSUPA]]
| released = {{Start date and age|2016|02|18}}
| available = [[India]]
| discontinued = 
| type = Smartphone
| form = Slate
| weight = 130 g
| os = [[Android Lollipop|Android 5.1 Lollipop]]
| cpu = 1.3 GHz Quad-Core Processor
| gpu =
| memory = 1 [[gigabyte|GB]] RAM
| storage = 8 [[gigabyte|GB]]
| memory_card = Up to 32 GB MicroSD
| battery = 1450 [[mAh]] [[Lithium-ion battery]]
| input = [[Touchscreen]], [[Accelerometer]], [[Magnetometer]], [[Proximity sensor]], [[Photodetector|Ambient light]] sensor
| display = {{convert|4.0|in|mm|0|disp=flip|abbr=on}} qHD IPS Display (960x540 pixels)
| ext_display =
| rear_camera = 3.2 [[megapixel]]
| front_camera = 0.3 [[megapixel]]
| media_formats =
| ringtone =
| connectivity = [[Wi-Fi]], [[Bluetooth 3.0]], [[USB 2.0]], [[DLNA]], [[Generic Access Network|UMA]]
| other = [[Hotspot (Wi-Fi)|Wi-Fi Hot Spot]], [[FM radio]]
| sar =
| website =
}}

The '''Freedom 251''' is a [[smartphone]] that was initially offered for sale in India at the promotional price of ₹251 (the equivalent of $3.54 as of 2020). Sold by [[Ringing Bells Private Limited]], and marketed as the world's cheapest smartphone.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/ringing-bells-freedom-251-smartphone-launched-at-just-rs-251-116021800214_1.html|title='Ringing Bells Freedom 251 smartphone launched at just Rs 251'|newspaper=[[Business Standard]]|access-date=2020-11-26}}</ref>

Bharatiya Janata Party MP [[Kirit Somaiya]] has stated that the phone is bogus and the promotion is a [[Ponzi scheme]]. He filed a complaint which led to a [[first information report]] (FIR) being registered against Ringing Bells Director Mohit Goel and company president Ashok Chaddha under [[Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code]] (IPC) as well as the Information Technology Act. However, the [[Allahabad High Court]] stayed the FIR as premature.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/allahabad/FIR-against-Freedom-251-makers-premature-High-court/articleshow/51742673.cms|title=FIR against 'Freedom 251' makers premature: High court - Times of India|newspaper=The Times of India|access-date=2016-10-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.livemint.com/Politics/PgxHSMeanZz0h6QbbUH4gI/Relief-for-makers-of-Freedom-251.html|title=Allahabad HC extends relief to Freedom 251|last=Mittal|first=Priyanka|date=2016-04-08|newspaper=http://www.livemint.com/|access-date=2016-10-15}}</ref>

==Promotion==

The promotional price was offered for a limited time only to online bookings between 18 and 21 February 2016. Traffic was so high on the website that it crashed on the first day. The company says that the regular price will be about ₹500 (US$7.47 as of 31 August 2016).<ref>[http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/mobile-tabs/india-cheapest-smartphone-rs-500-make-in-india-ringing-bells/ "Freedom 251: India's cheapest Android smartphone launched at Rs 251"] ''The Indian Express'', 18 February 2016.</ref>

The company planned to sell 5 million phones by June 2016. At the point its website crashed, it had taken bookings for only 30,000 at the Rs 251 price.<ref>Debashis Sarkar, [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/Freedom-251-site-crashed-after-30000-bookings-to-launch-Bells-SIM-card/articleshow/51051639.cms "Freedom 251 site crashed after 30,000 bookings; to launch Bells SIM card"], ''The Times of India'', 19 February 2016.</ref> By the time bookings closed, Ringing Bells claimed they had taken bookings worth Rs 17.5 million (over US$261,000 as of August 2016).<ref name=IE26Feb/>

== Money refund ==
Ringing Bells had promised to provide refunds to 30,000 customers who pre-booked the Freedom 251 on the first day of the sale. The company stated that the refunds should have reached customers during the first week of March 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/freedom-251-maker-says-pre-booking-money-to-be-refunded-this-week-808416|title=Freedom 251 Maker Says Pre-Booking Money to Be Refunded This Week|access-date=2016-08-31}}</ref>

The company has said that negative speculation around the Rs 251 smartphone has led them to take the step, and that customers who have booked the phone will now pay only after the smartphone is delivered to them.<ref>{{Cite web
| url = http://www.hindustantimes.com/tech/freedom-251-ringing-bells-says-pre-booking-money-will-be-refunded/story-8gYsNQbusGU1VekBLlQkKK.html
| title = Freedom 251: Ringing Bells says pre-booking money will be refunded
| website = Hindustan Times
| date = March 2016
| access-date = 2016-03-01
}}</ref>

== Controversies and criticism ==
The Indian Cellular Association (ICA) has doubted that a smartphone can realistically be sold at a price as low as Rs 251 and have asked the Telecom Minister, [[Ravi Shankar Prasad]], to intervene. According to the ICA, even with a subsidized sale, the selling price should not be less than Rs 3,500 (US$52.28 as of 31 August 2016). The ICA also complained that senior members of the government had been present at the product launch.<ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/Freedom-251-Mobile-industry-raises-concerns/articleshow/51034974.cms "Freedom 251: Mobile industry raises concerns"], ''The Times of India'', 18 February 2016.</ref>

The prototype showcased and handed out to media at the time of launch were rebadged Adcom devices, for which Adcom threatened to sue Ringing Bells. But units circulated later were totally different from the original prototype.<ref>[http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/reviews/freedom-251-first-impressions-858530 "Gadgets 360: Freedom 251 First Impressions "], ''NDTV''.</ref>

According to Narayanan Madhavan writing in the ''[[Hindustan Times]]'', a price of Rs 251 is possible only through deals with advertising partners. Such deals would only be possible once a very large number of handsets were in use.<ref>Narayanan Madhavan, [http://www.hindustantimes.com/columns/a-rs-251-phone-is-possible-but-its-chances-are-tough-here-s-why/story-PxQ4vAFE75v7iiOQjSaKGJ.html "A Rs 251 phone is possible, but its chances are tough. Here's why"], ''Hindustan Times'', 20 February 2016.</ref>

On 20 February 2016, the offices of Ringing Bells were raided by government officials investigating why the product does not have a [[Bureau of Indian Standards]] certification.<ref>[http://www.miscw.com/income-tax-department-raids-ringing-bells-noida-office-in-connection-with-freedom-251-smartphone-4065.html "Income Tax department raids Ringing Bells' Noida office in connection with Freedom 251 Smartphone"], Miscw. Retrieved 20 February 2016.</ref>

Some commentators indicate that the Freedom 251 sale is a scam.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/here-s-why-the-freedom-251-might-be-the-scammiest-scam-of-2016_-250897.html|title=Here's Why The Freedom 251 Might Be The Scammiest Scam Of 2016|work=indiatimes.com|date=18 February 2016}}</ref> The phone looks like a Chinese phone where the original brand label was covered with [[Correction fluid|whitener]]. The icons shown on screen shots are copied from Apple's [[iPhone]]. There are also reports that many people ordered the phone but did not even receive a confirmation email. [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] MP [[Kirit Somaiya]] described Ringing Bells as "a [[Ponzi scheme|Ponzi]] bogus company scam". He has requested that the Telecom Ministry, the [[Telecom Regulatory Authority of India]], and various other ministries investigate the company.<ref>[[Asian News International|ANI]], [http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/freedom-251-is-a-ponzi-scam-bjp-mp-kirit-somaiya/ "Freedom 251 is a ponzi scam: BJP MP Kirit Somaiya"], ''The Indian Express'', 20 February 2016.</ref> As a result of these concerns, the payment gateway facilitator PayUBiz decided to withhold payment to Ringing Bells until the items were dispatched.<ref name=IE26Feb>Tech Desk, [http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/ringing-bells-freedom-251-cash-on-delivery/ "Ringing Bells Freedom 251 now has cash on delivery option"], ''Indian Express'', 26 February 2016.</ref>

The Telecom Ministry after conducting an internal assessment on the phone found that it could not be offered for less than Rs. 2,300 - 2,400 ($34.36-$35.85 USD as of 31 August 2016).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/telecom-ministry-assessment-doubtful-about-freedom251/1/601179.html|title=Telecom ministry assessment doubtful about Freedom 251 : News, News - India Today|publisher=}}</ref>

Ringing Bells has also been accused of fraud and non-payment of dues by its customer services provider Cyfuture.
<ref>{{cite news|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/telecom/noida-based-bpo-cyfuture-files-police-complaint-against-ringing-bells/articleshow/51159346.cms|title=Noida-based BPO Cyfuture files police complaint against Ringing Bells|work=The Economic Times|last1=Khan|first1=Danish}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/tech/freedom-251-maker-ringing-bells-now-accused-of-cheating-and-fraud-by-its-customer-service-provider-1208076.html|title=Freedom 251-maker Ringing Bells now accused of cheating and fraud by its customer service provider|work=IBNLive}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businesstoday.in/current/corporate/freedom-251-maker-ringing-bells-accused-of-fraud/story/229627.html|title=Freedom 251-maker Ringing Bells accused of fraud by its customer service provider|publisher=}}</ref>

Goel was later arrested by Indian authorities over the aforementioned fraud allegations, after the owner of Ghaziabad-based Ayam Enterprises filed an FIR alleging that Ringing Bells “defrauded” it of Rs. 16 lakh.<ref name="goelrekt">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/tech/freedom-251-phone-ringing-bells-director-mohit-goel-detained-for-fraud/story-2IeBHycnvwkG5lYwx0XbPK.html|title=Mohit Goel, director of company that made Freedom 251 phones, detained for fraud|date=23 February 2017|work=[[Hindustan Times]]|access-date=25 February 2017}}</ref><ref name="Vatsa">{{cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ringing-bells-freedom-251-cheapest-phone-maker-is-class-viii-fail-4542590/|title='Cheapest phone' maker Mohit Goel is Class VIII fail: Cops|last=Vatsa|first=Aditi|date=25 February 2017|work=[[The Indian Express]]|access-date=25 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freedom251info.com/freedom-251-smartphone-maker-gets-bail/|title=Freedom 251 Smartphone maker gets bail in fraud case|work=Freedom 251 Info}}</ref>

Currently, the domain has been expired and Godaddy has auctioned it. On March 24, 2019, the new owner has converted it into a Tech blog.<ref>{{cite web |title=New Freedom 251 About Us |url=https://freedom251.com/about-us/ |website=Freedom 251}}</ref>

== Delivery ==
Ringing Bells says it had delivered 5,000 units of Freedom 251 by 9 July 2016, and claimed to be delivering another 65,000 units to customers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/ringing-bells-has-actually-shipped-5000-freedom-251-devices-but-critics-need-not-apologise-324579.html|title=Ringing Bells has actually shipped 5000 Freedom 251 devices, but critics need not apologise – Tech2|date=2016-07-11|newspaper=Tech2|language=en-US|access-date=2016-10-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.news18.com/news/tech/ringing-bells-to-deliver-65000-more-freedom-251-phones-1276655.html|title=Freedom 251: Ringing Bells To Deliver 65,000 More Rs 251 Phones|date=2016-08-02|newspaper=News18|access-date=2016-10-15}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Android (operating system) devices]]
[[Category:Mobile phones introduced in 2016]]
[[Category:Telecommunications in India]]
[[Category:Pyramid and Ponzi schemes]]
[[Category:False advertising]]

Freedom 251 - Revision history

Bot at 15:06, 31 August 2023