Just a day after Ringing Bells had confirmed that it would start shipping the Freedom 251 from June 30, the company has announced that the phone will only be given to the winners of a lucky draw. This is just the latest twist in the saga of the Rs 251 handset in India, coming after numerous allegations of fraud and cheating.
Ringing Bells CEO Mohit Goel told the Indian Express that the company was planning to hold a media event to announce the lucky draw soon. It’s apparently gotten over 7.5 crore registrations across India, with 2.8 crore from UP and another 2 crore from Bihar. The firm plans to give away 10000 units of the Freedom 251 in every state.
Goel asserts that it has set up a lucky draw system because a lot of people have registered for multiple units and this procedure will ensure that one buyer gets only one phone. The winners of this contest will probably be announced within 2 days. One victor from each state will be invited to the event, which is also set to see the launch of Ringing Bells’ LED TV.
Have a quick look at the specs of the Ringing Bells Freedom 251:
– Display: 4-inch IPS qHD
– OS: Android 5.1 Lollipop
– CPU: 1.3GHz quad-core
– Storage: 8GB, expandable up till 32GB
– RAM: 1GB
– Battery: 1450mAh
– Camera: 3.2MP rear, 0.3MP front
Also See: Ringing Bells to start Freedom 251 deliveries from June 30
Unfortunately, a lucky draw probably means the Freedom 251 will not reach the hands of most of the people who had ordered it. The whole scheme seems suspect, especially given Goel’s past assertions of delivering 2 lakh handsets in the first phase of delivery.