Airtel, Intex tie up for Rs 1,649 4G smartphones: All you need to know

Intex Aqua Lions N1 will be available to Airtel customers at a discounted price of Rs 1,649 compared to the market price of Rs 3,799.

New Delhi: In a bid to counter JioPhone, Bharti Airtel has partnered with Indian smartphones manufacturer Intex Technologies to launch a range of affordable 4G smartphones with advanced features.

According to the telecommunications services provider, the Intex Aqua Lions N1 -- a new 4G smartphone from the Intex stable -- will be available to Airtel customers at a discounted price of Rs 1,649 compared to the market price of Rs 3,799.

The Intex Aqua LIONS N1 handset (market price of Rs 3,799) has a 4-inch screen, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage (expandable up to 128GB) and 2MP rear and VGA front camera.

Customers will need to make a down payment of Rs 3,149 for the handset, followed by 36 monthly recharges of Rs 169.

After 18 months, the customer will get a cash refund of Rs 500 and another Rs 1,000 after completion of 36 months, taking the total cash benefit to Rs 1,500, it added.

In case the customer does not wish to opt for the Rs 169 bundled plan, he can purchase any other recharge plan.

However, to claim the cash refund benefit, customers would need recharges worth Rs 3,000 within the first 18 months to claim the first refund (Rs 500) and another Rs 3,000 over the next 18 months for the second refund of Rs 1,000.

Additionally, Intex's two other smartphones - Aqua A4 and Aqua S3 - will also be available at effective prices of Rs 1,999 and Rs 4,379, respectively as part of the partnership.

The Intex Aqua A4 - which will come at an effective price of Rs 1,999 (compared to market price of Rs 4,999), features 1.3 GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM and an 8GB internal storage (expandable up to 64GB), 5MP rear and a 2MP front camera.

Aqua S3 will be available at an effective price of Rs 4,379 (compared to market price of Rs 6,649). It features 5- inch display, 1.3GHz quad- processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage (expandable up to 64GB), 8MP rear and 5MP front camera, and 2,450 mAh battery.

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio is offering an Internet- enabled feature phone for a refundable deposit of Rs 1,500. Incumbent operators are also lining up their own bundled offers to counter the offensive.

Vodafone India, for example, has tied up with mobile handset firm Micromax to launch a 4G smartphone at an 'effective price' of Rs 999.

With Agency Inputs