Idea Ultra II and !d 1000 budget Android smartphones launched in India

Idea has expanded its smartphone portfolio by introducing two new budget dual-SIM devices, dubbed Idea Ultra II and Idea !d 1000, priced at Rs. 12,500 and Rs. 5,400. The two 3G-enabled smartphones will only be available in select Indian states, and run on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

The Idea Ultra II smartphone features a 5.5-inch IPS display with qHD (540x960 pixel) resolution and is powered by an unspecified 1.3GHz quad-core processor paired with 1GB of RAM. An 8-megapixel rear shooter (with LED flash) and a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter comprise the camera options of the smartphone alongside the HDR feature.

The handset comes with 4GB of onboard storage, which can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. The Idea Ultra II is backed by a 2500mAh battery that is rated to deliver up to 8 hours of talk time on 2G, and 5 hours on 3G. The smartphone will be available in White and Electric Graphite colour variants. It will be available in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra & Goa, MP & Chhattisgarh, Haryana, UP West, and UP East.

The Idea !d 1000 smartphone, priced at Rs. 5,400, features a 3.5-inch TFT display with HVGA (320x480 pixel) resolution. A 1GHz dual-core processor, clubbed with 512MB of RAM, powers the handset. The Idea !d 1000 bears only a 2-megapixel rear shooter, and no secondary front-facing camera.

There is 4GB of inbuilt storage on the Idea !d 1000 which can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. The 1300mAh battery on the Idea !d 1000 is rated to deliver up to 6.8 hours of talk time on 2G, and 2.8 hours on 3G. The handset will be only available in Electric Graphite colour. The smartphone also comes preloaded with apps such as !dea TV, Facebook, Twitter and more. It will be available in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra & Goa, MP & Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, UP West and UP East.

Speaking at the launch, Sashi Shankar, Chief Marketing Officer, Idea Cellular, said, "Lack of availability of affordable 3G smartphones with high-end features is the deterrent to mobile data growth in India. Idea has tried to bridge this gap by offering the best value for money 3G devices, in addition to our superior 3G products, services, and network coverage. We have witnessed consistent growth in data uptake in our 3G markets where Idea branded 3G smartphones have been selling, for the past two years. This has encouraged us to further expand our devices portfolio with the launch of our first 14.0 cm (5.5") 3G smartphone, Ultra II, and the entry-level !d 1000, which will help us target consumers at both ends of the spectrum."