With a recommended retail price of only $33, Mozilla’s first low-cost smartphone enters an Indian mobile market ripe for growth. The Intex Cloud FX is the first handset to run Firefox’s operating system and is priced to cash in on what is widely regarded as the world’s fastest-growing smartphone market.
“The launch of Intex Cloud FX marks the beginning of a new era of the Indian smartphone market and Intex is proud to be the first Indian company to understand and deliver on market needs,” said Keshav Bansal, Director, Marketing, Intex Technologies. “With the launch of Intex Cloud FX, we aim to enable the masses to get smartphone experience at the cost of a feature phone.”
Mozilla hopes to bridge the connectivity gap that exists for many in the country
Although the company originally targeted a retail price of $25, the finished product has come in at a slightly more expensive $33 – or 1,999 rupees – and is designed to capitalise on a lucrative opportunity. “With support from Intex, Firefox OS smartphones in the ultra-low-cost category will redefine the entry-level smartphone and create strong momentum in Asia,” said Dr Li Gong, President of Mozilla.
By offering a smartphone at a price only slightly above that of the lesser feature alternative, Mozilla hopes to bridge the connectivity gap that exists for many in the country, and, in doing so, claim a sizeable share of the market ahead of its larger mobile rivals. Deloitte’s TMT Prediction 2014 claims the number of smartphone users in India will surpass 104 million before the end of the year – a significant increase on last year’s 51 million.
The price point of the Intex Cloud FX compares favourably with smartphones available already on the market, with Apple’s iPhone 4 selling for $245 and Google hoping to release $100 and $200 ‘low-cost’ Android phones in India soon. Mozilla’s price point may be a threat to competitors, but the app range leaves a lot to be desired. Mozilla’s phone will offer around 1,000 apps, whereas Android phones offer close to 1.3 million. Mozilla will be hoping sales of its entry-level phone will enable the company to expand its operating system to compete with larger rivals.
