Freedom 251: Bugs ridden website rings controversies for Ringing Bell

Are you planning on buying the world’s cheapest smartphone? You might want to hold on as the Rs 251 smartphone has come under a cloud after the website has been crashing ever since the open sale began.

Ordering the phone online has been a struggle for most people, as the server takes them to the home page even if all the required details are correctly entered.

Moreover, there is no limit on the quantity that can be ordered. Even if one puts 0.5 units as quantity, the system accepts it and just halves the price.

Ashok Chadha, company president, said at the launch that after 2.5 lakh units are sold on the website, it will stop accepting orders.

However, the company claims to have reached six lakh hits per second on the webpage, which overloaded its servers. The sale will now resume after 24 hours.

Who is behind the making of the finished product is still unknown, as a report from NDTV Gadgets 360 said that the shipment of the final product will be different from the ones handed out as review units.

In response to the mystery about the low cost, Chadha said the real cost of the device was Rs. 2,500, Hindustan Times reported.

This money will be recovered through a series of measures like innovative marketing, reduction in duties and creating an e-commerce marketplace.

The estimated cost of the phone is valued at $60 (Rs 4125), Pranav Dixit, Tech editor for the Hindustan Times also said in a Reddit AMA. He received this information in a letter from Indian Cellular Association (ICA), written to Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Moreover, the phone is unsafe to use as it is not registered at Bureau of Indian Standards, the report added.

The icons and software design is blatantly an iOS ripoff, and the phone has copied elements from the iPhone on hardware and software sites as well.

The BGR certifies that the phone is not made in India, as the Adcom logo on the top is covered by whitener.