Mobile company Vodafone unveiled the "lowest-cost mobile phone on Earth", with the company aiming the product at Africa and other selected emerging markets.
The Vodafone 150 phone will sell for less than $15 and will be available in India, Turkey and eight chosen African nations. It's unknown if Vodafone plans to begin offering it to other nations after the initial launch next month.
UN estimates predict 5 billion people owning mobile phones across the world in 2010, with that number increasing rapidly largely due to emerging markets and developing nations.
The Vodafone 150 includes basic functions only, including voice calls and text messages. The phone will also ship with a built-in mobile payment service app for owners. The company will also sell a Vodafone 250 mobile phone that includes a color screen and FM radio on top of the 150's features. This "upgraded" phone will be available for $20.
Companies need to create low-price, highly functional phones that don't sacrifice good design to help attract new customers. Many subscribers in these markets are no longer first-time phone owners, so they are looking to upgrade to better phones, but with a low cost.
Mobile phone manufacturers are showing increased interest in developing nations as the wireless service infrastructure in these locations is steadily built out. Wireless subscribers across African and similar nations do not have access to PCs or Internet cafes, which makes mobile phone ownership even more important.
Doctors in some developing nations send SMS messages to medical patients, sending reminders about medications and other important information. These low cost Vodafone devices should help even more people get connected, which has to be a good thing, right?
