A mobile phone aimed at the developing world has been launched by mobile phone operator Vodafone at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
The Vodafone 150, dubbed by the company as the “lowest-cost mobile phone on earth”, will sell for less than $15. The first countries to receive it will be India, Turkey and eight African countries, including Lesotho, Kenya and Ghana.
The handset allows voice calls, SMS and has built-in support for mobile payment services. A costlier version, the Vodafone 250, also comes with a colour screen and FM radio. It comes with a price tag of $20.
Mobile ownership will reach 5 billion in this year, according to the UN, with the most growth taking place in the developing world.
Demand is being driven by people using their phones to access banking and mobile health services, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) said.
Photo: The Vodafone 150 and 250 mobile phones
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