The intense competition in the Indian telecom sector moved a notch higher with Airtel, India's biggest telecom operator launching a 4G smartphone at an effective price of Rs 1,399 to counter new-comer Reliance Jio, which aims to grab a bigger pie of the 50 crore feature phone users market in India with its low-cost Jio Phone. Airtel has partnered with domestic handset manufacturer Karbonn to offer Karbon A40 4G smartphone at an effective price of Rs 1,399 compared to its current market price of Rs 3,499. The smartphone comes bundled with a monthly pack of Rs 169 from Airtel, which offers "generous data and calling benefits".
How the Airtel 4G smartphone offer works
Here are the features of the Karbonn A40 4G Smartphone
| Model | Karbonn A40 Indian |
| Screen | 4 inches touch screen allowing for a great video, online and social media experience |
| Software | Android 7.0 Nougat. The latest open ecosystem offers access to all apps on Google Playstore, including YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook and much more |
| Preloaded Airtel Apps | MyAirtel, Airtel TV, Wynk Music that offer digital self-serve and exciting digital content |
| Processor, Battery | 1.3 GhZ processor, 1400 mah battery |
| RAM | 1 GB, allowing smooth running of multiple applications |
| ROM | 8GB (expandable up to 32 GB, offering ample storage for multiple apps, songs, pictures and video) |
| SIM | Dual SIM Slots (both Open) |
| Camera | Dual Camera. Rear - 2 MP and Front - 0.3 MP |
| Network support | 4G/3G/2G with support for Airtel VoLTE, offering seamless voice and data connectivity over Airtel's nationwide network |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS |
How to avail the offer
Airtel said the partnership with Karbonn is part of it's 'Mera Pehla 4G Smartphone' initiative, which is aimed at enabling every Indian to buy a 4G smartphone and get on to the digital superhighway. Under the 'Mera Pehla 4G Smartphone' initiative, Airtel will partner with multiple mobile handset manufacturers to create an 'open ecosystem' of affordable 4G smartphones and bring them to market for virtually the price of a feature phone, said the company.
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