Docoss x1, a company that is completely unknown in the smartphone industry back here in India, has managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat. The brand has announced the availability of the most affordable smartphone in the world and the price tag stamped on the device is a mere Rs 888 (less than $13). Well, to be true, a smartphone cannot be manufactured in just Rs 888, which includes profits. So it could be that the device is being manufactured by heavy funding from the government on a subsidized plan.

Docoss x1 has managed to get the industry (and the world) talking about it. However, the buzz around the market is not good. While critics are on the hunt to find out how is it possible to make a smartphone cheaper than its case. Well, if it was possible to really make a smartphone as cheap as it sounds here, Apple, Samsung, Sony and others would probably sell their smartphones for a mere Rs 1,000, including all profits.

So is Docoss x1 part of the Make in India initiative? Well, it looks too thin, since it does not sound like it complies with it. As for media reports, the company says that it is presently importing parts and assembling it in India, but has future plans to start manufacturing it in India.

But is the Rs 888 smartphone a reality? Is it a boon or a sham? Is it really an initiative to make every person in India accessible to a smartphone and the internet? Lets pick on some facts that come forward about Docoss and its Rs 888 product—the most affordable smartphone in the world.

For starters, the device is available only online. The Docoss website for purchasing the smartphone put up an information stating that they are getting an ‘enormous response’ causing the servers to overload. They have mentioned that they are upgrading their servers to handle the load and will be up and running within the next 24 hours. So it is a wait time, for who knows how long.

People who were keen on buying the product have tweeted that the World’s cheapest smartphone has the world’s cheapest website ever. The Docoss x1 is aimed towards people at the bottom of the pyramid. Those who cannot afford an expensive smartphone could get their hands on these devices and enjoy the benefits of technology today.

Presently, most entry-level and ultra-budget smartphones are available around the price of Rs 3,000. The Docos x1, if real, could kill the rest of the Indian smartphone manufacturers in the industry. Indian smartphone manufacturers such as Karbonn, Intex, Lava, Wickedleak and a few others will have to head back to the drawing board to make their smartphones competent enough to exist in the market. However, with the price tag as cheap as Rs 888, we are sure they cannot match it.

So will the Docoss x1, the Nano in a Maruti Suzuki world, be reality? Will customers get to see the devices in their hands? And if they do, will the smartphone live up to their expectations? Remembering the disastrous ‘Aakash tablet project’ that was India’s dream of developing the world’s cheapest tablet for under $35, the Docoss x1 seems to be another such possible event.

Is the Docoss x1 priced at a mere Rs 888 too good to be true? Let’s hope is is.
Address:-

DOCOSS MULTIMEDIA PRIVATE LIMITED
3rd Floor, Happy Tower, Maharani Farm,
Durgapura, Jaipur, (Rajasthan)
http://www.docoss.com/