Vodafone 150 designed as ‘world’s cheapest phone’ for developing countries
The Vodafone 150, costing less than $15, could bring the joy of mobile phone ownership to millions more people in the developing world. And they’ll likely use the technology in a much more fitting way than most of us do.
Those of us lucky enough to live in countries considered fully developed often forget quite how fortunate we are. This goes for healthcare and democracy, but also extends to technology. I don’t know where I’d be without a computer and the Internet, social networking sites, my video games, my big TV, and my mobile phone. And yet these are all luxury items that we have no right to expect to own.
While some of us moan about the shoddy broadband speeds available in our area, or burn up with desire for the latest smartphone, the very idea of owning a mobile phone – any mobile phone – is a dream to a large swathe of the world.
But things are improving, especially in the mobile phone sector. Having pretty much persuaded everyone in developed countries to buy a mobile phone and an expensive call package, manufacturers are now setting their sights on the developing world.
So while the big news emerging from the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona may be Windows Phone 7, the Vodafone 150 is potentially more important.
The Vodafone 150 is being described as the “lowest-cost mobile phone on Earth.” According to BBC News, it will retail for “below $15″ and is being squarely aimed at people living in developing countries. It will first launch in India and Turkey (neither of which are developing countries in my book, but still), and eight African countries including Kenya and Ghana.
People in these countries aren’t looking to tweet or play mobile games on their handsets, instead using them to access healthcare and banking services they currently cannot. It’s thought that both lives and money could be saved by increasing mobile ownership in developing countries. Which is a fine ambition if ever I heard one.
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