Just last month, the smartwatch maker, Fire-Boltt, confirmed its entry into the smartphone market with the announcement of the “Boltt” lineup. While the company didn’t reveal any launch details at the time, a microsite for Boltt smartphones has just gone live on Flipkart, highlighting the key features and what sets them apart from other phones in the market. With the launch date revealed, here’s what to expect from the new debutants.
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Boltt phones to launch on August 25th
The Flipkart microsite has revealed that Boltt will unveil its new smartphone(s) on August 25th at 12 PM (IST). The microsite continues to detail the “Boltt DNA”, which includes honest specifications, clean software, trust, and innovation, hinting that its smartphones will feature specifications that justify the pricing, software that is devoid of ads and bloatware, prioritises privacy and security, and innovative functionalities.
While no clear renders or design of the phones were teased on the microsite, a side shot of a phone indicates that it’ll carry flat edges, volume buttons above the power button, and dual vertically aligned cameras at the top. Apart from that, a raw render of a phone hints that the Boltt device could be equipped with a punch-hole selfie camera.
What we know about Boltt smartphones so far
In conversation with 91mobiles, Arnav Kishore, Founder & CEO of Boltt, reveals that the company plans to kick-start its smartphone journey in the sub-Rs 15,000 to sub-Rs 20,000 bracket by launching a 4G and a 5G smartphone initially. With the constant rise in memory prices, it makes sense for Boltt to compete under Rs 20,000 since this particular sector has seen a massive rise in pricing over the last several months, allowing it to offer innovative offerings at affordable rates.
Several 5G phones from the likes of Realme, OPPO, and Vivo, which were launched around Rs 15,000 in India, are now retailing for Rs 20,000 or even above, giving Boltt the opportunity to acquire a good chunk of their share in the budget segment. In fact, Arnav has affirmed that Boltt will offer specifications that are “at par or slightly better” than the existing competition in the same price bracket. Its smartphones are confirmed to run a close-to-stock Android interface with no bloatware.
For online distribution, Boltt has chosen Flipkart as its e-commerce partner, while for offline retail, the company will rely on its existing Fire-Boltt channel to reach tier 2 and tier 3 markets, using which the company has found success in selling its smartwatches. On the other hand, it has deployed over 400 service centres across the country for after-sales services.
Should you wait for Boltt smartphones?
Since no official specifications for either of the two smartphones have been revealed, it’s better to wait for the official details before judging how good Boltt’s first smartphones will be. With several days still remaining until the launch, these devices will certainly give buyers a new option to consider when choosing a budget smartphone.
As Boltt is confirmed to launch both a 4G and a 5G phone, the upcoming handsets could compete with recently released 4G models such as the Realme C100x and Infinix Smart 20 (review). In the 5G segment under Rs 20,000, they may go up against options like the Realme P4R, iQOO Z11 Lite (review), and OPPO K14x.
