Airtel has joined hands with home-grown brand Karbonn to offer a full-scale 4G smartphone - the Karbonn A40 Indian for Rs 1,399 - "effectively at the price of a feature phone." The partnership, which is clearly intended to rival RIL's much-ambitious JioPhone, is part of Airtel's Mera Pehla 4G Smartphone initiative. Airtel notes that while the Karbonn A40 Indian normally costs Rs 3,499 it will be offering the 4G smartphone effectively at the price of a feature phone by bringing a tariff plan into the mix. Here is how Airtel is offering the Karbonn A40 Indian - that costs Rs 3,499 - at an effective price of Rs 1,399:-- The customer makes a down payment of Rs 2,899 for the phone and makes 36 continuous monthly recharges of Rs 169. The customer then gets a cash refund of Rs 500 after 18 months and another Rs 1,000 after 36 months, taking the total cash benefit to Rs 1,500.

Source: India Today October 11, 2017 08:37 UTC