I thought the idea was that we were going to sit tight in Britain and invent things and be creative while all the thick people of the world who can't invent things make them in factories. Is there a flaw in our economic model?

John Ledbury, Kings Lynn, England

So where are the manufatures going to send all our old phones to

We need India to take all are old phones,, so we can have cheap deals

Nicholas Iles, Oswestry, United Kingdom

Does it matter how much your cell phone costs? No the point of this article isnt to brag about how cheap Indians are selling cell phones. It is to show a new market, a new style of production, and a new billion people that will see somewhat modern technology for the first time... Jeez

Ben, America, California

OK 3 points...
1. A phone that has "jettisoned all non-essential features" has a 2gb memory and an mp3 player? Yes that is a basic phone *rolls eyes*
2. Has anyone thought of the charges when USING the phone? The phone might be worth only GBP 10 (that is almost USD 20 for people who have no idea of currency rates like Denis in Burlington!) but I bet the networks will still charge silly even in India.
3. Most important point though is the waste! Stop making cheap new mobiles, just recycle the old ones. People in the west change phones regularly so why not sell them for 1 or 2 pounds each and anyone can buy it fora fiver. Do we really need more cheap electronics made in South East Asia!

Alex K, Manchester, UK

I agree. This, in no terms, is revolutionary.

I bought the Nokia 1110 ultra-basic phone from Virgin UK, in Leicester, for GBP 20. It had GBP 10 worth of talk time included in it, and that too way back in 2003.

It is still my primary phone having outlasted a Sony Ericcson T10, Nokia n70 and a Samsung E220.

I was looking out to buy enough of them last year so that I'd have enough stock to last till senility took away my ability to hear and see. Possibly the Nokia guys realised the indestructibility the 1110 as well, and had it replaced by a more “destructible” model.

srinivas kommireddy, hyderabad, india

Last year I bought a non-contract phone for £15 from Asda.
Wages in India are about 1/8th of those in the UK for equal jobs.
We are so lucky people in India and China are prepared to work so hard just so they can stack up piles of our currency, they seem oblivious to the fact we are deliberately deflating our currency as they do so.

Mark, Epping, Essex

Since this new cheap phone comes without a screen, I suppose SMS is out of the question .... how do the cellular operators see this I wonder, since SMS is one of their main revenue generators.

Chanaka, Peniche, Portugal

this isn't that revolutionary when I was India this time last January I purchased a phone for £15.

Eustace, London,

This is a good idea


Randy Welsh

Randy Welsh, Madison, AB

Wow, this is old news. My wife's cell phone broke and I was able to go to my local Wal-Mart, and buy a new Motorola phone (with color screen, etc) for $18.95 USD.

And I bet it had better features and capability than the phone mentioned in this article.

John, Chicago, IL, USA

Everyone is missing on the real point. The phone also comes with 2 GB memory to store MP3 songs. The 2GB memory card costs 5 to 8 pounds in UK. Now decide for yourself which is the cheapest phone :)

shiva, edinburgh, UK

I think a cellphone without a screen sounds like a great idea!

Jared, , Lyndonville, VT

Anyone can buy a basic working phone for £2.50 (+ £1.50 postage) on ebay. Now try beating that.

mohammed, london, uk

when I buy a phone, all i want is a phone. i hate these new phones with all the gagits. i don't know how to work them but i find that i must pay for them. a$10 phone that is just a phone is worth a lot more than $10 to me.

brian lashmar, hamilton, canada

I agree that cheap cars and cheap phones are a good thing, however my biggest concern regards waste generation. When these cheap cars break down hey will probably be maintained for a length of time, but what about these phones? Will an influx of 5 million phones hit the landfills?

spud, Youngsville,

We have a wide variety of fones, with screens and evrything for 15 - 20 dollars US. (and no contracts) What's that like 2 Euros? Why is this news?

Denis, Burlington, VT, USA

Mrs H,
when you buy a $20 Virgin Mobile phone, you are tied to virgin. You can't use this phone with other mobile operators like t-Mobile or AT&T. Also you have contract with Virgin Mobile (in case of postpaid connections). The $20 phone developed by Indian company is not tied to mobile operator & customer can buy the phone over the shelf & use it with the provider of his/her choice. There are no contracts either. You missed this point.

Ashish , Lexington, KY, US

To someone who said their phone is free:

The cost of the phone is embedded in the amount of money that is charged during the 2 year period.

Nick, Atlanta, USA/GA

Some people don’t get it. Not only India offers cheapest phone, it has cheapest service 2C/min.

You phone may be free in US but you pay 75$/month for the service for 2 years. Right?

Pet, NJ, NJ

Spice should be applauded for taking the initative on this matter and singlehandedly taking the mobile phone market to every single member of the community.

But is it really the right way of doing it? As a individual consumer in the UK, I can easily purchase a basic Nokia Handest with a £10 airtime voucher from a highstreet retailer for £15. Sure, it could very well be a "loss leader" type item that is an attempt to lock me into the network.

The premise however is simple, would it not have been easier to simply have signed a bulk purchase contract with Nokia/SonyEricsson/Motorola for one of their basic handsets, that could then be billed as the people's phone and sold for £10, delivering improved functionality and ease of use?

It's a moot point however, I'm sure, as a mobile phone of any standing will be welcomed by these members of our community.

Now, if only the same principle could be applied to clean, running water, we really would be getting somewhere...

Hassan Azam, Banbury , Oxfordshire, England

I can buy a $20 Virgin Mobile cell phone any day of the week at any "big box" store in the U.S. (Target, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Best Buy, etc.) And my Virgin Mobile phone has a readable screen, and all the capabilities I want (I don't need a camera or access to the Internet -- I just want a phone). So what's the big deal? Aside from more jobs movine to SE Asia?

Mrs.H, Dallas, Texas, USA

Would be great to stash away in the car for emergencies. Or give to your mom who probably won't use it anyway.

Justa Thought, Evansville, USA

I live in Guatemala and we get our brand new Motorola cell phones for US$13.50-20 with about two hours of airtime included and usually a free hat, jacket, backpack, or umbrella included. Service providers are Tigo, Claro, and Moviestar.

Mark, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

Its all good buying a cheap mobile but what happens when theres a problem with the phone or the network. Will a person need to ring a call centre in india and if so will this service be free?

kasim, bury,

So? Whats the big deal..

FOLKS, All your electronics are THE SAME.. India can "make" a 10L phone because that is all people there will pay..

YOU are the ones paying hundreds for a few dollars of electronics...

Besides my phone is "FREE" *

* with a 2 year contract.

American, Orlando, US