Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL), the company that owns the Indian arm of Russia's MTS telecom services, has added three Android handsets to its portfolio. The CDMA smartphones, named the MTag 281, MTag 351, and MTag 352 all run Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and are powered by an 800 MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 CPU. For the 351 and 352, MTS has announced free add-ons of an "unlimited" data plan, free MTS-to-MTS local calling for three months, and a promotional rate of 1 p/sec for all other local and national calls. In the MTag281's case, while the data plan offer holds, all local calls will be charged at 1 p/2 sec for three months. Buyers of all three phones will also be able to access 100+ live TV channels for free using the embedded MTS TV application for a month. Finally, MTS will provide a free recharge coupon (FRC) of Rs 8 for activating the schemes and a recharge voucher of Rs 492 with the MTag 351 and MTag 352, while the MTag 281 gets an FRC of Rs 259.

However, some huge caveats apply in these schemes. Here they are:

• The so-called "unlimited" high-speed data (up to 3.1 Mbps) is valid only for the first 1 GB per month, after which the speed drops to the 1x standard (153 kbps). In real life though, you will only get about 20-50 kbps in the 1x mode. Therefore, for all practical purposes, the plan becomes useless once you've exhausted the high-speed data limit.
• The free MTS-to-MTS calls are limited to 150 minutes/day. While this seems to be a sufficient amount of time, to use the offer from the second month onwards, you will have to pay an additional recharge amount of Rs 62 per month for the next two months.

The MTag 281 has a 2.8" QVGA display, 3 mp camera, Wi-Fi connectivity, and 1200 mAh battery. The 351 and MTag 352 each sport a 3.5" capacitive screen with pixel dimensions of 320x480, and come with a free 2 GB microSD card. Practically all features of the last two phones are identical, except for the LED flash and VGA front camera in the 351. Also, the 352 has a slightly bigger battery of 1400 mAh as opposed to 1300 mAh in the 351. The common specifications are as follows (excluding the MTag 281):

• Network: CDMA 1x (800 MHz), locked to MTS network.
• Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) with MTS TV, Saavn online music app, and Nimbuzz messenger client.
• 800 MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 series CPU, 256 MB RAM.
• 128 MB internal storage, 32 GB microSD card slot.
• 4.6" x 2.4" x 0.5" (12.15 mm) for the MTag 351, 4.5" x 2.4" x 0.4" (11 mm) for the MTag 352.
• 3.5" (320x480), 262K colour, TFT LCD display.
• 3 megapixel camera (with LED flash for the MTag 351).
• Micro-USB, BlueTooth, Wi-Fi 802.11 b \ g, Assisted GPS.
• FM radio, 3.5 mm jack.
• Supported video formats: MP4, 3GP (30 fps playback, 15 fps streaming); Supported audio formats: MP3, AAC, AAC+, EAAC+, AMR, OGG (max bitrate 384 kbps).
• Gravity sensor present, motion sensor absent.
• Box Contents: Handset, Charger, USB Cable, Battery, Headset, 2 GB microSD card, User manual, Warranty card.

The company has priced the MTag 281, 351, and 352, at Rs 5500, Rs 7500, and Rs 6500 respectively. Strangely enough, the lower-numbered 351 is costlier than the 352, probably because of the former's extra front camera. While the smartphones have been priced attractively, do you think opting for a CDMA handset — that too from a network operator with an uncertain future — a good idea? Would you opt for such a device? Let us know in the comments.
 

TAGS: Mobile Phones, Android, Jayesh