Indian smartphone priced at $45, with one year of free internet.

The affordable DataWind phone, which supports 4G LTE networks, is sold in India with a plan that allows free internet access for one year.

Indian manufacturers are continuing the race for ultra-cheap smartphones, one of them being DataWind. The company says it will soon release three 4G LTE-compatible smartphones priced between $45 and $75 (approximately 1 to 1.7 million VND).

DataWind executives introduce a series of ultra-affordable smartphones with a year of free internet. Photo: BGR.

DataWind's cheapest model comes with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. Upgraded versions offer 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, while the top-of-the-line model boasts 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. Information regarding screen size and resolution, camera, battery capacity, and operating system has not yet been released by the manufacturer.

DataWind is also licensed to operate a virtual network, allowing customers using the company's phones to access the internet at a low price. "We will offer free web browsing for one year on 4G smartphones manufactured by the company," said DataWind CEO Suneet Singh Tuli.

For DataWind customers who don't use smartphones, the company is exploring an unlimited internet access plan for just $1.50 (approximately 32,000 VND). However, there is no information yet on whether the company will utilize 2G, 3G, or 4G networks to offer this service to users.

Before launching a series of ultra-affordable smartphones,DataWind entered the tablet market with surprisingly affordable models. As a result, the company rose to become the market leader in India, holding a 27.5% market share as of Q2 2016, according to IDC.

According to VNE