Virgin Media Helps IMO Launch Two Affordable Android Smartphones

Virgin Media has entered into a partnership with London-based smartphone brand In My Opinion (IMO) as the exclusive network partner for the launch of its cheap Android handsets.

Aimed at families, young people and late adopters, IMO has a brace of Android smartphones and a mobile hotspot device that are available at very low prices. Virgin Media’s role is to provide affordable and flexible tariffs to suit the needs of this customer demographic.

“IMO devices and features are all defined in the UK, with the specific aim of enabling young people to own a smartphone that won’t break the bank, or worry parents reluctant to give their children phones that can cost significantly more,” said Nigel Whitehead, IMO’s head of sales and propositions.

Affordable Android

The most affordable IMO smartphone is the IMO Q, available for £29.99 with a prepay Virgin SIM, or £39.99 SIM-free. For this small sum, users get access to a smartphone running Google’s Android Lollipop 5.1 mobile operating system, which sports a 4in screen, 5MP camera, quad-core processor and 8GB of storage.

The IMO S handset comes at a slightly steeper price of £8.50 per month on contract, but offers a larger 5in HD display, 8MP camera, 16GB of storage, and access to Android 6.0 Marshmallow,

While neither smartphone is sporting cutting-edge technology or access to the recently released Android 7.0 Nougat, they are offering an alternative to some of the budget smartphones from the likes of Motorola, and appear to have a sleek yet durable design normally reserved for handsets that push above the £100 mark.

The IMO GO mobile hotspot that completes the company’s trio of products, and is available for £24.99 with a monthly data tariff on top.

While these smartphones offer a sensible alternative to give to children and teenagers than a £500 iPhone 6S or Samsung Galaxy S7, they have some potential for small businesses looking to provide cheap yet functional smartphones to their employees to facilitate remote and mobile working without the high costs or need for rigorous negotiations with technology suppliers.

However, IMO has some way to go before it can beat the £2.50 Android smartphone being offered by Indian startup Ringing Bells.

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