6 reasons to avoid cheap smartphones like Docoss X1

Recently, it seems that a few Indian companies have started a trend of enticing prospective buyers with ridiculously cheap smartphones. It began with the Freedom 251, an Android smartphone priced at just Rs. 250. Now another unknown manufacturer, Docoss, has announced the X1, an ultra-cheap smartphone priced at just Rs. 888. The company has even posted official product images and an unboxing video on its social channels, and deliveries are reported to begin in early May.

Whether these companies have no intentions of making profits or they genuinely want to put smartphones in everyone's hands is an altogether different discussion. Anyway, here are a few reasons why it's wise to stay clear of 'gadgets' like Freedom 251 and Docoss X1.

They are most likely 'frauds'

Even though prices have been dipping, it's near impossible to manufacture a smartphone at such a low price. It's more than likely that these ultra-cheap smartphones are just a ploy by fraudsters to rip buyers off. Even if it's an amount as low as Rs. 888, what's the point in wasting your money for a product that's as improbable as it sounds.

The devices might have poor build quality
It's true that you won't be getting an all-metal body at such low prices, but even then the build quality of these cheap smartphones is bound to be less than acceptable. To put things in perspective, the Freedom 251 test unit received by us had the name of its original manufacturer (ADCOM) painted on it.