Digicel to launch the DL600 smartphone in Jamaica on Thursday 30th or Friday 31st of May 2013 - Digicel DL600 is coming Fast and Furious 6 to make smartphones accessible to all

“When we entered the mobile market seven years ago, we came with a mission to make cellphones available to all….Back then, the cheapest device we had was $999. Then we introduced the Alcatel handset range, starting at $799. Two weeks ago, we launched the 4G-capable Cellon handset, from $299, and today, we launch the DL600 for $499 pre-paid and free on a post-paid plan,”

Digicel Trinidad and Tobago Chief Operating Officer, Sacha Thompson at the launch of the Digicel DL600 on Thursday May 17^th 2013 at the Flair Restaurant on Ariapita Avenue in WoodBrook, Port of Spain

A super-hot development is brewing and is set to burst forth next week starting on Monday May 27^th 2013. If you’ve been following my blog, and I know you have, Digicel has plans to launch their very own branded smartphone, the DL600 in the middle of May 2013.

This is a rebranded Alcatel One Touch S’Pop that’s priced below US$100  (approximately JA$10,000) as described in my blog article entitled “Digicel to launch the DL600 Smartphone by Mid-May 2013 starting below US$100 - Alcatel One Touch running Firefox OS marketed like The Incredible Burt Wonderstone”.

Well news just in: The Digicel DL600 has already been launched in Trinidad and Tobago, in a fairly well attended Launch Event at the Flair Restaurant on Ariapita Avenue in WoodBrook, Port of Spain as stated in the article “Digicel launches smartphone”, published Thursday May 17 2013, Trinidad and Tobago NewsDay. As usually, you can read it for yourself on Digicel Trinidad and Tobago Press Release.

Super hot story indeed, as can be seen from the very traffic on my blog for the article above as well as to the Kelroy’s Geezam blog article entitled “Digicel to launch Affordable Android-powered 4G Smartphone in May”.. Even my friends on my Facebook page are anticipating the coming of this smartphone, with many pledging to buy one as soon as it comes to Jamaica. 

The Digicel DL600 may be launched thought the Caribbean sometime next week, possibly coming to Jamaica on Thursday May 30^th 2013 or Friday May 31^st 2013 as stated in the article “‘4G for feteing’”, published May 17, 2013 at 9:07 PM ECT By Carla Bridglal, The Trinidad Express. 

If you’ve read the excerpt of the speech by Digicel Trinidad and Tobago Chief Operating Officer, Sacha Thompson above, then the price for the Digicel DL600, TT$499 on Prepaid and Free on Postpaid (with the purchase of a Data Plan of course), if it holds, works out to be about US$78. 09 or approximately JA$7,643.53, not including tax, well below US$100!

Expect to see long lines and shortages, as based on my blog traffic, the pent up demand for a smartphone EVERYONE [read Millennials, ages 18-28] can afford is massive. The spec of the Digicel DL600, which is basically the Alcatel One Touch S’Pop, says it all for such a budget price:

Hardware:

1.      Operating System: Android OS, v4.1 aka Jelly Bean)

2.      Processor: 1 GHz

3.      Dimensions: 115 x 61.2 x 12.2 mm (4.53 x 2.41 x 0.48 in)

4.      Weight: 122 g (4.30 oz)

5.      Screen: 3.5"TFT capacitive touchscreen

6.      Type: 320 x 480 pixels, 256K colors (~165 ppi pixel density)

7.      External Memory: microSD, up to 32 GB

8.      Internal Memory: 4 GB (2 GB user available)

9.      RAM: 512 MB RAM

Wireless Connectivity:

1.      2G Network: GSM 850/900/1800/1900

2.      3G Network: HSDPA 900/2100/850/1900/2100

3.      Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot

4.      Bluetooth 4.0

Features:

1.      Accelerometer, proximity, GPS, Radio

2.      SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, IM

3.      Loudspeaker

4.      3.5mm Jack

5.      MicroUSB 2.0

Battery:

1.      Li-Ion 1400 mAh battery

2.      Stand-by - 254 h (2G)/350 h (3G)

3.      Talk time - 5 h (2G)/6 h (3G)

Currently the only sub-US$100 smartphones to the Digicel branded Alcatel One Touch S’Pop in the same price bracket in the Samsung Galaxy Y which is being sold by Telecom Provider LIME as stated in my Geezam blog article entitled “Samsung Galaxy Y is LIME’s sub-US$100 alternative to the Digicel DL600 smartphone.

The Blackberry Q5 is yet to launch but may debut in the Third Quarter of 2013 with a US$99 price as speculated in my blog article entitled “Blackberry launched Budget Q5 at their Annual Blackberry Live Conference - Possible no Contract US$199 makes Q5 the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D”.

Ditto too Nokia Asha 501 smartphone that cruising into the Developing World with a similar Sub-US$100 price as per my Geezam blog article entitled “US$99 Nokia Asha 501 debuts in India as Nokia throws down the gauntlet to Budget smartphone challengers”.

Like Blackberry, they’re defending their turf against lows cost smartphone upstarts such as Alcatel and Huawei as noted my Geezam blog article entitled “Firefox OS and Telecoms Providers debuts low-budget Alcatel One Touch”  and “Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona announces Huawei Ascend P2 as Samsung debuts Tizen OS” respectively.

So in case there’s a shortage, and I know there will be), options are available both locally and abroad for purchase online. The Digicel DL600 is coming Fast and Furious 6 (2013) to make smartphones accessible to all.