Micromax launches CDMA2000 open market handset

KOLKATA, INDIA: Micromax, the leading Indian mobile handset manufacturer announced the launch of Micromax C350, the first Indian OMH (Open Market Handset) compliant CDMA2000 phone was launched in Hong Kong.

The revolutionary OMH technology, available on the CDMA2000 platform, gives mobile customers the flexibility to buy a CDMA2000 handset and relevant SIM cards from any CDMA2000 operator of their choice.

The OMH-compliant Micromax model C350, powered by Qualcomm's QSC6020 chipset, offers 2MP camera, motion sensor, 2.4" 262K colour QVGA screen, stereo FM radio, multi format music player, video recorder/player, Bluetooth 2.0, and expandable memory (up to 4GB).

Micromax CDMA OMH handset model C350 is an extremely affordable upgrade option for existing CDMA2000 customers who want more features and VAS/data services on their handsets. The Micromax C350 is expected to be priced below Rs. 4500 and available across India at all existing retail outlets across the country.

Vikas Jain, Business Director, Micromax Informatics Ltd, said: "With our futuristic vision and commitment to deliver the best of technology to our customers, Micromax is proud to be the first Indian brand to have released the OMH handset. Our product line always exemplifies our motto of 'Inventing Surprises' and our latest release of the OMH model will surely provide another delightful experience to the subscribers of CDMA technology. The OMH technology, combined with C350, has enabled us to bring feature-rich handsets into the market faster, and make them available at very attractive price points."

He added: OMH technology has provided equality across CDMA and GSM in terms of operator selection and upgrade flexibility. This will greatly benefit the CDMA handset market in India and encourage manufacturers to bring a greater variety of handsets into the market. We are very excited at this prospect and plan to launch many new OMH models in the months ahead. OMH means freedom for consumers to choose their handset, as well as the service operator. OMH makes it easier for Micromax customers to choose from a variety of VAS offerings, which were previously tied to operator-bundled handsets."

Dr. Sandeep Sibal, Country Manager and Vice President, of Technology, for Qualcomm India & South Asia, said: "We congratulate Micromax for being the first Indian brand to launch a CDMA OMH handset. OMH-compliant handsets provide CDMA customers the freedom to upgrade and pick their choice of operator. OMH benefits mobile users, device manufacturers and operators, and we expect it to play a key role in driving the growth of CDMA in India. CDMA operators in India have embraced the OMH initiative, and we will continue to collaborate with other industry players to bring additional OMH handsets and other data capable devices to the market."

OMH, an industry-wide initiative led by the CDMA Development Group (CDG), implements all operator and subscriber-specific provisioning onto an OMH SIM card instead of on the handset. With over 40 industry participants from various operators, device OEMs, R-UIM/SIM card vendors and distributors, the OMH ecosystem changes the paradigm in CDMA by enabling the purchase and use of an OMH device for any OMH-compliant operator network.

With support for a wide breadth of core functionality that includes features such as voice, SMS, packet data (both 1X and EV-DO), MMS, WAP/Browser, BREW, Java, and LBS, OMH allows OEMs to develop full-featured devices that can be sold across the entire CDMA ecosystem of OMH-enabled operators rather than to a single operator.