Poco C51 with Airtel Prepaid Could be the Gateway to 4G for Millions of Feature Phone Users in India

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Poco India has announced a new partnership with Airtel to make its low-cost smartphone, the C51, even more accessible to the general public. The smartphone, which was originally priced at Rs. 8,499, has now been relaunched in collaboration with Airtel at a lower price of Rs. 5,999 for the 4/64GB edition. However, there is one condition. The device will be locked to an Airtel Prepaid connection. 

We think the lock-in period will be for the entire duration of the product because Poco and Airtel haven’t disclosed any details about it. Moving forward, existing Airtel Prepaid subscribers will receive a one-time 50GB mobile data allowance. Non-Airtel customers who want to take advantage of this deal can choose Airtel’s doorstep SIM delivery with fast activation.

Should You Consider Poco C51 at Rs. 5,999?

The sub-8K market presents limited options, making the Poco C51 a good choice for budget-conscious buyers, particularly those who are first-time smartphone users. If you are transitioning from a feature phone, the Poco C51 offers a large screen and a substantial battery, enhancing your overall mobile user experience.

The budget smartphone flaunts a 6.52” HD+ (720p) LCD screen with the standard 60Hz refresh rate. The display works well indoors but makes outdoor usage a bit inconvenient, especially on a sunny day as the peak brightness maxes out at 400 nits.

Design-wise, the Poco C51 looks good and has decent build quality. The entry-level smartphone offers a good grip with its textured polycarbonate back. Weighing 192 g, the Poco C51 is available in two colour options, Power Black and Royal Blue. Poco could have refreshed the handset with some new color variants to announce its partnership with Airtel.

The POCO C51 smartphone is equipped with a MediaTek Helio G36 SoC processor and is fuelled by a massive 5,000mAh battery that can easily deliver two-day backup on a single charge. The entry-level Poco C51 comes with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage, which can be expanded via a dedicated microSD card slot. The smartphone boasts a fingerprint scanner at the back panel and comes with a Micro-USB port for charging. You also get a 3.5mm audio jack.

As far as the software is concerned, the entry-level Poco smartphone runs on a clean software version- Android 14 Go Edition for keeping things simple for users. The handset can also be used for casual photography as it features an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera.

Who Should Buy Poco C51?

In India, there are approximately 400 million mobile phone users who still rely on feature phones. If you happen to be among them and are considering transitioning to a smartphone ecosystem, the Poco C51 could be the solution you’ve been searching for. The Poco C51 is also a great option if you’re seeking an affordable secondary smartphone or would like to gift a user-friendly phone to your parents in the sub-8K price range.