China Telecom offers below RMB1,000 Android smartphone

China Telecom is offering a smartphone priced at about RMB1,000 (US$150) in cooperation with Huawei and ZTE Corp.
ZTE, one of the top-ranking telecom equipment makers in China, said the newly-launched 3G smartphone, powered by EVDO and Android 2.1 OS, is part of China Telecom’s efforts to get 3G moving. The telecom operator has bought around 300,000 Android smartphones in what is called the biggest 3G mobile phone purchase in the country.
China Telecom said its 3G subscribers stood at 7.18 million by the end of June, against 10.46 million for China Mobileand 7.56 million for China Unicom.
TMCnet.com reports the company has worked out an expansion strategy to extend its reach in four segments, namely popular products at not more than RMB1,000, stylish products at RMB1,500 or so, high- and medium-end business products, and top-tier flagship products.