Taiwan Mobile teams up with Foxconn to release low-cost Android smartphone for $133

Taiwan Mobile has teamed up with manufacturer Foxconn to release a low-cost self-branded smartphone dubbed A5, as the Taiwanese telecom operator intensifies its efforts in the mobile phone market.

A China Times report says the A5 phone has a 4.3-inch display, features a 1GHz dual-core processor and will run on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It also comes with a 5-megapixel camera. According to a Focus Taiwan report, the phone will go on sale in mid-July with a retail price of NT$3,990 ($133) for a contract-free model.

At the same time, Taiwan Mobile also teamed up with Chinese mobile phone manufacturer ZTE Corp to launch three other self-branded phones with screen sizes of 3.5, 4 and 5 inches.

This is reportedly the first time Foxconn has produced a mobile phone for a local operator that carries the operator’s own brand, and it comes as the Taiwanese manufacturer has been taking steps to diversify its operations.

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For years, Foxconn – also known as Hon Hai – has been Apple’s largest supplier, but it has seen its revenue growth slowing amid a faster-than-expected decline in iPhone orders. Apple has also been shifting its supply chain to Pegatron, in a bid to create a greater supply-chain balance.

Earlier this month, Foxconn announced an official partnership with Mozilla to develop at least 5 new devices, including a tablet. Late last month, a report had said Foxconn was gauging a bid for 4G spectrum in Taiwan, after it invested $8.7 million in a local fiber optic provider.

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