Gigabyte Technology Ventures into Smartphone Arena: Models' Prices Range from $61-$104; Internal Storage Expandable; Will It Reach PC Hardware Manufacturing Success?

Gigabyte Technology has introduced budget-friendly smartphones in the Gigabyte Classic, Gigabyte Classic Lite, Gigabyte Essence and Gigabyte Essence 4. The company is a well-known computer hardware manufacturer, and has been a major player in the PC industry since 1986.  

The Gigabyte Classic is a 5-inch HD IPS 720 x 1080 resolution display with 294 ppi pixel density, powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core Spreadtrum Cortex-A7 with a Mali 400 GPU, Gigabyte said. It comes with a 1GB RAM and an 8GB of ROM that can be expanded to 32GB via a MicroSD card slot.

The smartphone comes with an 8-MP rear-camera and a 5-MP front-facing camera, an Android 5.1 Lollipop OS, and a 2,000 mAh battery. It also has Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, A-GPS, and an FM radio. The phone is priced at $104 and the model comes in two colors, Iron Black and Titanium Gray.

Gigabyte Classic Lite, on the other hand, is equipped with a 5-inch 854 x 480 screen resolution and is powered by the same processor, but with a lower memory of 512MB of RAM. An 8GB internal storage is available that can be expanded up to 32GB, Mobi Picker reported.

The Classic Lite variant is also integrated with a 5-MP rear camera and a 2-MP front facing camera, plus an Android 4.4 KitKat operating system. A 2,100 mAh battery provides the power and will cost $83.

Gigabyte Essence is slightly smaller than the other two above. It comes in as the third model and has a 4.5-inch IPS display that comes with an 854 x 480 screen resolution. It has a 218 ppi pixel density. It also comes with a 1.2 GHz Spreadtrum quad-core processor, a 512MB RAM, an Android 4.4 KitKat operating system, and a smaller 1,600 mAh power source. Consumers need to shell out $77 for this one.

Gigabyte Essence 4, the fourth model that was also unveiled, is the most affordable at $61. It comes with a 4-inch display with a 480 x 800 screen resolution, a 231 ppi pixel density, a 2-MP rear and a 0.3-MP front camera. The processor is a dual-core MediaTek.

Gigabyte's four entry-level phones will all be dual-SIM and will have 3G connectivity.