Mi-Fone Ltd. launched mi-Q range of QWERTY mobile phones which are low cost models positioned to compete against BlackBerry models. Mi-Fone is primarily targeting the youth segment.

"The young Indian is techno-savvy, stylish and plugged into the global network through their mobile phones. They have often been hampered by the lack of cost-effective yet quality and technologically advanced handsets that enable them to stay easily connected considering the many challenges in ensuring decent connectivity", said Alpesh Patel,CEO Mi-Fone.

The new models launched include Mi-Q+, Mi-Q1 & Mi-Q5.

The Mi-Q+ has GPRS Class 10 capabilities, WAP 2.0, capacity to receive and send MMS, FM radio, a torchlight and the Qwerty keypad for faster SMS.

The Mi-Q1 has GPRS/WAP/MMS and MP3/Video capabilities with a memory capacity of up to 1G, serving as an effective multimedia Qwerty mobile and is a dual SIM phone,

The Mi-Q5 has all the features of Mi-Q+ and Mi-Q5 in addition to capability of running Java applications such as the new MI-APPS initiative which combines instant messaging and push email under and an integrated format together with social apps such as Face book, MSN, etc. It is also capable of running Analogue Television.

"The Mi-Q family is designed to give our young consumers a 'Blackberry experience' at a fraction of the cost, while maintaining a high aesthetic. Our advertising campaign is meant to incite and evoke and inform our target market. It may be tongue-in-cheek but it also clearly demonstrates our willingness to compete for our market, which has been side-lined by the bigger brands through pricing," added Patel.