High-speed 4G isn’t everywhere yet, and there are people that just don’t need it, so if you don’t want to spend more than $300 on a phone, where do you turn? Apparently Aldi is one such place.
The supermarket chain Aldi is launching a phone shortly to go with its telco in Australia, bringing its Bauhn brand to Australia in a new smartphone, this one a dual SIM model made for the 3G spectrum.
It’s called the “Sphere,” which is a rather unusual name for a phone that looks nothing like a sphere, nor does it remind us of that Michael Crichton book and movie with the same name.
Rather, it’s a 5 inch smartphone running Android 4.4 “KitKat” and supporting the high definition resolution of 1280×720, running a quad-core processor under the hood, 2GB RAM, 32GB of storage, supporting a microSD card slot, and featuring an 8 megapixel camera on the back and a 2 megapixel camera up front.
From the specs alone, it reminds us of the recently released Moto G for 2014, and with two SIM slots, we’re inclined to think it’s aimed exactly at Motorola’s new model, competing in the same spot for people who love the option of having two SIM cards, which both do.
Aldi’s Bauhn Sphere will be 3G like that phone, and is coming out at the same time of some new value packs for Aldi’s mobile service, which will cater to usage types across several spectrums, priced from $10 with data able to be tacked onto each.
As for why Aldi hasn’t gone down the 4G route when the high-speed technology is beginning to take over, a spokesperson for Aldi Australia told GadgetGuy that “at the moment ALDI sees greater value in adding features such as larger hard drives and more RAM as more important than 4G.”
Another possibility is that the Aldi mobile network relies on Telstra’s 3G network, similar to former Kogan mobile network, which used to exist and relied on the same network.
That said, dual-SIM phones are rarely 4G, and that could be another reason all the same, as Aldi is able to offer the use of two SIMs for anyone who needs it, with the ideal purpose being an overseas trip.
Pricing for the Bauhn Sphere comes in at $279 outright, with availability in Aldi stores from November 1.
