Micromax reward you to watch ads
Jan 18, 2014, by admin
Micromax has officially launched the MAd A94, a phone that rewards users for watching advertisements. The phone is priced at Rs 8,490.
The MAd application will allow registered users on Micromax MAd A94 handsets to earn redeemable points by watching advertisements (once). Points will be redeemed as balance credited as rupees to postpaid and prepaid accounts across GSM telecom operators in India. Micromax terms the whole process as a ‘simple four step’ one.
For now, the MAd and service app will only be available on the Micromax MAd A94, and Micromax is refusing to comment on whether it will be made available for other Micromax handsets, whether Android smartphones or feature-phones. The possibility remains distinct however, with the GET app demonstrating the same feature even for basic Java-enabled handsets.
The Micromax MAd A94 has been priced at Rs. 8,490, and features a 4.5-inch FWVGA (480×854 pixels) IPS display. It is a dual-SIM (GSM-GSM) device, using WCDMA for its 3G data. It runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, and is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Broadcom processor (BCM23550 chipset) with 512MB of RAM.
Micromax has listed 3G (HSPA), Bluetooth v4.0, Micro-USB 3.0, GPS, 3.5 mm jack, and Wi-Fi connectivity options for the MAd A94, which also features 4GB of inbuilt-storage, with microSD expandability up to 32GB.
The MAd A94 packs a 5-megapixel rear autofocus camera with flash, apart from a 5-megapixel autofocus front-facing camera. Other sensors onboard include G-sensor, proximity sensor, and light sensor. The smartphone gets its juice from a 1800mAh battery, rated to deliver up to 5 hours of talktime, and 150 hours of standby time
Rahul Sharma, co-founder, Micromax said
“With the launch of Micromax MAd, we aim to create a powerful medium to interact, engage, entertain and connect with the consumers by lending them our ears to voice their areas of interest, preferences and incentivizing it for them through reward. This service would provide a high engagement communication channel for the brands to break away from the clutter. It is also going to prove to be a game changer for operator eco-systems who are looking at newer and innovative ways to help them improve their profitability from every user. This unique service would also prove to be very significant for mobile eco-systems by solving the problem of ARPU (Average revenue per user), and contributing to the overall profitability.”
The point of contention is how operators could possibly increase profitability when users are going to get their accounts credited for watching ads. Secondly, users would actually be consuming from their data plan to watch the ads, so it’s not all that rewarding getting a small amount of credit in your account. At the moment, with no clarity on these points, the MAd phone comes off as just a gimmick.
