Sorry, You Can’t Buy This Impressive $200 Galaxy S7 Competitor in the U.S.
The Hisense HS-A1. (Yahoo)
BARCELONA – Browsing the international smartphone market is always a fun exercise at the yearly Mobile World Congress confab. Fun. But if you’re a resident of the States, it can also be frustrating. That’s because much of the coolest tech on display isn’t available in the U.S.
This year, for example, Hisense (you know it for its flat-screen TVs) is showing off some fiercely capable handsets, with suggested retail prices roughly one-third the cost of comparable U.S. smartphones such as the new Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG G5. But, no, the company won’t be selling them in the United States.
Like the S7, the Hisense HS-A1 Android phone has a big, 5-inch-plus super-AMOLED screen, a fingerprint reader, a 3,000 mAh battery with support for fast charging, and a camera with dual lenses on its back (like the new LG G5).
The HS-A1 has a rear dual-lens camera. (Yahoo)
And the HS-A1 is slated to sell for something like $200 ballpark — less than a third of the S7’s price tag and just over a quarter of the S7 edge’s.
More: The Samsung Galaxy S7 phones and accessories, in photos
Looking for water resistance à la the new S7 phones? Hisense also has the new King Kong II HS-C20, which will sell for the equivalent of about $260. It sports a smaller, less brilliant screen than the HS-A1. But with a Gorilla Glass 4 screen, it’s certified to handle a 3-foot, 3-inch drop, can operate in heat up to 120°F, and will survive 1 meter underwater for up to 30 minutes.
The tough Hisense King Kong II HS-C20 can survive shallow plunges into water. (Yahoo)
The cheapest of Hisense’s new crop of non-U.S. phones is its HS-C1, which runs about $175, the company says, but lacks a fingerprint reader, big battery, and fancy dual-lens rear camera.
Of course, the truth is there’s nothing stopping American consumers from purchasing one of Hisense’s new phones online. But despite its 4G-compatible branding, it isn’t compatible with any of the United State’s high-speed mobile networks. The choice to build these handsets without U.S.-compatible wireless modems is no doubt one reason they’re so cheap. (They cost even less than Chinese phone maker OnePlus’s “flagship killer” phones, which are sold in — and can operate in — the U.S.)
Hisense’s HS-A1 and HS-C1 (shown here) have “quick focus” cameras. (Yahoo)
So, no, your inability to throw one of these new bargain Hisense phones onto your monthly plan has nothing to do with U.S. trade policy. So don’t write your congressperson to complain that you want a cheaper phone.
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