Hisense is looking to branch out from its usual assortment of consumer electronics and home appliances by launching a smartphone dubbed the Infinity Prime 1.

The Infinity Prime 1 packs rather conventional glossy plastic styling that won’t see it scooping any design awards. Hisense’s smartphone also sports a 5" (540 x 960) IPS capacitive touchscreen for an average 220 ppi, and is powered by a quad-core MediaTek MT6589M  processor clocked at 1.2 GHz per core.

Also onboard the Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) running handset is a good sized 2000 mAh Li-ion battery, 1 GB of RAM, Wi-Fi 802.11 n, Bluetooth 3.0, 8 megapixel autofocus main camera as well as a 0.3 MP selfie shooter.

This smartphone boasts dual-SIM capabilities, allowing users to simultaneously run two SIM cards from different accounts and networks off a single mobile device.

The functionality can be handy for users who want to have separate work and business numbers but do not want to lug around two devices, or those looking to save by opting for the most affordable data package and the best voice deals from two different operators.  

Hits local shores in time for Xmas

The new Hisense Infinity Prime 1 smartphone will be available from 1 December 2013 at Kalahari.com for a recommended retail price of R3 000. The Infinity Prime 1 will not be the sole smartphone Hisense will make available to local buyers.

Jerry Liu, GM of Hisense South Africa explains: “The Prime 1 phone is one of many phones that Hisense will be launching into the South African market, with further models planned for launch in the New Year, across various price points.”                                                                                                                                                                               

In other smartphone related news, Nokia recently revealed that it will not be making the follow-up to the popular Lumia 520 (review) - the Lumia 525 - available on the South African market.