Motorola today unveiled a new line of low-end mobile phones to meet the needs of mass market consumers around the world that can't afford expensive gadgety mobile phones. Motorola's new handsets, include the C118, C139, C168, C257, and C261. I guess they won't be running any VoIP clients such as Skype or have integrated GPS on these low-end, inexpensive mobile phones.

According to Techtree, "The GSMA estimates that despite 80 percent of the world's population having wireless access, only 25 percent are able to use it, with cost identified as the single biggest barrier to mobile communications usage in emerging markets. The partnership with Motorola will aim at extending the reach of mobile telephony and connecting the unconnected in countries such as India, South Africa,
Russia, Egypt, Philippines and Indonesia."

"Motorola is committed to delivering mobile communications to everyone. Building on the momentum of our mass market portfolio, including the GSMA Emerging Markets Handset Program, we have enhanced and expanded this portfolio to meet the diverse needs of today's consumers globally. Our new devices include inspired designs and focus on the best of the basics, while providing valuable extras that extend their usefulness even further," said Steve Lalla, Vice President and General Manager, Mass Market Products, Mobile Devices,
Motorola.

The Motorola C118 features a compact design and easy-to-use keypad, with talk times of up to 700 minutes and up to 450 hours of standby, reducing the need for frequent recharging. The phone also features selectable ringtones, short message service (SMS), alarm clock,
screensavers, and games.

The Motorola C139 features a 65,000 color TFT display, compact size, multi-character phonebook search with internal phonebook storage, SMS, vCard, calendar/datebook with alarm, downloadable ringtones, and an 700 minutes of talk time/ 450 hours of standby time. The phone also includes enhanced usability features such as zoom font, which displays enlarged characters when entering numbers, and Motorola's illuminating Lantern technology.

The Motorola C168 features a sleek and slim form factor with storage for up to 600 phonebook entries and 250 SMS messages. Similar to the C139, the C168 also features a 65,000 color screen, as well as Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), zoom font, polyphonic ringtones, and Motorola's Lantern feature. In addition, the C168 also includes a built-in FM Stereo radio.

The Motorola C257/261 the C257 and C261 are the latest of Motorola's slim and stylish handsets, and was designed with an ultra-thin design in mind for users that don't want a lot of bulk. Both models offer a crystal clear TFT display capable of 65,000 colors, MMS and up to 450 minutes of talk time and 250 hours of stand-by. The C257 and C261 also include
speakerphone functionality. In addition, the C261 features a VGA camera.

Motorola is showcasing its new mass market handsets at the Emerging Market Pavilion, 3GSM Asia, Suntec City Convention Center, Singapore.