The HMD Touch 4G, currently available only in India, aims to bridge the gap between smartphones and feature phones. It features a touchscreen and video calling capabilities, while maintaining a compact size and lower price point typical of feature phones.
This device does not operate on the Android system; instead, it uses a custom operating system known as RTOS Touch. Consequently, traditional Android apps are not accessible. Users can utilize a service called Cloud Phone Service, which offers basic browser apps tailored for the HMD experience. While messaging features such as group chats and video calls are available, they are limited to a specific app named Express Chat, which is also compatible with Android and iOS devices. This may pose a challenge for users, as it requires friends using smartphones to download the app for seamless communication.
The HMD Touch 4G includes a headphone jack and supports USB-C charging, which adds to its user-friendly design. However, it comes with only 128MB of internal storage, which is relatively small and may necessitate the purchase of a microSD card for additional space.
At present, there are no indications that this device will be available in the US market, raising questions about its potential reach and user adoption outside of India.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/795993/hmds-touch-4g-is-a-dumb-smart-phone