Karbonn Rebel and Rebel Pro: home-grown brand returns to smartphones, Amazon sale from 4 November at Rs 11,999 and Rs 12,499

Karbonn, an Indian handset maker that has been selling phones in the country for over 15 years, has returned to smartphones. The company launched the Karbonn Rebel and the Karbonn Rebel Pro on Monday, 2 November, and both 4G handsets go on sale on Amazon.in from Wednesday, 4 November.

The Rebel is priced at Rs 11,999 and the Rebel Pro at Rs 12,499, each with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Karbonn is selling both only online, as Amazon Specials. A third model, the Rebel 5G, is due later, and the company has said its price and full specifications will be announced separately.

Big battery or smoother screen

The two phones share a MediaTek Helio G81 chip and run Android 16, with two years of software and security updates promised. Where they part ways is in what each one puts first. The Rebel leans on stamina: its 7,000mAh battery supports 18W charging, and it pairs a 6.75-inch HD+ display running at 90Hz with a 50MP main camera. It comes in blue, gold or silver.

The Rebel Pro gives up some of that battery for a faster screen and higher-resolution cameras. Its 6.7-inch HD+ panel refreshes at 120Hz and reaches 720 nits of peak brightness, and it carries a 64MP main camera with a 16MP selfie camera. The 6,000mAh battery charges at 20W, and a charger is included. Buyers can pick cherry red, blue, gold or grey.

Pitched at young, price-conscious buyers

Karbonn belongs to the Jaina Group. Pradeep Jain, its chief executive and managing director, said in a company statement late in October that smartphone prices in India had risen while the number of people buying them had stopped growing, leaving many younger customers priced out. He said the Rebel range had been shaped around everyday use at a price meant for that group.

The company is aiming the phones at students, content creators and young professionals. Before the launch, it ran a teaser campaign on Amazon in October under the line “Kamaal Koming”.