Taiwan-based mobile handsets chipset manufacturer MediaTek signed a deal with social networking site Facebook to bring the site on entry level feature phones through its new solution-MRE. "Under this partnership we will integrate Facebook into MediaTek mobile platform solutions. This truly enriches the end user experience and increases more premium value for handset vendors," said MediaTek corporate vice president Cheng-Te Chuang.

"This partnership reinforces our focus on providing differentiated services and value for handset brands, giving them the means to offer affordable, compelling and differentiated mobile solutions to consumers in key emerging markets like India," he added. A feature phone only contains limited pre-installed applications and does not accept downloads of new applications. MRE-based smart-feature phone will provide application expansion on feature phones previously reserved for smartphones.

The company has also partnered mobile handsets manufacturers Micromax and Spice who will be launching their devices in the market by the month-end starting at Rs.2,000 range. "MRE solutions hold infinite potential for millions of users around the world and will level off the playing-field in the mobile device space," said Spice Mobility managing director Dilip Modi.