Lien phones are cheap to release and my speculation is it’s the same mainboard, screen and different rear covers with lights.
It’s super cheap to produce and costs have been cut in the hardware that attaches to the mainboard, i.e. camera modules.
So, it’s pure profit. If I need a phone in a pinch like I did when my children killed my last phone, I’d buy it.
It looks great and modern unlike the 3a, which looks dated upon release, and probably takes decent photos and will be £200 soon or even less with deals in the UK.
It will sell tons for little effort required to release it.
It makes fiscal sense for the company and for a new purchaser entering the ecosystem.