Jio and Google on Friday, October 29, announced that the JioPhone Next, the made-for-India smartphone jointly designed by the two companies, will be available in stores from Diwali. The device can be purchased upfront without financing for Rs 6,499, or at an entry price of 1,999 with the rest paid via EMI.
The companies said in a statement that this type of financing is being introduced for the first time in the country for a device in the entry-level category. “JioPhone Next will be available across the country at Reliance Retail’s extensive network of JioMart Digital retail locations,” it further said.
“The JioPhone Next is a first-of-its-kind smartphone featuring Pragati OS, an optimised version of Android made for the JioPhone Next. Google and Jio have worked closely to create this OS that is aimed at addressing the unique needs of millions of smartphone users across the country,” the statement added.
JioPhone Next will have access to apps on the Play Store and comes with over the air (OTA) updates support for new features, customisation and security updates. It also has a Qualcomm processor to optimise device performance, audio, and battery.
Some of the features of the JioPhone Next include: Google Assistant that helps users to operate the device (open app, manage settings, etc) by just speaking to it; and Translate Now functionality so users can have any screen translated to one of 10 Indian languages.
The JioPhone Next is a dual nano-SIM device and comes with a 13MP rear camera and 8MP front camera. It has a 5.45 inch screen size with Gorilla Glass 3 protection and anti-fingerprint coating. It comes with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of inbuilt storage, which is expandable up to 512GB. The battery capacity is 3500mAH.
Mukesh Ambani, Chairman & Managing Director, Reliance Industries said, “I am delighted that Google and Jio teams have succeeded in bringing this breakthrough device to Indian consumers in time for the festival season, in spite of the current global supply chain challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Commenting on the smartphone, Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google and Alphabet, said, “The JioPhone Next is an affordable smartphone designed for India, inspired by the belief that everyone in India should benefit from the opportunities the internet creates. To build it, our teams had to work together to solve complex engineering and design challenges."