India's smartphone market has evolved significantly and people's buying behaviour has changed. Despite advancements in the smartphone space, the affordability factor remains consistent and a top reason to compel new buyers. Reliance Jio is tapping on just that with its all-new JioPhone Next, which will be available in India this Diwali.
Jio and Google have collaborated on this new smartphone. JioPhone Next is not only the most affordable smartphone but also the first in the entry-level category to get easy financing options. This allows buyers to get a smartphone at the convenience of buying a feature phone.
"I am delighted that Google and Jio teams have succeeded in bringing this breakthrough device to Indian consumers in time for the festival season, inspite of the current global supply chain challenges caused by the Covid pandemic. I have always been a firm believer in the power of the Digital Revolution to enrich, enable and empower the lives of 1.35 billion Indians. We have done it in the past with connectivity. Now we are enabling it again with a smartphone device," Mukesh Ambani, RIL Chairman, said in a statement.
JioPhone Next pricing
JioPhone Next is priced at Rs 6,499 in India - that is if the buyer chooses to buy it upfront without any financing options. However, buyers can also just pay Rs 1,999 to avail attractive financing option. Buyers can choose from the various plans offered to buyers, including Always-on plan, Large plan, XL plan and XXL plan.
"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, and I'm excited to see how millions of people will use these devices to better their lives and communities," Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google and Alphabet, said in a statement.
What's new in JioPhone Next
JioPhone Next is powered by Pragati OS, which is an optimised version of Android made for JioPhone Next. It is tailored to deliver a simplified user experience for Indians. The smartphone runs on a Qualcomm quad-core processor clocking up to 1.3Ghz, which is paired with 2GB RAM and 32GB expandable storage. But there's more to the phone than this.
Matching the industry trends, JioPhone Next features a 5.45-inch HD+ display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection, 13MP rear-facing camera, 8MP front-facing sensor. The smartphone supports camera modes like Portrait, Night and HDR, although we are yet to test how well they perform in the real-world.
Under the hood, the JioPhone Next packs a 3,500mAh battery, which can be charged via microUSB port. There's also support for dual SIM nano cards. The phone also supports features like Google Assistant, on-device translation, Nearby Share and more.
