In what could be seen as a move to take on Reliance's much-hyped handset JioPhone, Indian smartphone-manufacturer Micromax is making an entry-level 4G VoLTE feature phone called Bharat One.
The Gurugram-based phone-maker is collaborating with state-owned telecom service provider Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to make the feature phone.
It is reported that Micromax is planning to launch its 4G feature phone Bharat One in the first week of October keeping in mind the festive season, and it is expected to come with a price tag of Rs 2,000, which is close to the refundable security deposit of Rs 1,500 for Reliance JioPhone.
Micromax is partnering with BSNL with an aim to compete with Reliance's JioPhone more closely.
"The idea is to have a device that can give competition to Reliance's Jio Phone... there is a huge market of 500 million feature phone users who would want to have more than one option," a Micromax executive directly involved in the planning told the Economic Times.
Not much is known about the features of the Bharat One, but reports have claimed it will boast of a powerful battery and decent camera, and come bundled with free data and voice-calling offers from BSNL.
Meanwhile, Reliance's JioPhone has a 2.4-inch QVGA display, FM radio, torch light, headphone jack, SD card slot, Jio Apps, JioTV, Jio Music, Jio Cinema, and support in 22 Indian languages.
