NE BUSINESS BUREAU
MUMBAI, OCT 29
Jio and Google announced on Thursday that the much-anticipated JioPhone Next, the made-for-India smartphone jointly designed by the two companies, will be available in stores from Diwali, adding to the festival cheer in the country, says a release.
This will be the most affordable smartphone anywhere in the world with an entry price of only ₹1,999 and the rest paid via easy EMI over 18/24 months. The prolonged financing also provides data and calling benefits, reducing the overall cost of ownership. The device can also be purchased without any financing at a price of Rs 6,499.
Courtesy: Reliance Jio
The phone’s pricing is expected to shake-up the lower end of India’s smartphone market, the world’s second biggest.
A unique financing option like this is being introduced for the first time for a device in this category, making it accessible for a much wider set of consumers. With features that are unprecedented in any phone in this category, JioPhone Next will be available across the country at Reliance Retail’s extensive network of JioMart Digital retail locations.
This is the first time, that a phone in the entry-level category is getting a financing option. This makes the entry price extremely affordable and almost equal to a feature phone price. JioMart Digital’s network of more than 30,000 retail partners are empowered to provide the JioPhone Next with paperless digital financing option, extending to the remotest corners of the country, making it geographically accessible to every Indian. JioMart Digital is also empowering these retail partners and enabling them to multiply their sales and profitability through the JioMart digital platform, the release added.
Speaking on the occasion, Mukesh D 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, 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”
“Among the many rich features of JioPhone Next, the one that has impressed me the most — and one that will empower common Indians the most and take their digital journeys to the next level — is its contribution to India’s linguistic integration. India’s unique strength is our linguistic diversity. Those Indians who might not be able to read content in English or in their language can get it translated, and even read out, in their own language on this smart device. It makes me proud to say that we are bridging the gap between ‘India’ and ‘Bharat, because ‘BHARAT’ Karega Digital Pragati – PRAGATI OS Ke Saath’,” Mukesh added.
Commenting on this milestone, 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, and I’m excited to see how millions of people will use these devices to better their lives and communities.“
The phone will pose a major challenge to Chinese vendors such as Xiaomi and BBK Electronics, owner of the Realme, Oppo and Vivo brands, which currently dominate a $2 billion market for sub-$100 smartphones in India. Jio also aims to use the phone to poach 2G users from rivals Vodafone Idea Ltd and Bharti Airtel Ltd.
