JioPhone Next on sale from Diwali for as low as Rs 1,999

PTI, Oct 30, 2021, 9:10 AM IST

With an eye on 30 crore 2G users, Reliance Industries on Friday announced that Jiophone Next 4G smartphone its Jio telecom arm and Google co-created will be available in stores from Diwali for as low as Rs 1,999 upfront payment.

While the JioPhone Next, loaded with a 13 MP rear and 8 MP front camera, 2 GB RAM, 32 GB internal storage and dual SIM slots, has been priced at Rs 6,499, the firm is offering easy EMI options to help feature phone users to upgrade to a 4G smartphone.

”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,” the two firms said in a statement.

Jio is offering a finance option for the Jiophone Next where users can make an upfront payment of Rs 1,999 and pay the rest in easy monthly instalments spread across 18 -24 months.

The smartphone, built on Qualcomm Snapdragon 215 SoC chipset, will be available across India on JioMart Digital retail stores.

”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 pandemic,” Reliance Industries Limited chairman and managing director Mukesh D Ambani said.

JioPhone Next operates on Google-developed Pragati OS, which is based on Android. The operating system offers exclusive features like Read Aloud, Translate, and also supports all Google apps. JioPhone Next also comes pre-installed with Jio apps like MyJio, JioCinema, JioTv, JioSaavn, etc.

”Voice-first features, language translation + a smart camera – we built the JioPhone Next in deep collaboration with @reliancejio to meet India’s unique needs & languages. Excited to see this device help more Indians access the internet through a smartphone,” Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in a tweet.

The company is also offering data and talk-time bundled with EMI payments for the Jionext phone.

”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,” Ambani said. The 4G smartphone comes with a 5.5-inch HD plus display with a 720 x 1440 resolution. The phone packs a 3,500 mAh battery, 2GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage with an option to expand storage to 512 GB.

Jio announced four different JioPhone Next EMI plans for its customers. JioPhone Next can be purchased by paying an upfront cost of Rs 1,999. The remaining amount can be paid within 18-24 months.

Under the Always-on Plan, which has a duration of 18 months and 24 months, customers will have to pay only Rs 350 or Rs 300, depending on the choice of tenure. It will come bundled with 5GB of data and 100 min of talk time per month.

The JioPhone Next Large plan provides for customers paying Rs 500 for 18 months or Rs 450 for 24 months. Users will get 1.5GB of 4G data per day and unlimited voice calls.

Under the XL plan, customers can choose to pay Rs 550 for 18 months or Rs 500 for 24 months. Under this plan, users get 2GB of high-speed 4G data daily and unlimited voice calls.

Lastly, the XXL plan. Reliance JioPhone Next buyers can pay Rs 600 per month for 18 months or Rs 550 for 24 months and get 2.5GB of 4G data per day along with unlimited voice calls. The phone is getting manufactured in India at Neolync plants.