Indian conglomerate Jio Platforms has partnered with Google to launch an affordable budget Android smartphone called the JioPhone Next. Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani revealed during the annual general meeting that took place online.
Global connectivity standards has gradually risen over the years even locally (5G). However, roughly 300 million users are still stuck in 2G due to high pricing, as stated by Reliance. Jio aims the smartphone will be an “extremely affordable” solution that allows users to upgrade to 4G networks.
The device will be released in India on September 10th, before coming to other markets on a later date. Details on pricing and specs are still uncertain. Although, the company revealed it will include voice assistant support, translation features, and a camera with support for augmented reality.
It’s likely the JioPhone Next will run Android Go out of the box, as the device was pictured some apps like Google Camera Go, Chrome, and Playstore. Chairman Ambani claimed the phone is “powered by an extremely optimized Android” mobile operating system.
While this move by Jio will accelerate 2G to 4G migration, it will be interesting to see how other smartphone manufacturers react to this space. Especially Xiaomi and Samsung, who both offer a range of models in the affordable market segment.
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Alfred Gitonga is a passionate tech news writer with a deep interest in smartphones and related technologies. He is a staff writer at Mobitrends.co.ke.
