Reliance Jio and Google have given the first real fruit of their partnership to consumers in India in the form of the JioPhone Next, which is an entry-level Android phone. It costs Rs 1,999 or around $27 with plans or Rs 6,499 or around $87 on its own.
The JioPhone Next runs on a new software package called Pragati OS that’s based on Android Go and has specifically been made for Indian audiences. It comes with Google Assistant support for voice-based commands. A ‘Read Aloud’ feature is present for pronouncing content in a legible language, whereas a ‘Translate’ feature uses the camera to translate text that you point the phone at.
Coming to the hardware, it’s got a 5.45-inch HD+ LCD that’s covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. A basic 13MP camera sits on its rear surface, while an 8MP snapper is placed on its front for selfies and video calling. The JioPhone Next’s battery is a 3500mAh removable unit.
A quad-core Snapdragon 215 processor powers the device with a clock speed of 1.4GHz. 2GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage also find their way into the JioPhone Next. This is a 4G phone supporting 4G on both the SIM slots.
As we said, users will be able to purchase the JioPhone Next at Rs 6,499 in India. Opting for EMI options will need them to pay Rs 1,999 initially apart from Rs. 501 in processing fees, while they can continue to pay the rest of the amount in the form of monthly plan combos.
November 4, which marks the festival of Diwali, will be the date on which the JioPhone Next will be made available for purchase. Potential customers will be able to get it at Jio Mart digital retailers or go to the phone’s website and register, before visiting the nearest Jio Mart for picking up the handset.