Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani said the phone would be a fully-featured smartphone, supporting the entire suite of applications from both Google Playstore and Jio.
Speaking at the company’s 44th AGM, Ambani said JioPhone Next is powered by an optimised version of Android OS and jointly developed by Jio and Google.
The mobile is ultra-affordable and packs cutting-edge features. It will be available in the market from Ganesh Chaturthi, September 10, Ambani said.
“Our vision was to bring affordable access to information for Indians in their own language, to build new products and services for India’s unique needs, and empower businesses with technology,” said Sundar Pichai, CEO at Alphabet (Google).
Pichai said Jio smartphone, created with Google, is built for India and it would open up new possibilities for millions of new users who will experience the internet for first time.
“At a time when so many aspects of our lives and work are moving online, it’s even more important to make technology accessible and helpful for everyone. This goal is at the heart of our partnership with,”
Pichai said.
Ambani said Jio is today the world’s second largest mobile data carrier, handling over 630 crore GBs a month. This is 45 per cent growth in data consumption in the last year alone – a testament to the rapid pace at which India is digitising, he said.
“RelianceJio sustained its track record of robust performance. It became the first operator outside China to cross 400 million mobile subscribers in a single country,” Ambani said.
On 5G launch, Ambani said Jio is uniquely positioned to quickly and seamlessly upgrade to 5G. “To develop a 5G ecosystem, we are working with global partners to develop a range of 5G devices,” he said.
