The phone will be powered by Pragati OS, which Reliance Jio has developed in partnership with Google for the new smartphone. The world’s most affordable smartphone can be availed by visiting the nearest JioMart Digital retailer, jio.com or sending a WhatsApp message.
“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,”
said in an exchange filing.
The phone will come with a pre-installed Jio sim card with a plan duration of 18 months and 24 months. RIL said that the smartphone can be purchased upfront at Rs. 6,499.
“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,” RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani said.
The phone has undergone a delayed launch as a shortage of semiconductors forced the company to postpone the earlier launch during Ganesh Chaturthi.
The affordable smartphone is seen as Reliance Jio’s bet at shifting millions of Indians who currently use 2G telephony services towards 4G services or higher. The phone is also seen as a way for RJio to further cement its dominance of the Indian telecom market and reach its target of having more than 500 million users on its network.
The phone is also aiming to provide RIL a footing in India’s fast-growing smartphones market, which is dominated by several Chinese companies at the lower end of the value chain.
Shares of RIL ended 2.3 per cent lower at Rs. 2,540 on the National Stock Exchange.
