Experts believe that the JioBharat feature phone will be a massive gamechanger. The feature phone will be instrumental from moving away from 2G devices and networks, especially if the cost of entry was a massive barrier
Reliance Jio on Monday launched one of the cheapest, 4G internet-enabled phone, the JioBharat, at a cost of Rs 999. The phone has JioCinema, JioPay, JioSaavan and FM Radio pre-installed.
JioBharat phone’s monthly subscription (28 days) comes at Rs 123, while the annual subscription will cost Rs 1,234.
The monthly subscription offers unlimited voice calls as well as 14 GB of data, while the annual plan offers 168 GB of data. The beta trial for the first 10 lakh JioBharat phones will begin on July 7, and will be carried out in 6,500 tehsils across the country
Experts from the telecom and mobile phone industry believe that the JioBharat feature phone is going to be a massive game changer in making India free of 2G. This is in accordance with Jio’s 2G-Mukt Bharat mission.
Says Nikhil Pahwa of Medianama, said that phones like the JioBharat will increase the chances of women in Rural India to have a phone, first and foremost. Because smartphones are expensive, especially when compared to the price point of the JioBharat, women are more likely to get one for themselves. Secondly, because the device is 4G enabled, this will also allow them as well as their household to access the internet and the many promises it holds.
Varun Mishra of Counterpoint Research believes that giving an app ecosystem on a feature phone form factor like the JioBharat works really well in rural areas. This works especially well for consumers who are not willing to invest in a smartphone but want to avail what 4G Internet has to offer.
Reliance Jio has verified that other companies will soon embrace the ‘JioBharat platform’ in order to develop ‘JioBharat phones’. This implies that we can anticipate a greater number of brands collaborating with Jio to introduce more cost-effective models. The initial batch of JioBharat phones, comprising approximately 1 million devices, will be available for purchase from July 7, 2023.
