Reliance Jio has announced the launch of the much-expected JioPhone Next as the new addition to its JioPhone line-up.
Developed in partnership tech giant Google, the JioPhone Next will provide ultra affordable 4G phone to the consumers. It will run an optimised version of Android, the smartphone operating system developed by Google.
Announcing the launch at the annual general meeting of Reliance Industries Limited on Thursday, RIL CMD Mukesh Ambani said that JioPhone Next will be available in the market from the auspicious date of Ganesh Chaturthi on September 10 this year.
Mukesh Ambani said, “I am pleased to announce that Google and Jio teams have jointly developed a truly breakthrough smartphone – JIOPHONE NEXT. It is a fully-featured smartphone supporting the entire suite of applications from both Google and Jio.”
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“It is ultra-affordable and packs cutting-edge features. It will be available in the market from Ganesh Chaturthi, 10th September 2021,” he added.
During the Reliance AGM, Mukesh Ambani said, “India still has nearly 300 million mobile users who are unable to escape from inefficient and exorbitant 2G services because even a basic 4G smartphone remains unaffordable for these users. Last year, Sundar and I had talked about Google and Jio co-developing a next-generation, feature-rich, but extremely affordable smartphone.”
The news related to this collaboration was also shared by Google Alphabet CEO on Twitter. His tweet read, “Excited to announce the next steps in our partnership with Reliance Jio to accelerate India's digitization, starting with a new affordable Jio smartphone with an optimized Android experience, and a 5G collaboration between Jio & Google Cloud.”
JioPhone Next comes with truly breakthrough premium capabilities including language and translation features, a great camera, and support for the latest Android and security updates – unprecedented for affordable smartphones. It is believed that the phone would give tough competition to companies like Xiaomi, Samsung, and Realme.
The price of the phone is still not revealed by the company, but as per the announcement of Mukesh Ambani, it would be an average ranged mobile phone.
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Specifications of JioPhone Next:
The JioPhone Next is the best smartphone for people looking for a phone in an affordable range with 2G to 4G connectivity. This phone would feature an optimized Android operating system, which is jointly developed by Google as well as Jio. JioPhone Next is expected to have features like voice assistant, automatic read-aloud of screen text, language translation, smart camera with augmented reality filters and more. The phone would also support regular Android updates.
Mukesh Ambani said, “JioPhone Next is powered by an extremely optimized version of the Android operating system that has been jointly developed by Jio and Google, especially for the Indian market. This is a testimony to a global technology giant, and a national technology champion, working together to make truly a breakthrough product that can be first introduced in India, and then taken to the rest of the world.”
Easily access and consume content in a choice of Indian languages: Users who might not be able to read content in their language, with a tap of a button, can now translate what’s on their screen and even have it read back to them in their own language. Read Aloud and Translate Now are now OS-wide features that will work with any text on their phone screen, including web pages, apps, messages, and even photos. Using App Actions, people can utilize their Google Assistant to deliver a great experience with many of the Jio apps on this device. In addition to asking for the latest cricket scores or a weather update, users can also ask Google Assistant to play music on JioSaavn or check their balance on My Jio.
A great camera: A fast, high-quality camera is a must-have feature for today's smartphone users, so Google and Jio’s teams have partnered closely to build an optimized experience within the phone’s Camera module resulting in great photos and videos: from clearer photos at night and in low-light situations to HDR mode that brings out the wider color and dynamic range in photos, these are firsts for affordable phones in India. Google has also partnered with Snap to integrate Indian-specific Snapchat Lenses directly into the phone’s camera, and we will continue to update this experience.
Ongoing feature drops and the latest system updates: Along with support for the latest Android releases and security updates, this experience will keep getting better with new features and customizations, all delivered over the air. With Google Play Protect built-in, it has Google’s world-class security and malware protection. And with the Google Play Store, users will have access to millions of apps that people across the world use and enjoy.