Jio, India’s leading telecom player, has announced a new internet-enabled feature phone today. The company has unveiled Jio Bharat, which aims to enable existing 250 million feature phone users with internet-enabled phones. Jio’s new affordable phone leverages its network capabilities to deliver internet-enabled services on entry-level phones.
The phone is priced under Rs 1,000 and will offer 4G connectivity support and the plan for the same is priced at Rs 123 as of now. For Rs 123, the plan will offer unlimited voice calls, 14GB of 4G data, and access to Jio entertainment apps such as JioCinema, JioSaavn, and FM Radio as well. In addition to that, the Jio Bharat phone will also support UPI, a feature that was announced last year for feature phones. Let’s take a look at the details of Jio Bharat Phone.
Jio Bharat Phone: Price in India and Availability
The Jio Bharat phone is priced at Rs 999 and will go on sale in India starting on July 7. The first batch will be a part of the 1 million Jio Bharat phones program. This is to ensure the scalability of the platform and processes for upgrading millions of feature phone users. The device is said to be available across all Reliance and Jio stores across India, later this week.
Jio Bharat Phone: Features, Plan, and Specifications
At Rs 999, the Jio Bharat phone is one of the cheapest 4G-enabled phones in India. As for the plans, Jio Bharat users will have to pay Rs 123 for 28 days plan, which will offer unlimited calls, 14GB 4G data, and access to Jio apps like JioCinema and Jio Saavn.
As for the specifications, the Jio Bharat comes with a 1.77-inch display and on the front, the device comes with a T9-style keypad. The phone also comes with a 0.3MP (VGA) camera on the back alongside an LED flash. In addition to this, the phone comes with features like FM radio, support for UPI payment, expandable storage, and a headphone jack. For UPI, the company says the payment will happen through JioPay.
In addition to the monthly plan of Rs 123, Jio Bharat Phone users can also opt for the annual plan, which will offer unlimited calls and 0.5GB of 4G data per day. Lastly, Jio also confirmed that other phone brands, starting with Karbonn will adopt the Jio Bharat platform to build Jio Bharat phones, which could be launched later this year.
Jio Bharat’s main objective is to empower every Indian with the power of digital services, especially those who cannot afford a smartphone, the company added.
