WhatsApp and YouTube apps were meant to be available to JioPhone users starting August 15. However, the apps are rolling out in batches to the smart feature phones. To check if your JioPhone has received the apps, you will need to perform a software update by accessing the settings of your device. WhatsApp and YouTube for the JioPhone were demoed at RIL’s AGM last month. At the AGM, the company had promised that the apps will be available to users on Independence Day. While it was known that WhatsApp for the JioPhone would be rolled out in batches, it seems the same is true for YouTube as well. The video streaming service will come to JioPhone over the next few days. Once the apps are available to JioPhone users, they will be able to control them through voice commands. Certain features of WhatsApp and YouTube will not work the same way as they do on Android and iOS devices. For example, JioPhone users will not be able to make voice or video calls using WhatsApp on the phone. When it comes to YouTube, users will not be able to download videos for offline viewing.
At its 41st AGM, RIL announced the JioPhone 2, JioGigaFiber, JioGigaTV set-top-box, Jio Smart Home solutions and more. The JioPhone 2 went on its first flash sale on August 16. Speaking of the specifications, the JioPhone 2 has a 2.4-inch display that looks much like an older BlackBerry device. It houses a QWERTY keypad and a four-way navigation key. It supports dual SIM cards, one 4G VoLTE slot for the Jio number and another 2G slot in which one can place a SIM card of any other operator according to Jio.
The phone comes with 512MB of RAM, alongside 4GB of internal storage, expandable upto 128GB through a micro-SD card. It runs on the same KAI OS as the first JioPhone and will is powered by a 2,000mAh battery. The JioPhone 2 uses a 1GHz dual-core processor and in terms of camera, Jio has bundled a 2MP rear camera and a 0.3MP front camera.
If you are interested in Jio’s broadband connection, then registrations for Jio GigaFiber started on August 15. JioGigaFiber will offer up to 1Gbps FTTH broadband speeds and prices for the service could begin as low as Rs 500 per month. is already reported to be facing some last mile connectivity issues which could hinder its plans for a mass-scale roll-out. As of now, there is no concrete information available on the exact roll-out date for JioGigaFiber, but Reliance Jio has confirmed that the FTTH broadband service will be available across 1100 cities in India on the basis of registration requests received by the company. You can read more about Jio GigaFiber here.