Reliance Jio is expected to begin pre-order for its JioPhone after Diwali. The company is reportedly working to deliver JioPhones to those who pre-booked the device during the first pre-order drive held in August.
JioPhone prebookings are now expected to resume after Diwali, reports PTI. Reliance Jio said it received 6 million registrations for its 4G feature phone during the first pre-order held on August 24. The company suspended the sale 'due to overwhelming response' and said the next pre-order will begin in the coming months.
Reliance Jio started delivering JioPhones to some of those who pre-ordered the device during Navratri and the PTI report indicates that Jio is currently focussing on delivering those 6 million pre-orders. The company might resume pre-booking for JioPhone, also dubbed as India ka smartphone, post-Diwali, once it completes delivering the handset to those who pre-ordered the device in August.
"The second phase of JioPhone booking will start after Diwali. Likely from October-end or November first week," a Reliance Retail channel partner told PTI. A company source told Digit last month that the second round of pre-booking will begin in the next few days.
To recall, JioPhone is a 4G-enabled feature phone with built-in voice assistant. The 4G feature phone is priced at Rs 1,500 and the company will refund the money after three years on returning the mobile phone. The JioPhone can be booked for Rs 500 and the remaining Rs 1,000 needs to be paid at the time of delivery. Those who pre-ordered the feature phone can track the delivery status by visiting Jio's website or from MyJio app. There is also an option to track the order by calling 18008908900 and providing the order number.
Having gained over 130 million subscribers for its Jio 4G service since the launch in September last year, Reliance Jio is aiming to convert feature phone users into 4G subscribers with its JioPhone. There are over 500 million feature phone users in the country and Jio believes it can bring them under its 4G network with the JioPhone.
JioPhone buyers must note that in order to get that Rs 1,500 as a refund after three years, they need to make minimum mandatory recharge of Rs 4,500 during this period. The company has announced special Rs 153 recharge that offers 500MB 4G data per day and unlimited calls and SMS. There is also an option to connect the feature phone to TV and stream connect.
In terms of hardware, JioPhone sports a 2.4-inch display and sports a design similar to other feature phones in the market. The handset runs KAI OS and will be powered by either Spreadtrum 9820A chipset or a dual-core Qualcomm 205 processor. It comes bundled with Jio Apps like JioTV, Jio Cinema, JioMusic to name a few. The feature phone reportedly costs Rs 2,500 and Jio is subsidising it to Rs 1,500.
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