Reliance’s JioPhone Next may open its pre-orders for awaiting customers sometime next week. The company is in talks with all concerned retail partners to open the pre-orders for the phone, which has been officially slated to release on September 10, reported 91Mobiles. The ultra-budget smartphone was officially announced for release during Reliance’s 44th annual general meeting (AGM), which was held virtually.

“And as you have come to expect from Jio, it is my promise that JioPhone Next will be by far, the most affordable smartphone not just in India, but globally,” Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani had said.

While the smartphone is soon to be released, details are still sparse about the specifications and price of the budget smartphone. However, some features have been leaked and others are anticipated, keeping in mind the promise of an affordable smartphone.

The smartphone is being built in partnership with Google as announced by Ambani in the last AGM. He had said the companies were working together to provide a cheap 5G smartphone.

A custom OS based on Android 11 (Go edition), compact 5.5-inch HD display and the Qualcomm QM215 SoC are some of the expected features. The phone has been confirmed to be 4G capable as well and will possess camera setups.

“While being ultra-affordable, JioPhone Next is packed with cutting-edge features like the voice assistant, automatic read-aloud of screen text, language translation, smart camera with augmented reality filters and much more,” Ambani said during this year’s AGM.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, added, “Our teams have optimised a version of Android OS, especially for this device. It will offer language and translation features, a great camera, and support for the latest Android updates.”

The pricing details have not yet been unveiled, but analysts predict that the smartphone may be priced as low as Rs 2,500. Reliance Jio has relied on a model of aggressively disruptive pricing to earn its share of the market, and JioPhone Next is expected to follow the same principles. Early estimates indicate that the phone may be available at Rs 2,500-5,000.

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(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)

First Published:Aug 27, 2021 8:33 PM IST