Jio delays rollout of low-priced smartphone developed with Google to Diwali

'JioPhone Next' is said to offer premium features like automatic read-aloud & language translation, however, Reliance Jio has not revealed the pricing of the phone yet.

The logo of Reliance Jio is displayed at a store in Mumbai | Representational image | Photographer: Dhiraj Singh | Bloomberg

New Delhi: Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio on Friday announced deferring the roll-out of the JioPhone Next – the low-priced smartphone it has developed with Google – to Diwali.

The phone was previously to be launched on September 10.

Ambani at the shareholder meeting of his flagship Reliance Industries Ltd in June, had stated that the JioPhone Next will be available for purchase on September 10.

The Jio Phone Next has been designed in partnership with Google and it is for those who are looking to upgrade from 2G to 4G connectivity.

Announcing the new timeline, the company, however, did not reveal the pricing of the phone.

Reliance Jio and Google “have made considerable progress towards launching the much-awaited JioPhone Next, the made-for-India smartphone being jointly designed by the companies,” the statement said.

JioPhone Next is a first-of-its-kind device featuring an optimized operating system based on Android and Play Store.

“The device and the operating system will offer premium capabilities that have until now been associated with more powerful smartphones, including voice-first features that enable people to consume content and navigate the phone in their own language, deliver a great camera experience, and get the latest Android feature and security updates,” it said.

Both companies have begun testing the JioPhone Next with a limited set of users for further refinement and are actively working to make it available more widely in time for the Diwali festive season.

“This additional time will also help mitigate the current industry-wide, global semiconductor shortages,” it said.

The JioPhone Next is built with exciting features like the Google Assistant, automatic read-aloud and language translation for any on-screen text, a smart camera with India-centric filters and much more.

“The companies remain committed to their vision of opening up new possibilities for millions of Indians, especially those who will experience the internet for the very first time,” the statement added.