Jio Phone Next might be a winner after all, receives positive response from customers and retailers
The upfront payment of Rs 1,999 for the Jio Phone Next seems to have attracted millions to the handset.
Highlights
- According to Reliance Retail, both urban and rural areas have responded positively to Jio Phone Next.
- Jio Phone Next price in India is Rs 6,499 but customers can get the device through an upfront payment of Rs 1,999.
- Pragati OS is the operating system co-developed by Jio and Google for the Jio Phone Next.
After months of waiting, Reliance finally launched the Jio Phone Next in India earlier this month. The smartphone comes for Rs 6,499, but consumers can get the device with an upfront payment of Rs 1,999 while paying the rest of the amount in EMIs. While many felt that the Jio Phone Next price of Rs 6,499 was higher than expected, it seems the phone is still getting a positive response from consumers. Reliance Retail told ET this week that they have "received extremely encouraging response from its retailers and customers". They further told that there is no smartphone in the market which is as rich in functionality and is available for an upfront payment of Rs 1,999, which it said has attracted millions to the handset.
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The Jio Phone Next comes with a 5.45-inch HD+ display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 chipset, Pragati OS, 13MP rear camera, and a 3,500mAh battery with 10W charging support. The handset runs a new OS called PragatiOS, which appears to be a modified version of Android 11 Go edition.
Further Reliance Retail said that "The market response for the Pragati OS, especially its voice, camera, and language features, has been very positive." The device is exclusively available from Jio's official website and through JioMart Partner retail stores. Reliance further said that the outlets "are being rolled out at an accelerated pace across the country." The JioMart retailers along with Jio's website are currently taking bookings for the smartphone and deliveries are expected to start in the coming weeks.
The smartphone was launched just before Diwali with the aim of helping Reliance Jio target the bulk of India's over 300 million feature phone users. The device is priced at Rs 6,499, but can also be bought for an upfront payment of Rs 1,999 and a processing fee of Rs 500, with the rest to be paid in monthly instalments of over 18 or 24 months.
The handset comes with dual SIM slots, but the primary SIM will be locked to Jio SIM card only. The company is offering Jio Phone Next with the mentioned amount upfront and the rest through easy EMI over 18 or 24 months. The Jio Phone Next EMI plans range from Rs 300 to Rs 600 and they come bundled with voice calls and 4G data benefits, which are only available to Jio users.
Also Read: JioPhone Next 4G first impressions