JioPhone users can cheer up because WhatsApp is reportedly working on a light-mode version of the popular messaging app for the ultra-affordable 4G VoLTE feature phone.
According to a Factor Daily report, Reliance is in talks with engineers at WhatsApp to come out with an app that works on non-smartphones, something that has been in the making since the phone was showcased at the Reliance AGM last month.
Bringing WhatsApp to JioPhone (even though they have JioChat to offer) will be a masterstroke from Reliance Jio, something that could auger well for the demand and interest of its feature phone.
WhatsApp is used by over 200 million active users in the country, and with JioPhone they can expect to add another 50 million users to its coffers.
The reports adds that representatives at Reliance Jio and Facebook have met over the possibility of coming out with a toned-down version of WhatsApp, but nothing is close to completion yet.
Jio has catapulted use of internet in India since its debut last year. This feat has not been lost on Facebook (which owns WhatsApp and Instagram), who commended Reliance Jio 4G for the spurt in growth of users in the country by exposing them to high amounts of data at pocket-friendly prices.
Another big incentive for WhatsApp to come with a feature phone-friendly version is to introduce digital payment as a mode to entry-level users, something which would have been unthinkable few years back.
Having said that, many of these feature phone users will be new to the messaging world, who haven’t heard of or used WhatsApp till now.
It’ll be interesting to see if this rumoured WhatsApp version is exclusive to JioPhone, or will other handset makers get to use the app on their respective 4G feature phones.
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