Reliance Jio could end its experiment with the JioPhone, and instead you’ll be getting a 4G-enabled Android smartphone from the telecom operator very soon. This has been sort of confirmed by MediaTek, the chipset maker, which is partnering with the telco to launch a device that’ll be seen running on Android Oreo Go version.
The phone is likely to be priced in the sub-Rs 4,000 segment, and will also support popular apps like WhatsApp, which weren’t available in the original JioPhone.
Also Read: Reliance JioPhone Could Come With ‘Light-Mode’ WhatsApp
This was confirmed by MediaTek’s spokesperson to the media at an event on Tuesday, who also said they are working with Google.
In addition to their own 4G feature phone, Jio is working very hard with not only MediaTek but also Google for smartphone devices... entry level Android Go.TL Lee, General Manager (Wireless Communications BU), Mediatek
Google had unveiled the Android Oreo Go edition for smartphones in December 2017, which is compatible with smartphones running on 1GB RAM or less. These low- cost smartphones are expected to play an important role in further expanding internet adoption in markets like India.
Also Read: Android ‘Oreo Go’ Debuts for Low-End Phones, Will Support All Apps
The project is part of Google’s Next Billion Users initiative, headed by Caesar Sengupta who claims that all apps from Google Play Store can be downloaded and used on these phones.
Indian handset-maker Micromax has already announced that it will launch a new Android Go Oreo-powered smartphone in the coming weeks.
It’s not surprising to see Jio shifting its focus from JioPhone as a feature phone to a hard-core smartphone. The company made merry with its effectively free phone, capturing the larger pie of the feature phone market share.
However, Jio couldn’t find a way to run WhatsApp on the device, and this is likely to have prompted the company to work in tandem with MediaTek and Google to roll out a version that runs on Android.
Also Read: How JioPhone 4G Rebooted India’s Feature Phone Market
We won’t have to wait long to see what the Android-powered JioPhone will look like, but it’ll be interesting to see if Reliance Jio can repeat its ‘effectively free’ feat which was the catalyst for the success of the original JioPhone.
(With PTI inputs)
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