This archive report was first published on 5 November 2021.
On October 29th, Google and Jio, an Indian telecom company, unveiled a budget smartphone targeting the Indian market. The phone, an affordable 4G device, is described as “designed to serve the unique needs of the Indian consumer” by Ram Papatla, the Android India engineering lead.
The JioPhone Next is priced at 6499 Indian rupees, equivalent to around Kshs 9,700, and can be purchased with a down payment of 1999 rupees (Kshs 3,000) and a payment plan through the telecom company.
The phone runs on a stripped-down version of the Android OS, known as Pragati OS, and has access to the Play Store for users to download various apps. Other features include read aloud and language translation for on-screen text, a camera with India-centric Snapchat Lenses, and embedded voice-first features that support 10 different languages spoken in India.
India has a huge market of over 400 million smartphone users, making it a significant target for Google. The company has designed the JioPhone Next to cater to the needs of this market, offering a means for users to access a 4G smartphone at an affordable price.
