Mumbai: Reliance Jio has announced the launch of the much-expected new addition to the JioPhone line-up, and it is called JioPhone Next. This phone will be the result of a partnership between Reliance Jio and tech giant Google. The JioPhone Next will arrive later this year. The JioPhone Next was announced by Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Ltd., at the company’s 44th Annual General Meeting (AGM). Jio and Google also confirmed that they will be working together for 5G technology in India. The JioPhone Next 4G phone will run an optimized version of Android, the smartphone operating system developed by Google. Jio confirms that the JioPhone Next arrives in stores on September 10, on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi.
“JioPhone Next is a fully-featured smartphone, supporting the entire suite of applications from both Google and Jio, as well as the Android Play Store through which users will have access to the entire universe of Android Apps,” says Ambani, while announcing the newest JioPhone. “And as you have come to expect from Jio, it is my promise that JioPhone Next will be by far, amongst the most affordable smartphone not just in India, but globally,” he added. Users will get access to key Android services, including the Google Play Store. Some of the features that have been announced include voice assistant, automatic read-aloud of screen text, language translation, and smart camera with augmented reality filters. More spec details are awaited.
“Our teams have optimized a version of our Android OS, especially for this device. It will offer language and translation features, a great camera, and support for the latest Android updates. It is built for India… And it will open up new possibilities for millions of new users who will experience the internet for the very first time…. And we can’t wait to show you the device later this year,” says Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google, at the announcement. More specs of the JioPhone next, as well as the pricing and the subscription options for Jio prepaid and Jio postpaid users, are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
