Reliance Jio has announced its collaboration with feature phone makers Transsion’s Itel, Lava, and Nokia. The partnership aims to create affordable Jio Bharat 4G devices, targeting the transition of approximately 250 million 2G users to 4G services. Reliance Jio is also expected to unveil an upgraded version of its Rs 999-priced 4G phone, according to a report by ET. The enhanced device will support UPI payments, WhatsApp, and live TV streaming.
According to a report by ET, Sunil Dutt, President of the Devices Division at Jio, claimed that Lava, Nokia and Itel brands are actively engaged with Jio to build new Jio Bharat devices. He emphasised that affordability is the key factor driving Jio’s new push into the featurephone market.
He said “We wanted to establish the product in the market and in the minds of the consumer, so they could associate with it, relate with it…Today, all brands, whether it’s Itel, Lava or Nokia, are in touch with us in terms of how do we make it happen.” “This is the most exploited customer and surprisingly our competitors have no sense of regret in exploiting them too. Our next-door neighbours charge Rs 180 to this customer and give them 2GB data, which, on a 2G network, a customer cannot even consume efficiently,” Dutt added.
Jio Bharat Plans and Benefits
The Jio Bharat phones come with special 4G monthly plans, priced competitively lower than the market rates. Dutt highlighted that Jio is offering a wide range of content including live TV with over 450 channels, the latest films, thousands of songs, and IPL streaming, all at a price 30 per cent lower than the competition. The cheapest plan starts at Rs 123 for a period of 28 days. Users get 500MB of daily data with the plan.
In addition to these features, Jio Bharat phones will also support UPI payments with a scan-and-pay option.
The Jio Bharat platform currently offers three models including: JioBharat V2, JioBharat K1 Karbonn, and JioBharat B1 models in its portfolio. However, the company plans to introduce more later this year. While the primary aim of the platform is to transition 2G users to the 4G ecosystem, Jio is also prioritising the 5G rollout.