

Research firm Counterpoint told TechCrunch that the sub-$100 smartphones accounted for just 12% of the Indian smartphone market, down from 18% in 2019 and 24% in 2018. And that choice has shrunk in recent years. “We have worked closely with the Jio team on engineering and product development on useful voice-first features that enable these users to consume content and navigate the phone in their own language, deliver a great camera experience, and get the latest Android feature and security updates,” Google said in a statement.Įven as most smartphones that ship in India are priced at $150 or less, customers looking for a smartphone priced under $100 are left with little choice. (Smartphone vendors typically offer security and new Android software support for about two years after the launch.)

It also features a “fast, high-quality camera” which will support HDR, and the JioPhone Next will be protected by the latest Android releases and security updates, Google said, though it didn’t share the precise duration for this coverage. The JioPhone Next will ship with a range of features, including Read Aloud and Translate Now that will work with any text on the phone screen, including web pages, apps, messages and even photos. Harnessing the reliability and performance of Google Cloud will enable these businesses to scale up as needed to respond to customer demand,” he added.Īmbani unveils the JioPhone Next at Reliance’s Annual General Meeting on Thursday. “They will be able take advantage of Google’s AI and machine learning, e-commerce and demand forecasting offerings. “It will help more than a billion Indians connect to a faster and better internet, support businesses in their digital transformation, and help Jio build new services in sectors like health, education and more - laying a foundation for the next phase of India’s digitization,” said the chief executive of Google, which last year committed to invest $10 billion in India.Īs part of the 5G cloud partnership, Google is also winning a major Google Cloud customer in Reliance, said Pichai. In a virtual appearance at Reliance AGM, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the company has also entered into a 5G cloud partnership with Jio Platforms. The JioPhone Next will be an “ultra-affordable 4G smartphone,” claimed Ambani, though he didn’t reveal the price or the hardware specifications of the handset.
