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Google and Jio are launching a budget Android phone
We know what the JioPhone Next looks like but not what it will cost
Google and Jio joined hands last year to co-develop entry-level smartphones in a multi-billion-dollar deal. There were speculations that the two companies would launch a cheap 5G smartphone in India, but today’s announcement doesn’t live up to those rumors. Instead, what we’re getting is a 4G smartphone, called JioPhone Next, running a special version of Android.
India’s largest telco is working on a cheap Android laptop
The 4G machine will be powered by a Qualcomm processor
Even though it only started in 2016, Reliance Jio is now the largest telco in India and has helped push the adoption of digital services with data plans that are among the cheapest in the world. However, it's not resting on its laurels and is actively looking to expand its scope by offering tech hardware such as entry-level 5G phones and VR glasses. What is also in the pipeline is an affordable laptop that runs Android and is powered by a Qualcomm processor.
Google invests $4.5 billion in Jio, plans to co-develop entry-level smartphone
Optimized versions of Android and the Play Store are also planned
Reliance’s Jio Platforms has been on a funding spree over the past few months with some sizable investment coming from Facebook, Qualcomm, and other global names. Joining this extensive list is Google, which will pick a minority stake in India’s biggest telco to create custom software and hardware solutions for India’s growing appetite for smartphones, particularly in the lower-end segment.
JioChat is a WhatsApp clone from the maker of the popular Zoom knockoff
With its Zoom copycat complete, Jio takes aim at the popular chat app
India’s biggest telecom operator Reliance Jio got richer by billions of dollars in the last couple of months with funds coming from left, right, and center. But it seems that instead of finding some good use for all that cash on hand, the company’s been busy cloning popular apps to offer its own alternatives. Last week, JioMeet was called out for being a Zoom rip-off, and now Jio is back with JioChat, which looks like a photocopy of WhatsApp.