Reliance Jio Puts off Smart Phone Launch

The shortage of microchips globally has not only impacted the production of auto companies. Another project that has been affected by this shortage of microchips is the proposed launch of the Jio-Phone Next. The Jio-Phone Next is the joint collaboration of Reliance Jio and Google, which has a strategic stake in Reliance Digital.

In a statement to the press, Reliance Industries noted that due to sustained shortage of microchips in the global market, it had put off its proposed launch of the smartphone from Ganesh Chaturthi to Diwali this November. The Jio-Phone Next will be a low cost smartphone which will be affordable yet extremely feature rich. It help catapult millions of 2G customers into digital ready 4G network.

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Microchips are intelligent transistors that are integral to everything from televisions to microwave ovens to computers to smart phones to cars. These microchips have high-end processing and intelligence capabilities which makes the functioning of most equipment logical and digitally driven. 

This shortage of chips became acute in the last 2 years since the pandemic. There has been a surge in demand for laptops and smartphones as people learn and communicate through Zoom and other videoconferencing software. While demand for microchips has surged, supply is highly complex and takes time to keep pace. Currently, it is that phase when supply is trying to catch with demand.

However, Reliance Jio and Google are already testing the low-cost smartphone with a limited set of users to make it more refined by the time it is officially launched in Diwali. As of now, Reliance has not indicated the price of the smartphone except saying that it would be value for money.

For Reliance, JioPhone Next is their big bet on the “bottom of the pyramid” telecom market by combining an attractive price point with all perks of being a 4G customer. The phone will come with smart features like Google Assistant, auto read-aloud, language translation of on-screen text as well as a high-end camera.