We all know that Reliance Jio and Google are planning to launch a cheap Android phone in India at some point. Earlier, it was tipped the phones could arrive in December itself as both the companies were waiting for CCI (Competitive Commission of India) approval. The Jio-Google deal was approved by CCI recently, however, a new report from 91mobiles report now claims the low-cost 4G Android phone from Jio aren't coming out this year. Earlier in September, the same publication stated the phone is slated for December launch. The new report adds the phone is currently in 'testing phase' and it might take another three months for the companies to launch to the general public.
Jio-Google 4G Android Phone Coming Out in Q1 2021
The report further highlighted the Jio-Google Android phone will likely arrive in Q1 2021, however, there's no specific timeline provided this time around. Another report in the past stated Jio is looking to manufacture 200 million Android phones over the next two years. That said, to achieve this goal, Jio has to price the phone aggressively.
Jio stirred the entire market in 2017 when it brought the Rs 1,500 JioPhone and offered it to the customers at zero cost. The rumoured price for the upcoming Jio-Google Android phone is Rs 4,000. We don't have many phones under Rs 5,000 with full-fledged Android support. Xiaomi launched the Redmi Go with Android Go Edition in 2019, but that didn't reach the company's expectations in terms of sales.
Within just three years, Reliance Jio was able to sell more than 70 million JioPhones in the country, and that also helped the telco amass more than 400 million customers. If the company gets the pricing right with the low-cost 4G Android phone, its goal of reaching 500 million subscriber mark will be achieved in no time.
