RJIO has begun to take orders for the Jio Phone. According to Reliance JIO website, over 5 million people have booked the 1500 Rs Jio handset within 3 days. Although it is yet to hit the markets, the ongoing JioPhone booking has helped JIO expand its user base to a massive 130 million.
Airtel is a company that has been closely watching and following the moves of RJIO. After introducing cheap 4G plans, Airtel has now decided to launch an affordable 4G Phone.
Airtel 4G phone features
The Airtel 4G mobile phone might carry the same hardware as the JIO phone, but it is likely to cost within 2500 to 3000 Rs.
The JIO Phone is free, but you have to pay 1500 Rs as a security deposit to own it. RJIO will refund your money after 3 years. Registration for the phone has begun last week. To book your Jio Phone, you can visit JIO website.
Unlike JIO Infocomm, which is sourcing its JIO Phone from China, Airtel is in talks with several domestic phone manufacturers for the launch of its 4G handset. The phone is yet to be unveiled.
Specifications
Airtel’s upcoming handset might be a non-touchscreen or touchscreen device with basic features. The phone might pack a SpreadTrum or Snapdragon 210 processor. It will support VoLTE and 4G-LTE. Yes, that’s right!
Airtel has begun rolling out VoLTE services in India. The first city to get Airtel VoLTE service is Mumbai. Other metro cities will follow the suit soon. Airtel won’t charge you for using the VoLTE service.
Features of the Airtel VoLTE service:
- High-definition voice calls.
- Faster connectivity than a normal call.
- 4G-LTE data connection won’t be interrupted during a VoLTE call.
If Airtel decides to go with a non-touchscreen mobile, the rumored Airtel 4G phone might boast a small 2.4 or 2.7-inch display with HVGA resolution. If a touchscreen mobile is the works, you can expect the phone to feature a 4-inch screen with a WVGA resolution and Android OS.
Airtel has published several apps on the Google Play Store and Apple iTunes. The handset is expected to be preloaded with the following popular Airtel apps:
- Live TV, Cricket, movies.
- Wynk Music, Games.
The Airtel 4G mobile phone will feature a low capacity battery.
Launch date
According to news portals, Airtel might launch its 4G phone before 19th October. As the handset is likely to support VoLTE, Airtel will have to launch VoLTE service in all major cities before Diwali. If it doesn’t do so, the telecom operator may push the launch date of its 4G phone further.
Airtel is introducing new plans every month to make sure that its count of massive 261 million subscribers doesn’t drop. It is also offering free 4G data to 3G users upgrading to 4G SIM. The company’s growth rate has slowed but its subscriber base hasn’t dipped.
As Airtel cut 4G tariffs by 70% to stay in the competition, the profits of Airtel has dipped by 50%. RCOM, Telenor, Tata Docomo are worst hit companies in the war between Reliance group’s new firm and the top three telecom companies i.e. Airtel, Idea, and Vodafone.
Can Airtel’s 2500 Rs 4G phone imitate the success of Jio Phone? Let’s wait and watch.
Also see: Best 4G plans in India
