advertisement
Idea Cellular has been losing money over the past quarters, and Reliance Jio is the reason for that. But the telecom operator likes a challenge, which is why they intend on fighting Jio with its own version of 4G feature phone.
Keeping that in mind, and with Idea’s relatively lower 4G spectrum in the country, it is hard to see how the telco intends to offer the phone at such a price point.
Idea doesn’t manufacture phones (Jio will partner with vendors for its own brand of devices), so we expect them to partner with multiple handset brands to ensure the pricing of the device remains closer to that of Jio’s.
Analysts have come to understand that Jio is heavily subsidising the price of JioPhone, which will not be done by Idea, as confirmed here.
Interestingly, Kapania pointed out that unlike JioPhone, which only lets you access few apps (locked by the telco), Idea’s phone will let users install whichever app they want.
Also Read: Idea Cellular Hit Hard by Reliance Jio’s Free 4G Internet Plans
Idea’s drop in revenue, fall in user base numbers over the past quarter doesn’t bode well for the telco, and with its on-going merger with Vodafone likely to be finalised by 2018, Jio’s emergence only forces Kapania and Co to take drastic steps in order to fix the predicament .
Also Read: Vodafone-Idea Merger Given Nod By Competition Commission of India
Highlighting the current state of 4G smartphone users, Kapania stated that it’ll be interesting to see how consumers warm up to 2.4-inch Jio device, especially with internet users preferring phones sized at 4-inch or more. They’re also keen on pushing the prices down, without compromising on set of features made available.
It’ll be interesting to see how long before Idea or other telcos manage to replicate Jio’s handset plan, and will they succeed in the space, where Jio are likely to have a upper hand.
(With PTI inputs)
(We all love to express ourselves, but how often do we do it in our mother tongue? Here's your chance! This Independence Day, khul ke bol with BOL – Love your Bhasha. Sing, write, perform, spew poetry – whatever you like – in your mother tongue. Send us your BOL atbol@thequint.com or WhatsApp it to 9910181818.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)