Reliance Could Soon Launch JioPhone Variant With Mediatek Chipset

The leading telco player in the country could be prompted to launch a new variant to arrest to fall in demand.

The Reliance AGM on 12 August could up being the platform where a slew of products are announced. We already know that the company’s broadband service Jio GigaFiber will finally roll out commercially and its prices will also be announced.

Currently, JioPhones come with Qualcomm and Unisoc processor but reports suggest, JioPhone could soon be powered by Mediatek chipset as well.

According to a Mediatek executive quoted in this ET Telecom report, mentioned they are working on a KaiOS-powered device which could make its way in the next few months, without naming any brand.

There’s a possibility that Reliance could announce another version of its smart feature phone and while there’s no confirmation on this, falling demand for existing JioPhones could prompt the company to come out with an upgrade.

After all, JioPhones have catapulted the telco to become the leading feature phone player in the country and it’s logical for Jio to come out with another upgrade to the series.

The project [4G feature phone] is going on. We expect devices to be available soon. We are working with the telco, but OEMs for India…we are working with KaiOS as well

TL Lee, General Manager, MediaTek’s Wireless Communication to ET

The chipset maker was previously said to be working on Android Go version of the device but looking at the fall in sales of smartphone, they have switched focus to making the smart feature phones again.

Launching a new product could also help Jio grow its market share again, which has seen a rapid decline over the past few quarters, according to a Counterpoint report. 

The next JioPhone variant is expected to carry a bigger screen, with more RAM and storage in tow.

This will ensure that more people can make the best use of running platforms like YouTube, and its own JioCinema for watching content. These upgrades could invariably bump up the price of the device but hopefully Jio can keep it below the 5K bracket.