To counter JioPhone Airtel to launch Rs 2,000 4G enabled smartphone; see specifications

Key Highlights

• Airtel's new phone may launch in the first week of October.
• The phone may be priced at Rs 2,000.
• The new phone will counter the new JioPhone that was recently launched by Reliance Jio.

India’s largest telecom operator is reportedly in the process of launching an ‘ultra low-cost’ 4G enabled smartphone. The phone is speculated to be priced at Rs 2,000.

“We have no intention to get into subsidising devices and running the inventory as if we own them,” Airtel’s CEO, Gopal Vittal said during the company’s investor call in July.

Airtel’s smartphone will have 4G VoLTE enabled calling.

As per sources, the new smartphone by Airtel will have a four inches display and will operate on Android 7.0 operating system.

It is speculated to have a 1400-1600 mAh battery and 1GB RAM quad core processer.

The smartphone is also speculated to have a dual SIM slot along with dual camera.

It will also have other features of smartphones like FM radio, the source cited above said.

Reliance Jio unveiled its 4G enable feature phone – JioPhone, on July 21 at Reliance Industries Ltd annual general meeting.

At the event, managing director of RIL, Mukesh Ambani said that the effective price of the phone was zero. However customers will have to spend Rs 1500 as a security deposit which would be refunded after three years.

Terms and conditions of the JioPhone now state that customers will additionally have to recharge with Rs 1500 minimum per year in order to get their security deposit back.

Also Read: Pay Rs 6,000 for services in order to own the ‘effectively free’ JioPhone