Jio Bharat 4G phone is here: A recap of six years since the first JioPhone

Telecom giant Reliance Jio has come up with a budget-friendly 4G phone called Jio-Bharat at an affordable price of Rs 999. The sale of this super budget-friendly device began on July 7 with the aim of replacing the existing 2G phones in India. The Jio Bharat mobile phone has been launched to target those individuals who are low on income and are either unable to handle the hi-tech smartphone technology or require only devices with basic features. In addition to this launch, Jio has also come up with an inexpensive mobile plan called the Jio Bharat Mobile Plan.

Let us have a look at the journey of Reliance Jio mobile phones so far ever since it launched its first handset in 2017.

JioPhone

Reliance Jio launched its original JioPhone in 2017, which offers a small screen and an alphanumeric keypad. The device, made up of a solid plastic body, has a 2.4-inch QVGA display. Even though it was a feature device, this version comes with some smart capabilities too. The user can use Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, JioTV, JioCinema, and other apps on this small phone, and it even supports voice assistants.

Speaking of other key specifications, the 4G device offers 512 MB of RAM and a 4 GB storage system. It contains a 2 MP camera and a VGA front camera sensor. The JioPhone comes equipped with a 2000 mAh battery as well.

JioPhone 2

Launched in 2018, the JioPhone 2 is an upgraded version of the JioPhone. It was launched in 2018 with a slew of new features like a Blackberry-type Qwerty keypad, a dedicated Google Assistant button, and a larger display at an affordable price of Rs 2,999.

With a 2.4-inch QVGA display, the feature phone device comes packed with a 2000 mAh battery, dual SIM option, headphone jack, torch, FM, radio, and internet support.

JioPhone Next

Launched in 2021, the JioPhone Next was Jio's first smartphone and was manufactured in partnership with Google. Operating on Pragati OS, the JioNext is an optimized device for Android with a Qualcomm Snapdragon QM215 processor with 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, expandable up to 512 GB. This updated version of the Jio device comes at a price of Rs 4,848. It sports a 5.45-inch screen and comes with useful applications like JioNews, JioCinema, and Facebook, among other features.

Jio Bharat

Launched on July 7, 2023, this updated Jio device has been launched in partnership with Karbonn. It is a 4G device that comes packed with SD card support of up to 128 GB and a 1000 mAh battery. Notably, this latest Jio device supports advanced features like HD calling, call recording, UPI payments, and OTT services.