JioPhone Next to launch by Diwali, Google CEO Sundar Pichai confirms

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has confirmed that the JioPhone Next is on track to launch by Diwali. Speaking to investors at an earnings call, Pichai said that the low-cost smartphone will spearhead the shift from feature phones to smartphones for a large part of India’s population.

According to Pichai, the phone’s support of local languages, and catering to the needs of the local population, will allow people to take advantage of its smartphone features.

Pichai went on to say that India, like Asia Pacific, continues to be an exciting market for Google, and company will continue to stay focussed on it.

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Recently, the JioPhone Next was teased in a video, which confirmed that it will run an optimised operating system called Pragati OS, based on Android. An earlier leak for the phone has speculated that it will run on the Snapdragon 215 SoC, coupled with 2GB of RAM. It may also sport an HD+ display, and feature a 13MP rear camera. The smartphone will come pre-loaded with Google and Jio apps.

The pricing and availability of the JioPhone Next is not yet known. However, a previous leak speculated that the phone may cost ₹3,499.

The JioPhone Next was announced in June and slated to release by September 10. However, the ongoing global chip shortage had caused Reliance Jio to delay the phone’s release. Jio said earlier that the smartphone was in the advanced trials stage, and being tested by a limited set of users.