With the 5G revolution likely to take flight this year in India, the highly awaited 5G spectrum auction is on the rolls later in the year, and with that telecom giants Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel can be found submerged into extensive activities revolving around 5G testing.
The country’s largest telecom giant Reliance Jio Infocomm has been reported to be engaged in 5G testing across different locations in the country.
However, the news here is that Reliance Jio is notably working towards readying a new 5G JioPhone, expected to launch later this year.
New JioPhone 5G?
According to a Android Central report, Jio has completed planning the implementation of 5G coverage, and it is known to take it forward in phases, starting with 13 cities in its first phase.
The report has suggested that the 5G phone will likely be priced at Rs 10,000 and will offer 5G plans to its users.
The pricing model of this phone could be similar to its predecessor, the Reliance JioPhone Next, launched in Diwali of 2021, with an option to pay the upfront cost or opt for the EMI offer.
Reliance has stated that it is preparing the phone, keeping in mind to offer 5G connectivity to 1,000 cities in the country.
Details on JioPhone 5G Specs
As per reports, the new Jio phone supporting 5G will run on Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC, the entry-level offering from the chipset manufacturer.
As mentioned above, the phone is also likely to cost Rs 10,000, which will be the cheapest 5G phone by far.
India welcomed its most affordable 5G phone in 2021, priced at around Rs 13,000 but the JioPhone 5G at (possibly) Rs 10,000 will be the cheapest of all.
Jio’s 5G phone will be the rival brand to cheap 5G phone brands Redmi and Realme.
While a lower price of Rs 10,000 implies low-end specifications, the report clarifies that Jio is setting foot on a comparatively better hardware on the JioPhone 5G.
The phone will reportedly support N3, N5, N28, N40, and N78 bands, which means it will support 5G networks across India.
The report further adds that it will come with a RAM of 4GB and internal storage of 32GB, supporting a microSD card slot. It could have a 6.5-inch LCD with HD+ resolution, running on Android 11.
Camera specs could include a 13MP main rear camera alongside a 2MP auxiliary camera, with an 8MP selfie camera in the front. In terms of battery, it may use a 5000mAh battery, with 18W fast charging through a USB-C port. Users could also expect a side-mounted fingerprint sensor on the body.
Jio’s 5G phone has reportedly entered the prototyping phase but its launch will depend on whether Jio is ready to begin the first wave implementation of 5G networks in India this year, cited an India Today report.
It is very likely for the phone to launch by the end of 2022.