JioPhone Next Goes on Sale in India, Buyers Must Register First

JioPhone Next has gone on sale in India. The smartphone, created by Google, is up for grabs at nearby retail stores across India. Reliance is urging users to register their interest first via WhatsApp or the company site, before heading to the store. A representative at the Reliance Digital Store in Mumbai confirmed to Gadgets 360 that the JioPhone Next is in stock. However, the phone cannot be bought without prior registration. Reliance is offering EMI plans on the purchase of the JioPhone Next, enabling users to initially pay only Rs. 1,999 to get the phone.

JioPhone Next sale details, price in India

The Jio official website is taking registrations of interest for the JioPhone Next. Interested customers can also register their interest on WhatsApp by sending a ‘Hi’ to 7018270182. The registration process requires the user to share their location and once that is done, the user will get intimation to head to the store and go and buy the JioPhone Next. The representative at the Reliance Digital Store in Mumbai confirmed that the smartphones were indeed in stock. However, users have to register their interest online or on WhatsApp first. Once the intimation to grab the phone from a specific retail store is sent to the user on their phone, only then can they go and purchase the JioPhone Next.

As we already know, the JioPhone Next is priced at Rs. 6,499 up front. Buyers can also opt for the Easy EMI option wherein users will have to pay Rs. 1,999 initially (plus Rs. 501 processing fees), and then pay the balance amount in easy EMI. The representative says that the intimation to grab the phone should arrive in a day or two. The company says that it has partnered with more 30,000 retail outlets across India to ensure easy access to the JioPhone Next. It has also made available paperless digital financing option, extending to the remotest corners of the country, making it geographically accessible to every Indian. To find the nearest Jio store, head to this link.

There is no option to buy the JioPhone Next from the online Jio store as of yet.

If you pay Rs. 1,999 for the JioPhone Next, you’ll have to opt for one of the EMI plans offered by Jio:

JioPhone Next specifications

On the specifications front, the JioPhone Next runs on Pragati OS, an optimised version of Android that is tailored for users in India. It features a 5.45-inch HD+ (720×1,440 pixels) display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection and an anti-fingerprint coating. In the camera department, the JioPhone Next features a 13-megapixel rear camera and has an 8-megapixel selfie camera as well. Rear camera features will include portrait mode, night mode, and preloaded custom India-augmented reality filters. The phone is powered by the 1.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 215 quad-core processor paired with 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage that is expandable up to 512GB.

JioPhone Next packs a 3,500mAh battery. Connectivity options include a Micro-USB port, 3.5mm audio jack, Bluetooth v4.1, Wi-Fi, and dual-SIM (Nano) slots. Sensors onboard include an accelerometer, light sensor, and proximity sensor. JioPhone Next will come with automatic software upgrades as well. Other key features include Read Aloud, Live Translate, and Google Assistant support.