MUMBAI :
JioPhone Next, the 4G smartphone made in collaboration by Google and Reliance Jio, which was to be launched on 10 September, is delayed.
The launch will now happen before Diwali, said Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) in a statement issued late Thursday night. Diwali is in November.
“Jio and Google have begun testing JioPhone Next with a limited set of users for further refinement and are actively working to make it available more widely in time for the Diwali festive season,” RIL said, adding that this additional time will also help mitigate the current industry-wide, global semiconductor shortages.
Semiconductors, components that power most consumer electronics, have been in short supply this year, impacting everything from automobiles to smartphones to video game consoles.
The short-supply has stemmed from covid-19 induced factory closures and heightened demand for consumer electronics.
Mukesh Ambani, RIL’s chairman and managing director, had on 24 June at the company’s annual general meeting said that the phone would be launched on 10 September, Ganesh Chaturthi.
JioPhone Next is a first-of-its-kind device featuring an optimized operating system based on Android and Play Store. The device and the operating system will offer premium capabilities that have until now been associated with more powerful smartphones, including voice-first features that enable people to consume content and navigate the phone in their own language, deliver a great camera experience, and get the latest Android feature and security updates.
“JioPhone Next is built with features like the Google Assistant, automatic read-aloud and language translation for any on-screen text, a smart camera with India-centric filters and much more,” RIL’s statement said.
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