Last week, Reliance Jio announced the Jio Phone[1], it's 4G-VoLTE capable feature phone[2] that will be 'free', but with a Rs. 1,500 refundable payment[3]. This week, we learned that the Jio Phone is a single-SIM handset[4] - and as expected, the phone will only route calls via VoLTE[5], which means that non-Jio SIM cards will not work on the phone.
The other telcos have since been scrambling to respond to the Jio Phone. In an investor call, Airtel[6] CEO Gopal Vittal talked about the company's plans to work with phone makers and offer data plans along with 4G phones, even as the company works to roll out its own 4G VoLTE services[7], as a way to counter the Jio juggernaut[8]. A bundled offer with partner vendor will give Airtel the same kind of exclusivity, and the option to preload its apps on the handset. Vodafone[9] meanwhile announced a new data plan, offering 70GB 4G data for Rs. 244[10], along with unlimited calls.
Jio Phone Booking Registration Process, Launch Date, Price, and All Other Questions Answered[11]
Meanwhile, in China, Xiaomi[12] launched the Xiaomi Mi 5X[13], a mid-range phone with 4GB RAM, an octa-core Snapdragon 625 SoC, and a dual-rear camera setup. The phone is priced at CNY 1,499, or roughly Rs. 14,200. At launch, there is only a single RAM/ storage variant - alongside the 4GB RAM mentioned above, the device will come with 64GB of storage. The Xiaomi Mi 5X will have a metal unibody design, a 5.5-inch full-HD display, a dual-rear camera with a...