Reliance JioPhone might be the ultimate challenger in the hybrid 4G VoLTE feature phone segment, but it appears founder Mukesh Ambani is gradually inclining towards the larger demand of consumers – Android phones.
The ‘effectively priced Rs 0′ JioPhone has taken the market by storm, and the company is having a difficult time keeping up with the pre-orders. So much that the pre-orders had to be stalled for a while. While some reports suggested the JioPhone pre-orders will resume post-Diwali, we are yet to see that officially being announced. Now, latest reports indicate there might be a change in company’s plans afterall.
FactorDaily says Reliance Jio has stopped production of JioPhone as it is in talks to introduce an Android-based phone. The publication cites a company insider as saying, “There are not enough apps compatible with KaiOS but people are working on developing special versions for the JioPhone.” Reliance Jio is reportedly also said to be working with Facebook and Google to build compatible versions of their most widely used apps in the country. 
The company has reportedly asked Google to bring down the royalty for Android. The JioPhone currently runs KaiOS, and which there is a niche market for the OS (an estimated 100 million customers), the share of Android is much higher in the market. What also makes it a wiser decision to switch to Android is because of the sheer penetration, and larger compatibility of apps it brings to the table.
At the moment, Jio is offering its suite of apps including JioTV, JioMusic, and JioChat, among others. However, there’s no real compatibility with other platform or network subscribers. Jio services are already seen as a threat by incumbent operators, leading to cross-platform support issues. One of the sources is quoted as saying that JioPhone’s bundled apps “is not enough for its success”.
When the company introduced the JioPhone, it claimed to make five million JioPhone available every week. “It’s not that the target is changing… but a walled garden approach doesn’t work in mobile phones, it hasn’t worked in the past and it will not work in the future,” a source is quoted as saying. 
It is unclear if the company now intends to bring an Android-based JioPhone feature phone or a smartphone. Recently, Airtel joined hands with Karbonn to introduce an ‘effectively priced Rs 1,399‘ Android smartphone. On the other hand, Vodafone is also likely to bring out a new low-cost 4G phone soon.
Meanwhile, Reliance Jio is reportedly looking at delivering the JioPhone to smaller towns and villages first. While it is not clear if the company will abruptly discontinue the KaiOS-based JioPhone, but as the sources claim, the company’s plan is to manufacture at least a total of 10 million units. The company received pre-orders for six million units in the first round. 
{BGR}