After disrupting Indian telecom, Reliance Jio might well be turning its attention towards another sector – cable television. Reports suggest that the Mukesh Ambani-owned firm is planning to roll out a high-speed fiber to the home (FTTH) broadband network early next year. Not only that, a Jio TV service would also be bundled with the FTTH network across 30 small and big cities. Jio is targeting over 100 million television households in the country, the report added.

Jio has managed to garner 128 million mobile subscribers in a little over a year, and it has laid out over 300,000 kilometers of optic fiber in the country to provide high-speed 4G data to its customers. For the upcoming broadband network, Jio has already started beta trials in select areas of Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Surat and Vadodara. The JioFiber network can carry a data speed up to 1Gbps. By December, Jio is looking to connect high-population clusters on its FTTH network in as many as 100 locations in the country. 

Jio would be providing a special router that connects multiple TV devices. It would likely be available at a refundable deposit of Rs 4,500. Once its broadband service is rolled out, the firm is looking at an ARPU of Rs 1,000. That is on the higher side, given ARPUs for even DTH providers today is under Rs 300. This is also an indication that Jio could offer additional services or content bouquets on top of a conventional television package. At present, the JioFiber trials can be availed on an invite basis only. 

Now, why is Jio shifting focus to satellite television? First, the opportunity is huge. India is a predominantly TV market still. Second, the telecom honeymoon is over and the market is stabilizing as all operators, including Jio, are steadily raising tariffs. Hence, a new battleground ought to be identified, and in its July AGM, Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani had stated that Jio’s broadband would be the next monetization opportunity. “Jio remains on track to bring optic fiber connectivity to enterprises, home and public place. Most infratstructure is already in place,” he had said.

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}

Reliance Jio disrupted the domestic telecom market with uber-cheap tariffs, and endless freebies. It has not only compelled rival telcos to slash prices in a bid to retain customers, but has also pushed the telecom industry into further losses and debt. However, the Jio honeymoon period for customers might just be ending. Jio has gradually started upping its prices and reducing validity periods. And that trend is likely to continue in 2018, states Goldman Sachs in a recent report.

“We expect Jio to raise tariffs every few months, with the next potential increase in January 2018,” the US brokerage states. Jio raised its prices by 15-20 percent last week itself. It not only gives other telcos more breathing space, but also improves overall telecom ARPUs. Goldman Sachs also expects Jio to reduce the validity period of its Rs 309 plan from 49 days to 28 days in 2018. Jio has already reduced the validity of its popular Rs 399 plan from 84 days to 70 days in the recent revision. For a plan that is valid for 84 days, customers now have to shell out a minimum of Rs 459. 

The biggest beneficiary of Jio’s revised offerings would be market leader Bharti Airtel, according to Goldman Sachs. “Airtel remains in an enviable position to grab market share and grow profits should the market continue consolidating at the tail end,” it said. Airtel is expected to improve its margins by 18 percent in 2018 as ARPUs rise. The operator has over 282 million subscribers and occupies nearly 30 percent of the mobile telephony market in India. In anticipation of a recovery period, Airtel stocks hit a 10-year high last week after Jio announced its revised tariffs. The ripple effect is likely to reach other incumbent telcos as well. 

For Jio though it could be a challenge to retain all of its 128 million customers once the subsidized rates end. The Mukesh Ambani-owned telco became the fastest in the world to notch up 100 million customers in February. Most of the growth was fueled by its free, unlimited data offerings. But April 2017 onward, Jio started charging its customers for data, and by and by, has raised tariffs. In August, it recorded a decline in active connections that now stand at 75 percent — lower than the industry average of 86 percent. As rates go up further, it’d be interesting to see how Jio retains customers.

As India is looking at a future embracing 5G technology, it is crucial to get the existing internet speeds in order. Currently, the minimum-mandated internet speed in the country is just 512Kbps, which is far lesser than global speeds which float around 50-70Mbps. In order to boost the internet speed on mobile and broadband networks, the government is looking at increasing the mandatory speed to at least 2Mbps and more.

Telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan said that the government was mindful of slow internet speed experienced by internet users in many parts of the country. Even as there is widespread adoption of 4G and a significant chunk of the population is moving towards 3G, there lies a significant gap between what is promised and what is delivered when it comes to internet speeds.

“We are very slow. While we have done a lot on (providing internet) access, we have not been able to actually deliver the quality of service that is required,” Sundararajan told ToI. “2Mbps is the basic minimum. We should definitely mandate this. If at all, it should be higher than that. It cannot be lower than that,” the telecom secretary is further quoted as saying.

The telecom secretary further said that the country needs faster speed in the wake of the gradual transformation of the country to a digital economy. These include initiatives such as smart cities, Digital India programs, efforts on digital payments, and 5G.

The statement comes in wake of the recently concluded India Mobile Congress, at the center of which were talks about implementing 5G in India. The next-gen technology looks at not only making high-speed internet access available but also intends to mass-introduce Internet of Things (IoT) applications. 

Reliance Jio‘s commercial launch of its 4G VoLTE services late last year has fueled the demand for high-speed, affordable internet access in the country. According to OpenSignal’s June report, the entry of Reliance Jio has pushed the entire country into greater LTE availability, but average 4G speeds have lowered. Based on the report, Singapore has the highest measured 4G speed at 46Mbps, and India stands embarrassingly low at just 5.14 Mbps. Meanwhile, the average 4G speeds in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Iran stand at 11.71Mbps, 10.42Mbps, and 10.24Mbps respectively.

Meanwhile, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said in its ‘Consultation Paper on Data Speed Under Wireless Broadband Plans’ that incumbent telecom operators are averse to the idea of having a higher threshold for internet speeds, owing to a range of concerns, which include low coverage zones, high rise buildings, external factors such as device quality, peak time, transmission bandwidth, and website behavior among others. 

In what comes as the latest instance of exploding phones, a Reliance JioPhoneunit reportedly exploded in Kashmir while it was charging. While reports indicate that the device burnt and melted owing to what could be a battery issue, the company has called it a “case of intentional sabotage”.

“JioPhones are designed and manufactured with global standards, and each phone goes through stringent quality control process. The said incident has been reported to us. Our initial investigation suggests that this is a case of intentional sabotage. The damage to the device seems to have been intentionally caused. The incident, as well as its timing, has been designed by vested interests to malign the brand. We will take appropriate action based on further investigations,” a Reliance Retail spokesperson told BGR India in an emailed response.

Based on the images of the burnt device, acquired by PhoneRadar, it does appear to be a case of deliberate damage. The entire back panel of the phone, including the camera module, is molten while the front panel appears intact. The report says that the battery appears intact, however, if one looks closely, the label on the battery looks damaged, making it highly improbable for the battery to survive the heat.

A Reliance LYF distributor reportedly inspected the device, and also pictured the charger. Based on the image, the wire of the charger also appears damaged. While it is not new for phones to explode due to battery malfunction or overcharging, the explosion of the JioPhone could dent the reputation of Reliance Digital which has shot to fame with its ‘effectively priced Rs 0 smart feature phone’. One of the most infamous global recalls took place in 2016 when the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 exploded at will due to battery fault.

The report arrives on the heels of the company’s expected pre-booking to resume post-Diwali. After the overwhelming response in August, the company has been struggling to meet the deadline of dispatching the JioPhone units to all those who pre-ordered the 4G VoLTE feature phone. Reliance has assured that it will complete the delivery of about six million units. 

Reliance Jio has brought about a few changes to its prepaid and postpaid plans. These have not only resulted in a slight increase in the tariffs, but also brought down the validity for most of the packs. But among the most noticeable changes is the new FUP speed, which is down from 128Kbps to a measly 64Kbps. In this day and age where smartphone users are constantly connected to the internet, and consuming multimedia content on the go, this is a largely regressive move by Reliance Jio.

When it launched last year, Reliance Jio was largely seen as the company that would free the masses from the proverbial shackles of incumbent telecom operators. It’s no secret the kind of changes the operator has brought to India’s telecom industry. Users were suddenly getting used to free voice calls, unlimited SMS messages, and high-speed 4G data without any limits. Even after the host of freebies came to an end, Jio’s tariffs continued to be much lower than its rivals, while speeds remained much higher. It is in this kind of scenario that Jio’s move to cap FUP speeds to 64Kbps comes as a huge surprise.

Living with 64Kbps is nigh impossible. With today’s apps as big and complex as they are, it is nearly impossible for any of them to open when Jio throttled the speeds. Try opening Facebook or even WhatsApp, and see if you are able to see posts or get any text messages at those speeds. 

Reliance Jio already gave rise to the trend of using two SIM cards – one as a primary driver, and a secondary Jio SIM for its unlimited data. But with this move, Jio could be responsible for another trend, having two sets of apps. During the day you would use standard apps like Facebook, Messenger or Skype. But once the data limit for the day is up, you might have to switch to Facebook Lite, Messenger Lite or Skype Lite for them to have any chance of opening. 

India is already way behind modern speed standards when you take into account a global perspective. An OpenSignal report from earlier this year puts India way behind the likes of South Korea, Singapore, Norway and Netherlands when it comes to LTE speeds. The average LTE speeds in India are around 5.1Mbps, which is slightly higher than the average 3G global speeds of around 4.4Mbps.

Can you imagine living with speeds that remind you of the days when dial-up modems were a thing? What do you think of Reliance Jio’s move. Let us know in our comments section below. 

Reliance Jio customers will have to pay 15 percent more for its popular 84-day plan at Rs 459 from Thursday, under which subscribers get 1GB 4G data at high speed per day, according to information published on the company’s website. However, subscribers of Rs 149 plan will get 4GB of data for each billing cycle of 28 days under the new scheme “Diwali Dhamaka” compared to 2GB being offered at present.

It has also reduced recharge tariff for lower denomination and short-term plans besides offering data benefits under the schemes. Jio has introduced plan for Rs 52 with one-week validity and Rs 98 with 2 weeks that will offer its customers free voice, SMS, unlimited data (0.15 GB daily), as per its website. All plans of Jio will continue to offer unlimited voice calls even during roaming.

The Rs 459 plan will offer Jio customers unlimited services at 1GB high speed data per day for 84 days for prepaid users followed by data at curtailed speed, along with unlimited voice calling and access to Jio apps. The company has also reduced benefit under Rs 509 scheme, which offers 2GB of data per day, by reducing its validity or billing cycle from 56 days to 49. According, data at high speed gets reduced to 98GB from 112GB under previous scheme. Under this plan, data cost will be Rs 5.2 per GB.

The Rs 999 plan which offered 90 GB of 4G data without cut in download speed will now offer 60 GB at high speed data for 3 months. Jio has introduced Rs 1,999 plan which will have six months validity and offer 125 GB data at unrestricted high speed. Under the new scheme, the validity of plan priced at Rs 4,999 will be for a year instead of 210 days under the previous scheme. However, customers opting for it will get unrestricted access to 350 GB high speed data for the plan period compared to 380 GB offered earlier for same price.

After the recently announced Diwali offer on the Rs 399 plan by Reliance Jio, the company has now rolled out new Dhan Dhana Dhan plans. The new set of plan benefits will be available starting October 19 and will be applicable for all new as well as existing subscribers. As part of these unlimited benefits, customers can enjoy high speed data as per the plan offer followed by unlimited access at FUP-enforced speeds, unlimited local, STD and national roaming voice calls.

Starting tomorrow, Jio’s new Rs 459 plan will be available, under which Jio Prime members can enjoy unlimited services at 1GB data per day for 3 months (84 days for prepaid users) followed by data at curtailed speed, along with unlimited voice calling and access to Jio apps.
The popular Rs 149 plan has also received some added benefits, wherein the data entitlement is being enhanced to over 4GB for each billing cycle from the existing 2GB. Benefits of free voice calling and access to Jio apps continue.

For heavy data users, Jio now offers a new Rs 509 plan, which entitles subscribers to 2GB data per day for 49 days in addition to unlimited access to other services. 

Then there are two Long term non-FUP plans that offer unrestricted data access. The first is the Rs 999 plan, which offers 60GB data for 3 months, while there is a 6 month plan that offers 125GB data at a cost of Rs 1,999. Subscribers can also opt for the annual plan at Rs 4,999, which gives unrestricted access to 350 GB high speed data for the plan period.

There also a few small value recharges launched. Under these plans, a user can get free voice, SMS, and conditional unlimited data for as low as Rs 19 for a day, Rs 52 for a week or Rs 98 for 2 weeks.

Reliance Jio’s fair share of popularity comes from its reasonably priced tariffs. The fact that Jio has been offering more in less, is why most people were attracted to the network, plus the unlimited calling and its “fastest” 4G speeds. However, looks like the things are set to change. A report now claims that Jio may raise tariffs by 24 percent in the coming few days.

“We expect Jio to raise tariffs by 24% on its most popular plan (Rs 399) in the next few days, based on the pattern of its recent price hikes. We already expect Jio to take away promotions altogether by end of FY18 and any such move in the near term would be viewed positively by investors,” Goldman Sachs said in an analyst report.

After Jio discontinued last year’s free promotional offers this April, the network provider offered a bunch of paid plans, and the Rs 399 one was the cheapest of the lot which offers free calls and a three month validity. The report suggests that that Reliance Jio will soon be announcing a new tariff plan. Earlier, it had a plan of Rs 309 for three months.

“With three months having lapsed since the last price plan change, new plans could be in the offing and we expect Jio to potentially raise effective tariffs by 24 percent/47 percent/95 percent for three months/two months/one month plan in the coming few days, based on the patterns of recent plan adjustments,” the report noted.

There was another rather contrasting report by JM Financial, according to which Jio is expected to swing to profits in third quarter driven by the 57 percent IUC cut to 6 paise/minute from 14 paise earlier, effective October 1.

Reliance Jio recently posted standalone revenue from operations of Rs 6,147 crore for the second quarter. “While reported ARPU (average revenue per unit) appears a bit higher than consensus expectations, management’s commentary looks to suggest the company is targeting ARPU increases in the coming months. Churn rate was reported at 1 per cent with management pointing towards likely improvement in churn in coming quarters,” the report added.

The subscriber base of the company as on September 30,2017 stood at 138.6 million. Net subscriber addition during the quarter was at 15.3 million. Total wireless data traffic during the quarter was at 378 crore GB, and average voice traffic during the quarter at 267 crore minutes per day. 

Diwali is around the corner, and every telecom operator has been trying hard to grab the attention of users by launching several ‘value for money’ offers on data tariff and voice call plans. While Reliance Jio has once again announced its tariff plan at an attractive price, telecom operator Vodafone has launched a new plan for its prepaid users to counter Jio’s offer.

Under this plan, as reported by IndianExpress, Vodafone prepaid users can recharge with Rs 399 and get 90GB 4G data for six months along with unlimited local and STD calls. Talking about Reliance Jio’s offer, a customer needs to recharge with Rs 399. Upon recharge, Reliance Jio prepaid customers will get a 100 percent cash back. However, the offer is valid from October 12 to October 18. This means, to avail this offer, users need to get the recharge done between the period of October 12 until October 18.

However, the offer will activate starting October 19, under which users will get unlimited services for the next three months. This offer can be availed via the MyJio app, Jio.com, Reliance Jio store, Reliance Digital store, a partner retail store, or via wallets like JioMoney, Paytm, Amazon Pay, PhonePe or Mobikwik. A

On the other hand, Airtel has also been in news for offering cut-throat competition to Reliance Jio. Airtel under its Rs 399 plan offers 84GB of 4G data for 84 days. However, users can use only 1GB of data per day after which charges will be applicable. Under the plan, Airtel will also offer unlimited local and STD voice calling facility. Airtel has also partnered Indian smartphone makers Karbonn to offer a 4G smartphone called Karbonn A40 Indian at an ‘effective price’ of Rs 1,399.

Reliance Retail will start the second phase of booking for JioPhone post Diwali after completing delivery of about six million mobile devices that were booked in August, an industry source said.

“The second phase of JioPhone booking will start after Diwali. Likely from October-end or November first week,” a Reliance Retail channel partner told . About six million Jiophones were booked by people in just three days when the company opened bookings of the 4G feature phone from August 24 in the first phase.

Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani had announced that the 4G phone will be “effectively free” for users, but to prevent misuse of the scheme JioPhone buyers will need to pay one-time fully refundable deposit of Rs 1,500.

The entire money will be refunded to customer after usage of the phone for 36 months. 

The company has further relaxed refund scheme. Under the new condition set by Jio for the users, handset buyers can get refund of Rs 500 if they return the device in the first year, provided they have made recharge of Rs 1,500 during the year. Customers have the flexibility to reach the Rs 1,500 per year usage figure according to their convenience by choosing among the various tariff plans announced by the company.

Similarly, on return of the phone in the second year, the customer will get refund of Rs 1,000 and in the third year entire amount of Rs 1,500 will be refunded.

Reliance Retail started delivery of JioPhones in small towns from Navratri festival. “The shipments started in metro cities from Saturday. The target is to complete all shipments around Diwali,” the channel partner said.

After disrupting the telecom space with affordable internet, Reliance Jio once again disrupted the market by launching a smart feature phone that is ‘effectively free.’ Feeling the heat from Jio, incumbent operators don’t want to stay far behind. Airtel recently announced its partnership with Karbonn to offer the A40 Indian smartphone at an ‘effective price’ of Rs 1,399. Both devices come bundled with data and calling services. We take a quick look at how they compete based on specifications, tariff and price.

To begin with, JioPhone is a feature phone with smart features whereas the Karbonn A40 Indian is an entry-level smartphone. Both devices come with support for 4G VoLTE, and while it is not something new, a feature phone supporting the connectivity option is commendable. Also, it is worth mentioning that while the A40 Indian supports VoLTE, Airtel is yet to roll out the network band. JioPhone, on the other hand, only supports VoLTE, and doesn’t fall back to 2G, 3G or 4G.

The A40 Indian, runs on Android 7.0 Nougat OS, giving users an access to millions of apps that are available on the Play Store, including WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram and more. JioPhone, on the other hand, runs on KaiOS, and comes support for JioTV, JioMusic, JioCinema, YouTube and Facebook along with voice assistant support powered by Google. 

The A40 Indian features a 4-inch touchscreen display running at a resolution of 800×480 pixels. It is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core SoC paired with 1GB or RAM and 8GB onboard storage, expandable via microSD card. Just like the JioPhone, the A40 Indian and comes with 2-megapixel rear camera and 0.3-megapixel front snapper. Running on Android 7.0 Nougat, it is armed with a 1,400mAh battery.

The JioPhone, on the other hand, comes with a 2.4-inch display running at a resolution of 320×240 pixels. It is powered by a dual-core SoC running at clock speed of 1GHz, paired with 512MB of RAM and 4GB internal storage, expandable via a microSD card. With a 2-megapixel rear camera and 0.3-megapixel front snapper, the JioPhone is armed with a 2,000mAh battery. 

Karbonn A40 Indian is priced at Rs 2,899, and after a period of 36 months, you can avail refund of Rs 1,500, which brings its effective price down to Rs 1,399. Airtel will offer the refund in phases – Rs 500 after completing 18 months, and remaining Rs 1,000 after completing 36 months. However, to  be eligible for this, a customer will need to do 36 monthly refills of Rs 169 (each month), which is around Rs 3,000 in the first 18 months, and Rs 3,000 in the remaining 18 months.

Reliance JioPhone is priced at Rs 1,500, which is a security deposit and is refundable when you return the device. If you return the device within the first 12 months, Jio will not offer any refund. If you surrender the device between 12-24 months, you will be eligible to get a refund of Rs 500, and a return between 24-36 months, you can get a refund of Rs 1,000. Only after completion of 36 months, customer can avail a refund of Rs 1,500. At the time of returning the JioPhone, GST will also be applicable.

With the Rs 169 monthly refill, Airtel is offering unlimited voice calling and 500MB 4G/3G data daily. Jio, on the other hand, has a slightly cheaper plan priced at Rs 153, which offers unlimited voice calls, unlimited high-speed internet (500MB per day), after which speed will be throttled to 128Kbps.

Now, that is a tough call. There are advantages and disadvantages linked to both. Let me talk about A40 Indian first. It is a smartphone and runs on Android OS, which gives you an access to all the apps on the Play Store. You also get more functions, compared to a feature phone. However, it falls short on battery capacity aspect. Also, it is slightly expensive, which should not be a concern as it is a smartphone and not feature phone. 

In case of JioPhone, it is cheaper, and comes with JioCinema, JioTV and JioMusic subscription for your entertainment. Jio will also be selling a dongle that will let you connect your JioPhone to TV to stream and watch your favorite TV shows and movies on big screen. However, the only problem is that it is not easily available, the wait time could be longer.

Essentially, the Karbonn A40 Indian is targeted towards customers who will be switching from feature phone to smartphone, whereas JioPhone is aimed at those who want smart features, but are uncomfortable with using the touchscreen. So, if you want a smartphone, the A40 Indian could be your bet, else, if you want to try out the smart feature phone and don’t mind waiting, opting for JioPhone will be a no brainer.

{BGR}

Getting into the festive groove, Reliance Jio has surprised its customers with an exciting Diwali offer, that it quietly rolled out last night. Under the offer, on a recharge of Rs 399, prepaid customers get a 100 percent cashback. This offer is valid between October 12 to October 18, and will come in effect starting October 19. This validity and activation strategy falls under Reliance Jio’s ‘Recharge now, store and use later’ service, which basically allows users to get a recharge in advance and use it only after their current plan expires.

This means, to avail this offer, users need to get the recharge done between the period of October 12, that is today, till October 18. However, the offer will activate starting October 19, under which they would get unlimited services for the next three months.

As for the 100 percent cashback, which is presumably what caught your attention in the first place, you will not exactly get the money back. The fineprint here is, that when a Jio prepaid user gets a recharge of Rs 399, the company says that they will be eligible for a 100 percent cashback offer of Rs 400 in the form of eight vouchers of Rs 50 denomination. 

It is up to a user, they can either redeem them one at a time or all at once, against future Jio recharges of Rs 309 and above, or against Rs 91 and above data add-ons. But do note, that these redemptions will be valid only when done after November 15, 2017. Also, the ownership of these vouchers is transferable, so you can share it with other people. 

This offer can be availed with recharge via all available channels, that is via the MyJio app, Jio.com, Reliance Jio store, Reliance Digital store, a partner retail store, or via wallets like JioMoney, Paytm, Amazon Pay, PhonePe or Mobikwik. 

Reliance JioPhone is yet to be made available to all those who pre-booked. However, prior to that, Airtel has joined hands with domestic handset maker Karbonn to offer a 4G smartphone called Karbonn A40 Indian at an ‘effective price’ of Rs 1,399.

Airtel partnered with 4G device manufacturers in India for its ‘Mera Pehla 4G Smartphone’ initiative, and the first product born out of it is the resultant Karbonn A40 Indian smartphone. It is directly targeted at the Reliance JioPhone, however, with its touchscreen display is apt for those who are migrating to the ‘smart’ phone interface.

The Karbonn A40 Indian was launched in July at a market price of Rs 3,499. However, under the initiative, it will be available at the lesser cost of Rs 1,399. The fine print here is that unlike JioPhone, there’s no refund on returning the device. If you want to purchase the phone, you will be required to make a down payment of Rs 2,899 and then take a minimum amount of recharges over the course of three years to receive cashback totaling to Rs 1,500. This essentially means, you essentially pay Rs 1,399 for the phone. It is worth noting the cashback amount will be credited to your Airtel Payments Bank account. 

Now here are a few things to take into account. First, you will be required to make monthly recharges from Airtel, which will be worth Rs 3,000 in the first 18 months to avail Rs 500 as cashback. This needs to be followed with further recharges further Rs 3,000 for next 18 months to get the remaining Rs 1,000 as cashback. To sum up, you pay Rs 2,899 as first payment, followed by Rs 6,000 worth recharges in the three-year time period, to avail a cashback of Rs 1,500. Secondly, you must make recharges every month to be eligible for the cashback. With the Karbonn A40 Indian, Airtel is offering a bundled plan of Rs 169 per month which offers unlimited calling, 0.5GB of high-speed data per day. 

As for the Karbonn A40, the smartphone will be available in offline stores. In terms of specifications, the smartphone features a 4-inch WVGA display and is powered by 1.3GHz quad-core SoC with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage which is expandable up to 32GB via microSD card. For optics, there is a 2-megapixel rear camera and a 0.3-megapixel front camera. It is fueled by a 1,400mAh battery. Connectivity options include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11 B/G/N, Hotspot, and Micro USB. It supports dual SIM, and is compatible with 4G LTE. The smartphone is available in color choices of Blue, Coffee Brown, Black and Champagne.