Indian Billionaire Mukesh Ambani Pairs with Google to Launch Cheap 4GSmartphone, JioPhone Next

• Reliance Industries and global giant Google permitted early orders in India on Monday for their new and affordable smartphone
• The device, which is being called the JioPhone Next, has been designed to go up against Chinese and South Korean manufacturers
• The JioPhone will not only be designed as a cost-effective smartphone for consumers but will also be optimised for the Indian consumer

Mukesh Ambani, the richest man in Asia, and online behemoth Google began early orders in India on Monday for an entry-level smartphone Dubbed the JioPhone Next. Advertised as the world's cheapest, the new smartphone has been designed to penetrate the expanding budget sector.

Ambani's conglomerate, Reliance Industries, revealed its plans in July last year to collaborate with Google and release a 4G smartphone which would contend with Chinese and South Korean producers who already have a significant presence in the South Asian nation.

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The JioPhone Next will be designed with optimised features for Indian consumers starting with the built-in 10 Indian languages. The phone will set consumers back R1 317,15, although consumers have the option to put down an initial deposit of R205,60 and cover the rest of the cost through instalments.

BusinessInsider reported that due to a limited supply of semiconductors, the phone, which was originally planned to be released on September 10 to coincide with Ganesh Chaturthi, has a new launch date that coincides with Diwali. In India, this has traditionally been the busiest shopping season of the year.

Following reports by eNCA, the pphone disrupted the industry when it emerged in 2016. With its affordable data and free calls, Jio has gathered a user base in India of 398.3 million users, making it India's largest mobile network provider.

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Peeps have mixed reactions to translucent smartphones: "How do you find it"

In other smartphone-related news, Briefly News reported that one man has social media users caught up in a heated debate after sharing an interesting clip of a 'see-through' smartphone. While it remains unclear whether or not the innovative tech device has actually been manufactured, the young man has asked his followers what they think about the idea.

Heading online, LinkedIn member Anthony J James shares the short clip.

"Future smartphone idea - yes or no?" he captioned the post.

From the clip, it looks like users of the device will be able to see right through their hands while operating the phone. It also features a translucent charging port.

Source: Briefly News