Google and Jio were reported to have entered into a partnership to jointly produce a mobile smartphone device called ‘JioPhone Next’. The launch, which was initially slated for today, has already been missed, and now the Indian tech giant and Google have confirmed the reasons for delaying the launch of the device.
Jio says the delay is necessary so as to afford both companies involved enough time to put the finishing touches to the product. The tech company also claimed that the global semiconductor shortage also played a big part in both parties coming short on the initially planned launch.
However, reports claim that the JioPhone Next is set to be released around Diwali time, which usually takes place in early November. The phone is currently undergoing testing with a select few users.
The phone is reportedly a 4G smartphone and so is expected to provide an improved network service to about 300 million Indian users who are currently stuck on the 2G network.
The phone was first announced by Jio’s parent company, Reliance back in June. At the time, the company said it would include augmented reality, voice assistant, and translation features. According to XDA Developers, the features appear to be built into an Android-based operating system that had some semblance to Android Go.
Production processes of the phone began in 2020 when Google announced that it had invested $4.5 million in Jio. In a move that seemed like part of the partnership, Reliance announced earlier this year that it would be moving its retail business onto the infrastructure of Google cloud.
Stay with us on TechGenyz for updates on the JioPhone Next as more information will be unfolding.
