Indian newcomer Reliance Jio is collaborating with Google to develop a low-cost 4G smartphone that can only be used on its network.
The device is scheduled for launch before the end of 2017, and will feature Google branding. The partnership between the firms extends to developing software to support Jio’s smart TV offering, which is also lined up for a 2017 launch.
Having launched 4G in India and encouraged uptake by offering services for free, Jio is now aiming to bring down the cost of 4G devices to boost their affordability to a broader market segment and thereby keep its momentum going. Its partnership with Google is also aimed at shoring up the Android performance of its various apps.
Google has taken part in previous attempts to create smartphones that are financially viable for widespread adoption in emerging markets. In 2014, the first generation of Android One devices – manufactured by Indian firms Karbonn Mobile, Micromax and Spice Mobiles – launched across several Asian markets.
Jio typically sources handsets and routers through its parent firm’s retail arm, Reliance Retail. It typically opts for Chinese vendors such as Foxconn and ZTE, and last year launched its own series of smartphones branded as LYF. Several of these retailed at less than $50.
