Google and Jio delay smartphone launch in India – TechCrunch

The JioPhone Next, the highly anticipated smartphone designed by Google and Indian platforms Jio to operate hundreds of millions of users in the world’s second largest internet market, will not launch on Friday, the Indian tech giant announced Thursday at midnight.

In a statement released earlier, Jio Platforms said it has tested the smartphone with a “limited set of users for further refinement” and “is actively working to make it more widely available” around the time of the Diwali festival. , which is scheduled for early November.

The Indian company, which operates the world’s largest telecommunications network with more than 400 million subscribers, blamed the launch delay on global semiconductor shortages and said it expects the additional two months “mitigate” that.

The JioPhone Next smartphone, unveiled in June this year, was due to launch on Friday. None of the companies had indicated in recent days that they might have to postpone the launch. “The companies remain committed to their vision of opening up new possibilities for millions of Indians, especially those who will experience the Internet for the very first time,” the Indian company said in a press release.

Powered by the “Extremely Optimized Android” mobile operating system, the JioPhone Next phone is marketed as an “ultra-affordable 4G smartphone” to tap into the roughly 300 million users in India who are still on slower networks. Both companies said they plan to eventually launch the smartphone in other markets as well.

At an event in June, the two companies said the JioPhone Next will feature a “fast, high-quality camera” that will support HDR and be protected by the latest versions of Android and updates from. security. It will also come with a range of features, including Read Aloud and Translate Now, which will work with any text on the phone screen, including web pages, apps, messages and even photos, said. both companies.

Analysts have said in recent weeks that the JioPhone Next – whose price and technical specifications have not yet been revealed – could disrupt the Indian smartphone market – the second in the world – and help the telecommunications network to further consolidate its market. domination in the country.

“At present, there are 430 million smartphone users, 115 million JioPhone users [Jio’s “smart” featurephone] and 320 million featurephone (2G) users in India. We believe smartphone users with devices priced over $ 100 are unlikely to opt for a device below $ 100, “Jefferies analysts wrote in a report to customers this week.” That leaves 25 % of smartphone users, i.e. 105 million smartphones, 115 million JioPhone users and 320 million featurephone users as the addressable market for JioPhone Next. Assuming a replacement cycle of 2 years for smartphones and 3 years for JioPhone / featurephones, the addressable market for JioPhone Next could be 200 million devices per year.

The smartphone is the latest collaboration between the two firms. Last year, Google invested $ 4.5 billion in Jio Platforms and it was there that it first announced its intention to develop inexpensive smartphones with the Indian telecom operator. Facebook and dozens of other companies have also bought stakes in the Indian company. Jio Platforms operates a number of companies, including telecommunications giant Jio Infocomm, which competes with Airtel and Vodafone Idea; and e-commerce company JioMart, which competes with BigBasket, owned by Tata, Grofers backed by SoftBank and Flipkart from Amazon and Walmart.