JioPhone, Reliance Jio's ambitious venture to rope in large hordes of new smartphone users from India's hinterlands with a transition phone, has now got what it had skipped—the apps that are most desired by smartphone users.
Isha Ambani, daughter of Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, today announced at Reliance IndustriesNSE -2.59 %' 41st annual general meeting in Mumbai that JioPhone would now come equipped with YouTube, Facebook and WhatsApp. The apps will work with voice commands as well which means users can use their voice to play videos. These features will be available to all JioPhone users from August 15 this year.
JioPhone 2 features:
►Operating system: KaiOS, same as JioPhone.
►512MB of RAM and 4GB of ROM
►SD card for expandable storage up to 128GB.
►Display of 2.4QVGA
►2-megapixel rear camera and VGA front-facing camera
►Backs dual-SIM, LTE, VoLTE, and VoWi-Fi
►Phone supports FM, Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi, and NFC.
►Now supports Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp applications
Available under monsoon offer. You can replace their older JioPhone for a new JioPhone 2 for Rs 500
JioPhone 2 for Rs 500
The company also announced JioPhone 2, a high-end model of JioPhone. It is powered by horizontal screen viewing experience and a full keypad
Last year, Reliance Jio came out with its disruptive ploy—a 4G feature phone, JioPhone. Jio's second wave of disruption after freebies and cheap data targeted the predominantly rural feature phone users who wish to switch to a smartphone but find it expensive.
JioPhone, which came at an effective price of Rs 0, rattled the existing players who were likely to lose a big chunk of their low-end voice customers. It was seen to be hitting low-end handset makers as well. However, lack of Facebook, Whatsapp and Youtube apps on JioPhone was seen as a big handicap.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
New Delhi (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday inaugurated the new Karnataka Bhavan building, 'Kaveri', in Delhi's Chanakyapuri diplomatic enclave.
The project, which was first approved in 2019, saw its cost rise to approximately Rs 140 crore under successive state governments.
The new structure replaces the 50-year-old Karnataka Bhavan building that was declared unsafe by the New Delhi Municipal Council. Originally known as Mysore House, it was renamed Karnataka Bhavan in 1973.
The chief minister said his government wants to provide better facilities.
"(Congress president Mallikarjun) Kharge said in the new building, the chief minister's room is good but not the MLA rooms. We will keep in mind your suggestion. We will look into it seriously," the CM said during his inaugural address.
Siddaramaiah noted that the state government would consider providing better rooms with sitting areas at the two other Karnataka Bhavans in Delhi.
He emphasised on better coordination between the Centre and state, as both frame laws in the concurrent list, adding, "Without state development, the Centre cannot develop."
The CM explained that although the project was approved in 2019 with a two-year completion timeline, it ultimately took seven years, with delays attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kharge, who also serves as Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, recalled staying at Karnataka Bhavan in Room number 1 for nine months during his tenure as labour minister at the Centre. He noted that while the new building has 42 rooms with better accommodations for ministers compared to MLAs, he has suggested improvements for the latter.
The Congress president also stressed the importance of maintaining food quality in the canteen and proper building upkeep.
He emphasised the need for a display board detailing the building's history, including the foundation stone laid by former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1963 and its inauguration by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during S Nijalingappa's term as chief minister.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who arrived late to the ceremony, said he would address the changes proposed by Kharge. Public Works Department Minister Satish Jarkiholi mentioned that the state government is working to acquire land to build accommodations for UPSC aspirants from Karnataka.
Before the inauguration, CM Siddaramaiah met Union Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari to discuss pending state projects.
Karnataka MPs Jairam Ramesh and Sudha Murthy, state Ministers K H Muniappa, K N Rajanna, H C Mahadevappa, Karnataka's Deputy Leader of Opposition Arvind Bellad, and Special Representative to Delhi T B Jayachandra were among those who attended the event.