The company announced the Reliance 5G smartphone at its 45th Annual General Meeting on Monday. Reliance said it is working with Google to launch a budget 5G smartphone. The company also unveiled its $25 billion (approx. Rs 2 lakh crore) plan to introduce next-generation 5G services in India within two months. During Reliance’s 45th AGM, Chairman Mukesh Ambani announced that Jio’s 5G network will be the largest in the world. Jio 5G service will soon be launched in cities like New Delhi and Mumbai, which will be expanded across India by December next year.
According to Reuters, the new Reliance smartphone to be developed with Google will be “ultra-affordable”. The cheapest 5G phones in India currently retail for $150 (roughly Rs. 12,000).
During the AGM, Reliance Jio Chairman Akash Ambani showcased the new Jio AirFiber and Jio Cloud PC. Jio AirFiber allows users to access high-speed internet at home and office using a wireless network. Meanwhile, Jio Cloud PC can be referred to as a virtual PC hosted in the cloud with the help of Jio True 5G connectivity.
On the other hand, 5G connectivity is expected to offer data speeds 10 times faster than 4G connections which are believed to be crucial for emerging technologies such as AI and self-driving cars. According to a recent report, Jio emerged as the top bidder in India’s $19 billion (roughly Rs. 1.5 lakh crore) 5G spectrum auction, fetching $11 billion (roughly Rs. 87,000 crore).
In 2016, Reliance disrupted India’s 4G telecom market by launching cheap data plans and free voice services. The company also released the JioPhone Next budget smartphone in India with a launch price of Rs. 6,499.
