After the massive success that Jio has seen over the past year onboarding millions of customers in record time, rival companies such as Airtel had to face the plight of losing subscribers. Airtel has repetitively slashed tariff plans to equate with the offers Reliance Jio has bestowed upon its subscribers. In a new attempt to counter the recently announced JioPhone which is expected to take a big chunk of Airtel’s customers, the company is now in talks to launch an affordable device as well.
The Airtel feature phone which will go head on with the JioPhone and is expected to be priced at about Rs. 2500. This is still a whole thousand rupees dearer than the JioPhone, however, the offering from Airtel is expected to feature some capabilities that that Jio might not offer. For starters, as per reports, the device is expected to run Android unlike the Firefox based KaiOS the JioPhone will run. This would mean the smartphone from Airtel will be open to the Google Play store and users will be able to access all apps that are available on the platform. Not only that, but Airtel’s offering will also have better specifications, overall, including but not limiting to a bigger screen and better battery.
In terms of value for money, Airtel will be looking to match all that Jio has to offer in terms of unlimited calling and data. It has been anticipated that Airtel will launch their device on Diwali around the month of October. Jio is expected to launch their device by mid-September giving them a head-start. It is also worth mentioning that the JioPhone is already in its beta testing. Airtel isn’t slacking far behind either with reports claiming that the company is already in talks with handset makers Lava and Karbonn.
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Airtel had reported a 72 percent loss in quarterly profit in the month of May. This is a sharp negative slope for the company and a feather in the cap for Reliance Jio. Jio has added over a hundred million subscribers in the last couple of months since its operation, and with the JioPhone, the company is looking to add a hundred more very soon.
While these telco giants lock horns, the average consumer will experience attractive deals this Diwali. Which phone do you think would be a perfect fit for you? Do let us know your opinions in the comments section below.