Mumbai,June 24 2021: No, it was not a 5G handset as widely speculated by the media. What Jio announced at the Reliance Industries group  AG today was  a premium-featured 4G phone with special  made-for-India  features in the  optimized Android operating system that Google  has provided.
Called JioPhone Next, the handset promises a a smartphone experience that will enable users to consume content and navigate the phone in their preferred language, deliver a great camera experience, and get the latest Android features and security updates.
The phone will be available on September 10.
Says  Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google and Alphabet:  “Our vision is to bring affordable access to information for Indians in their own language, to build new products and services for India’s unique needs, and to empower businesses with technology. I’m excited that today, we can announce the next steps in this vision, starting with a new, affordable Jio smartphone, created with Google. Our teams have optimized a version of our Android OS especially for this device. It will offer language and translation features, a great camera, and support for the latest Android updates. It is built for India and it will open up new possibilities for millions of new users who will experience the internet for the very first time.”
Adds Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries: " JIO has truly democratized digital connectivity in India… by offering the highest quality, most affordable 4G broadband services in the world. Google and Jio teams have jointly developed a truly breakthrough smartphone that we are calling JioPhone Next. JioPhone Next is powered by an extremely optimized version of the Android operating system. While being ultra-affordable, JioPhone Next is packed with cutting-edge features like the Google Assistant, automatic read-aloud of screen text, language translation, smart camera with augmented reality filters and much more."
Easily access and consume content in Indian languages: For users who might not be able to read content in their language, with a tap of a button they can now translate what’s on their screen, and even have it read back to them in their own language. Read Aloud and Translate Now are now OS-wide features that will work with any text on their phone screen, including web pages, apps, messages, and even photos. Using App Actions, people can utilize their Google Assistant to deliver a great experience with many of the Jio apps on this device. In addition to asking for the latest cricket scores or a weather update, users can also ask Google Assistant to play music on JioSaavn or check their balance on My Jio.
A great camera:  Google and Jio’s teams have partnered closely to build an optimized experience within the phone’s Camera module resulting in great photos and videos: from clearer photos at night and in low-light situations to HDR mode that brings out wider color and dynamic range in photos, these are firsts for affordable phones in India. Google has also partnered with Snap to integrate Indian-specific Snapchat Lenses directly into the phone’s camera, and we will continue to update this experience.