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Who says feature phones have become a thing of past? Ashish Narsale explains why the newly launch Jio Phone 2 might prove popular.
Reliance's Jio Phone 2, a slightly advanced version of its predecessor, reminds one of the Blackberry QWERTY phone.
It comes with offers like free voice call, unlimited data and unrestricted access to a pool of Jio news and entertainment apps.
Design and Display
The Jio Phone 2 has a bar design with a plastic body protecting its innards.
It has a 2.4 inch QVGA screen and TFT display with a screen resolution of 320 x 240 pixels.
The QWERTY keypad, placed below the display, has a D-pad for four-way navigation.
Hardware and Software
The phone runs on KAI OS, a Linux based OS specially developed for feature phones.
It supports voice assistance which can be accessed in 22 regional languages. It also supports popular apps like Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp (WhatsApp doesn’t come out of the box but will be updated via Over The Air).
Above all, the phone supports true 4G network -- which is faster than other 4G networks -- for HD voice calling and internet data.
It also has a dual SIM, with the first slot supporting 4G and the other, 2G.
The OS is powered by a dual core CPU clocked at 1 GHz.
The processing is supported by 512 MB RAM and onboard 4 GB storage. The memory can be extended up to 128 GB via a memory card.
For connectivity, it has built-in Bluetooth 4.1 with Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS and NFC (Near Field Communication). But there is no mention of a Wi-Fi hotspot in the phone's user manual.
For media transfer and charging, the phone has a USB 2.0 port. This is also used for streaming TV and Jio app content from the phone via a JioMedia cable which is sold separately.
It also has a 3.5 mm jack for listening to audio using earphones.
And yes, it comes equipped with FM Radio which can be also heard on loudspeaker.
Camera
The phone has a 2 MP camera and LED on the rear which doubles up as a torch.
The rear camera supports video recording, while the front camera is meant for video calling. At 0.3 MP, selfies are not of great quality.
Battery
The phone has a removable 2000 mAh battery which has a talktime of approximately 6 hours and a standby of 15 days.
Verdict
The Jio Phone 2, priced at ₹2,999, is good as a second phone as it comes with India’s cheapest 4G tariff plan for voice calling and internet data.
While there are certainly many other options if you choose to opt for a smartphone and increase your budget a little bit, you won't get the features that Reliance Jio is offering at this price on any other feature phone.
The Jio Phone 2 has a long battery life, rich internet content, TV streaming, voice assistant in regional language, popular apps and a true 4G network support which makes it a steal of a deal.
