At the company’s 41st Annual General Meeting, Jio has announced JioPhone 2, the successor of last year’s JioPhone (1st Gen.). Even though both devices share the almost same set of specifications, JioPhone 2 comes with the QWERTY keypad and some other additional features. Find all the key differences below.
Design
In terms of design, the major change on the JioPhone 2 is the QWERTY keypad with 4-way navigation buttons. Even though the display size remains same i.e. 2.4-inch, the JioPhone 2 has a wider QVGA display. Both phones are equipped with the dedicated JioVoice button at the center to trigger the Jio Voice Assistant. Apart from the QWERTY keypad, JioPhone 2 has a dedicated Web and Return key and also a Torchlight which can be activated by long pressing the spacebar.
Hardware
The major change in the JioPhone 2 is the Dual SIM functionality. This phone will accept two Nano SIM cards and also a microSD card up to 128GB. The first slot is restricted to Jio SIM and the second slot can be used with other telecom operators such as Vodafone, Airtel etc. It supports VoLTE and also VoWiFi. The JioPhone has Single SIM and doesn’t support VoWiFi. The company has not revealed the processor used in the JioPhone 2.
Software
JioPhone 2 runs on the KaiOS, the same Operating system which is present on the 1st Gen. JioPhone. So there will not be much difference in the software functionalities. You will get access to Jio apps such as MyJio, JioTV, JioCinema, JioChat, JioMusic, JioXpressNews, JioVideoCall, JioShare, JioGames, and HelloJio. Apart from these Jio Apps, both devices support Facebook, Youtube, and WhatsApp. These apps will be made available via OTA update or through Jio App Store starting 15th August 2018.
Pricing and Availability
JioPhone 2 will be available to buy via Jio Stores, Reliance Digital, and also through Jio partners stores across India starting 15th August 2018. The JioPhone 2 is priced at ₹2,999 and comes in Black hue. The 1st gen. JioPhone will not be discontinued and it will be available in the market along with JioPhone 2. Jio has also announced special JioPhone Monsoon Hungama Offer wherein buyers can exchange their existing feature phone for a brand new JioPhone for Just ₹501 starting 21st July 2018. We’ll update the terms and conditions and other details if any, once we receive the official information from the company.
Comparison: JioPhone 2 v/s JioPhone
| Specs | JioPhone 2 | JioPhone |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 2.4-inch QVGA | 2.4-inch QVGA |
| Keypad | QWERTY | Regular (T9) |
| Processor | Not Announced | 1.2 GHz Quad-core Qualcomm / Spreadtrum |
| SIM | Dual Nano SIM | Single SIM |
| RAM | 512MB | 512MB |
| Storage | 4GB | 4GB |
| microSD | Up to 128GB | Up to 128GB |
| Front Camera | VGA | VGA |
| Rear Camera | 2MP | 2MP |
| Battery | 2,000mAh | 2,000mAh |
| VoLTE | Yes | Yes |
| OS | KaiOS | KaiOS |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| WiFi | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| USB Port | Micro USB | Micro USB |
| Audio Port | 3.5mm | 3.5mm |
| FM Radio | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Torchlight | Yes | Yes |
| FOTA | Yes | Yes |
| Colors | Black | Black |
| Price | ₹1,500 | ₹2,999 |