The Jio Bharat V2 is a $12 4G handset that makes smartphone features available at 2G phone prices.
The so-called “smart feature phone”, though it resembles a dumbphone with a keyboard and relatively small screen, is capable of video streaming, digital payments and chat messaging, and includes support for WhatsApp.
KaiOS has partnerships with device manufacturers outside India, too. Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile have devices that run on their networks in the US. Newer partnerships with British electronics manufacturer Bullitt and Nokia brand licensee HMD Global are also in the works.The most significant impact of the Jio Bharat on India’s economy is it improves smartphone penetration rates, promotes digital inclusivity and allows poorer citizens to participate in the digital economy.
MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita said earlier this week that the company had to abandon the project when Covid-19 disruptions to global supply chains led to a spike in the cost of chipsets, rendering the project unfeasible. While financing solutions like M-Kopa’s can help make the purchase of smartphones more feasible for certain segments of the market, there are still those that are priced out and for whom a cheaper 4G device is the only viable option for owning a smartphone.At $12, a device like the Jio Bharat could go a long way in reaching Africa’s unconnected and introducing them into the digital economy.
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