After a tough fight in the ring of telecom services, Airtel is now set to take its battle against Jio to the next level. The company is planning to give a tough fight to the much-hyped JioPhone by launching a 4G smartphone. The new that the company in talks with domestic handset makers and would launch the phone at Rs 2000 is already known. However, India Today Tech has now confirmed that the Airtel's 4G smartphone could arrive in the first week of October.
There were past rumours that the phone could be priced around Rs 2500 but now there are reports that the phone could be priced less than Rs 2000.
First reported by ET, Airtel's move to launch a 4G smartphone aims to take a direct shot at JioPhone. Reports are that the phone could come bundled with data and voice calling benefits to match JioPhone.
Past reports also have that the smartphone will be financed by the smartphone maker and not the Airtel. The telecom company will be responsible for the voice and data benefits and would allow users to download all the apps from Google Play store.
"Airtel is talking to some handset manufacturers to bring in a smartphone around Rs 2,500, which will have a bigger screen, better camera and better battery performance than what a feature phone could offer," a source told ET.
There are reports that Jio has already begun the shipment of JioPhone. The company has said that the phone will reach the semi-urban and urban areas first. The company has also said that it aims to sell at least 6 million units of JioPhone in the first two weeks. There are no rumours regarding the shipment of Airtel's 4G smartphone but chances are that the company could start shipping the phone by the end of this year.
Talking about the specs, there are only speculations and nothing has been confirmed by the company yet. Airtel's 4G smartphone is expected to sport a 4-inch display along with front and back cameras. The phone could have a decent battery life and is also tipped to come with VoLTE calling support. It may house 1GB of RAM.
