Jio Phone vs Jio Phone Next: which affordable Jio Phone should you buy?

Jio Phone Next price in India, specifications, and availability details have been finally revealed. It is the first product to come in collaboration with Google and ships with home-grown Pragati OS. While it was initially touted to be an affordable 4G handset aimed at millennials, the actual cost of Rs 6,499 doesn’t seem to be doing justice considering what it brings to the table. It definitely comes as a major upgrade over the original Jio Phone. While the latter was available at Rs 1,500 (refundable post three years), the Jio Phone Next can be purchased through EMI by paying a down payment of Rs 1,999. Today, we will be comparing the Jio Phone vs Jio Phone Next to see which offers better value for money.

The original Jio Phone is a feature phone with a tiny display on the top and the classic keypad beneath. But Jio Phone Next is a full-blown smartphone with a touchscreen display. This is a huge improvement as traditional keypad designs are outdated now and might not be preferred by all. The touch screen display allows users to directly interact with the UI instead of using the navigation keys. The HD+ display on the Jio Phone Next offers Corning Gorilla Glass 3 layer and narrow bezels to fit in more content.

Jio Phone runs on KaiOS and comes with popular apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, Google Assistant, and YouTube, so users will not miss out on popular apps. However, it doesn’t come with Google Play Store so you can’t download and install third-party apps directly. The possibilities are limited on the Jio Phone, thereby limiting the phone to just calls, texts, and other basic functions.

Also read: 9 things you really need to know about Jio Phone Next

On the other hand, the Jio Phone Next comes with PragatiOS that is being developed in partnership with Google. The company promises to push regular security patches and automatically push system updates. It comes with Google Play Store pre-installed and allows users to install any app they desire. The OS comes with specially built features like a voice assistant, read-aloud functionality that can read the content on the screen in any desired Indian language, and a translate feature that allows users’ screens to be translated to any preferred language. There’s a ‘NearBy’ feature that allows users to share photos, files, etc. It comes with Jio and Google suite of apps pre-installed. Jio says the PragatiOS is being optimised to function smoothly on the Jio Phone Next.

Jio Phone sports a 2.4-inch QWVGA display with 240×320 pixels resolution. It is powered by a 1.2GHz Spreadtrum SPRD 9820A/QC8905 dual-core processor paired with 512MB RAM and 4GB built-in storage. It has a 2MP rear camera and a VGA camera on the front for selfies but one can’t expect usable selfies though. The phone has a 2000mAh battery and the connectivity features include 4G, Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi, GPS, and USB 2.0.

Jio Phone Next is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 215 SoC paired with 2GB RAM and 32GB native storage that is further expandable via a microSD card up to 512GB. There is a 13MP snapper on the back with an LED flash and an 8MP selfie snapper on the front. Connectivity options include 4G, dual-SIMs, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, a micro-USB port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. There is a 3,500mAh battery but it doesn’t offer any fast charging support. The Jio Phone Next sports a 5.45-inch HD+ with 720×1440 pixels resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass with anti-fingerprint coating.

Jio Phone vs Jio Phone Next: price in India

Jio Phone price in India is Rs 1,499 and this also includes a 1-year unlimited plan which offers unlimited voice calling to any network, 24GB of high-speed data, and access to the Jio suite of apps. Jio Phone is readily available for customers to buy.

Jio Phone Next’s actual price is Rs 6,499, which doesn’t make it the cheapest 4G smartphone in the world. However, you can get the device through a down payment of Rs 1,999 and 18 or 24 months EMI. Jio Phone Next will be available in India from Diwali i.e on November 4th.

Also read: Jio Phone Next price announced: 4 reasons it might disappoint you

The handset will be available through Jio Mart Retail outlets and interested customers can register by visiting the nearest Jio Mart Digital retailer or by visiting Jio.com/Next or by sending a WhatsApp ‘Hi’ message to 70182-70182. Once confirmation is received, they will have to visit a nearby Jio Mart retailer to collect the phone.