India's richest man launches $12 internet-connected phone

Mukesh Ambani, the richest man in India, is about to launch a new model of internet-connected mobile phone, called 'Jio Bharat', with a surprising price tag of just $12.

And no, we are not talking about a high-end smartphone. This release aims to revolutionize the market for phones used by around 250 million people in the country.

The phone represents Ambani's most affordable foray into the non-smartphone "feature" phone segment.

This market has a significant user base in India, and the launch of the new device aims to make connectivity more accessible to a wide audience.

Cell phone for $12? A billionaire can solve this!

The “Jio Bharat” phone, which retails for Rs 999, equivalent to $12, is the latest innovation from Jio, a company backed by tech giants like Google and Facebook.

In 2016, Jio revolutionized India's mobile telecommunications industry by introducing free upfront data and extremely affordable voice plans.

With the support of strategic partners, the company managed to transform the telecommunications scenario in the country, making connectivity more accessible to millions of people.

Now, with the launch of the $12 phone, Jio is looking to further expand its reach and provide an Internet-connected cell phone option at a highly competitive price.

Jayanth Kolla, founder and partner of Convergence Catalyst, based in Bengaluru, said that around 20% of data subscribers in India still use regular phones, ie non-smartphone devices.

Jio's initiative with the launch of the 'Bharat' phone is seen as a way to clean up this segment of customers, who were previously excluded from accessing the Internet due to the unaffordable prices of smartphones.

Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Jio, underscored the importance of addressing the plight of the estimated 250 million mobile phone users in India who are still trapped in the 2G era.

He highlighted the fact that these users are unable to access basic Internet resources, especially at a time when the world is about to experience a technological revolution with the advent of of 5G.

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