This move by Reliance Jio can potentially bring down the prices of the LYF smartphones.
Reliance Jio has raced to 72.4 million subscribers within four months of its commercial launch. While aggressively priced data plans and offers like free voice calls have played a big role in Jio’s meteoric rise, the company has also benefited from its affordable LYF-branded VoLTE smartphones. The company claims to have sold over 7 million LYF smartphones in India since January 2016, and it is said to be now focusing on local manufacturing of its smartphones along with other devices to further bring down prices.
According to ET, Reliance has asked its Chinese and Taiwanese original device manufacturers (ODM) partners, including Foxconn, to manufacture LYF phones in India. It’s worth pointing out that Reliance is also planning to venture into other segments like smart homes and automobile. The report says that the devices considered for local manufacturing also include smart set-top boxes, home automation and automobile telematics devices.
The report further reveals that Foxconn will start manufacturing LYF smartphones in India, while other partners will soon follow the suit. Though there’s no timeline given on when this will materialize. One of the primary goals for local manufacturing is bringing down the cost of these smartphones, which will further help Jio expand its users base in the country. “Foxconn can be the number one partner for Jio, as nobody can match the scale that it has,” ET quotes a person privy to Foxconn’s plans. Along with Foxconn, Reliance reportedly works with Chinese ODMs like ZTE, CK Telecom, Wingtech, and Tinno Mobile for manufacturing of its devices. RELATED: Reliance Jio surpasses 72 million subscribers, continues to struggle with call drops
The latest report comes amid strong rumors of Reliance Jio launching VoLTE-enabled feature phones to target the declining, yet considerable in size, feature phones segment in India. If a leaked image doing the rounds on social media is to be believed, the under-Rs 1,500 feature phone will come with Jio services like Jio Music and Videos among others. ALSO READ: Reliance Jio’s 4G feature phone could be a masterstroke, here’s why
Besides targeting mobile users, Reliance has also set its sights on other segments such as auto industry. It is reportedly planning to launch a connected device for cars that has been developed in-house. The device is believed to help users control vehicle’s movement, alert users about fuel availability and battery via a mobile app besides being a Wi-Fi hotspot. According to reports, the company is in talks with several automobile companies to integrate the solution and could be priced ultra low-cost, around Rs 2,000. Initially, these devices will be imported from China, but could also be manufactured in India later on.