Micromax Bharat 1 vs Reliance JioPhone: Which 4G feature phone do you prefer

Get to know how the Micromax Bharat 1 and Reliance JioPhone stack up against each other.

| Published: Saturday, October 21, 2017, 15:49 [IST]

The launch of the Reliance Jio 4G service created a huge impact in the Indian telecom market space. In less than a year, the company announced the JioPhone - the 4G feature phone that is effectively free of cost. With the launch of the JioPhone, the company did manage to create a buzz in the entry-level mobile phone market too.

Micromax Bharat 1 vs Reliance JioPhone: Which one do you prefer

Micromax Bharat 1 First Impression: A bold competitor from Micromax and BSNL

Soon after the JioPhone became a success creating pre-booking records in the country, the other mobile makers and telecom operators were also inspired to come up with their offerings in this category to give a stiff competition to Reliance Jio. We already saw the Airtel Karbonn A40 smartphone launch in the market with an effective price of Rs. 1,399. A few days back, the much-awaited Micromax Bharat 1 with bundled plans from BSNL was launched at Rs. 2,200.

JioPhone is listed on OLX starting from Rs. 700: Here's why you shouldn't buy it JioPhone is listed on OLX starting from Rs. 700: Here's why you shouldn't buy it

Like the JioPhone, the Bharat 1 is also a 4G feature phone that is aimed to penetrate into the rural markets of India. The only aim of these phones is to provide internet connectivity to everyone. Having said that it comes with BSNL plans, the users can enjoy unlimited calling, SMS, internet and roaming starting from Rs. 97 per month.

Here, we will see how the Reliance JioPhone and the Micromax Bharat 1 stack up against each other in terms of specifications, features, pricing and plans. Take a look at the comparison for more details.

Hardware specifications

In terms of hardware specifications, both the Micromax Bharat 1 and JioPhone aren't too different. The JioPhone boasts of a 2.4-inch display and comes equipped with a dual-core 1.2GHz Spreadtrum processor coupled with 512MB RAM and 4GB internal memory capacity. The device has a 2MP main camera at its rear and a VGA front-facer too. There is expandable storage support up to 128GB using a microSD card and a 2000mAh battery powers the device from within.

The Micromax Bharat 1 also makes use of a 2.4-inch display, 512MB RAM, 4GB default storage space, a 2000mAh battery, a 2MP rear camera and a VGA selfie camera. But the difference is that this feature phone makes use of a Snapdragon 205 SoC. The upper limit of expandable storage space in the Micromax phone is up to 32GB.

Also read: 4G feature phones that will soon shape up the Indian mobile market

Software and Connectivity

In terms of software, Micromax has not disclosed the exact OS that runs on this feature phone but the settings menu and interface looks similar to Android. On the other hand, the JioPhone runs on the custom KAI OS.

Both the feature phones come packed with connectivity features such as 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, GPS, a microUSB port, and Bluetooth. Also, both the handsets support up to 22 Indian regional languages. Both the handsets have an internet browser and lets users watch live TV, movies, music, videos, and more online.

Price

The major highlight of the JioPhone is its pricing. The handset can be bought by paying a security deposit of Rs. 1,500 that will be refunded on returning the device after three years. We have already seen that there are a few terms and conditions those have to be met to get the entire refund. You can read those terms and conditions from here.

In comparison to this, the Bharat 1 is priced at Rs. 2,200 and there no refund option. This price is considerably higher than that of the JioPhone.

Bundled Plans

The JioPhone comes with unlimited calls and 500MB 4G data per day with the minimum Rs. 153 recharge plan. On exceeding this limit, the speed of the internet will drop to 128kbps. Likewise, the Bharat 1 comes bundled with BSNL's Rs. 97 plan that offers unlimited calls, SMS, 3G/4G data and free roaming for a month. The data limit is 5GB and post which the speed will drop to 80kbps.

Also read: 4G-enabled Micromax Bharat 1 launched in India for Rs. 2,200

Verdict

In terms of specifications, both the JioPhone and the Micromax Bharat 1 are not too different. However, the Micromax handset is relatively more expensive than its counterpart.

The JioPhone has an edge over its rival in a few aspects. The JioPhone comes with a voice assistant that lets users perform several tasks using their voice commands. Also, there is an app store, support for NFC payments that will be added in the future via an update and the proprietary cable that will let users play the contents on the phone on any TV.

While these are the advantages of the JioPhone, the Micromax Bharat 1 also has an advantage that might lure many buyers. Well, this handset supports dual SIM cards that is an interesting addition. The JioPhone has only one SIM card slot and is locked only to the Jio 4G SIM cards. Unlike this, the Micromax phone is not network-locked and buyers can use any SIM card with it and not just BSNL.