JioPhone to work only with Jio 4G SIM; dual SIM variant unlikely

Last week, the JioPhone was announced after several months of speculations but there are many aspects that still lack clarity, especially in terms of the hardware configuration of the device.

Earlier this week, there were reports suggesting that the JioPhone, the 4G VoLTE capable feature phone announced by Reliance Jio will be launched in two variants. While one is believed to be a single SIM variant, the other is said to be a dual SIM one. The latter is speculated to support the Jio SIM in the primary card slot supporting 4G VoLTE and the second one will be a 2G slot supporting a SIM from any other operator.

Contradictory to this, a Gadgets 360 report citing a Jio representative's confirmations states that the JioPhone will be launched as a single SIM feature phone only. It is said to work with 4G VoLTE networks only. Eventually, there is no other choice than using the Jio SIM card in the handset. The JioPhone is a 4G-only device and will route calls through VoLTE. For now, only Jio offers the 4G VoLTE services in India and Airtel is yet to launch the same shortly. However, we can expect the JioPhone to be locked only with the operator's SIM.

The beta trial of the JioPhone will debut on August 15. However, the pre-orders will debut on August 24 via both online and offline. Those who have pre-ordered the handset will get it on a first-come first-serve basis. The wider availability of the JioPhone will happen only in September. We can get more clarity regarding the hardware aspects once the beta trials are open.

The highlights of the JioPhone include the support for voice commands to execute actions. Also, the handset supports around 22 Indian regional languages. It also has a microSD card slot for expandable storage. The handset supports the JioPhone TV-Cable that will let users connect the phone to their TV to enjoy a screen mirroring like feature. Via a software update, the JioPhone will receive the NFC digital payment support too. For now, the handset does not support WhatsApp but you can use Facebook and other accounts via the browser.