Reliance Jio 4G VoLTE feature phone to be made by Intex

NEW DELHI: Reliance Jio has signed up Intex as a vendor for its much-touted 4G feature phone, which will debut in August and could shake up the telecom market yet again for carriers, besides hurting smartphone makers in the near-term as well.

The co-developed phone, which Intex is making in India, will be priced by Jio through a subsidy model, and will also be marketed by the new telco, with the handset maker not involved in both aspects, Nidhi Markanday, director and business head, Intex Technologies, told ET.

“We will launch this 4G feature phone in this quarter, but will not be selling it standalone in the market. We are in dialogue with Reliance Jio for bundling which should be through very soon,” Markanday said.

Jio, which will be sourcing such phones from multiple vendors, including device makers in China, is widely expected to announce the 4G feature phone launch shortly, a move which could prove crucial in its efforts to add subscribers to its network at a faster pace.

Asked about the order size for the 4G feature phone which will support the VoLTE technology for voice, the Intex executive said, “Jio has given us a ballpark figure. Initially we will not be going in a big way as we first want to test the waters”. Queries sent to Jio didn’t elicit any response till press time on Tuesday.

ET had earlier reported that Jio had placed a total order of 18-20 million of the 4G VoLTE feature phones with somIntexe key Chinese original device manufacturers (ODMs). Besides, Indian handset makers, Micromax and Lava, which have launched its VoLTE feature phone, have also said that they are in talks with Jio for bundled offers for 4G feature phones.

Intex, which has lost significant ground in recent quarters mainly due to the onslaught by Chinese rivals, is now aiming to regain some lost ground with the launch of as many as 19 4G smartphones, priced under Rs 7,999, and nine feature phone handsets under its new series, Navaratna.