Reliance Industries Likely To Launch Low Cost 5G-Ready Android Smartphone, JioBook Laptop Later This Year

Led by India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is likely to soon launch an affordable 5G-ready android smartphone and a laptop called JioBook, reports Economic Times.

The launch of the two products is expected to coincide with the company's annual general meeting (AGM) which is usually held around August-September each year.

The company has joined hands with technology behemoth Google to build an affordable smartphone offering and is working on a May-June timeline to complete the research & development (R&D) for the device.

"The development of the phone is on track. The specifications have been finalised. However, there are ongoing discussions on the operating system, given that it will require deep integration of Jio services," an executive aware of the development was quoted in the report.

RIL had during its previous AGM announced a two-pronged alliance with Google. The first bit involved the acquisition of a 7.73 per cent stake in Jio Platforms by Google. Meanwhile, the second bit of the alliance involved a commercial agreement with Google to jointly develop an entry-level, 4G smartphone that can also support 5G in future.

Meanwhile, what will likely be powered by a Qualcomm chipset, JioBook laptop device is expected to be targeted at penetrating the nation's massive education sector.