“Unlike the JioPhone, Airtel’s smartphone will run Android and thus support all apps”

With its Jio telecom service and now JioPhone (first impressions), Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance is giving tough competition to incumbents. But as has been happening over the last year, rivals aren’t taking the challenge lying down. The telecom giant Airtel has already reduced the prices of its data plans, offering free voice calls in many of its packs and now it seems the brand is launching a 4G phone to compete with the JioPhone. While it has been widely rumoured for quite some time, 91mobiles has now received information from trusted sources regarding Airtel’s upcoming smartphone. The company is opting for an aggressive approach and hence is expected to price the device below Rs 2,000. It’s aiming to launch the affordable 4G phone before Diwali and as soon as the first week of October.

What’s even more interesting is the fact that unlike the JioPhone which is a ‘smart’ feature phone running KaiOS, Airtel is working on an Android Nougat-based smartphone. This means that the upcoming phone will support all the popular apps, including WhatsApp, which is yet to arrive on the JioPhone.

Airtel’s smartphone will also topple the JioPhone when it comes to specs. Our source has confirmed previous rumours about the device. It will be built around a 4-inch display, and will pack in 1GB of RAM. Earlier leaks have suggested that the device will offer cameras on the front and the back, and will be backed by a battery rated between 1,400 to 1,600mAh.

If the smartphone is indeed priced under Rs 2,000 with these specifications, it has the potential to be a crowd favourite. However, it also depends upon the bundled plans since the JioPhone isn’t ‘free’ or even as affordable as it seemed on paper. As per the recently announced terms and conditions, annual recharges of Rs 1,500 over three years are required to make it eligible for a refund.