Bringing 4G Technology For All: Jio Wins The Feature Phone Market With ‘Jio Phone’; Adds 5 Crore Subscribers

Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio has acquired nearly 5 crore Jio Phone users, since the end of 2017, as reported by the Financial Express.

According to a report by Counterpoint Research, the telecom operator was the fastest to realise the opportunity to acquire millions of 2G feature phone users onto its 4G network via the KaiOS powered 4G smart feature phone.

“The company’s Jio Phone is the world’s leading VoLTE-supported KaiOS-based smart feature phone. It was launched at a price of $20 and is the current exemplar of a smart feature phone value proposition and execution globally. Out of more than 10 crore subscribers that Reliance Jio added since the Jio Phone launch in late 2017, the KaiOS powered 4G smart feature phone contributes close to half of those net additions,” the research firm said.

CounterPoint is expecting 37 crore smart feature phones to be sold around the world in the next three years, thereby catering to a completely untapped customer base for high-speed internet, apps and serves.

Director, Counterpoint Research, Neil Shah said, “The revenue opportunity from increasing sales of smart feature phones is expected to be in the region of $28 billion over the next three years.”

Shah was also bullish on the revenue opportunity which comes with 30 crore smart feature phone users. He claims that by the end of 2021, software and services sector alone would contribute $20 billion via this segment which is 71 per cent of the mid-term income opportunity.