The Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd's (RJIL) ambitious JioPhone has finally started its journey to meet its buyer. Customers who had booked the JioPhone in August could soon get their hands on the ultra-affordable 4G VoLTE-enabled phone. So far, 6 million units have been booked since pre-booking started on August 24. And Jio hopes to ship all 6 million units to its customers by October 10, well in advance for Diwali.
The news was confirmed by sources from the company who told a news agency that Jio has started sending JioPhone units to its retailers. Once the phones reach the retail outlets, customers can pick theirs up from the retailer with whom they booked the phone.
Customers in rural areas and small cities have a reason to rejoice as they will get the handset before their urban counterparts, according to a PTI report citing a Reliance Jio channel partner. The deliveries of JioPhone will be completed in 15 days, said the channel partner on condition of anonymity.
Jio tweeted on its official Twitter handle, @LYF_In that the handset deliveries will be done in a phased manner, "to avoid inconvenience" and all customers who pre-booked JioPhone should expect their units by Diwali this year. Customers will be notified via SMS alerts regarding the status of their JioPhone delivery date.
our customers. Please be assured that all customers who have done the pre-booking of JioPhone will receive it by Diwali. We(2/4)
— My LYF (@LYF_In) September 24, 2017
"The Chairman (Mukesh Ambani) had said that the JioPhone will bridge the digital divide between rural and urban India. Therefore, delivery of JioPhone will start this Sunday in rural areas and small towns", the channel partner said.
"The delivery of the first lot of 6 million will be completed in 10-15 days," the source added. He was, however, unsure about the dates for the next round of bookings for JioPhone.
According to a research by CyberMedia, as many as 61.8 million mobile handsets were shipped in India in the second quarter of 2017, and JioPhone's estimated 6 million units would account for nearly 10 percent of the total mobile shipments in India in a quarter.
The pre-booking for JioPhone started on August 24, and customers were asked to deposit a refundable amount of Rs 500, against the handset's original price of Rs.1,500. The remaining Rs 1,000 is required to be paid on delivery of the handset. Jio also promised that the entire amount will be refunded against return of the phone after three years.
Reliance Jio Chairman, Mukesh Ambani had announced that JioPhone customers will not be charged for voice calls and will be able to avail unlimited data by just paying Rs153 per month. JioPhone will also be pre-loaded with Jio Exclusive apps such as JioTV and JioMusic.
Here's how to check the status of your JioPhone:
If you have ordered a JioPhone and want to know the status of your order, you could do so by using the MyJio app or by using IVR.
Using MyJio app: Open the MyJio app on your smartphone and click on the "Manage Bookings" option on the homepage. You should be able to see the details of your JioPhone here, should it be shipped.
Using IVR number: Dial 1800-890-8900 from the mobile number you provided the retailer while booking your JioPhone. Your number will be identified automatically and you will get the status of your JioPhone.
Source: PTI
