Feature phone, DTH, broadband and now a laptop. Jio has a done a lot in just 18 months, and the company has some massive plans with technology and IOT ecosystem in the country. Now, Reliance Jio is reportedly working on a laptop with a 4G SIM connectivity powered by Windows 10.
The company is already working on a low-cost 4G smartphone, and now it’s ready with a 4G Jio laptop in collaboration with chipmaker Qualcomm. The Jio laptops will come with built-in cellular connectivity and bundled tariff packages. Qualcomm is already working with Jio and Reliance Retail on another Jio 4G feature phone.
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Jio Laptop – Things You Need To Know
The Jio laptop will come with Windows 10 and a Qualcomm processor inside.
Qualcomm Processor
Jio will be collaborating with the US-based chipset maker Qualcomm to manufacture exclusive Jio branded laptops. The companies, in the past, have also worked together for a low-cost Android Go 4G smartphone in association with Google. The Jio laptop and the smartphone might see the day of the light together.
Built-in Cellular Connectivity
The Jio laptops will come with built-in cellular connectivity from Reliance Jio. The devices will support 4G connectivity, which means users don’t need to depend on WiFi or any outside source of connectivity for connecting to the internet.
Windows 10
The Jio laptops will come with Qualcomm chipset inside and will run Windows 10 out of the box. With the integration of AI-based Cortana and latest features, Windows 10 laptops have outperformed some of the fastest running laptops and operating systems.
Bundled Data
The Jio laptop will come bundled with data and special packages. Reliance Jio will offer different tariff plans with Jio laptops, and the device will come with bundled data offers. The Jio laptop plans will offer both calling and data benefits.
Content
Jio is planning to include content from content partners in their laptops. The laptops will come with different preloaded content and streaming platforms on board, powered by Jio.
Laptop Market in India
In India, over five million laptops are sold every year in the country. Most of these laptops have to rely on an outside source of connectivity for internet, where these devices have to mostly depend on home or public WiFi hotspots.
There are no cellular laptops available in the Indian market right now, but Qualcomm is already working with the Internet of Things (IoT) brand Smartron to launch a Snapdragon 835 powered laptop with cellular connectivity in India.
How Will Laptops Help Jio?
With an already established market, the inclusion of laptops will help to increase its average revenue per user (ARPU). With no cellular laptops available in the Indian market, Reliance Jio will have the first mover advantage.
As per Counterpoint data, telecom operators can only connect to 20 percent of the total laptops sold in India in a year. If Jio is planning to launch special tariff plans for laptops, this can generate close to $5 million (Rs. 30 crores) revenue per month from these laptops.
Why Jio’s Plan With Laptops May Fail?
Reliance Jio is mainly targeting users to use data with their laptops. But if data is the primary need, users can always use a mobile hotspot or a portable WiFi device, which uses a cheaper Jio connection only.
So, users buying a laptop just for cellular connection might turn out to be a costly proposition for Jio.
Unless Jio has something actually useful to offer, Jio laptops may not work at all.