Xiaomi introduces new feature phones, should Jio be worried?
What's the story
As part of a crowdfunding initiative, Xiaomi has launched two new feature phones in China. The new handsets - Xiaomi Qin1 and Qin1s - are good-looking feature phones that come with advanced AI-based features such as real-time voice translation. However, if and when these phones come to India, will they be any competition to the JioPhone? Well, the answer is a little tricky.
Features
Firstly, what do these latest Xiaomi feature phones offer?
Both the Xiaomi Qin1 and Qin1s feature a 2.8-inch QVGA (240x320 pixels) IPS display, a regular T9 keypad with a four-way D-Pad for navigating through menus. The phones packs 1,480mAh battery and a built-in IR blaster that helps the phone double up as a universal remote control. It also has USB Type-C port for charging. And then there's AI-based Xiaomi real-time translation tool for 17 languages.
Internals
Xiaomi Qin1 feature phones: Under the hood
The Xiaomi Qin1 gets a dual-core MediaTek MT6260A processor, paired with 8MB RAM and 16MB of internal storage. The phone supports dual-SIM (Nano) cards, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.2, and runs custom Nucleus OS. The Qin1s, unlike Qin1, supports 4G VoLTE and runs Android-based MOCOR5 OS. It is powered by a dual-core Spreadtrum SC9820E chipset, coupled with 256MB RAM and 512MB of storage.
Specs
What we know about the upcoming JioPhone 2's specs
The JioPhone 2, which sports a QWERTY keypad and a dedicated voice command button, has a 2.40-inch display. The KaiOS-based dual-SIM phone has a 2MP rear camera, a VGA front camera, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB internal storage, expandable to 128GB. It'll support LTE, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, NFC, and FM, and app services such as YouTube, WhatsApp, and Facebook.
Information
Key factor: Pricing of JioPhone 2 and the Qin1 phones
The Xiaomi Qin1 and Qin1s are priced at CNY 199 (roughly Rs. 1,990) in China. On the other hand, the JioPhone 2, which is slated to release in India on August 15, will retail for Rs. 2,999.
The big question
Should Jio be worried?
Frankly, Qin1s directly competes with JioPhone 2. It comes with advanced AI-based translations, a forked Android OS and impressive internals for the price. However, the JioPhone 2 has upgraded specs which translate to a higher price mark. That said, if and when, they arrive in India, they will pose a big threat to the JioPhone 2.
Raise the bar?
#JustAThought: What if Airtel or Vodafone offer Qin1s?
Well, around 25 million Indians use the JioPhone and it is largely because of the bundled pack i.e. Jio's LTE services and other benefits. Similarly, people will look to buy the JioPhone 2 under an exchange offer rather than pay full price. Hence, if these phones are offered by Vodafone or Airtel with bundled services, many buyers might gravitate towards this new feature phone.