Google, Reliance Jio working on affordable smartphone: Report

Google and Reliance Jio are said to be working on an affordable smartphone that would work exclusively on the latter's 4G network, The Hindu newspaper reported. The phone is expected to launch before the end of the year, according to industry sources familiar with the matter.

Google branding would help boost the company's plans for cheaper 4G handsets and enable it to sell across a larger market. It would also ensure that Jio apps were more tightly integrated into the Android platform, with significant improvement in performance.

''Such a smartphone will help Rjio increase data adoption - helping it render movies and music better over its network. It will also improve the overall quality of service delivered on the Jio network.

''For Google, this would mean access to a large number of new users who would be connecting to the internet for the first time. It may also help the company assess its low-cost handset strategy,'' said Sanchit Gogia, CEO at Greyhound Research, The Hindu reported.

According to industry sources, the two companies had been been working together even on development of software for RJio's smart TV services, which would launched later this year.