Reliance Jio 4G Preview Guide: Getting your free SIM and early impressions
Reliance Jio seems to be the buzz word in India off late, and quite rightfully so. The Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Limited subsidiary has much-ambitious plans to offer up to 80 per cent of Indians high-speed mobile Internet as well as voice services in the days to come. It hasn't exactly given out a launch date yet, but the company will likely roll out its 4G services sometime in the second half of this year. Previous reports hinted at an August timeframe. It is now being speculated that Jio 4G will go live in October. But that will happen when it will happen. The company's much-talked about Preview (or beta) offer seems to have already ignited a war (of data and voice) of sorts in the Indian telecom sector before the actual roll-out. Every big company ranging from Airtel to Idea is lining up to offer 'free' services to make their subscribers stick, and woo new subscribers along the way.
The Reliance Jio 4G services (beta) were initially available to Jio's partners and employees, only. These services have been available for them to use since December last year. The beta offer essentially includes unlimited access to Jio's Digital Life - HD voice call, HD video call, apps, data and SMS - for three months. Once Jio's partners and employees surpass the three-month limit, they are required to go online and recharge their subscription to extend the scheme for another three months.
The availability - of Reliance Jio 4G Preview scheme -- has eventually been extended to the general public. Clearly, the company wants as many people as possible to get a sneak-peak into its services, before the actual launch. This would give them some idea of what's in store, and perhaps make an informed choice later when the services are officially rolled out.
Getting a hold of the Reliance Jio 4G Preview offer for the regular (and the uninitiated) folk is a little tricky though. It isn't as easy as going into a Reliance Digital or Digital Xpress Mini Store and asking for a Jio SIM in exchange for a photo ID. There's more to it than meets the eye.
Getting a Reliance Jio 4G SIM isn't easy, but it's worth it
1. The easy way out
Buying a Lyf smartphone is the easiest method to get a Jio SIM, for free. Every Reliance Lyf smartphone comes pre-bundled with a SIM card that is pre-activated with Jio's 4G Preview offer. Simply buy the phone, and you're good to go. Problem is, almost all of the Lyf smartphones suck. Prices range from Rs 3,000 to around Rs 20,000. There have been some price cuts along the way, especially in the Rs 15,000-20,000 price bracket. Still, it's hard to recommend a Lyf smartphone over already existent smartphones. What if I want just the Jio SIM, and I want it easy? Well, I would go buy the cheapest option: Flame 3, Flame 4 or Flame 5. I am personally not recommending the phones to anyone, but if you mind all the hassle and technicalities of getting a Jio SIM, buying the Flame 3, Flame 4 or Flame 5 is the only (easy) way out there, for now.
2. One for the elite: Go get yourself a Samsung phone
I personally used a Samsung Galaxy S7 to get myself a Jio SIM. The first step is to get yourself the My Jio app from the Play Store. That's crucial. That's because it is the Mi Jio app that will help you generate a Preview code (a bar code) that's a pre-requisite to get a Jio SIM. On a phone that qualifies to get a free Jio SIM, the app gets straight to business. In fact, after generating the code it also gives you a list of Reliance Digital and Digital Xpress Mini Stores in your area. Once you have the code, you'll have to visit the Reliance store to get the SIM. Make sure you carry two recent passport-sized photographs along with a valid photo (and address) ID, for instance your Aadhaar Card (original and a photo-copy), to the store. Also, make sure you're carrying the phone with you since they ask you to show it to them before going any further. Rest of the process is similar to how you get any other SIM card in the market.
Read More
Comments
Post a Comment