In a strategic move, Reliance Jio, a prominent telecom giant, is gearing up to introduce a budget-friendly laptop, the Clout, expected to be priced around Rs 15,000.
This initiative follows the company’s successful foray into the budget smartphone and laptop segments, with the JioBook laptop launched earlier this year.
Jio’s Approach to Cost-Efficient Laptops
Reliance Jio is in discussions with leading manufacturers such as HP, Acer, and Lenovo to bring forth the Clout laptop.
This innovative device will function as a ‘dumb terminal,’ relying on Jio Cloud infrastructure for processing and storage,
minimizing the need for expensive hardware and subsequently reducing the overall cost.
Internet-Dependent Functionality
While this cloud-based laptop offers cost advantages, it will require a continuous internet connection for essential functions like storage and processing. This aligns with the industry trend of moving towards cloud-centric computing.
Jio Executive Insights: Streamlining Hardware Costs
A senior executive from Reliance Jio emphasizes, “The cost of a laptop depends on its hardware like memory, processing power, and chipset.
Higher capacity of the hardware increases the cost as well as the battery power. We remove all these.
And the entire processing of the laptop will be done on the back end in Jio Cloud.”
Subscription Bundles: Cloud Services Similar to Apple and Google
The Clout laptop may offer a bundled monthly cloud subscription, akin to services like Apple’s iCloud or Google One.
This subscription is expected to enhance user experience by providing additional cloud-based services.
The pricing for Reliance Jio’s cloud membership will be revealed at a later date.
Testing Phase and Manufacturer Collaboration
The laptop is currently undergoing testing on HP Chromebook, showcasing Reliance Jio’s commitment to ensuring optimal performance and reliability.
Expansion of Jio AirFiber Service
Simultaneously, Reliance Jio is expanding the scope of its Jio AirFiber service, an internet service based on 5G FWA (Fixed Wireless Access).
The service is now available in major cities, including Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Pune.
Jio AirFiber reaches 115 cities, with installation charges of Rs 1,000, which can be waived with an annual plan subscription.
Plans start at Rs 599 per month, offering speeds up to 30 Mbps and unlimited downloads.
Users also have the flexibility to opt for six-month or annual plans.
