Google, Indian billionaire launch budget smartphone

Doesn't improve the life of a poor rural farmer.

I can buy a Chinese phone for less than 30 dollar, Google do no evil

Ordinarily I would have said that it will go the way of Tata Nano, the world's cheapest car - a failure inspite of all the hype.

But since Ambani is the one launching this, I am sure he will soon capture the market by selling it below cost if sales don't pick up. Or he might even give it for free provided the customers agree to Jio as their mobile service provider.

That's quite a bamboozling budget phone, it is.

Indian consumers like the idea of buying something "worthy". So the idea of paying a small amount upfront and the rest in installments (probably subsidised by the telecom company) would work well for branding etc...

It would have been cheaper to have offered a feature phone with flexible app ability in the S40 OS. You could either download specific apps or obtain app ability from online services. It wouldn't have been technically difficult.

I think the JioPhone has a memory card slot - finally Google saw sense there at least.

Every few years there is a new budget Indian smartphone that hopes to hit tipping point. We'll see.