So, this basic phone without a touchscreen, with an alphanumeric keypad and a torchlight will be able to access the internet at 4G broadband speeds. Users of the phone will be able to make VOIP calls, stream, and download video/music, and watch live TV.
Large Chunks Of The World Still Use Feature Phones
Note that it is estimated that about 65 percent of mobile phone users in India still use feature phones, so this isn’t a crazy idea at all. Why should that large segment of the population have no access to fast internet because they do not own smartphones? It can be argued that the arrival of 4G LTE feature phones would pose a challenge to smartphone adoption. But here is the point: people who cannot afford smartphones cannot afford smartphones anyway. They are better off with faster internet access on the devices that they can afford. In Nigeria, another vibrant mobile market in the emerging world, is recording a decline in smartphone shipments and a huge rise in feature phone shipments. On the African continent, iTel became the largest mobile brand by shipping more feature phones than anyone else. See the trend? Feature phones are not going away – and providing mobile broadband on them is a great move. Hopefully, we shall see other 4G feature phones show up across all emerging markets in a little while. Seeing as Nokia branded phones are back in the market, this is a segment of phones that they should get into. iTel too. The Reliance Jio 4G feature phone is expected to cost just INR 1,299. That is approximately USD 20 or NGN 6,000. Not bad for 4G LTE internet access on a basic cell phone. Not bad at all. References: PhoneRadar
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