Reliance JioPhone at Rs 0: Twitter rejoices launch of 4G-enabled handset

You can get it for a security deposit of Rs 1,500, refundable after three years on return of phone

Industrialist Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd announced the launch of 'effective smartphone' JioPhone, which will be available for beta testing from August 15. Buyers can get this “effectively cost zero” smartphone for a one-time security deposit of Rs 1,500, which will be refunded after 3 years on the return of the phone.
 

The phone will be available for pre-booking from August 24, said Reliance chairman, billionaire Mukesh Ambani at the petrochemicals-to-retail conglomerate’s annual general meeting (AGM). The phone will support 22 languages.
 

The phone will be given away on a first come first served basis. It will be available for all from September. JioPhone, which is targetted at the 50 crore feature phone users in the country, will offer free voice calls and SMS to customers. For 4G data, customers need to pay Rs 153 per month.
 

As soon as the announcement was done, Twitterati got engaged in celebrating the launch. Few users congratulated Ambani for the move. The announcement was trending on social media. 
 

Few users also criticised the move. Other managed to find some witty angle.
 

Here's how Twitter reacted to the news:

Thank God I have born in #MukeshAmbani era .. Free phone,free voice calls,free data .....#RelianceIndustries #jiophone

— Amith Varma (@SaiAmith10) July 21, 2017

People forgot how to recharge coz of #MukeshAmbani JIO effect

Made biggest revolution in youth over internet

— ???? ????? ???????? (@ICameToSlay_) July 21, 2017

Feeling sorry for @VodafoneIN @airtelindia @ideacellular your about to get demolished by @reliancejio what a plan by #MukeshAmbani superb

— Chirrag Shah (@chiragmafia) July 21, 2017

#RILAGM2017 'O Zero Dhan Dhana Dhan'
Bait them and annex them. Great strategy. #MukeshAmbani #jiophone

— GOPAL IYER (@BEALOTUS) July 21, 2017

Owners of Bharti Airtel & Idea selling their brands on OLX. Also Vivo & Oppo packing their bags and heading back to China. #JIOPhone

— Parth Raval (@getparth) July 21, 2017

#jiophone is basically a dongle for 1500 (not sure if it has hotspot feature).. no camera and small screen. How to use unlimited data then?

— Dexter (@Dexter2226) July 21, 2017

#jiophone is basically a dongle for 1500 (not sure if it has hotspot feature).. no camera and small screen. How to use unlimited data then?

— Dexter (@Dexter2226) July 21, 2017

After all is said & done #MukeshAmbani deserves the credit for revolutionizing Internet in India specially for the middle class of society

— Rajat Upreti (@ra_jatt) July 21, 2017

#MukeshAmbani is killing the telecom industry. Clearly everyone else was looting all these years. 

— Rohan Patwardhan (@truebluerohan) July 21, 2017

Now we know what #MukeshAmbani meant when he said "Data is the new oil".#RILagm2017#RelJio#RILat40

— JusticeForAll (@Synergyspeak) July 21, 2017

#AirtelIndia & #IdeaCellular at the launch of #RelianceJio #JioPhone pic.twitter.com/cfk6MgJ3vP

— VINAY ???????? (@V1Neye) July 21, 2017

#Oppo #Vivo and other mobile companies looking at #MukeshAmbani after #RILAGM2017 pic.twitter.com/raLo2smiHl

— Krishna kundan (@KRISH_KUNDAN) July 21, 2017

Mukesh Ambani with an accurate figure of the number of people that trust his honesty. pic.twitter.com/fRBQR3EuNW

— Sahil Shah (@SahilBulla) July 21, 2017

Exclusive picture of Mukesh Ambani standing with stock price of competitors. pic.twitter.com/a5lPZcVW42

— Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) July 21, 2017

#jiophone #MukeshAmbani #RelianceJio by listening jio phone news and #Vodafone #idea and #airtel must have reacted like this pic.twitter.com/iCtRMlQzAe

— Anup (@aryan7874394181) July 21, 2017

*buys a Reliance router*
*Names it Bahubaali*
*waits for someone to ask 'You have internet?'*
*Screams 'JIO RE BAHUBAALI'*

— Sahil Shah (@SahilBulla) July 21, 2017

Can't wait for Mukesh Ambani to give free monthly groceries to every family in India

— EngiNerd. (@mainbhiengineer) July 21, 2017

JioPhone? It seems RIL will stop at nothing. Soon there will be a handset and an internet in every Indian household. #RILAGM #jiophone

— Rachit Kaushik (@gooner_rachit) July 21, 2017

This is an opportunity for all Indian to throw Chinese Mobile phone now and shift to our own Indian phone...Bravo #MukeshAmbani

— T C Meena (@jhanjhat) July 21, 2017

Reliance Jio Now Has Over 125 Million Subscribers, 7 Customers Added Every Second #MukeshAmbani #RILAGM2017

— Himani Rautela (@himanirautela) July 21, 2017

While Americans go gaga over launch of new iphone, Indians go gaga over launch of almost free Jiophone :D

— Jayant UnKill (@jayantgajria) July 21, 2017

The introduction of #JioPhone is now a big blow to telecom and phone makers#Jio #RILAGM2017 #MukeshAmbani

— Prakash Gupta® (@BeingPkashGupta) July 21, 2017