Reliance JioPhone vs Micromax Bharat 1: Price, specs, tariff plans compared

Indian smartphone maker Micromax launched on Tuesday a smart feature phone, Bharat 1. Competing with Reliance Jio’s JioPhone, the Bharat 1 is priced aggressively at Rs 2,200 and, thanks to a tie-up with the state-run telecom operator BSNL, comes with unlimited data and calling through a Rs 97-monthly plan.

The philosophy behind the Bharat 1 feature phone is similar to Jio’s – offering affordable mobile data to entry-level consumers, especially in rural and remote areas of the country. While Reliance Jio has increased its coverage over months, BSNL has a big presence in India’s remote areas.

Micromax’s Bharat 1 matches the Reliance JioPhone in several aspects, providing affordable high-speed mobile data, unlimited voice calling and access to multimedia content. Here’s a look at Bharat 1’s features, specifications and tariff plans and how it compares with the Reliance JioPhone.

Price

The Bharat 1 will go on sale via retail stores on October 20 for Rs 2,200 whereas the Reliance JioPhone is available with a security deposit of Rs 1,500 (refundable after three years). Reliance Jio is expected to resume pre-booking for the JioPhone after Diwali, once it has delivered the 6 million units it booked in August. Micromax hasn’t revealed how many units of the phone will be available.