India’s JioPhone Next 5G is a $150 phone with a custom Android variant and a powerful Qualcomm processor

India’s JioPhone Next 5G will go on sale in India starting November 22. The phone comes in a limited number of color options, with the base variant priced at about $150 (₹15,999).<br><br>The JioPhone Next 5G features a 6.5-inch HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 480 5G processor, which offers a significant boost in performance compared to the MediaTek Helio P35 in the original JioPhone Next. The phone comes in two configurations: one with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, and another with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.<br><br>While the phone comes with a beefier processor, its camera setup has been downgraded. The JioPhone Next 5G offers a 13MP primary camera and a 2MP front camera, which should be sufficient for basic photography needs.<br><br>The JioPhone Next 5G has a bigger 5,000mAh battery with support for 10W charging. It also has dual SIM 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, and a USB-C port.<br><br>As for the software, the JioPhone Next 5G runs a custom Android variant with support for 3,000 Indian languages and custom apps for settings, FM radio, internet, and other apps. The company says the phone will receive two OS upgrades, which means it should run Android 15.<br><br>The JioPhone Next 5G seems to offer a fair value for money, given its pricing and feature set. However, the company’s decision to roll back software updates and downgrading the camera setup may be a turn-off for some users.<br><br>Edit: This is the same phone announced last year and not actually made by Google as some news sites are claiming.