iPhone users, don't even think about Jio

If you don’t have an iPhone, you don’t have an iPhone. But if you have an iPhone with a Reliance Jio connection, you still don’t have an iPhone. Okay, you do, but it’s a little useless in non-WiFi situations, because well, Jio isn’t exactly the best is it?

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook said Apple is partnering with Reliance Jio, and offering a year’s worth of free data with any new iPhone purchase. It is supposedly being done to ensure better iPhone performance.

"Looking ahead, we’re seeing some very exciting developments in India. Reliance Jio is rolling out a a first of its kind all-IP network in India with 4G coverage in 18,000 cities and 200,000 villages across the country," said Cook.

While all that sounds really good when it is endorsed by a white person who happens to be the CEO of the biggest vanity tech brand in the world, in reality, it means jack.

Cook also noted that iPhones have “not done as well” in India, and he attributed that to the fact that “(high-speed telecom networks) infrastructure hasn’t been there“. Erm Mr Cook, people in India normally buy iPhones because they are horrifyingly expensive (just like all other Apple products). Evidence of that can be clearly seen from the obscene number of “selling my kidney” jokes that people make every time a new iPhone is launched.

Anyone who buys an iPhone doesn’t care about the phone network, because they are terrible irrespective of whether you use an iPhone or a Nokia Asha.

But let’s just stop and understand something very well here: You’re really better off with your existing network provider. Don’t go for the iPhone-Jio “dream Jodi”.

While Jio promised the best mobile data speed India has experienced, it forgot to mention that it would last only a couple of days. 4G data speed continues to fluctuate every now and then, and users have also complained that data speed is also subject to movement. Even Airtel’s 4G with those irritating 4G challenged ads, has proved to be faster than Jio.

Jio users also frequently experience high rates of call drop. It has been reported that 75 out of every 100 call attempts made, fail. It is estimated that more than 120 million calls to the top three telecom operators (Airtel, Vodafone and Idea) failed every day in September.

Things may improve for Jio in the days to come, but as of right now, this million-new-customers-a-day company has some serious problems that it needs to fix before people actually have to start paying for their services. Till then, just remember: your iPhone has only one SIM card slot. So if you get Jio, you are stuck with Jio.

Also read - You're better off without Jio in your life for now