Don’t buy Jio Phone Next with EMI plan, here’s why

Jio Phone Next, as you may know, is now available for sale in India. You can register your interest via the company’s official website or WhatsApp number and walk into the nearest Jio Mart store to collect the device. There you will have the option to either pay the full Jio Phone Next amount, which is Rs 6,499, upfront or opt for easy EMI plans of 18 or 24 months that are also bundled with high-speed data and voice call benefits. The latter looks like an enticing option, but it’s not! Stay with us as we tell you why you shouldn’t buy the Jio Phone Next with EMI plans.

Also Read JioPhone Next 4G first impressions: another disruption on the cards?

Jio Phone Next EMI plans or recharge plans?

Jio Phone Next isn’t the most affordable 4G phone out there, as was promised by the company. However, to lure users the company has announced as many as four EMI plans: namely Always-on, Large, XL, and XXL. These plans let you own the Jio Phone Next with a Rs 1,999 down payment + Rs 501 processing fees (separate from the cost of the phone) and the remaining in 18 or 24 months EMI options. The plans, as stated above, offer free voice calls and high-speed internet, with the latter being a differentiating factor between the four plans. While this means you don’t have to recharge with any other amount to continue using the Jio service until the last EMI, it’s where things get interesting.

All Jio Phone Next EMI plans are bundled with a quota of free 100 SMSes per day and complimentary access to Jio apps.

You end up paying more than making the one-time payment of Rs 6,499 for the Jio Phone Next and doing recharge, separately. Here’s how:

Always-on EMI plan vs Rs 125 recharge plan

This is the entry-level EMI plan for Jio Phone Next. It offers 5GB data + 100 min talk time per month where you can opt to pay Rs 350 per month for 18 months or Rs 300 per month for 24 months with a Rs 1,999 down payment and a compulsory Rs 501 processing fee irrespective of payment term you choose. Taking into account all the total payments to be made, it’s Rs 8,800 for the 18 months plan and Rs 9,700 for 24 months plan.

That said, if you go with the Rs 125 Jio Phone Next recharge plan after making the payment for the smartphone upfront, you get substantially more data and unlimited voice calls. The pack comprises a total of 14GB of data (capped at 0.5GB per day) for 28 days. Now, if you carry on with this particular recharge for 18 or 24 months straight, you’ll be paying a total of Rs 8,750 and Rs 9,500 respectively, thereby saving up to Rs 200.

Large EMI plan vs Rs 155 recharge plan

This is the second Jio Phone Next EMI plan in the company’s offering. The plan also comes with 18 and 24 monthly instalment schemes, which are priced at Rs 450 and Rs 500 per month respectively. As for the benefits, you are getting 1.5GB of data per day and unlimited talk time to all networks across the country. If you calculate, with Rs 1,999 downpayment and Rs 501 processing fees, you end up paying Rs 9,700 for the 18 month EMI plan and Rs 13,300 for 24 months.

In contrast, the Rs 155 Jio recharge plan will set you back to Rs 9,290 and Rs 10,220 for the same duration of Rs 18 and 24 months respectively. Thereby, saving up to Rs 3,080. However, it’s worth mentioning that the Rs 155 recharge plan only offers 1GB of data instead of 1.5GB for 28 days rather than 30 days. The plan also comprises 100 SMS/ day, free voice calls, and a complimentary subscription to Jio apps.

XL EMI plan vs Rs 185 recharge plan

The XL EMI plan is for users with high internet usage. The plan is bundled with 2GB of data per day along with unlimited talk time. The EMIs to be paid are Rs 550 for 18 months straight, while the 24-month plan costs Rs 500 per month. When the EMIs will come to an end, you would end up paying Rs 12,400 and Rs 14,500 with 18 months and 24 months plans respectively (down payment and processing fee included).

In comparison, if you recharge with a Rs 185 plan, which also offers 2GB of data per day, after paying for the Jio Phone Next upfront, you would be saving up to Rs 3,560. The plan if continued for 18 months will cost you Rs 3,330. This would come down to Rs 9,830, with the handset’s cost. After 24 months, the total cost is going to be Rs 10,940.

XXL EMI plan

This top tier EMI plan for Jio Phone Next comes with 2.5GB of daily data along with other perks such as free voice calls, SMS, and subscription to Jio apps. Unfortunately, there isn’t a regular Jio Phone Next recharge plan that offers the same benefits. The entry-level Rs 75 plan is bundled with 100MB daily data for 28 days, while the Rs 749 pack offers a total of 2GB of data for 28 days for approximately 11 months. So if you are looking for a Jio Phone Next plan that has data north of 2GB, the XXL EMI plan is your best offering. The plan will cost you Rs 13,300 when paid Rs 600 monthly for 18 months and Rs 15,700 for the 24-month plan with monthly payments of Rs 550.

We believe you now know how much you are eventually paying for the Jio Phone Next with the EMI plans. That said, users should keep in mind that the regular recharge plans for Jio Phone Next have 28 days validity, which means you will have to top-up 13 times in a year for uninterrupted services.

Jio Phone Next specifications

To recall, the Jio Phone Next comes with a 5.45-inch HD+ display, custom-made Android-based PragatiOS, and a quad-core 1.3Ghz Snapdragon 215 paired with 2GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage with support of a microSD card up to 512GB. The optics have been taken care of by 13MP rear and 8MP front cameras. All this is powered by an adequate 3,500mAh cell.

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