In India, first-time internet consumers are connecting to the web on gadgets that only cost about $20. These inexpensive smart feature phones have physical keypads that are easier to adapt to, than touch screens for those new to mobile phone technology. They provide some basic apps and internet access in addition to calling and texting. Additionally, their long battery life is a bonus in places where electricity is intermittently available.
India’s Reliance Jio, which developed the smart feature JioPhone, teamed up with Hong Kong-based KaiOS Technologies Inc., that makes the operating system powering smart feature phones globally. “A smartphone can be complex and some people get scared,” says Sebastien Codeville, KaiOS’s chief executive. Global tech companies including Facebook Inc. and its WhatsApp service, Alphabet Inc. ’s Google and Twitter Inc. have tweaked their apps so they can be used on these gadgets.
Jio has sold more than 60 million of its devices so far in India, the only market where they are available. Roughly 370 million smart feature phones will be sold in the next three years, a $28 billion opportunity for hardware, software and services companies, Hong Kong headquartered Counterpoint Research says.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
