No invite needed for Reliance Jio 4G SIM, but you still have to buy a LYF smartphone

You can now get a Reliance Jio 4G SIM/connection without any invite. Earlier, only Reliance employees were given SIM cards for the 4G connection after the soft launch last year and they could invite 10 other people to try the network. The company has now lifted the restriction and anyone can now use Jio 4G but only on a LYF smartphone.

You can choose from any LYF smartphones, starting at Rs. 3999 and go upto Rs. 19000,  which are available through Reliance Digital stores and other retailers. All of these smartphones support 4G LTE and come with support for VoLTE for HD voice-calling. On purchase of any of the above phones you would get the Jio 4G SIM card for free. The company hasalso  launched Jio.com website where customers can show interest in getting a new connection by filling in a form.

The biggest draw to a Jio 4G connection is that Reliance is bundling 4500 free minutes of talktime and unlimited data for the first 3 months.

Jio 4G boasts of better network performance with faster data speeds alongwith better voice call quality. Moreover, the company has also invested in an app-ecosystem with its Jio apps like JioChat, JioPlay, JioMags, JioMoney, JioSecurity which provide access to content and features specific to Jio 4G customers.

Even with the free data, and bundled voice calling buying a smartphone just to use a network and then remaining tied to that network for using that particular phone number doesn't seem to be in the best interest for consumers. But Reliance says they are still testing their network and are preparing for a wider rollout. In future, the restriction to use a LYF smartphone may be lifted.