8 Things to Know Before Buying a Jio Sim

Since Reliance officially announced the launch of Jio 4G services in India, it has been trending widely in the country. Reliance Jio is not only offering comparatively affordable data plans but is also making voice calls and roaming free. Moreover, everything is free until December 31. This makes buying Jio sim a very tempting option but before you plan to get a Jio sim, here are some things that you need to know.

1. Jio sim is incompatible to older devices

Reliance Jio 4G sim is clearly a data first 4G service. Though we know you are aware of this but this is still worth giving a thought. This states that it is only compatible with 4G devices so if you have an older model, it may not work on your phone. Getting a Jio sim card thus eliminates the possibility of using older mobile phones that aren’t 4G supportive.

2. Making calls to other networks may be troublesome

Jio makes use of VoLTE network to make calls, which has to be present on both sides of the conversation. This means that making Jio to Jio calls may not be a problem but for making calls from Jio to GSM, means to Airtel, Vodafone and other network numbers, you will be required to use an app called Jio Join. There are chances that your calls may fail. Stats show that some 5 crore Jio calls failed in the last one week. Otherwise some additional charges may apply.

3. You must not pay any dealer

Please note that the Jio sim cards are available for free of cost from September 5, 2016. So, ensure that you pay not a penny to any dealer to get your Jio sim. Everything from Jio’s data, voice, video and all Jio apps will be available for free till the end of this year.

4. Avail benefit from your student id card

Students should show their ID card at the time of getting their Jio sim card from the Jio stores. Once the free welcome period ends, students will get 25% more data on the activation of commercial plans that way.

5. Devices that Jio supports

Seeing if your current smart phone device will be supported by Jio 4G sim is a matter of concern. Reliance has launched its own LYF branded devices that support its new 4G service. Here are some devices that will work fine on the network.

6. Be patient with the long queues

While getting a Jio sim card from a Reliance Digital Store or Digital Xpress Mini store in Jaipur is a simple process, you must be prepared for the long queues you’ll get there as everyone wants a Jio sim card.

7. Reliance wants your recent photo

You must be aware that for getting a Jio sim card you need to take a photo along with your documents. Here another point to note is that Reliance wants you to submit a fairly recent photograph of yours. They are pretty particular about the photo you submit.

8. Hidden stuff behind the low priced data plans

The low prices on data by Jio is one thing that has attracted most people. But there is a lot hidden behind those pre-paid 4G plans that start at Rs.19 and the postpaid plans that from Rs.149.

• One concern is: Reliance says that the low end packs such as the Rs.19, Rs.129 or Rs.299 vouchers cannot be used for first recharge by its new customers.
• Also some plans such as Rs.129 and Rs.299 vouchers have a validity of just one day so they aren’t a practical monthly solution. This means that you will have to go for the higher plans only.
• Using Jio sim as a low cost data only plan has another hurdle. Reliance says that you have to make voice or video calls at least once every 90 days, for which you also need to have a balance of at least Rs.20. Otherwise, your connection will be deactivated and you will have just 15 days left to pay and get your number back.
• While voice calls are free, your video calls will be debited via your data calling pack. So, while video calls are free, they will still eat your data plan bytes. Also, these will only work on the Reliance Jio network.

Some beneficial deals

But then there are a few deals which you can benefit from. For starters, Reliance Jio welcome offer, which starts on September 5 and ends on January 1, 2017, allows a free unlimited 4G data usage for the first 3 months. And then Reliance Jio is offering a 15% discount for postpaid users who opt for auto-debit option using credit/debit cards/online transfer for their bill. There is also the ‘Unlimited at Night’ perk for free data usage between 2a.m. and 5a.m.

All you need is to be really careful about what you are getting into when you plan to buy a Reliance Jio sim card.