Reliance Jio had launched the JioPhone claiming that it will be available at a “zero effective cost”. While the company had priced the 4G feature phone at Rs. 1,500, the device was claimed to be effectively free as users can get their money back by returning the device to the company after a period of three years.

More than a million customers had pre-booked the JioPhone due to this cashback offer. Reliance Jio had stopped accepting pre-bookings for the JioPhone just two days after beginning to accept them and announced that they have received over a million pre-bookings for the 4G VoLTE feature phone.

Reliance Jio recently started shipping the JioPhone across the country and now, the company has put up the terms and conditions related to the JioPhone on its website which you need to know if you are going to buy the device or have already pre-booked it.

Penalty for returning the device before three years

If for some reason you decide to return the JioPhone before the end of the three-year period, you will have to pay the penalty charges as mentioned below:

• Up to 12 months – Rs. 1,500 + GST or other taxes
• 12 – 24 months – Rs. 1,000 + GST or other taxes
• 24 – 36 months – Rs. 500 + GST or other taxes

The company will refund your security deposit only after you pay the applicable penalty. While it was expected that Jio will put some restrictions on early return of the JioPhone, the penalty seems a little high, especially for the first twelve months. If any tax is applied on the JioPhone’s penalty charge of Rs. 1,500, it would make more sense to not return the device and forgo the security deposit instead of paying a penalty more than the security deposit.

Minimum recharge of Rs. 1,500 annually

Over the three-year period, you will have to spend Rs. 4,500 on recharges, which means you will have to spend Rs. 1,500 every year on the JioPhone. If we take the Rs. 153 plan, you will have to recharge at least 10 times in a year.

The terms and conditions updated by Reliance Jio mention that if you do not recharge the JioPhone with vouchers worth Rs. 1,500 every year for the three-year period from the date of first issue of the JioPhone, the company can repossess the JioPhone. If the company reposes the device before the end of three-year period, the user will be liable to pay Early Return Charges.

As mentioned above, the penalty for returning the JioPhone will be Rs. 1,500 + GST if you return it before 12 months have passed, Rs. 1,000 + GST if you return the device between 12 and 24 months and Rs. 500 + GST if you return the device between 24 months and 36 months. Similarly, if the company reposes the device, you will have to pay the penalty as per the date of repossession.

When the user pays the penalty charge, the company will return the security deposit of Rs. 1,500 that was deposited while purchasing the JioPhone. If the customer does not pay the penalty charges, the company will not refund the security deposit.

Terms of returning the JioPhone

Apart from terms regarding recharges and early return, the company has also put up the following conditions regarding the return of the JioPhone after 36 months:

• The device must be returned between 36 and 39 months from the date of first issue.
• The JioPhone should not be damaged and should be in working condition.
• Normal wear and tear is expected and the company will accept you device if it is still working.
• All the date of the user must be deleted before returning the device.
• The user should remove the SIM card before returning the device.
• The user should comply with all other terms mentioned by the company on its website.

Apart from this, if the customer does not return the JioPhone within 3 months of the 36-month period, it will result in following consequences:

• The Security deposit will be forfeited.
• Reliance Jio will take back the device from the user.
• Apart from this, the company has said that it will take further measures against the user.

If you've been putting off buying a swanky new iPhone because there's absolutely nothing wrong with your current phone, then Apple may be trying to coax you into buying a new one anyway.

It's currently offering up to AED 1,550 in store credit towards a new iPhone if you swap in your older iPhone (or certain other handsets).

So in theory if you were to bring in your iPhone 7, you could pick up a 64GB silver iPhone 8 for AED 1,609, down from the original price of AED 2,849. Obviously older models such as the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5 will yield a lot less store credit, even if they're in an immaculate condition.

It's interesting to note that the credit on offer is irrespective of what capacity iPhone you bring in, so if you swap in a 64GB or 128GB device you'll get the same amount of credit. 

A quick call to the Apple store in Mall of the Emirates revealed that stocks of the iPhone 8 are available.

Should you trade in your current iPhone?

Despite these savings, many users are opting to skip the iPhone 8 and just wait for when the iPhone X goes on sale. We've already written why it doesn't make sense to buy the iPhone 8 Plus, and our hands-on review of the iPhone 8 reveals that little has actually changed in the device. 

The iPhone X stands to be the future of the iPhone, so if you really want to buy one, we suggest holding off until then.

• Hands on: iPhone X review
• Hands on: iPhone 8 review
• Hands on: iPhone 8 Plus review

Apple has confirmed that a fix is on the way for the reports that are currently circulating on various forums that the iPhone 8 makes a crackling sound for some users during phone calls.

If you’d rushed out to be one of the first to get your hands on Apple’s new flagship, and found that your handset crackles, it would be a pretty disappointing turn of events. But luckily for those affected users, it looks like the fix is a relatively simple one. 

In a statement issued to The Verge Apple said, “We are aware of the issue which is affecting customers in a small number of cases. Our team is at work on a fix, which will be included in an upcoming software release.”

Will be fixed by an update

It will be a relief for users to hear that the problem is software rather than hardware related and that all that will be required is an update, rather than taking the handset back to be repaired. 

For a demonstration of what this ‘crackling’ sounds like if you are lucky enough not to have been affected by the issue, check out the short video below:

Apple is usually pretty quick at rectifying software issues (especially just after a new launch), although at this time the patch is yet to be released. When we hear more about the update, we’ll let you know.   

• Want to know everything we know about the iPhone 8? Check out our iPhone 8 hands-on review

Sony has stuck with the same design language on its phones for a long time now, but it sounds like the company is finally going to change things up, with a company executive saying as much.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Sony India’s managing director Kenichiro Hibi said that “we have deployed an OmniBalance design as long as the X series continues to be available in the market. Also, we are planning to launch new generation of products and you can expect a complete new design from the devices.”

Although he didn’t say what the new design will be, he did apparently acknowledge that many manufacturers are adopting bezel-less designs and 18:9 aspect ratios on their flagships, and added that Sony’s next flagship will be coming “soon.”

Bye bye bezel?

He didn’t join the dots and say that this flagship will sport a new design or that this new design will include the likes of a bezel-free screen, but both of those things seem likely.

Bezel-free looks are the new "in" thing and if Sony wants to keep pace with rivals it would make sense to adopt a similar design, unless it has something completely different up its sleeve in an attempt to stand out.

Either way, news that the current OmniBalance design is on the way out is welcome. With Sony’s phones all looking largely similar it’s hard to get too excited about new models, and in our recent Sony Xperia XZ1 review we criticized the design as dated and bezel-heavy.

If Sony’s next flagship does sport a new design we shouldn’t have long to wait, as Sony typically launches multiple flagships each year, with the next one likely to land at MWC 2018 in February.

• The LG G7 could also land at MWC 2018

Via Phone Arena

The iPhone X isn’t hitting stores until November 3, but even then it might only be available in very limited numbers. 

Several reports have been suggesting as much for months already, and today we’re hearing another, with the 3D sensors used for Face ID apparently to blame.

Speaking to Nikkei Asian Review, two “executives working for iPhone suppliers” said that only tens of thousands of iPhone X units were being produced each day, and this was down to difficulties in building usable 3D sensor parts.

With Apple likely to sell tens of millions of handsets, supply could be extremely tight for a long time if it’s really only building tens of thousands of units daily.

However, Jeff Pu, an analyst at Taipei-based Yuanta Investment Consulting, also spoke to the publication, and was slightly more optimistic.

He too claimed that 3D sensors were to blame for remaining production issues, but estimated that around 2 million iPhone X units have been built during September and that mass production should begin in the second week of October, with roughly 10 million units being built by the end of that month.

By the end of the year he reckons 40 million units will be built, which is 5 million less than he previously estimated, but more than the executives mentioned above seemed to be suggesting.

Mounting evidence

Although we’re more inclined to listen to sources direct from the supply chain than from an analyst (especially one who hasn’t said where his information comes from), Pu’s claims do tally with other recent reports.

A week ago we heard that iPhone X mass production wouldn’t begin until mid-October, and prior to that another analyst had claimed that around 40 million iPhone X units would be shipped by the end of the year.

Whatever the case, there seems to be agreement that iPhone X supplies will initially be tight. But how tight and for how long remains to be seen.

• The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus should be more readily available

Via BGR