While major Indian operators like Airtel and Vodafone have already rolled out their 4G services in the country, none of them offer VoLTE as their existing infrastructure is simply incapable of offering it. Reliance Jio, however, is aiming to be the first operator in the country to offer true LTE experience in the country with VoLTE support.
Not only is Reliance using the most efficient band compared to other operators, it will also the only one whose backend supports VoLTE. While it still remains unclear as to when Reliance Jio will be launched commercially, the company is already conducting a public trial of its network. It is doing this by offering its Lyf phones with a Jio SIM with free 3 months of unlimited data and calls.
Recently, the company also expanded its testing base by launching an offer for certain Galaxy devices that make their owners eligible for a free Jio SIM with the same benefits i.e. 3 months of unlimited data, voice calls, and messages.
So, in case you are wondering how to get a Reliance Jio SIM card and use it with your iPhone in India, read below.
How to get Reliance Jio SIM
There are two ways through which you can get your hands on a Reliance Jio SIM. The first one involves buying a Lyf phone, which as mentioned above comes with a Jio SIM bundled.The cheapest Lyf phone from Reliance costs Rs. 3000 ($50), but since the SIM card bundled with the handset is IMEI locked, it cannot be used in other phones. You can, however, create a hotspot and connect your iPhone to it to enjoy the unlimited data.
The second method requires you to have access to a Samsung phone. Reliance is offering a free Jio SIM card with the following Samsung handsets:
- Galaxy S7 edge
- Galaxy S7
- Galaxy Note 5
- Galaxy Note 5 Dual SIM
- Galaxy S6 edge+
- Galaxy S6 edge
- Galaxy S6
- Galaxy Note 4
- Galaxy A5 (2016/15)
- Galaxy A7 (2016/15)
- Galaxy A8
The steps to redeem the SIM card are pretty easy. Install the MyJio app on the handset. When you open it, you will see a Get SIM button on the screen. Tap on it, select your region following which you will get a barcode.
Now, head over to your nearest Reliance Digital/Xpress store with your ID proof like Passport, driving license, and 1 photo. Show them the barcode, submit your documents, sign on the forms, select a Jio number, and you should be good to go. You will have to wait for up to 48 hours for your Jio number to be activated. While the SIM card can be activated from any phone, you must insert it into a Samsung device that is eligible for the offer to activate the unlimited data, calling, and messaging plan. Otherwise, you will only get 2GB of free data and 90 mins of calling for free. While there were hacks to activate this unlimited plan on any phone earlier, they have all been patched by Reliance now.
Using Reliance Jio on an iPhone
Once the SIM card is activated with the unlimited plan, you can insert it in your iPhone and use it without any issues. However, only the following iPhones support the bands and VoLTE on which Reliance Jio works.
- iPhone 6 (Requires operator update)
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6 Plus (Requires operator update)
- iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone SE
On incompatible iPhones, you will likely be able to use data, with voice calls being completely unavailable.
When you first insert the Jio SIM in your iPhone, you will likely receive a provisioning update with the carrier settings. Make sure to install it.
If you do end up getting a Reliance Jio SIM card for your iPhone by following the steps above, do let us know how your experience with it turns out to be.
