Highlights
- JioBook has TikTok and other govt-banned apps, as per a YouTube video.
- A simple scroll on the JioBook store could take you to adult apps.
- Separately, JioBook specifications are also revealed in the teardown video.
Reliance JioBook 2023 model was launched about a month ago at Rs 16,499, but the online chatter around the device on forums like Reddit hasn’t been all that positive. Making things even more disconcerting is a teardown video. The YouTuber claims the Reliance-made laptop’s JioBook app store has over 18 adult apps and more than 50 banned apps by the government, including TikTok.
These apps were banned by the Indian government in 2021 due to their potential threat to national security and their link to China. Even though Jio gives a disclaimer on the apps, it hasn’t made a targeted statement on the issue yet.
JioBook 2 teardown video
- The video, by A2D Channel in Tamil, starts off with the YouTuber disclosing that he has bought the laptop and that it looks better than its predecessor.
- Upon booting the laptop, he suggests Jio could have stowed in ChromeOS instead of this Android fork called JioOS 1.0. This is because he finds the built-in app store has the Chinese language learning app Mandarin Matrix, apps banned by the Indian government (including TikTok), and several 18+ adult apps. He shows that one doesn’t have to search for these apps as they come up with a simple scroll.
- Jio excuses itself with a disclaimer line on the store, which reads, “The additional apps are not hosted on JioStore and are made available through third-party store. Jio doesn’t take any responsibility or liability for the apps“.
- To this, he argues the company could have at least filtered the apps posted by the so-called third-party store.
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- Moreover, since Jio hasn’t licensed Google Mobile Services, you don’t get Google Play Store on the JioBook. So, you are left with this in-built app store only.
- Finally, as the YouTuber correctly emphasizes, this is concerning because JioBook is an affordable laptop primarily aimed at students and you don’t want them to encounter such apps.
- Besides the software issues, from the laptop teardown, we also learn the new JioBook has a MediaTek 8788V chipset (vs a Snapdragon 665 on JioBook 1), 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC storage, USB 2.0 ports, and 4,000mAh battery (while the former had a 5,000mAh cell). He attributes a smaller battery to the JioBook 2’s lighter weight.
