The Indian telecom market is on the verge of a revolution thanks to the entry of Reliance Jio 4G. While other major operators like AirTel and Vodafone already offer their 4G services in the country, the network strength and data speeds remain spotty at best with them. Plus, none of the operators have overhauled their backend to offer VoLTE for improved voice calling services.

Reliance Jio, however, is a game-changer in this regard. The company is using the more efficient 700Mhz spectrum to deploy its 4G network in the country, and its backend already supports VoLTE, which gives it a major advantage over other telecom providers in the country right now.

Update: You can now get a Reliance Jio SIM card for free for any 4G smartphone.

Update 2: Reliance Jio commercially launches from September 5th. You can find details about its tariff plans here.

While Reliance Jio has not yet commercially launched in India, it is under an open testing phase in the country. There are currently two ways to use Reliance’s Jio network in India. Buy a Lyf handset from the company that comes with a free Jio SIM card that offers unlimited data, voice calls, and messages for 3 months. Alternatively, the company recently tied up with Samsung to offer free SIM card to owners of certain Galaxy handsets. The SIM card can be obtained for free from any Reliance Digital store after submitting the necessary documents, and entails one to the same benefits: 3 months of unlimited 4G data, voice calls, and SMS. The below Samsung handsets supported under this program:

• 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

How to get free Reliance Jio SIM via your Samsung phone

To get the free Reliance Jio SIM card, you need to first redeem a coupon code using the My Jio app. Open the app, and you will see the following banner at the top of the app along with an ‘Avail offer’ button. Tap the banner to redeem a coupon code.

Now, go to your nearest Reliance Digital/Express store with the coupon code, your ID proof, and a photo. Complete all the paperwork following which you will get a SIM card. The number takes around 48 hours to be activated. You will first receive a message on your alternate number that your application has been received. A few hours after that, you should receive a message saying that your number is ready for tele-verification. Call 1977, enter the verification code, and your number should be activated.

SIM Card is not locked to your Samsung phone

It was initially believed that the free SIM card would only work on Samsung phones, but that is not the case. The SIM card also works on non-Samsung devices, unlike the Jio SIM cards bundled with Reliance’s Lyf handsets that are IMEI locked to the handset. Thus, many customers have been getting the Jio SIM card through their friends and using it on their non-Samsung phone. However, there have been reports that they are only being allotted 2GB of free 4G data.

Many believed that this is because they are not using the SIM card on a compatible Samsung phone, but that is not the case. It is because they have not activated the unlimited data/voice calls offer. Even when using the SIM card on a Samsung device, you will first have to go the steps mentioned below to activate the unlimited data and voice calling offer for 3 months. Many believed that they were only

Step 1: On your Samsung or non-Samsung device, download the My Jio app from the Google Play Store. Make sure that the Jio SIM card is already installed on the phone.

Step 2: Open the app and wait for it to log you in automatically. At the top, you should see a banner saying ‘Enjoy Unlimited data, voice, video and sms’ calls. Tap the banner, and Jio will automatically start downloading and installing apps for you.

Once all the apps — namely, MyJio, JioPlay, JioOnDeamnd, and JioBeats — are installed, you should automatically receive a message from Reliance saying that the unlimited data, calls and message offer has been activated on your number. You can also verify the same from the MyJio app.

You can now use the Jio SIM card on any phone you want that supports VoLTE and has the required LTE bands. Most of the phones launched in India over the last year or two support the required bands and VoLTE, so this should not really be an issue for most users.