I have been using Reliance India Mobile (RIM) for quite sometime now, more than 2 years to be precise. I have used both Postpaid and Prepaid plans. I have used three handsets – Samsung N191, LG RD 5130 and Nokia 6225. So I think I am in a perfect position to write a review on RIM, as I have experienced almost every aspect of it. I will try to simply point out the positives and negatives of RIM in this review.
As I am a very positive person, so I will begin with the positives first!
POSITIVES
(1) VERY LOW MINIMUM MONTHLY COMMITMENT : Both RIM Prepaid and Postpaid offer mobility at a minimum commitment of Rs.150. So if you just want to stay mobile, all you have to spend is Rs.150 per month (which comes out to be Rs.5 per day)! No other service provider offers this. However Hutch and Airtel have recently launched a Recharge Voucher of Rs.200 with a month’s validity. But still 150<200.
(2) UNLIMITED CALLS/SMS OPTIONS AT REASONABLE COST (RIM2RIM): There are recharge vouchers (RCVs) of Rs.440 and 220 which give unlimited talk time to a local RIM for a month and 15 days respectively. There is one SMS top-up card which costs Rs.55 and gives you the facility to send unlimited SMSes to any Reliance phone in the country. This is surely of some use if you have a good number of RIM entries in your phonebook, otherwise it is not a great thing for you.
(3) CONGESTION FREE NETWORK (IN DELHI): I have never faced any network problem during the last 2 years of my using the RIM. A RIM works even in low network areas where GSM phones show no network signal bars. So it is surely the best if you talk about the network.
(4) CHEAP HANDSETS / LOW ENTRY COST : Reliance offers handsets for as low as Rs.1500 (street price). So, it is quite affordable.
You can say that RIM is AAM ADMI KA PHONE.
NEGATIVES
(1) RIM POSTPAID BLUES : Ask anyone using RIM postpaid about their experience, they will simply say “RIM sucks”. It is true. The billing department has to be blamed for that. I have used postpaid plan for about a year or so and I remember that I have never received right bill ever in those 12 odd months. So never go for RIM postpaid even if you are a heavy user. Rs.1100 RCV will be a better option (Rs.849 worth talktime with 60 days validity). But if you are going to use R-Connect (the internet service), then postpaid is a better option.
(2) LIMITED HANDSET OPTIONS : This is the most annoying thing which is tempting me to switch over to a GSM service provider. There are very limited options for Tech Savvy people like me. There is no handset supported by RIM which has BLUETOOTH, GOOD QUALITY VIDEO RECORDER, MP3 PLAYER. These are the most “in” things in cell phone market these days and surely Reliance is lagging behind in this aspect.
(3) CUSTOMER CARE (CC): Don’t ever dare to call *333 (the CC no.). They themselves don’t know about the latest offers and schemes. They even don’t know the features of the RIM supported handsets. They have only one answer for all your queries, “Please visit your nearest Reliance Web World”. The CC is good just for registering your complaints, if any. Don’t hope of getting any type of assistance there.
(4) MOST OF THE FEATURES AVAILABLE FOR ONLY RIM2RIM : There are many features which can be used only for RIM2RIM. For example, if you click a photo on your RIM camera phone, you can not send it to your friend using any other service; you can send MMS to only a RIM. Moreover all of the “UNLIMITED” options are available only for RIM2RIM as mentioned above.
All in all I am quite satisfied with my RIM. All my friends are having different connections, AirTel, Hutch, MTNL, Idea and Tata Indicom. After listening to their experiences, I believe that RIM is still far ahead in AFFORDABILITY and QUALITY in comparison with all other service providers in DELHI.
I would recommend you to go for RIM if:
(1) You just want to use your phone calling and messaging.
(2) You want to control your monthly costs to a minimum level.
(3) You have a good number of contacts who already have RIM.
I would not recommend you to go for RIM if:
(1) Talking is not the only thing that you are going to do with your cell phone. You want to click photos, shoot videos, listen to your favorite mp3’s and share your files with your friends, using your phone.
(2) You can afford a high-tech smart phone (Nokia 6600 is the entry level smart phone available at a street price of Rs.12K).
Here I end my review and I request you to continue the discussion in the comments section.
Your comments and ratings are welcome!