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Bharti Airtel Manages to Beat Jio in ARPU Front, Reports Rs 157 ARPU
Microsoft Unveils Family Safety App for iOS and Android with Content Filters
Bharti Airtel Offering 100% More Data on Purchase of Redmi Note 9 and Redmi Note 9 Pro Max
Lowest Monthly Internet Plans by Broadband Service Providers Detailed
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick to Launch in India on August 5
Aamazfit Bip S Lite Launched in India With 30 Day Battery Life for Rs 3,799
Indian Government Receives 6940 Entries for Aatma Nirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge
Government Might Slash 5G Base Price to Aid Telecom Operators
Poco M2 Pro Review: Riding on Fast Charging and Ad-Free Experience
Internet Speeds in Tier 2 Cities were “Most Affected” During Lockdown
Bharti Airtel Focused on Adding High Value Customers
OnePlus Nord Pre-Orders Begin in India
BSNL Expands 200 Mbps Plan to Additional Cities in India

Bharti Airtel Manages to Beat Jio in ARPU Front, Reports Rs 157 ARPU

Posted: 29 Jul 2020 09:58 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/bharti-airtel-manages-beat-jio-arpu-rs157/285995/, Bharti Airtel Manages to Beat Jio in ARPU Front, Reports Rs 157 ARPU

bharti-airtel-manages-beat-jio-arpu-rs157

Bharti Airtel, pursuant to Regulation 30 of SEBI Regulations, 2015, has released the first quarter's (April 1, 2020 – June 30, 2020) financial report. The report reflects some staggering numbers. First of all, across 16 countries, Bharti Airtel has a standing customer base of 420 million users. Total revenues of the company stand at Rs 23,939 crore which is up by 15.4% YoY. EBITDA margin of the company stands at 44.4% with Rs 10,639 crore which is up by 25.3% YoY. One of the key reflections of the report is Bharti Airtel's digital business. As per the report, 60% of Airtel's entire business is done through digital channels which lies within the vision of the company.

155 Million Monthly Active Users Across Airtel Thanks and Other Digital Platforms

Vittal Goyal shared that Airtel saw 155 million monthly active users across Airtel Thanks, Xstream, Wynk, and the company's digital payment platform. Airtel is partnering up with different businesses all over the world to bring their customers cutting edge mobile network and other digital products experience. Much recently the telco partnered up with Verizon and has announced BlueJeans which is a video calling app.

Mobile revenues for Airtel grew by 18.5% YoY. This is simply because the telco could increase the average revenue per customer (ARPU) from Rs 129 on Q1'20 compared to Rs 157 on Q1'21. Bharti Airtel saw an increase in the number of 4G customers from 95.2 million to 138.3 million implying a growth rate of 45.3% in the corresponding quarter of the year.

Digital TV, the DTH business of Bharti Airtel saw a growth in revenue by 9.3% YoY on an underlying basis. The new tariff order which was rolled out has also helped the telco in increasing its revenues and market share. There is an NCF (Network Carriage Fees) charge that has been added under the new tariff order.

Digital part of the telco's business is booming with over 1.1 million retailers in the country making payments and transacting through the Mitra app every day. The Airtel Thanks app has seen many upgrades and it is now available in over 11 languages.

Original article: Bharti Airtel Manages to Beat Jio in ARPU Front, Reports Rs 157 ARPU

Microsoft Unveils Family Safety App for iOS and Android with Content Filters

Posted: 29 Jul 2020 08:30 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/microsoft-family-safety-app-launched/285963/, Microsoft Unveils Family Safety App for iOS and Android with Content Filters

Microsoft on Tuesday announced the launch of its Microsoft Family Safety app for iOS and Android platforms. The company said that the Family Safety app is designed to aid users in protecting their family's digital and physical safety. The app offers weekly digital activity reports along with enabling users to limit screen time for certain activities. Further, the company said that the users can set web and search filters on the Family Safety app while also enabling purchase request emails to avoid bill shocks. Crucially, the Microsoft Family Safety app also offers location sharing that enables users to view the last known location of the family members.

Microsoft Family Safety App Features Weekly Report, Web Filters

The company said that the weekly digital activity report would be emailed to both parents and kids. The report is said to contain total screen time, followed by individual screen time of apps and games along with the section for most visited websites during the week.

The app also enables parents to limit screen time for certain apps and games with the parents having an option to limit the screen time on weekdays, weekends or every single day.

"These limits give my kids the flexibility to be on their devices more for learning but help keep them focused by limiting the amount of time they can spend on other apps and games," Liat Ben-Zur, corporate vice president, Modern Life, Search and Devices, said in a release.

The web and search filters are said to aid parents in blocking adult content while also enabling the browsing to kid-friendly websites with either allowed list or blocked websites list.

The purchase request email is said to offer parents a chance to approve or reject purchase requests from kids on app store purchases.

Family Safety App Focuses on Physical Safety Along with Digital Safety

The company highlighted that the Family Safety app enables users to stay connected in the physical world as well as the digital world. The app is said to aid users to save locations such as home while also offering users to view the last known locations of family members "at a glance."

The company also said that the family location data "will not be sold or shared with insurance companies or data brokers."

Several elements of the Family Safety app such as screen time limits and web filters are said to work well within the Microsoft ecosystem such as Microsoft Edge browser, Windows and Xbox. The purchase request is also said to work only with the Microsoft Stores and Xbox.

While the content filter currently works with Android devices in addition to Microsoft devices, the company said that it is "in the process of working to bring digital safety features to iOS."

Further, the company said that two premium features will be introduced “in the coming months” as part of the Microsoft 365 Family subscription including "drive safety" and location alerts.

The drive safety feature is said to offer insights into driving behavior in select countries such as the US, UK, Australia and Canada.

Meanwhile, the location alert is said to offer notifications to users when a family member arrives or leaves a specific location.

It has to be noted that the Microsoft Family Safety app competes with the built-in apps of Apple and Google with the latter also releasing a standalone app on Google Play and App Store.

Original article: Microsoft Unveils Family Safety App for iOS and Android with Content Filters

Bharti Airtel Offering 100% More Data on Purchase of Redmi Note 9 and Redmi Note 9 Pro Max

Posted: 29 Jul 2020 07:31 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/airtel-data-benefit-redmi-note-9/285865/, Bharti Airtel Offering 100% More Data on Purchase of Redmi Note 9 and Redmi Note 9 Pro Max

Bharti Airtel is offering its customers 100% more data with their plans meaning double data per day if they purchase the Redmi Note 9 or Redmi Note 9 Pro Max. Redmi Note 9 Pro Max has launched in India and it is selling on Amazon from 12 PM today. Customers who purchase any variant of the smartphone are eligible for getting double data every day on Airtel Plans. But it is not every plan that is going to offer 100% more data. Airtel is offering two plans with 100% more data on purchase of these smartphones — Rs 298 and Rs 398 prepaid plans.

Double Data on Rs 298 and Rs 398 Prepaid Plan

The Rs 298 plan comes with 2GB data per day and 28 days validity, but with the offer applied, it will become 4GB data per day for 28 days. Coming to the Rs 398 plan, it comes with 3GB data per day and 28 days validity, but with the offer applied, you will get 6GB data per day. Along with that, there is unlimited calling and Airtel Thanks Benefits included.

This offer is only applicable for the first 10 recharges or for the first 10 months, whichever is earlier. The customer will be eligible for the offer after 48 hours from the insertion of SIM on the Redmi Note 9/Redmi Note 9 Pro Max. All the customers who purchase the smartphone between the period March 15, 2020, and December 31, 2020, are eligible to avail benefits of this offer.

The offer can be eligible only when the SIM is used on the Redmi Note 9/Redmi Note 9 Pro Max handsets. Per handset, the offer can be claimed only once. But just to clarify, per handset, the customer can recharge 10 times with this offer or recharge in the first 10 months to get the benefit.

Redmi Note 9 Pro Max to Go on Sale Today: Specifications

The much-awaited Redmi Note 9 Pro Max is finally on sale from 12 PM today. You can buy it from amazon.in. It comes with a quad-camera setup with a 64MP primary lens. Powering the smartphone is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G. The device will be available in three variants — 6GB+64GB priced at Rs 16,999, 6GB+128GB priced at Rs 18,499, and 8GB+128GB priced at Rs 19,999.

Original article: Bharti Airtel Offering 100% More Data on Purchase of Redmi Note 9 and Redmi Note 9 Pro Max

Lowest Monthly Internet Plans by Broadband Service Providers Detailed

Posted: 29 Jul 2020 06:12 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/lowest-monthly-internet-plans-broadband-operators/285947/, Lowest Monthly Internet Plans by Broadband Service Providers Detailed

Broadband connection has become one of the most important aspects of our lives, especially at difficult times. Since the deadly Coronavirus has forced everyone to stay at home, work from home has become the new normal. Almost all big companies have announced work from home to ensure the safety of their workforce. As people are staying at homes, they are relying on an active internet connection to cater to their work and entertainment needs. There are multiple internet service providers in the market which offers affordable and cheap internet plans with high-speed data and various OTT benefits. As there are multiple offerings listed by the broadband service providers, we have detailed all the cheapest broadband plans by the renowned broadband service providers in India. Here are all the broadband plans which will offer the best benefits without burning your pockets.

Airtel Xtreme Fiber Lowest Monthly Plan

Bharti Airtel has developed an extensive catalogue of high-speed broadband plans to cater to the work and entertainment needs of its subscribers. The cheapest broadband plan of Airtel Xstream Fibre is priced at Rs 799. In the broadband plan, users get up to 100 Mbps internet speed till 150GB data. Apart from this, the plan comes with unlimited local and STD calls across India. The company also offers complimentary access to Airtel Thanks Services in the Basic plan.

JioFiber Lowest Monthly Plan

JioFiber also offers high-speed internet plans. However, all the broadband plans offered by the company comes with limited data. The lowest monthly plan of JioFiber is dubbed Bronze, and it offers 100 Mpbs high-speed internet up to 350GB. Once the high-speed data limit is over, users get 1 Mpbs internet speed. The company also offers 100GB additional data benefit to all the users who are selecting the bronze pack. Apart from this, Reliance Jio also offers unlimited voice calls along with complimentary subscription of JioCinema and JioSaavn. Users who opt for an annual subscription of JioFiber Bronze further gets additional 100GB optional bonus data.

ACT Fibernet Lowest Monthly Plan

Atria Convergence Technologies (ACT) has various high-speed data plans which cater to the needs of both low and heavy broadband users. ACT Fibernet plans vary as per the city. As of Bengaluru circle, ACT Swift is the cheapest plan which is priced at Rs 710 per month. Under the plan, ACT offers 40 Mbps internet speed up to 200GB. Once the data limit is over, internet-speed reduces to 512Kbps. There are no additional benefits offered by the company in Swift plan.

BSNL FTTH Lowest Monthly Plan

BSNL is one of the largest wired broadband service provider in India. The state-owned broadband provider offers various plans with 100Mbps internet speed. BSNL Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) plans offer various other benefits apart from a high-speed internet connection. Also, FTTH broadband plans vary as per the city. As of Andhra Pradesh circle, the cheapest broadband plans of BSNL FTTH is priced at Rs 430 per month. The plan offers 30 Mpbs internet speed up to 150GB data. Once the FUP is over, users get a speed of 2 Mbps. Apart from this, users also get unlimited data download along with unlimited local and STD calls.

We have covered all the lowest fibre technology-based broadband plans by leading broadband service providers Airtel, Jio, ACT and BSNL. All the readers must note that the lowest broadband plans will vary as per the city. The plans by ACT and BSNL has been listed from the Bengaluru and Andhra Pradesh circle respectively.

Original article: Lowest Monthly Internet Plans by Broadband Service Providers Detailed

Xiaomi Mi TV Stick to Launch in India on August 5

Posted: 29 Jul 2020 05:18 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/xiaomi-mi-tv-stick-india/285933/, Xiaomi Mi TV Stick to Launch in India on August 5

Xiaomi has teased the launch Mi TV Stick in India. The company has posted the teaser of Mi TV Stick on its social media handle and stated the device is coming to the Indian market on August 5, 2020. Earlier, Xiaomi launched the Mi Box 4K in India as the most affordable way to enjoy Android TV without actually purchasing a new Android TV. Now, Mi TV Stick will be a more accessible device which will directly compete with Amazon Fire TV Stick. Mi TV Stick has already been launched in the European market back in June.

Xiaomi Mi TV Stick: Features and Specifications

Since the Mi TV Stick has been launched in Europe, the features and specifications of the device are available on the internet. The Xiaomi Mi TV Stick is 92.4mm long and just weighs 30gram. Mi TV Stick is capable of streaming content in Full HD+(1920X1080 pixels) at 60fps. The device runs on Android TV Pie 9. For connectivity, the Mi TV Stick needs flatscreen TV with a USB port. Under the veil, Mi TV Stick has lesser 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage.

Further, Mi TV Stick comes with a remote that supports voice control through Google Assistant as well as Chromecast for use with supported devices. The Google Play Store for Android TV is available on the device, which will allow the users to download over 5,000 apps listed in the platform. Mi TV Stick will allow the users to directly stream content from various OTT platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+Hotstar, Zee5 and many more.

Xiaomi Mi TV Stick: Expected Price and Availablity

The Xiaomi Mi TV Stick is priced at EUR 39.99 (roughly Rs 3,500) in the European market. However, it is expected that Mi TV Stick will be priced lower in the Indian market as the earlier offering by Xiaomi, which is Mi Box 4K is priced at Rs 3,499. As of availability, Mi TV Stick will be launched on August 5, 2020.

Original article: Xiaomi Mi TV Stick to Launch in India on August 5

Aamazfit Bip S Lite Launched in India With 30 Day Battery Life for Rs 3,799

Posted: 29 Jul 2020 04:20 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/amazfit-bip-s-lite-india-price/285900/, Aamazfit Bip S Lite Launched in India With 30 Day Battery Life for Rs 3,799

Amazfit Bip S was launched in India back in June. Huami is a Chinese manufacturer which makes this watch. Now the company is back in India with its latest offering, the Amazfit Bip S Lite. Since it is Lite version, it looks very much like the Amazfit Bip S. There is the same 1.28-inch transflective color TFT display in the watch. It comes with a resolution of 176 x 176 pixels and on top is the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to protect it from damages such as scratches. Let's take a look at the specifications and price of the smartwatch.

Amazfit Bip S Lite: Specifications and Features

First of all, it is very lightweight so it won't feel like a burden on your hands. The body of the watch weighs 18g (without the strap) and with the strap, it will go to a maximum of 30g. A good thing is that you can even wear it while running as it is sweat proof and waterproof so no need to worry about rain as well. It is 5ATM certified which means it can survive in the water to a depth of up to 50 meters for about 10 minutes.

The display screen has 64 RGB color gamut support and also has an anti-fingerprint coating. It is 1.28-inches in size. The Amazfit Bip S Lite comes with an always-on display. There are two sensors inside the smartwatch. First one is BioTracker PPG Bio-Tracking Optical Sensor and the second one is 3-axis acceleration sensor.

The Amazfit Bip S Lite has Bluetooth 5.0 support. There is a 200mAh battery inside which can last up to 30 days without charging. For a full charge, it will take only 2.5 hours. All the Android 5.0 and above devices along with iOS 10 devices can support the watch.

Amazfit Bip S Lite: Price and Availability

The Amazfit Bip S Lite is launched in India for a price of Rs 3,799. To purchase it, customers can go to the flash sale going on Flipkart and the website of Amazfit. The smartwatch is available in three colours — blue, black, and pink. There will be another flash sale which will take place on August 3rd at 12 PM and the product will go on open sale from August 8, 8 PM IST.

Original article: Aamazfit Bip S Lite Launched in India With 30 Day Battery Life for Rs 3,799

Indian Government Receives 6940 Entries for Aatma Nirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge

Posted: 29 Jul 2020 03:30 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/aatma-nirbhar-bharat-app-entries/285916/, Indian Government Receives 6940 Entries for Aatma Nirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge

The Indian government on Monday said that a total of 6940 entries were submitted to the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge across eight categories. The Aatma Nirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge was launched by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 4, designed to develop and promote Indian apps. In a separate post on LinkedIn on July 4, the Indian PM said that the Indian PM said that the challenge would run on two tracks. The first track is said to focus on the promotion of existing apps while the second track is said to focus on the development of new apps. Further, Modi highlighted that the promotion of existing apps would be in the categories like e-learning, Work-from-Home solutions, gaming, business, entertainment and social networking. The second track is said to be intended to encourage the developers to create new apps. Modi said that the government will provide "support in ideation, incubation, prototyping and roll out along with market access."

Government Receives 6940 Entries Across Eight Categories

The Indian government had initially set a deadline of July 18 which was later extended to July 26 for the submission of entries under the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge.

In a release on Monday, the government said that it received 3939 entries from individuals and 3001 entries from organisations and companies. Further, the government said that the 1757 entries off the 3939 entries from individuals are "ready to use" apps while the rest are said to be under development. Similarly, the government said that 1742 entries off the 3001 entries as submitted by the organizations and companies "have been deployed" while the rest are under development.

The government also provided a category wise breakup of the apps submitted by the individuals and the companies. It was said that 1142 apps were under the business segment while 901 entries were submitted under the health and wellness segment. Further, the e-learning and social networking app segment is said to have received 1062 and 1155 entries respectively. The government also said that the games and the Work from Home categories received 326 and 662 entries respectively while the news and entertainment section received 237 and 320 entries respectively. Crucially, 1135 apps are said to have been submitted under the "others" category.

89 Apps Have Million Plus Downloads

The government also said that 89 apps submitted under the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge have million plus downloads while 271 apps have more than 100,000 downloads.

"This shows the talent that exists in our country and this App Innovation Challenge is the right opportunity for Indian Tech Developers, Entrepreneurs and companies to build for India at a scale, that is unparalleled anywhere in the World," the government said in a release.

The screening committees appointed by the government are already said to have begun scrutinizing the apps on various parameters.

The evaluation parameters are said to include ease of use, robustness, security features and scalability. The government in a dedicated page for Aatma Nirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge said that the selection of apps will be a two stage process. The first stage is said to involve the screening of eligible entries while the second stage is said to be "evaluation by jury with actual demo."

"The true challenge will be to identify the Apps that are robust, scalable, secure with an easy to use interface and give users an experience that will make them come back to the App," the government said in a release. "The AatmaNirbhar Bharat App ecosystem has the potential to unlock value for the Indian tech Startups and help them get a pie of the multi trillion-dollar App Economy."

The government also highlighted that the top three companies with maximum downloads of apps have a market cap close to US$2 trillion and "are growing very fast."

"This tremendous participation is a sign that, for India its time to UPLOAD the apps now," Electronics and Information Technology minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a tweet.

The government is expected to announce the selected entries on August 7, 2020. The first prize, second prize and third prize in each of the eight categories will receive 20 lakhs, 15 lakhs and 10 lakhs respectively.

Original article: Indian Government Receives 6940 Entries for Aatma Nirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge

Government Might Slash 5G Base Price to Aid Telecom Operators

Posted: 29 Jul 2020 02:11 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/government-5g-base-price-slashing/285875/, Government Might Slash 5G Base Price to Aid Telecom Operators

The Government of India might slash the base price of the 5G spectrum to relief the telecom operators if they pay more money and equip telecom gears from non-Chinese vendors. All the telecom operators have already addressed that base price of Rs 492 crore per MHz for 5G spectrum is exorbitant. Also, telco giant Bharti Airtel has marked that it will not participate in the 5G auction with the base prices fixed by Trai as it is the most exorbitant in the world. As reported by ET Telecom, the government is aware of the increased network deployment costs in the absence of Chinese telecom gear makers Huawei and ZTE. Thus, to decrease the pressure from telecom operators, the government is planning to reconsider the base price of the 5G spectrum.

4G Spectrum Auction Might Happen in October-November

As per government officials, Digital Communications Commission (DCC) has accepted the base price of the 4G spectrum fixed by Trai. However, the pricing of the 5G spectrum is still under consideration. The 4G spectrum auction might happen in October-November. As of 5G auction, it is expected that the auction might not happen this year. Since the government has not decided the auction date, it can lower the 5G prices to ensure better competition in the auction.

Deployment Cost will be Increased by 15-20%

The government has already barred Chinese telecom gear makers from supplying equipment to state-owned telcos BSNL and MTNL. Also, private telcos are slowly shifting attention towards non-Chinese telecom gear vendors like Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung. However, Chinese companies have offered the lowest rates for telecom equipment. Now, the dependency on non-Chinese telecom vendors will increase the network deployment costs by 15-20%, and the burden will be on industrial and retail customers.

Reliance Jio is Awaiting Confirmation for 5G Trials

Reliance Jio has developed its own 5G technology which is ready for 5G trials. However, the largest telecom operator of India is waiting for 5G spectrum for starting the trials. Earlier the telco proposed a tie-up with Samsung for trials. But the telco has decided to go solo for trials with its own developed technology.

Original article: Government Might Slash 5G Base Price to Aid Telecom Operators

Poco M2 Pro Review: Riding on Fast Charging and Ad-Free Experience

Posted: 29 Jul 2020 01:29 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/poco-m2-pro-review-india/284303/, Poco M2 Pro Review: Riding on Fast Charging and Ad-Free Experience

Poco is becoming a familiar brand to a lot of people now. The smartphone manufacturer started selling products under the Xiaomi brand a couple of years ago. But, Poco separated from Xiaomi earlier this year to become an 'independent brand'. While it became a separate brand, it still uses the MIUI software of Xiaomi and also uses Xiaomi's service and distribution channels. In the past, Poco has come out with smartphones which have been rebranded versions of Xiaomi devices. To no one's surprise, the Poco M2 Pro also feels like a rebranded version of Redmi Note 9 Pro. But there are certain tweaks which help the smartphone to stand out from the Redmi Note 9 Pro. Keep reading ahead to get our complete review of the Poco M2 Pro.

Poco M2 Pro Review: Design and Display

Design is one of the biggest contributing factors in making a product successful. If you look at the design of Poco M2 Pro, you will find that it stands out from the rest of the smartphones in the market. Particularly for Android devices, almost every smartphone manufacturer is coming out with similar designs. To give the M2 Pro a design which stands out, Poco has cleverly come with unique layout for the camera and the body on the rear side.

The rear of the Poco M2 Pro comes with a glass body which is very flashy. It is susceptible to picking up fingerprints very easily. So you might want to use the free transparent cover which comes inside the retail box of the Poco M2 Pro. There is no fingerprint scanner in the back and you will only find the quad-camera module. The fingerprint scanner has been shifted to the side of the smartphone, just like Poco did with its Poco X2 device. The fingerprint scanner is quite fast in responding. It has a very good feel to it and will fit on your hands very smoothly. The phone measures 8.8mm thick and weighs 209 grams. The phone feels solid when taken into the hands, thanks to the glass back. But at the same time, it is on the heavier side. Poco has done a decent job in distributing the weight evenly.

On the front of the phone is a 6.67-inch Full HD+ display with a resolution 2400 x 1080 pixels, 20:9 aspect ratio and 395 PPI. There’s a punch-hole on the top centre of the display, similar to the Redmi Note 9 Pro. The panel itself is great for a mid-range smartphone as it offers decent viewing angles and it is also great for watching videos from OTT platforms. The display and the back panel is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5 technology. And yes, there’s no support for a high refresh rate.

Poco M2 Pro Review: Performance and Software

Since the Poco M2 Pro is a mid-range smartphone, it is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G chipset. It comes in three variants- 4GB+64GB, 6GB+64GB and 6GB+128GB. We have already seen the chipset in several phones like the Redmi Note 9 Pro, Redmi Note 9 Pro Max and the Realme 6 Pro. So we are not entirely new to the chipset. When I started using the Poco M2 Pro, the user experience wasn’t up to the mark. However, just a couple of days ago, the phone received an OTA update which added June 2020 security patches and also optimised the stability.

The phone now performs on par with the Redmi Note 9 Pro devices. The Snapdragon 720G is great for handling day-to-day tasks and switching between multiple apps was a breeze as well. As for gaming, it is quite decent. When you play lighter games, you won't feel in any way that it is not a flagship device. But only when you go for heavy games such as Asphalt 8 or Asphalt 9, you start to feel that the device slows down slightly. But for all the other activities and small apps such as WhatsApp or any other social media apps or calling apps run very smoothly on the device.

The phone runs MIUI 11 for Poco based on Android 10 out of the box. During my usage, it received a minor OTA update which refined the overall stability. The software experience is very similar to what we saw on Xiaomi phones, except for a couple of changes. There are no ads inside MIUI 11 for Poco on the Poco M2 Pro and it offers Poco Launcher as a default option. Several Xiaomi phones in this price segment are riddled with ads, but that isn’t the case with the Poco M2 Pro, or any other Poco smartphone launched till date. As for the features of MIUI 11, there’s Dark Mode, Mi Mover app, Reading Mode, Themes, Game Turbo, Quick Replies, Second Space and Video toolbox.

Poco M2 Pro Review: Cameras

The Poco M2 Pro comes with a quad-camera setup on the back. There is a 48MP primary sensor in the camera setup which is paired with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, 2MP depth sensor and a 5MP macro lens. Now we didn't expect the camera of the M2 Pro to be the best in the market given its price. A decent performance was expected and it was delivered. The primary sensor used on the M2 Pro is the Samsung ISOCELL GM2, just like the Redmi Note 9 Pro. On the front, there’s a 16MP sensor and it offers features like AI Portrait Mode, AI Detection for ten different scenes, Face Recognition and Front HDR.

Click to view slideshow.

The camera is able to pick good details of the subject while clicking in daylight. But what really stands out about the camera is its Pro Colour mode. This mode is very much similar to that of Realme's Chroma Boost. But one place where Poco M2 Pro doesn't deliver as per out expectations is with its macro camera. Apart from that, even its wide-angle sensor gives really good details of the subject. Along with that, the Night Mode in the camera could have been slightly better as well.

Poco M2 Pro Review: Battery Life

Battery is another important thing that you have to consider while purchasing a smartphone. The average time for the use of a smartphone has risen drastically in the past few years. Without a good battery backup, a smartphone is useless. The Poco M2 Pro comes with a 5000mAh battery. So it is built to last. You will be able to run the smartphone for more than a day with one single complete charge.

Along with the massive battery, it also comes with a 33W fast-charging support and it is just a bonus. So in just a little more time than an hour, you can completely charge your smartphone's battery. The M2 Pro is the only smartphone under Rs 15,000 to offer 33W fast charging support.

Poco M2 Pro Review: Price and Verdict

The Poco M2 Pro in India retails at a starting price of Rs 13,999. The phone will be available in three configurations- 4GB+64GB at Rs 13,999, 6GB+64GB at Rs 14,999 and Rs 6GB+128GB at Rs 16,999. For the asking price, the Poco M2 Pro delivers great value, however, we would have seen some more features like the 90Hz screen and 64MP primary sensor on the back.

While the Poco M2 Pro is a great mid-range smartphone, we should admit that it is rebranded version of the Redmi Note 9 Pro with some tweaks. This is something Poco should change at the earliest. The Poco F1 is the company’s only smartphone which it built from scratch. The Poco X2 launched earlier this year was a rebranded Redmi K30 4G, while its most recent flagship offering in the global markets- the Poco F2 Pro is a rebranded Redmi K30 Pro.

The Redmi K30 4G never made its way to the Indian market, so the Poco X2 felt refreshing, thanks to some unique features like 120Hz display and Snapdragon 730G SoC. The Poco F2 Pro might reach the Indian market sometime in August once the cost of Snapdragon 865 SoC comes down and we might not see the Redmi K30 Pro coming to India this year.

So the Poco X2 made sense, but that’s not the case with the Poco M2 Pro since Xiaomi has been selling the Redmi Note 9 Pro devices for a while now in India. There’s no doubt that Poco made some changes to the M2 Pro like adding 33W fast charging and also priced it competitively. And we are not saying that the M2 Pro is a bad smartphone; It is indeed a better smartphone than the Redmi Note 9 Pro itself. However, the entire rebranding scenario will only decrease the brand value of Poco in the country. It is also said that there’s a new Poco C3 smartphone in the pipeline which again is said to be a rebranded version of Redmi 9C. So we are really excited to see how Poco changes this scenario.

The next sale of the Poco M2 Pro is scheduled for July 30 (tomorrow). It will be available via Flipkart at 12 PM.

Original article: Poco M2 Pro Review: Riding on Fast Charging and Ad-Free Experience

Internet Speeds in Tier 2 Cities were “Most Affected” During Lockdown

Posted: 29 Jul 2020 12:22 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/internet-speeds-tier-2-cities-decrease/285869/, Internet Speeds in Tier 2 Cities were “Most Affected” During Lockdown

The mobile internet users across India witnessed a dip in download speeds during the initial phases of the COVID-19 lockdown, Opensignal said in a report. The company engaged in the mobile network analytics said that the dip in the mobile internet speeds was more prominent in Tier 2 cities as compared to Tier 1 cities. However, Opensignal said that the easing of the lockdown restrictions has resulted in an noticeable improvement in the download speeds especially for the users in Tier 1 cities. The company said that it analyzed the Download Speed Experience as observed by the Indian smartphone users in the last five months "to understand how their mobile network experience changed during COVID-19" lockdown. The five month period is said to be between January 27 to July 12 with Opensignal analyzing the Download Speed Experience of Indian users over 23 weeks.

Tier 2 Networks Not Designed to Handle Higher Loads

Opensignal said that its users in most cities across India experienced similar download speeds during the first seven weeks of its analysis. However, the company said that its users observed a "significant change" since the week of March 16, when the government introduced the one day lockdown dubbed as Janta Curfew.

"In the following three weeks when a strict countrywide lockdown was imposed, we recorded a sharp decline in overall download speeds, suggesting congestion on mobile networks," Opensignal said in the report.

The company said that the mobile internet users in Tier 1 cities witnessed a 16% decline in download speeds during the first phase of lockdown ending in the second week of April. Further, Opensignal said that the users in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities witnessed a 25% and 23% decline in download speeds respectively.

Solapur, Ludhiana, Nashik, Surat and Ahmedabad were the Tier 2 cities said to have witnessed a 35% decline in average download speeds in the first phase of lockdown as compared to pre-lockdown levels.

In the second phase of the lockdown between April 13 to May 3, Opensignal said that the Indian users continued to witness "significantly lower" download speeds as compared to pre-lockdown levels. However, Opensignal said that the download speeds "gradually improved over time."

The company said that the download speeds returned to pre-lockdown levels in a majority of cities during the third phase of lockdown between May 4 to May 17.

"The lockdown has also led to a mass migration of India's interstate migrant workers from cities to their hometowns in suburban or rural areas, which means users may be spending more time in parts of the country where operators originally may have not designed network infrastructure to manage large traffic loads," Opensignal said in the report.

Normalcy Returns During Fourth Phase of Lockdown

The company said that download speeds displayed different patterns across Tier 1 cities with Bengaluru and Chennai not witnessing any "significant decrease" in download speeds. However, Opensignal said that the mobile internet users in Pune witnessed a decline of 6.9% to 12.5% in the download speeds during the first phase of the lockdown. The download speeds in several other Tier 1 cities is also tipped to have returned to normal levels in the second phase of the lockdown.

Further, Opensignal also said that the download speeds in the majority of cities across India returned to normal levels towards the end of the fourth phase of the lockdown. The company said that the download speeds showed "no significant difference" from the pre-lockdown levels in the majority of the cities towards the end of the fourth phase of lockdown between May 18 to May 31.

The users in several cities across India are said to have witnessed "significantly faster download speeds" from July 1 as the government of India announced the Unlock 2.0.

"This pattern appeared earlier in Tier 1 cities, where there was a more pronounced improvement in download speeds," Opensignal said.

The company said that its users in Delhi witnessed the "greatest improvement" in the download speeds by 38.1% during the last week of its analysis ending July 12. Further, the Opensignal users in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ghaziabad and Chennai are said to have witnessed 33.5%, 33.1, 32.4% and 30.4% improvement in download speeds during the week ending July 12. However, Opensignal said that the mobile internet users in Dhanbad, Kanpur, Solapur and Thiruvananthapuram continue to witness lower download speeds even post the relaxation of the lockdown.

Unlike the Tier 1 cities, Opensignal said that the download speeds in Tier 2 cities haven't registered a "significant improvement" even after the government relaxations in the lockdown.

Original article: Internet Speeds in Tier 2 Cities were “Most Affected” During Lockdown

Bharti Airtel Focused on Adding High Value Customers

Posted: 28 Jul 2020 11:34 PM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/airtel-high-value-customer-addition/285844/, Bharti Airtel Focused on Adding High Value Customers

Bharti Airtel stands at second place in the telecom services market in India. Even though Reliance Jio is ahead of Airtel in terms of subscriber base, Airtel is ahead of Jio in providing higher bandwidth. Bharti Airtel offers quite expensive plans compared to Jio, but then it has its reasons. The telco wants to acquire high-value customers and keep on retaining them by providing high-quality services. Chief Executive Officer of Bharti Airtel, Gopal Vittal said that the company is focused on acquiring high-value customers especially in the micro-markets of the country.

Bharti Airtel Focusing on Providing Digital Services

Mittal noted that the last quarter of the year was very challenging both for the financial and health wellbeing of society. He said that telecom services are really important in fueling the economy of the country. Airtel is focusing a lot on its digital services at the moment.

As per a report from ET Telecom, Vittal shared that the tariff hike that took place back in December has had a great deal of impact on the company in a good way. The tariff hike just proved how high quality and resilient customers of the telco are.

During the year, Bharti Airtel added 50 million new 4G customers. Along with that average revenue per customer (ARPU) also increased from Rs 123 to Rs 154. Not only with the mobile connections, but Bharti Airtel also witnessed a strong addition of customers in its DTH and Broadband services.

To grow their business even further and provide customers with a full service, Vittal said that the telco will be leveraging its One Airtel proposition. As for the enterprise side of the business, Airtel will keep building and strengthening its relationship with other businesses to ensure that their data remains safe and secure.

Vittal shared that one of the goals of Bharti Airtel right now is to expand into rural areas of the country as well. Airtel right has over 280 million mobile customers right now. With that, more than 150 million customers are now using Airtel Thanks, Wynk Music, and Xstream apps.

Original article: Bharti Airtel Focused on Adding High Value Customers

OnePlus Nord Pre-Orders Begin in India

Posted: 28 Jul 2020 09:49 PM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/oneplus-nord-pre-orders-india/285774/, OnePlus Nord Pre-Orders Begin in India

OnePlus launched the most anticipated smartphone of the year, the OnePlus Nord on July 21 this month. It comes with a quad-camera setup and dual punch-hole cameras on the front. The company announced that the smartphone's two variants with 8GB+128GB and 12GB+256GB will go on sale from August 4. But the pre-orders for both the variants of the smartphone are live from today. If you want to pre-order one for yourself or your loved ones, then you can do so by going to Amazon.in. Let's take a look at what the price of each variant is.

OnePlus Nord Price

The OnePlus Nord has been launched in three different variants and they come at three different prices. The base model with 6GB+ 64GB is priced at 24,999. But the base variant is slated to start selling in September. The two variants which are up for selling right now are 8GB+128GB and 12GB+256GB. The 8GB+128GB variant is priced at Rs 27,999 and the 12GB+256GB variant is priced at Rs 29,999. Both these variants will start shipping from August 4. You can pre-book your OnePlus Nord device so that it doesn't run out of stock by August 4.

OnePlus Nord Specifications

The OnePlus Nord has a 6.44-inch Full HD+ (1080 x 2400 pixels) Fluid AMOLED display. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G SoC which is capable of supporting 5G connectivity. The chipset is paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR4x RAM. As for the storage, depending on the variant you choose, it can go up to 256GB. There is a 4115mAh battery inside the smartphone which can support Warp Charge 30T so your smartphone will charge quite quickly.

Coming to the camera department of the smartphone, there is a quad-camera setup at the rear with the primary sensor being a 48MP Sony IMX586 lens coupled with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, a 5MP depth shooter, and a 2MP macro shooter. For shooting selfies, there is a dual punch-hole camera in the front which has a 32MP primary lens and an 8MP secondary sensor.

Original article: OnePlus Nord Pre-Orders Begin in India

BSNL Expands 200 Mbps Plan to Additional Cities in India

Posted: 28 Jul 2020 06:36 PM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/bsnl-200mbps-broadband-plan-expansion/285743/, BSNL Expands 200 Mbps Plan to Additional Cities in India

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) on Tuesday reintroduced its 200 Mbps plan dubbed as "Fibro Combo ULD 1999 CS55" plan in the Telangana circle. The operator initially introduced its 200 Mbps plan in January in the Telangana and the Chennai circles. While the 200 Mbps plan was later expanded to the other circles including Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, the operator had dropped the plan in the Telangana and the Chennai circle. BSNL on Tuesday highlighted on its site that the 200 Mbps has been reintroduced in the Telangana circle till October 19, 2020.

BSNL Reintroduces 200 Mbps Plan in Telangana Circle

The Fibro Combo ULD 1999 CS55 plan enables users to browse up to 200 Mbps speed till 1500GB with the operator capping the speed to 2 Mbps upon reaching the limit. Similar to most other BSNL plans, the operator offers unlimited local and STD calls to the users subscribed to the Fibro Combo ULD 1999 CS55 plan.

The BSNL users can subscribe to the Fibro Combo ULD 1999 CS55 plan for a price of Rs 1999 per month. Further, the Fibro Combo ULD 1999 CS55 plan is also available for subscription on a semi-annual, annual, biennial and triennial basis.

The operator charges Rs 11,994 from users subscribing to the semi-annual pack of the Fibro Combo ULD 1999 CS55 plan while the annual pack carries a price tag of Rs 23,988. The biennial and triennial packs of the Fibro Combo ULD 1999 CS55 plan carries a price tag of Rs 47,976 and Rs 71,964 respectively.

BSNL offers one month, three months and four months of complimentary service to the users subscribing to annual, biennial and triennial packs of the Fibro Combo ULD 1999 CS55 plan.

BSNL Set to Expand FTTH Services in Telangana

It has to be noted that the operator has been inviting franchise players to expand its Bharat Fiber services in the Telangana circle. In early July, the operator provided an "new business opportunity" for franchise players in the Hyderabad circle. The operator in an advertisement highlighted that the "business partners" considering the franchise operations in Hyderabad will be offered an "attractive revenue sharing agreement." The advertisement said that the business partners are expected to offer high speed broadband services along with installation of "Fiber to Home Equipment." BSNL in June had issued a similar tender in the Warangal city in the Telangana circle.

Original article: BSNL Expands 200 Mbps Plan to Additional Cities in India

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