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Apple Beats 1 Radio Changes to Apple Music 1, New Radio Stations Launched
India Climbs Two Spots in Speedtest Global Index for July
Bharti Airtel Rs 401 Disney+ Hotstar VIP Plan Revised to Offer 30GB Data
Trai Sets August 26 Deadline for Broadcasters to Comply with NTO 2.0
OxygenOS Gets OnePlus Scout Feature: Everything You Need to Know
DoT: Aircel’s Resolution Plan Made by UVARCL Against Law
Asus Sold 7680 Units of ROG Phone 3 in 15 Minutes Post India Launch
Realme C15 vs Realme C12: The Budget Phones Compared
Affordable Prepaid Plans With Long Validity But Less Data Benefit

Apple Beats 1 Radio Changes to Apple Music 1, New Radio Stations Launched

Posted: 19 Aug 2020 07:13 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/apple-beats-1-name-changed/291363/, Apple Beats 1 Radio Changes to Apple Music 1, New Radio Stations Launched

Beats 1, which is the flagship global radio station from Apple has been renamed as Music 1. Apple also announced two new radio stations for Apple Music which will be offered globally to music fans in 165 countries. The two new radio stations launched are – Apple Music Hits and Apple Music Country. Beats 1 until now has brought music fans a lot of meaningful interviews and conversations with their favourite artists. This approach will be kept the same and extended to the new platforms launched as well.

Apple Beats 1 Renamed as Apple Music 1

Zane Lowe, Apple Music's global creative director and host said, "Apple Music is home — it's home to artists, it's home to fans, and it's home to incredible music." This is just a shift of name and nothing else. Apple is not going to change the platform in any way at the moment. Apple Music 1 is featuring several shows which are aimed at celebrating Latin music around the world. There is a show called 'Africa Now Radio with Cuppy' and it showcases some of the best local African artists and musicians.

Apple Music Hits

Apple Music Hits is launched to serve nostalgia to the music lovers. It has a catalogue of all the famous and hit songs from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. Along with the music, there will be new shows introduced which will reflect upon the journey of the artists and songs that are featured on the Music Hits. There will be new exclusive shows from famous artists and bands such as Snoop Dog, Shania Twain, Backstreet Boys and more.

Apple Music Country

Apple Music Country is going to bring some of the best country songs and artists to the platform. Country Music has evolved with time and with this platform, Apple is aiming to showcase the future artists of the country music to the world. Along with that, this platform is going to remind people of the legendary country songs and artists who have been at the top during their time. Apple Music radio can be enjoyed via different Apple devices and through its web platform as well.

Original article: Apple Beats 1 Radio Changes to Apple Music 1, New Radio Stations Launched

India Climbs Two Spots in Speedtest Global Index for July

Posted: 19 Aug 2020 06:30 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/india-climbs-two-spots-speedtest-july/291401/, India Climbs Two Spots in Speedtest Global Index for July

India has climbed two spots in the Speedtest Global Index for mobile while the country has maintained its position in the fixed broadband space for the month of July. Ookla, the company behind the Speedtest platform on Tuesday released the Speedtest Global Index for the month of July. The United Arab Emirates topped the charts in the mobile segment while Singapore retained its position at the top in the fixed broadband segment on the Speedtest Global Index for July. According to Ookla, the Speedtest Global Index "compares internet speed data from around the world on a monthly basis." The company said that the data for Speedtest Global Index "comes from the hundreds of millions of tests taken by real people using Speedtest every month."

India Climbs Two Spots in Speedtest Global Index for Mobile

According to the Speedtest Global Index for July, India is ranked 127th in the mobile segment with the country recording a download speed of 12.08 Mbps. Further, Ookla highlights that India recorded an upload speed of 4.21 Mbps in the month of July in the mobile space.

The United Arab Emirates recorded a download speed of 110.90 Mbps on mobile while the upload speed is said to have touched 25.50 Mbps in July. South Korea, China, Qatar and Saudi Arabia completed the top five on the Speedtest Global Index for July in the mobile space.

Notably, Saudi Arabia is said to have climbed five spots on the Index with the country registering a download speed of 71.73 Mbps on mobile and a upload speed of 18.27 Mbps in July.

Ookla highlighted that the global average speeds on mobile touched 34.51 Mbps on downloads while the upload speeds hit 10.93 Mbps in July. The Speedtest Global Index for mobile covers 138 countries across the globe with 11 countries including Bangladesh and Afghanistan registering lower download and upload speeds than India.

India Maintains Position on Fixed Broadband Speedtest Global Index

Meanwhile, India is said to have maintained its position in the fixed broadband segment at 75th spot in July. Ookla highlights that India recorded a download speed of 40.45 Mbps and a upload speed of 35.04 Mbps on fixed broadband in the month of July.

Singapore is said to have topped the charts in the fixed broadband space with a download speed of 213.18 Mbps and a upload speed of 220.46 Mbps. Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea and Romania completed the top five on the Speedtest Global Index for the fixed broadband segment in July.

The global average speeds on the fixed broadband in July is said to have touched 81.46 Mbps on download and 42.63 Mbps on upload. The Speedtest Global Index for the fixed broadband space covers 174 countries across the globe with Yemen, Venezuela, Cuba, Algeria and Turkmenistan occupying the bottom five positions on the Index.

Original article: India Climbs Two Spots in Speedtest Global Index for July

Bharti Airtel Rs 401 Disney+ Hotstar VIP Plan Revised to Offer 30GB Data

Posted: 19 Aug 2020 04:54 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/airtel-rs401-hotstar-plan-revised/291398/, Bharti Airtel Rs 401 Disney+ Hotstar VIP Plan Revised to Offer 30GB Data

Disney+ Hotstar is one of the most popular OTT platforms in India. It offers a range of shows in multiple Indian languages. Telcos have introduced new prepaid plans which include the benefit of Disney+ Hotstar VIP after the launch of the streaming platform. Both Jio and Airtel are offering Disney+ Hotstar to its customers with their prepaid plans. Jio offers comparatively more plans than Airtel's prepaid plans which offer Disney+ Hotstar benefit. Airtel, a few months back introduced its prepaid plan of Rs 401 which offered customers the benefit of Disney+ Hotstar VIP subscription of one year for free. Now this plan has been boosted by Airtel and it comes with 10 times more data than before.

Airtel Disney+ Hotstar VIP Plan Offering 10 Times More Data

When Airtel introduced the plan, it came with no calling or SMS benefit but only offered data and a free subscription of Disney+ Hotstar VIP for one year. The plan came with only 3GB of data. So it wasn't really the perfect fit for someone who primarily wanted data. It was more like subscribing to the Disney+ Hotstar VIP plan which originally costs Rs 399 for a year.

But now, Airtel has revamped its Rs 401 Disney+ Hotstar VIP plan and is offering 10 times more data than it used to. So earlier the plan came with 3GB of data and after the change, it is offering 30GB data. There is no change in the cost of the plan. It costs Rs 401 which is what it used to cost before. The validity of the plan is the same, which is 28 days.

The Disney+ Hotstar VIP subscription will bring you access to all the Hindi content along with content in other regional languages of India as well. There are more plans from Airtel which offer Disney+ Hotstar VIP benefit of 1 year. These plans are of Rs 2,698 (2GB/day and validity of 1 year), Rs 599 (2GB/day and validity of 56 days) and Rs 448 (3GB/day and validity of 28 days). There is a first recharge plan of Rs 499 which offers the same benefits as of Rs 448 plan.

Original article: Bharti Airtel Rs 401 Disney+ Hotstar VIP Plan Revised to Offer 30GB Data

Trai Sets August 26 Deadline for Broadcasters to Comply with NTO 2.0

Posted: 19 Aug 2020 03:13 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/trai-august-26-deadline-nto/291357/, Trai Sets August 26 Deadline for Broadcasters to Comply with NTO 2.0

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Tuesday directed the broadcasters to publish the maximum retail prices per month of its channels by August 26, 2020. The authority in its directions said that the broadcasters should publish the new prices reflecting the second amendments issued by Trai to the New Tariff Order (NTO). The second amendment to the NTO dubbed as NTO 2.0 was introduced by Trai in early January. Under the Trai NTO 2.0, the broadcasters are required to revise the prices of its channels as Trai capped the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of the channels available on a-la-carte basis to Rs 12. Further, Trai has also provided directions on the bouquet formation and its pricing under the NTO 2.0.

Trai Sets Deadline of August 26 for Broadcasters to Comply with NTO 2.0

However, the broadcasters took the issue to the Bombay High Court where the matter is currently being heard with the reports indicating that the final verdict would be delivered on August 24, 2020.

Despite the ongoing battle between the broadcasters and the regulatory body, Trai on July 24, 2020 had directed the broadcasters to publish the pricing under NTO 2.0 by August 10, 2020. The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) along with the broadcasters filed a Writ Petition in the Bombay High Court challenging the directive issued by Trai on July 24. A division bench of the High Court of Bombay passed an order on August 7, 2020 where it again listed the case before the division bench on August 12, 2020.

Trai in its direction on Tuesday highlighted that it had "assured" the High Court during the hearing on August 12 that the authority would extend the date set in its initial directive in July.

"During the course of proceedings before the Hon’ble Court, the Authority assured the Hon’ble Court that date of 10.08.2020, as prescribed in the direction dated 24.07.2020, would be extended to 26.08.2020," Trai said on Tuesday.

Zee Entertainment Unsure About Implementation of NTO 2.0

Punit Goenka, CEO of Zee Entertainment, earlier said in the fourth quarter earnings call on July 25, 2020, that the NTO 2.0 might not be implemented in the current year.

"One, the matter is sub judice, so I do not understand on what basis Trai has asked us to declare our new pricing by 10th of August," Goenka said. "Assuming that is still enforced, my second question is what is the dates for implementation for consumer? For that TRAI is silent completely, because at the end of the day my pricing is relevant only if the consumer date is finalised."

Original article: Trai Sets August 26 Deadline for Broadcasters to Comply with NTO 2.0

OxygenOS Gets OnePlus Scout Feature: Everything You Need to Know

Posted: 19 Aug 2020 01:55 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/oneplus-scout-oxygenos-feature-annouced/291353/, OxygenOS Gets OnePlus Scout Feature: Everything You Need to Know

Chinese smartphone brand, OnePlus, today announced the addition of ‘OnePlus Scout‘ feature to OxygenOS. OnePlus Scout is basically a universal search feature that is being implemented to save your time. The feature is currently being rolled out OnePlus Launcher beta users and OnePlus proudly says the feature has been entirely developed out of its R&D centre in Hyderabad. For the unaware, OnePlus inaugurated its R&D centre last year in Hyderabad city and several OxygenOS features will be developed in the same facility. The feature is being piloted for Indian OnePlus users, says OnePlus in a press release.

OnePlus Scout: What Exactly Is It?

OnePlus Scout is part of the OnePlus Launcher beta programme on Google Play Store and we were able to find it on our OnePlus Nord smartphone running the latest version of OnePlus Launcher Beta. Based on user feedback, it will be made available to all Indian users in the coming weeks, confirmed OnePlus.

With the newly added feature, OnePlus users can perform actions that previously involved three or more clicks with one swipe up from the Home Screen. OnePlus Scout is a universal search feature that lets you find anything on your device via the current app drawer whether it’s files, contacts, documents, music, or apps. OnePlus Scout will also let you browse content in your apps, like movies, nearby locations, services, and more.

Alongside the use cases mentioned above, users can also find solutions to simple math problems, find the latest news, look for the weather in any city or even use the microphone available on the search bar to find anything. The feature is really handy to have around.

Speaking on the release, Ramagopala Reddy, Vice President for R&D, OnePlus India, said, "Since the inception of the OnePlus R&D Centre in Hyderabad, OnePlus Scout is one of the key projects that have been developed entirely out of the Indian centre, exclusively piloted for Indian OnePlus users. In line with our burdenless philosophy when it comes to both hardware and software of our products, we are confident that the OnePlus Scout will improve our user's experience slashing seconds off the time spent searching for anything on your device."

In addition, OnePlus also confirmed the revamp of India-specific features like Work-Life Balance and SMS Categorisation with the launch of OxygenOS 11.

Original article: OxygenOS Gets OnePlus Scout Feature: Everything You Need to Know

DoT: Aircel’s Resolution Plan Made by UVARCL Against Law

Posted: 19 Aug 2020 12:13 AM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/dot-aircel-resolution-plan-against-law/291325/, DoT: Aircel’s Resolution Plan Made by UVARCL Against Law

aircel-resolution-plan-gets-nod-from-nclt

Back in June, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had approved UV Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd. (UVARCL) to run Aircel's small units such as enterprise and bulk SMS divisions. The company had to work out a resolution plan for Aircel. But now, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has challenged the decision of Aircel's resolution plan. DoT believes that Aircel’s resolution plan is actually a liquidation plan. The plan is not aimed at reviving the telco. Instead, it is just liquidising the telco's assets. The resolution plan proposed by UVARCL also includes the transfer of spectrum which is not allowed now after the decision made by SC on AGR dues case.

UVARCL Planning to Sell Assets to Pay off Creditors

As per a report from ET Telecom, DoT has filed an affidavit saying that the resolution plan submitted by UVARCL and approved by NCLT is against law and doesn't adhere to the NIA conditions and license agreement. The telecom department further observed that UVARCL has planned to sell all the assets of the company so that it can pay off the creditors. But it is against the object of the code of revival as per DoT.

One of the key moves of the resolution plan for Aircel included the sale of spectrum. But as per the decision of SC, that can't happen anymore and this is also going to affect the resolution of RCom. As of now, Aircel owes Rs 14,000 crore to DoT as the telecom department was an operational creditor and adding to that, owes Rs 12,389 crore in AGR dues.

DoT said in its affidavit that the move from UVARCL for the resolution of Aircel includes the sale of spectrum and license without first taking the permission of the DoT or licensor which is against the license agreement. The resolution plan is not aimed to provide telecom services, but only to sell the spectrum to a prospective buyer. This is not the reason why the responsibility of resolution was transferred to UVARCL observes DoT.

Original article: DoT: Aircel’s Resolution Plan Made by UVARCL Against Law

Asus Sold 7680 Units of ROG Phone 3 in 15 Minutes Post India Launch

Posted: 18 Aug 2020 11:29 PM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/asus-rog-phone-3-sold-out/291320/, Asus Sold 7680 Units of ROG Phone 3 in 15 Minutes Post India Launch

Asus in its second quarter earnings call on Wednesday said that the company sold 7680 units of the ROG Phone 3 within 15 minutes of its launch in India. The company had earlier reported its second quarter financial results where it posted a net revenue of NT$85,070 million as compared to NT$64,043 million in the prior quarter. Asus said that it recorded an 33% sequential improvement in its net revenues and 19% improvement year-over-year (YoY). Further, the company said that its net profit improved 499% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) with Asus recording NT$5315 million as compared to NT$888 million in the prior quarter.

Asus Sold 7680 Units of ROG Phone 3 in India within 15 Minutes of Launch

The company in late July announced the ROG Phone 3 in India packed with the Snapdragon 865 Plus mobile platform and a 6000 mAh battery. The device features a 6.59-inch full HD+ screen with 144 Hz refresh rate and 270 Hz touch sampling rate.

"We had a separate event for India," Nick Wu, CFO of Asus, said in the earnings call. "Post event, we sold the first batch about 7,680 units. And these units sold out within 15 minutes."

The ROG Phone 3, a gaming focused smartphone is said to contain several elements to enhance the gaming experience including the new AirTrigger 3 with dual partition and motion sensor input. Additionally, the device is also said to pack in multi-antennas for "uninterrupted network connection while gaming." The ROG Phone 3 is also said to feature a side mounted USB Type-C port that is said to aid gamers to top up the device battery while gaming.

The device carries a triple camera system in the rear with the primary shooter being a 64MP Sony IMX686 sensor coupled with a 13MP ultra-wide shooter and a 5MP macro lens.

Asus Addressed Supply Chain Issues with ROG Phone 3

Wu said that the company "learned lessons" from past experiences on the supply chain disruption issues that Asus experienced with its 2019 ROG Phone 2.

"With our industrial design team at the early stage of design, they actually went to our vendors to produce test batches," Wu said. "Actually, these batches are not small. They are in thousands. But the idea was to screen out vendors that are more mature and can offer smooth production. So they tested that in the early stage."

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Wu said that the company sent several engineers to its OEM vendors to ensure Asus does not face supply chain issues with the ROG Phone 3.

"As you all know, it’s quite difficult to travel and work in China right now because you have to first quarantine two weeks as you enter China," Wu said. "And then when you come back to Taiwan, you have to quarantine for another two weeks. So we actually have an honest talk with these engineers. When they travel on business, that business travel is going to be a long duration. They will have to stay in China for one or two months. They can only come back when we know for sure, the production is going to be smooth."

Wu said that the company hasn't experienced any supply chain issues in 2020.

The company also said that it has been monitoring Google trends post the ROG Phone 3 launch event with Asus highlighting that the device has "highest share of voice" among all gaming phones. Asus said that the gaming smartphone segment "is getting more crowded" with its key rival Lenovo launching its own gaming smartphone as well. However, Asus said that the crowded market "indicates that the path" the company picked is the "right one."

It has to be noted that Asus launched the ROG Phone 3 in two variants in India with the base variant featuring 8GB RAM and 128GB storage priced at Rs 49,999. The top-tier variant with 128GB RAM and 256GB storage carries a price tag of Rs 57,999. The company also launched a range of accessories for the gaming smartphone including AeroActive Cooler 3, desktop dock and a ROG Kunai 3 gamepad. The accessories are priced in the range of Rs 699 to Rs 19,999 with the basic accessory being the screen protector while the top-tier accessory being the TwinView Dock 3.

Original article: Asus Sold 7680 Units of ROG Phone 3 in 15 Minutes Post India Launch

Realme C15 vs Realme C12: The Budget Phones Compared

Posted: 18 Aug 2020 09:28 PM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/realme-c12-c15-smartphones-compared/291297/, Realme C15 vs Realme C12: The Budget Phones Compared

Realme has brought two new budget smartphones to the Indian market- the Realme C15 and the Realme C12. These two smartphones arrive less than a month since the arrival of Realme C11 to the Indian market. The major highlights on both the phones include a fingerprint scanner and a 6000mAh battery fuelling them. And as the names suggest, they both differ from each other by a small margin. For example, we get a triple camera setup on the Realme C12 and a quad-camera setup on the Realme C15. Likewise, the Realme C15 offers 18W fast charging feature, whereas the same on the Realme C12 is limited to just 10W. The prices of the devices start at Rs 8,999. Here are the differences you need to know about Realme C12 and Realme C15 in detail.

Realme C15 vs Realme C12: Similarities Detailed

Aforesaid, there are a lot of similarities between the Realme C12 and the Realme C15. Both the devices flaunt a 6.5-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 720×1,600 pixels and 20:9 aspect ratio. This means they have a teardrop notch on top of the screen.

Under the hood, we get the MediaTek Helio G35 chipset which we also saw on the Realme C11, so the Realme C15 and Realme C12 are not the new phones to use this entry-level chipset. The Realme C12 comes in a single variant with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, whereas the Realme C15 ships in two variants- 3GB+32GB and 4GB+64GB. Realme has added a dedicated microSD card slot on both the phones for storage expansion.

A rear-mounted fingerprint scanner can also be found on both the Realme C12 and C15. And they come in Power Blue and Power Silver colour options. Lastly, they both have a 6000mAh battery.

Realme C15 vs Realme C12: Differences Detailed

Starting with the cameras, the Realme C12 sports a triple-camera setup comprising of 13MP primary lens with f/2.2 aperture, 2MP B&W lens and a 2MP macro sensor. Upfront, it has a 5MP snapper for selfies. On the flip side, the Realme C15 rocks a quad-camera setup featuring 13MP primary sensor, 8MP ultra-wide-angle shooter, 2MP B&W lens and a 2MP retro sensor. The Realme C15 has an 8MP AI selfie snapper to the front.

While the battery capacity on both phones is the same at 6000mAh, the charging speeds are different. Realme stated that the C12 will charge at 10W, whereas the Realme C15 has support for 18W fast charging.

So these two added features on the Realme C15 differentiate the slightly higher asking price of Rs 9,999.

As for the pricing, the Realme C12 with 3GB+32GB configuration costs Rs 8,999, whereas the Realme C15’s 3GB+32GB model will retail for Rs 9,999. The C15 can also be picked up in a 4GB+64GB model at Rs 10,999.

Original article: Realme C15 vs Realme C12: The Budget Phones Compared

Affordable Prepaid Plans With Long Validity But Less Data Benefit

Posted: 18 Aug 2020 06:34 PM PDT

This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/affordable-prepaid-plans-validity-data/291192/, Affordable Prepaid Plans With Long Validity But Less Data Benefit

There are many types of prepaid plans available from different telecom operators. There are plans which are focused on providing more data to the user, but then they don't carry a long validity period. Then there are plans which are focused on providing long validity but usually come with fewer data benefits. Interestingly, now there are prepaid plans which are focused on providing OTT benefits. Today, we are going to focus on the affordable prepaid plans which offer longer validity but then as a side-effect, come with lesser data to make them affordable. These kind of plans are good for people who recharge with the purpose of calling more than using data. Let's take a look at different telcos offering such plans.

Bharti Airtel

Bharti Airtel offers two such prepaid plans. These plans come with long validity but fewer data benefits. The first plan is of Rs 379. It comes with a total of 6GB data only and offers unlimited calling and 100 SMS/day to the users. There is a free subscription of Airtel Xstream Premium included and free Hellotunes as well. It has a validity of 84 days.

The other plan is of Rs 1,498. It comes with a validity of 365 days ( 1 year) but only offers 24GB of data along with unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS/day. Additional benefits include Airtel Xstream Premium and free Hellotunes and more from Airtel Thanks benefits.

Reliance Jio

Reliance Jio offers two affordable prepaid plans with long validity and fewer data benefits. The Rs 329 plan comes with a validity of 84 days. It offers only 6GB of data along with unlimited calling benefit and 3000 FUP minutes for Jio to non-Jio calling. There are 1000 SMS included in the plan as well with a complimentary subscription to all the Jio apps.

The other plan from Jio which is like this is of Rs 1,299. This plan comes with a validity of 336 days which is still two days more than 11 months and offers 24GB data. There is unlimited calling included with 12,000 FUP minutes for Jio to non-Jio calling. The customer also gets 3,600 SMS along with a complimentary subscription to all the Jio apps.

Vodafone

Two prepaid plans from Vodafone which are of similar nature are of Rs 379 and Rs 1,499. Starting with the Rs 379 prepaid plan, the customer gets 6GB of data along with unlimited calling and 1,000 SMS. It comes with a validity of 84 days.

The second prepaid plan is of Rs 1,499. It comes with a validity of 365 days which is one complete year and offers unlimited calling, 3,600 SMS, and 24GB of data. Both the prepaid plans come with OTT benefits. The customers going with either of these prepaid plans get a free subscription to Vodafone Play worth Rs 499 and ZEE5 Premium worth Rs 999.

Original article: Affordable Prepaid Plans With Long Validity But Less Data Benefit

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