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- Vodafone Idea Silently Launches VoWi-Fi Service in Mumbai and Gujarat
- Bharti Airtel Gained Lion’s Share of Vodafone Idea Subscribers
- Xiaomi’s Latest Concept Stretches the Limits of Smartphone Design
- Oppo brings 4+128GB Variant of Oppo A15s to India, Priced at Rs 12,490
- FAU-G Ratings are Dropping Fast on Google Play Store, Who’s to Blame?
- BookMyShow Stream, New OTT Platform Available Now: Details
- Telecom Industry Revenue Will Grow by 40% in FY20-21: Analysts
- Bharti Airtel to Offer 5G in ‘Larger Cities’ Before Going National
- You Can Now Track Heart Rate Using a Google Pixel Smartphone, Here’s How
- Realme V11 5G Goes Official With Dimensity 700 SoC and 5000mAh Battery
- Samsung Launches Level U2 Neckband in India, Priced at Rs 1,999
- Realme Has a New Smart Upgrade Programme, Here’s What It’s All About
- Union Minister States Government Has No Plans to Shutdown BSNL and MTNL
- Vodafone Idea Hikes Prices of Family Postpaid Plans in 4 More Circles
| Vodafone Idea Silently Launches VoWi-Fi Service in Mumbai and Gujarat Posted: 05 Feb 2021 06:23 AM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/vodafone-idea-vowifi-launch-mumbai-gujarat/333755/, Vodafone Idea Silently Launches VoWi-Fi Service in Mumbai and Gujarat
Vodafone Idea has started offering VoWi-Fi service in Mumbai and Gujarat telecom circles. With this development, Vi now has VoWi-Fi service active in four circles including Maharashtra & Goa and Kolkata. Launched in December 2020, Vi VoWi-Fi service helps the users make and receive outgoing voice calls through their Wi-Fi network. The service comes in extremely handy in places where there is no proper indoor connectivity. Vi has confirmed the expansion of Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWi-Fi) to Mumbai and Gujarat circles on Twitter while replying to TelecomTalk’s reader. Additionally, the same reader spotted the service’s availability on Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 8 Pro smartphone in Mumbai region. On top of that, Vi has officially mentioned the availability of VoWi-Fi in four circles on its website. Vi VoWi-Fi Service Now Available in 4 CirclesDespite launching the service almost a year later compared to Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea aka Vi is doing a decent job in expanding the service to more circles at the earliest. Vi VoWi-Fi initially launched in December 2020 in two circles- Maharashtra & Goa and Kolkata. Now, the service has expanded to Mumbai and Gujarat circles. While Vi officially confirmed the expansion of VoWi-Fi to two more circles, TelecomTalk reader Mudassar confirmed the availability of VoWi-Fi on his Redmi Note 8 Pro smartphone. “Vi Wi-Fi Calling is offered to all V mobility (prepaid & postpaid) customers in Maharashtra and Goa, Mumbai, Gujarat, and Kolkata circles only,” says Vodafone Idea. When we last reported in December, Vodafone Idea added VoWi-Fi support on only nine smartphones (seven from Xiaomi and two from OnePlus). As of this writing, the brands remain the same, but the list of smartphones compatible with VoWi-Fi has grown. A total of 25 Xiaomi phones (Poco included) and four OnePlus smartphones now support Vi VoWi-Fi right out of the box, subjected if the service is available in your circle. Check the below table for the list of supported smartphones.
Vi VoWi-Fi Calling service allows customers to experience HD quality voice calls along with faster call setup time. Wi-Fi Calling allows customers to make and receive (both domestic and international) over a Wi-Fi connection. This typically helps the customer to make voice calls in areas with low network coverage or no mobile signal. Airtel VoWi-Fi and Reliance Jio Wi-Fi Calling is available across all the 22 telecom circles with more than 300 smartphones supported. | ||||||
| Bharti Airtel Gained Lion’s Share of Vodafone Idea Subscribers Posted: 05 Feb 2021 04:47 AM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/airtel-gained-lions-share-vodafone-idea-subscribers/333612/, Bharti Airtel Gained Lion’s Share of Vodafone Idea Subscribers
Airtel Records Improved ARPU Despite No Hike in TariffThe second-largest wireless operator in India said that its India business registered quarterly revenues of Rs 19,007 crore, translating to a 25.1% YoY increase. Airtel said that the mobile ARPU was at Rs 166 in its third quarter of the current financial year as compared to Rs 135 in the previous year quarter. The operator said that its consolidated Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) was at Rs 12,178 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2020. "The major positive read-through is continued strong subscriber addition and ARPU traction that percolated into superior EBITDA," ICICI Direct said in its report on Thursday. Motilal Oswal Financial Services on Thursday said that the operator's India wireless EBITDA was up 13% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) "despite no tariff hike." Crucially, the Indian diversified firm engaged in the financial services highlighted that the India wireless EBITDA was 10% above estimate. "ARPU continued to see a steady uptick, it came in 2% QoQ higher at Rs 166," Motilal Oswal said in its report on Thursday. "This was led by a mix benefit from healthy 4G subs adds and revenue recovery from the COVID-19 impact. ARPU has improved 8% since 4QFY20, without any tariff hike." Airtel said that its 4G user base was up 12.9 million in its third-quarter with the total 4G customer base now hitting 165.6 million. Motilal Oswal also said that Airtel recorded 14.2 million overall subscriber additions in the third quarter as compared to 1.7 million recorded by Reliance Jio. The financial services firm said that the subscriber additions by Airtel highlight that it has "continued to gain the lion's share" of the subscriber loss registered by Vodafone Idea. "The second straight quarter of high adds for the company, accounting for nearly 90% of industry adds," Motilal Oswal said in its report on Thursday. "For the past six months, Bharti's pace of subscriber additions has grown robustly and consistently." Airtel Data Traffic, Subscriber Base at 50% of Reliance Jio LevelsIn its quarterly report, Airtel highlighted that the total data traffic on its network touched 8.5 billion GB, translating to an 52.4% YoY increase. In comparison, Reliance Jio, the largest wireless operator in India recorded total data traffic of 15.86 billion GB. "Bharti's data traffic and data subscribers are ~50% of RJio's levels, with the capacity gap much lower," Motilal Oswal said in its report on Thursday. "This highlights a healthy network capacity and room for improvement." The financial services firm also highlighted that Airtel has over 568,000 base tower stations, "closer to RJio's levels" with over 207,000 unique broadband towers. In a standalone report on Friday, ICICI Direct highlighted that Airtel added around 700,000 postpaid users "driven by omni-channel capabilities." "While it (Airtel) rooted for tariff hike need for decent RoCE (Return on capital employed) generation, management reiterated that they would drive ARPU growth ahead through natural upgrade to 4G and acceleration to post-paid but tariff hike will be function of competitive intensity," ICICI Direct said in its report on Friday. Meanwhile, Airtel is also said to have registered 215,000 new Xstream Fiber users in its third quarter of the current financial year. The operator in its quarterly report said that its Xstream Fiber services are available in 219 cities across India including 120 cities under its partnership with local cable operators (LCO). "Home (Xstream Fiber) posted 8% decline in EBITDA but reported a strong 8% subscriber adds and increased coverage, which should prove advantageous in the coming quarters," Motilal Oswal said in its report on Thursday. The company management in the earnings call said that "there has been a explosion in home broadband" due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, the "increased penetration of streaming services" is also said to have resulted in an uptick for the need for home broadband. Airtel said that it is soon planning to offer its Xstream Fiber services in 1000 cities across the country. | ||||||
| Xiaomi’s Latest Concept Stretches the Limits of Smartphone Design Posted: 05 Feb 2021 04:07 AM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/xiaomi-concept-pushes-limits-of-design/333648/, Xiaomi’s Latest Concept Stretches the Limits of Smartphone Design
Xiaomi is not one to shy away from the occasional concept that gets the tech enthusiasts talking, with the company having showcased its Mi Mix Alpha product to users back in 2020. Today, the company announced a concept that goes a step further, pushing the limits of what a Smartphone design should be, for the second time in less than two years. What sets this device apart from the rest of the futuristic concepts is the fact that the concept has a portless design, as well as a quad-curved waterfall display. What other features set it apart you ask? Find out by reading further ahead. What Makes the Concept Different?As mentioned above, the concept features a quad-curved waterfall display. Wordplay? No, what this actually means is that the device has a curved waterfall display on all four sides, from left to right to top to bottom. It also gets a port-free unibody design with the entire front panel consisting of the display. As per Xiaomi, the 88-degree hyper quad-curved screen design allows for the visual interfaces to flow over the phone's surface, resembling a water flow like effect. Almost the entirety of the frame is covered by the screen, as ports or buttons are completely absent on the concept, further making the portless future design visible, even if it is a concept.
For this to happen, Xiaomi says that it has used a 3D bonding process to attach an 88-degree quad-curved glass panel to an already flexible display. To bend the display at 88-degree on all four sides, hot bending under 800-degree Celcius high temperature and pressure was carried out. In terms of the changes, the smartphone also gets third-generation under-display cameras, which is the first proper method of hiding the camera behind the display, something that was showcased to the public in late 2020. Other features include support for wireless charging, eSIM chips, and pressure-sensitive touch sensors to replace the conventional button. Do note, this is not the first time that Xiaomi has done something like this, with the company having showcased the Mi Mix Alpha in late 2019, with the highlighting feature for that device being the unique feature of the entirety of the body being covered by one display that extended from front to back. | ||||||
| Oppo brings 4+128GB Variant of Oppo A15s to India, Priced at Rs 12,490 Posted: 05 Feb 2021 03:30 AM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/oppo-a15s-128gb-variant-launched/333641/, Oppo brings 4+128GB Variant of Oppo A15s to India, Priced at Rs 12,490
Oppo India on Friday launched the 4GB RAM, 128GB internal storage variant of the A15s in India. The device, originally launched back in 2020 with a storage variant consisting of 4GB of RAM coupled with 64GB of internal storage, according to the company is on offer in this new variant so as to offer customers the freedom to save more data in the form of their images, making sure that they do not have to wipe off their memories so as to free up space, providing a seamless experience. In terms of other specifications, they are provided below. Intended to be a budget device from Oppo, pitted against the likes of the Realme 6i, Redmi Note 9 and more, the Oppo A15s was a good device for those who wished to own an Oppo phone, minus the premium cost, but, for the value for money user, there was better elsewhere. Oppo A15s SpecificationsIn terms of the specifications, the Oppo A15s sports a 6.52-inch waterdrop display, with a resolution of HD+ and a screen to body ratio of 89%. This came without any high refresh rate support, something that the Realme 6i had the chance to boast of. The lower resolution did not aid in this department. As for the performance side of things, the Oppo A15s sports the Mediatek Helio P35 chip, coupled with up to 128GB of internal storage and 4GB of RAM. This is coupled with ColorOS 7.2.
When it comes to the camera side of things, the device features a primary 13MP shooter, paired with a 2MP macro sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. The cameras make use of AI to identify certain aspects of an image, aiding the smart shooting capabilities. For selfies, users need to use the 8MP selfie snapper. Battery is not a point to worry about, with the device featuring a decently sized 4230 mAh battery with 10W charging support, using the Micro-USB port. Pricing and AvailabilityThe OPPO A15s is on offer in two vibrant colour variants, namely Dynamic black and Fancy white. The 4+128 GB variant of A15s will be available at INR 12,490 across all retail channels and Amazon starting today. | ||||||
| FAU-G Ratings are Dropping Fast on Google Play Store, Who’s to Blame? Posted: 05 Feb 2021 02:26 AM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/why-fau-g-ratings-are-dropping/333536/, FAU-G Ratings are Dropping Fast on Google Play Store, Who’s to Blame?
FAU-G, the Made in India alternative to PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Mobile) launched in India on January 26, on the occasion of India celebrating the 72nd Republic Day. Currently limited to the Google Play Store (Android), the game is expected to arrive on the App Store (iOS) within a few months, FAU-G saw great initial recognition, with reviews reaching up to 4.5 stars. However, as is evident weeks into its launch, the ratings were all part of the initial hype, since the ratings are dropping as fast as lightning. Why is this happening? We might have an answer. Why Are the Ratings for FAU-G Dropping?As was being reported all around the industry, FAU-G, a week after its launch saw a dip in its ratings, with the Play Store ratings sharply declining from 4.5 stars to 3.5 stars. However, if one goes to the Play Store now and checks the ratings held by the game, it has dropped to a disappointing 3.1 stars, with the application being bombarded by 1-star reviews. Certain reports are indicating that this drop comes in the form of PUBG Mobile fans venting out their frustration, with the users dropping 1-star reviews in massive amounts. This resulted in a decline to the ratings. For those of you unaware, the makers FAU-G, nCore Games stated that the game was now available all around the world, rather than being just limited to India. This means that users all around the world can now play the hyped-up FAU-G game and check it out.
As for the gameplay, the initial episode of the game is centred around the Galwan Valley incident. As the days move on, the nCore Games said it will bring more modes such as the battle royale mode, which shot its competitor PUBG Mobile to fame, with new guns also being in the list of updates scheduled for the future. This could however be another issue wherein users dropped in too many good reviews without playing the game. As was revealed on social media, certain users were giving the game 5-star reviews without even playing the game, which is not a proper method of reviewing apps. We do hope FAU-G addresses its shortcomings and is capable of giving PUBG Mobile a run for its money in the near future. | ||||||
| BookMyShow Stream, New OTT Platform Available Now: Details Posted: 05 Feb 2021 01:25 AM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/bookmyshow-stream-new-ott-platform-available/333604/, BookMyShow Stream, New OTT Platform Available Now: Details
BookMyShow is one of the largest movie and event booking platforms of the country. The company is now offering 'BookMyShow Stream', a homegrown Transaction Video-on-Demand (TVOD) platform to its web and app users. It is the first time that the company is offering any entertaining content through its platform. There will be 72,000+ hours of content with over 600 movie titles available on the 'BookMyShow Stream' for the users to consume from. One highlight about this platform will be multiple marquee premieres every Friday — more details on this ahead. BookMyShow Stream Will Offer Marquee Premiers Every FridayUsers will be able to buy, rent, and watch from the thousands of hours worth of content on the platform. It is worthy to note that over 22,000 hours of content is exclusive to the platform at its launch. Every Friday, users will have an option to access multiple marquee premieres on the BookMyShow Stream. It is a smart platform that will recommend specific types of content to different categories of users. Big blockbusters such as Christopher Nolan's Tenet, The Craft: Legacy, Gal Gadot starrer Wonder Woman 1984, and more titles will be available on the platform starting today. BookMyShow has partnered with production giants such as Warner Brothers, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, and more to offer their movies, series, and more on its platform. Major Indian production houses such as Shemaroo, Viacom18, Rajshri Productions, and more have also partnered with BookMyShow for offering their content on its platform. The content available on BookMyShow Stream is amongst the most celebrated titles across the globe and will be a treat for the users to consume. Since it is not a pay-per-view or a subscription model, it will be interesting to see how users react to it. We feel that the 'premiere' offering on Fridays would become its unique selling point (USP) and create demand for the platform. | ||||||
| Telecom Industry Revenue Will Grow by 40% in FY20-21: Analysts Posted: 05 Feb 2021 12:20 AM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/telecom-industry-revenues-will-grow-analysts/333601/, Telecom Industry Revenue Will Grow by 40% in FY20-21: Analysts
The telecom industry’s revenues are expected to grow by 40% in the FY20-21 compared to the 25% growth in FY19-20. According to a rating agency Fitch, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel will keep growing at a steady rate in terms of market share in the near future. Both the telcos are expected to own 80% of the market share, eating up a major chunk of business from Vodafone Idea's (Vi) portfolio. Further, the earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for both the telcos will soar higher backed by the tariff hikes, more consumers shifting to 4G devices and networks, and increased data usage per user — more details on the story ahead. Jio and Airtel Likely to End Up With 80% Market ShareAs per an ET Telecom report, Airtel and Jio had a combined market share of 75% during last December. It is likely to reach 80% in the next 12 months with Vodafone Idea estimated to lose around 50-70 million users. The estimates are based on the third-quarter results announced by the telcos. Jio reported an increase in revenues and EBITDA by 33% and 50% in the nine months of FY20-21. On the other hand, Airtel reported growth in revenues and EBITDA by 26% and 48% respectively during the same period. According to Nitin Soni, senior director Corporate, Fitch, the average revenue per user (ARPU) is expected to increase by 5% to 10% for the telecom industry in the next financial year. This will likely result from more and more 2G and 3G users shifting to 4G network and devices. Further, Vi and Airtel are both expected to introduce tariff hikes. Vi has a very poor ARPU at the moment, and the tariff hike will be aimed to improve that while Airtel will look to enhance cash flow with increased tariffs. Another factor we believe will be beneficial for the industry is if both Airtel and Jio can rapidly move with 5G, get approvals from the government, and provide next-generation connectivity services. | ||||||
| Bharti Airtel to Offer 5G in ‘Larger Cities’ Before Going National Posted: 04 Feb 2021 11:31 PM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/bharti-airtel-to-offer-5g-in-larger-cities/333575/, Bharti Airtel to Offer 5G in 'Larger Cities' Before Going National
The CEO of Bharti Airtel, Gopal Vittal, recently said that the company would offer 5G in 'larger cities' first before it takes the national route. He further said that Airtel's mobile broadband infrastructure is 'future-proof' and can be leveraged to offer quick 5G services. Vittal has confirmed that Airtel will go after the sub-GHz spectrum in the upcoming spectrum auctions which will enable it in deploying 5G and also renew the 1800 MHz spectrum along with adding more spectrum in the 2300 MHz band — more details on the story ahead. Bharti Airtel Network 'Future-Proof'According to an ET Telecom report, Vittal has confirmed that the existing core and radio equipment of the mobile broadband network won't have to be replaced for providing 5G. This would help the telco save a lot of capex spends on deploying 5G. In the short-term, he said Airtel would be looking to rollout 5G in the metro or large cities of the country. This is because the price of the 5G devices is very high at the moment and a large population of the country still operate 4G devices. This is where analysts believe that Reliance Jio can take an upper-hand against Airtel in rolling out 5G by unveiling its low-cost 5G smartphone in partnership with Google. Vittal said that Airtel is not looking to enter the device subsidy game since the telco believes it is a value-destructive strategy. It is worth noting that Airtel has already proved the claims made by Vittal for 5G. The telco has tested its 5G network live in Hyderabad using the 1800 MHz spectrum. Airtel found that the network offered 10x more speed and latency compared to 4G. During the test, a 1GB movie file could be downloaded in a matter of seconds whereas generally takes minutes to download it in a 4G network. | ||||||
| You Can Now Track Heart Rate Using a Google Pixel Smartphone, Here’s How Posted: 04 Feb 2021 10:50 PM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/google-pixel-smartphone-heart-rate-tracking/333521/, You Can Now Track Heart Rate Using a Google Pixel Smartphone, Here’s How
Google is quite well known for its Pixel line of smartphones. They have been Google’s version of what Android should be, offering features exclusive to the Pixel lineup, adding up to the Android experience. The devices have been dubbed one of, if not the best camera smartphone on offer, irrespective of the price. Add to this the Pixel design, which is muted and tasteful and, you have a great phone. That being said, the Pixel is set to get a new feature, allowing the device to track your heart rate. Interesting, is it not? What is This All AboutGoogle is all set to add heart rate and respiratory rate monitors to the Google Fit App, present on Pixel devices later this month. It also plans to add them to other devices. This tech will rely on the phone’s camera, allowing the user to measure their respiratory rate by checking the rise and fall of a user’s chest and heart tracking, by tracking the change of blood colour as the finger moves through the finger. Do note, however, this feature is intended for wellness tracking and cannot diagnose any medical conditions, so treat it as an aid rather than a professional tool. As for how it works. to measure the number of breaths per minute, users are required to point the front-facing camera of their Pixel at their chest as well as the head. As for the heart rate tracking, users need to place their finger on the rear camera.
Credits: Google This, for those of you unaware, is a feature quite similar to what Samsung included on its older Galaxy phones, such as the S10 and below. The feature was removed from other devices of the S series lineup, which was a downgrade of sorts in comparison to previous models. As for clearance, since the feature is described as a tool for general wellness, Google is unable of performing medical functions with the same, meaning that it does not require clearance from the FDA for the feature. This is unlike what Apple has done in some cases, wherein the Apple Watch and its features are required to go through the FDA and require clearance for use. | ||||||
| Realme V11 5G Goes Official With Dimensity 700 SoC and 5000mAh Battery Posted: 04 Feb 2021 10:08 PM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/realme-v11-5g-price-specs/333551/, Realme V11 5G Goes Official With Dimensity 700 SoC and 5000mAh Battery
Realme is on a launch spree. The Oppo spin-off company has launched a budget smartphone with 5G support in China. The Realme V11 5G just went official in mainland China with MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset. Realme’s V series of phones is aimed at dominating the budget 5G smartphone segment and the Realme V11 carries the legacy forward. Key specifications of the Realme V11 5G include 5000mAh battery, up to 6GB of RAM, 6.5-inch HD+ display and Realme UI 2.0 based on Android 10. As of now, there are no details regarding the India launch of Realme V11. The Realme X7 is the cheapest 5G smartphone in India at Rs 19,999, so the Realme V11 whenever it reaches the country could retail at an even lower price. Realme V11 5G: Specifications and FeaturesThe Realme V11 is a 5G smartphone with MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset underneath. The phone rocks a 6.52-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 720×1200 pixels, 20:9 aspect ratio and the company did not include high refresh rate technology. The phone has a fingerprint scanner mounted on the back. The phone comes in two configurations- 4GB+128GB and 6GB+128GB. There’s a microSD card slot as well that supports up to 1TB SD cards. Cameras on the Realme V11 5G include a 13MP primary sensor that works in tandem with a 2MP depth sensor. Yes, the V11 5G offers a dual-camera setup on the back. To the front, it has an 8MP selfie snapper. The phone runs Android 10-based Realme UI out of the box. This dual-SIM smartphone is backed by a 5000mAh battery along with 18W fast charging support. Connectivity options on the smartphone include 5G, 4G LTE, VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS and a USB Type-C port. The phone measures 8.4mm thick and weighs 186 grams. Realme V11 5G: Pricing and AvailabilityThe Realme V11 5G comes in two variants- 4GB+128GB priced at 1199 Yuan (approx. Rs 13,518) and the 6GB+128GB model will retail for 1399 Yuan (approx. Rs 15,800). Realme launched the phone in two colours- Vibrant Blue and Quiet Grey, and the sale begins in China today. Do you think Realme should bring the Realme V11 to India? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. | ||||||
| Samsung Launches Level U2 Neckband in India, Priced at Rs 1,999 Posted: 04 Feb 2021 09:27 PM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/samsung-level-u2-neckband-launched/333508/, Samsung Launches Level U2 Neckband in India, Priced at Rs 1,999
Neckbands have seen a rise in terms of sales ever since the headphone jack was removed on smartphones, and when users got their hands onto budget truly wireless earphones, their experience was far less than ideal, resulting in them shifting to the conventional neckband style of Bluetooth earphones. Most brands, including smartphone makers such as Redmi, OnePlus, Oppo and Realme have entered the neckband earphones market and recently another well-known company launched its product for the neckband market. The brand in question is Samsung, which is quite well known for its audio products, especially the Galaxy Buds. The Samsung Level U2 is the latest neckband style earphones to launch in India at a price of just Rs 1,999. Samsung Level U2 Neckband SpecificationsSome key specifications for the Samsung Level U2 include support for IPX2 rated water resistance, coupled with 12mm drivers for the audio. Samsung’s proprietary codec tech is also present on the neckband. The earphones come with ergonomic ear tips, which allow for comfortable listening. The build seems to be quite premium as well, with the neckband being an ideal fit for those who wish to listen to sound without a lot of wires, in ultimate comfort. In terms of the battery life, the company claims that the new neckband styled earphones provide approximately 500 hours of standby life, 18 hours of music playback and 13 hours of talk time on a single charge.
The earphones also come with USB-Type C based charging, which is an added bonus, since one cable can now charge your phone, earphone and your laptop, given it has support for Type-C charging. Audio codecs include SBC, AAC and scalable codec. The headphones weighs a measly 41.5 grams and comes in two colours, namely black and blue. These earphones are exclusive to Flipkart and Samsung.com Pricing and AvailabilityThe Samsung Level U2 neckband is priced at Rs 1,999 for both colour variants and is available, as we mentioned earlier, on Flipkart and Samsung’s online site exclusively. There is however an offer at play as of now, due to which the earphones are available at a discounted introductory price of Rs 1,899. For context, Samsung also launched the Samsung ITFIT BE7 wireless earphones and Samsung ITFIT wireless earphones in India for Rs 1,199 and 1,299. The pricing of the Level U2 pits it against notable players in the neckband world, such as OnePlus’s Bullets Wireless Z, Oppo’s Enco M31 and Realme’s Buds Wireless 2. | ||||||
| Realme Has a New Smart Upgrade Programme, Here’s What It’s All About Posted: 04 Feb 2021 08:20 PM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/realme-smart-upgrade-programme-detailed/333496/, Realme Has a New Smart Upgrade Programme, Here’s What It’s All About
During the launch of the X7 series yesterday, Realme talked about the Realme Smart Upgrade programme. This effectively showcased a price difference between the regular price and the price if one purchases a phone using this upgrade program, with the Realme X7 going down to Rs 13,999 for the Rs 19,999 variant (6+128GB), Rs 15,399 for the higher variant of the X7 (8+128GB) and, the best deal of them all, at least at initial glance, Rs 20,999 for the Rs 30,000 X7 Pro. That being said, the company did not fully explain what the Smart Upgrade program is, so we ought to discuss the same. Realme Smart Upgrade Programme DetailedThe Realme Smart Upgrade programme marks a partnership for popular e-commerce provider Flipkart and Realme. The programme will go live from February 10, with Flipkart’s Smart Upgrade programme in tow. As part of this deal, users will only have to pay 70% of the original cost during the user checks out from the cart. After a year of purchase, the buyer can pay the remainder of the amount so as to keep the previous phone, or, in case the user wishes to upgrade to the next option of the X-series (which will launch in 2022), they can return the current phone and upgrade to the latest X-series device by paying only 70% of the cost.
Customers are also given the option to use discounts and card offers so as to reduce the prices further. As we mentioned, with the Realme Smart Upgrade programme, users can purchase the following devices with the applicable discounts:- 1. Realme X7 (Rs 13,999 for the 6GB RAM variant, instead of the original price, which was Rs 19,999) 2. Realme X7 higher variant (Rs 15,399) for the 8GB variant, instead of the regular price of Rs 21,999) 3. Realme X7 Pro (Rs 20,999 for the 8+128 GB Variant, originally priced at Rs 29,999) Who is This Plan Meant For?This plan is most suited for users who are proper enthusiasts of the Realme brand and like what the brand has to offer as part of its X-series of devices. Those who wish to be on the bleeding edge of technology can avail this program, so as to pay less whilst buying the phone. Once the year passes, they can buy the next best X-series device for the same 70% cost. | ||||||
| Union Minister States Government Has No Plans to Shutdown BSNL and MTNL Posted: 04 Feb 2021 07:30 PM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/bsnl-and-mtnl-to-keep-functioning/333490/, Union Minister States Government Has No Plans to Shutdown BSNL and MTNL
Union Minister Sanjay Dhotre has stated in the Lok Sabha that the government has no plans as of now to close the public sector telcos such as BSNL and MTNL. This is a sigh of relief for users of these services since they have been part of the loss-makers and some were predicting an exit for Bharti Sanchar Nigam Limited. The minister shared that the losses incurred by BSNL had increased from Rs 14,904 crore to Rs 15,500 crore, with MTNL NSE having increased its loss by 2.7%, from Rs 3,398 to Rs 3,811 crore. This data is in relation to the periods 2018-19 and 2019-2020. As per the written reply by the minister, he said that the government has no plans to close down BSNL and MTNL. To help with its issues, the government had announced a revival package of around Rs 69,000 crore back in October 2019. What Does the Revival Package Do?
The revival plan that is meant to aid the loss-making telcos includes a reduction in costs related to employees using a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) for the employees of age 50 years and above, with other steps including administrative allotment of various spectrum for 4G services with funding, via budgetary allocation as well as debt restructuring by raising of sovereign guarantee bonds. This package also includes the monetisation of certain assets so as to generate resources for retiring debt, expenditure along with other requirements, and aid in the approval for the merger of BSNL and MTNL. Talking about the results of this during a separate question, Dhotre said that around 78,569 employees ad 14,387 employees of MTNL had opted for VRS. which all in all helped cut salary expenditure by 50% and 75% for BSNL and MTNL, respectively. Furthermore, the government has allotted Rs 16.206 crore to meet the final funds requirement for the ex-gratia on VRS. In addition, the government has incurred an expenditure of around Rs 1,952 crore for incremental pension till December 21, 2020. Under the said revival package, the government had approved asset monetisation plans for both BSNL and MTNL in 2020. Additionally, BSNL had informed the government that it would be able to generate approximately Rs 241 crore from monetisation of assets/land since the revival package was announced. | ||||||
| Vodafone Idea Hikes Prices of Family Postpaid Plans in 4 More Circles Posted: 04 Feb 2021 05:45 PM PST This post first appeared on TelecomTalk Read more at: https://telecomtalk.info/vodafone-idea-price-hike-family-postpaid/333480/, Vodafone Idea Hikes Prices of Family Postpaid Plans in 4 More Circles
Vodafone Idea has silently hiked the prices of postpaid plans in four more circles- Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Kolkata and Maharashtra & Goa. Vi increased the prices of Rs 598 and Rs 699 Family postpaid plans to Rs 649 and Rs 799, respectively in the Uttar Pradesh East circle. Back then, the revised plans were effective in only the UP East region, but now, these postpaid plans are applicable in five telecom circles. The new postpaid mobile phone plans available in the five circles mentioned above are priced at Rs 649, Rs 799, Rs 999, Rs 948 and Rs 1,348. In other circles, the Family postpaid plans available are Rs 598, Rs 749, Rs 899 and Rs 999. It seems like Vodafone Idea is closely looking at the demand for Family postpaid plans across all circles and hiking the prices where there’s more demand. Revised Family Postpaid Plans from Vi DetailedVodafone Idea is the only telecom operator in India right now to offer different plans aimed at individuals and Family. In the five circles- Chennai, Maharashtra & Goa, Kolkata, Tamil Nadu and UP East, the Vi Family postpaid plans start at Rs 649. It is the basically the Rs 598 Family postpaid plan available in the rest 17 telecom circles. The Rs 649 Vi Family postpaid plan offers two connections- one primary and one secondary. The total data benefit offered by Vi is 80GB, divided as 50GB for primary connection and 30GB for the secondary connection. The primary connection holder can carry forward up to 200GB of data, whereas the secondary connection user can roll over up to 50GB of data. Other benefits offered to both the connections include unlimited voice calling and 100 SMSes per month. Moving onto the Vi Rs 799 Family postpaid plan, it offers three connections- one primary and two secondary. The total data benefit offered by Vi is 120GB, split across 60GB for primary connection and 30GB each for secondary connections. The data rollover facility remains the same as the Rs 649 Family postpaid plan. And it also comes with unlimited calling and 100 SMSes per month (100 for each connection). Third on the list is the Rs 999 Family plan that offers five connections. The total data offered by Vi is 200GB (80GB for primary connection and 30GB each for secondary connections.
Then there are the Entertainment Plus 699 Family postpaid plan and REDX Family Plan available exclusively in these five circles. The Entertainment Plus 699 Family postpaid plan usually costs Rs 948 (Rs 699 for primary and Rs 249 for secondary). While Vi bundles one secondary connection with the plan, users have the option to add up to another three secondary connections. For primary connection, the data benefit is unlimited and for secondary connection users, it is 30GB. The primary connection holders do not have data rollover facility, but secondary connection users can carry forward up to 50GB. All the connection holders will get unlimited calling benefit. Lastly, we have the REDX Family plan of Rs 1,348 (Rs 1,099 for primary connection and Rs 249 for the secondary connection. Similar to the Rs 948 Family plan, the Rs 1,348 plan also offers unlimited data for the primary connection and 30GB data for the secondary connection. All the postpaid plans come with Vi Movies & TV subscription for one year, Amazon Prime subscription for primary connection worth Rs 999 for one year, ZEE5 Premium subscription for one year and Netflix subscription for one year (available only with Rs 1,099 plan). |
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