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• Vaio SE14, SX14 With 4K Display, 11th Gen Intel Processors Debut in India
• Realme 8 Gets a Price Cut, Now Cheaper Than Redmi Note 10S
• PS5 DualSense Controller to Come in Two New Colours
• TRAI Releases Consultation Paper to Improve Tariff Plans
• Truly Wireless Earphones Are Not Effective In The Long Run, Here’s Why
• Hybrid 5G Festival Slated for 2022, All to Know
• Juniper Networks to Expand Networks for Telecom Egypt
• Sony PS5 to Receive 25 New Exclusive Game Titles in 2021
• 5G in India: GSA Supports Indian Operators Using 3GPP Approved Technologies For Trials
• Airtel Payments Bank Users Can Now Invest in 24K Digital Gold
• Infinix Hot 10S India Launch Confirmed on May 20
• Excitel Broadband Plans to Help Users Work From Home
• Redmi Watch Launched for India, Everything to Know
• Nokia Becomes the Leading Optical Networks Provider in India
• Redmi Note 10S Powered by MediaTek Helio G95 Debuts in India
• Airtel Thanks App Providing Verified List of COVID-19 Supplies and More
• Symmetrical vs Asymmetrical Internet Connections Detailed
• Indians Ready to Pay 50% More for 5G Plans With Bundled Benefits
• SITI Broadband 30 Mbps Plan Fares Well Against JioFiber, BSNL

Vaio SE14, SX14 With 4K Display, 11th Gen Intel Processors Debut in India Posted: 13 May 2021 09:09 AM PDT Sony, a company known in 2021 for its gaming consoles and cameras, was once known for its laptops, which were offered under the Vaio branding. This did not last for long, however, as they were discontinued in the early 2010s. The company, which was sold to an investment firm in 2014, seems to have had a change of thought, having revamped its Vaio lineup in India with a laptop back in 2020 and, more recently, planning to add two more devices to its portfolio. Vaio announced on Thursday that it is adding two laptops to its portfolio in India, namely the Vaio SE14 and Vaio SX14. Both devices will be sold via Amazon and come with features such as a 4K display, SuperFin cooling tech and Intel 11th gen processor, amongst others. Vaio SE14 Specifications The Vaio SE14 changes things up with a minimalist design, with a complete metal and plastic build. The device is powered by the latest-gen Intel i5 processor, with a 14-inch FHD+ display, complete with a backlit keyboard. Key offerings include 12 hours of battery life and Windows 10 Home as the OS. I/O is nothing to worry about, as the laptop comes with an HDMI port, USB 3.2 ports, a Type-C port, Thunderbolt 4 ports, a Micro SD card reader, a headphone jack and Bluetooth 5.0. There is a 1080p IR webcam to the top of the display and a fingerprint sensor for added protection. Vaio SX14 Specifications The more expensive Vaio SX14 packs in a 4K display, which is a 14-inch panel, complete with Dolby Audio speakers for the best media consumption experience. For power, the device depends on Intel's 11th gen Core i7 processor. Connectivity options consist of a USB Type-C port, USB-A port, an HDMI port, a VGA connector and a LAN connection. Storage is not an aspect to worry about, as the device comes with up to 1TB of storage, with a battery life of up to 7.5 hours. The laptop runs on Windows 10 Pro, unlike the cheaper SE14, which runs on the rather common Windows 10 Home. As for the pricing, the cheaper Vaio SE14 will be available for Rs 88,990, with the Vaio SX14 priced at Rs 1,72,990. Sales commence from May 16.

Realme 8 Gets a Price Cut, Now Cheaper Than Redmi Note 10S Posted: 13 May 2021 07:35 AM PDT Realme launched its budget segment smartphone the Realme 8 in the Indian smartphone market earlier this year. The handset was launched in the country with a starting price of Rs 14,999 and now the company has announced a price cut of Rs 500 for the Realme 8 4G variant. After the price slash, the smartphone is cheaper than the newly launched Redmi Note 10S. The Realme 8 comes with highlighted features like a massive 5,000mAh battery, 30W fast charging support, MediaTek processor, and a lot more among others. Let's have a closer look at the latest price drop of the Realme 8. Realme 8 New Price in India According to the company, the Realme 8 received a price drop of Rs 500 and the new effective price starts at Rs 14,999 for the 4GB RAM + 128GB storage on Flipkart. While the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant is up for grabs at Rs 15,499 and the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage Cyber Black colour option model is available for grabs at Rs 16,499. To recall, Xiaomi has launched its Redmi Note 10S today in India at a starting price of Rs 14,999 for the 6GB +64GB storage variant. While, the 8GB +128GB model is up for grabs at Rs 16,999. The price drop makes the Realme 8 cheaper than the newly launched Redmi Note 10s. Realme 8 Specifications The Realme 8 comes with a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate and a 180Hz touch sampling rate. The handset offers a peak brightness of 1000nits along with an in-display fingerprint sensor for security. Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Helio G95 SoC, clubbed with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. The smartphone packs a massive 5,000mAh battery with 30W fast charging support and runs on Android 11 based on Realme UI 2.0 out of the box. As far as cameras are concerned, the Realme 8 features a quad-camera setup placed at the top-left corner of the rear panel. The camera module consists of a 64MP primary camera + 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens + 2 MP macro lens + 2MP monochrome sensor along with an LED flash. Upfront, it houses a 16MP front camera sensor for selfies and video calls.

PS5 DualSense Controller to Come in Two New Colours Posted: 13 May 2021 07:25 AM PDT Sony has been one of the top video game console makers, having Microsoft's Xbox as its primary competition. This year saw the company release the PS5, which has been subject to massive demand, to the extent that one needs to keep track of when the next sale for the PS5 will take place. With the PS5, users have to pair Sony's DualSense controller for the best gaming experience. The controller has been on offer to date in the white colour variant, but that is set to change, according to the company. This update comes after a long time, as the PS5 was launched way back in November of 2020, so the announcement of a new colour variant for the DualSense controller, over six months down the line, is not quite fitting with the regular product cycle. Two New Colours To Be Added For The DualSense Controller According to a blog post by Sony, the company is ecstatic to announce two new colour variants for its DualSense controller, namely the Midnight Black and Cosmic Red variants. The first of these two, the Midnight Black controller, features subtle shades of black with tones of light grey in an effort to detail how one views space through the night sky. In contrast, the Cosmic Red variant offers a striking design, comprising of a black and red finish inspired by the vivid shades of red found throughout the immense cosmos. These two colour variants will be on offer at retailers globally starting next month, with the exact date varying from location to location, so it is advised to keep an eye out for the same. In the words of the company, the DualSense controller marked a departure quite radical in comparison to older controllers, offering features such as haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, both of them being key to the overall playability. This launch is also the first time the company is announcing new colours for its DualSense controller, marking a bold approach towards its controller lineup. Also, the company, in celebration of the announcement, was quite excited to share how the developers are taking advantage of the features on offer for the new controllers, with a deep dive on Returnal's robust haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support coming soon.

TRAI Releases Consultation Paper to Improve Tariff Plans Posted: 13 May 2021 07:11 AM PDT In India, telecom service providers or TSPs have a habit of offering plans with quirky durations, such as 28 days, 56 days or 84 days, rather than round these numbers out so as to make these plans last for the entire duration of the month. This is not the case with just one ISP, like Jio or Bharti Airtel; rather, everyone seems to follow this method, be it for their ease or to make users spend a little bit more to get their plans to last for the entire duration. It seems the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has taken notice of this issue, which plagues users by and large, and has decided to release a consultation paper for the ease of the users and to gain an insight into what the issue is. 30 Days Instead Of 28 Days, What TRAI Wants To Know The TRAI on Thursday announced that it would be releasing a consultation paper after receiving a lot of references from a large number of consumers who are unhappy with regulators offering 28 days plans rather than 30-day plans, which would last the entirety of the month. For those of you unaware, as per the regulatory framework for tariff, the tariffs for telecom services are forborne except for rural fixed-line services, international private leased circuits and domestic leased circuits, national roaming services and mobile number portability services. Despite this, however, as per the feedback that had been received from consumers via various channels, it is felt that these plans are not in the best interest of the consumers. To combat this, a consultation paper has been released to explore methods of bringing a favourable change. Some options listed out include the provision of vouchers from ISP providers and sync their validity issues so as to be in the best interest of consumers. The consultation paper, which is named "Validity Period of Tariff Orders", intends to seek inputs from shareholders. Written comments and counter comments are welcome from the same by June 11 and June 25, respectively. These comments will decide whether or not changes are to be made for the tariff plans and whether they will be synced to provide support for the entirety of the month, which, if it does happen, will be in the best interest of the consumer.

Truly Wireless Earphones Are Not Effective In The Long Run, Here’s Why Posted: 13 May 2021 05:45 AM PDT Truly wireless earphones have taken the world by storm, especially since the launch of the original AirPods, which coincided with the removal of the headphone jack, a trend that would continue to this day. With a truly wireless earphone, the user can get a set of earphones, minus the wires, meaning the ease of use was like no other product. Portability is another feature of a truly wireless earphone, with the buds weighing 3-4 grams, housed in a case smaller than an egg, capable of fitting inside the small pocket, which is often overlooked on jeans. That being said, if one was to listen to the users and reviewers who make use of these truly wireless earphones, there are many issues that plague them in the long run, converting that much talked about the ease of use into utter despair. What are these cons and, are truly wireless earphones truly as flawed as some say? I have used a couple of them and heard of multiple instances of the same, so this article will list out key issues that affect users in the long run. What Are The Issues That Plague TWS Earphones 1. The first of these issues is that of reduced battery life. Having used three pairs of truly wireless earphones over the course of two years (none of them lasting the entire time), the battery life is one that gets greatly reduced. Most earbuds, be it expensive or budget, lose around 40-50% battery life. For example, the original Realme Buds Air offered 3-4 hour of battery life, which dropped to around 45 minutes to 1 hour after 4-5 months of somewhat heavy usage. The OnePlus Buds too dropped to offering 4-5 hour of battery life instead of a constant 7 hours of battery life during launch. 2. Another major issue that occurs is that of half-decent software updates. Most Bluetooth earphones come with a support application that allows for OTA updates, but, in most instances, these updates end up causing certain issues like reduced battery life and, more importantly, broken connections. The OnePlus Buds that I owned started dropping connections quite frequently after a few updates, as was the case with the Realme Buds Air. A relative of mine who owns the Galaxy Buds also stated the same, saying that he was seeing sudden connection drops, which can be fixed manually. This is not the kind of experience one would expect for a set of truly wireless earphones that prioritise ease of use. 3. Not being able to change batteries is another flaw that can plague users in the long run. As mentioned earlier, users see truly wireless earphones dying out of nowhere, which happened with me in the case of my OnePlus Buds. If this occurs and the warranty has run out, the user has no option to replace the dead battery and is a sitting duck, seeing his money go to waste. 4. Most modern truly wireless earphones also require the need for enhanced support via smartphones, such as the need for Bluetooth 5.0 or Bluetooth 5.1, features that are not common with most devices, but at least this is becoming slightly more common. 5. To add to all of this, the fragility of a truly wireless earphone is right up there when it comes to its set of cons since there is a minor chance of losing them if you end up dropping them, especially on the subway or when riding a bike. This issue is quite common in America, with subway stations being full of AirPods on the train track. 6. Audio quality, a key feature of any headphone or earphone, is also not the best when it comes to truly wireless earphones. Do not get me wrong; they are great, and there are certain options that can provide truly amazing audio, but most of them end up trading audio for ease of use. To add to this, promoting said products with certain artists or saying that some musician is a sound engineer does not warrant or promise good sound quality, since, at the end of the day, it is a promotional event, so do not fall prey to basic adverts. Companies such as Sennheiser and Sony are a handful of TWS manufacturers that actually provide good sound, but for a specific price. This price is quite high and, to the conventional user, spending 20-25k on a TWS is not quite smart, especially considering that sound quality can be achieved with wired options that are usually cheaper than the truly wireless ones, so it comes down to a choice between ease of use and overall quality. 7. Users focused on gaming might fall into the trap of advertisements, which state that truly wireless earphones offer ultra-low latency. In reality, this is not the case, as even the best of the best TWS offerings provide some amount of latency, and, with the phone of the same brand, the promised lower latency does not hold true. This might seem like a claim, but, in reality, I tried playing CoD and PUBG with both my OnePlus Buds and Realme Buds Air on, with the latter being used with the same company's device, in tune with the low latency mode, but, the latency was so severe that by the time I pressed the trigger, my character already died. 8. Audio quality is also hampered by the company of the TWS on offer, since companies that offer TWS earphones which also make smartphones have a different sort of integration within these truly wireless earbuds, achieving maximum quality. This is not the case with another company's smartphone, as I observed with the OnePlus Buds. They sounded much better when used with the OnePlus 6T in comparison to a Xiaomi or Realme phone, despite playing the same track with the same quality. This issue is not consistent with all options, but it does hamper overall usability, as the user might be disappointed with the audio quality, only to know that the buds sound completely different from the same company's phone. Non-smartphone manufacturers such as Skullcandy or Sennheiser and even Bose do not do this since there is no ecosystem tie-in, but Samsung and OnePlus do seem to offer varying audio quality with different devices. 9. Finally, the most disappointing con of a TWS is the cost to value ratio, since most earbuds, be it from Apple or Samsung, usually end up getting ruined in a span of 1-2 years (at best) and, if a user is spending 20k on a tech product that lasts just for a year or two, it is not the best use of their money. This might not be an issue for you, but a rational user will surely be worried when they see their money go down the drain within a couple of months or a year, at best. Do note that this is not the case with each and every pair, but it happens often enough to take note.

Hybrid 5G Festival Slated for 2022, All to Know Posted: 13 May 2021 05:29 AM PDT The first-ever hybrid 5G festival is happening. Yes, you heard it right. All the leading entities covering the UK's technology, entertainment and arts industries are teaming up to organise the hybrid 5G festival in early 2022. The 5G festival will be a part of a wider 200 million euros 5G testbeds and trails programme that will be funded by the UK government. The live festival will showcase creative talent mixed with the true power of advance 5G technology which will be broadcasted directly to consumers in rural and urban areas from global-leading venues. 5G Will Open the Doors of Creativity and Innovation for Multiple Industries Matt Warman, who is the Minister for Digital Infrastructure, stated that 5G technology is not just limited to faster mobile phone. The UK is exploring ground-breaking projects across the region to make people's lives better with revolutionary technology. The project will be hosted by Brighton and London to aid the cutting-edge music industry to grab new opportunities that 5G offers to revolutionise live entertainment and connect more consumers around the globe. 5G Festival Will Be Led by Digital Catapult The collaboration behind the first hybrid 5G festival will be managed and led by Digital Catapult, the UK's advanced digital technology innovation centre. The 5G festival will use the low latency feature that 5G offers to allow physically separate artists to produce immersive live music across multiple venues with a live and remote immersive environment. With the help of ultra-fast high speed, musicians will be able to perform together for a wider audience and provide an immersive experience. The core 5G infrastructure of the 5G festival is based on Digital Catapult's Testbed that is covered three sites across Brighton and London. The Digital Catapult's 5G Testbed offers complete end-to-end commercial and standard network services. O2 is Grateful to be part of the 5G Festival Rob Searle, who is the head of 5G at O2, stated that being the top brand in the live music industry in the UK, O2 is grateful to be part of initiatives like the 5G festival to provide an immersive experience to musicians and people across the globe. He also stated that connectivity has never been more important as we fuel this country into recovery and work to restructure Britain.

Juniper Networks to Expand Networks for Telecom Egypt Posted: 13 May 2021 05:10 AM PDT Juniper Networks has bagged a project from Telecom Egypt for upgrading and deploying a network capacity expansion. This capacity expansion would be done across Telecom Egypt's national infrastructure. Currently, Telecom Egypt serves a customer base of 9.8m for fixed-line services, 7.3m for mobile and 6.9m for broadband services. The network upgrade program comes after the anticipation of exponential growth for network demands in the country. The network upgrade program is designed to be in compliance with and path of the Egyptian Government's Digital Egypt and ICT 2030 initiatives. It will not only add capacity to the existing network but also contribute flexibility through automation. Recently, Telecom Egypt revenue has increased by 20% to EGP 8.4 billion in the first quarter of 2021. Technology behind the Network Upgrade Juniper Networks stated in a press statement that the network would be equipped with 400G interfaces. This interface comes from Jupiter's purpose-built IP transport portfolio. They further added that custom silicon would be used to reach the bandwidth capacity requirements ever-growing in Egypt. This technology deployment by Juniper would have characteristic features of customisation, automation and high performing network. This will also provide a scale-on-demand feature and assured service to Telecom Egypt. Improved Infrastructure Agility is Key says CTO of Telecom Egypt Mr Mohamed Alfowey, the Chief Technology Officer of Telecom Egypt, has commented on the project by saying that Telecom Egypt believes that a key competitive differentiator in the market is the ability to respond to the expeditiously changing customer needs. He also noted that improved infrastructure agility is important to meet these growing demands of their customers. He further stated that Juniper's innovation in cloud routing and network automation would benefit Telecom Egypt by enabling them to provide a faster, more resilient and predictable network to be 5G ready and help them overcome challenges to deliver an exceptional end-user experience in the long run. The press release also noted that the solution, when deployed, would feature an automated and flexible infrastructure that would assist in collecting, analysing, interpreting and responding to real-time data. It will also report its health status and traffic patterns.

Sony PS5 to Receive 25 New Exclusive Game Titles in 2021 Posted: 13 May 2021 05:02 AM PDT Last year in November, Sony unveiled its most-awaited gaming console called the PlayStation 5 (PS5) in the global market. However, it took a little more time to hit the Indian market, but that was also for namesake because the company is unable to restock the units in the country and most of the time it’s out of stock. In the latest development, it has been reported that Sony has over 25 first-party games out of which 5 titles are going to be exclusive for PS5 only. According to the report, almost half of them are original titles and these are going to launch soon. In an interview with Wired, Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios has stated that the company's internal game studio is putting all its efforts into developing new games for the PS5 console. PS5 to Receive 25 new Game Titles According to Hulst, out of 25 games, more than half of them are new IPs not the sequels of old games. "There's an incredible amount of variety originating from different regions," the report quoted. This seems to be great news for the gaming enthusiasts who already own a PS5. Hulst didn't reveal the release date of the upcoming game titles and created huge suspense about the release. The news about the launch of the exclusive title might encourage consumers to choose PS5 over the rival Xbox Series x console. The launch of 25 new games could be a big shot by the console maker as most of the exclusive games are getting postponed to next year. Just to let you know, Gran Turismo is also delayed for the 2022 launch. Sony PlayStation already has an exciting lineup of game titles that are slated to launch this year. Here is the list of games that are going to launch in 2021. Horizon Forbidden West God of War: Ragnarok and Ratchet Clank: Rift Apart Along with these three, a mix of indie and AAA titles are also going to be part of 25 first-party PS5 exclusives. Besides, the company is also tipped to include a game from Haven Studio founded by Jade Raymond. Just in case you don't know she has recently left Google Stadia Games' first-party studio, which is currently shut down by the company. It would be interesting to see what Sony is going to launch for PS5 in the upcoming days.

5G in India: GSA Supports Indian Operators Using 3GPP Approved Technologies For Trials Posted: 13 May 2021 04:23 AM PDT Global mobile Suppliers Association today welcomed the decision of India's Department of Telecommunications to give the go-ahead for 5G spectrum and trials of 5G uses and applications in the country using 3GPP-compliant technologies. India's four major mobile operators, between them, accounting for over 1.1 billion mobile subscribers, will join over 436 operators in 133 countries/territories that are investing in 3GPP-compliant 5G networks in the form of tests, trials, pilots, planned and actual deployments. As of April 2021, GSA data showed that there are already 162 mobile operators in 68 countries/territories that have launched one or more 3GPP-compliant 5G services, including both mobile and fixed wireless access. To meet this global demand for 5G mobile and fixed wireless access services, the number of announced 5G devices has now passed 756 devices spanning 22 form factors from 124 vendors. This growth in announced 3GPP-compliant 5G devices is also reflected in the continued rapid growth in commercially available 5G devices which, as of April 2021, stands at 468 and represents 61.9% of all announced 5G devices. The new 5G standards, which had been in discussion for more than five years, enable governments, regulators and more broadly the entire industry around the world to work together to build ultra-fast 5G services based on standards that put flexibility, reliability and security at their core. Joe Barrett, President of GSA, commented: "The commercial momentum behind 5G spectrum, networks and devices is truly global and built on the foundations of cooperation between industry, regulators and standards bodies. Spectrum harmonisation and technology standardisation are central to the ability of the global mobile ecosystem to deliver 5G services and unlock the wider economic and social benefits that it promises. GSA welcomes the decision of the Indian Government to support their mobile operators in investing in 3GPP-compliant 5G technology and in the globally harmonised spectrum." "5G remains on track to become one of the fastest adopted mobile technologies ever," Barrett continued. "In 2020, the world saw milestone after milestone being passed in 3GPP-compliant 5G network deployments and device launches and this has accelerated further in 2021. Against an unprecedented backdrop of a global pandemic and economic disruption, the mobile industry has continued to see more spectrum allocated to 5G, more networks deployed, and more devices become commercially available; a momentum that has been mirrored in the growth in 5G subscriptions around the world."

Airtel Payments Bank Users Can Now Invest in 24K Digital Gold Posted: 13 May 2021 03:25 AM PDT Airtel Payments Bank, the online banking service provided by Bharti Airtel, now allows users to invest in 24K digital gold through the 'DigiGold' feature inside the app. Since there is no minimum purchase value mandatory, users can start with investing an amount as low as Rs 1. The DigiGold service is offered by the telco in association with SafeGold that meets all the international quality standards in providing digital gold. Further, all the digital gold is stored securely with Brink's India. The price at which Airtel users get the gold is very competitive to the price of the asset in the international markets, ensuring that the customers get the full value of their money. Once the users have invested substantial amounts of money in the DigiGold, they can even exchange it for jewellery in nearby stores and showrooms. Gift Gold to Your Loved Ones With Airtel Payments Bank The DigiGold can also be gifted to other people on the customer's wish. But the user that's receiving the DigiGold should have a savings account in the Airtel Payments Bank to complete the transaction. All the gold purchased by the users will be stored in the SafeGold for no additional cost. Further, users can sell it anytime they wish to. The DigiGold by Airtel Payments Bank will allow customers to invest their savings and have a chance to earn bigger returns in the future. It will be available to every user having a savings account with the Airtel Payments Bank. For making an account in the Airtel Payments Bank, you will have to download the Airtel Thanks app on your smartphone. Open the app, register yourself, and then go to the 'bank' option at the bottom. Fill in the required information, and your new savings account will be opened in no time. Also, the Airtel Payments Bank recently increased the interest rates offered to the customers when they deposit a large sum of money. Users who deposit more than Rs 1 lakh will get an interest of up to 6% on their deposits. Further, users can deposit up to Rs 2 lakh instead of the earlier limit of Rs 1 lakh in their Airtel Payments Bank account.

Infinix Hot 10S India Launch Confirmed on May 20 Posted: 13 May 2021 02:52 AM PDT Infinix is a smartphone brand known for its wide range of entry-level and budget segment smartphones. Now the company is all set to launch its latest device in the HOT series called the Hot 10S. Today the company has officially announced that the launch is slated for May 20, 2021. Infinix has also confirmed that the handset will be powered by the MediaTek Helio G85 chipset and a lot more, among others. Let's have a closer look at the Infinix upcoming Hot 10S launch details and confirmed specifications. Infinix Hot 10S India Launch Confirmed According to the company, the Infinix Hot 10S is confirmed to launch on May 20th 2021, at 12 PM IST. The company will not conduct any launch event, and it will be a soft launch like all the Infinix phones considering the current COVID-19 scenario. The company has also confirmed some of the vital information about the handset ahead of the launch. As per the company, the smartphone will ship with the MediaTek Helio G85 chipset powered by the latest XOS 7.6 along with the revolutionary Dar-Link technology for smooth gaming performance. On the software front, the smartphone is confirmed to run on the latest Google OS version Android 11. The Infinix Hot 10S will be rolled out in two variants, including a 4 GB RAM + 64GB Storage and a 6GB RAM + 64GB Storage along with an expandable memory option of 256 GB. The handset is confirmed to be available for purchase on Flipkart in four colour variants-Heart of Ocean, Morandi Green, 7-Degree Purple and 95-Degree Black. The company also promises to launch the Hot 10S under the 10K price segment, and the microsite on Flipkart is said to go live on May 16, which will explain more about the upcoming smartphone. It would be interesting to see at what price the company is going to launch the smartphone in India. Thanks to the global launch we get to know some more information about the handset. The Infinix Hot 10S features a 6.82-inch HD+ IPS with a resolution of 720×1,640 pixels. It has an aspect ratio of 20.5:9 and a 90Hz refresh rate. It offers a triple rear camera setup with the combination of a 48MP primary sensor + 2MP secondary sensor and an AI lens.

Excitel Broadband Plans to Help Users Work From Home Posted: 13 May 2021 01:58 AM PDT Excitel Broadband has announced internet bundle packs for its users to help them work from home. The broadband plans are aimed at fulfilling the needs of different kinds of people who need to find different sources of entertainment as well as to conduct their professional work inside their home. The company has basically outlined its existing plans and conveyed which plans would be the aptest for users looking to work, learn, and do more from home. Let's take a look at the plans shared by Excitel. Excitel Broadband Plans For Working From Home Excitel Broadband said that three of its plans with 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, and 300 Mbps would make for a good option if the users are looking to work from home. The company said that all of its plans are good for users if they go for the plans with three-month validity to fulfil their data needs inside their homes in the second round of lockdown. All the plans make sense to be purchased for at least three months because then it becomes economical for the user. The 100 Mbps plan for 3 months will cost users Rs 565 per month, translating to Rs 1,695 (exclusive of taxes) as a one-time payment. Further, the 200 Mbps plan for 3 months will cost Rs 638 per month, translating to Rs 1,914 (exclusive of taxes). Lastly, the 300 Mbps plan for 3 months will cost Rs 752 per month, translating to Rs 2,256 (exclusive of taxes). Since there is no fair-usage-policy (FUP) limit applicable on either of the plans, users don't have to worry about how much data they are consuming. They can stream at the highest qualities, work with heavy data consuming softwares and websites, download heavy files, and do more without worrying about exhausting the data. Further, the 300 Mbps plan from Excitel Broadband also comes with over-the-top (OTT) benefits if the users purchase it for 3 months or 90 days. The OTT benefits will include free subscriptions to ZEE5 Premium, Voot Select, Eros Now, and ShemarooMe. None of the other plans from the company come with OTT benefits. Lastly, users don't even need to pay any charges for the installation, but a Rs 2,000 security deposit is applicable on the ONU devices.

Redmi Watch Launched for India, Everything to Know Posted: 13 May 2021 12:56 AM PDT Xiaomi has unveiled the Redmi Watch in India alongside the Redmi Note 10S. The Redmi Watch is the first smartwatch offering from the company. It is here to compete with other budget smartwatch offerings from Amazfit, Noise, and Realme. If you are looking for a stylish smartwatch with all the essential features but on a budget, the Redmi Watch can be your go-to product. Let's take a look at the specifications of the Redmi Watch launched in India. Redmi Watch Specifications The Redmi Watch comes with a 1.4-inch TFT LCD display with support for a maximum brightness of 350nits and a resolution of 320×320 pixels. There is a single button located on the right side of the watch, and it features a 2.5D curved glass at the top. The Redmi Watch comes with support for GLONASS and GPS for enabling accurate tracking. It further supports Bluetooth 5.1 for allowing connectivity with other devices. There are over 200 watch faces that users can choose through, and the smartwatch also comes with ATM water resistance certification. In terms of performance, the company has claimed that the Redmi Watch can run up to 10 days in a single charge. However, there's one thing that's missing; the speed charging feature. Since the watch doesn't support speed charging, it will take around 2 hours for it to charge completely. The Redmi Watch supports a number of sensors, including the three-axis acceleration sensor, PPG heart-rate sensor, barometer, geomagnetic sensor, ambient light sensor, and a gyroscope. The smartwatch further comes with support for 11 fitness modes, including indoor cycling, walking, swimming, trail running, hiking, and more. With the Redmi Watch, users can oversee their sleeping activity; can get guided breathing support, step counter, air pressure detection, and all-day heart-rate monitoring. Users can also check notifications, set alarms and do much more when they integrate the Redmi Watch with their smartphone. Redmi Watch Price The Redmi Watch has launched for a price of Rs 3,999 in India. It will be available in four coloured straps – Ivory, Blue, Black, and Olive. It will go on the first sale from May 25, 2021, via the official website of Xiaomi India and the online retail store of Flipkart.

Nokia Becomes the Leading Optical Networks Provider in India Posted: 13 May 2021 12:41 AM PDT Nokia today announced that it has been ranked as the leader in optical networks in India by market share, according to Omdia, a leading independent global research firm. Nokia has differentiated itself by offering cutting-edge optical networks products for all segments of the communications network. Its extensive range of products also includes unique solutions for Data Center Interconnect (DCI) and the enterprise market. According to Omdia’s market share analysis report, India's optical networks market is more than $415 million, spread across all layers of telecom networks, including backhaul, access, aggregation and National Long Distance. This is set to grow in the next few years because of continuous growth in mobile data consumption Ian Redpath, Practice Leader, Transport Networks & Components at Omdia, said "India's dynamic optical networks market is on a growth path with an ever-increasing data consumption. Nokia's Photonic Service Engine based products have changed the game by allowing the service providers to improve the capacity while managing costs. Nokia's focus on product innovation, backward compatibility of its DSPs and solving customer's challenges has helped the company achieve #1 position in optical networks in India in 2020, increasing its market share by over 10% year on year." Developed by Nokia Bell Labs, Nokia's super coherent Digital Signal Processors (DSP) – Photonic Service Engine (PSE) – uses the pathbreaking modulation technique of Probabilistic Constellation Shaping (PCS) to advance the optical fiber transmission capacity to the Shannon Limit*. This helps the service providers achieve better spectral efficiency while providing higher bandwidth and better reach. Service providers also benefit from lower power consumption, lower footprints, and lowest cost per bit transport. Chandan Kumar, Head of Optics – India at Nokia, said: "We are delighted by Omdia’s report ranking Nokia as the leader in the optical networks market in India. It is a testimony to our commitment to introduce products that address the specific pain points of our customers. Our PSE based products allow service providers to continuously push the limits of their optical networks. Our optical products enabled with control plane functionality offers one of the fastest network traffic restorations through an alternate path, crucial for India due to a number of simultaneous fiber cuts every day."

Redmi Note 10S Powered by MediaTek Helio G95 Debuts in India Posted: 13 May 2021 12:29 AM PDT Redmi Note 10S has finally launched in India after debuting in China in March this year. The device comes with an impressive set of specifications and features, including the Super AMOLED display for higher quality visuals and a 5,000mAh battery with support for fast charging. Further, there is a quad-camera setup at the rear and a punch-hole cutout at the front housing the selfie-camera sensor. The device will be a huge competition for the likes of Motorola G40 Fusion, Motorola G60, Realme 8, and Xiaomi's own Redmi Note 10 series. Let's dive into the complete details and specifications of the device below. Redmi Note 10S Specifications The Redmi Note 10S is powered by the octa-core MediaTek Helio G95 SoC coupled with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It has a 6.43-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display protected with the covering of Corning Gorilla Glass. The device features a quad-camera setup at the rear with a 64MP primary sensor paired with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, a 2MP macro sensor, and a 2MP depth sensor. At the front, the device comes with a 13MP sensor for clicking selfies and video calling. The Redmi Note 10S will run on MIUI 12.5 based on Android 11 out of the box and also comes with IP53 certification making it dust and water-resistant. It packs a 5,000mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging. It is a 4G supportive device that can support the following bands – 4G: LTE FDD: B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/20/28; 4G: LTE TDD: B38/40/41(2535-2655MHz); 3G: WCDMA: B1/2/4/5/8; and 2G: GSM: 850 900 1800 1900 MHz. Redmi Note 10S Price The Redmi Note 10S has launched in two different variants in India. The first variant comes with 6GB+64GB and is priced at Rs 14,999, and the second variant comes with 6GB+128GB priced at Rs 15,999. The device will be available in three different colours – Frost White, Deep Sea Blue, and Shadow Black. At this price range, the device will be in direct competition from the latest offerings of Motorola (Moto G60 and Moto G40 Fusion). It will go on sale from May 18, 2021, via the official website of Xiaomi India and the online store of Amazon India.

Airtel Thanks App Providing Verified List of COVID-19 Supplies and More Posted: 12 May 2021 10:47 PM PDT Airtel Thanks app from Bharti Airtel is now helping users find crucial information related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. The information includes an updated, verified list of supplies and services that people and institutions are offering. In addition to this, now Airtel Thanks app users can find the vaccination centres and available slots in their cities directly through the portal that's inside the application. Here's all that you should know about the Airtel Thanks app's effort in helping people with the COVID-19 situation in India. Airtel Thanks App Users Can Find Vaccination Centers Users can open the Airtel Thanks app and go to the 'explore' section at the bottom of the screen. There at the top, users will find an option to check out the vaccination centres that are available in their respective cities. Users can find their vaccination slots with the help of the app on the go by selecting their state and the city they live in. The app will let users get all information about the COVID-19 vaccine slots available at different centres of their city. Airtel Thanks App Also Offering Information on Available Supplies If you are in search of supplies or help, including plasma donors, oxygen suppliers, ambulance, food, hospital beds, and testing centres, you can use the Airtel Thanks app to get access to all of it. In the same explore section of the app, users will find the option to look for 'COVID-19 supplies'. Tapping on it would allow the users to seek help in their respective cities. The information is updated in real-time on the Airtel Thanks app so that users can find the latest developments in their city related to supplies. Further, if you are someone who can provide supplies and help people, you can also register yourself inside the portal and describe what you can help with so that people can reach out to you when needed. Airtel has clearly defined that it doesn't own or endorse any of the COVID-19 suppliers or centres. The telco has only created a portal that takes information and updates it to the users of the country to help them in this desperate time.

Symmetrical vs Asymmetrical Internet Connections Detailed Posted: 12 May 2021 09:30 PM PDT Speed is one of the most important aspects when it comes to Internet connections. It is also one of the deciding factors when choosing between different plans offered by different operators. There are two speeds to account for that constitutes any internet connection. One is the download speed, and the other is upload speed. The download speed is the one most commonly known, advertised and useful for most internet users. The download speed is the speed at which your internet connection can retrieve data from the internet. In simple terms, it is the speed with which you can download data like apps, games, movies and more. The speed at which your internet connection sends data from your device to the internet is known as the upload speed. Upload speeds come into play when you are pushing some data on the internet, like uploading profile pictures, pictures, videos on social media and more. The upload speeds are usually 1/10th of the download speed. What is Symmetrical Connection? As the name suggests, an asymmetrical connection is when the download and upload speeds are the same. An internet connection with a 1/1GBPS fibre internet connection can be an example of an asymmetrical connection. In such a connection, you can get an upload and download speed of 1gbps. Symmetrical Internet Connections Use Cases Small & Large Offices: Symmetrical connections are useful in office environments where several people connect and transfer data to the internet simultaneously. When several people are connected to a LAN and are constantly accessing the internet to upload and download data, you could consider employing a symmetrical connection. Large File Sharing/Video Conferencing: If your work involves uploading huge files on the internet on a regular basis, then a symmetrical connection is the one to choose. An example of this could be YouTubers that require upload speeds to upload their videos in 4K quality that makes the files huge in size. Faster upload speeds mean less time to upload high-quality videos. High upload speeds are also required for smooth video conferencing, which has replaced office team meeting in today's time. Accessing Cloud Services: If your business has some cloud-based applications, you would require high upload speeds to access the cloud networks. Cloud gaming is also a new revolution in gaming where the games stored in clouds can be played without downloading them. Such use cases would be benefitted from a Symmetrical Connection. What is an Asymmetrical Connection? When the data speed and file transfer rate on your internet connection are different for uploading and downloading, such a connection is known as an Asymmetrical Connection. As we pointed out before, usually, your upload speed is a fraction of the download speeds. These connections ensure fast download speeds but considerably low upload speeds. Some examples of an asymmetrical connection are FTTC, FTTP and traditional home DSL. An asymmetrical connection is often cheaper than a symmetrical connection. Asymmetrical Internet Connections Use Cases Downloading Large Files: If you access the internet to download huge games, movies, apps and more, you would require high downloading speeds. In such cases, an asymmetrical connection can be useful as you get high download speeds without having to spend unnecessary money on getting high upload speeds. Online Streaming: Since we all are home these days, online streaming of movies has become a source of entertainment. A smooth buffer less experience can be achieved by an asymmetrical connection. Cost-Effective General Use: If you want a cost-effective internet connection for your home where your family members have their different use cases, then also Asymmetrical connections can be of use. As most use cases at home revolve around accessing the internet for download, browsing of data, thus an asymmetrical connection can get the job done for you on a budget.

Indians Ready to Pay 50% More for 5G Plans With Bundled Benefits Posted: 12 May 2021 08:00 PM PDT 5G has been the most awaited feature for consumers, promising to change the way one uses his/her phone due to the enhanced capabilities that come with 5G. Some of these include downloading major files or sending larger files in a fraction of the time that is currently taken. That being said, the feature is yet to arrive, and, as per reports, it will still be delayed in India, with the possibility of a launch in 2022, given the situation regarding 5G spectrum auctions and the trials, which are just starting. A ConsumerLab report by Ericsson provides some insight on 5G and how many users will move to the technology, indicating the true importance of the 5th Gen network and providing an insight into the number of prospective consumers waiting for the same. 40 Million Indians Ready to Upgrade to 5G in 2021 The report mentions that around 300 million consumers globally could upgrade to 5G in 2021 (Worldwide), which includes 40 million Indian users as well. Do note that the trials for 5G are yet to commence in India, further indicating the delay that has been caused by the pandemic and bad planning from the government. For those of you unaware, 5G will bring low latency applications and provide revenue new streams, being a major improvement over 4G. The report also states that India has the highest rise in intention to upgrade to 5G, with 67% of users interested in taking up 5G when it is available. In relation to this, Indian consumers are also ready to pay 50% more for 5G plans with added digital services such as OTT platforms, in comparison to a 10% premium for just 5G connectivity. Do note that with this, there are a set of expectations that these users have, with 70% of potential early adopters of 5G in India expecting higher speeds than 4G, with 60% users expecting innovation in pricing from telcos such as 5G data sharing between multiple users. It was also observed that 5G was triggering new behaviours within users, some of them being reduced Wi-Fi usage, one hour of AR gaming and two hours of cloud gaming in comparison to 4G users. To add to this, the report also predicts that consumers will be spending 7-8 hours a week on extended reality applications by 2025. It is also highlighted that by the end of 2020, increased awareness of service and value benefits could have led to 22% of users upgrading to 5G subscriptions using 5G-ready handsets.

SITI Broadband 30 Mbps Plan Fares Well Against JioFiber, BSNL Posted: 12 May 2021 06:30 PM PDT SITI Broadband is a broadband service offered by the SITI Networks group. It is one of the major internet service providers (ISPs) of the country. The company offers some of the cheapest broadband plans to its customers. The base plan offered by the company is the 30 Mbps plan that is as good as the 30 Mbps plan offered by JioFiber and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). If you are thinking of buying a new 30 Mbps broadband plan, you can consider the offerings from SITI Broadband, JioFiber, and BSNL Bharat Fibre. Let's take a look at the plans below. SITI Broadband 30 Mbps Plan The SITI Broadband, 30 Mbps plan, comes for a mere cost of Rs 399 per month. The amount is exclusive of taxes. With the plan, the users get unlimited data. There is a fair-usage-policy (FUP) limit applicable on all broadband plans; however, the company hasn't specified what that limit is on the website. Further, the customers will have to pay a security deposit against the ONU devices that the company provides. This security deposit will only be refundable to the customer in case he/she keeps the connection for more than 3 months. There will be activation charges as well, which will be non-refundable in any case. However, if the customer uses his/her own router, then the activation charges or the security deposit won't be applicable. Users purchasing the plans for a long-term duration will get up to 2 months of free service. JioFiber 30 Mbps Plan The 30 Mbps broadband plan from JioFiber is the cheapest plan offered by the ISP. It also costs the same Rs 399 per month (exclusive of taxes). Users get 3.3TB of data with the plan along with the benefit of unlimited voice calling. There are no over-the-top (OTT) subscriptions offered with the plan. When users purchase the plan for the long term, they can get up to 30 days or 1 month of service for free. BSNL Bharat Fibre 30 Mbps Plan The BSNL Bharat Fibre 30 Mbps plan comes for Rs 449 per month. It offers users the same amount of FUP data as JioFiber's plan does, i.e., 3.3TB. Once the user consumes the FUP data, the speed will drop to 2 Mbps. There is also unlimited voice calling included with the plan. Users don't get any OTT benefits with this plan either. How the SITI Broadband 30 Mbps Plan Fares? The SITI Broadband 30 Mbps plan fares really good against the plans offered by JioFiber and the BSNL Bharat Fiber. It is even cheaper than the 30 Mbps plan from BSNL Bharat Fibre. If the FUP data offered with the SITI Broadband's 30 Mbps plan is also 3.3TB, then BSNL Bharat Fibre's plan don't really has a lot of merit to it since it is Rs 50 more expensive.

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