${latestitem Title}

---

• Flagship Phones Are Losing Their Charm, Here’s Why
• Why Do Smartphone Companies Launch Special Edition Devices
• BSNL 4G Plans Are Full of Value, Here’s Why
• Airtel Xstream Box vs Amazon Fire TV Cube, What Should You Choose

Flagship Phones Are Losing Their Charm, Here’s Why Posted: 02 May 2021 07:30 AM PDT Taking a brief look at the last few years, the smartphone industry as a whole has been subject to change in all regards. Be it the retirement of some major names or the return of some controversial brands; everything has occurred in India. Amidst all this chaos, we saw a key aspect of smartphones, the price to performance ratio, increasing to such an extent that, if one was to tell a user in 2015 about what was to come, they would simply scoff. The extent of change is so major that it has led to a major change in the industry, with smartphones over the budget of Rs 40-50k becoming harder and harder to recommend. Why do I feel so, and why is it getting tougher to recommend flagship devices? Find out more by reading ahead. Why Its Getting Tougher To Recommend Flagships Back in the good old days when Micromax used to rule India, flagship devices from the likes of OnePlus (OnePlus 1, 2), Samsung or Apple offered features that were a class apart from the regular devices. These would have included features like better displays, flagship chipsets or a half-decent camera (multiple cameras were yet to be a thing) in comparison to cheaper TFT panels with sub-par chips and 5MP cameras on mid-range devices. In contrast, today, if one looks at a flagship device and a device in the 20k segment, the only key differentiator is the software (at times) and the materials used for the build. Camera equipment is trickling down to cheaper segments, evident by how 108MP sensors are now becoming a thing in the mid-range segment of India. Performance, too, used to be a key differentiator back in the day, with performance-focused devices restricted to the flagship segment. However, after the Poco F1 showcased that you can have flagship performance at a fraction of the cost, we have seen many instances of the same occurring. Design too is reaching parity, with most devices even in the budget segment opting for a glass panel for the back rather than a plastic frame. This begs the question of "What is different now?" What is Different With Flagships In 2021? With most of these features reaching parity or near parity, one has to ask the question, what is actually different with flagships in 2021? Here are some features that still differ in flagship devices. Software Support is one of the key features that is a differing factor for flagships and non-flagship, with devices in the budget or mid-range segment getting at most 2 years of support, whilst flagships from OnePlus, Samsung offer around 3-4 years of software support. Haptics is another differentiator that often gets overlooked; these devices offer better haptic and taptic engines, which aid in overall usability, whilst even in 2021, budget devices offer over the top feedback in the name of haptics. Resale value is something that might not matter to the non-concerning user to a major extent, but flagships in general, with the exception of Google devices, at least in India, offer better resale values in contrast to their buying price. In general, the design might have caught up, but the IP certification, which is key for protection against accidental water damage, is something that is still limited to flagships to a greater extent.

Why Do Smartphone Companies Launch Special Edition Devices Posted: 02 May 2021 03:30 AM PDT If you are into consumer tech, you ought to be aware of the special edition devices that come once in a while, grabbing all the spotlight for some collaboration with a famous entity or a funky, new design. Have you ever wondered, though, why smartphone companies launch special edition devices? They usually do not offer any new specifications, nor do they attract a ton of sales, with most users not choosing to go with the slightly more expensive edition. In reality, there is a multitude of reasons as to why a company launches a special edition device. Let us discuss a few of them and talk about why special edition devices are, in reality, quite special. Why Do Companies Make Special Edition Devices As mentioned earlier, companies are not obligated to launch devices with special editions, but most of them choose to do so. Whilst it may seem like this is a relatively easy decision, there is a lot of planning and thought that goes into the partnership that is often accompanying a special edition device, be it to a specific entity or a designer. Here are a few reasons why companies choose to launch special edition devices, even if no one is asking for them. 1. Increased Hype and Attention With the increasing competition in the tech space, products these days come and go, with those offering even decent specifications being overlooked in favour of a product that might have a feature that is worth a headline. Some examples of these features are 108MP sensors, AMOLED panels etc. Whilst these are good specifications, it is not compulsory for a device sporting these features to be good, with most of them being sub-par at best, but the hype train helps these products sell well. For the devices launched during a tough time, be it in the middle of a launch cycle or relatively earlier than the competition, the chances of being overlooked or forgotten increase. In this scenario, a special edition comes to the aid. A special edition device, especially with a major entity or personality at the helm of its advertisement trend, will lead to more people taking notice of the product, leading to overall sales. This might be with any product, be it a smartphone, a watch or a pair of headphones. 2. A Sense of Luxury For users looking for a little bit extra, the special edition device offers great value. The price difference is not that major, but the design, which for the uninformed user is one of the key factors whilst purchasing a phone, differs from regular devices. Be it a unique colourway or a funky design; the device stands out in comparison to the rather toned down white or black hue available with every device. Those who wish to flaunt their devices get a good way to do so, minus the over the top cost. To add to this, special edition devices usually sell less, so there is a sense of luxury for the user, owning a piece of memorabilia that is not available to all, having been on sale during a specific period. 3. Humanitarian Reasons Apple has another reason for its special editions, which are launched under the Product (Red) moniker. The Product Red initiative is one that is quite good, with the company donating a percentage of the sales for AIDs and HIV related relief. According to Apple's site, the company, in its 14-year span, has been able to donate $250 Million to AIDs and HIV via the Product Red program, which is quite respectable. Whilst the user might be unaware of what occurs, it goes to a good cause. From the user's side, they get a striking red product that stands out from the other glass slabs in black, silver and space grey and in doing so, they are helping contribute to a cause. 4. Entertainment Partnerships For Better Reach Certain companies such as Samsung and OnePlus in the past have made use of strategic collaborations for special edition devices in a bid to increase their foothold in a certain market, which has often gone the company's way. Samsung chose to partner with DC for the Batman Injustice S7 Edge, while OnePlus chose popular fan fiction franchise Star Wars to partner the company for the OnePlus 5T device. Both devices helped the companies financially and in terms of the overall image. Those unaware of a relatively smaller brand like OnePlus suddenly knew of the brand due to the Star Wars branding, bringing their cash to the company in exchange for a unique piece of star wars memorabilia. It is this kind of scenario that helps attracts customers who are relatively unaware of the tech scene and make them purchase a specific device.

BSNL 4G Plans Are Full of Value, Here’s Why Posted: 02 May 2021 12:20 AM PDT Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) offers 4G plans that provide more value to the users than the other operators. The 4G plans from BSNL aren't only cheap, but they also come with a ton of benefits. Yes, BSNL doesn't have any partnership with over-the-top (OTT) platforms or have its own suite of apps like Jio to offer to the users. Yet, it still fulfils the basic needs of its subscribers with the 4G plans better than other operators. Let's check out some of the BSNL 4G plans and what they offer to the users so that you can verify their value yourselves. BSNL 4G Plans That Offer a Ton of Value BSNL offers a variety of 4G plans to its users. The most basic plan starts from as low as Rs 7, which offers 1GB daily data to the users for 1 day. It is a data-only plan, so users don't get voice calling or SMS benefits. All the unused data expire with the expiry of the plan. Coming to the plans that offer everything, including data, voice calling, and SMS benefits, users can purchase the telco's 'Plan 153' (costs Rs 153) that offers 1GB daily data with unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS/day to the users for 28 days. It is very similar to that of Reliance Jio's Rs 149 plan but offers 4 days of more validity. Then there is the 'STV 187' (costs Rs 187). The 'STV 187′ offers users 2GB daily data with unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS/day for 28 days. Users can also purchase the 'STV 599' (costs Rs 599) that offers 5GB daily data with 100 SMS/day and unlimited voice calling. After consumption of the 5GB fair-usage-policy (FUP) data, users can continue browsing at 80 Kbps speeds. The validity of the STV 599 is 90 days. So compared to the Rs 599 and Rs 598 plans from Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, not only this plan offers more data but offers more days of service as well. BSNL 4G plans are also available for long-term validities. Users can opt for the 'BSNL 1999' (costs Rs 1,999) plan or 'BSNL 2399' (costs Rs 2,399) plan if they want to go for a plan with 1-year (365 days) validity. The BSNL Rs 1,999 plan offers users 2GB daily data with unlimited voice calls, 100 SMS/day, free caller tune for 365 days and Lokdhum content for 60 days. All the benefits of the Rs 2,399 plan are the same as that of the Rs 1,999 plan except for the data benefits. With the Rs 2,399 plan, users get 3GB of daily data for the complete year. BSNL 4G Services BSNL 4G VoLTE service is live in only select circles of India. The state-run telco is currently planning for rolling out the 4G network PAN-India. So one drawback of recharging with a BSNL's 4G plan is that it won't work PAN-India. The select regions where BSNL 4G VoLTE services are already live are – Tamil Nadi, Kerala, Coimbatore, Chennai, and Karnataka. More new cities will be added soon to the telco's 4G VoLTE service list. BSNL is expected to launch its 4G services across India by the second half of 2022 if there are no delays.

Airtel Xstream Box vs Amazon Fire TV Cube, What Should You Choose Posted: 01 May 2021 06:27 PM PDT Many people in India have shifted from consuming normal satellite or cable TV content to over-the-top (OTT) content during the last few years. To fill the OTT gap in the market, multiple Direct-to-Home (DTH) service providers, including Airtel Digital TV and Tata Sky, came out with their specialised Android powered Smart TV Boxes. These Smart TV boxes from the DTH service providers allow users to consume both OTT and traditional satellite TV content on the go. At the same time, tech giants such as Xiaomi and Amazon came out with their specialised products to help users stream content from OTT platforms directly into their TVs. Amazon recently launched the Fire TV Cube in India. The Fire TV Cube is much like the Apple TV 4K launched a few days back. However, the Fire TV Cube is much more expensive than any Android Set-Top Box (STB) offered by either Airtel Digital TV or Tata Sky. Today we are comparing the Airtel Xstream Box and Amazon Fire TV Cube to see if the latter's price is justified and if it is better than the Android STB offering from Airtel. Airtel Xstream Box vs Amazon Fire TV Cube: Price The Airtel Xstream Box can be availed by users for a mere cost of Rs 2,499 from the website of the company or through any of the retail stores. Airtel Xstream Fiber connection users can get the Android STB for an even lower refundable cost of 1,500. The Amazon Fire TV Cube is priced at Rs 12,999 in India and is available to be purchased online. Airtel Xstream Box vs Amazon Fire TV Cube: Content Airtel Xstream Box will allow users to stream both OTT and satellite TV content simultaneously. Switching from OTT to satellite TV or vice-versa can be done through a tap of a few buttons. Users can recharge with DTH packages offered by the company and also stream content from OTT platforms at the same time. However, even Amazon Fire TV Cube users can watch both OTT and satellite TV, but at a very huge cost. With the Fire TV Cube, users will need a separate STB from Airtel Digital TV, Tata Sky, Dish TV or any other operator so that they can switch between OTT content and satellite TV with the help of Alexa. Note that only select STBs support Alexa and voice commands. Users can just ask Alexa to 'switch to DTH Box', and it will follow the command. Airtel Xstream Box vs Amazon Fire TV Cube: Who is the Winner? In terms of pricing and functionality, the Airtel Xstream Box wins from the Amazon Fire TV Cube comfortably. If you are still wondering why the Fire TV Cube is priced so high, it is because of the support for 4K Ultra HD content. This is the only place where Amazon's Smart TV Box beats Airtel Xstream Box. Apart from that, most of the things that you can do with the Amazon Fire TV Cube, you can do them with the Airtel Xstream Box.

You are subscribed to email updates from TelecomTalk. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States