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• Asus ZenFone 8 Series Landing Page Goes Official, 8 Flip To Launch in India
• Nothing Ear 1 Spotted on BIS Certification Hinting Imminent Launch
• OnePlus TV40Y1 to Debut in India on May 24, Key Specifications Revealed
• Bharti Airtel Set to Register Growth Even Without Tariff Hikes
• WhatsApp’s Upcoming Chat Migration Tool Will Make Transferring Data Easier
• Reliance Jio Just Deployed 15 MHz Spectrum in this State
• Honor 50 and Magic Series Confirmed to Ship With Snapdragon 778G 5G Chipset
• Xiaomi’s Tweet Confirms Redmi Note 8 2021 Edition in the Works
• Tecno Spark 7 Pro to Launch on May 25 in India
• Mavenir to Power Thailand’s First Smart City With 5G Open RAN Private Network
• Google Pixel 6 Renders Are Here and We Are Excited!
• Clubhouse Is Now Available on Android in India
• BSNL or Jio, Who Offers Better Sub Rs 200 4G Data Plan
• Tariff Hikes from Telecom Operators Will be Insensitive Right Now
• Fibernet Broadband Connection Is What Every Gamer Needs
• Bharti Airtel Can Overtake Reliance Jio if It Can Do This

Asus ZenFone 8 Series Landing Page Goes Official, 8 Flip To Launch in India Posted: 21 May 2021 08:37 AM PDT Asus has been making decent strides with its ZenFone series that is launched under a different moniker in India due to legal reasons. The company recently unveiled the latest update in its ZenFone lineup with the introduction of the ZenFone 8 and ZenFone 8 Flip. Now, it has been revealed that the ZenFone 8 is coming to India under the name Asus 8z, whilst the Flip version is also tipped to be coming to India. This is not in line with what reports were suggesting, since it was mentioned earlier within leaks and reports that the 8 Flip would skip the Indian market, but, with today’s landing page going live, the chances of the 8 Flip launching in India seem much higher. The landing page confirms the arrival of its latest flagship, the Asus ZenFone 8 in India, additionally suggesting that the 8 Flip will also come to the Indian market. Asus 8Z To Arrive In India Soon The Asus 8Z (ZenFone 8) now has a dedicated landing page on the Asus site with the message “coming soon to India. The page reveals the key features and details of the Asus 8Z and if you scroll further, the company has also featured the ZenFone 8 Flip suggesting a probable launch in India. Do note that as of now the launch date has not been revealed but, given the listing, the chances of that occurring have increased by a lot. In terms of specifications, the ZenFone 8 is dubbed as a compact flagship due to its 5.9-inch AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. In terms of power, the device relies on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip. When it comes to optics, the device sports a dual-camera setup to the back with a primary 64MP camera and a 12MP ultra-wide lens. For selfies, the device relies on a 12MP shooter. The device also gets a 4,000 mAh battery with support for 30W fast charging. To add to the flagship branding, the device comes with IP68 water and dust resistance, a 3.5mm headphone jack, Dirac supported dual stereo speakers amongst other features. On the other hand, the ZenFone 8 Flip features a flip camera mechanism that gives it its unique name. There is a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with the Snapdragon 888 chip for performance. The device also gets 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. To the rear, the camera setup is the same as the ZenFone 8, but, this time you can use these cameras as a selfie snapper due to the flip mechanism. The device gets a 5,000 mAh battery with Android 11 out of the box. There is also an in-display fingerprint sensor, 5G support, dual stereo speakers.

Nothing Ear 1 Spotted on BIS Certification Hinting Imminent Launch Posted: 21 May 2021 08:24 AM PDT Nothing CEO Carl Pei has recently teased about the upcoming truly wireless earbuds on the official forum. The company confirmed that the first devices from the brand would be known as Ear 1, which is slated to launch later this year. Pei has officially confirmed that the company is all set to launch the TWS in June, but he didn't mention any specific launch date. Now in the latest development, a Nothing device with model number B181 has appeared on the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) website, hinting towards an imminent launch. However, the listing didn't reveal anything about the upcoming Ear 1. Let's have a closer look at the BIS listing of Ear 1. Nothing Ear 1 BIS Listing Popular tipster Mukul Sharma has shared the leak on his official Twitter handle. According to the tipster, the upcoming Ear 1 is confirmed to launch in June 2021. The TWS is listed on the BIS website ahead of the launch with model number B181. The listing didn't reveal much about the TWS, but the tipster suggests that the device will be launched at the end of June 2021. He didn't reveal the exact launch date, but we can expect some more information about the device moving forward. Pei announced the brand Nothing back in 2020; since then, the brand remained tight-lipped about the first device that it's planning to launch this year. The audio device is also expected to feature some key elements of Concept 1. Concept 1 was teased back in March this year, and the concept was based on three primary principles – Weightless, Timeless, and Effortless. Pei claimed that the design of the upcoming TWS is still top-secret, and the company claims that Ear 1 will arrive with the combination of "transparency, iconic form, and refined functionality." Do note that the company is still yet to specifically mention the launch date and specifications of the Ear 1. It's advisable to take this piece of information with a pinch of salt. It would be interesting to see what else the company is cooking in its China's headquarters and when we are going to get served.

OnePlus TV40Y1 to Debut in India on May 24, Key Specifications Revealed Posted: 21 May 2021 08:06 AM PDT OnePlus has been known as the flagship killer ever since its inception in the global market for offering the best specifications on offer for a reduced price in comparison to the competition. Over the last few years, the company has gone through a change in its strategy, forgoing its status and becoming more mainstream. One of the key strategical changes that followed the companies descent as a company, at least as per some people, is the addition of a TV to its lineup. The first attempt was not received well in public due to its high price, but the next two devices from the company faired much better. It seems the company is getting ready to add another product to its TV portfolio, as the company confirmed on Friday that it would be launching its OnePlus TV 40Y1 in India next week. The 40-inch model will add to its Y1 portfolio, which, as of now, consists of the 32Y1 and the 43Y1. The upcoming OnePlus 40Y1 will slot in between the two models launched earlier in 2020, with the pricing being according to the position. It will likely be a bit cheaper than the 43Y1 TV, which is priced at Rs 26,999 as per the company’s official site in India. What Do We Know About The OnePlus TV 40Y1 OnePlus tweeted earlier today that the OnePlus TV 40Y1 would be arriving in India on May 24. The launch will take place at 12 noon. For those of you unaware, the 32Y1 is currently priced at Rs 15,999, with the 43Y1 being priced at Rs 26,999. As mentioned above, the 40Y1 is expected to slot in between this price range, so expect it to be around 20-25k. The company has also started teasing the specifications of the OnePlus TV 40Y1 via the official site ahead of next week’s launch. The site reveals that the TV will be powered by an unknown 64-bit processor and depend on OxygenPlay based on Android 9. It features a 40-inch FHD display with 93 per cent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut as well as a Gamma Engine picture enhancer. The teasers also hint at the device featuring a bezel-less design and integration features such as OnePlus Connect. OnePlus TV 40Y1 comes with Chromecast built-in, coupled with support for Alexa and Google Assistant. The TV also offers support for Google’s Play Store. Preloaded applications include Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube. One new feature will be the ability of the TV to offer automatic reminders of the latest TV shows and movies via the integrated Content Calendar. Connectivity options will include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 5.0. For audio, there will be two 20W speakers on board with support for Dolby Audio. Ports on offer include an Ethernet port, RF connection input, two HDMI ports, one AV In, one digital audio output, and two USB ports.

Bharti Airtel Set to Register Growth Even Without Tariff Hikes Posted: 21 May 2021 06:18 AM PDT Bharti Airtel, the second largest wireless operator in India can record "strong earnings growth" even with no hike in tariffs, Motilal Oswal Financial Services said in a report on Wednesday. The report is on the heels of Airtel on Monday announcing its fourth quarter results for its 2021 financial year with the operator recording Rs 25,747 crore quarterly revenues. The operator highlighted that its quarterly revenues were up 17.6% year-on-year (YoY) on a comparable basis. Further, Airtel said that its average revenue per user (ARPU) hit Rs 145 in its fourth quarter as compared to Rs 135 in its prior year quarter on a comparable basis. It has to be noted that the telecom operators including Reliance Jio reported lower financial numbers due to the telecom regulator discontinuing interconnect usage charges (IUC) from January 1, 2021. Bharti Airtel Records Mobile Revenue Growth Despite No Hike in Tariff In its earnings release on Monday, Airtel highlighted that its mobile services revenue in India were up 19.1% YoY on a comparable basis driven by "strong" user additions. The second-largest wireless operator in India highlighted that its wireless user base in India is now around 35 crores with 4G user base now at 17.93 crores. Airtel said that its 4G user base was up by 1.37 crores quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) and 4.3 crores YoY. Motilal Oswal Financial Services, an Indian diversified financial services firm said that the operator's "superior execution quality is reflected in its strong performance" in its past four quarters. The firm said that the operator in the past four quarters recorded market share gains with Airtel recording 13% overall user growth including 32% growth in 4G user base while its ARPU grew 7% "without a tariff hike." "While the street has been concerned about the timeline of a potential tariff hike, we believe strong earnings growth can be achieved even without a tariff hike," Motilal Oswal Financial Services said in its report. Similarly, Dolat Capital on Tuesday said in a report that Airtel is "well-poised to capitalize on the potential upside from the weakness" of Vodafone Idea along with the events such as tariff hikes. "While tariff increase is a welcome potential trigger and inevitable for a three-player market structure, Bharti is well-poised to gain market share and grow even in absence of the same," Dolat Capital said in its report. Crucially, Gopal Vittal, chief executive officer at Bharti Airtel for India and South Asia said that the ARPU of Airtel on an equated basis increased from Rs 146 to Rs 148. Further, the CEO in the fourth quarter earnings call on Tuesday said that the recorded ARPU despite being the "highest in the country" also "shows the massive headroom" for improvement. "I say this for two reasons, one is the very low level of tariffs in India which we all know about," Vittal said. "Second is the fact that we have 140 million (14 crore) users on our network who are not on 4G and whose ARPU is less than half that of the average of the businesses." Home Broadband Emerge As Growth Driver for Bharti Airtel In its earnings release, Airtel also highlighted that its home business which covers the Xstream Fiber broadband recorded 274,000 additions in its fourth quarter, its "highest ever" user additions. Airtel said that its Xstream Fiber broadband services now has over three million users with the operator providing its service in 291 cities across India including the local cable operators (LCO) cities. Airtel in its quarterly report said that it has "accelerated LCO partnerships in non-wired cities" with the LCO model live in 203 cities across the country. However, the operator in its quarterly report highlighted that the ARPU under its home services reduced from Rs 705 in the third quarter to Rs 684 in the fourth quarter. Badal Bagri, chief financial officer at Bharti Airtel for India and South Asia, said that the "sequential drop" in ARPU was due to the "pricing intervention" that the operator took in the third quarter. The CFO also said that the operator is not witnessing "any further ARPU dilution from these levels" despite the operator having Xstream Fiber plans from Rs 499. ICICI Securities, a subsidiary of ICICI Bank on Tuesday said that the user growth under home services will "translate into revenue" for Airtel from the current financial year. The firm also highlighted that the enterprise along with the Payments Bank, digital services and Airtel Money in Africa have also recorded growth in the fourth quarter. "Bharti has expanded its market share across businesses with many businesses under-appreciated," ICICI Securities said in its report.

WhatsApp’s Upcoming Chat Migration Tool Will Make Transferring Data Easier Posted: 21 May 2021 05:52 AM PDT WhatsApp, the Facebook-owned messaging service, has had a couple of hard months, from users migrating to safer alternatives like Telegram and Signal due to the company’s new privacy policy, which in itself has been under immense criticism to more recent developments where it announced that users who fail to accept these terms would be subject to limited use of the platform. More recently, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology or MeitY seems adamant about changing its stance, asking WhatsApp to withdraw its new policy as the manner of introducing the change undermines certain values of informational privacy, data security and the choices of the user. Prior to this, the alternatives to WhatsApp had seen major growth, with an overall increase of 1200% due to the Facebook-owned company’s controversial step. It seems that the messaging service is trying to divert its focus from these issues, as it seems it is working on transferring chat history between Android and iOS devices, a key feature to most. WhatsApp Is Working On A Way To Allow iOS-Android Chat Transfer As per a recent report by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp has been working on transferring chat history between Android and iOS. The new feature is currently in its beta phase and is being tested on the messaging service’s Android and iOS applications. For those of you unaware, as of now, if a user moves to another platform, they can back their WhatsApp chats up to Google Drive for Android and iCloud for Apple. These are limitations since the user is required to stick to the same platform and phone number to retrieve their prior data and chats when switching to a new device. What this new feature will do is basically allow for enhanced flexibility for chat backup when it comes to different platforms, making it easier for a user who is shifting to an iOS-based device from his age-old Android phone. Another chat migration tool in the works is that of transferring your chat history to another phone number. This will be a major step forward since there is no alternative as of now to migrate your data to another phone number in the instance that your SIM is broken or your number is compromised, and you need to shift to a new phone number. Do note that, as of now, there are no hints or rumours around when the new chat migration tool will be released, but, from the looks of it, the day when users will easily be able to migrate their data is not far.

Reliance Jio Just Deployed 15 MHz Spectrum in this State Posted: 21 May 2021 04:44 AM PDT Reliance Jio, India's number one telecom operator, has just deployed 15 MHz of spectrum in the state of Karnataka. The additional spectrum will help the telco in improving its services in the state. With this deployment, the bandwidth for the telco in the 850 MHz band will be doubled. At the same time, the 2300 MHz band will see a 25% improvement in the bandwidth. This will be a significant improvement in the telco's networks, and the people living in heavily crowded cities of the state, including Bangalore, will appreciate Jio's move. Reliance Jio's Spectrum Portfolio in Karnataka Reliance Jio's spectrum portfolio in Karnataka consists of 5 MHz bandwidth in the 850 MHz band, 5 MHz in the 1800 MHz band, and 10 MHz in the 2300 MHz band. According to an official statement from the company, Jio has deployed the above-mentioned spectrum in all of the 22.3k telecom sites present in the state. Jio said that spectrum augmentation at such a scale would certainly help in improving the network experience of the users living in the state. With time, the demand for 4G services has shot up everywhere in the country. To help Karnataka with the increasing demand, Jio has said that it is improving its 4G in the state by 28% in 2021. It is worth noting that Jio acquired a total of 488.35 MHz of airwaves across several bands in the recent spectrum auctions. For the same, Jio spent Rs 57,123 crore. The telco has been using the additional spectrum purchased from the auction and is deploying it on several circles of the country in a phased manner. Jio had said that its additional spectrum would help the company add and serve over 300 million additional customers. At present, Jio has over 2.1 crore customers in Karnataka. With enhanced services, users might port to Jio because of the low tariff rates. The telco is also 5G ready, and many believe that it can be the first company to bring 5G to India. As per the annual report shared by Jio, the telco had 426 million subscribers at the end of FY2020-21, which is the most for any telecom operator by a long margin.

Honor 50 and Magic Series Confirmed to Ship With Snapdragon 778G 5G Chipset Posted: 21 May 2021 04:21 AM PDT Qualcomm, the popular chipset maker has kicked off its 2 days 5G summit and announced its partnership with Huawei's sub-brand Honor. The company has officially confirmed that the Honor 50 series will be shipped with the newly launched Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G Mobile Platform. Qualcomm has shared an official tweet revealing the news and Honor Global has also retweeted the post. According to the tweet, the collaboration was announced during the 5G summit. Honor 50 Series Confirmed Chipset Fang Fei, the president of the product line department, HONOR, confirmed that the upcoming Honor 50 series is going to be powered by the Snapdragon 778G 5G chipset. Besides, Bhavya, Media Relations at Honor Global has also tweeted claiming the same news, but she also added that the new 5G chipset will be equipped on the Honor Magic series which is also expected to launch soon. According to the official Honor tweet, the company is excited about the upcoming premium series smartphones. But the brand is yet to reveal more about the handsets which are going to launch soon. However, it has also been expected that all the models of Honor 50 series are not going to be fuelled by the latest SoC. Going with the earlier report, the Honor 50 is expected to ship with MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SOC and the Honor 50 Pro variant will make use of a Snapdragon SoC. It would be interesting to see what Honor is going to serve this time. Honor 50 Series Rumoured Specifications According to the leaks and rumour, the Honor 50 series is expected to launch with a Snapdragon chipset built on a 6nm process, clubbed with Adreno 642L GPU, built-in X53 5G baseband. As per the IT Home report, the vanilla variant is said to carry the model number NTH-AN00. The smartphone with the same model number was also listed on the 3C certification website suggesting that the handset will arrive with a 66W fast charging support. The Honor 50 is tipped to feature a 6.79-inch 2K AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Besides the leaks also suggests that the phone will be launched with a triple rear camera setup. Do take this information with a grain of salt as the company is yet to reveal more details about the phones.

Xiaomi’s Tweet Confirms Redmi Note 8 2021 Edition in the Works Posted: 21 May 2021 03:38 AM PDT   The smartphone market across the globe is becoming one of the most competitive markets in the world. Under this market, there are sub-segments that smartphone manufacturers compete in to capture the majority of the market share The budget segment has established itself as the most competitive segment as customers are constantly looking for value for buck smartphones in the market. Xiaomi has been the leader in the budget segment in various markets like India where the price is a sensitive factor while making purchasing decisions. Amongst its portfolio, the Redmi series has been the key contributor to the budget segment smartphone sales. The Redmi Note 8 was one such device launched in 2019 that has moved quite a few heads. Owing to some leaks a few days back, it was rumoured that Xiaomi is working on a new version of the Redmi Note 8 for 2021. Xiaomi recently tweeted that the company had sold 25 million units of the original Redmi Note 8. Along with the sales statistics of the device, it also officially revealed that the company is working on the new 2021 Edition of the Redmi Note 8. In 2021, Xiaomi is offering its Redmi Note 10 series devices which makes the relaunching of the Redmi Note 8 2021 Edition a surprising decision. It seems like Xiaomi wants to enjoy the popularity that Redmi Note 8 still holds to make an extra few bucks by relaunching it in a new avatar. More on the Redmi Note 8 2021 Edition Although officially Xiaomi has only confirmed the existence of the Redmi Note 8 2021 Edition, there have been a few leaks about the device since it was spotted in an FCC website listing and a Bluetooth listing after it had received the Bluetooth SIG certification a couple of days back. Kacper Skrzypek, a leaker, has spotted a Xiaomi device on the FCC website with model number M1908C3JGG, which was believed to be the Redmi Note 8 2021 Edition. The listing revealed that the handset will be powered by the MediaTek Helio G85 processor with an internal memory of 128GB. The listing also revealed that the smartphone would run on a 4,000mAh battery supported by a 22.5W fast charging. The Bluetooth listing had unveiled that the phone would run on MIUI 12.5 out of the box and will have Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity. Redmi Note 8 2021 edition is expected to sport a 48-megapixel quad camera setup. It will have a water-drop style notch situation. According to another report, the phone would come in two variants- 4GB RAM with 64GB storage and 4GB RAM with 128GB storage. Markets in which Redmi Note 8 2021 will launch Xiaomi is reported to be developing the Redmi Note 8 2021 Edition for select markets. These markets would include countries like Russia and EU. The tweet for the launch of the device was made by Xiaomi's global Twitter account which makes it certain that the phone will launch in Europe. However, there is still no official update by Xiaomi on its India launch yet.

Tecno Spark 7 Pro to Launch on May 25 in India Posted: 21 May 2021 02:10 AM PDT Tecno is soon going to launch the Tecno Spark 7 Pro in India. The company will place it as a superior model of the Tecno Spark 7 and the Spark 7P. It is worth noting that the Tecno Spark 7 Pro had already launched globally last month. Now, on May 25, the company will bring it to India as well. The Tecno Spark 7 is already available in the Indian market. The device is expected to come with a huge battery and sport a MediaTek processor. Let's take a look at the expected specifications and price of the Tecno Spark 7 Pro. Tecno Spark 7 Pro Specifications (Expected) Based on the variant that launched globally, we can expect that the Indian variant of the Tecno Spark 7 Pro will come with a 6.6-inch FHD+ display with support for 90Hz refresh rate. The device will run on HiOS 7.5 based on Android 11 out of the box. It is powered by the MediaTek Helio G80 SoC coupled with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. For pictures, there is a triple-camera setup at the rear with a 48MP primary sensor, depth sensor, and an AI lens. For selfies and video calling, the device sports an 8MP sensor at the front. It packs a massive 5,000mAh battery with support for standard 10W charging. For additional security, there is a fingerprint sensor at the rear, and the dimensions of the device are 164.9 x 76.2 x 8.8mm. Tecno Spark 7 Pro Price (Expected) The Tecno Spark 7 Pro launched in three variants in the global market. The first variant with 4GB+64GB followed by 4GB+128GB and 6GB+128GB. We expect all the variants to make it to India as well. Further, the device might come in four different colours, including – Spruce Green, Alps Blue, Magnetic Black, and Neon Dream. Based on the pricing strategies of Tecno in the past, we expect that the Tecno Spark 7 Pro will start at Rs 10,000 or Rs 11,000 for its base variant and cost around Rs 14,000 or Rs 15,000 for its high-end variant. We will get to know the exact price only on May 25. It can become a good competition for the Redmi Note 10 and the Realme 8 series.

Mavenir to Power Thailand’s First Smart City With 5G Open RAN Private Network Posted: 21 May 2021 01:27 AM PDT Mavenir just announced that it would be powering the first smart city of Thailand with the 5G open RAN. For the same, the company is teaming up with the National Telecom Public Company Limited (NT), a government-owned telecom operator. Mavenir will also work with 5GCT, a local partner that specialises in delivering end-to-end 5G smart cities along with Cisco Systems. All of these companies and groups will be working together to bring the first smart city of Thailand with a private 5G network based on open RAN capabilities to reality. Ban Chang to Become Thailand's First 5G Smart City Ban Chang is an important city of Thailand that connects two of the most prominent cities of the country through a motorway – Pattaya and Bangkok. Ban Chang is in close distances to some very important locations such as Map Ta Phut Industrial Zone and the U-Tupao International Airport. All of these locations play a pivotal role in the development of Thailand's digital economy. Thus, empowering Ban Chang with a private 5G network based on open RAN is a good move from the Thailand government. The need for robots, aviation, logistics, and more is only going to increase in Ban Chang, which 5G can easily make possible. The private 5G network based on open RAN of Ban Chang operates on the millimetre wave (mmWave spectrum). This is the best spectrum band for enabling the true potential of 5G. This would put Thailand much ahead of India in terms of 5G technology and will also make it one of the prominent hubs to make trades with, given the already huge importance of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). Many industry leaders have also termed the development as the 'Silicon Beach' of Asia. All of the companies and groups involved in the project have a special role to play. Each company comes in with a special skill set. Mavenir enables the use of cloud-native software in the 5G network, which already has and will further change the way this world connects. Ban Chang will soon see smart street lighting, parks, and more. The smart city infrastructure will also help the government optimise energy consumption and reduce costs.

Google Pixel 6 Renders Are Here and We Are Excited! Posted: 21 May 2021 12:20 AM PDT Image Credit – Mobile91 and @onleaks The renders of the Google Pixel 6 have been leaked. It is worth noting that Jon Prosser had also shared some of the renders of the device earlier. However, with the help of the @onleaks, Mobile91 has acquired more CAD-based renders of the device and it will give you a more detailed look at it. The device is expected to run on Android 12 out of the box and also sport an in-house chipset from Google. Let's take a look at the complete renders of the device. Google Pixel 6 Renders Image Credit – Mobile91 and @onleaks The CAD-based renders of Google Pixel 6 reveal that it has a notch at the top center in the front screen housing the selfie camera. There are slim bezels at the bottom of the front screen. The side bezels are also quite noticeable and the device looks a little thick from the side. The power button and the volume rockers are on the right side of the device. For charging, the USB Type-C port can be seen at the bottom. At the rear, the highlight of the device's design is its rear camera bump. It is the most unique designed camera bump on any device ever. There is a 'G' logo at the center of the rear. The device can be seen in white colour. However, Google might offer one more colour option – Black. Google is expected to power this device with its own chipset which might make the Pixel 6 an even attractive offering. The exact specifications of the device haven't been confirmed by the company yet. However, looking at the Mobile91 report, the Pixel 6 is expected to measure 158.6mm x 74.8mm x 8.9mm. Further, the device might pack a 4,500mAh battery. Google Pixel 6 Expected Price Google Pixel 6 might be priced anywhere in the bracket of Rs 50,000 and Rs 60,000. Google might even surprise us and launch it lower, but then it is quite unexpected since a Google Pixel 6a might also be in the company's plan which will launch for users looking for a budget variant of the device. Pixel series hasn't been a huge hit in India, but given the deteriorating reputation of OnePlus, the company might just get a little boost.

Clubhouse Is Now Available on Android in India Posted: 21 May 2021 12:10 AM PDT With the pandemic wreaking havoc all around the world, physical contact with others has become a distant dream. To maintain a social life and have frequent conversations, social media has played a key role. During this period, certain developers decided to launch features or applications that would allow people from all around the world to chat with each other on an audio-only basis. What resulted from this idea was the increasing demand for applications such as Clubhouse and features like Twitter Spaces, which allow people to make use of the services to talk to and chat with people from all around the world. For those of you unaware, Twitter Spaces was launched globally a few months ago, with Clubhouse being restricted to iOS. Now, that is set to change with Clubhouse on offer for Android devices in India and around the world, with the news coming in a few weeks after the app started testing in the US with the aim of adding more people to the platform. Prior to this, the only way you could use Clubhouse was via a device running iOS. The application gained popularity after being used by the likes of Facebook Co-Founder Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, amongst other personalities. How To Download and Use Clubhouse The Clubhouse application on Android is available for download through Google’s Play Store with compatibility for devices running Android 8.0 and above. Do note that despite an Android release, the application remains dependent on an invite system or wishlist, meaning users will need an invite to sign up or wait for the app to allow you to sign up. According to the founders of the application, the invite-only model is designed for measured growth, but the company does intend to open up further and allow for millions of people to make use of the platform, with features such as more languages and accessibility aid coming in the near future. Clubhouse rose to fame after Elon Musk and other celebrities hosted conversations on the platform earlier in 2021, but, despite this, the platform’s downloads fell 72% over the course of a month (Feb-March), with a further drop in April. As of now, if you wish to use Clubhouse, you will either have to ping your friends for an invite so that you can sign up or, you can join the waitlist with the company deciding when to let you in, with this model being in place for both Android and iOS platforms.

BSNL or Jio, Who Offers Better Sub Rs 200 4G Data Plan Posted: 20 May 2021 11:31 PM PDT Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) doesn't hold back when it comes to rolling out new plans with competitive benefits. One of the price brackets where the companies really need to be careful with what they are offering is under Rs 200. Customers who are looking for plans under Rs 200 are very price sensitive and need most of their plans. This is where Reliance Jio gets stiff competition from Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi). But there's one more operator we can't ignore, and that is BSNL. So how does BSNL do against Jio in offering a 4G data plan under Rs 200? Let's find out. BSNL Best Under Rs 200 4G Data Plan BSNL's best 4G data plan under Rs 200 is the 'STV_198'. This voucher should be applicable to all the circles where BSNL operates; however, the operator has the authority to remove it from select circles anytime it wishes to. The 'STV_198' voucher comes for Rs 198 and a validity of 54 days. There are no calling benefits with this voucher so ensure that you already have a base voice calling and SMS plan active if you want to consume those benefits. Users get 2GB daily data with this voucher along with free BSNL caller tunes. The total 4G data that users get with this BSNL plan is 108GB. Reliance Jio Best Under Rs 200 4G Data Plan Reliance Jio's best 4G data plan under Rs 200 comes for Rs 151. There's nothing extraordinary about this voucher except that users get a lump sum of 30GB of 4G data. This voucher comes with a standalone validity of 30 days. There is no voice calling and SMS benefits. Since it has standalone validity, it can work without a base unlimited plan from Jio. Which Operator Won? It is quite difficult to assess the two when they are both offering plans priced so different. If someone has a need for around 30GB data only, there would be no point in going for BSNL's 'STV_198'. Further, Jio doesn't even have any 4G data plan in the bracket of Rs 160 – Rs 200, which is quite strange and something that the telco must look at right away. At the end of the day, it would totally depend on what the user wants from his/her plan. But yes, Jio has a better 4G network than BSNL's nearly non-existent VoLTE network.

Tariff Hikes from Telecom Operators Will be Insensitive Right Now Posted: 20 May 2021 10:00 PM PDT Tariff hikes are inevitable. All the operators need it to sustain in the market comfortably. Even though Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel posted net profits in the books, both the operators saw their average revenue per user (ARPU) falling quite steeply. However, there is one thing that needs to be addressed. Any tariff hike in the short term will look very insensitive on behalf of the operators. Further, it would also make them come across as companies who don't really care about their customers. This is not because telecom companies don't have the right to increase tariffs; it is only that pushing for tariff hikes right now would be morally inconsistent with the operators' recent statements with the plans offered to help customers. Pandemic has Caused a Slowdown in Economy; Tariffs Should Stay the Same The operators need to think not from a business point of view but also from a moral and ethical point of view. Businesses today have to keep goodwill in the hearts of the customers to stay respectfully in the market. Because of the pandemic, a slowdown in the economy is evident. Further, the daily wage earners and low-income people won't even be able to afford basic telecom services if the operators increase tariffs right now. The operators, including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea (Vi), and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), all have introduced offers to help people stay connected during the time of the pandemic. Thus if the operators go for tariff hikes now, what would these offers mean in the first place? It is worth noting that both Airtel and Jio were waiting for gaining more market share before they can advance with the tariff hikes. If they have waited this long, they should wait more. Note that none of the operators has actually said that they are going to go for tariff hikes instantly. But it is true that an increase in tariffs is in the books, and the operators must be planning in-house when to introduce it. The only thing that the operators need to focus on right now is sustaining with what they have got, which is quite frankly a lot for both Airtel and Jio while Vi might be coming back to its feet slowly and BSNL already has the support of the revival package from the government. If the operators could wait this long for tariff hikes, they can surely wait a few more quarters. So what's the ideal time for tariff hikes? Maybe once the effect of the pandemic subsides, and the desperate nature of the Indian economy recovers.

Fibernet Broadband Connection Is What Every Gamer Needs Posted: 20 May 2021 08:00 PM PDT The Online Gaming and streaming industry has seen an enormous boost in the last few years. Online gaming has become a legitimate career option for the youth of this country. Since March 2020, when the national lockdown was announced, and everyone was inside their homes, online gaming was a great way to stay connected and play your favourite games with your friends in different parts of the world. A gamer requires a fast and uninterrupted internet connection in order to enjoy a lag-free and smooth gaming experience. The right choice of internet connection and internet plan would ensure high-speed internet, faster downloads, and low latency. A Fibernet Internet connection is the right choice for any gamer. Fibernet is essentially an advanced internet connection based on fiber optics that will provide high-speed internet at your doorstep. Let us tell you all the key elements that make a Fibernet connection the right choice for a gamer. Minimal or Rare Lag Scenarios A lag is the time difference between you giving a command on your device and the action happening on your screen. To explain latency or lag, let's say you are playing Call of Duty, the famous first-person shooting game. If your character gets stuck and when it resumes, you find yourself already shot by someone, or if you shoot someone and it does not affect them, that's lag for you. Now this time difference might seem inconsiderable to most, but it is something that can make it or break it for gamers wanting to go pro. Latency or lag is an annoying issue that a gamer can face, and it can be easily overcome with a fibernet connection. With a fibernet connection, you'll enjoy fast speeds that will result in a seamless and lag-free gaming experience. Durable Connection Imagine you are in the middle of a game and you are close to winning, and suddenly your internet connection gets disconnected. The rage you would feel is understandable. Standard internet connections use copper wires based connections that are not just slow but are also very unreliable. On the other hand, the new fibernet Connections use fiber optic cables that provide not only a high-speed internet connection but also a very durable and reliable one. A Fibernet connection is so reliable that it operates smoothly in harsh weather conditions in India. The only way a fibernet connection is disrupted is if someone manually cuts the fiber optic cables. So if you want to reap the benefits of an uninterrupted internet connection around the clock, then fiber internet connection is for you. Exceptional Bandwidth During these unprecedented times, all of us are at home with our family. This basically means sharing one internet connection amongst multiple devices. Everybody's use case and internet requirements in the house can be different. You, as a gamer, need the internet to play online games and maybe even stream while doing so. A pro gamer needs a fiber internet connection because it provides you with the bandwidth to connect multiple devices without the loss of speed or any lags. Because of the high speeds of the fibernet connection, you can have a better browsing experience on all the connected devices. A fibernet internet connection becomes really important if one connection at home is going to be used to connect multiple devices.

Bharti Airtel Can Overtake Reliance Jio if It Can Do This Posted: 20 May 2021 06:30 PM PDT Even though Reliance Jio is the largest telecom operator in the country by a huge margin, Bharti Airtel, the second-largest operator, can succeed Jio in the future. Airtel is not a small brand. Both the telecom operators have a different approach of targeting customers, and both have yielded results like recently Airtel was leading with a 97.47% VLR ratio when compared with Jio or Vodafone Idea. The only reason why Jio went past Airtel in a jiffy was because of the first-mover advantage with the unlimited 4G data plans. No one in the industry had predicted a move like that from any of the operators. However, Airtel has caught up to the trend. Airtel has built a strong identity and brand by competing head to head with Jio. Just until February, Airtel was adding more subscribers than Jio for consecutive months. A key thing to note here is that even though Jio added more net subscribers than Airtel in February, Airtel added active subscribers while Jio was in the negative when it came to active subscribers. Airtel has the power to get ahead of Jio, and it can do one thing which can help it push Jio behind very soon. Airtel Can Follow Up With Legacy Network Subscribers Legacy network subscribers aren't just in the portfolio of Airtel but also present in the user base of Vodafone Idea (Vi) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). Airtel has been adding new subscribers at an alarming rate for Jio; however, it is still not close to the total subscriber base of Jio. Further, if Airtel can introduce attractive entry-level 4G plans and couple those plans with a device like JioPhone, even it can attract new customers looking to upgrade to 4G services by paying a nominal amount. However, this would hurt the telco's ambitions of keeping the highest average revenue per user (ARPU) in the industry. Furthermore, Airtel has made it clear that it doesn't want to attract a ton of low ARPU customers. The operator would rather have fewer customers, but ones who pay handsomely. However, this is the only way Airtel can beat Jio fast. There are other scenarios as well where Airtel might take over Jio. But those scenarios include Jio making a mistake of such a massive scale that it literally shakes its customer base into negative. This scenario is rather unlikely with the kind of management and reputation that Reliance Jio has. However, Airtel can also play the long-term game and keep offering users a higher and superior quality network service as compared to Jio for essentially the same tariffs. Even this way, Airtel could surpass Jio. But this is also an unlikely scenario since in the long-term, if Jio has more subscribers than Airtel, then even if the telco has low-ARPU customers, it would still earn handsomely because of the large number of subscribers. If Jio keeps on earning more and makes more profits, it would be able to reinvest all that money into spectrum purchases and network expenditures. This would help Jio again take the lead. The only way Airtel can surpass Jio is by aggressive strategies; the long-term game would just give Jio that much time to prepare and stay ahead.

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