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• Airtel, Jio and Vi all Offer OTT Plans, Are They Worth It?
• OnePlus TV 40Y1 Complete Specifications Revealed Prior to May 24 Launch
• Oppo Enco Free 2 Live Images Reveals Design Ahead of Launch
• You Can Now Buy Sony’s PS5 DualSense Controller via Apple’s Site
• Reliance Jio Pushing a New 36.39MB Update for JioPhone
• PUBG Mobile Indian User Data Still Accessible as per Report
• Vodafone Idea Gets a New Executive Vice President for Technology Operations
• AIMRA Urges Government to Provide Relief Packages for Offline Retailers
• Things to Consider While Choosing the Best Broadband ISP in Your Area
• Vodafone Idea and Jio Offer Two Different Plans for Rs 600

Airtel, Jio and Vi all Offer OTT Plans, Are They Worth It? Posted: 22 May 2021 06:30 PM PDT The telecom operators have been a huge boost for the over-the-top (OTT) platforms across the nation. The rise of OTT can directly be linked to affordable data rates and increasing coverage all because of the shift in Indian telecom that Reliance Jio caused. All the operators today offer prepaid/postpaid plans that come with OTT benefits of Disney+ Hotstar, ZEE5 Premium, and more. But the question is, are they of any value to you? These plans might look attractive from afar, but in most scenarios, they are just not worth it. Better to Buy Standalone Subscriptions See, there's one thing; if you are someone who purchases OTT subscriptions on a regular, purchasing plans that come with OTT benefits makes sense. However, this doesn't make sense for an average user going to buy a prepaid plan which just wants voice calling and data benefits. More often than not, consumers get incentivised into purchasing things they don't need. It is the same with smartphones, other gadgets, and now prepaid plans. For example, a user who doesn't really have any need for purchasing an OTT subscription of Disney+ Hotstar VIP might be compelled to buy a plan that comes with the said subscription because of the company's marketing strategies. This is because of the term that each of the companies uses, i.e., 'free'. No business ever offers anything for free. That is why even though these plans say they are offering the benefit for free, they are priced more than the normal plans. For example, the Rs 777 prepaid plan from Reliance Jio offers 1.5GB daily data (+5GB bonus data), free voice calling, and 100 SMS/day benefit to users for 84 days. There is an OTT benefit of Disney+ Hotstar VIP added for free. However, it is not free. Because you can get the same plan for much lesser without a Disney+ Hotstar VIP subscription from Jio. The Rs 555 plan from the telco offers users the exact same benefits except for the bonus data and the OTT benefit. Are OTT Benefits Worth It? The simple thing is, they are just a ploy offered by the telecom companies to make you purchase the plan. If you need the subscription, then it is fine. But if you don't and you have been compelled to purchase a plan that comes with an OTT subscription, you are just caught by the operators' marketing strategies. If you don't need it, why buy it? Regardless of how good a deal it looks like, if you purchase something that you don't need, you are only wasting your money. It is the same with OTT benefits as well. If you don't need it, don't get compelled to take a plan that comes with a free subscription, you will just end up wasting your money.

OnePlus TV 40Y1 Complete Specifications Revealed Prior to May 24 Launch Posted: 22 May 2021 08:30 AM PDT OnePlus launched its affordable range of smart TVs running Android TV in July of 202o as part of its OnePlus TV Y Series. These TVs intended to offer the major features that one might need from a smart TV for a relatively cheaper price, much like Xiaomi or Realme. As we mentioned yesterday, the OnePlus TV portfolio is getting an addition on May 24. This TV will be dubbed the OnePlus TV 40Y1, with the launch having been confirmed by the company, with the TV’s debut set at 12 PM on May 24. As per the landing page on Flipkart and OnePlus’s official site, the TV will be identical to other devices that are part of the Y-series of devices from the company. OnePlus TV 40Y1 Specifications and Features The key difference between the OnePlus TV 32Y1 or 43Y1 and the upcoming OnePlus TV 40Y1 will be in terms of size and availability, with the latter featuring a 40-inch model and on offer via Flipkart and OnePlus’s official site in contrast to the previous Amazon India exclusivity that OnePlus had in place. In terms of the specifications, the OnePlus TV 40Y1 will feature an FHD (1920 x 1080 pixels) LED-backlit LCD panel, much like the OnePlus TV 43Y1. The display is also stated to feature a 93% DCI-P3 colour gamut as well as a screen to body ratio of 93%. The television will also be powered by a supposedly unknown 64-bit chipset paired with 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage. The OnePlus TV will run an outdated Android TV 9.0 with OxygenPlay service. It will also support all leading streaming services and Google Chromecast, and Amazon Alexa. In terms of I/O, the TV will feature single-band WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0. Essential ports include 2 x HDMI, 2 x USB, optical digital audio, RF port, 3-in-1 AV composite, as well as Ethernet. Finally, the television will make use of 20W speakers with Dolby Audio and feature a voice-enabled OnePlus TV remote control. As for the expected pricing, the TV is expected to slot in between the TV 32Y1 and TV 43Y1, with the former being priced at Rs 15,999 and the latter at Rs 26,999, so it can be expected that the 40Y1 is priced around the 20k mark in India.

Oppo Enco Free 2 Live Images Reveals Design Ahead of Launch Posted: 22 May 2021 06:30 AM PDT Oppo seems to be gearing up to launch a new audio device in the home country of China called the Oppo Enco Free 2. So far there was no information about the TWS available on the internet, but it seems that the launch of the device is imminent. Tipster Ankit has shared the live images of the Oppo Enco Free 2 true wireless revealing the entire design of the audio device ahead of the official launch. Let's have a detailed look at the design of the upcoming Oppo Enco Free 2. Oppo Enco Free 2 Live Images The images shared by the tipster revealed that the Oppo Enco Free 2 will be launched in a white colour option. The earbuds come with short steam and have detachable ear tips. At a first glance, the TWS looks similar to the Apple AirPods. Further, the live images also suggest that the upcoming Oppo audio device will feature an oval-shaped charging case along with an indicator LED on the front suggesting the battery status. Besides, the leaked renders didn't mention anything about the specifications and price of the device. We can expect more information about the TWS moving forward. Going with the previous leaks, it was reported that the company might launch the Enco earbuds on May 20, but it doesn't seem to happen so far. A couple of weeks back Oppo dropped a teaser claiming that the upcoming audio device from the brand will arrive with more than 35dB of noise cancellation which is equivalent to Apple AirPods Pro. Xiaomi has also launched a new TWS called the FlipBuds Pro which comes with an Active Noise Cancellation feature and offers a noise reduction of 40dB. The newly launched TWS comes with a price tag of Yuan 799 (approx USD 124). The headphones have recently been made available for sale in China. Meanwhile, Vivo is also gearing up to launch a new TWS in the Chinese market called the Vivo TWS 2. It's said to be the company's first TWS to arrive with an ANC feature and expected to launch soon.

You Can Now Buy Sony’s PS5 DualSense Controller via Apple’s Site Posted: 22 May 2021 05:53 AM PDT Sony’s PlayStation series has been one of the best selling gaming consoles of all time, be it the original PlayStation or the PS2 or the PS3. If you are into gaming and are a proper console gamer, you have probably owned a Sony console once in your life. The company recently launched the PS5 in India, but with this launch came the issue of stock since most potential buyers were left looking for each and every opportunity to pick the latest console up due to low demand. With the PS5, Sony brought major design and hardware changes to its console from a rather toned down PS4 series that also featured a Pro version. The controller paired with the PS5 is known as the Sony PlayStation DualSense Wireless Controller, and it is one of the most talked-about gaming controllers, at least in recent times. Apple To Sell PS5 Controller via Official Site Apple started the sale of the Sony PlayStation 5 DualSense Controller via its official site in the United States of America. The controller is available for Rs 5,100 approximately ($69.95). The pricing is identical to the one on Sony’s official site, so Apple is not asking for any kind of premium for the controller, at least as of now. Orders that will be placed today will be delivered by next week as per the site. One key thing to note is that the only colour on offer is the White hue. For those of you unaware, the company recently launched two new colour variants for the PS5 controller, namely the Cosmic Red and Midnight Black variants for the DualSense controller. Sony mentioned that these two colours were different from the normal White hue as they aimed to offer a unique and fresh look to the DualSense controller. Do note that these variants are not on offer from Apple’s site, as mentioned earlier, with no mention of a probable addition. Apple is also selling certain Made for iPhone gaming controllers, including the likes of the Rotor Riot Wired Game Controller and SteelSeries Nimbus+. Whilst this might seem odd as Sony is a possible competitor to the company, these tools and gadgets enhance your iPhone usage, promoting Apple’s products and their ease of use paired with perfect compatibility related capabilities.

Reliance Jio Pushing a New 36.39MB Update for JioPhone Posted: 22 May 2021 04:32 AM PDT Jio, the telecom operator, entered the Indian telecom market back in 2016 and disrupted the entire market with its free internet services and calling facilities. The aggressive marketing strategies of the company made a lot of telcos pack their bags and make an exit. Gradually Jio expanded its footprints to feature the phone industry and fibernet. Reliance Jio has seen a huge growth in JioPhone sales in the country. However, it seems that many users complained about the slow UI of the phone. Earlier today, a popular tipster Abhishek Yadav has shared two screenshots of the phone receiving a software update. Let's have a closer look at the renders. Latest Software Update The images shared by the tipster suggests that the telco has started pushing a new software update to its JioPhones. Further, the image shows that the file size of the update is 36.39MB with version number 0258. The update page also mentioned that the update is to improve the user experience and software product performance. Further, the text reads, "Reassured you will not lose any data during the update process." In the Twitter post, several users have commented inquiring about the performance after the update. One user commented, " So now, after the update, does it feel any faster to use than before?" it seems that the consumers are already very disappointed with the slow UI. Some user has also made fun of the update in the same thread commenting that it might be Android 12 beta roll-out, which is absolutely not true. The tipster is yet to say anything about the post-update performance of the JioPhone. Do share your thoughts about the update in the comment section below if you have a JioPhone and received the latest update. Just in case you don't know, JioPhone is available in India with a price tag of Rs 1,799 via Amazon India, Flipkart, and the official website. The feature phone flaunts a 2.4-inch display with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. Under the hood, it's powered by a dual-core processor, clubbed with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage, but you can expand the storage up to 128GB.

PUBG Mobile Indian User Data Still Accessible as per Report Posted: 22 May 2021 03:47 AM PDT PUBG Mobile, the popular survival game, was the talk of the time for a couple of years in India due to the quality of graphics that the game had to offer and the premise that it promised to provide. Despite being wildly popular in the country, it was banned in India in September of 2020 alongside other Chinese applications due to security risks. The company has been trying its best to make a comeback, with Krafton announcing recently that it would be releasing Battlegrounds Mobile India, complete with gameplay changes, age restrictions and privacy rules for enhanced protection. It seems, however, that PUBG Mobile India user data can still be accessed. According to reports from the Indian Express, you may be able to access your data from PUBG Mobile India, with this coming after rumours that the user account and inventory from PUBG Mobile would be migrated to Battlegrounds Mobile India. How Is The Old Data Accessible? The report from the Indian Express states that Krafton’s PUBG Mobile retains your data from Tencent’s PUBG Mobile. A brief look into the personal account of the author in Krafton’s PUBG Mobile, which is still playable via unofficial means (VPN), revealed that the data accumulated over the years is indeed intact. This data includes statistics, rewards and unlockables that had been unlocked since the launch of the game. The term unofficial means suggests that the author accessed the game via VPN, albeit with a lag in key features like movement and shooting since you cannot natively play the game in India. For those of you unaware, Tencent stopped access to the Indian server of PUBG Mobile in October of 2020, but it looks like Krafton has somehow gained the user data of Indian players. There are reports that claim that Krafton would not carry forward this data, but since the game is yet to be launched, this report should be interpreted with a grain of salt since only time will be able to tell whether or not there will be any gates to the game by the regulatory body, since the concern over misuse of user data may arise. In case you missed it, Battlegrounds Mobile India is set to release on June 18 with the game up for pre-registration on the Google Play Store, with an iOS release in the works. Pre-registrations will also give users certain rewards, so if you are interested in the game, these perks might enhance your experience.

Vodafone Idea Gets a New Executive Vice President for Technology Operations Posted: 22 May 2021 02:08 AM PDT Vodafone Idea (Vi) has just appointed Sanjay Jolly as the new Executive Vice President (EVP) for the company. The third-largest telecom operator of the country has confirmed the same via a LinkedIn post. Vi said that Jolly is a seasoned professional who has worked a lot and has knowledge and experience of leading customer operations on a large scale. The telco backs Jolly to manage the technology, network rollout, and transformation programs efficiently. It is worth noting that just a few days back, Vodafone Idea also brought in Reema Jain as the new Chief Digital Officer of the company. Ex-Jio's Executive Joins Vodafone Idea For the unaware, as per an ET Telecom report, just a few days back, an ex-executive from Reliance Jio, Tanuja Raj Pradhan, had joined Vodafone Idea (Vi) as the head of the customers’ insights in marketing. The fresh hirings and a change in management might work for Vodafone Idea (Vi) in the short-term. One of the biggest positives for Vi in recent times was the customer addition in the month of February 2021. The last time Vi had seen customer additions in a single month was October 2019. While many new names were added to the company's portfolio, several old executives had also left the telco in the last few months. A few of the people that left the company recently include former legal head Kumar Das, ex-CTO Vishant Vora, and ex-brand officer, Kavita Nair. Later on, Jagbir Sing was appointed as the new CTO of the company. Right now, almost every investor and fan of the company is waiting for it release the quarter fourth results. Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have already done so. For the quarter ending December 31, 2020, Vi had 269.8 million subscribers under its belt. The quarter four results will give everyone a hint on whether the telco lost or added customers in March 2021.

AIMRA Urges Government to Provide Relief Packages for Offline Retailers Posted: 22 May 2021 12:20 AM PDT The Covid-19 crisis hit India in 2020 and, ever since then, the country has been struggling with the pandemic. During the first wave, the lockdown was implemented, which resulted in zero sales in multiple sectors, be it tech or auto. The second wave of the pandemic, which came in March of 2021, has had severe effects within the country. To maintain services, telcos such as Jio, Airtel and Vi recently decided to provide certain packages to people in the lower sections of society so that they are able to maintain connections with their loved ones in these troubled times. It seems that the need for such packages is gravely increasing, as is evident by a recent letter that was released. Offline Retailers Ask For Relief Packages Offline mobile phone retailers have seen reduced sales over the last few months due to increased curfews and lockdowns that have restricted travelling. To stay afloat, these retailers have reached out to the government of India seeking a relief package that includes a moratorium on loans, collateral-free loans and covid insurance to support this community that has seen a massive reduction in income. In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi, dated May 20, the All India Mobile Retailers’ Association or AIMRA has urged the prime minister to extend relief measures like collateral-free loans between Rs 25 lakhs to Rs 1 crore and an interest-free moratorium for six months as well as covid insurance worth Rs 50 lakh for a minimum amount. Furthermore, the body has sought a stimulus package for these retailers so that they can meet their standing expenses as well as get vaccines since they are frontline workers. As per these retailers, the mobile phone business is at the edge of bankruptcy due to rental bills, electricity bills, taxes and bank interests which cannot be paid due to the absence of money. The uninterrupted delivery of non-essential goods by certain e-commerce brands is further hurting these retailers since the playing field is not level, and this leads to sales being driven away from the retailers. In a statement released by Sunil Gupta, State President of AIMRA Rajasthan, it is mentioned that as retail remains closed during the lockdown, the e-tailers are selling and delivering non-essential goods, creating an opportunity to win customers reducing the demand for retail sellers, which might also lead to unemployment. The body has also reiterated its stance of not treating mobile phones as essentials in contrast to the demand of phone brands and e-commerce platforms such as Flipkart and Amazon.

Things to Consider While Choosing the Best Broadband ISP in Your Area Posted: 21 May 2021 10:59 PM PDT   As the consumption of the internet is increasing with every passing day, the competition between Internet Service Providers that provide you access to the internet is also increasing. Everyone has different use cases for the internet, some may use it just to access emails and listen to songs, and some may use it for their work. These use cases can differ especially if the internet connection is for your home. In such cases, an internet plan that suffices the needs of all the members would be the best choice. You may have a number of ISP's operating in your area, providing you with an exquisite selection of Internet plans; however, there are a number of factors to consider before buying the best Broadband connection in your area. Understanding Your Why and How much Internet You Need The first step before choosing a broadband connection is to understand what do you need the internet for and how much speed and bandwidth are you going to require to get that done. All of this information combined sums up to be your internet usage. Different speeds are suitable for different uses of the internet. For example, if you use the internet just to access your emails and listen to music, then you will easily go with 0-5 Mbps speed. The 5-40 Mbps speed bracket is suitable for video calling, online gaming and video streaming. However, the number of people using the internet should be less in order for such speeds to be useful. If the people connecting to a single network are more, you should go for speeds ranging anywhere from 40 to 500 Mbps. The 500 Mbps speeds and more can get you smoothly through any use case, like streaming high-quality videos on multiple devices, online game streaming and downloading heavy files quickly. Although internet plans are easily upgradable, it is not easy to change your ISP every now and then as your options can be limited depending on your area. Make a List of the Available ISP's in Your Area and their Broadband Internet Plans Once you have ascertained your internet usage, the next step is listing out all the available ISP's in your area. There can be a number of ISP's that would claim to provide great service in your area, but not all of them would actually have the adequate infrastructure to do so. Talk to your neighbours and people in our locality about their ISP's and the kind of services they are getting. Once you point out the most popular ISP's based on the suggestions, you can approach them and make a list of the different internet plans they offer. Comparing Plans and Services The next step is to compare the different plans offered by different ISP's keeping their service into consideration. An ISP can offer exceptional internet plans but might not have the suitable infrastructure to provide what's advertised. While choosing an internet pack – you need to choose a pack that offers the best value for money, meaning high speed and bandwidth at a reasonable price. Make sure that your ISP has a good record for providing after-sale services in case of outages and disconnections. Speed Test your Broadband Internet Connection Once Set Up Once your Broadband Internet Connection is set up, the final step is to speed test your internet using various third party services. Speed test by Ookla is a reliable source to test your download and upload speeds. Always keep a check whether the speed received is what was promised by the ISP; if not, raise the concern to them as you would have paid money based on the speed.

Vodafone Idea and Jio Offer Two Different Plans for Rs 600 Posted: 21 May 2021 06:30 PM PDT Vodafone Idea (Vi), India's third-largest telecom operator and Reliance Jio, India's top-ranked telecom operator, offer prepaid plans that fall in the same price range. However, the benefits offered by both the operators are very different. Some people would prefer the Rs 600 plan from Vi, and some would prefer the plan from Jio. This is because, at the end of the day, the needs and wants of every consumer is different. However, one plan has to be better than the other, right? In objectivity, one plan has to outweigh the other. Let's see just how different the Rs 600 plans from Vodafone Idea and Reliance Jio are. It is worth noting that neither of the operators offers a plan for exactly Rs 600; but, Jio offers a plan for Rs 599, and Vi offers a plan for Rs 601, which are both just Rs 1 off from the Rs 600 mark. Vodafone Idea Rs 601 Plan Vodafone Idea (Vi) offers a Rs 601 plan to the customers. It is not an old plan, and it was introduced to offer a premium over-the-top (OTT) benefit to the customers. The Rs 601 plan comes with 3GB daily data for 56 days. This plan is exactly the same as the Rs 801 plan, but only cheaper and comes with less validity. Users will also get unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS/day with the plan. Users get the 'Weekend Data Rollover' and 'Binge All Night' offer from the company. Further, there is an additional benefit of Vi Movies & TV for one year. The premium OTT benefit offered with the plan is Disney+ Hotstar VIP. On top of the 3GB daily data, the company also offers 32GB of bonus data to the users. So the total data that the users get with the plan is 200GB. Now let's take a look at the Rs 600 offering from Reliance Jio. Reliance Jio Rs 599 Plan The Rs 599 plan from Reliance Jio comes with unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS/day as well. However, it only offers users 2GB of daily data. There are some complimentary subscriptions to the Jio apps, including JioCloud, JioSecurity, and more. The total amount of data that users get with this plan is 168GB. This plan carries a validity of 84 days. Except for the benefits mentioned above, there is nothing else that a user gets with the plan. Who Won the Rs 600 Plan Battle? It is important to note that if you are looking for more data, there's no beating Vodafone Idea with its bonus data and other offers included with the plan. However, in terms of validity, Jio's plan wins. But that's it; Jio's plan only wins in terms of validity. Vi's plan even comes with an OTT benefit of Disney+ Hotstar VIP. However, according to Opensignal, Jio's network coverage is the best in the entire country, so there's that as well if you are a keen traveller.

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