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T-Mobile Essentials Plan Offers 50GB Data for $60

Posted: 11 Aug 2021 11:47 AM PDT

T-Mobile T-Mobile is one of the prominent telecommunications service providers (TSP) in the USA. The company offers 4G and 5G network services to consumers all around the country. Unlike Indian operators, American TSPs offer very limited plan options. For example, Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea (Vi), all the private Indian TSPs offer more than 15 unlimited prepaid plan options to the users while T-Mobile only offers 3. The basic plan of the company is called 'Essentials'. There are two more plans offered, namely 'Magenta' and 'Magenta MAX', but we will look at them someday else.

T-Mobile Essentials Plan Benefits

For a single line/connection, the T-Mobile Essentials plan will cost $60. But for 2 lines, it will cost $45 for each connection; 3 lines will cost 30$ for each connection, 4 lines will cost $25 for each connection, and 5 lines will cost $22 for each connection. Note that with these plans, customers of the operator can access 5G networks at no extra cost. But to do that, the user must be in an area where the company provides 5G services and should also own a 5G supportive smartphone. The T-Mobile Essentials plan further comes with a truly unlimited calling facility, unlimited texts, and 50GB of data. After consuming 50GB of data, the users will see a drop in the internet speed. The cost of the plan doesn't include taxes and fees. The company also offers an unlimited video streaming facility at 480p. These are the 5G plans offered by the company. There are three more 4G only prepaid plans offered by the company to the users. It is worth noting that users don't get a single over-the-top (OTT) benefit with this plan. The two other plans of the company offer a free OTT subscription of Netflix. The 4G only prepaid plans can also be upgraded to 5G by paying a small fee.

One Broadband Plan from Top Operators That You Should Look At

Posted: 11 Aug 2021 09:29 AM PDT

Broadband Plans The demand for modest broadband plans has increased in the recent period. Since WFH has become the new normal, digital users are constantly lookout for an intriguing broadband plan that would cater to their internet needs. Airtel Xstream, JioFiber, BSNL and Exictel has curated an extensive range of broadband plans that are packed with ample benefits. In this article, we will mention one broadband plan from each service provider that is packed with high-speed internet data and other benefits.

Airtel Xstream Premium Broadband Plan

Airtel Xstream Premium broadband plan is available for Rs 799. This is one of the best-valued broadband plans offered by the broadband arm of Airtel. Under the broadband, plan users get 100 Mbps internet speed. The FUP limit of the broadband plan is 3300GB. Once the FUP limit is finished, the internet speed is reduced. Airtel also offers unlimited local and ISD calling benefits. Additionally, users get subscriptions to Airtel Xstream and Wynk Music. Also, a one-year subscription to Shaw Academy is included in the broadband plan. The pricing of the broadband plan is exclusive of GST.

Reliance JioFiber Rs 699 Broadband Plan

The 100 Mbps plan of JioFIber is Rs100 cheaper than Airtel Xstream Fiber. Under the Rs 699 broadband plan, Jio offers 100 Mbps internet speed. The FUP limit of the broadband plan is 3300GB. Once the data limit is finished, the internet speed is reduced. Apart from internet benefits, JioFiber users get voice calling benefits. The broadband plan is designed for users who wish for a high-speed internet connection without OTT benefits. The commercial usage policy will be applicable in the broadband plan.

BSNL Fibre Value Broadband Plan

BSNL Fibre Value broadband plan is available for Rs 799. Under the broadband plan, users get 100 Mbps internet speed till 3300GB. Once the FUP limit is finished, the internet speed is reduced to 2 Mbps. Unlimited local and STD calling benefits to any network and night free calling benefits are also included in the broadband plan. Users must note that this broadband plan has been reported from the Chattisgarh circle. The pricing and availability of the broadband plan may vary in other circles.

Excitel Rs 799 Broadband Plan

Excitel is the only broadband service provider on the list that offers 200 Mbps internet speed for Rs 799. The plan is specially designed for users who needs a broadband connection for extensive downloading. Users do not have to pay installation charges for the fibre connection. Also, they get a dual-band Fibre Router + Wi-Fi.

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 Offer ANC on a Budget

Posted: 11 Aug 2021 08:06 AM PDT

Galaxy Buds 2 Samsung, during its Galaxy Unpacked event, launched the Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G and Z Flip 3 5G, both of which are capable of pushing the limits of what a foldable can be in 2021. Apart from that, however, the company launched the Galaxy Watch 4 series and the Galaxy Buds 2. The new earbuds from the company come as the successor to the Galaxy Buds that were launched earlier.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2: Features and Specifications

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 come with a glossy texture, with the earbuds themselves featuring an in-ear design with silicone ear-tips. The charging case meanwhile has a dual-tone finish with the interior of the case sporting the same shade as the earbuds, which will vary from one colour variant to the other. In terms of sound, each of the earbuds features dynamic 2-way speakers that, according to Samsung can deliver clear and high notes, proper bass and crisp sound. The earbuds also support ANC or Active Noise Cancellation that, as per the Korean giant can cut out 98% of the outside noise. The new earbuds from Samsung also come with support for three levels of Ambient sound, with the buds also using ML or Machine Learning in collaboration with the three mics to make calling a breeze. Battery life is decent, with the Buds 2 offering up to 5 hours of battery life with ANC on. The charging case tops up the case three times, offering an additional 15 hours of battery life. To use the buds, users can pair them to the Galaxy Buds app to install updates and configure controls and sound.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2: Pricing and Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 are priced at USD 149.99, which roughly translates to Rs 11,200, with the earbuds coming in four different colours, namely White, Graphite, Olive and Lavender. The earbuds will go on sale starting August 27 in certain markets, with an Indian launch expected soon. The main highlight of the launch was the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3, with the former being the first handset from the company to offer an under-display camera to the top, with a 4MP selfie snapper. The latter also gets a larger cover display, with both of these improvements pushing the limits of the foldable smartphone in 2021. For those wondering, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is priced at $1,799.99 whilst the Z Flip 3 is priced at $999.99.

Samsung’s Latest Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 Push the Limits of Foldables

Posted: 11 Aug 2021 07:39 AM PDT

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Samsung has finally launched the much-awaited Galaxy Z Fold 3, as part of its Unpacked event, marking another version of its foldable series of smartphones. This device is a bit more important than the other smartphones from the Korean Giant since it is the first device from the company to make use of an under-display camera.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3: Specifications and Features

Specifications wise, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 makes use of a 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED foldable display, with a resolution of 1,768 x 2,208 pixels. The exterior display is a 6.2-inch AMOLED display with a unique aspect ratio of 24.4:9 and a resolution of 832x 2,260 pixels. Both the inside and outside displays are protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. The standout feature for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is the under-display camera, which also marks Samsung’s first handset to offer under-display camera technology, with a 4MP sensor under the display, which sits flush without any notches or top bars. The cover screen houses a 10MP camera inside a hole-punch notch, with the optics to the back being rather consecutive with a 12MP main sensor paired with a 12MP ultra-wide sensor and a 12MP telephoto lens with 2X optical zoom and OIS or optical image stabilisation support on the same. Performance-wise, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 makes use of the Snapdragon 888 SoC with 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage, as mentioned earlier, with the device housing a 4,400 mAh battery with support for 25W fast charging. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 comes with support for Samsung’s S Pen Pro and runs One UI 3.1 based on Android 11 out of the box. There is also a side-mounted fingerprint sensor with stereo speakers and Dolby Atmos support.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3: Pricing and Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is priced at $1,799.99 with the India price coming at a later date. The device is being offered in two different storage variants, namely 256GB and 512GB, both of which come with 12GB of RAM, which is more than most users probably need. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is available in three different colours, Phantom Black, Phantom Green and Phantom Silver. That is not all, however, since Samsung also launched the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, which is the company’s second take on foldable handsets, bringing back the clamshell foldable take to the market.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3: Specifications and Features

z Flip 3 The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 makes use of a 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED Infinity Flex display with support for 120 refresh rate. The device has an aspect ratio of 22:9 with a pixel density of 425ppi. The display is the same size as the Z Flip 5G, but the pixel count has been improved. The cover display is larger with a 1.9-inch panel with a resolution of 260*512 and 302 ppi, which is a massive upgrade over the 1.1-inch front display of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G. Performance-wise, Samsung offers the Snapdragon 888 SoC with 8GB of RAM. Optics wise, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 opts for a dual rear camera setup with a primary 12MP sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide sensor. Selfies are handled by a 10MP selfie sensor on top of the folding display, which is similar to the Galaxy Z Flip. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 comes with 128GB and 256GB storage variants, with connectivity options being 4G LTE, 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, A-GPS and a USB Type-C port. There is also a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. There is a 3,300 mAh dual-cell battery with 15W charging support, with the device also supporting Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3: Pricing and Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is priced at $999.99 and will be offered in multiple colours, such as Cream, Gray, Lavender, Phantom Black, Pink, White and Green, with the Gray, Pink and White colour being exclusive to Samsung’s official site. Both handsets will be available for purchase starting August 27 in areas such as the US, Europe and South Korea, with Pre-orders commencing later today.

RailWire Launches Two New 1 Gbps Broadband Plans Starting at Rs 3,499

Posted: 11 Aug 2021 06:58 AM PDT

RailWire Gigabit broadband plans With the rising proliferation of broadband providers in India, there are a lot of options available to subscribers. Not only ISPs, but the availability of broadband plans has also shot up, and such 1 Gbps or gigabit broadband plans are not entirely unheard of across the country. Another ISP that is now in the league of providers gigabit plan is RailWire. The popular broadband provider is especially active in Kerala, and over here, the RailTel owned company is starting to provide plans which offer more than 1 Gbps speed to the subscribers. RailWire has announced the launch of the new plans and also specified the pricing and benefit of these plans for its subscribers.

RailWire 1 Gbps Rs 3,499 Broadband Plans

Firstly, the subscribers wishing to take the 1 Gbps plan from RailWire should note that they will have two options to choose from, and the new plans have been launched in Kerala for now. The first plan from RailWire providing 1 Gbps speed includes the Rs 3,499 plan. In this plan, the subscribers get 3.3TB of data or 3,300GB of data in the entire month, after which the post-FUP speed is 2 Mbps. Another thing to note about these plans is that there would be 18% GST applicable on these plans, and as such, you will have to pay additional Rs 629.82 on top of Rs 3,499, thus adding up your total monthly cost to Rs 4128.82.

RailWire 1 Gbps Rs 7,999 Broadband Plan

Another plan from RailWire includes the Rs 7,999 plan, which is, of course, a very premium plan, but this plan will not only get you 1 Gbps speed on your broadband connection would also provide just double data as compared to the last plan. As such, you will have 6.6TB or 6,600 GB of data every month to use from. The post FUP speed remains the same at 2 Mbps and is similar to the other plan; adding 18%, GST would amount to a total of  Rs 9438.82 per month for your connection. In another news, RailWire's parent company, RailTel, also shared that it had amassed a total of 4 lakh subscribers.

Zee5 Set to Release Good Quality Content Each Quarter

Posted: 11 Aug 2021 06:17 AM PDT

zee5-to-release-quality-content-each-quarter Zee5, the over-the-top (OTT) streaming platform run by Zee Entertainment Enterprises is "showing early signs of success on expected lines." The development was shared by Punit Goenka, chief executive officer at Zee Entertainment Enterprises in the first quarter earnings call on Friday. Goenka highlighted that the company released "two big properties" in its first quarter including Radhe, an Indian film starring Bollywood actor Salman Khan. Further, the company also released the "much-awaited episode" of Friends Reunion on its streaming platform resulting in a "sharp jump" in its user base. Goenka said that the company has "built a very strong content line up for Zee5" and it is "confident of building further" on the improvements recorded by the company in its first quarter.

Zee5 to Offer "Wider Choice of Premium Content"

Zee Entertainment Enterprises in its first quarter earnings update said that Zee5 recorded 8.02 crore global monthly active users (MAU) and 71 lakhs global daily active users (DAU) in June. In its previous quarter, the company said that its global MAUs and DAUs on its streaming platform were at 7.26 crore and 61 lakhs respectively. Goenka also highlighted that the streaming platform was released in the United States during its first quarter and that the company is "delighted" with the response it received in its new market. "With Zee5, we now look to offer this audience as well as the younger demographics, access to much deeper and wider choice of premium content," Goenka said in the first quarter earnings call on Friday. Rohit Gupta, chief financial officer at Zee Entertainment Enterprises said in the earnings call that the Zee5 platform is "building momentum on all key metrics." The Zee Entertainment Enterprises CFO also said that the annual pack users now account for over 40% of its gross user additions each month, indicating the "increasing traction on the platform." Crucially, Gupta said that the Zee5 platform recorded over Rs 1 billion in revenue in the first quarter of its current financial year. "The increased momentum on subscription revenue was largely offset by the impact of COVID on the advertising revenues," Gupta said in the first quarter earnings call. Additionally, it was also highlighted in the first quarter earnings update that the company released 11 original shows and movies during the quarter on its streaming platform. "It takes a lot of effort," Goenka said. "There’s a lot more technological advancement that is needed on the platform and we are nowhere close to being perfect or the gold standard. So, we have [a] lot more work to be done there and we already have a plan in place for the rest of the year." Goenka said that the company will have to release "good quality content" each quarter for its user base to "keep ramping" up and also for its users to stay with the platform. Further, Goenka said that the company is targeting around 20% to 25% market share in the OTT space.

Zee5 Expected to Contribute Around 35% Revenue by 2025

Prabhudas Lilladher, a research-based financial services company on Saturday said in a report that the Zee5 streaming platform is likely to emerge as the "future growth engine in changing content consumption landscape." Meanwhile, Dolat Capital, the financial firm engaged in the trading markets, said that Zee Entertainment Enterprises recorded a "weak" performance in its first quarter. "But more than performance, the outlook has been tepid," Dolat Capital said in a report on Friday. Zee Entertainment Enterprises in its earnings update for its first quarter highlighted that the advertisement revenues dipped 22.7% in the quarter as compared to its prior year quarter. Further, the company highlighted that it has a 17% pan India market share in the first quarter of the current financial year as compared to 18.9% market share in the previous quarter. However, Goenka said that the company has "decided to continue to invest" in both its digital and its broadcasting segments "despite slower recovery" in advertisement revenues. Crucially, Goenka expects Zee5 to contribute around 30% to 35% of the overall revenue of Zee Entertainment Enterprises. "In digital, we continue to offer differentiated shows and blockbuster movies," Goenka said. "These investments would drive our market share, putting us in good stead when recovery takes place."

Mi Notebook Refresh with Backlit Keyboard Teased Post Realme Book Slim Confirmation

Posted: 11 Aug 2021 05:49 AM PDT

Mi Notebook It seems that Xiaomi’s Mi Notebook might soon get a new refresh, with reports citing that a new generation of the Mi Notebook, complete with 11th Gen Intel processors will be announced in the near future. This was fueled by a tweet by the CBO or Chief Business Officer of Xiaomi India, Raghu Reddy, who offered a sneak peek at the new laptop, with the image confirming that the refresh would offer one feature that should have been part of the 2020 model. The feature in question is the backlit feature, something of a necessity in today’s day and age, which at the time of the launch of the first-gen Mi Notebook caused a bit of static, as many potential buyers were confused as to why the company chose to opt-out of the same, considering Asus had similarly priced offerings that offered backlit keyboards.

Xiaomi Could Launch Multiple Laptops Under Mi Notebook Series

This could be indicative of the cost-cutting steps taking by Xiaomi to offer decent specifications with the previous generation of Mi Notebook, which also opted out of an integrated webcam. As of now, it is unclear whether Xiaomi will choose to repeat this and provide a USB-based Webcam, but we hope that the company chooses to integrate the same this time. The timing of this confirmation comes after Realme announced that it would be launching the Realme Book Slim on August 18, which is about a week away from the date of writing this article. The Realme Book Slim is expected to feature a 2K 14-inch display with Intel’s Core i5 11th gen chips, which could be coupled with a more than generous 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD based storage. The Realme offering could come with a backlit keyboard with a side profile that looks like Apple’s MacBook offerings, with the offering also making use of a USB Type-C port for charging. The Mi Notebook could also do something similar but given as to how there are no images that have been leaked, this is just a guess. The Mi Notebook refresh could make the laptop an offering for proper users and not just workers and students, with leaks suggesting that the Mi Notebook 14 Pro could offer a 2K display with a refresh rate of 120Hz, all for a price of Rs 60,000. There might also be a new Ultra version of the laptop, with a 15-inch 3.5K display and up to Intel’s Core i7 11th gen chip with the RTX 3050Ti GPU, which would cost higher than the Pro version.

Get Free Netflix Subscription With These JioFiber Plans

Posted: 11 Aug 2021 05:03 AM PDT

Get Free Netflix Subscription With These JioFiber Plans Reliance JioFiber, the broadband service comes in both postpaid and prepaid connections. Some of these plans offer attractive benefits for users. One such benefit is the free Netflix subscription. Give that Netflix is a popular video streaming service and also one of the most expensive platforms right now, it is interesting to get a free subscription to this platform with JioFiber.

Reliance JioFiber Prepaid Plans Offering Netflix Access

The monthly plans priced at Rs 1,499 and above come with Netflix along with other benefits including Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, ZEE5 and more. It offers unlimited data at 300 Mbps speed. The monthly plan of JioFiber priced at Rs 2,499 also offers Netflix and other benefits at a data speed of 500 Mbps. The other plans are priced at Rs 3,999 and Rs 8,499 and these offer data speeds of 1 Gbps. Also, the same plans are available on quarterly, semi-annual and annual basis. Notably, the semi-annual plans offer an additional added validity of 15 days besides 180 days while the annual plans offer 360 days and an additional 30 days of validity. The quarterly plans are priced at Rs 4,497, Rs 7,497, Rs 11,997 and Rs 25,497. The semi-annual plans are priced at Rs 8,994, Rs 14,997, Rs 23,994 and Rs 50,994. Finally, the annual plans are priced at Rs 17,988, Rs 29,988, Rs 47,988, and Rs 1,01,988.

Reliance JioFiber Postpaid Plans Offering Netflix Access

If you are eying to subscribe to the JioFiber postpaid plans, then there are four plans that offer the Netflix subscription for free. These include the Rs 8,994 plan offering six months validity and unlimited data at 300 Mbps speed among other benefits. The other plan is priced at Rs 14,994 offering unlimited data at 500 Mbps and six months validity. The unlimited data plan offering 1 Gbps speed offers Rs 23,994 while the Rs 50,994 plan offers 6600GB data at 1Gbps speed. Likewise, the annual postpaid plans priced at Rs 17,988, Rs 29,988, Rs 47,988 and Rs 1,01,988 are also bundled with Netflix among other benefits.

5G Will Drive New Smartphone Sales and Investment in India: Corning

Posted: 11 Aug 2021 04:10 AM PDT

5G Corning, which is the biggest name across the world for making the popular Gorilla Glass protection for handsets. The company has said that India is going to be the next destination for ICT manufacturing. As per the Corning Senior VP and General Manager of Mobile Consumer Electronics, John Bayne, India is going to see the movement of supply chains slowly away from China and onto its soil. Speaking about the company's plans he said that Corning likes to be close to its consumers and so the movement of supply chains would mean that Corning would also be making investments in the country with time. He also said that the coming of 5G would mean that there would be massive replacements in handsets meaning that a lot of new consumers would be buying handsets.

India to Become a Strategic Investment Location

In a conversation with ET Telecom, Bayne also said that the local companies in India are also resilient and have hung on for too long. As such, the exec said that Corning would be willing to invest with the local companies and make partnerships with them and not only with global brands. Speaking about India's position as an investment destination he said that the market here is of strategic interest for global investors and as such despite the small setbacks such as the pandemic, in the long term, investors will flock to invest in India. However, he also said that Corning would not rush to invest in India in order to avoid excessive cost raises which would eventually impact the consumers.

5G to Drive Smartphone Replacement Cycles In India

Speaking about the smartphone replacement cycles, the Corning exec said that India would see high replacement numbers because currently a lot of people have feature phones and they would want to shift technologies with the coming of 5G. As such, Corning is hoping to drive these heavy replacement cycles. Adding to his statements he also said that the smartphones are becoming more resilient, but they are also going through a lot of rough use in their long life cycle, as such the Gorilla Glass protection would see an improvement by brand uptake with DX and DX+ type camera covers also seeing traction in the coming months.

Central Projects and State Govts to Use Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Solutions

Posted: 11 Aug 2021 03:28 AM PDT

Oracle Corp Central projects The Indian government after a hefty audit process has appointed Oracle Corp. as an empanelled cloud infrastructure provider for the IT Ministry. This means that now government-owned entities and offices would be able to use digital services provided by Oracle Corp. The American company which has public data centres in Hyderabad and Mumbai will now be able to take on workload from state governments and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) which would also include Oracle workloads as well. The news comes from Oracle Corp itself which announced the new development on Wednesday.

Oracle to Ramp Up Employee Strength to Support New Projects

As per the ET Telecom report on the matter,  Shailender Kumar, managing director at Oracle India remarked that Oracle Corp has been the government's partner for the last three decades on various occasions and the new empanelment by the IT ministry would allow the company to help the government and PSUs in accelerating the speed in which they undergo a digital transformation. He also said that Oracle would be ramping up its team to help in growing its public sector business. It is worth noting that a lot of central ministries and several high profile projects of the government make use of the cloud infrastructure provided by Oracle. Some of the ministries that take the help of Oracle include the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the Ministry of Railways, the Ministry of Finance and even the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN), Aadhar provider UIDAI and the Aspirational District Programme make use of Oracle's services.

Oracle's Third of Total Business from Public Sector

When it comes to state governments, states like  Bihar, Delhi, Maharashtra, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh rely on Oracle Corp for their digital services. Not only this but urban local bodies and even courts use Oracle solutions. What's interesting to note is that out of the total revenue that Oracle gets from India, around 30% of it comes from the public sector business. This figure has been growing at a very rapid rate in the last few years. Debapriya Nandan, senior director and the head-public sector at Oracle India said that after the passing of the Personal Data Protection Bill, there would be more clarity on the solutions that Oracle would be able to provide to the public sector. He also hinted towards the presence of sizeable business opportunities in India.

Govt In Favour of Floor Pricing, TRAI Not In Support of Move

Posted: 11 Aug 2021 02:50 AM PDT

Govt Favour of Floor pricing The telecom industry could surely use regulations that put in a floor pricing for the companies. However, until now, there had been no breakthrough in this matter, but it seems that now the government seems to be in favour of bringing in a floor pricing regulation. As per the latest reports on the matter, a Department of Telecommunications (DoT) officer has remarked that the Finance Ministry and the DoT happen to be in agreement about floor pricing. On the other hand, is the sector regulator, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which has not been in favour of floor pricing. As per TRAI, a floor pricing regime would be a step against the consumers' interests.

Floor Pricing to be Similar to FRP

A lot of discussions seem to be going on behind closed doors in the government offices as there are multiple proposals on the table to aid the financial health of the sector, especially Vodafone Idea, which is the worst-hit of the telcos. The DoT official compared the floor pricing mechanism to the Fair and Remunerative Prices (FRP) mechanism of the sugarcane industry, which helps the farmers get justified prices for their sugarcane produce. Not only this, but the government is also in favour of allowing Vodafone Idea to convert its debt to equity. However, one idea which did not find much support from DoT is the provision of a moratorium for spectrum payments. As per an Indian Express report, DoT receives Rs 6,000 crore worth of guarantees from Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea. The government also opposed the idea of encashing the bank guarantees.

DoT Officials Examining Every Possible Option

The DoT official further added that no options are off the table, meaning that the government will try to hold every stakeholder’s interests while deciding on an option. Vodafone Idea has dues above Rs 1.5 lakh crore, a lot of which is because of the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) ruling by the Supreme Court. Vodafone Idea has already shown concerns about shutting shop if no relief comes its way from the government. The company's executive, Kumar Mangalam Birla, is also ready to give up his 27% stake in the company to any taker, private or public. This move has further turned up the heat in the sector and raised eyebrows about telco's survival.

MediaTek Dimensity 810, 920 Budget 5G Chipsets Announced

Posted: 11 Aug 2021 02:09 AM PDT

MediaTek MediaTek, the popular Taiwanese chipset maker, on Wednesday launched two new chipsets as part of its Dimensity lineup of SoCs, namely the Dimensity 920 and Dimensity 810. For those of you unaware, the MediaTek Dimensity SoCs are known for offering chipsets designed for mobile devices, with the standout feature being integrated 5G modems. The latest additions to the family are quite the same and will allow budget devices or mid-range handsets to ship with 5G.

What Do We Know About The Chips?

Dimensity 920 Out of the two new chips, the one that deserves more attention is the MediaTek Dimensity 920, which is a 6nm chip that offers a 9% increase in gaming performance in contrast to its predecessor, the Dimensity 900. The chipset has an octa-core CPU with multiple Cortex-A78 cores. The chipset also supports UFS 3.1 storage and LPDDR5 RAM. The chip’s image signal processor or ISP comes with support for 4K HDR video encoding and up to 108MP image capture without any sort of shutter lag. This is a better deal in comparison to the MediaTek 900, which came with 2 ARM Cortex-A78 cores at up to 2.4GHz coupled with 6 ARM Cortex-A55 cores. The GPU in use was the Mali-G68. Connectivity-wise, the Dimensity 920 uses an integrated 5G modem that supports dual VoNR or Voice over New Radio, dual SIM 5G, up to 2CC carrier aggregation and SA, NSA networking. Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 and multi-GNSS is also supported. The press release from MediaTek reveals that the chip also supports multiple proprietary tech features, which include the likes of MediaTek’s Smart Adaptive Displays tech that allows for adjustment of refresh rate based on the content being consumed, 5G UltraSave for better efficiency during 5G networking and HyperEngine 3.0 which can provide better gaming performance, in conjunction with Super Hotspot technology. Dimensity 810 In comparison, the MediaTek Dimensity 810 offers a minor upgrade over the 800 chip. It includes 4 ARM Cortex-A76 cores that are clocked at up to 2.4GH and 4 Cortex-A55 cores clocked at up to 2GHz, meaning that the chip offers minor performance differences over the Dimensity 800. The chipset has been designed keeping cheaper 5G handsets in mind; hence the CPU config makes a lot of sense. LPDDR4X RAM and UFS storage are also supported, alongside 120Hz FHD display support. Much like the bigger brother Dimensity 920, the 810 is a 6nm module with the ISP featuring MFNR and MCTF, up to 64MP main cameras, AI features, MediaTek’s HyperEngine 2.0 and dual camera concurrency. The integrated 5G modem supports up to 2CC CA, mixed duplex FDD+ TDD CA, VoNR and dual SIM 5G. Both chips will ship in smartphones starting Q3 2021, as per MediaTek.

OnePlus Nord 2 Blast Claim Was Wrong

Posted: 11 Aug 2021 02:06 AM PDT

OnePlus Nord 2 OnePlus has been in the news for the last few days, and all for the wrong reason. Multiple reports surfaced alleging that a OnePlus Nord 2 purchased by an Indian user has blasted. But according to an IANS report, the company has refuted any such incident. According to the probe launched by the OnePlus India, the claim made by the Indian user is false. The blast that happened did not involve any product from OnePlus.

OnePlus Took Immediate Action Against the Claim

OnePlus took immediate action against the claim that came in. The company said that it talked with the individual who had made a claim and found that it was a false complaint. OnePlus has confirmed that there was no product of the company involved in any kind of blast. A Twitter user named Shubham Shrivastava had tweeted about the blast of the OnePlus Nord 2. The user said that he got the device for his father as a gift, and it exploded somehow. OnePlus had immediately responded to the tweet and said that they would discuss the matter with the user on priority. It is worth noting that after a few hours, the post was deleted from Twitter. Further, the tweet made by the user didn't have any images of the blown device, which was strange in the first place. OnePlus said that all of its products go under quality and safety tests before they are shipped to the market. The company further said that it has a strict internal process that allows it to check all of the products for safety. It is worth noting that Ankur Sharma, another user based out of Bengaluru, had tweeted about the OnePlus Nord 2 blasting along with the images. But later, he also deleted the tweet. OnePlus had responded to his tweet as well, saying that the company would like to discuss things with him on priority.

Vodafone Idea Approaches Court to File Review Petition on AGR Calc

Posted: 11 Aug 2021 01:56 AM PDT

Vodafone Idea Vodafone Idea has approached the Supreme Court (SC) for filing the review petition on the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) calculation order that SC gave on July 23, 2021. For the unaware, the telcos, including Vodafone Idea (Vi), Bharti Airtel, and Tata Teleservices, had submitted a petition in the apex court to ask the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for reassessing the dues of the operators. The operators had said that the telecom department had made several mistakes while coming out with the final amount of the AGR dues. As per the operators, due to the department's mistake, the telcos have to pay more money than they are meant to.

Vodafone Idea Said DoT Made Errors of Up to Rs 5,932 Crore

Vodafone Idea (Vi) has claimed that the DoT has made calculation mistakes while assessing the AGR dues. The department has added Rs 5,932 crore extra on the principal amount that Vi had to pay. This has increased the total amount that Vi has to pay significantly because of the addition of penalty, interests, and then interest on the penalty. All the operators just wanted the DoT to rectify the errors it had made while calculating the AGR dues. But the SC was in no mood to entertain this request of the operators. It is worth noting that since the inception of the AGR drama, the SC has kept it clear that it won't allow for any sort of reassessment or recalculation of the dues. This time, the operators aren't asking for a reassessment of the dues though, they just want the DoT to rectify the errors it has made while coming out with the final amount. There's a pretty weak chance that Vi will gain anything out of the review petition filed, which is first reported by the Financial Express. But it is expected that Bharti Airtel and Tata Teleservices will also go ahead with filing the review petition for the same matter. It will be interesting to see how the court will respond to the request of the operators.

Apple to Use 3nm Chip For iPhones, Mac Devices in 2022

Posted: 11 Aug 2021 01:01 AM PDT

Apple To Use 3nm Chip For iPhones, Mac Devices In 2022 Apple attempted to transform the Mac lineup of devices with its own M1 chipset, the Apple Silicon that was launched last year. In addition to laptops, the company used these chips even for its smartphones. As of now, the Apple chipset-powered devices are manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, aka TSMC, using the 5nm process. It looks like the process will be upgraded in the next year.

Apple To Use 3nm Chip

As per a fresh report by DigiTimes via MacRumors, the iPhones and Mac devices that are all set to be launched in 2022 are likely to use an upgraded chipset based on the 3nm process. TSMC is already gearing up to start the mass production of the 3nm chips sometime in the second half of 2022. Eventually, the chipset in question will be used to power the iPhones and Mac devices that are lined up for 2022. Previously, it was reported that Apple had booked the entire production capacity of TSMC for the 4nm chipset by Apple Silicon that is meant for the MacBooks. However, no word regarding the arrival of the chip made its way to the internet.

3nm Chip Improvements

As compared to the existing 5nm process, the new chip based on the 3nm process is touted to reduce the power consumption by 30 per cent and deliver improved performance of 15 per cent. Being the largest contract manufacturer of chips in the world, TSMC will begin the production of the new and upgraded 3nm chips with 30,000 wafers capacity. The company is estimated to expand this production capacity to 55,000 units next year. Also, within a year after that, it eyes to expand the production capacity to 105,000 units per month. Notably, the existing Apple A14 Bionic chipset is based on the 5nm manufacturing process. The next-generation chip, the A15 SoC, will be using the 5nm process + NP5 process. It will be a performance-enhanced process of the existing one and will bring in power efficiency as well. As per reports, TSMC has allotted most of its resources to meet the order of Apple in 2022.

DoT Can Only Give Suggestions, Relief Package Dependent on Finance Ministry

Posted: 11 Aug 2021 12:27 AM PDT

DoT Telecom operators in India have hit rock bottom because of the AGR dues burden and financial liabilities. To aid the telecom sector, a relief package is expected to be rolled out by the government to help financially burdened telcos like Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio. As noted by unnamed sources in the Department of Telecommunications, telcos can only offer suggestions regarding the relief package. The perfect relief package will depend upon the Finance Ministry along with the approval of the Cabinet. As reported by Hindu Business Line, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has already shared recommendations for a bailout of the telecom sector, including a two-year extension to the current moratorium.

Vodafone Idea Might Trade its Excess Spectrum to Earn Some Revenues

Among all the telecom operators, Vodafone Idea has been the most affected telco in AGR verdict and financial burden. If a relief package will be rolled out by the government, it is likely to primarily focus on Vodafone Idea because of its financial results. The telco giant might engage in trading its excess spectrum to earn some revenues and reduce the burden. In case you are not aware, Vodafone Idea holds 1,849.6 Mhz of spectrum across different frequency bands, of which 1,714.8 can be used for the deployment of 4G or 5G networks. It is speculated that the government might bring a newcomer to the Indian telecom space and give free spectrum to revive the telecom sector. Also, the government might apply license fees of average gross revenue as soon as the company hits the market share.

India Can Turn a Global Leader in the Digital Economy

Bharti Airtel is also facing a financial burden because of the AGR dues. The telco has already increased the price of prepaid plans and discontinued the Rs 799 postpaid plan for corporate users. Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Airtel, stated that government and regulators would jump in to help the financially burdened telcos and ensure that the telecom sector remains a lucrative industry for future investments. He also stated that India has the opportunity to turn into a global leader in the Digital Economy. With dynamic policies, continued investments and innovation through collaboration, India will become the leader in the digital ecosystem.

Apple iPhone 13 Lineup To Feature Interesting Camera Improvements

Posted: 10 Aug 2021 11:11 PM PDT

Apple iPhone 13 Lineup To Feature Interesting Camera Improvements Apple's next-generation iPhones are all set to be launched next month and we are coming across constant updates regarding these upcoming models. The new models in the iPhone 13 series are speculated to get three major new camera and video recording features, thereby making these models significant upgrades to their predecessors.

Apple iPhone 13 Camera Improvements

The iPhone 13 lineup is said to include a video version of the Portrait model feature, which will give it the ability to record high-quality videos in a format called ProRes. Also, it will let users add a new filter-like system that will enhance the colors and look of photos, claim people familiar with the development. These camera features are expected to be among the biggest selling points for the upcoming models. Notably, Portrait mode made its way to the iPhone 7 Plus in 2016 and became a favorite feature of users. It lets create a bokeh effect wherein a person or object can be in focus while blurring the background. The iPhone 13 models will use the same technique to videos in the form of a feature dubbed Cinematic Video. Similar to photos, the depth sensor of iPhone will create the same effect and let users adjust the blur after recording videos. The ProRes video recording feature is said to let users capture videos in a high-quality format, thereby giving editors more control during the post-production phase. In the film industry, professional video editors use this format and it is not intended at the mass market as it involves large file sizes. However, the upcoming iPhones can record ProRes videos in HD and 4K resolutions. Yet another feature is users will get better control over the looks and highlights of photos. They can choose from various styles that can be applied to the photos. They can also add a dramatic look with more contrast and deeper shadows.

Apple iPhone 13: What We Know

Apart from the camera enhancements, the iPhone 13 lineup will get other improvements including a revamped design, 5G support, and an improved A15 chip. It is also speculated to have a display cutout and feature a new screen technology enabling a faster refresh rate. Otherwise, the upcoming models are said to retain the same 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch regular sizes and 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch Pro screen sizes. Apple will unveil the new models in September unlike last year, wherein it had to delay the launch to October due to production issues caused by COVID-19. Though the launch will happen next month, it will be a virtual event due to the ongoing pandemic crisis.

Reliance Jio Might Not See Same Results in Europe as It Did in India

Posted: 10 Aug 2021 10:22 PM PDT

Reliance Jio Might Not See Same Results in Europe as It Did in India Reliance Industries has been quite successful in India in telecom operations, but it may not be able to replicate the same in Europe with a potential bid for T-Mobile Netherlands. This was noted by brokerage UBS after a newswire report stated that RIL is eying to bid for Deutsche Telecom's Dutch arm.

Reliance Industries Eyes Expansion In Europe?

Reliance Jio Infocomm, the telecom arm of the conglomerate chaired by Mukesh Ambani, has benefited from relative unique scenarios in India that might not work in Europe, noted UBS. It has been noted that a successful RIL bid for T-Mobile-Netherlands might be negative for the Dutch as well as the broader European telecoms market. Previously, RIL has not revealed any intention to expand its telecom operations in Europe and has remained highly focused on its expansion within India. Eventually, the company has no clarity if the same move will fit within its financial and strategic framework. Moreover, RIL is a diversified conglomerate with vital investments in other industries, including retail, chemicals, and oil, noted UBS. One of the earlier reports citing anonymous sources stated that RIL is discussing with an advisor to estimate an offer for T-Mobile Netherlands BV. Also, it stated that Deutsche Telekom is looking for nearly 5 billion euros in any sale. However, neither RIL nor Jio replied to these claims.

Overseas M&A Unlikely For Jio

In this scenario, an ET report citing a senior industry insider notes that it is highly unlikely for RIL to invest a huge sum in an overseas M&A as the prime target and focus of the conglomerate is India. Also, UBS said that in terms of financials, the subsidiaries of RIL are self-funding and have the presence of minority investors as well. It remains to be seen if there is a provision for the conglomerate to invest such huge sums in a large M&A.

Reliance Jio Success In India

Since its debut in September 2016, Reliance Jio has built up a subscriber base of 441 million, which is 33% of the Indian telecom market. This was possible with the launch of a free product back then. The telecom industry in India has been weighed down by more than Rs 8 lakh crore of debt, and it set forward a fierce price war in the industry by disrupting the segment with free voice calls and aggressively priced data plans. This move has urged other operators to retail customers by compromising on their profits and revenues. Fringe players exited the market, and Vodafone and Idea merged to form Vi. Eventually, there are only three major telecom players in the private sector – Airtel, Vi, and Jio instead of 10 in the past. Moreover, Vi is still struggling to survive this competition.

Vodafone Idea Recent Postpaid Plans Announcement a One Way Attempt at Bettering Company Finances

Posted: 10 Aug 2021 09:27 PM PDT

Vodafone Idea If there is one telecom operator in the industry right now which has been handed the short end of the stick, it is Vodafone Idea. The company has been through a lot lately, and things do not seem to be stopping from progressively getting worse for the telco. Also, the fears of Vodafone Idea collapsing are becoming real for all the stakeholders in the company. In such a situation, it is likely that Vodafone Idea will get desperate for breath, and in a move on those lines, the telco has made a tariff hike in a somewhat proxied manner. Although the tariff hike is not really apparent for a lot of subscribers because of the way in which it has been done, but still it can be said that it will have some impact on the subscribers and maybe on the finances of the company as well.

What the Tariff Hike Actually Means

Firstly, we will have to explain the nature of the tariff hike that has been made by Vodafone Idea. The plans that have received the hike indirectly are the Vodafone Idea REDX postpaid plans, and if you do not know, the Vodafone Idea REDX Postpaid plans are a premium offering that requires the subscriber to spend north of Rs 1,000 every month on their bill. As such, making a tariff hike on an already premium postpaid plan has saved Vodafone Idea from the wrath of prepaid subscribers, which are comparatively low paying and many in number. Also, another thing to note is that the hike has not really been made in the postpaid plan directly, as in the actual price of the postpaid plan starts at Rs 1,099 only, but it is the add-on fee that has been very subtly changed.

Change in Add-On Fee

For instance, the add-on fee of Rs 149, which was the previous figure, has now been turned into Rs 249. This means that the Vodafone Idea REDX plan which used to allow subscribers to have up to 5 members in a plan under Rs 2,000 is no longer the case. The 5 members postpaid plan by Vodafone Idea costs Rs 2,299 at the least. Also, the removal of the Rs 799 postpaid plan makes it clear that Vodafone Idea does not want to hold on to low paying postpaid subscribers and is making an aim towards the high ARPU, which is an industry-wide chased after figure and really a signal for good finances.

Vodafone Idea Likely on Footsteps of Bharti Airtel

Vodafone Idea seems to be following in the footsteps of Bharti Airtel, although not entirely in a mapped out manner. We have already seen in the quarterly earnings report of Bharti Airtel how the introduction of the more premium Black postpaid plan has paid off well for the telco with a significant rise in ARPU. The hint that this strategy seems to be working in the market can be good news to Vodafone Idea. However, whether or not this small financial gain would be enough to save the telco is a whole other story. The number of postpaid subscribers for any telco in India remains very low, and the number is most likely not big enough to make a substantial contribution to the telco's help.

Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Overlook the New Exynos W920 Chip

Posted: 10 Aug 2021 08:06 PM PDT

Galaxy Watch Samsung is all set to launch the Galaxy Watch 4, post multiple leaks and rumours over the past couple of leaks hinting at the product being the next big thing when it comes to Android smartwatches. But, what will set the watch apart will not be its design or build, rather what will be present inside it. The company provided very few details in relation to the watch but yesterday, it unveiled details in relation to the hardware that will be powering the next smartwatch from Samsung, which is a bigger deal than some might think it to be. In case you missed it, the Galaxy Watch 4 and the rumoured Galaxy Watch 4 Classic will be powered by the recently announced Exynos W920 chipset, which is a 5nm wearable chipset that has been designed keeping in mind the intention to deliver better performance whilst being much more efficient than its competitors.

Why Does the Exynos W920 Stand Out?

Exynos W920 To do so, the W920 is equipped with dual Cortex A55 cores, usually found on smartphones and an ARM Mali-G68 GPU, which, as per Samsung allows for an increase of 20% in CPU performance and a 10x boost in graphics per formance. The 4G LTE CAT.4 modem provides cellular connectivity, with the chip also supporting built-in GPS. The chip is built on the 5nm extreme ultra-violet or EUV node at Samsung SLSI, much like the Samsung Exynos 2100, the chipset of choice for 2021’s Samsung flagship, the S21 series. The company added that the chip can handle displays with a resolution of up to 960*540 and comes with a low-power co-processor for AoD or Always on Display functionalities. What sets the Exynos W920 is that it is the smallest package in the wearable market as of now, which basically means that the system-in-package, which consists of the cores, ICs for power management, RAM and storage modules take up very little space, which can allow for slimmer smartwatches or smartwatches with larger batteries.

Can the Exynos W920 Beat Qualcomm?

Whilst this was just a description of what the chipset offers, what is more, important is that it is a good alternative to Snapdragon Wear chipsets and, with the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 5100 chip supposedly in preparation, we could see these two chips battling with each other to claim the title of the best smartwatch chipset of 2021. Usually, the Snapdragon chip is known to have the upper hand owing to increased usage, but, if Samsung truly manages to trump Qualcomm, we could see Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Watch series take off. We won’t have to wait too long, however, since the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic, with Wear OS 3.0 will be showcased to the public on August 11.

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