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Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro Confirmed to Run on Google Tensor SoC
Does Buying Apple AirPods Make Sense in 2021?
YouTube Testing Premium Lite Plan, Solving Key Content Issue for Lower Costs
Airtel Digital TV Gets Times Now Navbharat HD Channel In Hindi
OnePlus Nord 2 vs Oppo Reno6 vs iQOO 7, Which is the Best?
Dizo Watch Could Be Your Budget Fitness Companion
Samsung Sets Up SEED Lab In Bangalore College for Research and Development
TRAI Negates Plans of Bringing Floor Pricing Regime In Telecom Industry
JioPages Brings Study Mode for Android TV and STB Users
Vodafone Idea Stakeholder Shows Intention of Selling to Govt
Samsung Galaxy S22 Series Could Bring Back This Popular Camera Technology
5G Spectrum Base Price Might be Revised
Bharti Airtel Emerges Market Leader in Cellular IoT
Bharti Airtel Updates Subscriber Data for May 2021
Vodafone Group Plc Needs to Clear Back Taxes
Entry-Level Prepaid Plans Miss Out One Big Benefit These Days
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Leaks Showcase New Smartwatch OS in Full Glory
Bharti Airtel Offering 1GB Data for Rs 5 Only

Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro Confirmed to Run on Google Tensor SoC

Posted: 02 Aug 2021 12:17 PM PDT

In a series of tweets, Google has confirmed some of the key specifications of the upcoming Pixel 6 series devices which will include the vanilla Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Both the smartphones are confirmed to come in three different colour variants. The design of the devices is similar to the leaks that were making rounds online. One of the biggest announcements made by Google is the 'Google Tensor'. The Google Tensor is an SoC that is custom made for Pixel smartphones which means that the chipset might come with enhanced capabilities and would be able to outperform the other smartphone chipsets in the market.

Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro Will Run on Android 12 Out of the Box

Google Pixels 6 series devices will be running on the latest Android 12 out of the box when they are released in the fall of this year. The Google Pixel 6 Pro will come with a triple-camera setup at the rear with a telephoto lens capable of 4x optical zoom. The Pixel 6 would have the same camera system as that of the 6 Pro but would miss out on the telephoto lens.

Google Tensor Chipset

Google Tensor chipset will be able to process Google's most powerful machine learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) models directly on the Pixel 6 series devices. Because of the chipset, the Pixel 6 users will be able to see better camera functions, enhanced speech recognition, and many other improved features on smartphones. Google said that Tensor has allowed it to take big leaps in Voice Commands, Captioning, Translation, and Dictation.

Google Material You for Pixel 6 Series Devices

Google will be using 'Material You' on the Pixel 6 series smartphones. The Google Pixel 6 will be available in the following three colours – Orange, Light Black, and Light Yellow. The Google Pixel 6 Pro will be available in the following colours – Black, White, and Yellow. Both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have a punch-hole cutout at the top center of the screen housing the selfie sensor. The camera layout is identical in both smartphones. There is a Google branding at the rear center of the body. One of the best things about the Google Pixel 6 series is that its devices have the most layers of hardware security than any other smartphone in the world. The company didn't share much about the camera sensors, or just how powerful the chipset is. But Google has made it official that the Pixel 6 series powered by Google Tensor chipsets will launch later this fall. Hopefully, Google will decide to bring its Pixel 6 series flagship smartphones in India rather than just the budget version in the future.

Does Buying Apple AirPods Make Sense in 2021?

Posted: 02 Aug 2021 08:42 AM PDT

In 2021, each and every brand seems to be offering a TWS or two, be it smartphone giants or audiophile focused brands, everybody wants a slice of the pie that is held by Apple’s AirPods. The Cupertino based giant launched the Apple AirPods back in 2016, with the product becoming a success after a year of static since it was one of the primary reasons for the loss of the headphone jack on that year’s iPhone. Since then, however, the product seems to have taken off, becoming a bestseller and, despite having been in this game for a long time, it still holds a status of its own, at a time when most of its features can be found on offerings that cost half of that, if not less. So, are the AirPods overrated in 2021, or are they just basic all-rounders that are in a league of their own? That is what we will try to explain today.

What are AirPods?

Even if you are not into the world of consumer technology, you might be knowing of the product in one way or the other. The AirPods are wireless earpods, which, via the use of Bluetooth provide the user with the ability to conveniently listen to their favourite tracks minus the need for wires. They can also be used to take calls and ask Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant anything that the user wishes to. The earbuds come in a case that can store and charge them back to 100% after complete usage. The AirPods have been known for being innovative as well as relatively affordable, but does that latter point really stand? In a world where OnePlus, Samsung and Nothing, a venture by OnePlus’ Co-Founder Carl Pei exists, offering products that are similar to, if not nearly equivalent to what the AirPods offer, are they really feasible?

Do the AirPods Have Flaws?

Ask any long term AirPods user, they will without a doubt report that the AirPods seem to die after a year or two of usage, but, is Apple to blame? Realistically, having owned multiple earbuds, from the likes of Realme, OnePlus, it seems that the QC issues are quite high. Even Jabra, a popular brand seems to have loads of issues with certain models. Another complaint that most users will have is reduced battery life, with most, including a ton of people that we know reporting that they seem to last an hour or less after a year of usage, which, when you pay a hefty sum, at least in the context of India, seems to be a very quirky thing indeed. Whilst these might not bother you, a rational user who saves up for a pair of Earbuds might not like these issues, which seem to be widespread rather than specific issues, but as we mentioned, only AirPods are not to blame, as almost all such TWS products, be it flagship or budget seem to face an issue or two in their usage duration.

Should You Buy the AirPods?

Well, to be honest, if you are an Apple user, the usability factor and the audio quality when used with an Apple product for AirPods is second to none and, with Spatial Audio on the AirPods Pros, it is a truly heavenly feeling to some, if not most. Android users can take a look at alternatives, since they might offer better value for money, and brand integration might appeal to some. Going back to the question of whether or not AirPods are overrated, they might hold a status of their own, but for the Apple user, they are basic amenities that should be buck solid for them, so in their sense no. Taking a look a the market as a whole, however, especially as an Apple user, it might make more sense to take a look at cheaper or similar alternatives, since lots of audio companies like Bose, Skullcandy and Sony seem to have joined in on the party.

YouTube Testing Premium Lite Plan, Solving Key Content Issue for Lower Costs

Posted: 02 Aug 2021 07:56 AM PDT

It seems that Youtube, Google’s video platform is testing its new Premium Lite subscription tier in certain parts of Europe by pushing out the feature to certain users, with the intention of this plan being to increase the appeal for subscribers to drop some cash for the video streaming service. As per an Engadget report, this new tier will remove advertisements for viewers, whilst other such key YouTube Premium services such as offline downloads, background content consumption and YouTube Music support are not part of this plan. The report mentions that users in countries like Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden are seeing the Premium Lite tier whilst trying to cancel their YouTube Premium subscriptions.

Google Might Soon Offer YouTube Premium Lite!

Further reports by the Verge mentions that a YouTube spokesperson confirmed the development, stating that the Premium Lite tier was being tested across multiple European countries. Do note that as of the time of writing this article, YouTube Premium Lite does not show up for Indian users, with a prompt mentioning that the offer is not available in the country as of now. In case you were wondering, YouTube Premium in the country costs Rs 139 per month whilst the 3-month plan costs Rs 399, with features included being ad-free video playback, offline music and video downloads for the user and access to YouTube Music, coupled with the all-important background content playback. It is interesting that given as to how YouTube Premium is much cheaper than European countries in India, it will be interesting to see how much it costs in India, since in Europe, it is priced at EUR 11.99 or Rs 1,060 for one month, whilst Premium Lite is being offered at EUR 6.99 or Rs 620. This move comes at a very interesting time since streaming services are now in a fierce battle against each other to gain more and more subscribers and are slashing prices, with Netflix already having announced a Mobile plan that offers Standard Definition or SD content access on smartphones. Overall, this plan should be beneficial for both users and the company, since the biggest complaint by users is the ad situation and if this plan offers just ad removal and is priced well in India, it could see a lot of frustrated users make the switch to this new Premium Lite plan, just to end their interrupted content experience.

Airtel Digital TV Gets Times Now Navbharat HD Channel In Hindi

Posted: 02 Aug 2021 07:24 AM PDT

Bharti Airtel's DTH platform, Airtel Digital TV has been launching new offers for its new subscribers. Airtel Digital TV is one of the most popular choices out there in case you are in search of a new DTH connection. However, this piece of news is not about a new promotion from Airtel Digital TV or a product but about a major new channel addition that has been made on Airtel Digital TV. As per the updates from the subscribers and the channel list of Airtel Digital TV, a new addition that has been made for the subscribers’ choice includes "Times Now Navbharat HD".

Airtel Digital TV Gets New Channel

It's worth noting that the channel that has been added with the name of "Times Now Navbharat HD" is a new channel from Times Now. It will exist besides the old Times Now channel which is an immensely popular English news channel in India. The new Times Now Navbharat HD channel will be available at LCN 327 on Airtel Digital TV. Another thing worth noting about the channel is that it is not an FTA channel, meaning that the subscribers will have to shell out a few bucks to subscribe to this channel. The channel will be available to the subscribers at the price of Rs 1.50 per month.

Information About Times Now Navbharat HD

In an official statement, Times Group has also informed about the launch of this Hindi news channel. The editor-in-chief of the news channel would be Navika Kumar, and the roster of anchors would include names like Sushant Sinha, Padmaja Joshi, Ankit Tyagi, and Meenakshi Kandwal. Times Now also noted that the new channel would be seeking to break away from the stereotypical news format and would be aimed at innovative news delivery, with solution-oriented discussions. Times Group's new Hindi news channel has been launched with the tagline of "Ab badlega Bharat, Banega Navbharat" thus stressing the "New India". The group has also clarified that it won't be running after sensational TRP chasing headlines, but would be dedicated to bringing worthy news to the viewers. The channel is also available across other MSOs now.

OnePlus Nord 2 vs Oppo Reno6 vs iQOO 7, Which is the Best?

Posted: 02 Aug 2021 06:12 AM PDT

A series of smartphones have been launched in the Indian market. Among the lot, OnePlus, Oppo and iQOO have launched premium smartphones that are bundled with high-end specifications. Recently, OnePlus launched the much anticipated Nord 2 5G, whereas Oppo launched the Reno6. On the other side of the boat, iQOO 7 was also launched in India back in April. Since OnePlus Nord 2, Oppo Reno6 and iQOO 7 are packed with similar features and pricing, selecting the best from the lot must be difficult for consumers. Follow the article to the end to get a comprehensive comparison and detail on smartphones.

OnePlus Nord 2 5G

OnePlus Nord 2 5G features a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with a screen refresh rate of 90Hz. The smartphone has a hole-punch cut on the top left edge of the screen. Under the cover, OnePlus Nord 2 is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 1200 AI processor with Oxygen OS 11.43 software support. As for optics, the smartphone features a tripe-rear camera setup with a 50MP primary camera. Towards the front, OnePlus Nord 2 features a 32MP selfie camera. The smartphone runs on a 4500mAh battery with support for 65W fast charging. The 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant is available for Rs 29,999 whereas the 12GB RAM and 256GB variant retails for Rs 34,999.

Oppo Reno6

Oppo Reno6 directly competes with OnePlus Nord 2 because of its competitive pricing and features. The smartphone is available for Rs 29,990 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage variant. Oppo Reno 6 features a 6.5-inch FHD+ OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. The device runs on MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset. The smartphone gets power by 4300 mAh battery with support for 65W fast charging. Coming to the camera specifications, the smartphone packs a triple rear camera setup with a 64MP primary camera. Towards the front, Oppo Reno6 comes with a 32MP primary camera.

iQOO 7

iQOO 7 features a 6.62-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with support for a 120Hz refresh rate. Under the veil, the smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chipset. As for camera specifications, the smartphone is equipped with a triple rear camera setup with a 48MP primary camera. The device runs on a 4400 mAh battery with support for 66W flash charging technology. The 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage variant of the smartphone is priced for Rs 31,990, whereas the 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage variant is available for Rs 33,990. The highest variant of Rs 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage variant is available for Rs 35,990. If we talk about screen display and refresh rate, Oppo Reno6 and OnePlus Nord 2 feature a 90Hz refresh rate, whereas the iQOO features a 120Hz refresh rate. Even in the battery, iQOO 7 packs a bigger battery than Nord 2 and Reno6. In the optics department, all three smartphones feature a triple camera setup. Oppo Reno6 features 64MP primary camera, whereas OnePlus Nord 2 and iQOO 7 feature 50MP and 48MP primary cameras. While Nord 2 and Reno 6 feature 32MP selfie cameras, iQOO 7 is packed with a 16MP selfie camera. Even though the iQOO 7 is slightly priced higher than the OnePlus Nord 2 and Oppo Reno6, the features of the smartphone make it one of the intriguing choices for consumers.

Dizo Watch Could Be Your Budget Fitness Companion

Posted: 02 Aug 2021 05:34 AM PDT

Chinese Smartphone maker Realme recently launched its sub-brand Dizo, which had launched a couple of products, ranging from feature phones to audio products. Today, the company launched the Dizo watch, which is part of the company’s latest TechLife ecosystem, which is expected to bring with it an amalgamation of smartphones and other products. The Dizo watch makes use of a 1.4-inch touchscreen display with an IP68 rating, making the watch dust and water-resistant. The company added that it will come with Smart AIoT control, which should allow for controlling of the company’s IoT ecosystem which can be used via the Realme Link App.

Realme’s Dizo Watch is The Latest Smartwatch from the Brand

The Dizo Watch also comes with a heart-rate sensor and SpO2 monitoring, both of which are useful features in today’s day and age. The smartwatch also comes with 90 sports modes, which make use of unique algorithms for specific activities. These activities include the likes of yoga, rowing, spinning, basketball, elliptical, cricket, free workouts and spinning. The watch can also record daily and weekly exercise durations and calorie consumption levels, which can provide that extra bit of data for the fitness freak in you. The touchscreen, which was mentioned above offers a PPI of 323, quite similar to other smartwatches in its category. The display has a peak brightness of 600 nits and 30 fps refresh rates, with the latter not playing a huge role in a smartwatch. The Dizo watch comes with Live Watch Faces, which are pretty similar to live wallpapers that come on Android handsets. This feature will offer dynamic dial backgrounds with users given to option to customize the same. There are also 60 different watch dials that appeal to both men and women. Users will also be given the option to personalize their watches by using photos that they might have on their smartphones, which can allow you to set a picture of yourself or a loved one as the watch face. Finally, the watch depends on a 315 mAh battery, which can provide 12 days of charge. There is a magnetic charging base and BT 5.0 on board. The Realme Dizo Watch has been priced at Rs 3,499 and will be on offer via both Flipkart and Realme’s official website. This launch comes at a time when more and more users are getting more interested in smartwatches, so we might see more and more fitness bands being launched in the upcoming months.

Samsung Sets Up SEED Lab In Bangalore College for Research and Development

Posted: 02 Aug 2021 04:42 AM PDT

The Korean giant Samsung is not just known for its presence as one of the biggest smartphone sellers in the Indian market. Samsung has also got its hands in the telecom equipment business in India in partnership with Jio. Not only this, but the Korean company boasts of having a strong R&D as well, which it is now giving a boost in India. Samsung has set up a Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and data engineering 'Samsung Student Ecosystem for Engineered Data (Samsung SEED)' Lab in Hubbali of Karnataka. The new SEED Lab of Samsung has been set up on the KLE Technological University campus.

Students and Faculties to Both Use SEED Lab

Samsung has also put out an official statement with the setting up of this new lab at the KLE Tech institute. Dipesh Shah, Managing Director of Samsung R&D Institute Bangalore, also remarked that India is a hub of energetic minds, including Gen Z and Millenials, and hence this new step is in the direction of industry-academia partnership. It's worth noting that the new lab in Hubbali, SEED, will function with oversight from Samsung R&D Institute Bangalore (SRI-B). The students and the faculty, both will be able to make use of the lab to conduct experiments in the fields of mobile camera technology, speed, and text detection along with other AI and ML fields. The engineers from Samsung will also help the students and faculties in this at the SEED Lab.

VC Lauds New Initiative of Samsung

As per the ET Telecom report, the SEED Lab will be equipped with features like a special dark room with lighting equipment for experiments, image quality analysis tools, and more. The facilities of the lab will be available to the third and fourth-year students of bachelor’s and master’s degree and even PhD students. Also, the students at KLE Tech will be encouraged to publish research papers with the engineers from Samsung. Ashok Shettar, Vice-Chancellor, KLE Technological University, Hubballi, Karnataka, also lauded this initiative. It's noteworthy that Samsung has set up a similar lab in Delhi Technological University (DTU) earlier.

TRAI Negates Plans of Bringing Floor Pricing Regime In Telecom Industry

Posted: 02 Aug 2021 03:48 AM PDT

One of the major impetus from the government on the regulatory front for the telecom industry was supposed to be the floor pricing regime. However, as per the latest reports, even the last ray of hope for some of the telecom companies might be slipping away. As per the latest reports on the matter, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) might not be working on any floor pricing regime. It's worth noting that a floor pricing plan from the regulator would have helped the telecom companies like Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea in pushing their plan prices upwards and saving the Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) from falling further on.

TRAI Not Working Towards Floor Pricing

The report comes from ET Telecom; in an anonymous way, a TRAI official has revealed that the regulator is not working on any floor pricing because it will be against consumers' interests. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which is a high-level body representing the top telecom operators in India, had written to TRAI about bringing a floor pricing method. As per their reasoning, the competition in the industry was not allowing the players to increase tariffs of their plans. Reliance Jio took an opposite stance on this and said that the proposal by Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel is regressive and does not help the industry in growing.

Indian Data Prices Too Low

As per the global standards, the data is priced very cheaply in India at around Rs 8 per GB. The rates had fallen drastically since the foray of Reliance Jio in the country after it started offering free data to the users. Currently, after the launch of new plans by the telcos, the same has to be informed to TRAI within seven days. However, TRAI has said that pricing in the telecom industry will remain under forbearance. While Reliance Jio has posted impressive profits and growth on its financial metrics, other telecom companies like Vodafone Idea are under reeling losses. The ARPU, which is the most sought-after metric in the industry, has taken a deep hit after Reliance Jio's entry. Bharti Airtel seeks a floor pricing regime for maintaining a healthy ARPU as well.

JioPages Brings Study Mode for Android TV and STB Users

Posted: 02 Aug 2021 03:13 AM PDT

JioPages, a homegrown web browsing application, is now offering 'Study Mode' for the users who want to focus more on their studies and be distracted less. One of the biggest distractions while learning from home is the gadget we are using. Smartphones and laptops can be very distracting for a user, especially since many find studies boring. The new 'Study Mode' for JioPages is specially designed to help students focus more on their studies and also help the parents keep their peace of mind about their child's study. To help the students not being distracted, Reliance Jio will offer support for the JioPages on its Android Set-Top Box (STB) as well.

JioPages 'Study Mode' Key Features

Note that JioPages can also be installed in the regular Android Set-Top Boxes (STBs). In the Jio STBs, the application comes pre-installed. JioPages 'Study Mode' will allow users to curate the content class-wise to be better organised and prepared for their exams. The Study Mode will also offer subject wise channel suggestions to the user for every class. Users can also add their favourite subjects for quick access under the 'Favourite' category so that they can access them much faster. There will also be quick links for quick access to education websites so that users don't have to waste their time searching on Google for them. One of the biggest perks of the 'Study Mode' will be an easier and faster discovery of content related to studies for the users. Further, to ensure that users aren't bugged by any advertisements, the 'Study Mode' will come with Ad Blocker enabled as the default setting. So now, JioPages has three different modes – Standard Mode, Incognito Mode, and a Study Mode. The 'Study Mode' is a recent addition from the company and will make the life of aspiring students easier. The application can also be used for entertainment purposes by changing the mode.

Vodafone Idea Stakeholder Shows Intention of Selling to Govt

Posted: 02 Aug 2021 02:42 AM PDT

Vodafone Idea, the worst of the financially strapped telecom operators has finally come out in the public regarding its poor financial standing. However, what's different about the latest move from Vodafone Idea is that it is not pleading with investors now, but with the government. Kumar Mangalam Birla, the billionaire whose company, Aditya Birla Group (ABG) holds around 27% share in the telecom company has shown interest in offloading his stake to any private or public company which might be interested in the deal. This shows Birla's concerns about the telecom company going under, and his readiness to let the stake go so that the entity can remain as a "going concern".

Vodafone Idea's Fundraising Plans Remain Cold

We have been seeing Vodafone Idea's attempt at fundraising ongoing since last year. In September 2020, Vodafone Idea announced that it would be raising Rs 25,000 crore by means of rights issues and by the way of debt. However, these plans have not materialised yet. The more recent talks between Apollo Global Management and the telco also seem to be falling apart. As per the last update, Vodafone Idea was on the stage of finalising terms, but it seems even those plans have not resorted to any conclusion. Now in a climactic fashion, Birla has remarked about settling his stake with the public and private entity as per the latest ET Telecom report.

Birla Writers Letter to Cabinet Secy

Kumar Birla in a letter to Cabinet Secretary, Rajiv Gauba, remarked that it is with a sense of urgency that he will be willing to explore all options to keep the company going and to strengthen it. He also sought clarity on the demands that Vodafone Idea has been making for long, on the issues of AGR dues, spectrum dues, and floor pricing. Out of these three, Birla put a lot of emphasis on the floor pricing regime, which if implemented would immensely help the telco and might also be the aphrodisiac when it comes to saving the company's finances. The letter was dated June 7 and said that if no help comes from the government, then Vodafone Idea's finances might be tainted beyond repair by July 21.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Series Could Bring Back This Popular Camera Technology

Posted: 02 Aug 2021 01:40 AM PDT

Whilst Samsung is all set to launch its latest Foldable devices and a smartwatch or two as part of its annual Unpacked event, there seems to be a bit of buzz in relation to the Samsung Galaxy S22, which might launch in a couple of months. The latest leak in relation to the Samsung Galaxy S22 which could launch in January of 2022 hints at an impressive camera array at the helm of the flagship. Previous rumours have hinted towards the use of a 50MP sensor for all devices that are part of the Galaxy S22, but, now tipster Yogesh, whilst responding to Ice Universe on Twitter has suggested that this sensor could in fact be an RGBW or Red-Green-Blue-White unit.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Series Could Opt for RGBW Sensor

As of now, it is a bit too early to talk about the specifications of the Galaxy S22 series, but, the presence of an RGBW sensor could be an interesting addition to the camera setup. Basically, for those of you wondering, this unit adds white pixels in order to help the sensor acquire more light information, not in one spot, rather across the whole spectrum, leading to an improvement in the sensor’s overall performance in dim or darker conditions, wherein graining is quite common. Going down memory lane, the first device to make use of the same was the Huawei P8, which had a sensor capable of taking some breathtaking shots, albeit with a touch of overexposure in bright conditions. Given how that device launched a couple of years ago, the issues that accompanied it should have been fixed owing to advancements within modern software and optic sensors. This marks a sort of return for the RGBW sensor since Samsung is not the only one who would be working on the same, as, in 2020, Vivo had announced its plans to launch a handset with an RGBW sensor in 2021, which could very well be the successor to the camera-focused Vio X60. Do note that whilst Yogesh has been reliable when it comes to such leaks, this information should still be taken with a pinch of salt due to the current scenario and the giant gap that remains for the device to launch. All of this seems to be shaping up to be Samsung’s plans to take on the best of the best, as the company has previously been reported to have been working on a massive 200MP sensor to one-up its 108MP sensor.

5G Spectrum Base Price Might be Revised

Posted: 02 Aug 2021 01:08 AM PDT

The pricing of 5G airwaves set by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has been opposed by the telecom operators since the beginning. All the major telcos operating in India have shown their concern around the exorbitant pricing of the available spectrum. Since 5G is on the cliff, the Department of Telecommunications is planning to hold 5G auctions by seeking a revised base price from the telco regulator for the 3300-3750 MHz along with floor prices for other spectrum bands to support the 5G technology. As reported by ET Telecom, the upcoming 5G airwaves auction might happen next year, and it will give the government upfront payment in the current fiscal year ending on March 31, 2022.

TRAI Set Rs 492 Crore/Unit Price Base Price in 2018

Back in 2018, TRAI set Rs 492 crore/unit base price for the 3300-3750 Mhz band. The base price was highly exorbitant to the telecom operators. Now the telecom operators are expecting lower starting rates from the regulator for the development of next-generation networks. Not only this but, the telco also wishes for additional quantities of spectrum across more 5G bands. The telecom regulator will be eyed upon for the base price for the spectrum available with DoT, including the airwaves in the 5G band of 3300-3750 Mhz band. Apart from this, DoT will also seek base prices for the 600 Mhz and 700 Mhz bands, popularly known as sub-GHz bands and 2425 Mhz-2850 Mhz, known as millimetre waves.

5G Services Will be Costly in India Without 600 Mhz Bands

For the first time, the super-efficient 600 Mhz 700 Mhz bands will be on sale. Even though the 700 Mhz bands were offered to telcos, it was unsold because of its high floor price. Since the spectrum band went unsold, the regulator might lower the price to make it viable for the telcos. The renowned telecom operators Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio has been asking the government to auction the effective 600 Mhz bands, which will make 5G services affordable for consumers in India. As per a DoT official, some additional airwaves are available in the 3400 Mhz and the 3425 Mhz. Earlier the government was rolling out 275 Mhz of 5G spectrum for sale. However, the quantity will now be increased to 300 Mhz.

Bharti Airtel Emerges Market Leader in Cellular IoT

Posted: 02 Aug 2021 12:03 AM PDT

Bharti Airtel has become the market leader in India's fast-growing Enterprise Internet-of-Things (IoT) segment, as per Frost & Sullivan. Airtel Internet-of-Things (IoT) is an end-to-end platform with the power to manage and connect tons of applications and devices in a seamless fashion. At its core is Bharti Airtel's robust 5G Ready network that comes with the option to deploy NB-IoT, 4G or 2G connectivity using Airtel e-SIM technology. It also has a flexible set of APIs, which enables businesses to make the process of connecting, collecting, and analysing data seamlessly through their existing workflow tools with the guarantee of Airtel's telco-grade Security.

Bharti Airtel IoT Supports Over 6 Million Managed Connections

Airtel IoT currently supports over 6 million managed IoT connections, including a range of vertical-specific solutions like industrial asset monitoring, smart metering and vehicle telematics with an innovative approach to building IoT solutions. Airtel Business leverages its proven pan-India network to provide customers with IoT connectivity irrespective of their size, industry, or location. MG Motor, Pine Labs, Paytm, Kirloskar, BSES, Genus, Kent, Black Buck, Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited and Odisha Power Transmission Company are among the enterprises that are already using Airtel's IoT solutions. The Report from Frost & Sullivan further added that Airtel Business continues to be the undisputed leader in the Enterprise Mobility space with the highest overall RMS of 43.3%. Airtel Business is trusted by over 2500 large and over one million emerging enterprises across India. It offers an integrated suite of solutions ranging from connectivity to cloud, security, conferencing, IoT and Ad Tech. This is only the beginning for Bharti Airtel in the IoT business. As soon as 5G arrives and proliferates in the country, the role of IoT will grow even further, and Airtel has a good chance to lead the industry in the said segment. It is worth noting that Vodafone Idea also provides IoT services to its enterprise clients.

Bharti Airtel Updates Subscriber Data for May 2021

Posted: 01 Aug 2021 11:20 PM PDT

Bharti Airtel has updated the subscriber data for May 2021. The telco has pointed out that it didn't lose an identical percentage of users in each of the telecom circles. For the unaware, according to the data shared by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Bharti Airtel lost more than 4.5 million subscribers in May 2021. IANS had then reported that the telco lost an identical percentage of users across the telecom circles. Now, Bharti Airtel has updated the information related to this and the company has said that it didn't lose an identical percentage of users in every telecom circle.

Bharti Airtel Lost Most Subscribers in Mumbai and Delhi

According to a new IANS report, Bharti Airtel shared the updated data of change in the number of subscribers which signified that the telco lost the most subscribers in Mumbai and Delhi in terms of percentage. Both in Mumbai and Delhi, the telco saw a dip of 2.4% in the number of subscribers. Note that the earlier report from IANS said that Airtel lost 1.3% of subscribers in each circle. However, that data was incorrect. Other states where Airtel lost 2% or more subscribers are Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu. This is a significant blow to the telco. However, it is quite understandable since people couldn't really step outside of their homes to purchase new SIM cards or port. Regardless, it was again a strong month for Reliance Jio which added 3.5 million new subscribers. According to the TRAI data, both Vodafone Idea (Vi) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) lost subscribers. Vodafone Idea lost 4.6 million subscribers while BSNL lost 0.93 million subscribers. Both the telcos are in dire need of capital to expand their networks and Vi also has a ton of debt on its shoulders. It will be interesting to see how the telcos had performed in the month of June 2021 when the economy had opened a little.

Vodafone Group Plc Needs to Clear Back Taxes

Posted: 01 Aug 2021 09:57 PM PDT

The Indian government has challenged a decision of the international arbitration tribunal, which overturned its demand of Rs 22,100 crore from Vodafone Group Plc. The amount that the Indian government is looking to recover from the Vodafone group is for back taxes. Note that this is not the Indian firm 'Vodafone Idea', but the international company 'Vodafone Group Plc'. According to a PTI report, the appeal of the Indian government has been transferred to a senior court in Singapore, and the hearing has been scheduled for September 2021.

International Arbitration Had Denied Indian Government's Claim

For the unaware, the Indian government's claim of Rs 22,100 crore from Vodafone in back taxes was denied last year in September. The penalties and back taxes that Vodafone has to pay relates to the acquisition that the company made in 2007 in India. To seek further help, the Indian government applied in Singapore for setting aside the arbitration award to Vodafone primarily on Jurisdiction grounds. The proceeding has been transferred to a senior court, and the hearing date has been set for September. The reason why the Singapore court has been chosen for further proceedings is that the Southeast Asian nation was in the seat of the arbitration. It will be interesting to see which side the court will rule on. Vodafone Group Plc is one of the major promoters in the Indian firm Vodafone Idea (Vi). However, the liability that the Indian government is going after is solely borne by the international firm, and Vodafone Idea has nothing to do with this. Thus, just to be clear, Vi won't have to pay a single penny from its bank to the government regarding this. The Indian government has been persistently chasing the Vodafone group for the dues that it owes. The amount won't hurt the Vodafone Group a big time since it is a very big entity already operating in several nations and has a strong financial ground.

Entry-Level Prepaid Plans Miss Out One Big Benefit These Days

Posted: 01 Aug 2021 08:53 PM PDT

The story of the telecom industry of India is well known to everyone. Currently, in the ruthlessly competitive segment, only three private players remain, which namely include Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea. Out of these three, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio are financially alright whereas, Vodafone Idea seems to be in the shadows with regards to its financial burdens. What's common for all the telecom operators right now is their prepaid plans. Because of the competitive nature of the telecom industry, the prepaid plans of all the telecom companies resemble each other very closely. Hence, any change introduced by one is followed up very fast by others. This is what has happened in the latest change which Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea are making to their plans and it's not in the right direction. The telecom operators are increasingly reducing the SMS benefits for their subscribers in their entry-level plans.

Changing Prepaid Plans

In recent times, we have seen the trend of telecom operators focusing more on the upper rungs of the plans. This means that all three operators are pushing for more premium plans for the customers. This said absence of focus from the lower prepaid plans means that the subscribers now find it more and more difficult to find a plan of their liking, which meets their needs. This is a departure from the previous practices of telcos of driving prices to the ground with immense offers, free data, and multitudes of offerings.

Removal of SMS Benefits

Following up on this, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and Reliance Jio have all started reducing the SMS benefits on the prepaid plans of lower values. For example, taking into consideration the Rs 98 prepaid plan by Reliance Jio which comes with 14 days validity and offers 1.5GB data per day. The plan ships unlimited calling to the users, but bundles absolutely no SMS benefits. Reliance Jio's plan is not a study in isolation, but this phenomenon is also seen across plans by Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea as well.

What Telcos Should Do?

This comes as a concerning thing for the subscribers since a lot of customers who might have had inactive numbers or want to port their SIMs, or perhaps simply want to receive SMS for registration of bank services and other important needs would have to resort to higher prepaid plans for using simple services. SMS benefits are one of the most basic benefits which the telcos started offering since the era of "free data", now removing the SMS benefits while retaining the unlimited calls benefit from the prepaid plans begets some reasoning and explanation from the telcos. Hence, it remains in the best interest of the telecom companies and the subscribers as well to make sure that the lower value prepaid plans come with ample SMS benefits. If not the usual 100 SMS per day benefit, for the sake of higher ARPU and to cut down costs, the telecom operators can set a lower limit on these. However, to simply remove the SMS benefits from the plans is a change that the industry is not yet ready for.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Leaks Showcase New Smartwatch OS in Full Glory

Posted: 01 Aug 2021 07:38 PM PDT

Samsung has been tipped to launch a host of products during its next Unpacked event, which is set to take place on August 11, key of which include the company’s latest versions of its foldables, namely the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the Galaxy Z Fold 2, alongside other accessories such as smartwatches. Now, considering as to how we are just a week or two shy from the next Unpacked event, the leaks will start to build up and, they already have. 91mobiles have provided a first look at two such products that we might get to see during the Unpacked event, namely the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic and the new Smartwatch OS that is supposedly being built by Samsung and Google. The two images shared by 91mobiles showcase two new watches, one black and one silver watch, both of which feature rounded bezels. This is similar to leaked renders that had been revealed by Android Headlines as well as detailed GIFs that had been posted by Evan Blass back in the month of July.

Samsung and Google’s New Watch OS Could Be Revolutionary

What is more significant here is the inclusion of the new smartwatch OS that has been in the works with a collaboration with Google and Samsung, currently being dubbed Wear on actual devices. Unfortunately, we cannot see much from the leaks, as it just shows the setup screen and prompts the user to set the time. For those of you unaware, Google and Samsung had announced that they would be merging Wear OS and Tizen at the Google I/O in the month of May, with the promise of improving the battery life, providing faster app loading times and multiple other improvements. This comes after Samsung had given us a slight peek at what the new OS could look like on its smartwatches, which at the time looked pretty enticing. Do note that whilst Samsung has been teasing its new foldables for the August 11 Unpacked event, the company has had a history of showcasing smartwatches at its Unpacked events, so there might be a strong chance of a new smartwatch being launched during the event, which according to the leaks could just be the Galaxy Watch Active 4. In case you missed it, this comes after a Samsung exec had earlier confirmed that the Galaxy Note series of devices would not be launched this year, with the Galaxy Fold featuring support for styluses or S-Pens, leaving the future of the Note in jeopardy.

Bharti Airtel Offering 1GB Data for Rs 5 Only

Posted: 01 Aug 2021 06:30 PM PDT

Bharti Airtel is giving its users 1GB of data for Rs 5 only. To make the deal sweeter, Bharti Airtel is also adding an over-the-top (OTT) benefit into the mix. Note that I am referring to a prepaid plan from the telco that offers 1GB of data for approximately Rs 5 and then also bundles an OTT benefit with the plan. Bharti Airtel competes heavily with Reliance Jio through its prepaid offerings. Airtel has a knack for offering little highly-priced plans than Jio to show its 'premium' status in the market. But 1GB of data for Rs 5 is not expensive at all if the customers can get a good network service from the company they are paying to.

Bharti Airtel Prepaid Plan That Offers 1GB of Data for Rs 5 Only

Bharti Airtel offers a Rs 448 prepaid plan to its users. The telco has launched this plan predominantly to offer the OTT benefit of Disney+ Hotstar VIP to its users. With the Rs 448 plan from Bharti Airtel, users get 3GB of daily data along with truly unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS/day. Even though these benefits sound very good, the plan only comes with a validity of 28 days. This plan makes a lot of sense for someone who is already an Airtel customer and is going to purchase the Disney+ Hotstar VIP standalone subscription. Instead of purchasing the standalone subscription of the OTT platform, the user can purchase this plan instead. However, coming back to the math, this plan comes with a total of 84GB of data and costs Rs 448. This means that each GB of data with this plan costs Rs 5.3 approximately which is honestly not bad. So at the end of the day, you are getting 84GB of data where each GB costs Rs 5.3 only, and on top of that, you get an OTT benefit of Disney+ Hotstar VIP of one year totally free. This is a very good deal since it is very cheap and at par with plans that are offered by Reliance Jio. Airtel's network services should improve even further post the additional spectrum deployment throughout India in recent months. The telco is already moving to 5G and is currently testing its 5G solutions with the spectrum that was allocated to the telcos by the Department of Telecommunications. It will be worth the wait to see the telcos come out with live commercial 5G networks in India by next year.