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• Vivo Y15s Budget Smartphone Launched in India for Rs 10,990
• Vivo T1 Pro 5G is in Works, Could Arrive in India During April or May 2022
• WhatsApp for iOS Now Supports Very Cool Audio Feature
• Samsung Galaxy S22 Series Is Overpriced in India, Avoid for Now
• Fixed Broadband in India Had the Best Month of 2021 in December
• Reliance Jio Adding 4.7 Million Active Subscribers a Positive Surprise: ICICI Securities
• WhatsApp Features: Six Amazing Ones You Must Know
• Jio and Airtel Well Set to Benefit Big from This
• Airtel Did Best Amongst Vi, Jio After Tariff Hikes
• Most Popular Broadband Plans From Jio, Airtel, BSNL and ACT
• Redmi Launches Its First Gaming Router AX5400 With Exclusive Features for Gamers
• Ericsson Updates 5G Portfolio With Radio 4490 Leading the Way
• Airtel and Vi Prepaid Plans for Budget Consumers in February 2022
• OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G Arrives With Dimensity 900, Triple Rear Cameras, 90Hz Refresh Rate and More
• Samsung Galaxy M33 5G and Galaxy F23 5G Listed on Official Website, Launch Impending
• Tata Play and Dish TV Unhappy of the Discrimination With OTT
• Acer Predator Helios 300 Arrives in India with 360Hz Refresh Rate Display, Windows 11 and More
• Samsung Galaxy S22 Series Officially Launched in India, Check Price Details
• Vodafone Idea Lose to Rivals in Yet Another Area
• BSNL Benefits From Prepaid Tariff Hikes of Private Telcos

Vivo Y15s Budget Smartphone Launched in India for Rs 10,990 Posted: 18 Feb 2022 03:10 AM PST Vivo Y15s has been launched in India on February 18, Friday. The newly launched budget device from Vivo is its latest addition to the Y series portfolio. Vivo Y15s was earlier launched in Singapore back in November 2021. The all-new Vivo Y15s comes with waterdrop-style display notch housing the selfie camera and runs on Google’s Android Go edition — the streamlined version of Android. The device is expected to compete with the devices such as Moto E40 and Redmi 10 Prime in the Indian market. Let's take a look at the specification and pricing details. Vivo Y15s Specifications Vivo Y15s has been launched in India with a display featuring a 6.51-inch HD+ (720×1,600pixels) IPS display with a 20:9 aspect ratio. The device offers dual nano SIM slots and operates on Android 11 (Go edition) with Funtouch OS 11.1 on top. Vivo Y15s features an octa-core MediaTek Helio P35 chipset that is coupled with up to 3GB of RAM. The handset has 32GB of onboard storage which is expandable up to 1TB via a dedicated microSD card slot. On the camera front, Vivo Y15s comes with a dual rear camera setup headlined by a 13MP primary lens with an f/2.2 lens along with a 2MP macro camera. The front of the device features an 8MP selfie camera with an f/2.0 lens. The handset is backed by a 5000mAh battery and supports 10W charging support. Connectivity options on the device include 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, FM radio, Micro-USB port. Along with an accelerometer, ambient light, and a proximity sensor, Vivo Y15s also comes with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. Vivo Y15s Price Details Vivo Y15s has been launched in India with a single storage variant of 3GB + 32GB at a price tag of Rs 10,990 which is an introductory offer and the retail price of the device is Rs 13,990. The colour options available on the Vivo Y15s are Mystic Blue and Wave Green. In comparison, the Vivo Y15s was released in Singapore for SGD 179 which is roughly around Rs 10,000 for the same storage configuration. The new Vivo Y15s will be available for purchase via the company's official website as well as offline and online retail stores.

Vivo T1 Pro 5G is in Works, Could Arrive in India During April or May 2022 Posted: 18 Feb 2022 02:08 AM PST The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo had recently launched its Vivo T1 5G smartphone in India and now apparently the company is gearing up for the launch of another model in the T series. A new report suggests that Vivo is currently working on a higher-end model of the Vivo T1 which will have the moniker Vivo T1 Pro 5G. Vivo T1 Pro 5G is expected to arrive both in China as well as India, however, the specs may differ depending upon the region. Details on Vivo T1 Pro 5G The report comes in from MySmartPrice, according to which, Vivo is planning to soon launch the pro model for Vivo T1 5G. As of now, the T-series from Vivo consists of Vivo T1 and Vivo T1X (only in China) and will be soon joined by the Vivo T1 Pro 5G. According to the report, sources have also provided intel on the launch timeline of the smartphone in India. It is being speculated that the device may be launched in India somewhere around April or May of 2022. This could mean that the device may arrive in China prior to other regions. Moreover, sources also state that the specs of the devices in China and India may vary. This was also the same in the case of Vivo T1 5G, which arrived with a Snapdragon 695 chipset in India and Snapdragon 778G in China. Specifications for Vivo T1 5G The latest 5G enabled smartphone from Vivo has been launched with a 6.58-inch IPS FHD+ display that supports a 120Hz refresh rate and a sampling rate of 240Hz. For storage configuration, the handset comes with up to 8GB of RAM which is virtually expandable up to 12GB. The smartphone has 128GB of internal storage expandable up to 1TB via a microSD card. The device features a "Turbo 5 Layer Liquid Cooling" technology which can significantly reduce the handset's temperature up to 10 degrees Celsius. For the camera part, Vivo T1 5G comes with a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 50MP primary camera which comes with support for Super Night mode and Bokeh mode among other camera features. The device also features two secondary 2MP sensors which offer Super Macro mode as well as a human eye tracking focus feature. The front of the device has a 16MP selfie camera. Vivo T1 5G is backed by a 5,000mAh battery and operates on Funtouch OS 12.0.

WhatsApp for iOS Now Supports Very Cool Audio Feature Posted: 18 Feb 2022 01:42 AM PST One of the largest and most popular social media applications across the globe, WhatsApp has rolled out an exciting new feature for its iOS app. WhatsApp will now allow iPhone or iPad users to hear the audio from a particular chat even if they exit it. Note that we are not talking about exiting the application but the particular chat window where it is present. So now, iOS users can switch between different chats on WhatsApp and also play an audio file from one of the chats. Until now, whenever a user switched from the chat window where the audio file is present, the audio used to stop playing. But now, at least, iOS users will not have to face such issues. The latest version of WhatsApp for iOS that is bringing this feature is v22.4.75. WhatsApp Might Roll Out the Same Feature for Android Users Too Interestingly, this feature is not yet available for Android smartphone users. It is only there for iOS users for now. However, if iOS users have got this feature on the app, it is only natural that WhatsApp will soon release this update for Android devices too. It is actually a much-needed feature and one that will certainly make a lot of difference in the user experience of the application. In fact, according to an IndiaToday report, WhatsApp was also working on applying the same feature on the Desktop app. There's no confirmation on when this feature will roll out for the others. If you are an iOS user, make sure that the app you are using is updated to the latest version if you want this new feature to be a part of your experience. Apart from this, there are already a ton of features on WhatsApp that you can check out. The company has been rolling out these features since 2021, and they make WhatsApp one of the best online texting apps in the business.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Series Is Overpriced in India, Avoid for Now Posted: 18 Feb 2022 12:24 AM PST Samsung's playing naughty when it comes to the Indian market. The brand's uniqueness is absolutely lost, and users are generally less excited to see new tech from Samsung on the smartphone front. Not to take anything away from the beautiful Galaxy S22 series. It has some of the most powerful devices in the world. Even the camera reviews have shown that Samsung is one of the best when it comes to delivering a flagship device. However, the company has clearly gone wrong with the pricing strategy when it comes to India. Specially when there's an even more affordable flagship Apple smartphone available. Samsung Priced the S22 Series Same as S21 Series for International Market, but Not for India Samsung has gone ahead with strange pricing for the Indian market. The vanilla Galaxy S22 starts at Rs 72,999. There should be some bank offers, but they are unknown at the moment. To recall, the S21 series started at Rs 69,999. The S22 series almost looks like the S21 series, except for the S22 Ultra, which now also houses the S Pen. The major differences between both smartphones is in chipset, camera, and slightly on display. The S21 series will also run on Android 12, so there's no point in bringing that up. These are basic upgrades for which users now need to pay more. The iPhone 13 mini starts at Rs 69,990 and can also be purchased with a cashback of up to Rs 6,000, which makes it an attractive offer. The soon to be launched OnePlus 10 Pro is also expected to be priced lower than the Galaxy S21 series devices. Samsung has already been losing market share in the country thus this pricing strategy from the company for basic upgrades is confusing. Samsung is trying to retain its premium image with the S series devices, but the company is actually going wrong about it. The Galaxy S22 isn't worth paying Rs 72,999 right now. The S21 series would be a better deal, honestly. The S22 Ultra is also not a smartphone meant for everyone. It is a bulky device made for people who work on the go on their smartphones. It will be interesting to see how Samsung's S22 series performs in the Indian market. Check below the pricing of all the S22 series devices in India. Samsung Galaxy S22 Series Devices in India Samsung Galaxy S22 — 8GB+128GB = Rs 72,999 8GB+256GB = Rs 76,999 Samsung Galaxy S22+ — 8GB+128GB = Rs 84,999 8GB+256GB = Rs 88,999 Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra – 12GB+256GB = Rs 1,09,000 12GB+512GB = Rs 1,18,999

Fixed Broadband in India Had the Best Month of 2021 in December Posted: 17 Feb 2022 11:53 PM PST The fixed broadband (FBB) segment in India saw December as its most successful month in the year. According to the data shared by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), more than two million users were added to the overall FBB subscribers list of the country. However, at the same time, it was the worst month for wireless broadband. "Wireless broadband segment witnessed a massive loss of 11.54 million subscribers in Dec'21 whereas fixed broadband segment (FBB) had the most successful month of the year. FBB added more than 2 million subscribers, which is the highest monthly addition for the segment in the year 2021," Charu Paliwal, an analyst at Counterpoint Research, told TelecomTalk. While the fixed-line broadband segment is growing in India, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) isn't growing with it anymore. Once a king of the fixed broadband segment, BSNL is now behind Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. Airtel has beaten BSNL to become the second-largest FBB service provider in India in December 2021. It is worth noting that in November, Reliance Jio had taken BSNL's number one position. So in a span of two months, BSNL has dropped down from the first rank to the third rank in the fixed-broadband service category. "BSNL continues to lose its FBB subscriber market share to Jio and Airtel. After losing the top spot to Jio in Nov'21, it has now lost to Airtel. As per the TRAI report, Airtel beats BSNL to become the second-largest FBB service provider by subscriber base," Paliwal added. Prepaid Tariff Hikes Might Play Role in the Growth of Fixed Broadband Most people are either working from their offices or their homes. In both places, a strong Wi-Fi network powered by a fiber broadband connection can fulfil all the needs of the users. As the prepaid tariffs climb further, the growth of broadband internet in India is inevitable. Private telecom operators including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea are further expected to raise tariffs this year. It might mean that more people start relying on fiber broadband for the internet.

Reliance Jio Adding 4.7 Million Active Subscribers a Positive Surprise: ICICI Securities Posted: 17 Feb 2022 10:40 PM PST The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) came out with its monthly telecom performance report for the month of December on Thursday. Looking at the report, ICICI Securities has said that Reliance Jio adding 4.7 million active subscribers is a positive surprise. It is worth noting that the telco's overall subscriber base reduced by 12.9 million users. However, in terms of active subscribers, Jio added 4.7 million new users. This has also helped the telco in improving its VLR subscriber percentage aggressively. By cleaning the inactive subscribers from the total user base and adding new active subscribers, Jio's VLR subscriber percentage rose to 87.64% in the month of December 2021. It was more than that of Vodafone Idea's (Vi) VLR subscriber percentage of 86.42%. Bharti Airtel Only Added 0.8 Million Active Subscribers Bharti Airtel was the only private telecom operator which added users to the overall subscriber base. However, in terms of active subscriber addition, Airtel only saw a growth of 0.8 million users. This is a very small number compared to the active subscriber addition that Jio saw. Reliance Jio's active subscriber market share grew to 36.4%, followed by Airtel 34.8% and Vodafone Idea's 21.9%. Overall industry-wide mobile broadband (MBB) subscribers dipped by 11.4 million to 765 million in December 2021. This was likely due to the prepaid tariff hikes that kicked in around the start of the month. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) displayed a strong performance by adding 1.1 million new users, more than what either of the private telecom operators did. BSNL benefited from the prepaid tariff hikes of the private telcos. ICICI Securities said that industry porting was steady at 8.6 million during the month. However, Charu Pariwali, an analyst at Counterpoint Research, said the higher porting requests MoM (month-over-month) came because of the prepaid tariff hikes. Mobile Number Portability (MNP) churn rate of 0.7% wasn't a big difference from 0.6% in November 2021.

WhatsApp Features: Six Amazing Ones You Must Know Posted: 17 Feb 2022 09:02 PM PST WhatsApp is on an update spree by regularly releasing new features on the platform. Over the last year, the company added a few significant features, including the provision to transfer money. It is already the biggest texting application around the globe. But not everyone knows about the kind of features it comes with. So here we are going to look at six amazing WhatsApp features that you make use of. WhatsApp Features Which You Should Know About Provision to attend calls from laptop: WhatsApp added the feature to attend voice and video calls directly from our laptops if you install WhatsApp for Windows/Mac on your computer. This gets rid of the hassle to grab the phone to attend calls. Send and receive money: WhatsApp payment allows users to send and receive money based on the Unified Payment Interface system (UPI). The feature was made available for all Android and iOS users in India this year. Provision to transfer chats from iPhone to Android: This was one of the most useful features released in 2021. Users can seamlessly move the conversations from iPhone to Android with the feature, but you need a USB-C cable to complete this transfer. The provision is available under 'Settings'. Disappearing media files: People who do not want their media to be viewed twice can send media files as 'View only once'. To send images/videos as 'view only once,' tap on the '1' icon before sending the media file. The image will automatically disappear after the receiver sees it one time. Mute Videos while sharing: When you record a video from a noisy background, and you do not like the background noise to be heard by the intended receiver, the mute video feature of WhatsApp comes in handy. You can simply mute videos before sharing them in WhatsApp chats. Use Multi-device feature: You may use WhatsApp on your laptop, PC, or tablet simultaneously. This multi-device feature makes using WhatsApp on many devices a breeze. Facebook-like Cover Page on WhatsApp Business While we looked into some of the key features added last year, let's also take a note of the latest upcoming feature coming to this Meta-owned instant messaging application. According to the WhatsApp development tracker WABetaInfo, the application will soon have a provision to add a new Facebook-like cover image for your profile. This will be primarily for WhatsApp Business Accounts. The availability of the feature on the personal WhatsApp account is not known.

Jio and Airtel Well Set to Benefit Big from This Posted: 17 Feb 2022 08:08 PM PST Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, two of the only profitable telecom operators, are well set to benefit big from the increase in demand for data that metaverse is going to bring with it. There are people who are worried about the rising data prices, and Airtel has already reported that the data consumption per average user per month was lower in Q3 FY22 compared to the previous quarter. But, the digital world is not ending, only beginning. While the data prices might go up, people will not stop consuming but will start paying more. A big part of the digital future is going to be metaverse. Metaverse is a virtual ecosystem/world that will give users a fully immersed virtual experience. It has the potential of increasing the screen time of the users considerably and will definitely push the amount of data users consume. Jio, Airtel to Benefit from the Increase in Data Consumption The data usage is expected to go up by 20 times by 2032, said Credit Suisse, in a report on Thursday. According to PTI, the banking institution noted the strong position of Airtel and Jio in the Indian telecom market to benefit from the growth in data consumption. The report mentions that while 5G will play a major role in the growth of metaverse, 6G is going to enhance the use cases of the virtual world. Credit Suisse said that it is too early to determine how the impact of the metaverse would be on the revenues of the telcos, but Airtel and Jio are well placed to benefit from the surge in data usage. There was no mention of the third-private telecom operator, Vodafone Idea (Vi). Vi will also try to compete with Airtel and Jio in the metaverse. But if the telco can't upgrade networks fast, it won't likely be a true competitor for Airtel and Jio anyway.

Airtel Did Best Amongst Vi, Jio After Tariff Hikes Posted: 17 Feb 2022 06:56 PM PST Bharti Airtel's performance was the best amongst all the private telecom operators, including Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea, after the prepaid tariff hikes. According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) data, Airtel was the only private telco that added new subscribers in the month of December 2021. "Airtel has done fairly better among all three operators that revised mobile plans in late November. Airtel has positive subscriber addition as it continues its focus on attracting quality customers," said Charu Paliwal, an analyst at Counterpoint Research. Airtel has certainly done better as its average revenue per user (ARPU) growth and subscriber addition rate has been better than Jio post prepaid tariff hikes. The telco expects to do even better as the full impact of the prepaid tariff hikes will be seen in Q4 FY22. BSNL Added More Subscribers than Private Telcos in December 2021 Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) added more subscribers in December 2021 than all of the private telecom operators. This might be the only time it may happen because BSNL benefited from the prepaid tariff hikes of the other telcos. Many low-paying customers shifted to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) as its prepaid tariffs were way lower compared to what the private telcos were offering. "Vi and Jio registered subscriber loss, but BSNL seems to have gained from their loss as it added more than 1.1 million subscribers. This can probably be due to consumers opting BSNL on affordability factor over other private telcos," Paliwal added. MNP Requests Were Higher Due to Prepaid Tariff Hikes The mobile number portability (MNP) requests made during December 2021 were considerably higher than the requests made in November 2021. It was because of the prepaid tariff hikes kicking in and a lot of customers changing preferences about which telecom operators they want to stick with post the arrival of new tariffs. "There were 8.54 million MNP requests in December as compared to 7.33 million in Nov. This jump was expected on the back of tariff hike with price-sensitive customers switching to affordable plans offered by other players."

Most Popular Broadband Plans From Jio, Airtel, BSNL and ACT Posted: 17 Feb 2022 05:37 PM PST Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer a variety of broadband plans to their subscribers. These plans range from cheap packs with a lower internet speed to high-end packs offering up to 1 Gbps of speed. However, there is always a select plan from these ISPs that is more popular than others and is listed as a bestseller plan. These bestselling plans offer a good balance between high-speed connectivity and price. Mentioned below are some of the most popular broadband plans offered by Jio, Airtel, BSNL and ACT along with the plan details. Jio's Most Popular Broadband Plan The most popular broadband plan offered by Jio is also its base OTT plan. One of the most reliable service providers in India, JioFiber offers a 150 Mbps internet speed data plan at the price of Rs 999 for a validity period of 30 days. The FUP limit set on this plan is 3300Gb or 3.3TB. Users get access to symmetrical upload and download speeds of 150 Mbps with this plan. The plan is listed as a bestselling plan on the website and offers subscriptions to 15 OTT platforms including yearlong access to Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Eros Now and more. Entertainment Pack from Airtel Airtel has been one of the most prominent players in the market when it comes to providing broadband services. Airtel via its Xstream Fiber connection offers multiple plans but the bestseller from the telco is the 'Entertainment' pack which provides 200 Mbps of internet speed at a monthly cost of Rs 999 exclusive of taxes. Users get 3.3TB or 3300GB of monthly fair-usage-policy (FUP) data with this plan. Airtel also provides 'Airtel Thanks Benefits' with its broadband plans which in this case includes subscriptions to OTT platforms including Amazon Prime and Disney+ Hotstar along with Wynk Music. Bestseller from BSNL The state-owned telco BSNL offers a range of plans to its subscribers via Bharat Fiber connection. However, the most popular plan offered by the ISP is a 100 Mbps plan. SuperStar Premium-1 broadband plan from the company provides 100 Mbps of internet speed at a price tag of Rs 749 a month. The data limit set on the plan is 1000GB beyond which speed is reduced to 5 Mbps. The plan also comes with access to a few OTT platforms such as Sony LIV Premium, Zee5 Premium and more. Moreover, users can get a discount of 90% up to Rs 500 on their first-month rent. ACT's Most Popular Plan The Internet Service Provider based in Bengaluru, ACT, offers a ton of broadband plans ranging up to 1 Gbps. However, the most popular plan from the ISP is a 300 Mbps unlimited data plan called ACT Storm. Users can get the Storm pack from the provider at a monthly cost of Rs 1,185. This plan from the company is truly unlimited and no FUP limit is set. Users can also get free trials to some of the OTT platforms and various add-ons with the pack. It is to be noted that this plan is for the city of Bengaluru, and it may vary across the country.

Redmi Launches Its First Gaming Router AX5400 With Exclusive Features for Gamers Posted: 17 Feb 2022 08:33 AM PST Xiaomi held an event in China on Wednesday where it launched two flagship products targeting hardcore gamers — the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition smartphone and its first gaming router AX5400. As we already know of Redmi's smartphone prowess, the anticipation is on the AX5400 gaming router. It looks like the company has made a smart move by launching a top-end gaming router with stunning specifications. Redmi Router AX5400 Specifications Redmi Router AX5400 comes with a flagship-level 2.5G Ethernet port exclusively for gaming and has game acceleration plug-ins. The new Redmi Wi-Fi 6 router features RGB lighting effects with 16 million colours. To facilitate a wide network coverage at the destination, the router is hybrid mesh network compatible and can be used with all Xiaomi Wi-Fi 6 routers. The company claims that the router can recognise mobile games automatically on compatible Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones, which means that it can reduce the delay by up to 20%. For robust signals, Redmi Router AX5400 comes with six independent high-performance front-end modules (FEMs) that act as signal amplifiers. In terms of speed, Redmi AX5400 Wi-Fi 6 gaming router promises up to 5400 Mbps 802.11 ax Wi-Fi speed. A 1GHz dual-core Qualcomm IPQ5018 SoC powers the device along with 1GHz NPU and 512MB storage. Its four external omnidirectional antennas help for natural heat dissipation. Besides, the new Redmi gaming router comes with OFDMA+MU-MIMO technology. This means that the multiple antennas of the router can serve multiple devices simultaneously, offering an excellent experience for the users. According to the company, it can connect up to 248 devices. In terms of security, the Redmi AX5400 router comes with features like parental controls and real-time monitoring, with the Mi Wi-Fi app, which is available for both Android and iOS. For encryption, the device supports WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK/WPA3-SAE standards. Not to mention, Redmi's gaming router comes with seven indicators, one top status indicator, five network portlight and one ambient light. Redmi AX5400 gaming router comes in a single colour option, Black. Redmi Router AX5400 Price Redmi Router AX5400 is priced at CNY 599 (roughly Rs. 7,100). It will be available to purchase from Xiaomi's official retailers in China from February 18. Some Chinese tech websites mention that the device is also available for an introductory price of CNY 549 (roughly Rs. 6,500).

Ericsson Updates 5G Portfolio With Radio 4490 Leading the Way Posted: 17 Feb 2022 08:18 AM PST Ericsson has announced enhancements to its 5G portfolio today. Leading the way is the new Radio 4490, a dual-band radio that is said to deliver 25% lower power consumption and lesser weight compared to the current product. Ericsson said that this new radio is compatible with most of the radio sites across the globe as it supports the main FDD (Frequency Division Duplexing) bands that are used by the telecom operators for rolling out 5G. The Radio 4490 weighs 24 Kgs. Ericsson is launching a high-powered version of the Radio 4490, namely Radio 4490 HP. The Radio 4490 HP can deliver 50% more power output than the current radios. Both the new radios apply passive cooling, which helps with reducing power consumption as fans are not required. Ericsson said the new radios are also Cloud-RAN ready. Ericsson Also Announced These Additions to the 5G Portfolio Along with the two new Radio 4490, Ericsson has also launched new additions to its 5G portfolio. There is 64T/R Massive MIMO AIR 6428 for mid-band, with 400 MHz of bandwidth for efficient RAN sharing, in a single-person-carry 25 Kg radio. Ericsson announced a versatile 5G carrier aggregation software, Coverage Boost, which can deliver 60% wider reach for mid-band TDD (Time Division Duplex) compared to dual connectivity. The Deep Sleep mode now comes with the new radios and Massive MIMO portfolios, which consumes up to 70% lesser power per radio during low traffic hours. There are more products, all of which are powered by the next-generation Ericsson Silicon.

Airtel and Vi Prepaid Plans for Budget Consumers in February 2022 Posted: 17 Feb 2022 07:09 AM PST Telecom operators offer a variety of prepaid plans for their subscribers from affordable options to expensive plans with greater benefits. However, a majority of the population in India relies on budget prepaid offerings for calling and data. Airtel and Vodafone Idea provide quite similar prepaid plans when it comes to pricing as well as benefits. Mentioned below are some of the affordable prepaid plans under Rs 300 offered by Airtel and Vi for budget consumers as of February 2022. Airtel The cheapest prepaid plan offered by Airtel comes at a price tag of Rs 155 and offers 1GB of data along with unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS/day for a validity period of 24 days. The telco also offers a Rs 179 plan that provides 2GB of data with unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS/day for 28 days. However, the cheapest daily data plan from Airtel costs Rs 209 and offers 1GB/day with unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS/day for 21 days. Airtel also offers prepaid plans with a price tag of Rs 239 and Rs 265 that offer 1GB/day for a validity period of 24 days and 28 days respectively. Lastly, the company offers a pack just under Rs 300 that provides 1.5GB of data per day at a price tag of Rs 299 for a validity period of 28 days. These plans also offer truly unlimited voice calls along with 100 SMS/day. Moreover, all the mentioned plans from Airtel come with a free trial to the mobile edition of Amazon Prime Video and access to Wynk Music. Vodafone Idea or Vi The cheapest prepaid plan from Vi costs Rs 129 and is more of a voice-oriented pack as it offers only 200MB of data with unlimited voice calls with no SMS benefits for 18 days. Vi also offers two prepaid plans costing Rs 149 and Rs 155 that offer 1GB data for a validity period of 21 and 24 days respectively. The telco also offers a Rs 179 plan that provides 2GB of data with unlimited voice calls and 300 SMS for 28 days. Vi offers a few 1GB/day data packs in the affordable segment as well. The telco offers plans at a price tag of Rs 199, Rs 219, Rs 239 and Rs 269 that offer 1GB data per day for validity periods of 18, 21, 24 and 28 days. These plans come with unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS/day. Further, Vi also offers two 1.5GB/day plans under Rs 300. The telco provides Rs 249 and Rs 299 plans that offer 1.5GB data per day for validity periods of 21 and 28 days respectively along with unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS/day.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G Arrives With Dimensity 900, Triple Rear Cameras, 90Hz Refresh Rate and More Posted: 17 Feb 2022 06:30 AM PST The Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus has finally launched the highly anticipated OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G smartphone in India as well as worldwide. The company has launched the device via a virtual double feature event where the brand also launched OnePlus TV Y1S and Y1S Edge. There have been multiple reports regarding the specification details of the device in the past few weeks and most of them fall in place with the actual specs as well. OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G has been launched as a mid-range smartphone with some really impressive specs. Let's find out more. OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G Specifications The brand has launched the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G smartphone with a 6.43-inch AMOLED display which offers a 90Hz refresh rate providing smooth viewing and gaming experience. The display has a resolution of 1080x2400pixels and also features Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for an added layer of protection. The newly launched OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G features a MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset under the hood replacing the Qualcomm chipset from its predecessor model. The processor is coupled with up to 8GB of RAM and offers 128GB of onboard storage which can be expanded via a dedicated microSD card up to 1TB. The smartphone operates on Android 11 based Oxygen OS 11.3. As far as the camera module of the smartphone is considered, OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G comes with a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 64MP primary lens with EIS support, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera and a 2MP macro lens. The front of the device features a 16MP selfie camera with EIS support as well. The handset is backed by a 4500mAh battery and comes with a 65W SuperVOOC fast charging technology. The device also features a 3.5mm headphone jack and USB Type-C charging port. The brand has kept the design of the phone very slim as it measures only 7.8mm in thickness. Moreover, OnePlus has confirmed that the latest smartphone will receive two Android updates and three years of security updates. Price Details for OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G has been launched in India with two storage options. The 6GB RAM + 128GB internal storage variant is exclusive to India and is priced at Rs 23,999. The higher 8GB + 128GB model comes with a price tag of Rs 24,999. The company has launched the latest addition to the Nord series in two colour options – Gray Mirror and Bahama Blue. The device will go on sale starting from February 22 via e-commerce platforms and the official website of OnePlus.

Samsung Galaxy M33 5G and Galaxy F23 5G Listed on Official Website, Launch Impending Posted: 17 Feb 2022 05:26 AM PST The South Korean tech giant Samsung is gearing up for the launch of the new Galaxy M and Galaxy F series of smartphones. There have been several reports regarding the devices and the smartphones are also being spotted at multiple certification sites as the launch nears. Now according to a new report, two of the upcoming devices – Samsung Galaxy M33 5G and Samsung Galaxy F23 5G have been listed on Samsung's official website hinting towards an imminent launch. The report comes in from MySmartPrice according to which Samsung Galaxy M33 5G has been apparently listed on Samsung Germany's official website. The device has been listed on the website with the model number SM-M336B. Further, the report also states that Samsung Galaxy F23 5G has also been listed on the company's Indian website with the model number SM-E236B. It is to be noted that Galaxy F23 is expected to be launched as Samsung Galaxy M23 5G in some regions. However, the company is yet to officially announce the launch date of these smartphones. Specification Details for Samsung Galaxy M33 5G and Galaxy F23 5G Samsung Galaxy M33 5G was spotted on Geekbench last month with the same model number SM-M336BU which is almost identical to the model number listed on the company's website. The listing suggested that the device is powered by an Exynos 1200 chipset. Samsung Galaxy M33 5G is said to feature Android 12-based One UI 4.0 skin out-of-the-box with 6GB of RAM. Additionally, the camera module of the device is said to feature a quadruple rear camera setup. The primary camera of the device could be a 64MP sensor while the details of the other three cameras are still not known. As far as Galaxy M23 5G is considered, rumours suggest that the handset could be rebranded as Galaxy A23 5G as it is common for Samsung to rebrand its M series devices into A series smartphones. If the rumours are true and the device is launched as Samsung Galaxy A23 5G, then it is expected that the device could feature Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G chipset, Android 12, Bluetooth 5.0, and an OIS-enabled 50MP primary camera.

Tata Play and Dish TV Unhappy of the Discrimination With OTT Posted: 17 Feb 2022 05:04 AM PST Tata Play and Dish TV, two of the top direct-to-home (DTH) service providers in India, are not happy with the discrimination they face from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) with regards to providing services with the way over-the-top (OTT) platforms do. The DTH operators want a level playing field for the competition and replied to TRAI's consultation paper, saying the DTH industry has been struggling because of undue licensing while the OTT platforms are basically offering the same service and are growing fast as they are unregulated. Tata Play Wants Regulations on OTT Tata Play told the regulator that the OTT platforms are rising fast without having the need to follow any regulatory framework or policies. India's number one DTH operator further said that the DTH sector provides employment to a large section of the society but is now finding it hard to thrive in recent years because of the unregulated fast-growing OTT platforms. The licensing fee that is put on DTH services is creating a discriminatory environment in the market, said Dish TV. Tata Play has called for the regulator to create a level playing field for the DTH and the OTT players. This is a topic and a concern that has been echoed by the DTH players for a long-time now. The DTH players have asked the regulator to either put the same kind of regulatory framework for the OTT platforms or remove the licensing regime for the DTH sector. The downfall of OTT players is evident in the last two to three years. More and more people are shifting towards OTT platforms, and it is irking the DTH players as there's no licensing regime for OTT. OTT platforms can act however they want, and that is something that a lot of users really like as the content there is uncensored and not liable to any restrictions.

Acer Predator Helios 300 Arrives in India with 360Hz Refresh Rate Display, Windows 11 and More Posted: 17 Feb 2022 03:19 AM PST The Taiwanese consumer electronics manufacturer Acer has launched its new Acer Predator Helios 300 premium gaming laptop in India on Thursday, February 17. The latest device from Acer is a powerful laptop that comes with features such as a 360Hz refresh rate which the company claims to be a first in India. The laptop is equipped with superior colling technology as well as a blisteringly fast display and offers a trove of performance-enhancing features for an amazing gaming experience. Mentioned below are the specifications and price details of the new Acer Predator Helios 300. Acer Predator Helios 300 Specs The new Acer Predator Helios 300 comes with a 15.6-inch full-HD IPS (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) LED-backlit TFT LCD display with a peak brightness of 300nits and 100% sRGB coverage. The display of the device features up to 3 milliseconds of overdrive response. As mentioned above, the device is capable of offering up to 360Hz refresh rate, however, the company is also offering a display configuration with a 165Hz refresh rate. The new Acer Predator Helios 300 runs on Windows 11 out-of-the-box and features an octa-core 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11900H CPU paired up with Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU along with 16GB of DDR4 RAM. The RAM can be virtually expanded up to 6GB. The laptop also offers onboard storage of up to 1TB. The new gaming laptop comes with Vortex Flow technology that utilizes 5th-Gen AeroBlade 3D fans, enhancing the gaming experience by cooling the machine. The newly launched device features dual speakers that offer 360-degree surround sound using DTS:X Ultra audio. Connectivity options on the new Acer Predator Helios 300 include Bluetooth v5.1, HDMI port, USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 port, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port with offline charging support. Moreover, the backlit keyboard on the laptop has four-zone RGB lighting. Price Details of Acer Predator Helios 300 The all-new Acer Predator Helios 300 has been launched in India at a price tag of Rs. 144,999. The device will be available for purchase in India via Acer Online Store, Acer Exclusive Stores, Flipkart, and other authorised retail stores only in a solo black colour option.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Series Officially Launched in India, Check Price Details Posted: 17 Feb 2022 02:11 AM PST Samsung has launched its Samsung Galaxy S22 series of smartphones in India on Thursday which will consist of Samsung Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+ and Galaxy S22 Ultra. The company had unveiled the handsets last week during the Galaxy Unpacked event held virtually. Galaxy S22 series is the new flagship lineup by Samsung that comes as an upgrade over last year's Galaxy S21 series. Moreover, it has been confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy S22 series will arrive in India with Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen1 chipset. Mentioned below are the details of the Galaxy S22 series launched in India. Price Details for Samsung Galaxy S22 Series The base Samsung Galaxy S22 arrives in two storage options – 8GB RAM + 128GB internal storage has been priced at Rs 72,999 whereas the 8GB + 256GB variant comes with a price tag of Rs 76,999. Talking about the Galaxy S22+, the smartphone has been launched with two storage variants as well. The base 8GB + 128GB costs Rs 84,999 whereas the 8GB + 256GB has been priced at Rs 88,999. The high-end Galaxy Ultra on the other hand, costs 1,09,999 for the 12GB + 256GB storage variant and the 12GB + 512GB storage option is available at Rs 1,18,999. The Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ will be available in Green, Phantom Black and Phantom White colour options in India whereas the top-of-the-line ultra-model will debut in Burgundy, Phantom Black, and Phantom White for the 12GB + 256GB model and Burgundy and Phantom Black for the 12GB + 512GB option. The newly launched Samsung Galaxy S22 series has also been made available for pre-bookings in India. Samsung had announced during the launch that the Galaxy S22 series will be widely available starting February 25. Specification Details of Galaxy S22 Series Samsung Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+ are powered by processors built based on the 4nm process and will be Snapdragon 8 Gen1 in India. The devices feature a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 50MP wide primary sensor along with a 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 10MP telephoto lens capable of 3x optical zoom. The front of the device houses a 10MP selfie camera. Galaxy S22 is backed by a 3700mAh battery with a 25W charging support whereas the Galaxy S22+ comes with a larger 4500mAh battery with 45W fast wired charging technology. The high-end smartphone of the series, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the first smartphone in the S series to feature S-pen. Galaxy S22 Ultra comes with a quadruple-camera setup headlined by a 108MP wide-angle camera. The secondary cameras on the device include a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and another 10MP telephoto camera with 10x optical zoom. The front of the device houses a massive 40MP selfie camera. The device is backed by a powerful 5000mAh battery and supports 45W fast charging technology.

Vodafone Idea Lose to Rivals in Yet Another Area Posted: 17 Feb 2022 01:34 AM PST Vodafone Idea (Vi) has lost to Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel in yet another area of competition. Until now, Vi was the second-ranked telecom operator when it came to the VLR subscribers percentage or the percentage of active subscribers it had against its total user pool. However, with a swift and heavy blow to its subscriber base, Reliance Jio has removed a ton of inactive users and has gone ahead of Vi in the VLR subscribers percentage. Jio, which used to be in the third rank in VLR subscribers percentage is now at the second with 87.64% of its users active. Vodafone Idea has gone down to the third position with 86.42% of its subscribers active. Bharti Airtel Remains the King of VLR Subscribers Percentage For a long time now, Bharti Airtel has remained the king of VLR subscribers percentage and even in the month of December 2021, Airtel's 98.01% subscribers were active, suggests data shared by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). While in terms of percentage Jio is behind Airtel in VLR subscribers, in overall numbers, Jio has more active users than Airtel. In the month of December 2021, Jio had 364.34 active users while Bharti Airtel had 348.69 million active subscribers. Not a major difference in active users, but a thing worth noting here is that Jio has all 4G network users while Airtel's customer base also includes legacy network users. BSNL had the worst VLR subscriber percentage of 50.32% with only 57.55 million users active during the month. Vodafone Idea needs to reduce subscriber churn and add new users fast. But for that, the telco needs money to upgrade the networks. Vi has appointed SBI Capital Markets to restructure and raise fresh loans from the financial institutions. The telco is in need of capital against private equity but it has been unable to raise it so far. The promoters need to step in here and show that they have faith in the functioning of the telco.

BSNL Benefits From Prepaid Tariff Hikes of Private Telcos Posted: 17 Feb 2022 12:11 AM PST Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has benefited from the prepaid tariff hikes of the private telecom operators, including Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea, and Bharti Airtel. According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) report, BSNL gained over 1.1 million new subscribers during the month of December 2021. Amongst the private telcos, only Bharti Airtel gained new subscribers during the month, while Jio and Vodafone Idea lost subscribers. Jio saw its subscriber base reducing by 12.9 million users. But right now, we are going to talk about why BSNL added new subscribers. While the state-run telco is far from launching 4G networks across the country, subscribers shifted to BSNL. The major reason behind this has to be the prepaid tariff hike got implemented by the private telcos around November end. BSNL's Added More Subscribers than Jio, Airtel, and Vi The private telcos got rid of the low-paying customers, which will improve their average revenue per user (ARPU) figure, and BSNL added new subscribers. It was a win-win situation for basically everyone. BSNL effectively added the most number of subscribers during the month, which is a statement in itself. It is just proof of the fact that once the 4G networks of the telco go live, people will prefer it over the private telcos because of more affordability. This data will certainly boost the confidence of BSNL. BSNL Needs to Go on Offence With 4G The state-run telco is working with the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and the Centre of Development for Telematics (C-DoT) for conducting 4G trials. After multiple delays, the 4G trials are expected to finish within the month of February. The telecom minister of India, Ashwini Vaishnaw, has already said that BSNL's 4G can launch by August or September of 2022. This is a great sign for the telco as the December data shows that BSNL has the ability to contend with the private telcos head-on.

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