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• JioBook Might Arrive Soon as it Receives Hardware Clearance With Windows 10 OS
• Wi-Fi Spectrum Bands Might be Expanded to 6 GHz and V Band in India: Report
• Government Open to Introducing Stricter Social Media Rules: IT Minister
• Airtel Safe Pay Helps Users Escape Identity Theft
• Apple to Launch New Affordable 5G iPhone on March 8: Report
• You Broadband Highest Speed Internet Plan in India
• Vodafone Idea Users to Get New Gaming, Esports, and Metaverse Services Soon
• Google One VPN Comes to iOS, Adds New Features
• Elite Family Postpaid Plans from Jio, Airtel, Vi and BSNL
• Jio and Airtel Continue Their Spat Over the Quantum of 5G Spectrum to Be Auctioned
• Vivo T1 5G Specification and Price in India Surfaces Before the Launch
• iQOO 9 Series to be Launched Exclusively on Amazon in India: Key Specifications
• Telecom Minister Tells Rajya Sabha that Govt Looking Into Proposals for Private Equity from 3 Telcos
• Airtel 1GB Data Price in India After Tariff Hike
• Jio Jumps Into Metaverse Bandwagon With $15 Million in Two Platforms
• POCO M4 Pro 5G Might Launch in India Soon as Promotional Image Surfaces
• Samsung Galaxy A33 and Galaxy A53 Launch Impending as Support Page Goes Live
• Mac Pro With M1 Might Launch Soon, What You Should Know
• Oppo Reno7 Series Launched in India at Great Price
• Oppo Enco M32 First Impressions and Review: Great Option for Bass Lovers

JioBook Might Arrive Soon as it Receives Hardware Clearance With Windows 10 OS Posted: 05 Feb 2022 03:08 AM PST Rumours of Reliance Jio working on a new laptop has been going around for a while although nothing has been tipped about the arrival timeline of the device from the company. The upcoming laptop is expected to be a budget device just as the other consumer electronics products offered by Jio. The device when launched will be competing with the laptops from Lenovo, Dell, Asus and more in the same price segment. Although nothing has been made official by the company, according to a recent tip, the JioBook laptop has received hardware clearance suggesting the launch of the device at the horizon. Details on JioBook Known tipster Mukul Sharma was the first to spot the listing of the device which suggests that the laptop will operate on Windows 10 OS out of the box and the product ID for the device was 400830078. No further specification detail was available at the listing of the laptop. Although it is a possibility that Jio might be selling the laptop under its own branding after purchasing the product from a manufacturer as the company name mentioned on the listing was Emdoor Digital Technology Co. Ltd. Jio is expected to launch the device with the moniker JioBook and it has already been spotted at BIS certification site as well as Geekbench listing. Even though the listing suggests Windows 10 OS, there's a high possibility that the device will feature the latest OS. Shockingly, the listing mentioned that JioBook will run on Android 11 OS which could very well be a different version of the laptop under testing. However, the Geekbench listing suggested Android 11 OS as well. Furthermore, the speculated JioBook managed to score 1,178 in the single-core test and 4,246 in the multi-core test. The device is speculated to feature a MediaTek MT8788 chipset under the hood paired up with 2GB of RAM. The company, however, is yet to provide official confirmation for the launch timeline of the device as well as other major specifications.

Wi-Fi Spectrum Bands Might be Expanded to 6 GHz and V Band in India: Report Posted: 05 Feb 2022 01:52 AM PST Currently, in India, Wi-Fi signals move through the unlicensed 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz spectrum bands. But very soon, more spectrum in the V-bands and 6 GHz band might be available for Wi-Fi networks in the country. AK Tiwari, Member – Technology, Digital Communications Commission, at a virtual workshop by the ITU-APT Foundation of India (IAFI), said the Indian government is currently considering and discussing the use of 6 GHz and V-band spectrum for Wi-Fi in India. Tiwari said that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is considering each part of the argument made for the use of new spectrum bands for Wi-Fi in India, and very soon, approval on the course of action should come. Tiwari noted that even the 5 GHz delicensed spectrum capacity had not been fully exploited until now, reports ET Telecom. Current Regulations Don't Provide Necessary Airwaves for Wi-Fi Networks for Indian Users India needs at least 2 GHz of spectrum for Wi-Fi networks, but because of the current regulations, only 600 MHz of spectrum in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz is available to all users. Note that the airwaves in the 5925 MHz – 7025 MHz are currently allocated to mobile, fixed, and satellite services in India, according to the NFAP (National Frequency Allocation Plan), 2018. With Wi-Fi in the 6 GHz spectrum, a total of 1 GHz of extra bandwidth will be available to all users, which can be split into seven channels of 160 MHz each or fourteen channels of 80 MHz each. TR Dua, Chairman of Digital Infrastructure Providers Association (DIPA), said many countries have already delicensed the 6 GHz spectrum for Wi-Fi networks, and India should follow the same as well. But RK Saxena, Wireless advisor to the government, said the 6 GHz band is currently used by satellites for broadcasting TV channels. Thus, there is a need for further study about the coexistence of this band between Wi-Fi and satellite services.

Government Open to Introducing Stricter Social Media Rules: IT Minister Posted: 05 Feb 2022 01:23 AM PST There should be rules in place to make social media accountable, says Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Electronics and Information Technology. In a question hour held at Rajya Sabha on Friday, the Minister revealed that the government is ready to introduce 'stricter' guidelines to regulate social media if Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha can build a consensus on it. His response was to a query raised by Anand Sharma of the Congress party on initiatives taken against websites like 'BulliBai' that targeted women belonging to the Muslim community. IT Minister said that the government took immediate action against the 'BulliBai' issue. He raised the concern that the opposition tends to see any steps taken by the government to make social media accountable to limit the freedom of speech. Mr Vaishnaw told the Rajya Sabha that the government is open to establishing stricter social media rules to hold them accountable as there is a need to ensure safety and security to women and future generations. Minister added that protecting the dignity of women online was a fundamental construct, and there should not be any compromise on it. A Constitutional Framework is in Place to Regulate Social Media He pointed out that the government is working within a constitutional framework, and the role of both states and the Centre has to be seen in perspective. He added that the state governments' law enforcement authorities act based on information provided by some agencies or his team. He noted that there is a structure in place for any cybercrime that occurs across the country, which can be reported through a central portal and forwarded to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Minister stated that social media is ubiquitous and plays a significant role in our lives today and that the government would introduce thorough intermediary laws and standards for social media to prevent its misuse. According to the Information Technology (IT) Act of 2000, social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook qualify as intermediaries. The government is committed to making the Internet in India open, safe, and trustworthy for all users. To that end, the government issued the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Codes) Rules, 2021, on February 25, 2021, to ensure that the internet is safe and trustworthy. According to the requirements, social media intermediaries must additionally perform further due diligence.

Airtel Safe Pay Helps Users Escape Identity Theft Posted: 04 Feb 2022 11:52 PM PST Bharti Airtel's online banking subsidiary called Airtel Payments Bank (APB) last year announced the arrival of a new security feature — 'Airtel Safe Pay'. The company has called it the safest way for Indians to make digital payments. The whole premise of Airtel Safe Pay is to add another layer of security for the payments made through net banking or UPI. This enables users to have the peace of mind that without their explicit consent, the money can't be transferred from their account. Airtel Safe Pay an Advancement Over Two-Factor Authentication Airtel Safe Pay by Airtel Payments Bank is an advancement over the industry-standard two-factor authentication. This feature offers users the highest level of security against potential frauds such as stolen passwords or credentials, phishing, and on certain occasions, phone cloning. If your credentials or passwords are stolen, it can cause identity theft scenarios. However, with the additional layer of protection over the two-factor authentication, the Airtel Safe Pay is a feature that will certainly contribute to curbing online payment frauds. How to Enable Airtel Safe Pay? Airtel Safe Pay can be enabled by going to the Airtel Payments Bank account that is linked to a user's respective phone number inside the Airtel Thanks app. After enabling the feature, whenever a user wants to make the payment, he/she will have to provide additional authorisation for letting the transaction take place. This way, if someone is trying to get money out of a user's account, they won't be able to do so as the user will naturally not authorise any payment that's not being made by him/her. Due to features such as this, Airtel Payments Bank was able to turn profitable in mid-2021, after 55 months of coming into operation. The new updated policy from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed users to deposit up to Rs 2 lakh instead of the earlier restriction of Rs 1 lakh. This also helped the company majorly in increasing its annual deposit rate.

Apple to Launch New Affordable 5G iPhone on March 8: Report Posted: 04 Feb 2022 11:03 PM PST Apple is ready to launch a new affordable iPhone on March 8, 2022. In addition to this, the Cupertino tech giant is also expected to launch an updated iPad. The speciality of this affordable iPhone is that it will come with support for 5G connectivity. If you don't understand yet, we are talking about the iPhone SE 2. A Bloomberg report says that March 8 or another day near that date is when Apple will hold its first event of 2022. The iPhone SE 2 is expected to garner a lot of interest from Android users. The 5G support will come because of the A15 Bionic SoC that was launched with the iPhone 13 series. Apple New Affordable iPhone Specifications (Expected) So while nothing is confirmed yet, Apple is most likely to retain the design of the iPhone SE 2 or iPhone SE 2020 with the upcoming affordable smartphone. The iPhone SE 2022 is again expected to come with a single camera sensor where no ultra-wide-angle picture support will be there. The device is roughly expected to come for $300. With the A15 Bionic SoC, the device should be capable of enhanced imagery and performance. It is worth noting that Apple might underclock the A15 Bionic for the iPhone SE 3. There were many reports around the iPhone SE 2's chipset being under-clocked. Regardless, the iPhone SE 2 is still one of the fastest and smoothest devices in the market. Later in the year, Apple is also expected to unveil the MacBook Air powered by the M2 chipset. There's no fixed timeline for the same, but it is expected to launch this year. The new iPhone SE 3 might rope in a lot of Android users, expect analysts. In India, the smartphone could launch around the Rs 40,000 price point, which has been the case with each and every iPhone SE device launched so far.

You Broadband Highest Speed Internet Plan in India Posted: 04 Feb 2022 09:01 PM PST You Broadband, the fiber broadband subsidiary of Vodafone Idea, might not be the most famous internet service provider (ISP) in the country; regardless, it still has some very decent plans in its portfolio for regular consumers. The company also offers services to enterprise customers. If you are looking for the highest-speed internet plan from You Broadband, don't think too high as you are not going to get a 500 Mbps or a 1 Gbps plan, but you can get a 350 Mbps plan, which is not too bad, to be honest. You Broadband 350 Mbps Plan Is Only Available in Pune Note that the only thing is the 350 Mbps plan from You Broadband is only available in Pune. In other cities, the company offers up to 200 Mbps internet speed plans. The 350 Mbps plan comes for Rs 2065 per month (including taxes), and it is also available for long-term validities with additional days of services for no extra cost. Basically, what it means is if the user goes for any of the long-term plans, he/she is eligible to get free service bundled for a few days. The only thing is, with this plan, even though you are paying more than Rs 2,000 per month, you will not be getting any over-the-top (OTT) benefit with the plan. This is a big bummer as with Jio, Airtel and even Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), if you are spending over Rs 1500 or more, you are surely going to get OTT benefits. With this high-speed plan that is only available in Pune, users get 3.5TB of data, which is decent. If you want You Broadband to provide you with the modem and the router, you will have to pay an extra Rs 1,999 security deposit. It will be completely refundable in nature. Some plans also don't attract any installation charge either, which is a good move from the company.

Vodafone Idea Users to Get New Gaming, Esports, and Metaverse Services Soon Posted: 04 Feb 2022 07:57 PM PST Vodafone Idea (Vi) users are soon going to get new services. These services would include things such as gaming, esports, and the metaverse. Mobile Streams Plc, a United Kingdom (UK) based tech company, in a regulatory filing at the London Stock Exchange, said that it is going to launch new gaming, esports, and metaverse services through its own application for the Vodafone Idea's 273 million customers. This would be something new for the Vodafone Idea customers. In fact, this would be sort of something new for everyone in the country as none of the telcos in India currently offer anything closely related to gaming, esports, or metaverse. The company said that it will enable the customers of the telco to directly pay for the services from their Vi bill via their Google Wallet. Looking at the company's statements, everything looks to be ready for launch. Mobile Streams said that it is waiting for approval to come from the Google Play Store for the launch of services. If it comes in the expected time frame, Vi users will get to see these new services within the first quarter of 2022. Note that it is not just Vi the company is talking with! Mobile Streams Also in Discussion With Reliance Jio Mobile Streams said that it is also in advanced stage discussions with Reliance Jio to launch new services. An update on the same front should arrive soon. Nigel Burton, Non-Executive Director of the company has stepped down from Board with immediate effect. However, Burton will be available for the company as a part-time paid advisor. Burton said that getting to serve 273 million customers of Vodafone Idea is a big business opportunity for the company. Bob Moore, Non-Executive Chairman of Mobile Streams said the company has been able to build new revenue streams which include building relationships with the telecom operators in all the remaining territories of the legacy business.

Google One VPN Comes to iOS, Adds New Features Posted: 04 Feb 2022 07:11 PM PST Google has started rolling out the Google One VPN service for iOS users. Similar to Android, the VPN will be available to Google One Premium Plan members, who have subscribed to 2TB and higher plans. The members can also share their plan and the VPN with up to five family members at no extra cost, irrespective of the OS they use. Google has added 10 more countries to the list of locations, where it offers Google One VPN. Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland are the newly added ones. In a blog post, Google promises to expand the VPN offering to other countries too. New features of Google One VPN In addition to rolling out VPN, Google has also added some features to make it safer. The user has a safe disconnect feature that will allow the user to use the internet only when VPN is activated. The app bypass feature will allow selected apps to use a standard connection instead of a VPN. The new snooze feature is to temporarily turn off the VPN. Google has hinted that it will add more features in the upcoming days. Meanwhile, the tech giant said that there are advanced security built-ins in Google's VPN to ensure an extra layer of online protection. Google One VPN's end-to-end systems are audited by NCC Group in 2021 and the group had published a report for the public to access. Google One VPN is also certified from the Internet of Secure Things Alliance (ioXt) and passed all eight of ioXt's security principles, according to Google. For those who are new to the concept of Virtual Private Network a.k.a. VPN, the browsers and apps have the capability to transfer sensitive information over the internet when you use them to search for information. Some websites/apps may not be secure or non-encrypted. That means hackers can easily access the data transferred over such insecure websites or apps, risking security and privacy. With VPN, the data will be transferred through an encrypted path, providing zero option for hackers to access your information. How Google One VPN works When you use Google One VPN, it assigns you an IP address based on your location. Hence, the websites can offer you information based relevant to your location. However, they cannot detect your exact location like a city.

Elite Family Postpaid Plans from Jio, Airtel, Vi and BSNL Posted: 04 Feb 2022 05:36 PM PST The prepaid plans offered by telcos is favoured by the majority of the population in the country, however, the telcos also offer amazing postpaid plans for their subscribers. Particularly, for the users looking for one bill payment for the whole family, the telecom companies offer family postpaid plans. Furthermore, even though customers can opt for affordable plans, it's the high-end packs that offer the real deal, from a higher number of connections to access to OTT platforms. Mentioned below are the most elite family postpaid plans offered by the telcos of India – Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and BSNL along with the pack details. Reliance Jio's Top Family Postpaid Plan Jio offers a number of postpaid plans for both individual and family users. The most expensive family postpaid from the telco comes at a price tag of Rs 999. Jio offers up to three additional SIM cards with its Rs 999 plan. The plan offers a total of 200GB data and allows data rollover of 500GB. After the completion of 200GB data, users are charged Rs 10/GB. The plan offers unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS per day. Additionally, Rs 999 plan from Jio comes with access to multiple OTT platforms including Netflix, one-year Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ Hotstar. When it comes to family postpaid plans from Jio, the main subscriber has the free will to add new/existing postpaid Jio customers as members to their family plan at their own discretion using the MyJio app. Moreover, the family member will get entitlements out of the allocations as decided by the primary subscriber. Airtel's Best Family Postpaid Plan Airtel offers a couple of family postpaid plans as well and the most high-end plan from the telco is the Family Infinity Plan 1599. Airtel offers a postpaid plan at a price tag of Rs 1,599 which provides 500GB monthly data with rollover up to 200GB along with unlimited calls and 100 SMS per day. The plan also offers 200 ISD minutes and a 10% discount on IR packs. Upon subscribing users receive 1 free Add-on regular voice connection for family members along with 1 regular SIM. Moreover, users get access to Airtel Thanks Platinum rewards which includes Amazon Prime membership for 1 year at no extra cost as well as Disney+ Hotstar VIP membership for 1 year at no extra cost. The other benefits include Airtel Xstream App premium, Wynk premium and more. Vodafone Idea's RedX Plan Vodafone Idea or Vi offers postpaid plans for individual users and family separately. The most elite plan from Vi for family users comes at a price tag of Rs 2,299 and is a RedX plan. RedX plans by Vi come bundled up with multiple OTT subscriptions and more. The plan offers connectivity for 5 family members and provides truly unlimited data along with unlimited voice calls as well as 3000 SMS per month to both primary and secondary connections of the plan. As far as the RedX plan benefits are considered, users can get access to a yearlong subscription to Netflix on TV and Mobile at no additional cost. The plan also offers a subscription to one year of Amazon Prime worth Rs 1,499 as well as a Disney+ Hotstar mobile subscription for one-year worth Rs 499. In addition to this, the RedX plans also offer Access to International & Domestic airport lounges at no extra cost. BSNL Premium Family Postpaid Plan The most expensive family postpaid plan from the state-owned BSNL provides three family connections along with the primary. For a price tag of Rs 999, BSNL offers a postpaid plan that offers unlimited voice call – HPLMN and national roaming including Mumbai and Delhi in the MTNL network along with 100 SMS per day. Primary users get 75GB of free data with data rollover of up to 225GB allowed. The plan also provides 3 family connections with an unlimited voice facility, 75GB data and 100SMS/day for each family connection separately. For the activation of the above plan, users have to pay a one-time fee of Rs 100 and GST charges are not included in the above-mentioned price. Additionally, users have to pay a security deposit which is Rs 500 for Local + STD, Rs 2000 for Local +STD+ISD and Rs 2000 for Local+ STD+ ISD+ International Roaming as well. Users can check the additional charges applicable post the consumption of free data along with add-on packs on the official website of BSNL.

Jio and Airtel Continue Their Spat Over the Quantum of 5G Spectrum to Be Auctioned Posted: 04 Feb 2022 08:18 AM PST Soon after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the government would auction telecom spectrum in 2022, telecom majors Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have reignited their battle over the quantum of spectrum to put to 5G auction. In a letter written to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Airtel had proposed that the lower amount of airwaves should be put for the auction, between 3.43 GHz and 3.67 GHz. According to Airtel, the identified spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band is from this band, which is free of external interference. The provider has additionally told that the spectrum band 3.3 GHz to 3.43 GHz should be put on hold until others vacate it. Meanwhile, Jio suggests that the complete range of airwaves identified should be made available for auction. According to Reliance Jio, a 5G standalone network offering high-speed and low latency services will not lure customers without a minimum of 100 MHz of the spectrum. The provider asks for the auction for the entire C-band, including 3.3 GHz and 3.67 GHz. For interference-free deployment, it suggested a rank-based allotment methodology. Jio has pointed out that the global trend is to offer a minimum of 100 MHz to each service provider for 5G. With 3.3 GHz to 3.6  GHz (totally 370 MHz) on the block, there is a higher chance that each operator could get 100 MHz of the spectrum. The remaining can be kept aside for government-owned provider Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). As per Airtel's proposal, the minimum amount of spectrum receivable for each telecom operator will be capped at 60 MHz, which is insufficient for 5G. Such limited services would not facilitate intensive services like remote healthcare delivery or machine-to-machine communications. 5G Spectrum Reserve Price May be Reduced The difference between Jio and Airtel also exists in terms of pricing. In 2018, TRAI had recommended the base price of 5G spectrum at $7 billion for pan-India airwaves in the 3.3 GHz and 3.67 GHz bands. Jio suggests a 95% cut in the reserve price of the mid-band 5G spectrum (3.3 GHz and 3.67 GHz) from the rate recommended in 2018. This would amount to Rs 25 crore per unit. According to Airtel, 5G spectrum pricing should not be more than 10% of the prices recommended in 2018. [With inputs from Economic Times and Business Standard]

Vivo T1 5G Specification and Price in India Surfaces Before the Launch Posted: 04 Feb 2022 07:22 AM PST The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo is gearing up for the launch of its next Vivo T1 5G smartphone in India. Now, in a new development, key specifications of the device have surfaced along with the pricing details ahead of its arrival in the country. The device has been tipped to come with a Qualcomm processor as well as a triple rear camera setup by the renowned tipster Yogesh Brar. The specifications of the device are seemingly different from the version of the smartphone launched in China. As a matter of fact, speculations suggest that Vivo T1 5G could be a completely distinct smartphone from its version available in China. Let's find out more. Specifications of Vivo T1 5G The Vivo T1 5G smartphone in India is expected to arrive with a 6.58-inch full-HD+ LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The device is anticipated to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC paired with up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM. The handset could offer two RAM storage options of 4GB and 8GB coupled with 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage. These specs completely differ from the Chinese variant as it was launched with a 6.67-inch display and was powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM. The Chinese variant offered up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. As far as the camera module is considered, Vivo T1 5G is expected to feature a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 50MP camera alongside two 2MP secondary cameras. The front of the device is expected to have a 16MP selfie shooter. The Chinese version, on the other hand, comes with a triple rear camera setup comprising of 64MP primary camera with an 8MP ultra-wide and 2MP macro shooter. The Indian variant of the Vivo T1 5G is speculated to be backed by a 5000mAh battery and support 18W charging, whereas the Chinese variant offered support for 44W fast charge technology with battery power being the same. Vivo T1 5G is expected to feature a 3.5mm headphone jack and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner as well. Price Details of Vivo T1 5G Tipster Yogesh Brar shared via tweet that the price of the upcoming Vivo T1 5G will be under Rs 20,000; however, he didn't mention a particular price tag. The Vivo T1 5G launched in China in October 2021 comes at a price tag of CNY 2,199, which is roughly around Rs 25,800. Vivo T1 5G in India is expected to launch on February 9.

iQOO 9 Series to be Launched Exclusively on Amazon in India: Key Specifications Posted: 04 Feb 2022 06:41 AM PST The launch of the iQOO 9 series in India is just around the corner and the manufacturer had also officially displayed it during the BGMI India Series 2021 held in January. The iQOO 9 series has already been launched in China and the company on Friday has officially confirmed the arrival of the series for the Indian markets. The three phones that will form the iQOO 9 series lineup in India are – iQOO 9, iQOO 9 Pro and iQOO 9 SE. iQOO 9SE is being launched for the Indian markets and was recently spotted as well providing some intel on the device. iQOO 9 Series Amazon Availability Confirmed iQOO has been launching all its smartphones in the past via the e-commerce platform Amazon India and the upcoming iQOO 9 series has been officially confirmed to be available on the Amazon India shopping platform for purchase. The flagship iQOO 9 Pro will feature Qualcomm's latest and most powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen1 chipset and the iQOO is all set to become one of the first manufacturers to launch the 4nm based chipset in India. The company has also confirmed that the vanilla model of the series and iQOO 9 Pro are going to feature the 120W fast charge technology capable of charging the smartphone up to 50% in just 6 minutes. Specifications of the iQOO 9 Series iQOO 9 in India is expected to arrive with a 6.56-inch AMOLED 10-bit display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, the smartphone would carry a Snapdragon 888+ processor coupled with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. As far as the camera module of the device is considered, it is expected to feature a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 48MP primary sensor along with a 13MP camera with a 50mm focal length. On the other hand, the iQOO 9 Pro is expected to arrive with a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. The device is expected to have 8GB of RAM with 256GB of onboard storage and could also have a variant with 12GB RAM and 256Gb internal storage. iQOO 9 Pro will come with a triple camera set-up with 50MP of a primary sensor, a telephoto sensor and an ultra-wide sensor. For selfies, iQOO Pro could feature a 16MP shooter. iQOO 9 SE is speculated to feature a 6.6-inch 120Hz AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution. The handset is expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 888 processor and will have a 48MP triple camera setup on the back. iQOO 9 SE could be a mid-premium category smartphone priced somewhere between Rs 30,000- Rs 35,000.

Telecom Minister Tells Rajya Sabha that Govt Looking Into Proposals for Private Equity from 3 Telcos Posted: 04 Feb 2022 05:22 AM PST Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, during the Rajya Sabha session on Friday, stated that the government is currently in the process of reviewing the proposals from three telecom companies who are interested in converting their interest on the deferred spectrum as well as Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues into equity. The minister responded to an enquiry made during the question hour asking whether the government has any equity in the private telco – Vodafone by stating that the telecom companies had the one-time opportunity to either pay their interest on AGR dues upfront or convert it in the form of equity. Why was the One-Time Option Given? According to a report from PTI, the conversion of payable interest on AGR into equity falls in line with the structural reforms introduced in September of 2021. Ashwini Vaishnaw further informed that this one-time opportunity to pay the dues was given to the telecom companies in order to keep the government's revenue unaffected. He added that the government had received letters from the three telecom companies who have opted for this option and are already under review. The minister informed that the telecom industry in India has been struggling for a while now, which is evident in the balance sheet of the companies even though currently the telecom sector is witnessing massive growth. Hence, it was necessary to give the telcos a one-time opportunity. However, it was also recently reported that Tata Teleservices, one of the interested companies, wants to now back out of the giving equity to the government. The telco wants to withdraw as the company had wrongly estimated the dues to be Rs 850 crore which was further revised by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), informing that the actual dues are only Rs 195.2 crore. Since the actual due amount is far too less than estimated, the telecom company should now be able to pay it upfront instead of offering equity to the government. There were other queries and complaints raised during the session as well. BJP Leader K J Alphons complained about the poor network connectivity in Delhi as well as in his home state Kerala, in response to which Ashwini Vaishnaw suggested registering a complaint before the regulatory body TRAI. Furthermore, BJD leader Sujeet Kumar requested to accelerate the Bharatnet Project in KVK (Krishi Vigyan Kendras) in the districts of Odisha, to which the minister replied that there are 3,933 identified sites in Odisha and requested the BJD leader to approach the government as soon as possible to identify the sites for installation of towers.

Airtel 1GB Data Price in India After Tariff Hike Posted: 04 Feb 2022 04:32 AM PST Bharti Airtel had hiked the prepaid tariffs during the end of 2021. The telco was followed by Vodafone Idea and Reliance Jio in hiking prepaid tariffs, which resulted in the average price of overall data going up. Many users want to know Airtel 1GB data price in India after the tariff hikes. But the thing is, Airtel doesn't offer a single GB data plan or voucher to the users. Here's what you should know about this. How Can I Get 1GB on Airtel? The thing, you cannot. You cannot get a single GB of data from Airtel on a standalone basis. If you want 1GB of data from Airtel, you will have to go for the Rs 58 data voucher at least. With this plan, users will get 3GB of lump-sum data with the same validity as their base prepaid plan. There's no single GB data plan offered by Airtel to the users. You can get it from Reliance Jio, though, for Rs 15. What is the Price of 1GB Data in Airtel? As mentioned above, you cannot get a single GB data plan with Airtel. However, you can get 1GB daily data prepaid plans from the telco. The 1GB daily data plans offered by Airtel come for Rs 209, 239, and Rs 265. There's also a prepaid plan with unlimited calling and 300 SMS which comes for Rs 155 and offers users 1GB of data for 24 days. Can I Recharge With Airtel for 1 Day and What is The Cheapest Plan Offered by Airtel? No, there's no prepaid plan offered by Bharti Airtel that comes with a validity of 1 day. The shortest-validity prepaid plan offered by the telco comes with 21 days of validity and costs Rs 209. The cheapest plan offered by Airtel comes for Rs 99. To know more about the cheapest and most affordable Bharti Airtel prepaid plan, kindly click here.

Jio Jumps Into Metaverse Bandwagon With $15 Million in Two Platforms Posted: 04 Feb 2022 04:13 AM PST Jio Platforms Limited has just announced an investment of $15 million into 'Two Platforms', a Silicon Valley-based startup, for a 25% stake, marking the startup's value at $60 million. Two Platforms, founded by Pranav Mistry, is a company that focuses heavily on Artificial Reality (AR) and wants to create immersive and interactive AI experiences. AI's future after text and voice is visual interaction, believes Two. Two's artificial reality platform enables real-time AI video and voice calls, lifelike gaming, immersive spaces and digital humans. The goal of Two is to bring its interactive AI technologies first for the consumer applications and then enterprise solutions, including education, health, retail, and more. Jio Looking Forward to Work With Two Platforms Inc Akash Ambani, Director of Jio, said the company is pleased with the capabilities and strong experiences of the founding team at Two in the areas of AR, ML/AI, Web 3.0, and Metaverse. Jio is looking forward to working with the team at Two Platforms and building new products in the areas of interactive AI, metaverse, and immersive gaming added Ambani. Pranav Mistry, CEO of Two, said they are excited to be partnering up with Jio for pushing the boundaries of AI and introduce artificial reality applications for consumers and businesses at scale. Mistry recognised the role Jio has played in the growth of India's digital journey.

POCO M4 Pro 5G Might Launch in India Soon as Promotional Image Surfaces Posted: 04 Feb 2022 02:58 AM PST POCO M4 Pro 5G was launched globally last year by the brand but the device wasn't launched in India. With multiple rumours surrounding the smartphone for months, apparently, POCO M4 Pro 5G is all set to be launched in India. A recent report has shared the brand's internal training image showcases the device and hints towards a near launch of POCO M4 Pro 5G in India. The handset was launched globally in the mid-range category and comes with the MediaTek Dimensity 810 chipset along with other features. The report comes in from 91mobiles as the publication has received a promotional image which suggests that the brand is launching the POCO M4 Pro 5G in the country. The tagline visible on the image for the device is "Step Up Your Game" and a blue colour variant of the handset can be seen in the image. However, it is expected that the brand will launch the device in other colour options as well. For those unaware, the brand is also working on a 4G model for the device and there have been multiple spotting of the device at certification sites. Therefore, it is possible that POCO might be launching both POCO M4 Pro 5G and M4 Pro 4G in India, although nothing has been confirmed by the brand. Specifications for POCO M4 Pro 5G The POCO M4 Pro 5G launched globally comes with a display featuring a 6.6-inch FHD+ IPS LCD panel with a 90Hz refresh rate. The device is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 810 chipset which can be coupled with 4GB/6GB/8GB of RAM. The onboard storage options for the handset include 64GB/128GB/256GB which can be further expanded. The device operates on Android 11-based MIUI 12.5 out of the box. As far as the camera module of the device is considered, POCO M4 Pro 5G comes with a dual-camera setup headlined by a 50MP primary sensor alongside an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens. The front of the device features a 16MP selfie snapper. The handset is backed by a 5000mAh battery and comes with support for 33W fast charge technology via a USB Type-C port. The smartphone measures 163.56 x 75.78 x 8.75 mm and weighs 195 grams and comes with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.

Samsung Galaxy A33 and Galaxy A53 Launch Impending as Support Page Goes Live Posted: 04 Feb 2022 02:16 AM PST There have been multiple reports regarding the spotting of upcoming Samsung Galaxy A33 and Galaxy A53 smartphones. Both the handsets were recently spotted at the BIS certification site and now in a new development, Samsung Galaxy A73 has also got clearance from the BIS authority. Not only that, Samsung Galaxy A33 and Galaxy A53 support pages are now up on the company's official Indian website hinting towards the launch of the devices in the near future. However, the support page for Galaxy A73 hasn't been made live as of now. As initially reported by MySmartPrice, Samsung Galaxy A33 has its support page on the company's website and the model number of the device is SM-A336E/DS whereas the Galaxy A53 support page is up on the website with model number SM-A53E/DS. Although the company hasn't shared any specification details of the devices on the support page. The report from MySmartPrice also has a screenshot that shows that Samsung Galaxy A73 has been cleared at the BIS certification site with model number SM-A736B/DS. Furthermore, multiple reports have surfaced in the past regarding the specs of these devices. Samsung Galaxy A33 Expected Specifications It is speculated that Samsung Galaxy A33 5G will come with a display featuring a 6.4-inch full-HD+ Super AMOLED with a hole-punch for the selfie camera. Renders leaked in the past have suggested that the device might come featuring a quadruple rear camera setup consisting of a 48MP primary camera along with an 8MP ultra-wide camera, 5MP macro lens and a 2MP depth lens. The front of the device is speculated to have a 13MP selfie shooter. It is expected that the device will be backed by a 5000mAh battery and the connectivity option of a 3.5mm headphone jack has also been tipped for the handset. Samsung Galaxy A53 Expected Specifications Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is expected to be powered by an Exynos 1200 SoC for the Indian version. Previous rumours have suggested that Samsung Galaxy A53 5G will have a similar design to its previous version Samsung Galaxy A52 which would mean that the former will come with a punch-hole display with a bezel-less design. It is also speculated that the device will come featuring an AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The camera module of the device is expected to feature a quadruple rear camera setup which could be headlined by a 64MP camera along with a 12MP wide-angle lens and two 5MP secondary cameras. The smartphone could also come with a 5000mAh battery and an in-display fingerprint scanner.

Mac Pro With M1 Might Launch Soon, What You Should Know Posted: 04 Feb 2022 01:23 AM PST Apple has already extended the M1 Silicon to most of its products lineup, including the iPads and Macs. The only major product of the company that is yet to see the integration of M1 is the Mac Pro. Apple hasn't announced anything new for the Mac Pro in a long time, and as there aren't many rumours about the product either, users don't know what to expect here. Mac Pro is a beast of a machine, and with the M1 integration, it should perform even better than most people can expect. Mac Pro With M1, When Will It be Announced? According to a Cnet report, the Mac Pro with the M1 Silicon will most probably arrive this year. Only the Mac Pro and iMac 27-inch are left in the Mac product lineup to get the silicon chipset of the company. Apple's WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) 2022 might be the event where the Cupertino tech giant will reveal the Mac Pro with M1. This is because the software developers need to know all the changes that Apple is planning to make in the system with the new operating system. Thus, while the announcement might happen in WWDC 2022, the Mac Pro with M1 might not ship until November at least. What Can We Expect With the New M1 Powered Mac Pro? First thing's first, Apple doesn't make a lot of changes in the hardware design if there's nothing too wrong with it. Just take the MacBooks, for example. The MacBooks get a design refresh years after at least four to five new-generation products have launched. With the Mac Pro, nothing is expected to change in terms of design, but only that it will carry the M1 chipset. In terms of CPU and GPU design and integration, there could be plenty of changes, though. Mac Pro is supposed to be the most powerful tool for professionals who want to use Apple's ecosystem for working. Thus, it will be interesting to see the CPU and GPU alterations that Apple makes in the coming Mac Pro.

Oppo Reno7 Series Launched in India at Great Price Posted: 04 Feb 2022 12:29 AM PST Oppo has just launched the Reno7 series smartphones in India. The Oppo Reno7 series comes with two devices namely Oppo Reno7 5G and Oppo Reno7 5G Pro. Both these devices come will run on old MediaTek Dimensity chipsets, but promise to bring something new for the users. These new 5G smartphones from Oppo will boot on ColorOS 12 based on Android 12 out of the box. Let's check out their complete specifications and price. Oppo Reno7 5G Specifications and Price The Oppo Reno7 5G has launched in India with a 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with support for 90Hz refresh rate. Further, there's Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top for added security and the device will be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC coupled with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. There's a triple-camera setup at the rear with a 64MP primary lens, 8MP wide-angle sensor, and a 2MP macro sensor. At the front, there's a 32MP sensor for selfies and video calling. The device packs a 4500mAh battery with support for 65W fast-charging. The Oppo Reno7 5G has launched in India with 8GB+256GB for Rs 28,999. It will be available in Starlight Black and Startrails Blue Colours. There will be bank offers available on the purchase of this smartphone. Oppo Reno7 Pro 5G Specifications and Price The Oppo Reno7 Pro 5G comes with a 6.5-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with support for 90Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate. Again, it is a bummer to see there's no support for 120Hz refresh rate. The device is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 MAX SoC coupled with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. This device also comes with a triple-camera setup at the rear with a 50MP Sony IMX766 primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, and a 2MP macro sensor. For selfies, there's a 32MP Sony IMX709 sensor. The battery and charging specifications of this device are the same as Oppo Reno7 5G. The Oppo Reno7 Pro 5G has launched in India with a single 12GB+256GB variant for Rs 39,999 and will also come with bank offers.

Oppo Enco M32 First Impressions and Review: Great Option for Bass Lovers Posted: 03 Feb 2022 11:50 PM PST The Oppo Enco M32, a new Bluetooth earphone with a neckband, has just launched in India. Looking at the price, the Oppo Enco M32 promise a lot of competition to OnePlus, Realme, and Boat earphones in the same range. In all honesty, the Enco M32 look like an average pair of Bluetooth earphones; until you put them in your ear and notice the subtle design placements, which make it a really decent option for users looking for new earphones in 2022. Oppo Enco M32 Review: Body and Design The Oppo Enco M32 is very light, weighing 26.8 grams. I had the green colour variant of the earphone. It is more like Olive Green, and that's why it won't look too flashy when you wear it on your way to the office, gym, or just a casual outing. The neckband is quite long and can comfortably fit even in a thick neck. Just like any other Bluetooth earphone with a neckband, the buttons are on a plastic slab that's attached to the neckband. There is a USB Type-C charging port right on the top of the buttons of the plastic slab. I must say, the Olive Green colour chosen by Oppo is truly classy. In fact, it goes well with the OnePlus Nord 2 Green Woods variant. Further, if you are wearing an Olive Green t-shirt or a hoodie, it will look even better. There's a very light Oppo branding on the left plastic slab on the neckband. Inside the box, you get one unit of the earphone, one USB Type-C charging cable, three pairs of ear tips, and a user manual. Both the earbuds hanging by the neckband are covered with what looks like is silicone rubber. It is very soft on the touch and feels premium. Instead of plastic, this rubber coating feels really satisfying. There's a clear demarcation of the right and left earbuds with an 'R' and 'L' marking. Just like any other pair of decent Bluetooth earphones with a neckband, the Oppo Enco M32 come with a magnetic end. As soon as you pull and separate the magnetic tips, the earphones will go into the pairing mode with a green blink. The pairing is a very painless process and happens quickly, especially if you have already paired the earphones once with your smartphone or laptop before. Oppo Enco M32 Review: Sound and Overall Performance The Oppo Enco M32 sort of feels like another masterstroke coming from the Chinese electronics giant. I still remember using the Oppo Enco Buds, and the kind of sound performance those earphones delivered for the price they were selling at was unbelievable. I felt the same with the Enco M32. If you are a bass lover, you would easily love the Oppo Enco M32. The kind of sound experience these earphones could deliver, whether it was Martin Garrix or a Arijit Singh song, was truly amazing. In the neckband affordable earphones category, the Oppo Enco M32 has become my new favourite. It is comfortable to wear, delivers great sound, and has great battery life. In a single charge, I have been using the earphone for around five days now, and I haven't needed to charge it yet. While I don't use it for multiple hours every day, it is still a decent performer in the battery department. I didn't really wear the Enco M32 in very noisy environments, but what I can say is even if I had, it wouldn't have been a problem for me. I have tested the maximum sound output levels (which I don't recommend to anyone else), and it is very loud and clear. Since it is IP55 rated, you can comfortably wear it outside your home and take it on runs or gyms too. One thing that I forgot to mention is that the Enco M32 also support fast charging. In just 10 minutes of charge, the earphones are capable of giving a music playback of 20 hours, which is more than decent. Oppo Enco M32 Bluetooth Pairing Experience and Charging Status and Other Features So guys, while I have mentioned how easy it is to pair a smartphone with the Oppo Enco M32, let me just walk you through the process. As mentioned above, as soon as you separate the earbuds, they will go into the active pairing mode. To pair a new device, just long-press the middle button on the plastic slab (it is between the plus and negative sign for controlling sound level). Keep it pressed for three seconds, and the Enco M32 earphones will go into pairing mode with a new device. Whenever you simply separate the earphones, they will pair with the most recently connected device. Whenever the battery is low on the earphones, it will start blinking red. If it is in the charging status, it will keep a steady red light on, and when the earphones are fully charged, a steady green light will come. You can also pick and end calls directly with the Enco M32 without any need of touching your smartphone. All you need to do is just press and hold the multifunction button for two seconds if you want to end the call. But if you want to pick it up, just press it once and leave. The voice assistant can also be activated by pressing the multifunction button three times continuously. There's a USB Type-C cable extension inside for charging, but you don't need it if you already have a mobile charger with a Type-C cable. Oppo Enco M32 Review: Price and Conclusion The Oppo Enco M32 has just launched in India, and it will go on sale on February 9, 2022. The Enco M32 is priced at Rs 1,799. But for, users who purchase it between February 9 – February 11, 2022, will get it at a discount of Rs 300, making its effective price come down to Rs 1,499. At this price range, the Oppo Enco M32 should make a lot of noise (literally) in India. Anyone looking for an affordable pair of Bluetooth earphones with a very modern design and features can go with the Oppo Enco M32 for sure. The product only gives a premium feel, and the Olive Green colour is very stylish.

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