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• Apple iPhone SE 3 Key Features Predicted, Mass Production Expected This Month
• Jio, Airtel, and Vi Have a Big Question to Address With 5G Going Forward
• Jio Plans to Offer 5G-as-a-Service With its Cloud-Native “5G Solution in a Box”
• Oppo Focused on Growing IoT Products Availability in India
• Google Should Take Advantage of Mature Indian Market With Pixel Devices
• Vodafone Idea Allowing Sending SMS Via Talktime Packs Starting at Rs 10
• Samsung Galaxy S22 Series Manipulating Performance, Don’t Buy Right Now
• BSNL Launches New Entry-Level Rs 329 Fiber Broadband Plan
• Vodafone Idea and Airtel Offer These High-End Postpaid Plans
• US-Based Firm Mavenir Receives “Trusted Source” Approval From the Government
• Realme 9 5G and Realme 9 SE 5G Arriving in India on March 10
• Vodafone Idea Needs More Funding, Can Use Only 25% of Rs 4,500 Crore from Promoters
• Xiaomi 11i 5G Long-Term Review: Strong and Cool Performer
• CityFibre and STL Enter Into Partnership for the Faster Network Rollout
• Realme C35 Official Images and Features Revealed Ahead of the Launch
• Lava X2 Budget Smartphone Launched with MediaTek Processor, Dual Cameras and More

Apple iPhone SE 3 Key Features Predicted, Mass Production Expected This Month Posted: 05 Mar 2022 05:06 AM PST The Cupertino-based tech giant Apple is expected to launch its newer version of the iPhone SE at the upcoming Apple event in March. There have been multiple rumours of the iPhone SE 3 in the past providing intel on the smartphone. Now just days ahead of the launch, renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has provided some key details about the upcoming iPhone SE 3. Let's find out more. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo took on his Twitter account to share some details regarding the iPhone SE 3 which he called predictions, but given his track record, it is highly likely that a majority of the things could be true. Kuo has talked about the storage options on the device as well as the processor that Apple might feature in its latest smartphone. Details Regarding iPhone SE 3 Kuo via his tweet has stated that the mass production of the iPhone SE 3 is scheduled for March 2022. This would mean that Apple has either already started the production of its upcoming smartphone or it might start in the coming days. Kuo suggests that Apple might ship around 25 million to 30 million units of iPhone SE 3 in 2022. As far as some of the specifications of the iPhone SE 3 are considered, according to Kuo iPhone SE 3 will be powered by Apple's in-house A15 chipset and will come with support for both mmWave and sub-6Hz 5G. He suggests that the device will be made available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB storage options. Moreover, it is likely that the smartphone could be launched with black, white and red colour casing options. Previous reports have suggested that the newer version of the iPhone SE arriving in 2022 will have the same design as the current iPhone SE. The device will have a 4.7-inch display and Touch-ID Home Display button which came with the older designs. The device is expected to feature an A14 or A15 chipset and a 5G modem and it could probably be the most affordable 5G device available in the market.

Jio, Airtel, and Vi Have a Big Question to Address With 5G Going Forward Posted: 05 Mar 2022 04:16 AM PST Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi), the three leading private telecom operators, will have a big question to address in the near future. It is how to offer 5G services and how to differentiate network services for regular consumers between 4G and 5G. There's no doubt that normal consumers won't have a very high demand for 5G network services if they have access to good 4G networks. Thus, the challenge for the operators will be to create a demand for 5G networks amongst regular customers. A thing worth noting here is that it won't even be a marketing play. It just can't be marketing in any scenario. For example – only marketing can't push people into buying a Ferrari when the people know they have a limited budget and can easily travel in a Ford car comfortably. Further, how will a telecom operator even market 5G services directly to consumers if most of the use cases they have developed are meant for enterprises? While enterprises will have a clear inkling to consume 5G network services, the same can't be said for an average consumer. Most of the network use cases found in trials so far suggest that the enterprises will benefit the most out of 5G. Thus, how will the private operators motivate their 4G users to go and pay more for 5G services? Here's what I think is going to happen. Telcos Will Bump 4G Services Price and Keep It Closer to What 5G Will Cost to Get Advantage from Decoy Effect The telecom operators are currently a little far from launching 5G services nationwide for normal consumers. Initially, it will be select metro cities that will get to see 5G networks. It also makes sense as these cities will have most of the enterprises, multinational companies (MNCs), startups, and people with 5G smartphones. One thing that's a very big positive for the telecom operators with 5G is that they have a ready market to serve. With 4G, telcos first had to build and invest in 4G networks, then wait for people to upgrade to 4G devices, and then be able to make returns. But this time around, even when there's no 5G network, telcos have a market base that already has 5G smartphones in their hands. However, it isn't alone going to push people to keep paying more for 5G services if they can live their life comfortably by paying less for 4G networks. Thus, one way to address the issue for the telecom operators would be to keep hiking the prices of 4G services for direct consumers. The medium-term goal would be to bring the price of 4G closer to what people would have to pay for 5G. This might potentially get people to think — if just for a few extra Rupees I can get 5G plans, why should I go for 4G? In this scenario, the telcos will be able to get the most out of their 4G investments and increase the average revenue per user (ARPU) figure and also push a significant number of people to consume 5G services and pay even more for it. This is what McDonald’s does with its medium and large meals. There's hardly a price difference between medium and large meals in India. Thus, instead of going for the medium meals, people mostly go for the large meals. The 'Decoy Effect' is offering multiple services and pricing the cheaper service close to the premium service where the person purchasing the cheaper service has to question himself that why not pay a little more and get premium service. This is just one of the scenarios that I think is going to happen. Then, of course, there will be marketing dollars into play and more things. Even the arrival of 5G is going to bring in the scope of more heavy data consumer applications. But all of it is going to take some time as the ecosystem is just in the building phase.

Jio Plans to Offer 5G-as-a-Service With its Cloud-Native “5G Solution in a Box” Posted: 05 Mar 2022 03:14 AM PST India's leading telecom service provider Reliance Jio is planning to offer 5G-as-a-Service to industries and enterprises. Jio is reportedly working on a compact and scalable 'Jio 5G Solution in a Box' which it will use to provide the 5G services to enterprises. The SVP of Jio, Aayush Bhatnagar via his Linkedin social media post on Friday shared that the solution, Jio 5G Hyperlite Stack, has been developed using Jio's indigenous offering. More on Jio's 5G in a Box The SVP in his post stated that the solution can be deployed on-prem as a pre-packaged core network – complete with indoor and outdoor radio cells fully integrated. Moreover, there will be other options for the edge deployment as well. He added that Jio's in-premise connectivity solutions will come pre-packaged with the solution for a "seamless experience for the customer". Talking about the 5G solution box, he stated that this 5G in a box deployment can be governed from the cloud in terms of managed services operations 24×7 (Plan-Build-Deploy-Operate). The SVP informed that the Jio's 5G in a box is fully cloud-native and has been created to aid the demands generated by the industry 4.0 use cases. Jio's 5G in a box solution will also help in bringing down the operating expenditure through operational efficiencies. Jio had earlier announced that it has successfully built a 5G Network Slicing platform that will allow the telco to offer Network Slicing-as-a-Service. Aayush Bhatnagar informed that the latest platform will come integrated with Jio's home-grown Cloud Native OSS and BSS. This will help in providing an end-to-end service experience starting right from a customer-facing marketplace of 5G apps. Jio had also recently informed that it has enabled edge computing on its cloud-native 5G network at more than 50 facilities across India. While India waits for the 5G network rollout, the government has given a timeline for May to July 2022 for the auction of the 5G spectrum. This means that we can expect the rollout of services by the private telcos in early 2023.

Oppo Focused on Growing IoT Products Availability in India Posted: 05 Mar 2022 02:05 AM PST The Chinese consumer electronics brand Oppo is primarily recognized for its wide range of smartphones, however, the company has been constantly expanding its range of products as it offers TWS earbuds, earphones, power banks as well as smart wearables. Some of the latest addition to the company's portfolio in India was the Oppo Reno 7 series of smartphones and Oppo Watch Free. Now a report has revealed information on Oppo's IoT or smart products lineup for the rest of the year. Let's find out more. Oppo’s Roadmap for 2022 The report comes in from MySmartPrice which in collaboration with known tipster Mukul Sharma has provided intel on Oppo's plan for this year. According to the report, Oppo has plans to launch at least three new TWS products in the country by July this year. It is being speculated that the brand will bring a successor device to its Oppo W31 budget TWS along with the Enco X2 which will succeed Enco X. Enco X2 was unveiled recently and is expected to arrive in India in May or June. Lastly, Oppo is expected to launch Oppo Enco W11 in July 2022. Talking about the second half of 2022, Oppo is expected to launch more IoT (Internet of Things) products for its consumers which will include the likes of smartwatches, power banks, and more. It is likely that Oppo might bring Oppo Watch 2 as a successor to the Oppo Watch as it has been a while since the company launched a smartwatch in India. Oppo Enco X2 One of the most anticipated devices to arrive in India is Oppo Enco X2 which was released in China recently. The device came with Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity and low latency (94ms) dual transmission support. The wearable is powered by an 11mm moving coil driver unit and a secondary 6mmflat diaphragm unit. In addition to this, Oppo Enco X2 is equipped with the company's Super DBEE 3.0 that brings in improved sound quality, low-frequency audio, and more. The audio device supports Hi-Res wireless audio and is IP54 certified for dust and water resistance rating for protection against sweat, rain, and dust. Oppo Enco X2 can offer a battery life of up to 5 hours with ANC switched on and about 6.5 hours with it switched off.

Google Should Take Advantage of Mature Indian Market With Pixel Devices Posted: 05 Mar 2022 01:08 AM PST To no one's surprise, Google's flagship smartphone series — Pixel 6, didn't launch in India. The search engine giant has cleared its strategy of focusing only on the mid-range smartphone segment in the sub-continent country. When the Chinese companies are selling their flagship smartphones successfully in the super-premium range in India, it is a little sad to see Google missing out. Google Pixel 6 series in India could have made a lot of noise as it would have given users more options than Chinese companies, Samsung and Apple. One of the best things about India for any company or business is the market size. Couple that up with the easy financing schemes available today; people are purchasing flagship devices in the super-premium range that they wouldn't have four years back. Google Doesn't Want to Waste Energy Marketing to Indians The general perception of Pixel devices in India is that they come with seriously good cameras. Further, people know that Pixel smartphones are the ones to get the new Android updates before than smartphones of any other companies do. Regardless of that, Google doesn't even seem to be interested in marketing its flagship devices to the people in India. Users are literally buying Pixel 6 series smartphones from third-party vendors, which are not usually the most trusted in the market and overpaying for them. It clearly marks the demand for flagship Pixel smartphones in India. Rather, what Google is doing is focusing on the mid-range segment, which is already heavily crowded with multiple new smartphones coming in every month. Google's smartphone strategy for India is super confusing. The company has the marketing dollars to invest in India. Frankly, it might be possible that Google doesn't understand the Indian market and doesn't want to take the risk of losing money. But Indians are generally more accepting of powerful camera flagship devices. If Google steps in India with its flagship Pixel 6 series smartphones, it would certainly give jitters to the Chinese companies.

Vodafone Idea Allowing Sending SMS Via Talktime Packs Starting at Rs 10 Posted: 04 Mar 2022 11:41 PM PST Vodafone Idea (Vi) is allowing users to send SMS if they are on a talktime pack. Note that the same hasn't been confirmed by the company but by a TelecomTalk community member, verified by me. Vi offers quite expensive SMS prepaid packs compared to what Jio and Airtel are offering to their users. However, this had limited the ability of low-income users to send SMS for porting out of Vi's network. Looking at the situation, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had issued an order for the operators to allow users to send port out SMSes even if they are not on a prepaid pack with SMS benefits. However, Vi users on a talktime pack can send SMS for the bank's OTP verification now. The user had recharged with a Rs 10 prepaid pack of Vi and was able to send an SMS for verification to the bank in the Google Pay app. Whether the other telcos allow this or not right now is unknown. But this is a great thing for Vi users. Vi Users Can Also Send Normal SMSes Using the Rs 10 recharge, Vi users can also send regular SMS to other users. I personally verified this with my Vodafone Idea (Vi) number. This is a positive development and one that was necessary for the users having their Vi SIM as a secondary number but one that they used for bank verification and more. There are a number of SMS packs that you can get from Vodafone Idea starting from Rs 10. With the Rs 10 pack, users get Rs 7.47 worth of talktime. There's also a talktime pack of Rs 4237.29. Keeping the Vi number as a secondary SIM and only recharging it with Rs 10 talktime pack gets me regular free data from Vodafone Idea. In a bid to promote its services, Vi keeps giving me 1GB of free 4G daily data for seven days in a row at regular intervals.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Series Manipulating Performance, Don’t Buy Right Now Posted: 04 Mar 2022 10:07 PM PST Samsung recently launched the Galaxy S22 series for the global markets, including India. But there's something you should know if you are planning to purchase the Samsung Galaxy S22 series right now. It is that Geekbench has delisted all the S22, S21, S20, and S10 Galaxy models from its platform. Geekbench, in a serious tweet, said that Samsung is manipulating the benchmark performance by throttling the other apps through its Game Optimising Service (GOS) but not throttling the major benchmark applications. GOS has been reported to throttle the performance of thousands of applications and games. The apps are throttled by their identification and not their performance, said Geekbench. Thus, Geekbench has decided to delist all the above smartphones from its platform because of the manipulation in the performance of the devices. But this is not the only reason. A few days back, we also talked about why the Samsung Galaxy S22 series is not a good buy right now. Samsung Galaxy S22 Series Not a Good Buy Right Now Samsung Galaxy S22 series has pretty good alternatives in the market right now. Most of the things that the Galaxy S22 series has to offer aren't that great if we are not talking about the camera. The only edge that the Galaxy S22 series has over the other devices is in the camera department. The Galaxy S22 Ultra is just a rename for the Note Ultra device. If you are someone who uses a stylus a lot, then that device might make sense; otherwise, why would you want to keep a big, boxy, and heavy phone with you that costs more than Rs 1,00,000 in India. You should rather wait for the OnePlus 10 Pro that is expected to launch by the end of this month. Further, there's also the iPhone 13 devices that can be bought under Rs 1,00,000 as an alternative to the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

BSNL Launches New Entry-Level Rs 329 Fiber Broadband Plan Posted: 04 Mar 2022 08:42 PM PST Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is now offering a Rs 329 fiber broadband plan under Bharat Fibre services. Earlier, the Rs 449 plan was the most affordable fiber broadband option from BSNL. But now, the Rs 329 plan will become the go-to option for users looking to get something more affordable. Note that the Rs 329 plan is only available for users living in select states of the country. To check if it is available in your state, go to BSNL Bharat Fibre's web page. Let's check the benefits offered by this plan. BSNL Rs 329 Fiber Broadband Plan Benefits With the Rs 329 fiber broadband plan from BSNL, users get 20 Mbps of internet speed. Along with this, they get 1000GB or 1TB of internet data and a free fixed-line voice calling connection for no additional cost. BSNL is also promising a 90% discount on the first month's bill with this plan. It is not much different from the Rs 449 plan offered by the company. But it is suitable for any person looking to get a fiber internet connection for his/her own use. 1000GB of data is more than enough for a single person to do basic internet activities. The Rs 449 fiber broadband plan offered by BSNL comes with 30 Mbps of speed and 3.3TB of data. The other benefits are the same as the Rs 329 plan. Note that there will also be an 18% tax applicable on the Rs 329 plan which will make the final cost for the users’ Rs 388. Under Rs 400, this plan with 1TB of data and 100 SMS/day along with an unlimited voice calling connection is not a bad deal for any single user. It will be interesting to see if the private operators match BSNL with such an affordable plan. The state-run telco might be planning to get a grip on the low paying customers looking to get a fiber broadband connection.

Vodafone Idea and Airtel Offer These High-End Postpaid Plans Posted: 04 Mar 2022 05:36 PM PST Even though prepaid plans are more popular among the users as they help keep the budget in check, postpaid plans offered by the telecom operators come with their own benefits. In particular, the telcos bundle up a ton of amazing benefits with their premium postpaid offerings. This can vary from multiple SIM allotments at one price tag to a number of OTT subscriptions. These plans are perfect for users who are looking for something more with their data and calling benefits. Mentioned below are the high-end postpaid plans offered by two of the major telcos in India – Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea and the benefits that come along. Bharti Airtel – Two Premium Plans The first plan on the list worth mentioning is the Rs 999 Plan offered by Airtel. By paying Rs 999 per month users can get 150 GB monthly data with rollover up to 200 GB along with unlimited calls and 100 SMS per day. With the subscription of this plan, users get 1 regular SIM and 2 free Add-on regular voice connections for family members. Airtel also offers 'Airtel Thanks Platinum Rewards' along with its postpaid plans which in this case 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 X-stream App premium, Wynk premium, access to Shaw academy and more. However, the most high-end plan offered by Airtel provides a lot more monthly data. Airtel offers a postpaid plan at a price tag of Rs 1,599 which provides 500 GB monthly data with rollover up to 200 GB 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. The Airtel Thanks Platinum rewards are the same as above with this plan as well. In addition to this, customers can add more family connections to their plan chargeable at Rs 299 for regular– Unlimited calls + 30GB data + 100SMS/day. These extra connections are chargeable only on Rs 999 and Rs 1,599 plans after the consumption of allocated Free Add-ons. Moreover, a maximum of 9 add-on numbers can be added with one family plan. Vodafone Idea RedX Plans Vodafone Idea or Vi offers postpaid plans for individual users and families separately. The most premium plan from Vi for individual users comes at a price tag of Rs 1,099 and is a RedX plan. RedX plans by Vi come bundled up with multiple OTT subscriptions and more. At a cost of Rs 1,099 users get access to truly unlimited data along with 100 SMS a month and unlimited voice calls. The added benefits of the plan are mentioned below. On the other hand, Vi also offers a premium family RedX plan that comes at a price tag of Rs 2,299. The plan offers connectivity for 5 family members. The plan offers truly unlimited data along with unlimited voice calls and 3000 SMS per month to both primary and secondary connections of the plan. This plan as well includes added benefits of a RedX plan. As far as added benefits are considered, users can get access to a yearlong subscription to Netflix on TV and Mobile at no additional cost. The plans also offer 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.

US-Based Firm Mavenir Receives “Trusted Source” Approval From the Government Posted: 04 Mar 2022 08:27 AM PST The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), the trusted telecom cell has granted the US-based telecom software provider Mavenir a "trusted source" approval. The report comes in from sources that suggest that the Pardeep Kohli-headed firm that predominantly offers open radio access networks (OpenRAN) to telecom carriers has received the approval. No comments were made from the software company at this point. More on the "Trusted Source" Approval A person close to the unfolding of events stated that Mavenir has recently received approval from the trusted telecom cell of the NSCS that will help the company to closely work with the telecom operators in India. Mavenir is an American telecommunications software company, created in 2017 as a result of a three-way merger of existing companies and technologies, that develops and supplies cloud-native software to the communications service provider market. By receiving the approval of a "trusted source" from NCSC, Mavenir has joined the likes of European telecom vendors Ericsson and Nokia along with the US-based Cisco, homebred Tejas and HFCL that have already received trusted sources approval. According to a report from ET Telecom, even renowned firms such as China's Huawei and ZTE are yet to complete the documentation process to be eligible for approval. For those unaware, NSCS is part of the National Security Council (NSC) that advises the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on matters related to national security and strategic interest. To be recognized as a trusted source, telcos have to access the portal and specify the telecom products they wish to procure and from which vendors, following which the government would contact the concerned vendors to submit the details of the products on the portal. The telecom wing of the cybersecurity body decides whether the products can be deemed as 'trusted' or not, once the vendor submits the required details. The Texas-headquartered company Mavenir has been investing in Open RAN for the last five years and has partnerships with more than 250 telecom service providers worldwide.

Realme 9 5G and Realme 9 SE 5G Arriving in India on March 10 Posted: 04 Mar 2022 07:26 AM PST The renowned smartphone brand Realme has announced the official launch of Realme 9 5G and Realme 9 SE 5G for the next week. The report comes in as the brand has put up a microsite for the devices which provides intel on a few hardware specs as well as reveals the official image of the devices. The reports of the Realme 9 5G handset has been emerging for a while now. The company has already launched the Realme 9 Pro series which consisted of Realme 9 Pro and 9 Pro+ along with the Realme 9i smartphone. The launch of the two new devices will make it a total of five smartphones in the Realme 9 series. The official microsite that went live confirms the launch of two new devices Realme 9 5G and Realme 9 SE 5G in India on March 10 at 12:30 pm IST. The same launch event will also witness the launch of the Realme C35 smartphone. The company, however, hasn't revealed any intel on the pricing of smartphones. Confirmed Specs for Realme 9 5G Series According to the information available on the microsite, the Realme 9 5G series will feature a 144Hz refresh rate display and 48MP primary camera, however, the 144Hz refresh rate will be exclusive to the Realme 9 SE 5G smartphone. This would mean that the base model could come with a lower refresh rate display. The site officially confirms that Realme 9 5G will be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 810 chipset whereas the Realme 9 SE 5G will pack the more powerful 6nm Snapdragon 778 chipset. Taking a look at the official images, it can be seen that the devices come with dual-SIM 5G support, 48MP quad rear cameras, an 8.5mm thick body, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. In addition to this, recent reports have revealed that the Realme 9 5G will come with a 6.5-inch Full HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate. For the camera part, Realme 9 5G will come with a triple rear setup headlined by a 48MP primary camera. The high-resolution primary sensor will be accompanied by two 2MP depth and macro sensors. The front of the device will feature a 16MP selfie snapper. The device is said to be backed by a 5000mAh battery and will come with support for 18W fast charging. The handset is expected to come with the usual Android 12 out-of-the-box but could feature Realme UI 3.0 skin on top.

Vodafone Idea Needs More Funding, Can Use Only 25% of Rs 4,500 Crore from Promoters Posted: 04 Mar 2022 06:28 AM PST According to the analysts, the telecom company Vodafone Idea or Vi will only be able to utilize around 25% of the Rs 4,500 crore fresh capital infusion by its promoters – Vodafone UK and India's Aditya Birla Group — for CAPEX purposes. As per the analysts, this will not be enough for the telco to compete with its rivals such as Jio and Airtel which are financially stronger. Analysts suggest that Vodafone will require much larger equity financing of about Rs 20,000 crore on its network to compete and increase its average revenue per user (ARPU) growth. The Struggling Finances of Vi The board of Idea on Thursday approved raising Rs 14,500 crore from its primary promoters – UK's Vodafone Group as well as Aditya Birla Group (ABG) along with other external investors. The telecom operator is all set to raise Rs 4,500 crore which is approximately $600 million through preferential shares issued at Rs 13.30 per share to its promoters as well as related companies. Moreover, the telco has announced raising another Rs 10,000 crore via equity and debt instruments. The move comes in as Vodafone Idea has been struggling for a while now in terms of financial situations. According to a report from ET Telecom, the investment banking firm based in Switzerland, Credit Suisse in a note said that the equity infusion is inadequate as only 25% of the Rs 4,500 crore infusion from promoters, representing ABG's share of Rs 1,125 crore, would be available unencumbered to Vi as almost the entire infusion from Vodafone Plc will be used to clear Vi's existing overdue balance with Indus Towers. This view from the firm was supported by IIFL Securities according to which the sum left for Vi to invest in its network from the latest equity infusion would be only Rs 1,000-2,000 crore. IIFL stated that the telco needs to invest Rs 20,000 crore on its network in 2 years to support 200 million 4G subs. The telecom operator has been losing its subscribers constantly and rapidly and analysts believe that Vi needs serious levels of funding quickly to bolster 4G operations across its 16 priority markets to overcome this situation as well as be a strong competitor in the upcoming 5G spectrum auctions. Although analysts also said that the promoter-level equity infusion is likely to boost Vi's prospects of raising more capital from external investors.

Xiaomi 11i 5G Long-Term Review: Strong and Cool Performer Posted: 04 Mar 2022 05:33 AM PST Xiaomi has come a long way in India. The company has launched some very successful and heavily demanded smartphones over the last few years. One of its recent additions to the Indian market, Xiaomi 11i 5G, which launched alongside the Xiaomi 11i 5G HyperCharge on January 6, 2022, is quite impressive. The smartphone ticks a lot of boxes, but is it worth buying? Let's find out. Xiaomi 11i 5G Review: Body and Design Xiaomi is one of the Chinese OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) which has continuously launched smartphones with unique colour combinations and finishes. It is a treat to watch the Xiaomi 11i 5G glass back with the Pacific Peal colour. I am sure the other colour variants of the smartphone might be equally unique. It is available in a total of four colours in India — Pacific Pearl (the one I am posting the images of), Camo Green, Purple Mist, and Stealth Black. The device weighs 207 grams and thus will fall in the slightly heavy category. Its dimensions are 163.64mm x 76.19mm x 8.34mm. It might feel a little big to operate from a single hand for many users. Regardless, the device looks very attractive. The camera bump at the rear is stylish and bold. You will definitely need a cover if you are going to keep it on the table with the rear cameras at the bottom (facing the surface). That is not a problem as Xiaomi provides one free silicone cover right inside the box. There are flat edges at the sides, and the corners are slightly rounded. From the front, it looks like an average mid-range device with a punch-hole cutout at the top centre for housing the selfie sensor. The Xiaomi 11i 5G has two stereo speakers – one at the top and one at the bottom. You will also find the SIM tray and the Type-C port at the bottom. There's absolutely nothing on the left side of the device. The volume buttons and the power button are on the right side. Xiaomi has placed the power button at the precise spot where most people would have their thumbs. The Xiaomi 11i 5G's fingerprint sensor is integrated into the power button. I must say, it is a very fast and responsive fingerprint mechanism. It is almost instant. But wait, there's more! One thing that a lot of Indians are going to praise Xiaomi for is including a 3.5mm audio jack on the device. It is present at the top and will allow users to plug wired earphones and aux cables for playing music. Almost every mid-range phone in the market today lacks a 3.5mm audio jack. It is also worth mentioning that the chin and the bezels at the side are quite thin, almost the same as the OnePlus Nord 2 5G's chin. Now let's talk about how the device performs overall. Xiaomi 11i 5G Review: Display and Sound Many Indians are crazy for the large and long displays. I am not one of those people; thus, I found the display of the device a little larger than my liking. The Xiaomi 11i 5G has a 6.67-inch FHD+ (2400×1800 pixels) AMOLED display with support for up to 120Hz refresh rate and a touch sampling rate of up to 360Hz. The peak brightness can go up to 1200nits, which is very bright for any display in a mid-range device. You should not have a lot of difficulties in watching something on the screen under sunlight. Further, there's Gorilla Glass 5 on the top for additional protection. Xiaomi 11i 5G comes with support for Sunshine screen, Reading Mode, and 360 degree light perception. Because it can support 120Hz refresh rate, the display experience is super smooth. I have been using the device in Dark Mode, and it is a super fine experience overall. The display is very responsive too and hasn't lagged in the last month I have used it for. The colour looks very vibrant and balanced on most of the high-quality videos I see on this device. Gaming would also be a smooth experience because of the 360Hz of touch sampling rate support. Even the audio is something that I can't skip to appreciate. As mentioned above, the Xiaomi 11i 5G has a dual-stereo speaker system. Whether you are listening to a song or streaming a video from an over-the-top (OTT) platform, you are going to get a great sound experience. Note that it is also important that the quality of the video and audio should be good in order to get a good experience out of it. The transitions and animations are very basic and smooth, and they won't bother you ever because they are very clean. Overall, it is safe to say that you are going to have a good enough experience watching anything on the Xiaomi 11i 5G. Xiaomi 11i 5G Review: A Stunning Performer for the Price Xiaomi 11i 5G is a mid-range device that is built for performance. I have played multiple games on the device, including Subway Surfers, Battlegrounds Mobile India, and more. It worked decently even when the playtime touched almost two hours, which is what I like to see on a smartphone. The device is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC coupled with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The Xiaomi 11i 5G is one of the most responsive smartphones today in the Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 range. If you are a gamer, this mid-range smartphone can be your perfect partner. The chipset is capable enough of handling multitasking. Though I do wish there was a 12GB RAM variant available in India. I will be really honest here. I didn't like MIUI much. Even today, I would prefer ColorOS or OxygenOS more when it comes to Chinese OEMs. While that's a subjective thing, I would like to point out why MIUI wasn't and still isn't my go-to OS. With MIUI, earlier, there were a lot of apps that you couldn't uninstall from your device. But now, with the MIUI 12.5 (based on Android 11), Xiaomi has paid special attention to making its skin not only lighter and more efficient but also the number of apps that used to come pre-installed and couldn't be uninstalled has reduced significantly. There are still 'GetApps' offered by Xiaomi, which can't be uninstalled. However, one thing that I still don't like about the MIUI 12.5 is the dashboard that comes when the user swipes right on the home screen. It has sections like 'Editor's Picks' and more, which I think users can definitely do without. One thing I would like to appreciate Xiaomi for is timely updates. The Xiaomi 11i 5G had already received the February security patch days before this review was published. The current version that my Xiaomi 11i 5G is running on is MIUI 12.5.6. There won't be many instances where you might feel like your device's battery is draining too fast. If you are using it less, the 5160mAh battery inside the device can last up to a day very easily, even while running on 120Hz refresh rate. But since it also supports 67W fast-charging, there aren't really a lot of problems if it discharges. If you are worried about the battery going too fast, you can always switch on the power saving mode from the settings. Of course, not to forget that it is a 5G smartphone. The 5G bands that this device can support are – 5G: n1, n3, n5, n8, n28, n40, n77, n78. It can also connect with Wi-Fi 6 standard. Let's see how the camera of the Xiaomi 11i 5G performs. Xiaomi 11i 5G Camera Review: Images Not Colour Accurate Xiaomi 11i 5G failed to impress me on the camera front. At this price range, if you are solely looking for a camera performer, Xiaomi 11i 5G isn't the best option. It can take pretty images, but those won't be the best. The images I took weren't colour accurate and lacked saturation. The portrait mode pictures were, in fact, better. There's a triple-camera setup at the rear with a 108MP HM2 sensor paired with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor and a 2MP macro sensor. For selfies, the device comes with a 16MP sensor at the front. Even the 108MP HM2 sensor failed to impress me. For lack of a better word, the camera performance of Xiaomi 11i 5G is disappointing compared to its performance in other areas. I am attaching the camera samples right below. Wide-angle mode Normal Camera Macro Mode 2x Mode Portrait Mode Front sensor selfie Xiaomi 11i 5G Price and Conclusion Xiaomi 11i 5G is available in India in two variants. The base vibrant comes with 6GB+128GB for Rs 26,999, and the superior variant comes with Rs 28,999. The price falls in the mid-range segment, where other smartphones such as OnePlus Nord 2 (review) Realme GT Neo 2 also fall. Thus the competition is stiff. But the Xiaomi 11i 5G can do well against these devices. It might not be the best in every department, but it will offer a promising experience. If camera performance is not that big a deal for you, this smartphone can be your go-to device. Since it is 5G supportive, you can also use it long-term without worrying about not being able to connect with 5G networks in the future.

CityFibre and STL Enter Into Partnership for the Faster Network Rollout Posted: 04 Mar 2022 05:00 AM PST UK's largest independent Full Fibre platform CityFibre in a new development has signed a strategic multi-year, multi-million-pound deal with STL which is an industry-leading integrator of digital networks. As a part of this new partnership, STL will be supplying CityFibre with high fibre count Celesta Intelligently Bonded Ribbon [IBR] Cables with Stellar bend-insensitive fibre and ribbon optimised joint enclosures. CityFibre has been growing at a rapid pace in the UK and is expected to reach up to 8 million homes by 2025 with its 4-billion-pound investment. STL's Resources Will Help CityFibre As of now, more than one million homes are already able to receive full-fibre broadband from CityFibre, with 26 construction companies mobilized and in build across over 63 towns and cities. The entity aims at building underway across more than 150 cities, towns and villages before expanding to 285 by 2025. This will now be combined with STL's sustainably produced and high-capacity IBR ribbon cable solution capable of delivering deliver nearly 25% faster installations and contribute to CityFibre's aggressive build-out plans as it grows further and at a larger scale. Director of Supply Chain at CityFibre, James Thomas said in a statement that the company is delighted to have formed this partnership with STL in such a competitive market for high-class partners. He added that the partnership with STL will secure the technology and supplies CityFibre needs to achieve its ambitious targets. Talking about the STL's IBR cabling technology and other supplies he stated that it will help the company build in more locations this year and beyond. CEO of Optical Networking Business, STL, Paul Atkinson said that STL's integrated optical connectivity solution with optical fibre, cable and interconnect products, will help CityFibre achieve accelerated network rollout with high scalability and agility while keeping the overall costs low. He further added that the company is very confident that a combination of optical technologies and interconnect can change the game for FTTx at an industry level with superfast deployment, provisioning and enhanced network performance

Realme C35 Official Images and Features Revealed Ahead of the Launch Posted: 04 Mar 2022 03:33 AM PST The Chinese smartphone manufacturer is gearing up for the launch of its Realme C35 device in India. The brand had already launched the device in Malaysia last month. The company has announced that the Realme C35 will go live on March 7 in India starting from 12:30 PM. Ahead of its launch, the landing page for the smartphone has gone live on the company's website which gives us official images of the device along with some key features. Let's find out. Realme C35 Features The images that have been put up for the device on Realme's official website suggest that the device will come with a centrally placed waterdrop notch display and will feature a triple rear camera setup at the back. The device is also equipped with a side-facing fingerprint scanner. Realme C35 comes with a 6.6-inch IPS LCD display with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080x2408pixels. Moreover, the device has a screen-to-body ratio of 90.7% and a brightness of 600nits. The support page of the device doesn't reveal the exact battery backup for the smartphone. Although it is revealed that the Realme C35 will offer 50.2 hours of standby time and 1.8 hours of talk time in Super Power Saving Mode. It carries support for 18W fast charging. It is being speculated that the Realme C35 in India will come featuring the same specs as it did in Malaysia. Realme C35 Specs As mentioned above, Realme C35 comes with a 6.6-inch IPS LCD FHD+ that offers a 60Hz refresh rate. The device features a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 50MP primary camera along with a 2MP depth camera and a 2MP macro shooter. The device also features an 8MP front camera. The C35 will come with 4 GB / 6 GB and 64 GB / 128 GB of storage. It has a 5,000mAh battery with 18W charging support. The handset runs on Android 11 OS and Realme UI 2.0.

Lava X2 Budget Smartphone Launched with MediaTek Processor, Dual Cameras and More Posted: 04 Mar 2022 02:05 AM PST One of the popular smartphone brands in India – Lava has announced its latest budget smartphone called Lava X2. The latest smartphone will be available exclusively online and is the latest addition to the company's X-series of smartphones. This Amazon special model has been launched keeping in mind the buying pattern of the customers shifting towards e-commerce. The smartphone from Lava comes offers multiple features and specs and is the first device to offer an octa-core MediaTek processor at its price range. Let's have a look at the specifications and price details of the new Lava X2. Lava X2 Specifications The newly launched Lava X2 comes with a huge 6.5-inch HD+ IPS Notch display with a 20:9 aspect ratio along with its loud audio providing an immersive viewing & listening experience to the users. The smartphone features a MediaTek Helio Octa-core processor which is coupled with up to 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. As far as the camera specs are considered, Lava X2 is a delight for photography lovers on a budget as the smartphone clicks stunning pictures with its 8MP dual rear camera and 5MP selfie camera. The smartphone is backed by a massive 5000mAh battery and as far as security is considered, the device features a lightning-fast fingerprint sensor and face unlock feature. Connectivity options on the device include Bluetooth version 5.0, Wi-Fi, dual 4G SIM support, 3.5 mm audio jack, Type C charging port and OTG support. Price and Availability Lava X2 has been launched at an introductory offer price of Rs 6,599 and is currently available for pre-booking via the e-commerce platform Amazon. This pre-booking offer is only valid till 11th March, post which the smartphone will be sold at Rs 6999. Apart from Amazon, the phone will also be available for purchase on the Lava e-store. The features such as large display, impeccable sound quality, extra security, robust design, and long-lasting battery life, makes Lava X2 an ideal smartphone for low-budget performance seekers.

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