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• Redmi 10A Officially Arriving in India on April 20 – Specifications and Expected Price
• BSNL Data-Add On Packs You Should Know About
• Samsung Galaxy M31 Gets Android 12 Update in India
• PhonePe Partners With Extreme IX, an Internet Exchange Point
• TRAI Has Failed to Understand Paying Capacity of Telcos: CUTS International
• DoT Panel Will Decide Whether TRAI Recommendations Are Good Enough
• OnePlus Partners With JioPages for Safe and Fast Browsing in TVs
• iPhone 14 Series Price Leak Suggests More Expensive Pro Models
• Vivo Y15s Price Reduced in India
• Realme Book Prime and Realme Buds Air 3 Available For Purchase From Today – Price and Features
• Bharti Airtel Overcame Tough Situations to Become a Stable Organisation, Says Chairman
• Vi and Airtel: These Postpaid Plans Are Expensive But Offer a Ton of Benefits
• COAI Unhappy With TRAI Recommendations for 5G Spectrum Auction
• Oppo Enco Air2 Pro Introduced in India: 28 Hour Battery Life, 12.4mm Drivers and More
• Moto G52 Arrives with Triple Cameras, Snapdragon 680 Chipset – Specs and Price
• Oppo F21 Pro Series Launched in India with Qualcomm Chipsets, Triple Cameras and More
• Tata Play, Jio and Airtel Offer a Very Similar 1 Gbps Broadband Plan
• Alliance Broadband 150 Mbps Plan is Not So Different from Jio and BSNL
• Vodafone Idea to Benefit from Spectrum Surrender Guidelines Recommended by TRAI
• TRAI Has Not Recommended Enough Price Cut for 5G Airwaves: Opinion

Redmi 10A Officially Arriving in India on April 20 – Specifications and Expected Price Posted: 13 Apr 2022 07:15 AM PDT The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Redmi is all set to introduce its new Redmi 10A smartphone in India. The device was originally launched in China last month as a budget option and a recent leak had suggested April 20 as the launch date for the smartphone in India. Now in a new development, the brand has officially confirmed the April 20 launch date for Realme 10A in India. Redmi 10A will come with identical specifications as its Chinese version. Let's take a look at the specifications and expected pricing for the upcoming handset. Redmi 10A Specs Redmi 10A was launched in China with a 6.53-inch HD+ (720×1,600 pixels) display with a 20:9 aspect ratio and 400 nits of peak brightness. The display panel houses the front selfie shooter inside a waterdrop notch. Redmi 10A is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio G25 processor which comes with PowerVR8320 GPU. The processor on the device has been coupled with up to 6GB of RAM. For the camera part, Redmi 10A was launched with a 13MP camera on the back panel with an LED flash whereas the front of the device features a 5MP camera. The back camera is also powered by Xiaomi’s AI Camera 5.0 which brings scene recognition for up to 27 scenes. Redmi 10A runs on Android with MIUI 12.5 on top and features up to 128GB of onboard storage expandable via a microSD card. Redmi 10A is backed by a 5,000mAh battery that supports standard 10W charging. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, Micro-USB, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Sensors onboard include an accelerometer, ambient light, and a proximity sensor. Redmi 10A Price Redmi 10A was launched in China with three storage options. The base model with 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage is priced at CNY 699 which is about Rs 8,300. Redmi 10A also comes in a 4GB + 128GB model at CNY 799 which is about Rs 9,500 and the top-of-the-line 6GB + 128GB variant priced at CNY 899 which is roughly Rs 10,700. It is expected that the smartphone will be launched in China in a similar price segment. Redmi 10A is available in Shadow Black, Smoke Blue, and Moonlight Silver colour options.

BSNL Data-Add On Packs You Should Know About Posted: 13 Apr 2022 06:08 AM PDT 4G data vouchers are the add-on data packs that telcos provide to their users at an additional cost which can be used when the daily data runs out. The state-owned telco BSNL has been offering a few data vouchers to its subscribers and some of these come with added benefits as well. Mentioned below are all the data-add on packs offered by BSNL along with the plan details that you should know about. Data Vouchers From BSNL The first two plans on the list are very-short term plans. BSNL offers a Mini_16 plan for Rs 16 which provides 2GB of data for one day. The telco also provides a C_DATA56 plan for its users that offers 10GB data for 10 days validity along with access to Zing. BSNL also has a DataTSunami pack in its portfolio that offers 2GB of data per day for a validity period of 22 days. Data_WFH_151 pack from the telco offers 40GB of total data for 28 days and comes with access to Zing at a price tag of Rs 151. STV_198 from the company offers 2GB/day for a validity period of 50 days at Rs 198. Lastly, BSNL offers a Data_WFH_251 pack that offers 70GB of total data for 28 days at a price tag of Rs 251 and comes with access to Zing. The next plan on the list comes at a price tag of Rs 447 and offers a total of 100GB of high-speed data. Beyond the set limit of 100GB of data, users can access the internet at 80 Kbps of speed. The plan comes with a validity period of 60 calendar days and even though it is mentioned under 'Data Voucher' on the website, it still offers unlimited voice calling along with 100 SMS per day. Along with the STV_447 plan, users can also get a subscription to BSNL Tunes and Eros Now Entertainment Services. Lastly, BSNL offers a unique yearlong data voucher for its subscribers. Users can get the DATA_1498 pack which offers 2GB of data per day for a validity period of 365 days, however, does not offer any calling or SMS benefits.

Samsung Galaxy M31 Gets Android 12 Update in India Posted: 13 Apr 2022 05:13 AM PDT Samsung is rolling out the Android-based One UI 4.1 OTA (over the air) update for the Galaxy M31 in India. Samsung has been pretty fast and consistent in rolling out new generation Android updates for its smartphone. The South Korean tech giant has been able to do that despite the plethora of smartphones it has under its portfolio. While at the same time, some of the major smartphone brands haven't been able to roll out stable Android 12 update for their smartphones. Let's see what's new in the Galaxy M31. Samsung Galaxy M31 Android 12 Update Finally Arrives As mentioned, Samsung is now rolling out the Android 12 update for the Galaxy M31 in India. The company is rolling out One UI 4.1 for the Galaxy M31, which is a stable version of the Android 12. Just last week, Samsung had rolled out the Android 12 update for the Galaxy M62 and the Galaxy A52 4G in India. The Galaxy M31 is a mid-range smartphone from Samsung which launched back in mid-2020. It is worth noting that Samsung skipped rolling out the One UI 4.0 for the Galaxy M31 and instead gave the device One UI 4.1 directly. It was the same case with the Galaxy M62. According to an XDA Developers report, the OTA update from Samsung carries the software version — M315FXXU2CVCE. Along with the Android 12 update, Samsung is also giving the device March 2022 security patch. Samsung's Android 12 skin is very different from what Google had rolled out for the Pixel 6 series. In every way, Samsung's Android 12 is unique and gives users a proprietary feel when they engage with it. However, the features of the Android 12 update are quite the same, and Samsung is also allowing users to change the colours of the app icons and the theme in a very fashionable manner. If you haven't received the update for your Galaxy M31 smartphone yet, wait for a few days or just check in your settings. It is a staged rollout and thus might not arrive for everyone at the same time.

PhonePe Partners With Extreme IX, an Internet Exchange Point Posted: 13 Apr 2022 04:06 AM PDT PhonePe, one of the major contactless digital applications/platforms available to users in India for making online payments, has partnered with Extreme IX. For the unaware, the Extreme IX is India's largest internet exchange point. With this partnership, PhonePe is looking to enable faster digital payments for its 400+ million users. It is worth noting that PhonePe has become India's first digital payments company to participate in an Internet Exchange in India. This partnership would help in decreasing the latency for PhonePe users irrespective of their internet service provider (ISP) or location in India. PhonePe Users Will Be Able to Transact Better and Faster PhonePe users will be able to make their daily transactions in a better and faster manner which would result in a better app experience. Extreme IX has 30 points of presence in five cities in India. Note that more than 450 networks which include internet service providers and content delivering networks such as Microsoft, Netflix, Google, Amazon and more, are connected to the Extreme IX fabric. PhonePe would be able to get a further edge over its rivals such as Google Pay, WhatsApp Payments, and more in India. The number of online UPI (unified payments interface) transactions has increased dramatically over the last three years. One of the biggest drivers for the growth of UPI was the coronavirus pandemic. Because of the pandemic, most users started relying on cashless modes of payments. PhonePe is used by millions of Indians every day to make online payments, and thus with this partnership, the speed and the overall experience for the users should improve further. PhonePe is available for Indian users in both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The application has been the leading platform of choice for consumers in India, according to the tradebrains report. Its rival, Google Pay, is also coming out with strategies to attract more users into coming to its platform and making payments, but PhonePe has been growing at a steady rate.

TRAI Has Failed to Understand Paying Capacity of Telcos: CUTS International Posted: 13 Apr 2022 02:58 AM PDT In its recommendations for the 5G spectrum auction, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has slashed the reserve price of spectrum by 35%. The recommendations have left many disappointed. Pradeep S Mehta, Secretary General, CUTS International, said the TRAI has given some relief to the telecom sector by reducing the reserve price of the airwaves. However, the price reduction wasn't enough. As per Mehta, the regulatory body has failed to recognise the paying capacity of the telcos. COAI Also Disappointed with TRAI The announcements from TRAI have been deemed "disappointing" by the telco body, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). COAI has suggested TRAI to revisit the spectrum recommendations as the reserve price reduction is just not enough. Back in 2018, TRAI had suggested a reserve price of Rs 492 crore per MHz of spectrum in the 3300-3600 MHz band. But the C-band spectrum wasn't made available during the auctions because it wasn't freed in enough quantum. 2022 will be the first time the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will allow participation in the auction for the C-band spectrum. It has been recognised as vital for rolling out new 5G networks. From the old reserve price of Rs 492 crore per MHz of the C-band spectrum, TRAI has this time recommended that the reserve price should be at Rs 317 crore. It is worth noting that COAI had requested for the reserve price of the airwaves to be reduced by 90%, but this price reduction is not near that. According to Mehta, during the upcoming 5G spectrum auction, many of the 5G bands will go unsold, or the government won't earn the kind of revenues it thinks it will from the telecom sector. This is because the telcos won't participate in the auctions in a complete capacity and manner. 5G spectrum auctions are expected to take place as per schedule, and India might see its first live commercial 5G network by the second half of this year.

DoT Panel Will Decide Whether TRAI Recommendations Are Good Enough Posted: 13 Apr 2022 02:01 AM PDT A top panel of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will decide whether the recommendations provided by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) are good enough or not. According to an ET Telecom report, the Digital Communications Commission (DCC) is going to take a call on the pricing recommendations provided by the TRAI in the next three to four weeks. A standing committee of the telecom department will start analysing TRAI's recommendations within a week. DoT Officials Acknowledge the Disappointment in TRAI Recommendations According to the publication's report, some officials inside the DoT have acknowledged that TRAI recommendations have been disappointing for the industry, even though they are made in the correct spirit. Whether there will be a further price cut or not will be decided by the cabinet, and this is expected to go to the cabinet in the next four to five weeks. The official told ET that 5G auctions are likely to take place in May-June 2022 and might not be delayed. DoT had earlier requested TRAI to expedite the submitting process so that 5G services in the country can be started on the independence day, i.e., August 15, 2022. TRAI had recommended a 36% price cut for the C-band spectrum and a 40% cut for the coveted 700 MHz band airwaves. Analysts have said that the telcos might not spend a lot of money on the upcoming auctions due to the still high reserve price of the airwaves. According to the global benchmarks, the C-band spectrum is still quite expensive for the telcos in India despite a price cut. As mentioned above, the final call on the pricing of the airwaves will be taken once the matter goes into the cabinet. For the first time, airwaves in the C-band and millimetre wavelength (mmWave) will be included during the spectrum auctions. More should come soon regarding this in the coming weeks.

OnePlus Partners With JioPages for Safe and Fast Browsing in TVs Posted: 13 Apr 2022 01:21 AM PDT OnePlus has just announced that it is partnering with JioPages. JioPages is an app developed and owned and Reliance Jio. JioPages is a web browser that is available for both smartphones and Smart TVs now. OnePlus offers an extensive range of Smart TVs in India, and this partnership with JioPages is in line with ensuring that OnePlus TV owners get a safe and fast internet browsing experience with their Smart TVs. JioPages to Offer Enhanced Browsing Experience to OnePlus TV Users OnePlus TV users in India will now get an enhanced browsing experience with JioPages. OnePlus in a release, said that to offer an enhanced internet browsing experience to users, JioPages comes with a faster Chromium engine which also helps with keeping the browsing experience safe and secure. Users will also get to witness best-in-class webpage rendering along with a consistent desktop-like experience on the TV screens. One of the best features of JioPages is that it comes with an in-built ad-blocker for delivering users a seamless internet browsing experience. JioPages is also equipped with two new features – Secure Mode and VPN, which will add to the secure browsing experience for the users. There's a Quicklinks feature that users get on the home screen where they can add their favourite websites to access them in a go. JioPages also gets the support for regional languages with which they can browse the internet in different languages such as Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, and other regional languages. There's a student-friendly 'Study Mode' integrated into JioPages, which students who are leveraging the platform for research and studies will appreciate. For the unaware, OnePlus has witnessed a 300% YoY growth from 2021 to 2021 and has emerged as one of the top five leading Smart TV brands in the country in Q4 2021, according to a Counterpoint Research report. OnePlus TV users will be able to download the JioPages application on their Smart TVs.

iPhone 14 Series Price Leak Suggests More Expensive Pro Models Posted: 13 Apr 2022 12:27 AM PDT Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 14 series this year in September. This time, Apple is not expected to launch a mini variant of the iPhone 14 but instead will launch a new iPhone 14 Max. There might be four devices in the series, namely iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The price of the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 13 series was identical. Be it the mini variant, regular variant, or the Pro models, the price of all the iPhones in the iPhone 13 series was the same as the iPhone 12 series. But with the iPhone 14 series, things might change a little. According to the latest leak from AppleLeaksPro, the iPhone 14 will be priced at $799 for the regular variant, which is similar to that of the iPhone 13. But the Pro models will be slightly more expensive. iPhone 14 Pro Models Price According to the leak, the iPhone 14 Max will start at $899, while the iPhone 14 Pro will start at $1099. Note that the iPhone 13 Pro started at $999, and the top-end iPhone 14 Pro Max is expected to debut at $1199, which is again $100 more than the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Nothing is official at the moment, but it might be true as Apple hasn't hiked the price of its smartphones in two years now. Thus, we might get to see a little hike with the Pro models. The iPhone 14 series is expected to feature the latest and top of the line A16 Bionic chipset. The iPhone 13 series is currently powered by the A15 Bionic SoC. The expected launch of the iPhone 14 series is in September 2022. The removal of mini iPhones from the offerings would have been because of the low demand for that particular variant globally. While the mini variant featured the same exact specifications, most of the users preferred the larger variant.

Vivo Y15s Price Reduced in India Posted: 12 Apr 2022 10:57 PM PDT Vivo Y15s is a budget smartphone that launched in India two months back, sporting a MediaTek chipset. The device comes with modest features and was launched for Rs 10,990. In just two months, the smartphone has already received a price cut. Note that the smartphone comes in a lone 3GB+32GB variant. According to a report from Gizmochina, the new price of the device has become Rs 10,490, implying a Rs 500 price cut in India. It can be purchased in India in Wave Green and Mystic Blue colours. Let's take a look at the specifications of the Vivo Y15s in India. Vivo Y15s Specifications in India The Vivo Y15s comes with a 6.51-inch water-drop notch display having an HD+ resolution of 720×1600 pixels. It has an IPS LCD screen with support for 60Hz refresh rate and has thin bezels on all the sides except for the chin. At the rear, there's a dual-camera setup with a 13MP main and a 2MP macro camera setup. For selfies, there is an 8MP camera at the front. It is powered by the MediaTek Helio P35 SoC coupled with up to 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The device packs a 5000mAh battery with support for standard 10W charging. It boots on Android 11 Go Edition and Fun Touch OS 11.1 on top. Of course, you can get multiple other smartphones at this price range which are also powerful devices. The smartphone is made for users looking to purchase an affordable 4G smartphone with decent performance. The chipset is moderately powerful and will help you get the basic tasks such as running WhatsApp and other small apps smoothly. Since it is a budget smartphone, don't expect major performance from the cameras. The device is available in the Indian market via multiple channels, including both offline stores and online e-commerce platforms. You can also purchase the device directly from the official website of Vivo India.

Realme Book Prime and Realme Buds Air 3 Available For Purchase From Today – Price and Features Posted: 12 Apr 2022 10:21 PM PDT Two new products from consumer electronics brand Realme – Realme Book Prime and Realme Buds Air 3 are all set to go on sale in India today starting from 12 noon. The devices will be available for sale from the company's official website as well as Flipkart and other offline stores. Realme Book Prime is the latest laptop offered by the brand that comes with an 11th Gen Intel Core i5-11320H processor. Let's take a look at the specifications and pricing of the new Realme Book Prime and Realme Buds Air 3. Realme Book Prime Specs and Price Realme Book Prime comes with a 2K Full Vision display. The laptop comes featuring an 11th Gen Intel Core i5-11320H processor with Intel Iris Xe graphics. The processor on the device is coupled with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. The company has informed that the laptop comes with a dual-fan liquid cooling system. Realme Book Prime also features a backlit keyboard with a touchpad. The device offers stereo speakers with DTS audio technology. Connectivity options on the new Realme Book Prime include Wi-Fi 6 and a Thunderbolt 4 port. The product is claimed to offer 12 hours of battery backup on a single charge and comes with support for 65W fast charging over USB Type-C. The Realme Book Prime has been launched in India at a retail price of Rs 64,999 for its 16GB + 512GB storage variant, however, it will be up for grabs at an introductory offer price of Rs 57,999 during the first sale. The laptop will be available in Real Blue, Real Green, and Real Grey colour options. Realme Buds Air 3 Specs and Price Realme Buds Air 3 come equipped with 10mm dynamic bass boost drivers. The audio product arrives with active noise cancellation certified by TUV-Rheinland to reduce external noise by up to 42dB. The device also features two microphones with transparency mode. The Realme Buds Air 3 offers 88ms low latency with the included Gaming Mode. The device offers Bluetooth v5.2 connectivity and can be connected to two devices simultaneously. The earbuds are IPX5 rated for sweat and water resistance. The company claims up to 30 hours of total playback on a single charge with 100 minutes of playback time with just a 10-minute charge. Realme Buds Air 3 has been priced in India at Rs 3,999 and will be available in Galaxy White and Starry Blue colour options.

Bharti Airtel Overcame Tough Situations to Become a Stable Organisation, Says Chairman Posted: 12 Apr 2022 09:31 PM PDT Bharti Airtel's Chairman Sunil Mittal in a statement on Tuesday said that the company has fought tough battles and has emerged victorious as a 'very stable organisation.' The chairman was talking about the challenges faced by the telecom industry in the last five years because of the dipping revenues and surging debt. The top executive of the company was speaking at the All-India Management Association (AIMA) where he also stated that the first significant inflection point in his life came with the first mobile licence in 1992 against very stiff odds. The Challenges Faced By Telecom Industry According to a report from PTI, Mittal stated that neither his professional will send him anything that could jeopardise the company's governance nor would he ask anything of them that could compromise the governance. He talked about the industry's revenue collapsing in the last five years and the expenses being very high. Mittal informed that every year the industry had to spend about $3 billion to $4 billion which is more than Rs 20,000 crore and this is the figure just for India. The chairman informed that Airtel has raised significant capital which was actually the need of the hour. Talking about the telecom industry's struggle he said that the industry has raised over $ 18 billion in the last 30 months. He stated that the company had to ensure the availability of money to continue investing in these challenging times which required heavy dilution and selling off some assets. He said that Airtel managed to stay on the course despite facing some tough challenges as the company always focused on its long-term goals. Mittal stated that Airtel is one of the most “professionalised” companies in the country and the telco had emerged stronger from wave after wave of adversity due to its robust organisational structure. He added that back in 2016 when the “assault” came on the industry in the form of strong competition, some took to shortcuts and short-term decisions in order to survive rather than being driven by the vision of a sustainable business. He said that Airtel is completely managed by best-in-class professionals and whenever it comes to taking risks he will always lead from the front.

Vi and Airtel: These Postpaid Plans Are Expensive But Offer a Ton of Benefits Posted: 12 Apr 2022 08:09 PM PDT Postpaid plans at times seem like are very expensive in comparison to the prepaid plans offered by the telcos. However, the telcos bundle up a ton of amazing benefits with their premium postpaid offerings. This includes 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 some of the top postpaid plans offered by two of the major telcos in India – Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea and the benefits that come along. Vodafone Idea's Expensive 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. Bharti Airtel's Top 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 include 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.

COAI Unhappy With TRAI Recommendations for 5G Spectrum Auction Posted: 12 Apr 2022 06:36 PM PDT The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recently came out with recommendations for the 5G spectrum auction. While some of the recommendations were good such as the easy payment terms, some didn't go down well with the telco body, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). COAI believes the price cut recommended by TRAI is not sufficient, and the reserve price is still higher than what it should be. Through extensive global research, the industry had presented to TRAI in the consultation paper that a cut of 90% on the reserve price should be implemented. However, in the words of COAI, "to see only about 35-40% reduction recommended at prices, therefore is deeply disappointing." The 20 and 30 Year Game is Not Done! COAI said that the government had decided to allocate the spectrum to the telcos for 30 years. However, TRAI implemented the price cut on the spectrum for 20 years and then put a 1.5 times multiple on the price if the telcos are going for airwaves for 30 years. According to Lt. General Dr SP Kochhar, Director General, COAI, "If one were to look at the pan-India price of 3.5 GHz spectrum, then we are back to square one with effectively no change and will nullify the relief provided by union cabinet in the year 2021." COAI has called TRAI to revisit the spectrum pricing recommendations it has released and do away with the minimum rollout obligations as it is a "retrograde" step. Further, the telco body asked the regulator to disallow the private enterprise networks for the "financial viability and orderly growth of the telecom industry". It is highly unlikely that TRAI would go back to the drawing board now and make the changes, but it has been a disappointing set of recommendations for the telecom industry body. Even the analysts believe that the price cut recommended by TRAI was lower than what was expected.

Oppo Enco Air2 Pro Introduced in India: 28 Hour Battery Life, 12.4mm Drivers and More Posted: 12 Apr 2022 09:23 AM PDT The popular smartphone brand Oppo has also launched its Oppo Enco Air2 Pro truly wireless earbuds in India along with the Oppo F21 Pro series smartphones. The new Oppo Enco Air2 Pro comes as a successor to the Oppo Enco Air2 TWS which was launched in India back in March and came with features like a 13.4mm dynamic driver setup, up to 24 hours of battery life, and Bluetooth 5.2. With the Pro model, the brand is offering enhanced battery life as well as active noise cancellation. Let's find out more. Oppo Enco Air2 Pro Specifications Oppo Enco Air2 Pro has been launched with a 12.4mm titanised diaphragm driver which is said to offer well-balanced sound. The audio device has an in-ear style design with a stem. The TWS earbuds from Oppo will offer support for active noise cancellation (ANC) as well as AI Noise cancellation for calls. The device also features a transparent mode that allows users to stay aware of their surroundings. Talking about the battery backup on the audio wearable, Oppo Enco Air2 Pro comes with a 43mAh battery unit whereas the case has a 440mAh battery unit. The brand claims that the device can offer up to 28 hours on a single charge with the case included when the ANC is turned off and up to 20 hours with ANC turned on. The earbuds on themselves are capable of offering 5 hours of playback with ANC and up to 7 hours without ANC. It takes about 2 hours to fully charge the device and it makes use of a Type-C Port. Some other notable features that come with Oppo Enco Air2 Pro include Enco Live Bass tuning, IP54 dust and water resistance rating, and interchangeable ear tips. The device will go head-to-head with Realme Buds Air 3 which was recently introduced in the Indian market. Oppo Enco Air2 Pro Price Oppo Enco Air2 Pro has been launched in India at Rs 3,499 and will be available for sale in Grey and White colour options. The company is yet to reveal the sale date and availability of the product.

Moto G52 Arrives with Triple Cameras, Snapdragon 680 Chipset – Specs and Price Posted: 12 Apr 2022 08:14 AM PDT The Lenovo backed smartphone manufacturer Motorola has launched its latest budget offering Moto G52. The smartphone is the latest addition to the G-series devices and comes as a successor to the Moto G51 handset which was unveiled in select markets. The device has been launched in Europe and is expected to launch in India as well. However, the company is yet to reveal any information on the Indian launch of the device. Mentioned below are the specification and price details of the new Moto G52 smartphone. Moto G52 Specifications The newly launched Moto G52 arrives with a 6.6-inch OLED display with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. The device has a hole-punch cutout at the top centre for the front camera. The display panel of the device supports a 90Hz refresh rate and has a 20:9 aspect ratio. Moto G52 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chipset under the hood. Snapdragon 680 is one of the most popular processors in India that features smartphones such as Redmi Note 11, Realme 9 4G, Redmi 10 and more. The processor is coupled with up to 6GB of RAM along with 256GB of internal storage. The internal storage on the smartphone can be further expanded via a microSD card. The smartphone runs on Android 12 out of the box and has a layer of MyUX on top of Android. The device is backed by a 5000mAh battery with support for 30W fast charging out of the box. The device is IP52-rated for water resistance. For the camera part, the Moto G52 features a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 50MP main camera along with an 8MP ultrawide camera and a 2MP depth sensor. The front of the device will come with a 16MP selfie camera. The smartphone also comes with dual speakers with support for Dolby Atmos. Moto G52 Price Moto G52 is a budget 4G smartphone launched in Europe with a price tag of EUR 249 which is roughly about Rs 20,600 for its base model with 4GB RAM. The device also comes with 6GB of RAM, however, price details for higher models are unknown at the moment.

Oppo F21 Pro Series Launched in India with Qualcomm Chipsets, Triple Cameras and More Posted: 12 Apr 2022 07:31 AM PDT The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo has launched its Oppo F21 Pro Series smartphones in India. Oppo F21 Pro series consists of Oppo F21 Pro and Oppo F21 Pro 5G handsets. The devices have been launched with multiple exciting features such as triple rear cameras, Qualcomm chipsets and more. One of the highlights of both smartphones is the selfie camera which is backed by Sony’s IMX709 RGBW selfie sensor that is 60% more sensitive to light allowing users to get crisp, clear and well-exposed photographs. Let's take a look at the specifications and price details of the newly launched Oppo F21 Pro Series. Oppo F21 Pro Series Specifications Both Oppo F21 Pro and F21 Pro 5G come with the same sized 6.43-inch display, however, the 5G version comes with a Full HD+ AMOLED display that only offers a 60Hz refresh rate whereas the 4G variant offers a 90Hz refresh rate. The OPPO F21 Pro drives smartphone performance with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chipset, while the OPPO F21 Pro 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G Mobile SoC. The processor on the devices is coupled with 128GB storage and 8GB RAM that can be increased by an additional 5GB via OPPO's proprietary RAM Expansion technology to run multiple memory-heavy apps with zero lag. Both the devices in the F21 Pro Series come with a 4,500mAh battery and 33W SUPERVOOC that fully charges the devices in 63 minutes; a 5 minutes charge is sufficient to make three hours of calls or for 100 minutes of movie watching. Talking about the camera specifications, both the models come with a triple rear camera setup. Oppo F21 Pro features a 64MP Main Camera along with a 2MP Micro Lens and a 2MP Depth Camera. On the other hand, the 5G model comes with a 64MP High-Res Main Camera with a 2MP Depth Camera and a 2MP Macro Camera. Oppo F21 Pro Series Price and Availability Oppo F21 Pro handset has been launched in India with a price tag of 22,999 and will be available from 15th April onwards. The F21 Pro model will be available in Sunset Orange and Cosmic Black colour options. On the other hand, Oppo F21 Pro 5G comes with a price tag of Rs 26,999 and will go on sale from 21st April across online and mainline retailers. The handset will be available in Rainbow Spectrum and Cosmic Black colour options.

Tata Play, Jio and Airtel Offer a Very Similar 1 Gbps Broadband Plan Posted: 12 Apr 2022 05:59 AM PDT The Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer a variety of broadband plans for their users according to their suitability with different price tags and speeds. Tata Play, Jio and Airtel provide almost similar 1 Gbps plan when it comes to pricing and data limit. While Airtel and Jio offer the plan at identical price tags, Tata Play actually offers a cheaper plan, however, the benefits are different. Mentioned are the 1 Gbps broadband plans offered by Tata Play, Jio and Airtel along with the plan benefits. Tata Play Fiber 1 Gbps Plan Tata Sky recently changed its moniker to Tata Play Fiber, the plans, however, remained the same. The high-end unlimited 1 Gbps plan from Tata Play Fiber comes at a monthly cost of Rs 3,600. Users can get this plan for the long term too, as the company offers the 1 Gbps plan for different validity periods. For a period of three months, users can get the plan for Rs 10,800, for a validity period of six months the plan costs Rs 19,800 on which users actually save Rs 1,800 and lastly for a period of one year the plan costs Rs 36,000 saving Rs 7,200 for the users. Users receive 3300GB or 3.3TB of Fair Usage Policy (FUP) data along with this broadband plan after which the speed is reduced to 3 Mbps. JioFiber 1 Gbps Plans When it comes to 1 Gbps plans JioFiber offers two plans with different data limits. However, the plan we are talking about comes at a price tag of Rs 3,999 per month (30 days) and offers 1 Gbps of internet speed with a FUP data limit of 3.3TB or 3300GB. In addition to this Jio offers a ton of OTT subscriptions which include access to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar and thirteen others. The Amazon Prime Video that comes bundled with this plan has a validity period of one year. Airtel Xstream 1 Gbps Plan Airtel offers a 1Gbps unlimited data plan as well which is called the Infinity plan. Users can get the Airtel Xstream Fiber connection to access the 'Infinity' plan. The plan offers 1Gbps of high-speed internet data at a cost of Rs 3,999 for a month. The FUP data for all unlimited plans is 3500GB or 3.5TB. The price of the plan is excluding GST and it may be charged as applicable. The plan also comes with a subscription to some of the major OTT platforms in India such as Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ Hotstar along with access to Wynk Music.

Alliance Broadband 150 Mbps Plan is Not So Different from Jio and BSNL Posted: 12 Apr 2022 05:41 AM PDT While popular service providers like Jio and BSNL offer broadband plans with added benefits of OTT and more, some of the lesser-known ISPs such as Alliance Broadband offer plans that are not so different. Alliance Broadband offers a 150 Mbps plan that has reasonable pricing and offers adequate benefits. Mentioned below is the 150 Mbps broadband plan offered by Alliance Broadband which is quite similar to the plan offered by Jio and BSNL. Alliance Broadband 150 Mbps Plan Alliance provides a 150 Mbps broadband plan called 'Cruise'. Users can get the 'Cruise pack' that offers 150 Mbps speed at a price tag of Rs 1,000 per month. The ISP offers truly unlimited broadband plans and no data limit is levied upon. However, with the 150 Mbps plan users have to pay the charges for six months upfront. Moreover, the 150 Mbps plan from Alliance Broadband comes with access to three-month Amazon Prime along with other OTT platforms such as Eros Now, Zee5 Premium, Sony LIV and more. 150 Mbps Plan from Reliance Jio One of the leading ISPs in India, Jio offers a 150 Mbps broadband plan that comes with access to a few OTT Platforms. Being on the list of most reliable service providers in India, JioFiber offers a 150 Mbps internet speed data plan at the price of Rs 999 for a validity period of 30 days. The FUP limit set on this plan is 3300Gb or 3.3TB. Users get access to symmetrical upload and download speeds of 150 Mbps with this plan. The plan is listed as a popular plan on the website and offers subscriptions to 15 OTT platforms including yearlong access to Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Eros Now and more. Similar Plan from BSNL The state-owned telco, BSNL via its Bharat Fibre connection as well offers a plan that comes with OTT benefits and provides 150 Mbps speed. SuperStar Premium Plus pack from BSNL offers 150 Mbps of speed at a monthly cost of Rs 999. The plan offers a 2000GB data limit beyond which the speed reduces to 10 Mbps. SuperStar Premium Plus pack from the telco comes with multiple OTT subscriptions which include Disney+ Hotstar, Lions Gate, Sony LIV and more. Moreover, users can also get a discount of 90% up to Rs 500 on their first month of rent.

Vodafone Idea to Benefit from Spectrum Surrender Guidelines Recommended by TRAI Posted: 12 Apr 2022 05:29 AM PDT Vodafone Idea (Vi), the third-largest telecom operator will be able to benefit from the recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on spectrum surrender guidelines. Not just Vodafone Idea, but Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio will also be able to benefit from this. But the position where Vi is in currently, the recommendations on spectrum surrender guidelines will make a huge difference in the telco's business. So what are these recommendations precisely and how Vodafone Idea will benefit from them? Let's find out. What are the Recommendations for Spectrum Surrender? The spectrum surrender guidelines given by TRAI now permit the telcos to surrender the spectrum after a minimum of 10 years from the date of acquisition of the spectrum. Further, the operators must make a request for surrendering the spectrum 12 months in advance. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will provide in-principle approval in 60 days from the date of the application and the telecom operators must clear all the dues related to the spectrum as communicated by DoT. The surrendered spectrum will be put into the auction immediately by the DoT and the operator who has surrendered a particular frequency won't be allowed to bid for it in the auction for a minimum of 2 years. In addition to this, the telcos will also have to pay a surrendering fee of Rs 1,00,000. This is a particularly good thing for Vodafone Idea as the telco will be able to get rid of airwaves that are not serving the company and its business in any manner. In addition to this, both Jio and Airtel would also be able to benefit from this recommendation of the TRAI. The TRAI had also suggested a price cut on the airwaves and recommended that DoT should include new frequency bands for 5G in the upcoming spectrum auction. The telecom industry has become a more fertile ground for private telcos than it was a year back because of all the support from the government.

TRAI Has Not Recommended Enough Price Cut for 5G Airwaves: Opinion Posted: 12 Apr 2022 03:42 AM PDT The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recently came out with recommendations for the 5G spectrum auctions. The regulatory body recommended a price cut on spectrum bands. But the interesting thing to note here is that the price cut was done keeping in mind a period of 20 years. However, when 30 years are considered, the reserve price recommendations are higher than what the industry would have expected. The industry had asked for a price cut of up to 90% in the reserve price of the airwaves. But the TRAI has recommended something much lower than that. There could be a reason behind this! Govt Revenue Might Also be in Focus For the government, spectrum auctions are a serious money maker. Telcos spend thousands of crores on every auction that takes place. A 90% price cut as recommended by the telcos would have meant much lower revenue for the government. The regulator must have it in mind that there would hardly be any bidding war that would inflate the price of the airwaves. The C-band spectrum is already available in enough quantum for each telco to buy enough without having the need to engage in a bidding war. Further, the regulator might have also considered that Vodafone Idea (Vi) wasn't going to spend much in the upcoming auction because of struggling financials. Thus, a steep lowering in the reserve price of the spectrum would hurt the revenues the government had budgeted from the telecom sector for the current fiscal. Even the analysts believe that the price cut is not enough or not as per the expectations of the industry. Both ICRA and ICICI Securities said that the debt levels of the telecom industry would go up following the 5G spectrum auction. Both Jio and Airtel had engaged in a deleveraging activity to reduce debt from their books. These telcos can afford to pile on more debt. But the same can't be said for Vodafone Idea (Vi), which is still struggling to raise funds from external investors. The telcos would require plenty of spectrum in the C-band (3300-3670 GHz) that will be available in the auction. This particular frequency band would play a key role in helping telcos roll out 5G networks across India.

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