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• OnePlus 9 Now Cheaper than OnePlus 9RT in India
• 5G in India: Private Telcos Want Airwaves to Become More Pocket Friendly
• Vodafone Idea Offered Highest 4G Download/Upload Speeds in Early 2022: Opensignal
• OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite Might Come With 120Hz Display, Snapdragon 695 SoC
• Vodafone Idea Rs 137, Rs 141 STVs Silently Added, Check Benefits
• 5G in India: Telcos to Get E-Band Spectrum via Administrative Allocation
• Airtel Partners With Mavenir to Test O-RAN Based 5G NSA Network
• Moto G22 Official India Launch Date is Here – Check Out Specifications and More
• BSNL Offers the Most Affordable 30 Day Prepaid Plan in the Industry for Rs 16
• Airtel, BSNL, Jio and More: Budget Broadband Plans with Ample Connectivity Speed
• Microsoft Sets Eyes on Surface Laptops Market in India as it Looks to Double its Business
• Boult Audio Airbass Encore X Budget TWS Earbuds Launched in India Under Rs 2,000
• Vivo X Note Geekbench Listing Reveals Snapdragon 8 Gen1 Chipset, Android 12 and More
• These Heavy Data Plans From Jio, Airtel and Vi are Quite Similar
• BSNL Summer Offer Brings Extra Validity With This Prepaid Plan
• iPhone Subscription Plan, Would It Work in India
• 5G Spectrum Auction Will Not be Delayed: Ashwini Vaishnaw, Telecom Minister
• Vodafone UK Now Owns 47.61% Stake in India’s Vodafone Idea
• eSIM Might be Able to Connect With Two Carrier Networks With Android 13
• Airtel Digital TV Reduces Price of HD Set-Top Box After Tata Play

OnePlus 9 Now Cheaper than OnePlus 9RT in India Posted: 05 Apr 2022 04:19 AM PDT The OnePlus 9 is now more affordable than the OnePlus 9RT. The major difference between both smartphones is the Hasselblad powered camera system. OnePlus 9 has Hasselblad branded cameras, while the OnePlus 9RT doesn't. Regardless, the OnePlus 9RT can take very beautiful pictures (read my full review of the OnePlus 9RT here). Post the launch of the OnePlus 10 Pro in India, OnePlus has reduced the price of the OnePlus 9 series in the country. The OnePlus 10 Pro launched starting at Rs 66,999 for 8GB+128GB and Rs 71,999 for 12GB+256GB. Let's see how much the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9RT cost after the launch of the OnePlus 10 Pro. OnePlus 9 Price in India On the official website of OnePlus India, the OnePlus 9 is available in two memory variants, including 8GB+128GB and 12GB+256GB, for Rs 40,599 and Rs 45,599. It is available in three colours — Astral Black, Arctic Sky, and Winter Mist. Users can get an additional Rs 5,000 instant discount if they use an SBI credit card to make the purchase. Further, there's a free Spotify Premium subscription on offer for the first six months. There is also an exchange bonus of up to Rs 4,000 offered by the company (as per the official website of OnePlus). OnePlus 9RT Price in India The OnePlus 9RT is also available in two memory variants in India — 8GB+128GB for Rs 42,999 and 12GB+1256GB for Rs 46,999. It comes in two colours including Hacker Black and Nano Silver. Using an SBI card, the device can be purchased at an additional discount of Rs 4,000 and OnePlus is offering a free Spotify Premium subscription for six months with this smartphone as well. Both the smartphones are powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC and are able to deliver a powerful experience to the users. The OnePlus 9RT camera also comes with OIS support with the OnePlus 9 doesn't, so that is something that you must keep in mind before going for either of the devices.

5G in India: Private Telcos Want Airwaves to Become More Pocket Friendly Posted: 05 Apr 2022 03:06 AM PDT The Indian government will have to be very careful with its decision of pricing the 5G spectrum in the upcoming auctions. In the previous auctions, every operator had avoided purchasing the 700 MHz airwaves due to steep pricing. Until now, the government has looked at the spectrum auctions as a source of revenue. But that's not the right way, of course, as cheaper airwaves would allow the telcos to get more airwaves which in turn would help India in becoming a better digitally connected country. If the telcos feel like the spectrum is too expensive this time around as well, they will not buy it. In the past, Airtel had said that it would go ahead with the 4G spectrum and, using dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) technology, it would offer 5G services to Indians. The telco has also demonstrated that it can do that via a trial in Hyderabad in early 2021. How Much Price Cut do Telcos Want in Spectrum? As per the recommendations that were submitted to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the telcos want a 90% price cut in 5G airwaves. Further, the telcos have also demanded easier payment terms with no upfront payment and a moratorium of five to six years. The telcos said that the mid-band spectrum in the 3300-3670 MHz band should get a price cut of 90% from the earlier evaluated price of Rs 492 crore/MHz for PAN-India. The industry has even called for affordable pricing for the mmWave (millimetre wavelength) bands for 5G services. As for the E-band spectrum, which is to be used for backhaul services, the government might go with the administrative allocation route. The government is not expected to go with the spectrum auction for giving the E-band spectrum to the telcos, which will be very crucial for backhaul with 5G. Instead, the telcos might get it for a nominal fee from the government.

Vodafone Idea Offered Highest 4G Download/Upload Speeds in Early 2022: Opensignal Posted: 05 Apr 2022 02:18 AM PDT Vodafone Idea (Vi), the third-largest telecom operator in the country, has delivered the best download and upload speed to users in India, said Opensignal in its report. The data collected by Opensignal is for the period December 1, 2021, to February 28, 2022. In addition to this, Opensignal said that Airtel was the leading telecom operator in offering the best video experience, gaming experience, and voice app experience to users. Jio bagged the leading telco tag across five categories which are – 4G Availability, Availability, 4G Coverage Experience, Excellent Consistent Quality, and Core Consistent Quality. Credit – Opensignal Thus, in India, in terms of consistency and coverage, Jio is the best option for users. If looking for the ultimate speeds, Vodafone Idea is a good option. In overall experience, Airtel is the best option. Reliance Jio Behind Airtel and Vi in Delivering High 4G Internet Speeds Going by the data shared by Opensignal, Vi was the winner in offering the best download and upload speed experience to the users. Airtel was in the second position while Jio was in the third position. Credit.- Opensignal This could be due to the fact that Jio has more active users than its competitors, and thus chances of network congestion are more with Jio than with any other telecom operator in the country. As per the data shared by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Vi's active user base has been declining for continuous months. This could be the reason why Vi's networks could deliver the best download and upload speeds, as the network load would be much lesser compared to what Jio and Airtel's networks are facing. In the voice app experience, Airtel was leading, but Jio and Vi weren't that far either. Airtel scored 78.1 points, while Jio and Vi scored 77.9 and 77.2 points. But a good mobile network isn't just high data speeds. Other factors such as network coverage, gaming experience, and more matter a lot today. In those fields, Vi couldn't do much. Every operator is ahead in some area. In contrast, it is only Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) that didn't lead in any position of Opensignal's report.

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite Might Come With 120Hz Display, Snapdragon 695 SoC Posted: 05 Apr 2022 01:18 AM PDT OnePlus is expected to launch multiple new smartphones this year. One of those is the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite. It is worth noting that right now, there are already two Nord CE smartphones available in the Indian market. These are — OnePlus Nord CE 5G and OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G. We might get to see the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite soon as well. Let's take a look at the leaked specifications and details of the smartphone. ' OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite Specifications (Leaked) The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite might be powered by the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC, revealed tipster Yogesh Brar. The device is expected to make its way to India later this month only, as per rumours. Going by the info provided by the tipster, the smartphone might come with a triple-camera setup at the rear. The tipster has also revealed the renders of the smartphone. The device has a punch-hole cutout at the front at the top left. According to Brar, the device is going to come with a 6.58-inch FHD+ IPS LCD display and from the renders, it looks like the smartphone will come with fairly thin bezels on the side but the chin is quite thick. There might be a 64MP primary sensor at the rear with a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP monochrome camera. For selfies, there's a 16MP sensor at the front. The device might pack a 5000mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging. The chipset of the device might be coupled with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It is expected to run on OyxgenOS 11 based on Android 11 out of the box. There might be a fingerprint sensor mounted at the side and the device is expected to miss out on the alert slider. More information about the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite might arrive soon.

Vodafone Idea Rs 137, Rs 141 STVs Silently Added, Check Benefits Posted: 05 Apr 2022 12:25 AM PDT Vodafone Idea has launched multiple new prepaid plans in the last few days. The new plans include the following — Rs 337, Rs 107, and Rs 111 vouchers. But very silently, the company had also added two new prepaid plans to its list. These plans come for Rs 137 and Rs 141. If you go to the 'Others' section of prepaid plans listed on Vodafone Idea's website, you will find these two new additions by the company. Let's take a look at what they bring to the table. Vodafone Idea Rs 137 Voucher The Rs 137 prepaid plan from Vodafone Idea comes with a validity of 30 days. With this plan, the company says users will get ten on-net night minutes for voice calling. Further, for all local and national calls, users will be charged 2.5 paise/second. Night minutes will be available between 11 PM to 6 AM. Outgoing SMS will be charged – Rs 1/1.5/5 for local/STD/ISD. Vodafone Idea Rs 141 Voucher The Rs 141 voucher from the telco comes with a validity of 31 days. With this plan too, users will get 10 on-net night minutes for voice calling. Night minutes benefit will be available from 11 PM to 6 AM, and the SMS charges are the same as the Rs 137 voucher. The only difference between the two plans is that the Rs 141 voucher comes with an extra day of validity. Apart from that, all the plans are the same. Vi has launched a series of 30 and 31 days prepaid plans and is the only operator to launch so many new monthly validity prepaid plans. Jio and Airtel also added new plans, but none focused on the low-budget consumers. Vi is trying to attract new customers with these plans and retain old ones. Even the Rs 107 and Rs 111 vouchers are a good option, but they don't allow users to send SMS. With the Rs 141 and Rs 137 vouchers, users can send SMS even though they need to pay extra for it.

5G in India: Telcos to Get E-Band Spectrum via Administrative Allocation Posted: 04 Apr 2022 11:41 PM PDT E-band spectrum (71-76 GHz and 81-86 GHz) is very necessary for the 5G rollout as it will play a major role in helping the telcos with backhaul. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will offer an E-band spectrum to the telcos for a nominal fee and thus it won't be put into the auctions. The spectrum will only be used for backhaul services by the telecom operators and can't be used for providing direct access services. According to a Financial Express report, the DoT has decided not to avail E-band spectrum in the auction. Telcos will have to pay a nominal fee to the government for the E-band airwaves. With the E-band spectrum, 4G/5G mobile towers are connected if there's not enough fiber to do it. This enables a faster rollout of networks and services. Proposal for E-Band Spectrum Allocation Will be Sent to Union Cabinet for Approval According to the publication's report, the proposal for allocation of the E-band spectrum will be sent to the Union Cabinet for approval shortly. Through the spectrum auctions, the operators will anyway get their hands on access spectrum for providing direct commercial services. Even the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had said that the E-band spectrum should be given to the telcos via administrative allocation and the spectrum auction route should be avoided. However, the telcos feel differently about this. Reliance Jio has recommended that spectrum auction is the right way to go for even the E-band airwaves for backhaul. However, the other two private operators including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi) believe that administrative allocation is better. TRAI is yet to submit the recommendations for 5G spectrum auction. However, the telecom minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw had said that despite the delay on TRAI's part, India will go ahead with the spectrum auction as per schedule. Indian govt is eyeing launching 5G services by August 2022.

Airtel Partners With Mavenir to Test O-RAN Based 5G NSA Network Posted: 04 Apr 2022 10:24 PM PDT Indian telecommunications services company Bharti Airtel in partnership with Mavenir has successfully conducted India's first Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) based live 5G network validation. Mavenir is the Network Software Provider building the future of networks with cloud-native software that runs on any cloud and transforms the way the world connects. The Open RAN Ecosystem The Mavenir Open Virtualised Radio Access Network (Open vRAN) solution is based on commercial off-the-shelf hardware. It includes 3500MHz Radio employing open interfaces as defined by O-RAN Alliance. With Open vRAN, Airtel will now be capable of leveraging virtualisation and web-scale containerisation to support an 'any cloud’ deployment scenario. In addition to this, the Open vRAN not only brings network elasticity but also eliminates vendor lock-in. The CTO of Bharti Airtel Randeep Sekhon in a statement said that this is yet another validation of the growing readiness of 5G networks based on open architecture and is nothing less of a milestone for the Open RAN ecosystem in India. He said that Airtel is now leading the innovation efforts of the O-RAN Alliance in India and is looking forward to strengthening its technology partnership with Mavenir. He said that the company plans to collaborate further to accelerate the deployment of these radio access networks. The Open RAN based 5G validation was conducted in Chandigarh and Mohali. The Department of Telecommunications, Government of India has allotted Airtel with the 3500 MHz band test spectrum over which the validation was conducted. Notably, during the process speeds of over 1 Gbps were validated with the equipment deployed and with the use of commercial mobile devices. The President of Communication Services at Mavenir BG Kumar stated that the company's partnership with Airtel has given momentum to the Open RAN ecosystem towards faster deployment of Open RAN. He further added that Mavenir has been continuously investing in the development of cutting-edge technologies at R&D centres across India and is fully committed to the Indian market. For those unaware, more than 300 telecom operators across the globe along with vendors and research and academic institutions are working towards developing a sustainable Open RAN ecosystem and Airtel has been a board member of the O-RAN Alliance ever since it commenced.

Moto G22 Official India Launch Date is Here – Check Out Specifications and More Posted: 04 Apr 2022 09:25 PM PDT The Lenovo backed smartphone company Motorola is all set to introduce its Moto G22 smartphone in India a month after it was launched globally. The smartphone is arriving in India on April 8 and a microsite for the device has gone live on Flipkart revealing major intel. The microsite confirms that the specifications of the Moto G22 launching in India will remain unchanged. Moto G22 is a mid-range smartphone from Motorola that features a MediaTek chipset alongside a 5000mAh battery, triple cameras and more. Moto G22 Specifications The budget-oriented device Moto G22 comes with 6.53-inch IPS LCD display that has HD+ 720 x 1600 pixels resolution. The display of the device provides support for a 90Hz refresh rate. Based on the previous renders, the smartphone has a quite premium look as it comes with a boxy design. The display has a 20:9 aspect ratio and a water-drop-shaped notch that houses the selfie camera. Moto G22 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G37 processor which is paired with 4GB of RAM along with 64GB of internal storage. The onboard storage on the device can be further expanded via a microSD card up to 1TB. As far as the camera specifications are considered, Moto G22 comes with a quad-camera setup at the back headlined by a 50MP camera along with an 8MP ultra-wide lens and two 2MP depth and macro sensors. The front of the device features a 16MP selfie camera. Moto G22 is backed by a 5000mAh battery and comes with 20W TurboPower fast charging support.  The device runs on Android 12. The other key features of the Moto G22 include a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, face unlock support, dual-SIM card support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS, a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB Type-C port. Moto G22 Expected Price in India The pricing for the global Moto G22 variant starts at €169.99 which is roughly around Rs 14,000. It is to be kept in mind that the European pricing of smartphones can sometimes be higher, therefore, Moto G22 could arrive in India with a price tag of somewhere between Rs 12,000 to Rs 13,000.

BSNL Offers the Most Affordable 30 Day Prepaid Plan in the Industry for Rs 16 Posted: 04 Apr 2022 08:29 PM PDT Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) offers the most affordable 30-day prepaid plan to users in India. The plan that I am talking about comes for Rs 16 and ships with a total validity of 30 calendar days. There are no SMS and data benefits included with this plan. BSNL on its website said this plan charges "20 paise/min on-net calls + 20 paise/min off-net calls". If you want to keep your BSNL SIM active, this voice voucher can be a good bet. But wait, there's more from BSNL in the 30 days category. BSNL STV_147 If you want a solid and affordable prepaid plan from BSNL which comes with 30 days of validity, even the STV_147 is not a bad option. Particularly because it ships with both data and voice calling benefit for the users. With this plan, users get unlimited voice calling in addition to 10GB of data and the BSNL Tunes facility. There are no SMS benefits included with this plan. BSNL STV_247 If you can pay a little more, then you can go for the STV_247 from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited. This plan also bundles SMS benefits for the users. Users get 50GB of data along with unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS/day along with BSNL Tunes and Eros Now entertainment services. BSNL STV_299 This is yet another exciting special tariff voucher (STV) that you can get from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited. With this plan, users get 3GB of daily data, unlimited voice calling, and 100 SMS/day. The internet speed drops to 80 Kbps once the fair usage policy (FUP) data is exhausted. These are some of the 30-day vouchers that you can take from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited. At the same time, even telecom operators such as Vodafone Idea (Vi), Bharti Airtel, and Reliance Jio have come out with prepaid plans that offer 30 and 31 days of validity.

Airtel, BSNL, Jio and More: Budget Broadband Plans with Ample Connectivity Speed Posted: 04 Apr 2022 06:32 PM PDT Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in India offer a ton of broadband plans for their subscribers with different connectivity speeds and price tags. Users can get plans with up to 1 Gbps connectivity speed, however, it can get very expensive. Keeping in mind, that majority of the users in the country are budget users, ISPs offer broadband plans that are budget-driven and yet provide sufficient connectivity speed. Mentioned below are the budget broadband plans offered by ISPs such as Airtel, BSNL, Jio and more that provide ample connectivity speed. Airtel Broadband Airtel with its Xstream Fiber connection offers one of the fastest broadband connections and users can get access to the 'Basic' pack which provides 40 Mbps of internet speed at a monthly cost of Rs 499 exclusive of taxes. Users get 3.3TB or 3300GB of monthly fair-usage-policy (FUP) data with this plan. Airtel also provides 'Airtel Thanks Benefits' with its broadband plans which in this case include a subscription to Wynk Music and Shaw Academy. BSNL The most affordable option from the state-owned operator BSNL used to be the 'Fibre Basic' plan which offers an internet speed of 30 Mbps at a cost of Rs 449. The mentioned price is exclusive of GST and the plan comes with a FUP limit of 3300GB or 3.3TB. However, the telco has recently introduced a new broadband plan called "Fiber Entry". Using its Bharat Fiber connection, the telco offers a Fiber Entry plan which provides 20 Mbps speed at a cost of Rs 329 per month. The data limit on the plan is 1000GB beyond which the speed is reduced to 2 Mbps. JioFiber Base Plan JioFiber provides a 30 Mbps internet speed data plan at the price of Rs 399 per month. The FUP limit set on this plan is 3300Gb or 3.3TB. Using the 30 Mbps plan from JioFiber, customers can get access to smooth and seamless internet across multiple devices. It is to be noted that the price of the plan is exclusive of GST. Excitel Broadband Excitel provides broadband connectivity only with 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps or 300 Mbps of internet speed. Therefore, the 100 Mbps plan offered by the telco is its most affordable plan. The Fiber First from Excitel provides users with a 100 Mbps plan for a month at Rs 699. Users can also get the plan for 3 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months for Rs 565, Rs 508, Rs 490, Rs 424 and Rs 399 per month respectively. However, the 9-month plan is available for only new subscribers to the service. Moreover, the plans from Excitel are truly unlimited and no FUP data limit is levied. ACT's Affordable Offer The Internet Service Provider based in Bengaluru provides a 40 Mbps unlimited data plan called 'ACT Basic.' The plan usually costs Rs 549 for a month, but the ISP is providing a unique offer for its customers, wherein the 'ACT Basic' plan is available for a price of Rs 470 per month for a duration of 6 months. In addition to this, the FUP data limit levied on the broadband plans is 500GB post which the internet works at speed of 512 Kbps. Tata Play Fibre Tata Play Fiber, formerly known as Tata Sky Broadband also provides an affordable plan that offers 50 Mbps of speed at a three-month price of Rs 2,097. This plan unlike other broadband plans offered by the provider doesn't come for a monthly cycle. However, users looking to get the plan for a longer period can get access to the plan for six months at Rs 3,300 and for a year at Rs 6,000. The FUP limit on this plan is 3300GB or 3.3TB.

Microsoft Sets Eyes on Surface Laptops Market in India as it Looks to Double its Business Posted: 04 Apr 2022 09:18 AM PDT The American multinational technology corporation which produces computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services – Microsoft is planning to double its Surface device business in the next three years in India as informed by a senior executive. The pandemic came as a boon for the company as it has doubled its business in the last couple of years on the back of emerging business opportunities across consumer and enterprise segments. Microsoft's Vision According to a report from ET Telecom, the country head for Surface Devices at Microsoft India, Bhaskar Basu in a statement said that the Surface devices have been in India for only about six years and Microsoft is looking forward to doubling its business in the next 24 to 30 months given its current position. He added that the pandemic has been almost an accelerator of sorts with the company's business doubling in the last two years across commercial and consumer businesses. Basu informed that the rapid digitisation across industries has driven the demand for laptops. This has resulted in Microsoft being able to significantly increase the sale of its surface devices in the country. As of now, Microsoft's Surface laptop and two-in-one portfolio now have eight devices available in the market with prices starting at Rs 38,000-Rs 40,000. The executive further stated that there has been a significant surge in demand and not only for surface devices but for all types of devices. He said that there is a "tremendous amount of appetite" for Microsoft Surface devices in the country. This is quite surprising as the overall PC shipments are going to decline in the coming times as predicted by market trackers. Basu said that the laptop market is becoming a "commoditized space" that has resulted in high competition. He said that Indian consumers and businesses are being offered a tremendous amount of choice across platforms, however, he also believes that Windows is still the preferred choice for a majority of the users. Basu stated that the partnership with OEMs such as HP, Dell and Lenovo driving innovation across price points has created a flourishing ecosystem for Windows.

Boult Audio Airbass Encore X Budget TWS Earbuds Launched in India Under Rs 2,000 Posted: 04 Apr 2022 08:09 AM PDT The Indian consumer electronics manufacturer Boult Audio majorly known for its budget products in the country has launched its latest truly wireless stereo earbuds in India. The latest earphones have been given the name Boult Audio Airbass Encore X and are the latest budget offering from the brand. The earbuds have been priced at less than Rs 2,000 and will be competing with the TWS earbuds from Realme as well as other brands such as Noise, Boat, Oppo and more. Mentioned below are the specification, features and price details of the new Boult Audio Airbass Encore X. Boult Audio Airbass Encore X Specs The new Boult Audio Airbass Encore X come equipped with Bluetooth 5.1 chip for wireless connectivity. The listing of the device says that it will offer significantly extra bass, however, the brand hasn't shared the specifics of the featured drivers in the audio product. The earbuds not only feature a quad mic setup but also come with environmental noise cancellation for calls which essentially blocks the surrounding noise enhancing the overall experience of the users. Talking about the design of the product, Airbass Encore X are in-ear style earbuds with a stem design. The company claims that its latest TWS earbuds can last up to 30 hours with a single charge. The earbuds on their own offer 6 hours of music playback on a single charge and the case will offer an additional 5 charge cycles. In addition to this, the company also claims that a 10-minute charge can give up to 100 minutes of playback time. The case comes with a Type-C port for charging. The new TWS earbuds come with full touch control options using which users can double-tap to Play/Pause and long press for 2 seconds left/right earbud to skip tracks. The device is rated IPX5 for water and sweat resistance. The earbuds support Google Assistant and Siri and are compatible with Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS. Boult Audio Airbass Encore X Price Boult Audio Airbass Encore X has been priced at Rs 1,799 in India and is already available for purchase via the Amazon e-commerce platform. The earbuds have been launched in Black and White colour options.

Vivo X Note Geekbench Listing Reveals Snapdragon 8 Gen1 Chipset, Android 12 and More Posted: 04 Apr 2022 07:31 AM PDT The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo has already officially announced the arrival of the Vivo X Note smartphone in China along with the Vivo X Fold and the Vivo X Pad on April 11. Even though the brand hasn't provided any authentic details regarding the device, rumours and leaks on the web are plenty. Now according to a new report from MySmartPrice, Vivo X Note has apparently been spotted at Geekbench benchmarking site featuring Qualcomm's flagship chipset. Let's find out more. Vivo X Note Geekbench Listing The smartphone has been listed on Geekbench with the model number V2170A. As far as the listing goes, it reveals that the smartphone has a processor that has the codename "taro" which is essentially the Snapdragon 8 Gen1 chipset. The flagship chipset from Qualcomm is an octa-core processor that has a peak clock speed of 3.0 Ghz and comes paired with an Adreno 730 GPU. Furthermore, the listing also shows that the smartphone will have 12GB of RAM and will run on Android 12. Vivo X Note was able to score 794 points in the single-core test and managed 3158 points in the multi-core test at Geekbench. Vivo X Note Specs A previous report suggests that the upcoming Vivo X Note might come with a huge 7-inch Samsung E5 AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. As far as the design is considered, Vivo X Note is expected to have slightly curved edges with a centrally placed punch-hole housing for the front camera. The smartphone is expected to be powered by Qualcomm's latest and most powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen1 Chipset which has now been confirmed. The processor on the device will be paired with Adreno GPU. No intel is available on the storage options of the device, but it is expected that the smartphone could have up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. As far as the camera module of the device is considered, Vivo X Note will feature a quadruple rear camera setup headlined by a 50MP Samsung S5KGN1 primary sensor. The secondary cameras will include a 48MP Sony IMX598 camera along with a 12MP Sony IMX663 lens and an 8MP snapper with 5x zoom. No details are available for the front camera of the smartphone. Vivo X Note is expected to be backed by a 5000mAh battery with 80W fast charging support.

These Heavy Data Plans From Jio, Airtel and Vi are Quite Similar Posted: 04 Apr 2022 06:19 AM PDT All three private telecom operators in India – Jio, Airtel and Vi offer a variety of prepaid plans for their subscribers. Seemingly, all of them offer prepaid plans that have similar pricing but offer different benefits. All these are daily data prepaid plans with 28 day validity periods. Let's take a look at the 3GB/day prepaid plan offered by Jio, Airtel and Vi with 28-day validity that is quite identical to each other. Jio's Heavy Data Plan The leading telecom operator provides a heavy data plan for users who are looking for more data and can go for 3GB/day plans. Jio offers a 3GB/day prepaid plan with a validity period of 28 days at the cost of Rs 601. The plan offers unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS/day. In addition to the daily 3GB of data, users also get a total of an additional 6GB of data as well. This plan as well comes with access to an annual subscription to the Disney+ Hotstar Mobile OTT platform as well as a complimentary subscription to a few Jio applications. Airtel's Plan Has a Variation Airtel also offers a 3GB/day plan that is slightly cheaper than Jio. The telco offers a 3GB/day prepaid plan for a validity period of 28 days at a price tag of Rs 599. The plan offers unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS/day. With this plan from Airtel, users get access to an annual subscription to Disney+ Hotstar mobile, a free trial to mobile edition Amazon Prime Video and Wynk Music. Vi Offers Additional Benefits Vodafone Idea or Vi offers a similar 3GB/day plan as Reliance Jio and even provides more data. Vi offers a 3GB/day plan at a price tag of Rs 601 for a validity period of 28 days. The plan offers unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS/day. In addition to the daily 3GB data, users also get a total of additional 16GB of data as well. This plan as well comes with access to an annual subscription to the Disney+ Hotstar Mobile OTT platform. The plan comes with added benefits which include the "Binge All Night" feature, which allows users to use unlimited internet from 12 midnight to 6 am. Users can also take over their unused data from Monday to Friday to Saturday and Sunday, which is called the "Weekend Roll Over" benefit. In addition to this, users also get 2GB of data backup every month at no extra cost.

BSNL Summer Offer Brings Extra Validity With This Prepaid Plan Posted: 04 Apr 2022 05:19 AM PDT Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has rolled out a summer offer for its customers. It is a limited period offer but the company hasn't specified until when it will be available. Regardless, the summer offer has arrived for the Rs 2399 prepaid plan. Although, it is not a new offer at all. The state-run telco has been offering additional validity with the Rs 2399 plan for a long-time now. Let's check out what is the offer and whether it is worth it. BSNL Rs 2399 Prepaid Plan on Summer Offer BSNL is offering its Rs 2399 prepaid plan under the summer offer. With this plan, users get 2GB of daily data, unlimited voice calling, and 100 SMS/day. Further, users get caller tunes service from the telco and a free subscription to Eros Now. Normally, this plan comes with 365 days of service validity. But under the summer offer, users will get 60 days of additional validity. This means that users will get a total of 425 days of service with this plan from the telco. Whether this plan is worth it or not depends on the user. It is not a plan made for people who want a ton of high-speed data. BSNL doesn't have a 4G network and this means that even if you get more than 2GB of daily data, it might be of no use to you if there's no good internet speed. However, if this plan is for an old person who can sufficiently live with 3G data, they can go for it without any worries. There are more long-term plans on offer from BSNL. At every regular interval, BSNL brings this kind of additional validity offers for its users. The state-run telco is currently working on rolling out 4G network in India. With the backing of 4G networks, these plans would become more valuable.

iPhone Subscription Plan, Would It Work in India Posted: 04 Apr 2022 03:47 AM PDT Apple is reportedly working on a new iPhone subscription plan for its users. Mark Gurman from Bloomberg wrote that users wouldn't be able to own the device under this subscription model. Meaning, that until the time users are paying for the subscription, they can keep the device, and when they stop, they will have to return it. It is worth noting that Google Pixel Pass is a similar program that is not yet available in India, where Google offers the Pixel smartphone to users when they complete two years of payments. But it looks like Apple is going to stick with a fixed monthly fee. Apple Already Offers iPhone Upgrade Program Apple already offers an iPhone upgrade program wherein it allows users to pay for a device across 12 to 24 months and upgrade to a new iPhone each year. However, the Bloomberg report suggests that the iPhone subscription program that Apple is planning right now might be in a completely different model than the iPhone upgrade program that already exists. Right now, if Mark Gurman is to be believed, users won't be able to own the iPhone under the alleged new subscription program that Apple might launch soon. It will be an interesting proposition from Apple. All of these business models are available in the US and not in India right now. But were they to come to India, would they be effective? The right answer to this question can't be given without any data. But from the way the Indian market runs and behaves, such a subscription model might not work in India as people would rather buy an iPhone in easy instalments with cheap financing than not own the most personal gadget that they use almost every hour. Even in the international markets, this model might be sufficient for people who want a smartphone for a very short period if they are going on travel or something like that. But it doesn't make sense over the long run.

5G Spectrum Auction Will Not be Delayed: Ashwini Vaishnaw, Telecom Minister Posted: 04 Apr 2022 02:48 AM PDT The 5G spectrum auction will happen within the stipulated timeline, and there will be no delays, said Ashwini Vaishnaw, Telecom Minister of India. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was supposed to submit the spectrum auction recommendations by March-end. But that hasn't happened yet, and we are already a few days into April. Regardless, the recommendations should be out in a few days’ time, said a PTI report. 5G Spectrum Auction to Take Place as Per Schedule Speaking to the reporters at the 2nd national conference on cybercrime, Vaishnaw said that the 5G auction would "absolutely" take place as per the defined time schedule, and there would be no delays. The private telecom operators are expected to launch 5G network services by the second half of 2022. For now, the industry is waiting for the TRAI to come out with the recommendations on the 5G spectrum auction. TRAI's recommendations will play a major role in the development of the 5G ecosystem in India. In 2021, the regulator had released a consultation paper on understanding how the spectrum should be priced, what frequencies should be available, and more. For the first time, TRAI will also have to consider mmWave (millimetre wavelength) frequencies for the auction, and then there is the satellite communications (satcom) industry. Every telecom operator would be looking at the pricing of the spectrum in the upcoming auction. In the earlier auctions, telcos have ignored frequencies that were unreasonably high in cost. This time as well, if the spectrum is too expensive, the telcos will look to avoid purchasing the frequencies in high quantum. The telcos are already working on 5G and testing India relevant use cases with partners such as Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung in different parts of India, including Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Gurugram, Chandigarh, Pune, Varanasi, and more. Going by the words of the TRAI official, it shouldn't be long from now for the regulator to submit the recommendations.

Vodafone UK Now Owns 47.61% Stake in India’s Vodafone Idea Posted: 04 Apr 2022 01:40 AM PDT Vodafone Group Plc, a British telecom giant, has increased its stake in the cash-strapped Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL) from 44.39% to 47.61%. Prime Metals, a subsidiary company of Vodafone UK has, submitted this in a regulatory filing on Monday. It is worth noting that on Thursday, Vi's board had approved the allotment of 338.3 crore equity shares at Rs 13.30 per scrip to three promoter group entities, including Prime Metals, Euro Pacific Securities, and Oriana Investments. This helped the Indian telecom operator raise about Rs 4500 crore. Vi is raising a total of Rs 14,500 crore from the market, where Rs 4,500 was supposed to come from the promoters. For the remaining Rs 10,000 crore, the telco is talking with other investors globally. Vodafone Idea to Also Benefit from BGs When Returned To add the cherry on the cake, the government might also return Rs 15,000 crore worth of bank guarantees to Vodafone Idea (Vi). This would help the telco in addressing its short-term cash flow issues. With 5G spectrum auctions nearby, Vi would like to have as much free cash flow as possible. Further, the telco also has to address the low capex levels for the 4G expansion. Airtel and Jio have been adding new active subscribers because Vi isn't able to aggressively invest in 4G networks as it doesn't have the kind of money needed. ' There are also telecom reforms 2.0 in the works. The first set of telecom reforms was supposed to solve the problems, and the second set of telecom reforms will help with unleashing growth, Ashwini Vaishnaw, IT and Telecom Minister of India, had said earlier. The first set of relief measures helped Vodafone Idea (Vi) to become slightly stable. The second set of reforms should further help the Indian Telecom operator in boosting its growth. Telcos have requested the government for easier spectrum payment terms. If that is considered, that would also be a helping factor for Vodafone Idea and the entire telecom industry.

eSIM Might be Able to Connect With Two Carrier Networks With Android 13 Posted: 04 Apr 2022 01:34 AM PDT eSIM is becoming a common phenomenon in India and around the world. In 2022, Google will come out with the Android 13 and is expected to reveal some information about the new operating system (OS) at the annual developers’ conference scheduled for next month. There are a lot of leaks about Android 13 already. One of those leaks comes from esper, a blog, which suggests that Android 13 powered smartphones will come with the capability of a single eSIM connecting to two carrier networks simultaneously. eSIM Currently Can Connect With a Single Network If you have a smartphone with eSIM support, you know that it can only connect with a single carrier's network. If you want your device to be connected to another carrier's network, you will have to change the eSIM. But with Android 13, Google might change that. According to the leak, a single eSIM inside an Android 13 powered smartphone might be able to connect with networks of two telecom operators simultaneously. Google wants users to get dual-eSIM support using a single eSIM chip. The company has developed multiple enabled profiles (MEP) for this, which allows a single eSIM element to actively connect with two carriers. This would be a game-changer for eSIMs and their future. Apple is reportedly going to ditch physical SIM slots with the iPhone 15 (even in some models of iPhone 14) completely. The relevance of eSIM related technologies and advancements will increase with the coming age. Android 13 is going to bring a lot of changes, not at the UI level mostly, but in the features and capabilities area. The support for MEP could also be available for other devices, including those which are running Windows, macOS, and iOS. Pixel smartphones from Google are reportedly being tested with this new technology, and we might get to see it officially in a few weeks’ time. There will be a lot more new features that users will be able to see with Android 13.

Airtel Digital TV Reduces Price of HD Set-Top Box After Tata Play Posted: 04 Apr 2022 12:26 AM PDT Airtel Digital TV, one of the largest Direct-to-Home (DTH) service providers in the country, has reduced the price of HD (High-Definition) Set-Top Boxes (STBs). Much recently, Tata Play had discounted its HD and SD STBs by Rs 200. Following Tata Play, Airtel Digital TV has done the same. But Airtel Digital TV has only reduced the price for HD STB and not the SD STB as Tata Play did. Let's check out the fresh pricing. Airtel Digital TV HD STB New Price Airtel Digital TV HD STB is also now Rs 200 cheaper than its previous price. The price of the HD STB from Airtel Digital TV has fallen from Rs 1850 to Rs 1650. The price change is already reflecting on the official website of the company. Note that the SD STB is not listed on the website anymore. Only two STBs are listed on Airtel's website for now — HD STB and the Xstream Box. The Xstream Box is the Android-powered STB offered by Airtel. Even the Xstream Box that had received a price cut is now available at Rs 2000 instead of its older price of Rs 2500. With the HD STB of Airtel, users can watch premium quality content on their TVs powered by Digital Dolby Sound. Further, users also get the power to record and play select shows and movies with the HD STB from Airtel. Tata Play's HD STB had also received a price cut of Rs 200. From Rs 1,899 earlier, the price of Tata Play's HD STB has fallen to Rs 1,699. Airtel's HD STB is Rs 50 more affordable than Tata Play's HD STB. Note that with Tata Play, you can also get the SD STB at a price of Rs 1,499 now. Earlier, the price of the Tata Play SD STB was Rs 1,699. Even the SD STB had received a price cut of Rs 200 from the company.

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