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Tecno Pova 3 Launch Date has Been Fixed for India

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 07:18 AM PDT

Tecno Pova 3

The new Tecno Pova 3 will come with a 7,000mAh battery unit with support for 33W fast charging. The MediaTek Helio G88 SoC will be used in the device. India will see the launch of the new smartphone on June 20. The Tecno Pova 3's Amazon India landing page is now live, and interested customers may use the website's "Notify Me" option to receive information on the device's release and availability. The company has released a teaser on social media in order to provide more information about the new Pova series phone. Let's have a look at the device's specifications, price, and other details.

Tecno Pova 3 Specifications

The Tecno Pova 3 will have a 6.9-inch full-HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate, according to rumours. The device will be powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio G88 SoC, which can be paired with Mali-G52 GPU and up to 6GB of RAM. Not only that, by utilising the device's unused storage, the memory can be increased to 11GB. It also has 128GB of inbuilt storage and a gaming-friendly Z-axis linear motor. The smartphone is backed by a 7,000mAh battery unit which is supposed to provide up to 53 days of standby time. The device also has dual stereo speakers.

Talking about the camera specifications, the Tecno Pova 3 has a triple rear camera unit with a 50MP primary sensor, according to the Amazon description.

Tecno Pova 3 Price (Expected)

The Tecno Pova 3 was released in May in the Philippines for PHP 8,999 (approximately Rs. 13,300) for the 4GB + 64GB storage model. PHP 9,399 (roughly Rs 13,900) gets you the top-of-the-line 6GB + 128GB model. The Indian version will almost certainly be priced similarly. Not only that the smartphone will be available in three different colour variants: Eco Black, Electric Blue, and Tech Silver.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Gets June 2022 Android Security Patch

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 07:08 AM PDT

Galaxy Z Fold 3

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is rumoured to have many camera enhancements as well as fixes over 66 privacy and security vulnerabilities with the latest June 2022 Android security patch. Samsung has begun pushing out the June 2022 Android security patch for the Galaxy Z Fold 3, according to a report from Sammobile. Let's take a look at how you can receive the update for your device.

More information on the new feature and upgrade

The newest Android security patch for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 should arrive automatically in June 2022. Eligible users can manually update their smartphones by going to Settings > Software update > Download and install if it hasn't already done so.

Samsung has started pushing out the June 2022 Android security patch for the Galaxy Z Fold 3. With the firmware version F926BXX1CVEE, the update is believed to be available in Europe right now. It will begin rolling out in more markets in the coming days.

The update is believed to provide solutions for a number of privacy and security flaws. The most essential aspect of the update is that it is believed to improve camera performance. According to the source, the Night Portrait feature has been improved, and support for the telephoto camera has been added to the stock camera application's Pro mode. The device now features the Auto Framing feature in supported video conferencing programmes, according to the changelog.

The visual quality of photos taken with social media apps like Instagram and Snapchat could increase. The smartphone was released in India in August 2021. To recall, a 7.6-inch primary Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex display with QXGA+ resolution (2,208×1,768 pixels) and 120Hz refresh rate is included on the foldable smartphone. The device has a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with HD+ resolution (832×2,268 pixels) and 120Hz refresh rate on the outside. The foldable phone comes equipped with a 5nm octa-core SoC and 12GB of RAM. It also has UFS 3.1 storage options of 256GB and 512GB. The smartphone has a 4,400mAh dual-cell battery that supports 25W rapid charging.

Open RAN to be Instrumental for Breaking Down Water Tight Networks

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 06:54 AM PDT

Open RAN

Open RAN or Open Radio Access Networks are the future of the telecom industry across the globe. With O-RAN, the telcos get more flexibility in building their networks and don't have to be locked in with a particular vendor/gear provider for their networks. Right now, major gear vendors only supply every part/component of the network and ensure that they make hefty profits by charging telcos huge sums of money. But with O-RAN, a multi-vendor ecosystem can be built where the benefit will lie with the telcos through which the operators can potentially bring down the cost of rolling out networks.

Speaking at the Open RAN India 2022 Hybrid Conference, Rajat Mukarji, Director General, Broadband India Forum, said that with the 5G spectrum soon to be auctioned, Open RAN can be instrumental and that it is time to break down water-tight networks.

What the Industry Had to Say About Open RAN

Narendra Rawat, Vice President – Technology, India & South Asia region, Mavenir, said that they are working together with the communications service providers (CSPs) to create the right foundations for innovation and flexibility in the Radio Access Networks (RAN).

Ayush Bhatnagar, Senior Vice President, Reliance Jio, said that the crucial parts of Open RAN are RU, CU, and DU functions.

"They are the carriers for innovation, and at the same time, they highlight the picture for Open RAN with all its challenges and competencies," added Bhatnagar.

Saurabh Mittal, Head of Network Infrastructure Products R&D, Bharti Airtel, said that competence, innovation and interoperability would play an important role in making Open RAN highly successful in the country.

K Rajaraman, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications (DoT), said that Open RAN is primary to Digital India and Make in India initiatives.

"Open RAN brings in greater flexibility for all spectrums, which enables us to act in a highly competitive market. Our aim is to achieve that soon", Rajaraman added.

Poco F4 5G to Debut in India on June 23

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 05:16 AM PDT

Poco

The Poco F4 5G will have a 4th Gen (E4) Super AMOLED touchscreen with HDR10+ resolution, Truecolor tuning, and a 100 percent DCI-P3 colour gamut display, according to the Chinese Smartphone Company. Poco said that the display will also have a peak brightness of 1300 nits. The company has announced that the new Poco F4 5G will go on sale globally on June 23 at 5:30 p.m. The event will be broadcasted live on Poco's YouTube page. Let's take a closer look at the features and specifications of the smartphone.

Poco F4 5G specifications and features

The smartphone will have a Truecolor display that has been designed to have a peak brightness of 1300 nits. It will include HDR10+ resolution and a 100 percent DCI-P3 colour gamut screen, according to the company. Unfortunately, the handset's display size has not been confirmed, however, it has previously been rumoured to have a 6.67-inch display.

Poco elaborated on the display features of the Poco F4 5G in a Twitter conversation. It's the "display you need," according to the business, and it's packed with capabilities to improve a user's multimedia experience. The 4th Gen (E4) Super AMOLED touchscreen has low energy consumption, higher resolution, faster response time, and improved photoelectric characteristics, according to the company. The display will also have a contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1.

The device will have 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The Snapdragon 870 SoC is confirmed to power the smartphone. The Poco F4 5G's dynamic HDR decodes metadata for each frame in a video and adjusts the brightness and tone mapping accordingly. The Truecolor display tuning will improve colour accuracy, the company added.

Not only that, but a triple rear camera configuration with a 64MP primary sensor will also be available on the smartphone. LiquidCool 2.0 technology will also be included in the device. The smartphone is slated to come in three colour options including Green, Black and Silver colour.

Bharti Airtel Rs 1199 Plan Offers the Benefits of Old Rs 999 Plan

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 02:43 AM PDT

Bharti Airtel

Bharti Airtel, the second-largest telecom operator in the country, offers some of the best postpaid plans to users. The telcos have been very vocal about hiking tariffs of mobile services. Until now, they had only hiked tariffs for prepaid plans, but now they are also increasing prices of postpaid plans, at least Bharti Airtel is. A couple of weeks back, Airtel had introduced a new postpaid plan and revised the benefits of the old ones. In this change, the telco shifted the benefits of the Rs 999 plan to the newly launched Rs 1199 plan. Let's take a look at what each of these plans offers to the customers.

Bharti Airtel Rs 1199 Postpaid Plan

Bharti Airtel offers users 150GB of monthly data + 30GB for each add-on connection with rollover up to 200GB. Users can claim up to two free add-on regular voice connections for family members. There is, of course, unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS/day included with this plan. The Airtel Thanks Platinum rewards that users get with this plan include Netflix’s basic monthly subscription, Amazon Prime membership for six months at no additional cost, and a Disney+ Hotstar Mobile plan for one year at no extra cost, along with Wynk Premium and more.

Note that these benefits earlier used to come with the Rs 999 postpaid plan offered by the company.

Bharti Airtel Rs 999 Postpaid Plan

Today, if you go for the Rs 999 postpaid plan from Bharti Airtel, these are the benefits you are going to get – 100GB of data (plus 30GB for each add-on connection), 100GB monthly data with rollover up to 200GB, unlimited voice calling, and 100 SMS/day. This plan also comes with Airtel Thanks Platinum benefits. There can be a total of two add-on connections with this plan as well.

While the Rs 999 is still a good option for most, it looks like Airtel is indirectly increasing the prices of postpaid plans.

Samsung Galaxy F13 Launch has Been Confirmed for India

Posted: 17 Jun 2022 12:46 AM PDT

Samsung Galaxy F13

Samsung is soon going to launch the Galaxy F13 in India. The smartphone is all set to launch in the country on June 22, 2022. It will be available for sale via Flipkart and, of course, the official channels of Samsung. Some of the details of the device have been confirmed as the product has been found listed on Samsung's official website as well as Flipkart. Let's take a look at the confirmed details of the Galaxy F13 in India.

Samsung Galaxy F13 Details

Samsung Galaxy F13 will come to India with an FHD+ LCD display along with a massive 6000mAh battery. From the image, it can be seen that the smartphone will be available in three different colours for purchase. There's a triple-camera setup visible at the rear with an LED flash. The front display has a small waterdrop notch, and there's a visible Type-C port at the bottom, along with a speaker grill and a 3.5mm audio jack.

According to a Gadgets360 report, the device will come with support for 15W fast-charging. The publication's report mentioned that the device would come with up to 8GB of RAM with the RAM plus feature.

A Geekbench listing has hinted that the smartphone will be powered by the Samsung Exynos 850 SoC and come with a base variant of 4GB RAM. It is definitely expected to be running on Android 12 out of the box.

The Galaxy F13 will be the successor to the Galaxy F12, which launched in India at a starting price of Rs 10,999 for 4GB+64GB. There's a strong chance that the Galaxy F13 will be priced the same and bundled with bank offers. The launch of the smartphone is very close now, and it will be worth watching whether it is something that can excite the Indian users into ignoring the Chinese brands, which are selling very competitively in the same price zone.

Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 7 to Launch Soon in India, Here are Some Details

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 10:28 PM PDT

Mi Band 7

Xiaomi is very popular for selling a very one of the most successful fitness gear in India – Mi Smart Bands. The Mi Smart Band has been in heavy demand since the time it launched in India. When people look at a Mi Smart Band, they see affordability, functionality, and value. Last year, when Xiaomi launched the Mi Smart Band 6 for Rs 3499, everyone was a little shocked. This was by far the most expensive Mi Smart Band to ever launch in the country. But then, the Mi Smart Band 6 also had the largest AMOLED display compared to its predecessors and came with plenty of exciting features and activity tracking support.

Xiaomi usually launches the new generation of Mi Smart Band in China and then brings it to the global market, including India, at a later stage. The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 7, which launched in China earlier this year, will finally soon make its way to the Indian market as well.

Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 7 Has Received BIS Certification

One way to know that a certain product is launching in the country is to see whether they are listed on the certification platforms. The Xiaomi Smart Band 7 has been spotted on the BIS (Bureau of India Standards) with the model number M2129B1 by Mukul Sharma, a popular tipster. The listing doesn't reveal any of the key details of the Smart Band. Because of the listing, it is safe to assume the launch of the product is just a month or a two away.

Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 7 isn't going to come with any other specifications than what you have already seen on the Chinese variant. It will just be the pricing that we are looking forward to.

Xiaomi Mi Smart Band (or Xiaomi Band 7) has launched in China with a 1.62-inch full-screen AMOLED touch Always-On display with a 25% larger screen area than the Mi Band 6. There are over 100 watch faces users can play around with.

The Smart Band supports the tracking of various activities. It has support for SpO2 monitoring, heart-rate tracking, sleep monitoring and more.

4G Subscriber Addition Muting Due to Higher Tariffs, Costly Phones

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 10:10 PM PDT

4G

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released its monthly performance report on Thursday for the month of April 2022. As TelecomTalk reported, the active subscriber base of all the telcos went down. The total industry-active subscriber base dipped by 7.8 million MoM. Airtel's active subscribers dipped by 3.1 million, VIL’s (Vodafone Idea Limited) active subscriber base dipped by 3.8 million, while Jio lost 0.1 million active users.

The industry-wide MBB (mobile broadband) subscribers stood at 760 million in April 2022, which reflects the slow growth of 4G subscribers because of higher tariffs and rising entry-level smartphone costs, said ICICI Securities. However, one positive in the mobile business for the telcos would be a slower churn rate of 0.7% compared to 0.8% in March 2022.

Why Are Active Subscribers Dipping for the Industry?

Because of higher tariffs, it is a high possibility that the users have stopped recharging their secondary SIM just to keep it active. Due to tariff hikes, the mobile bill costs would have become unbearable for some. In such scenarios, keeping a secondary SIM active makes no sense.

With further tariff hikes, we might see an even larger decline in the number of active users in the country. The number of users who could afford to keep a secondary SIM active just for the sake of it would come down significantly.

All the telcos have lost active users in April 2022. It will be interesting to see the figures for May 2022. It would determine whether the trend of closing secondary SIM is catching up or not. Most importantly, this puts a dent in Reliance Jio's ambition to get 500 million subscribers. If users just keep deactivating their secondary SIMs, there will not be as many connections anymore for a telco to reach 500 million users. Jio's tariffs are lower than other operators, but not so much that it becomes the top choice right away.

Vodafone Idea Will Not Invest in 5G Spectrum Auction Much

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 08:48 PM PDT

Vodafone Idea

The Indian telecom industry has only two players with free cash flows and profits – Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. The third private telco which is Vodafone Idea (Vi), has not made a single rupee since the merger happened. In the upcoming spectrum auction, it is unlikely that VIL (Vodafone Idea Limited) will invest heavily. All the analysts have discounted the chances of Vi participating in the 5G spectrum auction in the same capacity as Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio.

Telcos Have Plenty of Airwaves to Choose From, No Bidding War Expected

According to a note seen by ET Telecom, JP Morgan said that there will be no bidding war given that there is 330 MHz of airwaves in the 3300 MHz band available in each circle, while an operator only needs 100 MHz for the PAN-India rollout of 5G services. Thus, there is more than required airwaves available.

Kotak said that the situation is a little concerning because the enterprises have been permitted to obtain airwaves directly from the government for building private 5G networks. The telcos were looking for enterprise revenues from 5G rather than placing their bets on the retail consumers.

Motilal Oswal said since the government is looking to hold spectrum auctions annually, there are fewer chances that the telcos will bid heavily for airwaves in the upcoming auction, which has spectrum set at a quite high reserve price.

If the majority of the airwaves go unsold in the upcoming auction, the telcos can always get more next year. The government will have no choice but to cut the reserve price next year if the telcos bid in a mild manner.

Vodafone Idea (Vi) is trying to raise money, but it won't be possible for the telco to do so before the government takes its equity stake in the company. Ravinder Takkar, CEO of Vi, had earlier said that they are close to raising Rs 20,000 crore.

5G Spectrum Auction Announcement a Mixed Outcome for Indian Telcos: Charu Paliwal, Counterpoint

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 06:31 PM PDT

5G

On Wednesday, the government announced the spectrum auction for India. This particular auction set for July 26 will pave the way for the 5G rollout in the country. There were a lot of key details announced by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) that are going to affect the telcos directly.
Charu Paliwal, a research analyst at Counterpoint Research, told TelecomTalk that the announcement of the spectrum auction was a mixed outcome for operators.

"There are certainly mixed outcomes for operators from the latest development on the spectrum auction process. The government decision on scrapping the mandatory requirement of upfront payment; spectrum payment can be made in 20 equal annual instalments, and the option of surrendering the spectrum after ten years are steps taken in the right direction," Paliwal said.

In the Notice Inviting Application (NIA) for the 5G spectrum auction, the DoT said that telcos would be able to surrender the spectrum after ten years of purchase. It is worth noting that the telcos won't be able to bid again for the surrendered airwaves for the next two years. Further, if there's any pre-payment related to the surrendered spectrum, it won't be refunded.

Not Every Enterprise Will be Setting Up its Own Private 5G Network

In the announcement, the DoT said that enterprises would have the flexibility of getting their captive private 5G networks set up by the telcos, or they can do it themselves by taking spectrum from the government.

While the industry sees it as a big loss, Paliwal believes that not every enterprise would be looking to set up its own private network. Further, as per the analyst, telcos will still have a role to play in the private networks set up by the enterprises.

"Operators are dissatisfied with the govt.'s decision to allow direct allocation of spectrum to non-telcos. They view this as a loss of potential enterprise revenue, which is touted as a major revenue driver for 5G technology. Private networks can be deployed in manufacturing plants or can also work as campus networks in large office spaces, universities etc."

"Enterprises intend to buy spectrum license for private networks as it gives them better control of the networks and guarantees to manage solutions/operations as per the changing business needs. Different enterprise has different needs, and not every enterprise will find it feasible to buy spectrum license and rather opt for the operator route to deploy the network. Plus, there is a whole set of technologies and applications that come along with private networks, and operators will have a role to play in the value chain," Paliwal added.

To give context, Paliwal quoted some examples of the international markets which are allowing enterprises to get spectrum directly from the government for private 5G networks.

"There are several other markets such as Germany, Spain and others to set aside spectrum for enterprise private networks. The government’s decision to allow enterprises to get spectrum is aligned with the global market. This is the time for operators to capture the growing interest of enterprise in digitalization as well as build a robust partner ecosystem to cater to industry vertical-specific needs."

WhatsApp Working on Group Membership Approval

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 09:15 AM PDT

WhatsApp

Since late last year, WhatsApp has started rolling out a number of new features aimed at strengthening groups and communities on its platform. WhatsApp is developing a new feature that will allow the group administrators to monitor joining requests through a group membership approval option. The news just comes after Meta's social messaging platform began rolling out a feature that allows group administrators to add up to 512 individuals to a group chat. According to the report, the feature has been broadly implemented. Let's take a deeper look at how the new WhatsApp feature will work.

WhatsApp tests new Group Membership approval feature

The function, called Group Membership Approval, is now in development for WhatsApp for Android and will be made available to beta testers in the near future. This feature has been given a sneak peek ahead of its official release to allow for testing. It comes after the Meta-owned instant messaging company apparently began handing out the ability to create group chats with up to 512 users.

Apart from Group Membership Approval, this update is said to include some new gender-neutral emoji for WhatsApp on Android. The Group Membership Approval has been previewed by WABetainfo, a portal that tests WhatsApp features before they are distributed to the general public. By accessing the feature through group settings, group admins can switch it on or off.

There will also be "a new section within the group info where admins may manage all incoming requests from members who want to join the group," according to the platform. People who want to join the group via a group invite link will have to be manually accepted by a group admin once the feature is activated. While the feature's exact use is unknown. It might come in helpful in a variety of situations.

Jio, Airtel, Vi Lose Active Subscribers in April 2022: TRAI Data

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 06:44 AM PDT

Jio Airtel Vi

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has finally released the monthly performance data of the telcos for the month of April 2022. It is interesting to see that all the private telcos have lost active subscribers during the month. What's worth noting here is that even Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) lost active users. It is like none of the telcos in the Indian telecom industry added new active users in April. Could this be because of tariff hikes? Well, it sounds a little strange because tariff hikes came seven months back, and if the users wanted to leave, they would have left already. Something peculiar is happening. Maybe users have stopped recharging their secondary SIMs because of rising mobile bills. Regardless, let's take a look at the data released by TRAI.

Bharti Airtel Lost 3.1 Million Active Subscribers During April 2022

Bharti Airtel has lost 3.1 million active users during the month of April 2022. From having 355.78 million active users in March 2022, the telco's active user count fell to 352.68 million.

Reliance Jio's active user count came down from 378.95 million in March to 378.85 million in April, a negligible difference, yet a negative one. Vi's active user count fell from 226.08 million to 222.33 million.

BSNL's active subscriber base declined from 59.82 million to 59.31 million during the same time period. All the telcos have lost active subscribers, and it might be a sign of worry.

Overall, TRAI data said that Jio added 1.6 million new customers, Airtel added 0.81 million new users, while BSNL and Vi lost 0.36 million and 1.5 million subscribers. Investors would be worried about the fall in the number of active users.

Jio Shines in Wireline Department

Reliance Jio added 0.33 million new users in the wireline segment. Airtel and Vi also added 0.07 million and 0.02 million new wireline users. BSNL interestingly lost wireline users. Jio has been driving growth aggressively in the wireline segment due to JioFiber.

Apple Is Rumoured To Debut a New MacBook Air Next Year

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 05:17 AM PDT

Apple MacBook Air

According to a recent Bloomberg report, Apple is working on a 15-inch MacBook Air. Not only that, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that the next 15-inch device will be available in two variants. Also, Apple's new MacBook will go into general production in mid or first half of 2023. The analyst went on to say that the 15-inch laptop could be released in the second quarter of 2023 or later. Kuo previously speculated that the upcoming 15-inch MacBook would not be called as a MacBook Air. Let's take a closer look into Apple's upcoming MacBook.

More about Apple's upcoming 15-inch MacBook

The larger MacBook Air is expected to sit above the 13-inch Air M2 and will share the same design language. The analyst Ming-Chi Kuo discovered that the two M2 series chipset alternatives will be available for the forthcoming 15-inch MacBook. The M2 chip, which we have already seen in the 13-inch MacBook Pro 2022 and the 13.6-inch MacBook Air M2, will be used in one of the two versions. A 35W dual-port adapter will also be included with this model.

Apple's plans to sell a new 12-inch MacBook, according to Kuo, have not been revealed. Gurman previously stated that Apple would release a new 12-inch MacBook around the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024. It's unclear whether the 12-inch MacBook will be a low-cost option or a smaller version of Apple's high-end MacBook Pro series, which presently comes in three screen sizes.

Not only that, the M2 Pro processor, which Apple is expected to introduce later this year or early next year, will be the other choice. According to Kuo, the more powerful 15-inch MacBook would also come with a 67W adaptor.

Apple is expected to revamp the MacBook Pro series later this year with new models. The new M2 Pro and M2 Max CPUs will be used in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. While little is known about the M2 Pro, Gurman previously stated that the M2 Max would feature a 12-core CPU and a 38-core GPU.

Vodafone Idea Enhances 4G Network in MP and Chhattisgarh

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 04:02 AM PDT

Vodafone Idea

Vodafone Idea (Vi), the third-largest telecom operator in India, has announced that it has enhanced the 4G network strength in Madhya Pradesh (MP) and Chhattisgarh (CG). Vi users in both the states in Central India will be able to get better network coverage and network experience. The telco said that it has until now deployed 900 MHz spectrum on 3043 sites as well as 1800 MHz spectrum on 11,772 sites in MP and CG.

Vi claimed that customers living in the commercial or residential areas of Gwalior, Jabalpur, Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Raipur, Bilaspur, Dhar, Dewas, and other important cities/towns are getting enhanced data and voice experience even indoors in high population pockets.

The data capacity has increased 2.4 times from September 2018 to May 2022 in the region because of the addition of 4200 TDD sites and 730 HOS.

Vi Has the Largest Spectrum Holding in MP & Chhattisgarh Circle

Vodafone Idea has a total of 92 MHz of spectrum across several bands, including 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, and 2500 MHz in MP & CG. Vi had deployed airwaves in the 900 MHz band in both states to ensure that consumers get better indoor coverage. It is worth noting that Vi VoWi-Fi calling is still not active for MP & CG circle.

Currently, Vi is the only telco with a private network in the 2500 MHz band in the circle. Since March 2021, Vi said that it has installed/upgraded 4115 broadband towers in both the states taking the total population coverage on 4G to 71.9%. The telco has the largest spectrum holding in MP & CG, with over 31% of the spectrum in its bag.

Vi has also been upgrading all the 3G consumers to 4G in Raipur, Durg and Bhilai as it refarmed the 3G spectrum for 4G services.
TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) is also conducting a pilot test for 5G small cell and aerial fiber deployment using street furniture in the city of Bhopal, MP.

BSNL Two 90 Days Validity Prepaid Plans Under Rs 500

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 03:25 AM PDT

BSNL

If you want a 90 days prepaid plan, BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) has got two options for you with which you can get unlimited voice calling, data, and SMS benefits. The important thing to note here is that the private telcos offer their plans for a higher tariff with 84 days validity. So BSNL's your best bet in India if you are looking for a prepaid plan with 90 days validity. Take a look at both the plans we are talking about.

BSNL Rs 499 and Rs 485 Prepaid Plans

The first plan that you can get from BSNL under Rs 500 with 90 days validity is the Rs 499 plan. With this one, users get unlimited voice calling, 2GB of daily data, and 100 SMS/day. There's also a free Zing subscription bundled with BSNL Tunes. As mentioned above, this plan carries a total service validity of 90 days.

The second plan here costs Rs 485. With this one, users get unlimited voice calling along with 1.5GB of daily data and 100 SMS/day. This plan also comes with a validity of 90 days. These two are excellent options if you live in an area where BSNL's network coverage is excellent. Otherwise, however affordable the plans may be, if there's no proper network service, they are useless.

BSNL is currently working on rolling out 4G, and it should be done by the end of the year in a wide-scale manner. Thus, the utility of these plans would skyrocket, and the private telcos will face some serious competition with the offerings provided by BSNL.

BSNL's 4G networks are initially expected to be available in some key metro and urban cities. This will ensure that the company can make money faster with a larger market size at its disposal. Also, in the metro and urban cities, consumers often have larger flexibility with regard to budget when compared with rural areas.

Bharti Airtel Becomes First ISP to Offer FTTH Services in Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 01:10 AM PDT

Bharti Airtel

Bharti Airtel owns one of the most successful Internet service providers (ISPs) in India, called Airtel Xstream Fiber. The company has become the first in India to launch FTTH (Fiber-to-the-Home) services in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. This means that people living in the region can now finally get high-speed, reliable internet speeds from the Airtel Xstream Fiber.

K Rajaraman, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications (DoT), congratulated Airtel on the launch of its FTTH services in Ladakh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Rajaraman said that the commissioning of the undersea cable ink between Chennai and Port Blair by Prime Minister Modi in 2021 had brought high-speed data connectivity to the region as part of the government's Digital India vision.

Airtel Plans to Expand Fiber Footprint to 2000 Tows Across the Nation

Vir Inder Nath, CEO, Broadband Business at Bharti Airtel, said the company is delighted to bring a high-quality broadband experience to these regions. Nath added that the company is aggressively investing in expanding its FTTH footprint across 2000 towns in the country over the next three years.

The services of Airtel Xstream Fiber are currently available in Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Leh in Ladakh. Airtel is further planning to expand to other key locations in these regions in the coming months.

Customers can get plans with up to 1 Gbps speeds from Airtel Xstream Fiber. The ISP also offers suitable Wi-Fi routers to the customers along with unlimited data plans. Here unlimited data means 3.3TB of high-speed monthly data, after which the speed reduces. Airtel Xstream Fiber had over 4.8 million customers across the nation as of March 31, 2022.

The company also offers over-the-top (OTT) subscription bundled broadband plans along with an Xstream Box for a security deposit of Rs 1,499. Interested customers can contact Airtel Xstream Fiber via the website of the telco or directly reach out to its customer care team.

Samsung Galaxy FE Smartphone Lovers Will Not Like this at All

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 12:53 AM PDT

Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Fan Edition (FE) devices have been in heavy demand in markets such as India because of their affordability and amazing experience. But in a new development, Sammobile has reported that Samsung might be planning to discontinue the FE lineup of devices. This means that the Galaxy S21 FE was the last Fan Edition smartphone from the company.

It is a peculiar development given the fact that Samsung is also planning to launch a more affordable S21 FE with a 4G chip (most likely the Snapdragon 720G).

No Samsung Galaxy S22 This Year

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S22 series earlier in 2022. The company was then expected to launch the Galaxy S22 FE later in the year. But the device has not been spotted on any of the certification sites until now. The absence of the smartphone from the certification platforms could be a sign that Samsung is not very excited about launching the Galaxy S22 FE.

This makes sense as well because whenever an FE device launches, it takes away the attention from the other premium Samsung smartphones. The launch of Galaxy S22 FE could have definitely stressed the sale of Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+.

According to the report, Samsung may drop the Galaxy FE line-up altogether. It would be a very disappointing thing for many Galaxy FE smartphone lovers.

There is hardly any chatter around the Galaxy S22 FE for now. If Samsung plans on launching it, the device should have been spotted on at least a few of the certification platforms. But since that hasn't happened, there is a strong chance of Samsung skipping on the Galaxy S22 FE and focusing on selling the Galaxy S22 premium devices.

There has been no official confirmation from Samsung on this, but it should become clear in the coming months about what is going to happen. The Galaxy S21 FE was launched earlier this year and is still a good option if you are looking for a premium 5G smartphone.

Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro 5G Pros and Cons After Rs 18,000 Price Cut

Posted: 16 Jun 2022 12:29 AM PDT

Xiaomi

Xiaomi is known for competing with premium brands heavily by offering what they offer but at a lesser price. Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro 5G, a semi-premium smartphone which launched in 2021, is right now available at a very steep discount in India. The device can be purchased for Rs 29,999 only via Amazon, and there's a Rs 1,000 instant discount as well for users who get the device via an SBI credit card. There's an exchange offer as well for users who want to trade their old device against the new Mi 11X Pro 5G. The device had originally launched for Rs 47,999 with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. As mentioned, the price has been reduced to Rs 29,999, meaning a discount of Rs 18,000. Does a heavy discount on this smartphone make it a good purchase today? Let's find out.

Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro 5G, Is it the Best Under Rs 30,000?

The Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC. Now, it is a very powerful chipset meant for heavy users. In addition to this, the smartphone comes with a 108MP triple-rear camera setup and a 20MP front camera sensor for selfies.

Here are a few things that I don't like about the device, though. First of all, it only supports two 5G bands – N77 and N78. Then, the fast-charging support on this device is 33W only. You should also note that since a year has passed since its launch, the device has a pretty rough resale value along with fewer updates left than the smartphones which launched this year.

But the major issue for me lies only in the number of 5G bands this smartphone can support. It could be a good experience for now, but it won't be a very secure option for the future when telcos rollout 5G in multiple bands.

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