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Vi App to Allow Users Set Favourite Songs as Caller Tunes
JioPhone Next Available With Huge Price Cut
Enterprises Applying for 5G Spectrum Need to Have Net Worth of Rs 100 Crore
Jio, Airtel and Vi Will Have to Follow These Rules for Leasing Spectrum
Apple Working on M3 Chip After Launching M2 Macs Recently
Airtel or Tata Play: Which Android STB Should You Buy Today

Vi App to Allow Users Set Favourite Songs as Caller Tunes

Posted: 28 Jun 2022 01:35 AM PDT

Vodafone Idea (Vi) is enabling users to set caller tunes directly from the Vi app on their smartphones. Through the app, users can select their favourite songs and set them as caller tunes. The default 'tring tring' will now fade away as the telco will offer users a very affordable plan for setting caller tunes. In addition to this, users can enjoy ad-free music inside the Vi app.

Monthly, Quarterly, and Yearly Plan for Vi Users to Set Caller Tunes

New Vi users can get the benefit of this exciting feature through a special monthly recharge plan bundled with the entire caller tunes catalogue for free at a subscription fee of Rs 69. Old users can subscribe to the service that Vi is providing for setting caller tunes for a monthly cost of Rs 49, a quarterly cost of Rs 99 and an annual cost of Rs 249. It isn't a very big amount to be honest but something that's unnecessary at the end of the day. Users will get the option to choose their caller tunes from several genres such as romance, classical, comedy, melody and more. Vi app has a huge library of 22 million+ ad-free music across 20 different languages. Vodafone Idea also allows users to download songs to their devices so that they can listen to them without the internet. Note that Vi has partnered with Hungama Music to deliver these songs to its users. Vi users can also get the first six months of subscription to the platform absolutely free. If you want to set a song from inside the app as your caller tune, just select the song, click on set as caller tune, then choose the validity and rental, confirm the selection, and it will be done for you. There are podcasts and more that you can access from the platform of Hungama Music that is now available inside the Vi app.

JioPhone Next Available With Huge Price Cut

Posted: 28 Jun 2022 12:32 AM PDT

JioPhone Next was launched by Reliance Jio at 2021's end, and the device had disappointed many users who thought that it would be truly affordable. While the cost wasn't too big, the EMI plans that Jio was giving bundled with prepaid benefits had taken the cost of the device upwards of Rs 14,000 for the users. But right now, the smartphone is available at a huge discount for users in India. Further, EMI for the device starts at Rs 216 per month only. Let's take a look at the details of the offer.

JioPhone Next Available at a Big Discount Right Now

JioPhone Next is currently available for Rs 4,599 on Amazon India. Note that the smartphone had earlier launched for Rs 6,499. Under the exchange offer, Jio had announced that users could get the device for Rs 4,499 only. However, at Amazon India, users don't even need to exchange their old devices to get the JioPhone Next at a discount. This is a good deal for the users as the device is now priced at less than Rs 5,000 even when the cost of manufacturing the smartphones has gone up. JioPhone Next was launched by Reliance Jio with a motive to push existing legacy network users to switch to a 4G smartphone and consume 4G services. Note that the JioPhone Next is carrier-locked. This means that users can't insert the SIM card of another company into this device. The JioPhone Next is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 215 SoC and comes with up to 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. It runs on Pragati OS, which has been developed in India, keeping in mind the needs of the Indian users. The device packs a 3500mAh battery, but since we haven't reviewed the device, we can't say whether the battery backup is good or not. There's a 13MP sensor at the rear and an 8MP sensor at the front for selfies and video calling.

Enterprises Applying for 5G Spectrum Need to Have Net Worth of Rs 100 Crore

Posted: 27 Jun 2022 10:29 PM PDT

The Department of Telecommunications has said that enterprises who want to apply for the spectrum to set up their own captive private 5G network will need to have a minimum net worth of Rs 100 crore. In addition to this, the applicant must be the occupant of the geographical area where it wants to set up the private 5G network. The enterprises will have to obtain a renewable license of 10 years against a non-refundable application charge of Rs 50,000. But note that the process of giving spectrum directly to the enterprises won't happen right away. The DoT will undertake demand studies and then involve the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in the direct assignment of the airwaves to the enterprises. We are still at least two years away from this happening, and thus until then, the enterprises can take the spectrum from the telcos on lease or ask the TSPs (telecom service providers) to set up their private networks. There are rules for leasing the spectrum that both the telcos and the enterprises will have to follow. To know more about these rules, click here.

Broadband India Forum Not Happy With the Rs 100 Crore Net Worth Criteria

TV Ramachandran, president of the Broadband India Forum (BIF), isn't happy with the Rs 100 crore net worth criteria that the DoT has implemented for the enterprises to obtain the spectrum. Ramachandran told ET that BIF hopes DoT will relook into its proposal as only a few companies will be able to meet the criteria of having a net worth of Rs 100 crore, and this would hinder the proliferation of captive private 5G networks in India. The enterprises which can't meet the criteria can anyway ask the TSPs to set up their captive private 5G networks, or they can lease the spectrum from the TSPs if they need it desperately.

Jio, Airtel and Vi Will Have to Follow These Rules for Leasing Spectrum

Posted: 27 Jun 2022 09:58 PM PDT

Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea (Vi) didn't want the government to allow the enterprises to get the spectrum directly to set up captive private 5G networks. The government didn't pay much heed to the wishes of the telcos and has allowed the enterprises to directly purchase the spectrum from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Telcos are also allowed to lease the spectrum to the enterprises to let the latter set up their own captive private 5G network. But there are rules surrounding how this can happen.

Jio, Airtel and Vi Must Give These Details to DoT After Entering a Lease Agreement

After entering into a lease agreement for spectrum, the telecom service providers must give DoT all the details of the spectrum bands, the quantum of spectrum in each band, the period for which the spectrum is leased, the geographic area of the lease and the geo-coordinates of the logical perimeter of the defined premises and the use of spectrum. All of these details must be submitted to the DoT within 15 days of entering into a lease agreement, said an ET Telecom report. Enterprises who are leasing spectrum from the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) will also have to obtain online clearance and import certificate from the SACFA (Standing Advisory Committee on Frequency Allocation). DoT will treat the revenues earned through leasing the spectrum as part of the telcos' gross revenues. This means that they will be liable to pay dues on that revenue as well. The telcos and the enterprises will have to ensure that leasing the spectrum does not result in any sort of interference to the public networks. The TSPs can also directly offer the enterprises to set up their private 5G networks through network slicing, which is now a proven use case of 5G networks globally. Enterprises require the 5G spectrum for setting up private networks for automating processes and scaling the business digitally.

Apple Working on M3 Chip After Launching M2 Macs Recently

Posted: 27 Jun 2022 08:47 PM PDT

Apple's silicon chip-powered laptops have become very popular because of the power they bring to the table. The Cupertino tech giant recently launched two new macs – MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with the new M2 chip. This chip is more powerful than the M1 chip and will give users an enhanced experience with the 13.6-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro. Apple is now reportedly working on the new M3 chip, which the company will launch next year with a fresh MacBook Air 13-inch, MacBook Air 15-inch, MacBook Pro 13-inch, and a new iMac.

Apple to Launch Multiple New Macs Later this Year

While Mark Gurman has revealed that Apple will be launching new M3-powered Macs next year, there are still variants of the M2 chip we are yet to see. Apple is also expected to launch multiple new Macs later this year with the M2 Pro, M2 Max, M2 Ultra, and M2 Extreme chips. These Macs will be amongst the most powerful computer systems in the world. Apple is also expected to bring a fresh product into the market in the near future. Alongside the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro powered by the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, Apple is reportedly going to launch its AR/MR headset powered by the M2 processor. After this, Apple could launch the redesigned Mac Pro powered by the M2 Ultra and M2 Extreme chips. The M3 chip is likely to be built by the TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) using the 3nm process. Note that both the M1 and the M2 chips have been made using the 5nm process. Thus, the M3-powered Macs can truly be expected to be very powerful and could give a significant boost to the performance and the efficiency compared to the M1 and M2 chips. The M2-powered MacBook Pro is now available in India.

Airtel or Tata Play: Which Android STB Should You Buy Today

Posted: 27 Jun 2022 06:32 PM PDT

Bharti Airtel and Tata Play are two of the oldest Direct-to-Home (DTH) operators in India. Both the companies are considered the finest service providers because of the consistency they bring to the table and the innovation that's always constant. The era for HD and SD boxes is gone. This is the time for Android STBs (Set-Top Boxes) or Smart STBs in general. With a Smart STB, you can watch both satellite TV as well as OTT (Over-The-Top) content on the go. Both Airtel (Airtel Digital TV) and Tata Play offer Indian consumers an option to purchase their Android STB. Airtel Digital TV calls its Android Box – Xstream Box, while Tata Play calls its Android STB – Tata Play Binge+. Let's take a look at which box would be your best buy today.

Airtel Xstream Box from Airtel Digital TV

The Airtel Xstream Box is available for Rs 2,000 right now. It is an Android TV Box, and thus you can access thousands of applications directly on the TV. There's an in-built Chromecast for casting content on the screen, and users can leverage Google Assistant by activating it from the remote for searching content. Getting a subscription to the Airtel Xstream app will allow you to access content from several platforms in a single login. To check the price of an Airtel Xstream subscription, click here. The Smart STB from Bharti Airtel allows users to view content in up to 4K resolution. So, if you have a 4K resolution TV, you can get the best experience out of the Airtel Xstream Box. You can also get the Xstream Box by purchasing an Airtel Xstream Fiber connection, but that would also involve charges. The STB runs on Android TV 9. Let's see how Tata Play's Smart STB compares.

Tata Play Binge+ STB from Tata Play

Tata Play Binge+ STB is available for customers for Rs 2199. It can be purchased at a discount of Rs 200 if the customer is buying online through the website and completing the payment online itself. So, the cost of the STB will come down to what the Airtel Xstream Box costs. The Tata Play Binge+ STB is also an Android box which can allow you to watch both satellite and OTT content on the go. There's an in-built Chromecast, pre-loaded OTT apps, support for Google Assistant and more. There aren't too big differences between the STBs. However, Tata Play Binge+ STB owners will get one month of Binge subscription for free. It is a bundled OTT offering which is very different from what Airtel offers through its Xstream service. Binge subscription is actually a deal-breaker and gives the edge to Tata Play Binge+ STB. At the end of the day, you need to decide whether a Tata Play Binge subscription is something you would want regularly. If not, then you can go for either of the STBs as both are very similar and are available for the same price.

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