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The Chinese consumer electronics company, Meizu Technology Co., Ltd., has launched its latest budget smartphone Meizu M5 in China. It counted up twice and packed a bigger screen than the Meizu M3s.

Meizu M5 continues to be powered by MediaTek MT6750 octa-core chipset found in its predecessor Meizu M3s and comes in 5 different colors including Mint Green, Glacier White, Champagne Gold, Sapphire Blue and Matte Black. Of all, Matte Black is scratch proof and fingerprint resistant.

Meizu M5 Specifications:

As for specifications, the Meizu M5 features a 5.2-inch FHD display covered with a 2.5D curved glass on top. The budget smartphone has been made available in two variants – 2GB RAM/16GB inbuilt storage and 3GB RAM/32GB storage bundles priced at CNY 699 and CNY 899 respectively. Equipped with a hybrid dual-SIM slot, the second slot can double up and expand storage space up to 128GB via microSD card.

On the camera front, Meizu M5 sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with dual LED flash to help it at night and 5-megapixel front camera for selfies. The fingerprint sensor is placed below the Home Button and the company claims to read prints in just 0.2 seconds. Connectivity wise, the smartphone supports 4G VoLTE, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS options.

YunOS Challenging the Dominant Android:

The Meizu M5 runs on Yun OS with Flyme UI on top and is backed by a 3,070mAh battery that can play 66 hours of music. Just in case you aren’t aware, Yun OS is a mobile operating system based on the Android Open Source Project. It is developed by AliCloud, a subsidiary of the e-commerce giant, Alibaba.

Meizu has opened the pre-orders for Meizu M5 handset through its official website in China. However, there is no word on its international availability.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended the government that neutral Wi-Fi architecture be deployed to improve digital connectivity. In a consultation paper, TRAI said that the country has too few Wi-Fi hotspots and added neutral Wi-Fi infrastructure is the need of the hour.

As per the data collected in 2014, France leads the world in terms of number of public Wi-Fi hotspots with 13 million and the United States comes in second at 9.8 million and UK third at 5.6 million. The situation is changing rapidly. And as per a recent study, there will be 340 million hotspots by 2018 on a global scale. But in India, it is just 35,000.

Wi-Fi Everywhere You Want To Be:

TRAI which is charged with ensuring the orderly growth of the telecom sector will soon recommend deploying neutral Wi-Fi infrastructure so that anyone irrespective of ISP can be able to latch on to any Wi-Fi hotspot, and use the network and pay accordingly. This will not only avoid duplication of infrastructure but also be a cheaper alternative for broadband connectivity to installing fibre.

The TRAI Chairman, Mr. R.S. Sharma, said, “Digital India is a most transformative project of the current government with a vision to change India into a knowledge economy. The fundamental area on which Digital India rests is a ubiquitous broadband connectivity or broadband as a utility service.”

Improve Broadband Connectivity:

To recap, TRAI floated a consultation paper on the matter in July, with comments sought Broadband connectivity, a cornerstone of the government’s Digital India initiative, will depend on leveraging cable TV infrastructure, satellite bandwidth and executing BharatNet through the build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) model.

TRAI, the regulator of the telecommunications sector in India, has introduced important changes in telecommunications that benefited all consumers. Now, it has come up with a good recommendation to solve broadband connectivity problem protecting the interests of both telecom service providers and consumers.

A Roadmap for Broadband Penetration:

“It may be surprise to many but India ranks below Bhutan, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Sudan in terms of broadband penetration. We need to seriously think about it and such measures taken jointly would lead to a substantial improvement in broadband connectivity and bridge digital divide”, the TRAI chief said.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will observe Swachh Bharat Mission in the first fortnight of November. Swachh Bharat Mission also known as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a national campaign officially launched on 2nd October, 2014 by PM Narendra Modi.

Mr Manoj Sinha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, said that the DoT will observe Swachh Pakhwada from November 1-15 to create a general awareness of the need for cleanliness in all walks of life. In connection with this Swachh Pakhwada, various activities would be conducted.

India’s Biggest Ever Cleanliness Campaign:

The Indian Government is aiming to eradicate open defecation by 2nd October 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. In fact, Swachh Bharat Mission is India’s biggest ever cleanliness campaign involving 3 million government employees, school and college students across India covering 4,041 statutory cities and towns.

In addition to Department of Telecommunications (DoT), officials from various Public Sector Units and NGO’s will participate in this Swachh Pakhwada fortnight campaign. The state-run telecom service providers BSNL and MTNL will organize cleanliness drive at its offices spread across the country and will hold certain activities at Mumbai’s top tourist attraction, Gateway of India. Similarly, the staff of Department of Telecommunications will organize similar events at the selected tourist sites including Qutub Minar in Delhi.

Swachh Pakhwada Special Cleanliness Drive:

The Swachh Pakhwada includes special cleanliness drives in the office building premises, departmental canteens, review and weeding out of old records, and disposal of unnecessary office material including e-waste.

The DoT has asked the private telecom companies to join the programme and conduct special cleanliness drives on different days during the fortnight of Swachh Pakhwada. The leading telecom provider, Bharti Airtel, has organized a mini marathon on November 20 in New Delhi.

Rail Tel, a Miniratna enterprise of Government of India, commissioned high-speed Wi-Fi service at Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station. Indian Railways in partnership with the tech giant Google has agreed to provide free public Wi-Fi service at 100 A1 and 1 category railway stations across India.

God’s Own Country?

Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station joins the two other stations to go Wi-Fi after Ernakulam and Thrissur in the Indian state on Malabar Coast. Inaugurating the facility, Mr. Shashi Tharoor, MP, said, the new facility will take city station one step closer to world class standard. And it will provide easy access to the internet to around 40,000 passengers who commute through here daily.

Mr. Prakash Bhutani, Divisional Railway Manager, said, “The seamless connectivity will be available round the clock on this important rail hub of God’s own country”. Around 35 access switches are provided to maintain 20Mbps speed round the clock. As of now, the free Wi-Fi service is limited to 30 minutes and the customers who want to extend the unlimited connectivity will have to pay via credit or debit card.

How to Avail Free Wi-Fi?

There is nothing technical in accessing Google’s free Wi-Fi. Just select Railwire network from the devices’ Wi-Fi settings. Then log on to railwaire.co.in through the mobile browser. Here, one needs to enter mobile number where you would get a four-digit OTP code as an SMS. Once the code is entered in the Wi-Fi login screen, then press DONE. Now, you are connected to high-speed free Wi-Fi.

Facing a bitter experience in Patna, there is a widespread opinion to block accessing of porn sites over free Wi-Fi at railway stations. However, there is no such blocking as of now and commuters can enjoy unlimited access without any restrictions. But if a Patna-like situation arises, the Rail Tel would take concrete steps to stop access to such sites.

With a recent increase of entry tax, mobiles and other household items would become costlier in Assam. As per the latest amendment in The Assam Entry Tax Act 2008, the entry tax on the items is increased from the present 4 to 10 percent.

Having considered it necessary in the public interest so to do, the Government of Assam has specified that telecommunication equipment including telephones, mobile phones, pagers and component and parts thereof will attract the increased 10% entry tax.

Not just Mobiles:

Apart from mobiles phones, this 10% Assam entry tax is on other consumer goods such as refrigerators, air coolers, geysers, washing machines, TV sets, DVD players, type writers, Xerox and fax machines, motor cars, motor cycles, elevators, sanity ware and furniture. Common PVC pipes, tubes and fittings, cranes, dumpers and road rollers attract 4% entry tax.

According to Mr. Ravi Kota, Commissioner & Secretary (Finance), Government of Assam, “This increase will stop diversion of trade. By this increase we are expecting to garner ₹40 crore annually.

Assam Entry Tax – Why? Why Not?

The main aim to levy Assam entry tax is to encourage the local industries and provide employment. However, there is a criticism that this law is counter-productive for the industrialization of the state.

Some economists are of the opinion that entry tax is leading to double taxation as the tax paid while entering the state is not VATable, or is not deducted while playing VAT by the unit. Some even feel that entry tax is making the industries of Assam less competitive by increasing its input costs.

Bharti Airtel, the leading telecom service provider, launched 4G services in Ahmedabad, Anand, Surat, and Vadodara. With this, the company has been expanding 4G footprint in Gujarat using spectrum band of 1800 MHz (FD-LTE). The Airtel subscribers will now be able to enjoy 4G services across a range of smart devices including smartphones, 4G Mi-Fi, and dongles.

Airtel’s Higher Spectrum Efficiency:

Airtel has been launching 4G services using the state of art spectrum band of 1800 MHz (FD-LTE) to deliver higher spectrum efficiency with increased upload and download speeds. The Airtel subscribers will now get value for money at no extra cost. Both the prepaid and postpaid subscribers can now upgrade to 4G at no additional cost.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Murthy Chaganti, CEO – Gujarat, Bharti Airtel Ltd, said, “The Company is delighted to expand 4G services in Gujarat. Our valued customers can now enjoy enhanced smartphone experience with Airtel 4G”.

10GB 4G Data at Just ₹ 249:

As an introductory offer, India’s largest telecom service provider has announced a new 4G offer for prepaid customers where one can enjoy 10GB of 4G data at just ₹ 249. Similarly, the Airtel postpaid subscribers can avail this offer for ₹ 250 with any new 4G handset. 1GB of 4G data will be instantly credited to the subscriber’s account and the extra 9GB of 4G data balance can be claimed by the subscriber via MyAirtel App.

The customers can make a maximum of 3 recharges within 90 days on this offer. That means one can enjoy 30GB of lightening 4G data on payment of ₹ 750.

Free 2GB Cloud Backup:

Apart from being on the digital superhighway with Airtel 4G, the subscribers can enjoy 2GB cloud backup with the new Airtel Cloud app and free calling with Airtel Dialer. The new version of MyAirtel App offers loads of entertainment including music, movies, games, TV, ebooks, chats and much more, all at one place.

Ahead of Diwali, Tata Docomo has introduced affordable data packs for its prepaid subscribers in Karnataka circle starting at ₹ 91 per GB. Under the ‘My Best Offer’ service portfolio, Tata Docomo has launched affordable data plans without any terms and conditions.

The Tata Docomo subscribers can avail 1GB 3G data at ₹ 91, 2GB 3G data at ₹ 182, and 3GB data at ₹ 273. As per the company, ‘My Best Offer’ data pack doesn’t have any hidden costs and come with no terms and conditions. In order to avail the special my best offer data packs, the Tata Docomo users need to *dial 123# on their smartphones.

Affordable Quality Data Services with No Hidden Costs:

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Balaji Prakash, Consumer Business Unit Head - Karnataka and Kerala Circles, Tata Teleservices Ltd. said, “The rising demand for quality data services has resulted in a sudden increase in data products in the market, which even looks quite attractive have some hidden cost associated with it. We believe in the ethos of transparency in our offerings and provide maximum delight and satisfaction for our customers.”

Earlier, the telecom company had launched similar data offer in the Maharashtra circle. As a Festive Bonanza, Tata Docomo offered 1GB at ₹ 50. Though the company is the first Indian private sector provider to launch 3G services in India on 5th November 2010, it has yet to upgrade to the latest 4G technology. However, Tata Docomo 3G is a beast in terms of speed with spectrum holdings 1800/2100 Mhz.

About Tata DOCOMO:

This fast growing mobile telecommunications service provider commands good wireless network across India’s 19 telecom circles operating in more than 4, 50,000 towns and villages across the nation. Tata Docomo is a Tata Group’s strategic alliance with Japanese telecom giant NTT DOCOMO providing wireless networks on GSM, CDMA and 3G technology platforms.

The South Korean electronics giant has launched its latest handset Galaxy C9 Pro for the Chinese market. Starting off, this smartphone is the first Samsung’s handset to feature 6GB RAM. Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro will be available for sale in Samsung’s China store from November 11th. There’s no information on the availability of the handset in markets outside China.

Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro Design & Specs:

Starting with the exterior, the smartphone measures 162.9x80.7x6.9mm and features metal unibody design like other Samsung handsets. In addition, you can notice a new three string antenna design like Oppo’s R9s and R9s Plus. On the front, the phone features a huge 6-inch Super AMOLED display with 1920x1080 pixel resolution. As specified earlier, the star of the show is Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 653 processor with 6GB RAM, a first for Samsung phone and inbuilt 64GB storage space that is expandable up to 256GB via microSD card.

Higher-end Imaging Specs:

On the camera front, Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro supports a 16-megapixel camera with f/1.9 aperture and a dual-LED flash and the same around back for bright selfies under low light conditions. It has a fingerprint sensor mounted on its physical home button. Galaxy C9 Pro is powered by a larger power pack of 4000mAh battery with fast charging support. Apart from 4G VoLTE and dual-SIM functionality, the smartphone offers a host of connectivity options like any higher-end Samsung phone and yes, a 3.5mm headphone jack.

As per the company, it has Cirrus Hi-Fi audio codec for improved audio performance and runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box and will receive Android Nougat update sometime in the near future. Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro is available in Rose Gold and Gold color variants for 3199 Yuan (roughly ₹ 32K).

Moving Ahead?

This is to be noted that a faulty Galaxy Note 7 will not stop Samsung from releasing new phones. And this has come right at a time when the world’s largest smartphone maker is struggling to make its lost reputation. The phone has got good specs and features to compete against the upper mid-range segment bosses OnePlus 3 and LeEco Le Max2.

Bharti Airtel, the largest telecom operator, has rolled out 4G services in Gwalior and Ashoknagar of Madhya Pradesh. The company has been claiming industry-first initiatives by deploying 4G services using 10 MHz of 1800 MHz spectrum. Earlier, Airtel launched 4G services in Madhya Pradesh using the same FD-LTE technology.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Dharmender Khajuria, CEO – Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh, Bharti Airtel Ltd, said, “The launch of our 4G services in Gwalior and Ashok Nagar is yet another milestone for Airtel in Madhya Pradesh. The company has been focusing on the telecom circle to offer superior 4G experience to its subscribers. With this roll out, the customers can enjoy a host of affordable data plans in prepaid, postpaid and devices at a lightning speed.

10GB 4G data @ ₹ 249:

As a part of an introductory offer, Airtel 4G subscribers can avail 10GB data at ₹ 249 on any new 4G enabled handset. Just make sure that the handset is invoiced within 30 days to avail the promo offer. 1GB 4G data will be credited instantly and then the additional 9GB data should be claimed via MyAirtel App. The subscribers can make a maximum 3 recharges within 90 days to get 30GB 4G data.

MyAirtel App - One App for All Apps:

To recap, Bharti Airtel has recently launched a new version of MyAirtel app where the subscribers can enjoy Wynk movies, music, and games, Ditto Live TV, backup, Airtel money, Joggernaut ebooks, Hike Messenger chats, Airtel Dialler and many more at a single touch. You can manage all Airtel accounts (prepaid, postpaid, broadband or digital TV) from one place.

Reliance Retail launched a special edition handset from LYF Smartphone, named as LYF F1. Reliance has been promoting LYF branded handsets in India and this Future One (F1) device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 617 processor.

As per the company, this special edition smartphone is designed to tap the fullest potential of Jio network. It is equipped with Carrier Aggregation (CA) technology to give improved data transfer rate and battery juice on the all-IP network.

Reliance LYF F1 Specifications:

The Reliance LYF F1 smartphone sports a 5.5-inch full HD display (1920x1080 pixels resolution) with 400ppi pixel density and shielded by Corning Gorilla Glass 4. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 Octa-Core chipset coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage (expandable up to 128GB via microSD card).

On the imaging front, the LYF F1 special edition device supports a 16-megapixel primary camera with Phase Detection Auto Focus and dual LED flash. An 8-megapixel front camera with auto focus is a decent spec for selfies. Connectivity wise, the LYF F1 is a dual SIM (4G+2G) handset where both SIM slots are 4G enabled. However, at one time only one slot can be used for 4G while the other will work on 2G. It supports VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.1, GPS, micro-USB and 3.5mm audio jack options.

Loaded with Smart Ring Feature:

The Reliance LYF F1 smartphone is backed by a 3200mAh non-removable battery and weighs 153 grams. The company claims that the smartphone is equipped with the Smart Ring Feature allows the user to find the handset even if it is on silent mode. Like other LYF handsets, this special edition smartphone is bundled with Reliance Jio SIM card.

Regarding availability, the smartphone is ready for sale in all Reliance Digital stores at a price of ₹ 13,399. As a promotional offer, you will receive ₹ 15,000 worth Reliance Retail gift voucher and ₹ 3,000 worth Bluetooth speaker. That’s a good deal but without fingerprint sensor looks over-priced!

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has stated that the Mukesh Ambani-owned new telecom Reliance Jio cannot extend its free services beyond 90 days. The promotional Jio Welcome Offer (JWO) which was introduced on 5th September is limited only till December 3rd.

Jio Free Calls for Life-time Compliant?

In another twist in the tale, TRAI has given a clean chit to the new operator saying all its tariff plans, including free voice and data services, permissible, non-predatory, compliant with existing rules and not discriminatory at present. The TRAI has clarified the same in a letter to the heads of the incumbent operators such as Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, Telenor India and Videocon Telecom.

However, it is to be noted that the new telecom operator didn’t make any mention of free voice calls for life time. Moreover, the company has mentioned 2 paise per second as tariff for voice calls. Thus, this free voice calls is a part of promotional offer and it can’t run beyond 90 days. If the sources are believed, Reliance Jio may file fresh tariff plans with TRAI to clear confusion regarding promotional offers.

What Does it Mean?

So, for a common user, what does this mean? It states that Reliance Jio can have this promotional Jio Welcome Offer until December 3rd where the subscriber can enjoy unlimited free voice calls and unlimited data till December 31st. However, for the new subscribers post December 3rd, Reliance Jio will have to charge.

The company made a quick statement reacting that the consumers who have not subscribed services till 3rd December will be able to subscribe to new offers as well as tariff plans that are available from Jio. The company added, Jio voice calls on its network will remain free for lifetime and that’s a commitment given by Reliance Jio.

Reliance Jio Prepaid Tariff:

A recent research conducted by Google alongside TNS has found that only 9 mobile apps are used by Indians even if they download 33 apps on their smartphones. The survey was conducted over 10,000 smartphone users in 10 countries in Asia Pacific region. The research led to understanding what drives their app behaviour.

The survey was conducted over 10,000 smartphone users in the age group of 18-64 to understand their app behaviour. The most prominent Asia Pacific countries were on the list including China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The study showcased that emerging markets have fewer installed apps compared to developed markets.

Not Just App Stores:

Interestingly, App stores are not the only place to find the new apps. In India, 38% smartphone users discover apps through search. Apart from web browsing search, Indians also find the existence of new apps through family and friends and TV and print media ads. Before installing a new mobile app, the Indian look at the rating of the App, user reviews and App’s Size (relative to memory left on phone) is of prime importance.

Gaming apps are the most popular category installed by users across all Asian markets. It is followed by Education and books, comics and magazines etc.

In-app Purchases:

Surprisingly, Indians top the list of users who make an in-app purchase or make a payment of app-related digital goods. About 77% are comfortable spending money on apps. It is to be remembered that 54% respondents are happy with the free content. On the other hand, 50% users are ready to buy with one-off payments and subscribe to a digital service.

The smartphone users in China, India, and Indonesia prefer mobile apps instead of websites for price comparisons.

Relevancy:

Most users won’t keep an app if it is no longer useful. Thus, in the ever-growing market of apps, it is important to stay relevant otherwise the user will simply uninstall due to limited phone storage and competition. Give the customers a reason to stay installed.

Expanding its 4G footprint in Madhya Pradesh, Airtel launched 4G services in Bhopal, Raisen and Vidisha districts. After Indore, this is a major rollout from Bharti Airtel and the company said it will start 4G services across Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh by the end of November.

Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Dharmender Khajuria, CEO, Bharti Airtel Ltd (Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh) said, “The Company is delighted to start 4G services in Bhopal, Raisen, and Vidisha. Our valued customers can now upgrade to 4G at no extra cost with our value-for-money plans for prepaid, postpaid and devices”.

State-of-the-Art FD LTE Technology:

Bharti Airtel has got a distinction of rolling out 4G services using 10 MHz of 1800 MHz spectrum. By deploying high-tech FD LTE technology in the 1800 MHz band, Airtel will offer seamless 4G mobile experience to its subscribers in the state. The company has already offered 10GB 4G data for just ₹ 249 with a validity of 28 days. This invitational offer is applicable to only new 4G handsets and a maximum of 3 recharges can be done within 90 days.

With more 4G offers in the pipeline, probably this is the right time to upgrade your handset and enjoy India’s widest 4G network on Airtel.

Intensifying the data war against Jio, India’s leading telecom player Airtel announced an exciting offer for all customers purchasing a new 4G enabled handset. As per the offer, the new 4G smartphone owners will get 10GB 4G/3G data on a recharge of ₹ 259.

1GB Airtel 4G Data at ₹ 26:

According to Bharti Airtel, 1GB 4G/3G data will instantly credit to the customer’s account when recharged with ₹ 259. The additional 9GB of 4G/3G data should be claimed through MyAirtel App. It is important to note that this data benefit will have a validity of 28 days only. And the customers can do a maximum of 3 recharges within 90 days. That means the Airtel subscriber can enjoy a maximum of 30GB 4G/3G data within 90 days at ₹ 777. Through this offer, the Airtel user can enjoy 1GB 4G/3G data at ₹ 26. That’s a great deal for new 4G handset owners.

Extension of Invitational Offer:

To recap, Bharti Airtel has introduced this special offer on Samsung Galaxy J series smartphone in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh last week. Now, the company has extended this invitational offer to all brands of 4G handsets across India. If you look at the spectrum, Airtel 4G services are available in 18 circles across India. Thus, the non-4G circles will cater only 3G data under the offer.

Another important point to be considered while availing this special offer is the 4G handset. The customers can avail this offer only within 30 days of the purchase of the handset. Get ready and avail this 10GB 4G data at just ₹ 259.

The state-run telecom company, BSNL announces Diwali Bonanza by offering 10% additional talk value on special tariff vouchers. This offer is valid from 15th October to 31st October 2016 across all telecom circles in the prepaid mobile segment.

10% Extra Talk Value on Existing STVs:

The 10% extra talk time value is being offered on special tariff vouchers (STVs) of ₹ 159, ₹ 201, ₹ 359 and ₹ 449. The above-mentioned tariff vouchers will offer extra 10% talk value resulting in 22,330 sec, 29,480 sec, 57,200 sec, and 1,540 min local/STD calls with 30, 28, 60 and 84 days validity respectively. After recharging with the above said voice STVs, send STV space VOICEMRP to 123 so as to get 10$ extra talk value benefit on the special tariff voucher.

New Combo STVs with Data and Extra Talk Value:

In order to encourage using data services, smaller denomination combo STVs were launched with extra talk value and 3G data. The promotional combo STVs are ₹ 13, ₹ 77 and ₹ 177 carrying data benefit of 10MB, 30MB, and 50MB with a validity of 2, 10 and 15 days validity respectively.

Double Data STV’s with 1 Year Validity:

Challenging the other telecom players, the public sector telecom giant introduced double data STVs with a long 1-year validity across the country. Under this promotional benefit, ₹ 1,498, ₹ 2,798, ₹ 3,998, ₹ 4,498 data STV offers 18GB, 36GB, 60GB and 80GB respectively.

In a quiet surprising way, BSNL activated more than 2.2 new mobile connections in the month of September 2016 despite the Reliance Jio big bang entry across India.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc announced the world’s first commercial 5G modem chipset solution to deliver download speeds of up to 5 gigabits per second. In simple terminology, the 5G modem chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 will be roughly 500 times faster than the speed offered by the current 4G LTE technology.

Back in India, Airtel has been the pioneer in launching 4G services. Though Airtel launched 4G network in Kolkata in April 2012, the LTE services didn’t get any push till the big competitor Reliance Jio made a big entry with its pan-India 4G presence.

A Virtual Reality Experience:

Technically, the present 4th generation LTE can offer 450 Mbps or even just 150 Mbps download speeds on our phones. If one is thinking what next, then Qualcomm has an answer for it in the form of Snapdragon X50 that can offer insane download speeds of up to 5 Gbps. Such a boost in connection speeds will let us enjoy super high-quality multimedia content within a fraction of seconds and make virtual reality.

As per the company, Snapdragon X50 5G modem can be coupled to any Snapdragon processor via an integrated Gigabit LTE modem. The first sampling for 5G modem will begin in the second half of 2017. This will definitely play a significant role in the development of 5G devices and networks. The company openly stated that it has tied up with many networking giants including Sweden’s Ericsson, American Netgear and Australian’s Telstra.

Getting Ready for Winter Olympics Action:

This new innovation of Qualcomm will support OEMs developing next-generation devices and early 5G trials and deployments. As of now, the telecom carriers are not ready to offer such remarkable services till 2020. But with the latest Qualcomm’s 5G modem, carriers in South Korea are expected to launch 5G services for the 2018 Winter Olympics scheduled at Pyeongchang, South Korea, which open in February 2018.

The Qualcomm’s announcement will trigger many innovations as it will prompt new demand and new applications, particularly in multimedia segment.

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Gionee announced the launch of Gionee P 7 Max at ₹ 13,990. This mid-segment smartphone has a stylish design and gret specs at an affordable price. The 4G Vo-LTE enabled smartphone is available in 2 colors – Gold and Grey Blue and is on sale both online and offline stores across the country, starting today.

Gionee P 7 Max Specifications:

The Gionee P 7 Max sports a 5.5-inch HD 1280X720p IPS display with NEG protection. This performance driven handset is powered by an octa-core MediaTel MT6595 processor coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage expandable up to 128GB via microSD card.

On camera front, Gionee P 7 Max supports 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and 5-megapixel front snapper with screen flash. The dual-SIM mid-segment smartphone runs on Android Marshmallow 6.0 with Amigo 3.2 OS and backed by non-removable 3,100mAh battery. With 154x76.8x8.8mm dimensions, the handset weighs just 183 grams and is pre-loaded with many features including auto call record, ami locker, child mode, double click wakeup, and mobile anti-theft.

What’s Your Take?

Looking at the build quality, stylish design, amazing specs and affordable price, Gionee’s latest P-series smartphone is a perfect buy for customers in this festive season. However, there are better choices such as Moto G4, Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 and much more in this mid-range smartphone market.

Diwali festival marks a candid celebration for the Reliance group. To sweeten it further, the company offers many sweet deals. Though smaller in subscriber base, Reliance Digital TV has launched a promotional offer where every subscriber can access all HD channels for free when on HD set top box.

Watch Everything in HD:

This offer allows the Reliance Digital TV subscribers to watch their favorite channels in HD even if they are not subscribed to HD channel pack. Now, Reliance Digital TV provides 310 channels including 288 SD channels, 12 HD channels, and 10 radio channels. As per the latest offer, all the subscribers can watch these SD channels in HD-like quality with a video resolution of 1080p at 50 Hz. for a period of 2 weeks i.e till 30th of October to mark the Diwali celebrations.

The company spokesperson says this lucrative offer will give a preview of Reliance’s superior HD picture and sound quality so that the viewers can make their choice to upgrade to the Max HD base pack. Though the offer is not new but it will definitely give a chance to the viewers whether to upgrade their SD pack to HD pack.

To recap, both SUN Direct DTH and Reliance Digital TV are located on the same satellite sharing the signal capacity on Malaysian communication satellite MEASAT 3 at 91.5°E

Telenor India rolled out high-speed 4G services in Kanpur. This is the third city in UP East region to be served by Telenor India. Earlier, its 4G services were just limited to Varanasi and Lucknow. Apart from enjoying high-speed 4G service, the customers can make it at super affordable prices.

Telenor FRC ₹ 152:

Mr. K.C. Narendran, Circle Business Head-UP East, Telenor India, said: “With advanced technology and efficient spectral deployment, the company claims to provide superior 4G speed at an affordable price in the market”. As a promotional offer, Telenor India started offering 1GB 4G data for the first month and 500MB for the next 2 months on the first recharge of ₹ 152 for new customers.

Apart from the data benefit, the new Telenor subscribers will also get ₹ 30 talk time at a call rate of 25 paise per minute on all local and STD voice calls for a period of 90 days. As an upgrade offer, the existing 2G or 3G Telenor subscriber can get a 4G ready SIM free of cost and 1GB 4G data as a complementary offer.

To get an immediate response, Telenor has offered 1GB of 4G data at a super affordable rate of just ₹ 52 for 28 days without any conditions. With this launch, Telenor India is currently offering affordable and superfast 4G services in Kanpur, Lucknow, and Varanasi of UP East. To add, Telenor India is already offering 4G services in Agra, Dehradun, Mussoorie and Meerut of UP West telecom circle.

Apple Inc, the world’s largest technology company, will launch the Apple Watch Nike+ edition on October 28th. To recap, this model was unveiled alongside the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus on September 2nd itself.

Running-focused Apple Watch Nike+:

This Apple iwatch Nike+ Edition sports a trendy look and feel coupled with flexible fluoroelastomer which is being already used in Apple Watch smartwatch. The best thing about the latest edition is its fitness-centric app together with the Nike+ Run Club app. Off topic, Nike has created a special platform Nike+ Run Club social space to integrate this Nike+ Apple iwatch.

Not to mention, this special edition smartwatch has a built-in GPS feature that can track your fitness activities including distance, pace and route without its integration with the Apple iPhone. It is highly water-resistant up to a depth of 50 meters and it allows you to take a dip after the run.

Colours & Availability:

As per the specifications, this Apple Watch Series 2 is powered by a dual-core processor, built in-GPS, brightest 1000-nit Retina display with Force Touch. This Apple Watch Nike+ edition is available in different colour combinations including Space Grey Aluminium Case with Black / Volt Nike Sport Band, Space Grey Aluminium Case with Black / Cool Grey Nike Sport Band, Silver Aluminium Case with Flat Silver / White Nike Sport Band and Silver Aluminium Case with Flat Silver / Volt Nike Sport Band.

The sports lovers can purchase this wrist partner from Apple-authorized sellers and the Nike outlets. It is available in 2 sizes 38mm and 42mm and priced at ₹ 32,900 and ₹ 34,900 respectively. As per the company, this Apple Watch Nike+ is a perfect running partner satisfying not just fitness needs but also phone calls to messages and even Siri.