Posts made by Dipika Menon

Pune-based handset maker Swipe Technologies launched Swipe Elite Sense smartphone in the Indian market. Starting today, the device will up for sale at ₹7499 and exclusively through Flipkart portal. As per the information, the new budget phone will be available in Space Grey and Champagne Gold.

Also Read: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Matte Black Colour Variant on Sale Today

Addressing the launch of Swipe Elite Sense smartphone, Mr Shripal Gandi, Founder & CEO, Swipe Technologies, said: “Recognising the significance of a smartphone in individuals’ professional and social lives, we have designed the Elite Sense carefully to reflect what the connoisseurs of style stand for. Characterised by the sleek design and powerful performance, Elite Sense gives the user an opportunity to leverage their smartphone for making a statement of their style quotient. The Elite Sense marks further step in Swipe’s determination to set new standards in design, power, and performance of Indian smartphones.”

Swipe Elite Sense Specifications:

Regarding the specifications, Swipe Elite Sense sports a 5-inch HD display with 1280x720 pixel resolution. Powered by a 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset, it has 3GB RAM and 32GB inbuilt storage space. The ROM can be further expandable up to 64GB via microSD card.

Optics-wise, the Swipe Elite Sense sports a 13-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front camera for true selfies. The handset also sports a fingerprint sensor on its rear side. If you are looking at connectivity, the Swipe Elite Sense offers 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS etc. The latest Swipe Elite Sense runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow operation system and is powered by a modest 2500mAh battery.

Taking On Stiff Competition:

Though it is relatively priced in the affordable budget category, Swipe Elite Sense can’t beat the specs of Xiaomi Redmi 3S or Lenovo Vibe K5 Note. Looking forward to your opinion on the release of Swipe Elite Sense smartphone.

Also Read: Swipe Elite Power Launched with 4G VoLTE and 4000mAh Battery

Kerala Government is all set to provide 2 million free internet connections to poor families in the state. The financial budget 2017-18 was presented in the state assembly on Friday. As per the details available, the Kerala state government allocated 1000 crore budget to provide free access to internet connections to two million poor families.

Also Read: Goa Govt Ties Up with Vodafone to Rollout Free Internet Data Scheme for Youth

Right to the Internet in Kerala:

Addressing the launch of free access to the web, Mr T.M. Thomas Issac, Finance Minister, Government of Kerala, said: “the Internet would be made the right of the people and two million poor families will access free internet connection.” Probably, Kerala is the first state to recognise Right to Internet as a right of its citizens.

It’s about IT in Kerala! As per the information, the Kerala state government will set up internet gateway through K Phone Network within the next 18 months. The project would cost 1000 crore and would make the internet the right for the people. All the places in Kerala will soon get the internet through electric posts.

Also Read: Rail Tel Launches Google’s Free Wi-Fi at Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station

Though the free internet connection is applicable to only poor families in the state, it still provides the internet access to others at a reduced rate. Mr Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala Chief Minister, who is the leader of Left Democratic Front, has got some great initiations to provide free internet to millions of people.

Bridge the Digital Divide:

Kerala, the state is known for high literacy rate, will now have a reason to celebrate. As per the leaked reports, the Government would ask the state-run telecom operator BSNL to provide 1GB of internet data per month totally free of cost. Any extra usage would be charged by the service provider.

It has been decided that the majority of Govt-related activities would soon go online. Moreover, free Wi-Fi will be initiated in all Akshaya centres to facilitate e-Seva facilities to its citizens. This ambitious initiative will definitely reduce the digital divide in the state.

Also Read: Haryana Govt Launches Free Wi-Fi in 100 Villages

Indian Government launched pre-loaded SIM cards to foreign tourists arriving in India in association with the state-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited. This pre-loaded SIM card will have a talk-time of ₹50 and 50MB 3G data.

Also Read: BSNL Partners with Tata Communication to Deploy 44 Million WiFi Hotspots Globally

This new initiative will help the foreigners to communicate with their near and dear ones without waiting for the approvals. Ministry of Tourism and Culture launched this service in cooperation with BSNL. The foreign tourist arriving in India on e-visa can claim this facility at Indira Gandhi Airport, New Delhi. This will be extended to all the 15 international airports in the country as early as possible.

Encouraging Travel and Tourism:

Speaking on the launch of the new initiative, Mr Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Culture and Tourism, said: “The initiative will help the tourists to immediately communicate with their relatives at home, hotels, tour operators and so on”.

The new facility can be availed by submitting the e-Visa copy and the first page of passport at the airport terminal. BSNL would process the application instantly thereby cutting down the time drastically in activation of SIM cards.

Moreover, this pre-loaded BSNL SIM cards will give a toll-free 24X7 multilingual access to get assistance from Ministry of Tourism in the case of any emergency including distress or medical emergency. One way or the other this instant pre-loaded SIM card will enable the foreign tourists to stay in touch with their relatives and find the hotel, cabs for their smooth arrival in India.

Also Read: Data Tariff War: BSNL Now Offers 2GB Mobile Data at ₹78

Vodafone India, the country’s second largest telecom player, rolled out its SuperNet 4G services in Chennai metropolitan city. Built on the efficient 2100 MHz band, Vodafone India subscribers will now able to access high-speed internet on a wide range of smart devices including 4G smartphones, dongles and Mi-Fi.

Also Read: Vodafone SuperNet 4G Now in Madurai and Tuticorin

Previously, the telecom operator launched its 4G services in Coimbatore, Erode, Hosur, Madurai, Puducherry, Salem, Tiruppur, Trichy, Tuticorin, and Vellore. And now, the company rolled out 4G services in its capital city. Chennai being the most significant market for Vodafone, the telecom operator took extra time to unfold its 4G blanket.

Chennai, the third-largest city in India, holds the distinction of being the third-largest expatriate population in India. And Vodafone got a strong fibre backhaul to support its super-fast Vodafone 3G services. By doing so, the company is uniquely positioned to offer 2G/3G/4G services to all its subscribers without any glitch using its convergent radio technology.

Vodafone Expansion Plans:

Commenting on the launch, S. Murali, Business Head – Tamil Nadu, Vodafone India, said: “As a steadfast partner to Digital India, we are delighted to launch Vodafone SuperNet 4G in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. 4G has the potential to revolutionise the mobile experience through powerful innovation that impacts how we work and live.

Vodafone is focusing Tamil Nadu as a significant growth market and is committed to extending its SuperNet 4G across the state by March 2017. Hope the company can realise its plans and offer faster internet speed to its esteemed customers.

Also Read: Vodafone Red 499 Postpaid Plan Offers Unlimited Voice Calling and 3GB 4G Data

The Chinese handset maker OPPO Electronics is all set to launch its latest selfie-focussed 4G smartphone OPPO A57 in the Indian market. Tentatively, February 3rd will be the launch date. The OPPO A57 smartphone will be available in 2 colour variants – Rose Gold and Gold at a price of 16K. In China, it was priced at 1599 Yuan.

Also Read: OPPO Partners with Vodafone to Provide Extra 9GB Data for F1s Users

OPPO A57 Specifications:

As per the latest tweet, OPPO A57 will hit the Indian market on 3rd February. Regarding specifications, OPPO A57 sports a 5.2-inch HD display with 1280X720 pixel resolution and 2.5D curved glass protection. Powered by an octa-core 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 processor with Adreno 505 GPU for graphics and 3GB RAM, the handset has 32GB internal storage space further expandable up to 256GB via microSD card slot.

A 16-Megapixel Selfie Shooter:

Optics wise, OPPO A57 sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with f/2.2 aperture, LED flash and PDAF. For selfie mode, it features a 16-megapixel front camera with f/2.0 aperture and 1.12nm pixel size. It also features a fingerprint scanner on the front. Connectivity wise, the handset supports dual SIM, 4G LTE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and 3.5mm audio jack.

Backed by a 2900mAh battery, OPPO A57 smartphone gives a decent battery life and solid performance throughout the day. It runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based ColorOS 3.0 skin on top. As there is no word on its availability, one can expect from Feb 3rd midnight (on the launch day itself).

Also Read: Oppo Launches Upgraded Selfie Expert F1s with 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM at ₹18990

The state-run telecom company BSNL will add 50 new Wi-Fi hotspot locations in and around Hyderabad city. When the whole nation is craving for 4G connectivity, BSNL has got only 3G to cater its services across the country. Taking it as a challenge, BSNL is trying to woo the users by providing public Wi-Fi hotspots in the city.

Also Read: BSNL Partners with Tata Communication to Deploy 44 Million WiFi Hotspots Globally

BSNL Wi-Fi Hotspot:

It is to be noted that BSNL has already set up 40 Wi-Fi hotspot locations in Hyderabad in association with QuadGen Networks Pvt Ltd. BSNL launched the first public Wi-Fi hotspot in South India around Hussainsagar Lake in April 2015. By analysing high usage zones, BSNL will add 50 new Wi-Fi hotspot locations to counter Reliance Jio Infocomm’s free services.

Also Read: BSNL Prepaid ₹439 Promotional Plan Offers Free Voice Calling for 3 Months

Critical Ingredient for Digital India Campaign:

As per the stats, 3.46 lakh subscribers used BSNL’s Wi-Fi hotspot services in the last 6 months. Of them 1.51 lakh people used these services for the first time and downloaded 62.19 lakh GB of data on their smart devices. However, their data cleared pointed that there was a reduction in data usage after the commercial launch of Reliance Jio 4G services. Incidentally, BSNL is not the only telecom company to be affected by the launch of Reliance Jio.

Also Read: CMD Anupam Shrivastava Confirms BSNL 4G Rollout in 2017-18

Hope BSNL brings PAN-India broadband connectivity and realises the PM’s vision of Digital India.

After offering successful SuperHour plans, Vodafone India has got some cheers to its PAN-India postpaid subscribers. India’s number two telecom network operator has launched Vodafone Red bundled pack to offer unlimited voice calling and 4G data benefits.

New Vodafone Red Postpaid Plans:

Under this new plan, Vodafone India subscribers will get unlimited local and STD calls, 3GB of 4G mobile data, 1GB of non-4G data, 100 free local and national SMS, and free incoming on national roaming starting at ₹499. Post the data consumption, the data will be computed at 50p/MB. Along with this starter pack, the telecom company has also launched other Vodafone Red plans to offer bundled benefits.

Also Read: Data Tariff War: Vodafone offers 4GB 4G Data at ₹250

The Vodafone Red Plan 999 offers unlimited voice calling (both local and STD), 8GB of 4G data, 5GB of non-4G data, 100 free local and national SMS, and free incoming national roaming at ₹999. Similarly, the telecom operator has got free outgoing on national roaming along with 12GB of 4G data, 8GB non-4G data and unlimited voice calling at ₹1299. The highest value pack offered by Vodafone India to its postpaid subscribers is ₹1999 that offers 24GB of 4G data, 20GB of non-4G data, unlimited voice calling and free outgoing on national roaming.

Addressing the launch of new Vodafone RED plans, Mr. Sandeep Kataria, Chief Commercial Officer, Vodafone India said, “Postpaid customers have higher usage of data and roaming. With the new Vodafone RED, our postpaid customers can enjoy an all-in-one plan that addresses their data, roaming and calling needs comprehensively”.

Trying to Winning Back Lost Customers?

Amidst a cut-throat competition, Vodafone India is offering many combo packs to retain its customer base intact. As per the sources, these new Vodafone RED plans are not valid in AP & Telangana, Bihar & Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh telecom circles.

Despite its initial hiccups, Vodafone India has got 200 million subscribers. Continuing its enthusiasm, the telecom company is providing value addition to its subscribers in the form of bundled packs, free incoming while in national roaming, SuperHours etc. Is it sufficient to take on Reliance Jio’s free services that have got an extension of another 90 days under Jio Happy New Year Offer?

Also Read: Vodafone SuperHour Plan to Offer Unlimited 4G/3G Data Starting at Just ₹16

Telenor 4G @ Hyderabad:

Though Telenor is looking at selling its Indian unit, the Norwegian telecom company is expanding its 4G footprint in its telecom circles. The latest city to get Telenor 4G roll out is Hyderabad. Telenor India has packed some attractive data offerings to its 4G subscribers in Hyderabad.

Also Read: Telenor India Offers Unlimited 4G Internet at ₹11 for One Day

Branding as FullVasool, the Telenor India has offered 1GB of 4G mobile data at just ₹97. The best of their 4G offers is unlimited 4G data at ₹11 with full one-day validity. When the telecom companies are providing unlimited data for one-hour duration, Telenor India has gone ahead and offered unlimited data for one day.

Telenor 4G - The Leader in Mobile Data Speed:

If one considers the 4G plans of telecom players, Telenor stands tall. The company has got some really excellent plans when compared to the leaders in the market. As per the recent speed test reports revealed by TRAI, Telenor is leading the chart in terms of upload speeds.

Back to the plans regarding sale out, the company’s talks with Bharti Airtel is in final stages. And within a week, a final report is expected regarding the same from Bharti Airtel. Definitely, the subscribers of Telenor India will miss it a lot.

Also Read: Telenor in Talks with Bharti Airtel to Sell India Business for $350 Million

After the successful launch of SuperNet 4G services in Madurai and Tuticorin, Vodafone India rolled out 4G in Trichy. As the company is making every effort to launch SuperNet 4G services in all the major towns and cities by the end of March 2017, the Vodafone India subscribers are anticipating better services in the coming days.

Vodafone SuperNet 4G Now in Trichy:

The India’s second largest telecom network operator has recently started rolling out SuperNet 4G services from Coimbatore and later extended it to Tirupur, Madurai, Tuticorin and now it’s live in Trichy. Built on the strong fibre backhaul, Vodafone India is well positioned to offer 2G, 3G and 4G services in Trichy. With this, the Vodafone India subscribers can enjoy high-speed mobile data on a wide range of devices including dongle, Mi-Fi, and 4G enabled smartphones.

Also Read: Vodafone SuperNet 4G Now in Madurai and Tuticorin

Continuing its 4G expansion, Vodafone claims to extend the services to other major towns and cities in Tamil Nadu by the end of March 2017. The subscribers can now enjoy HD video streaming, video calls without any buffering.

Addressing the launch of SuperNet 4G services, Mr. S. Murali, Business Head – Tamil Nadu, Vodafone India, said: “We have received an overwhelming response from customers in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Madurai and Tuticorin where Vodafone SuperNet 4G is already available. Beginning today, our customers in Trichy and soon across Tamil Nadu will enjoy the world’s largest 4G network experience.”

Vodafone 4G Launch Offers:

As usual, the subscribers can enjoy a free SIM upgrade to 4G along with 2GB of 4G data. One can access Vodafone SuperNet 4G starting from ₹8 for 30MB to ₹999 for 22GB. Celebrating the 4G roll out, Vodafone India has launched Vodafone SuperHour products starting at ₹18 per hour. Apart from these lucrative offers, the subscribers can enjoy free 3-month access to Vodafone Play app where one can get non-stop entertainment in HD quality. Just check the 4G compatibility of the handset and SIM by sending an SMS <4GCHECK> to 199.

Also Read: Vodafone SuperNet 4G Now in Coimbatore and Tirupur in Tamil Nadu

India’s second largest telecom network operator Vodafone India has launched SuperNet 4G services in Madurai and Tuticorin. As per the company, 4G services are rolled out on 2100MHz band. With this the Vodafone India subscribers can enjoy high-speed mobile data on a wide range of devices including dongle, Mi-Fi, and 4G enabled smartphones.

Vodafone SuperNet 4G in Tamil Nadu:

Recently, Vodafone India has launched SuperNet 4G services in Coimbatore and Tirupur. Continuing its 4G expansion, Vodafone claims to extend the services to other major towns and cities in Tamil Nadu by the end of March 2017. The subscribers can now enjoy HD video streaming, video calls without any buffering.

Also Read: Vodafone SuperNet 4G Now in Coimbatore and Tirupur in Tamil Nadu

Addressing the launch of SuperNet 4G services, Mr. S. Murali, Business Head – Tamil Nadu, Vodafone India, said: “As a steadfast partner to Digital India, we are delighted to launch Vodafone SuperNet 4G in Madurai and Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu. 4G has the potential to revolutionize the mobile experience through powerful innovation that impacts how we work and live. Vodafone’s global expertise and experience of launching 4G across 20 countries gives us a better understanding of this technology and the needs of the 4G customer.”

Vodafone SuperNet 4G Offers:

Celebrating the launch of Vodafone SuperNet 4G, the company has offered free 2GB of 4G data with every 4G SIM upgrade. Prepaid subscribers can visit the nearest Vodafone store and upgrade their existing 2G and 3G SIMs. For postpaid users, the company has offered doorstep delivery of the SIMs. If you are not sure whether the SIM or handset is 4G compatible then just send an SMS <4GCHECK> to 199.

Vodafone India has offered affordable SuperHour data packs ranging from ₹18 per hour. Similarly, the data savvy customers can enjoy 22GB of 4G data at just ₹999. The telecom company wants to grab maximum benefit from the 4G craze. Thus, the company is extending SuperNet 4G services in all its circles across the country.

Though Telenor India may not be in the telecom race, but it has got its own way to attract new subscribers always. Earlier, we reported that the Oslo-headquartered telecom giant is in talks with Bharti Airtel to sell India businesses for $350 million but the company doesn’t want to stay behind.

Also Read: Telenor in Talks with Bharti Airtel to Sell India Business for $350 Million

Industry Best 4G Data Offers:

Telenor India is offering attractive unlimited internet plan for one day at just ₹11. We know Telenor has a limited presence in India across 7 telecom circles. Leaving Assam, the service provider has a tiny 4G base in 6 telecom circles across the country.

Cashing in on the craze of 4G, Telenor India has offered Unlimited Internet for ₹11 without any data limit restrictions. That’s an awesome mobile data pack for one entire day. Reportedly, the telecom service provider is offering this lucrative plan in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana telecom circle. If the subscriber is looking for bigger data packs, then Telenor India’s offering of 6GB 4G data at ₹239 is enough for data savvy customers.

Telenor 4G Exclusive Offers:

Interestingly, Telenor India subscribers are getting exclusive offers through SMS from the company itself. That said, customers get 1GB of 4G data at ₹57 for 28 days. Similarly, 2GB of 4G data is being offered at ₹98 with 28 days validity period.

It is quite obvious that Telenor India is offering Industry’s best 4G data plans way ahead of Bharti Airtel and Vodafone India. Surprisingly, TRAI has listed Telenor India at number one position in terms of upload speeds and at number three in download speeds. That’s a good going for Telenor with the world’s first commercial lean GSM network in India.

The Reliance Jio customers who are enjoying free national voice and video calling, unlimited 4G data, and Jio applications till 31st December, 2016 will now continue to enjoy the services but with a different title. The new entrant will now attract the customers under Jio Happy New Year Offer.

Jio Happy New Year Offer:

For existing customers, the existing Jio Welcome Offer expires on 31st December 2016 and the Jio Happy New Year Offer will be automatically activated on 1st January 2017. As a part of this offer, the Jio subscribers will get 1GB of 4G high-speed data per day. After consumption of this data, the user can continue to use unlimited mobile data but at a speed of 128Kbps. Apart from this, the user also gets unlimited 4G high-speed data during the night from 02AM to 05AM.

The benefits of Happy New Year Offer are valid till 31st March, 2017. The Jio subscriber can enjoy unlimited access to Jio suite of Apps including Jio TV, Jio Cinema, Jio Music, JioMags, JioNewsPaper, JioXpressNews, JioCloud and JioSecurity. In simple terms, Jio provides access to more than 6000 plus movies, 400 plus LIVE TV channels, 1.4 crore songs and more all for FREE till March end.

How to Recharge?

In case, if the Jio subscriber wants to continue the data at 4G speeds after consumption of daily 1GB limit, the user can recharge with data packs. By making a recharge with the ₹51 pack, the user will get additional 1GB of 4G data for the day. Similarly, a recharge of ₹301 pack will give 6GB of 4G data with a validity of 28 days. One can recharge these packs only online via MyJio App or on the company’s official website – www.Jio.com .

To recap, TRAI sought explanation from Reliance Jio in extending the free offers. Let’s wait and watch how Jio and TRAI will react to this promotional offer.

The country’s second largest telecom operator Vodafone India has rolled out SuperNet 4G services in Coimbatore and Tirupur in Tamil Nadu. The company said that it will soon extend SuperNet 4G services in all major towns and cities by March 2017. With this launch, Vodafone India is now uniquely placed to tender 2G, 3G and 4G services in Tamil Nadu.

As per the official release, Vodafone India has set up 4G services on 2100MHz band. This state-of-the-art network will provide high-speed mobile broadband services to Vodafone subscribers across a wide range of smart devices including Mi-Fi and dongles. With SuperNet 4G services, the telecom network provider aims to provide high-speed internet experience through HD video streaming, 2-way video calling etc.

Also Read: Vodafone SuperNet 4G Now in Madurai and Tuticorin

Addressing the launch of 4G services, Mr. S. Murali, Business Head – Tamil Nadu, Vodafone India, said: “As a steadfast partner to Digital India, we are delighted to launch Vodafone SuperNetT4G in Tamil Nadu. Beginning today, our customers in Coimbatore, Tirupur and soon across Tamil Nadu can enjoy the world’s largest 4G network experience”.

A Host of Vodafone 4G Offers:

Vodafone India has got a special launch offer for the subscribers in Tamil Nadu. All the Vodafone subscribers can now get a free upgrade to 4G. Under this plan, the subscriber will get a 2GB of 4G data. The users can enjoy small packs starting from ₹8 for 30MB and big packs extending up to ₹999 for 22GB. Above all, the subscribers can get a free access to Vodafone Play for a period of 3 months. The Vodafone India post-paid subscribers can avail delivery of 4G SIMs at their doorstep. Just send SMS <4GCHECK> to 199 and make sure whether the phone/SIM is 4G compatible or not.

Starting from Kerala, Vodafone India has expanded its 4G footprint to 17 telecom circles including 2400 towns and cities across the country. The telecom company is yet to rollout 4G SuperNet services in Goa, Punjab and UP (West) circles.

The Hyderabad Deccan Railway Station and Secunderabad Railway Station that fall under the South Central Railway zone of Indian Railways will now provide free Wi-Fi services to the passengers. Currently, the free Wi-Fi services are available at 104 stations in the country.

Free Public Wi-Fi at Railway Stations:

Union Railway Minister Mr. Suresh Prabhu started the free Wi-Fi services through a video conference. The Union Minister of Labour and Employment Mr. Bandaru Dattatreya were also present during the inaugural function held at the headquarters of South Central Railway station.

To recap, Mumbai Central Station had become the first railway station in India to have free public Wi-Fi facility. And the Indian Railways connected all the busy stations with free Wi-Fi services in partnership with Google. On 27th December, Kollam became the 100th railway station to get free Wi-Fi access. The next move is to extend the free internet facility to over 400 stations by next year.

RailWire for Digital Economy:

As per the Indian Railways, over 10 million people passing through these stations every day will now have a free Wi-Fi internet facility. The railway stations are the places where the cross-section of the society is available. The provision of free Wi-Fi facility will bridge the digital divide and provide fast internet access to all rail passengers.

It is to be noted that Google in partnership with Railtel is deploying this free Wi-Fi service as RailWire. This incredible service will support Modi-led central government in realization of digital economy.

Officially, GIONEE has launched its premium smartphone Gionee M2017 in China. The handset sports a massive 7000mAh battery and comes in Gold and Black colour options. The company has got two premium designs for the handset; one in a metal frame and the other Italian leather rear. Price wise, the metallic frame handset costs 6999 Yuan (₹68K) and the leather back comes with an expensive price tag of 16999 Yuan (₹1.66L).

GIONEE M2017 Specifications:

Regarding specs, the Gionee M2017 features a 5.7-inch Quad HD AMOLED curved display (1440x2560 pixels) with sapphire glass protection. Powered by 1.44 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 chipset and 6GB RAM, the handset packs 128GB/256GB internal storage space. With no microSD card slot, it can be easily understood that the two variants cannot be further expanded.

Camera wise, the Gionee M2017 supports dual rear cameras with 12-megapixel and 13-megapixel lenses and 8-megapixel front shooter. It is also equipped with a fingerprint sensor in the Home button for quick and secured access. As specified earlier, Gionee M2017 is backed by a massive 7000mAh battery capacity and the company claims to deliver 916 hours on standby. One can expect two 3,500mAh batteries inside the pack supporting 24W Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0.

What’s Your Opinion?

The new Gionee M2017 runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Amigo OS 3.5 skin on top. And for connectivity, the smartphone supports dual-SIM, 4G LTE, GPS, USB 2.0 Type-C, Bluetooth etc. By going with the specs, the price quoted by GIONEE is steep and is not expected.

The Telangana State government slashed VAT on cell phones in the state to 5%. Currently, the VAT on accessories and parts of cell phones is 14.5%. With this the consumers in Telangana are purchasing mobiles from the grey market and dealers in neighbouring states.

The commercial taxes department has given approval to the reduction in VAT to encourage direct sales in the Telangana state and stop trade diversion. K. Chandra Sekhar Rao-led Telangana state government passed the bill in its state assembly by drafting the necessary changes in the VAT Act.

This slash in VAT will give Telangana state government a profit of 5 crores to its treasury due to the increase in mobile sales.

Reliance Retail, the subsidiary company of Reliance Industries, has launched yet another smartphone LYF F1s in Future One series. Priced at ₹9599, the new LYF F1s is available in Black, Gold and Silver colour options, The smartphone is bundled with Reliance Jio’s Happy New Year that offers unlimited free voice calls and data till 31st March 2017. Moreover, the users purchasing the smartphone through Jio Money will get additional ₹500 cashback.

LYF F1s Specifications:

Specs wise, Reliance Retail LYF F1s sports a 5.2-inch full HD IPS display (423ppi) with 2.5D curved glass and Corning Concore Glass 3 protection. The smartphone is powered by Snapdragon 652 octa-core processor accompanied by 3GB RAM and Adreno 510 GPU. It has 32GB internal storage expandable up to 128GB through microSD card. For photography, the handset supports 16-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel selfie camera with 8x digital zoom, LED flash and 4K UHD video recording.

Connectivity wise, the LYF F1s runs on Android Marshmallow 6.0.1 OS and supports hybrid dual-SIM, 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 4.1LE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, GPS, USB Type-C etc. Backed by 3000mAh battery, the phone claims to offer 11.5 hours talk time on 4G and 320 hours of standby time. In line with LYF phones, it comes with a 2-year warranty period.

Tata DoCoMo launches unlimited local and STD calling plans for its prepaid subscribers in Kerala. The plans are bundled with data benefits to provide the maximum benefit to its subscribers.

As per the latest ₹348 plan, Tata DoCoMo subscribers can make unlimited local and STD calls to any network bundled with 5GB of 3G data for 28 days. This plan is available in all circles without any change in the pricing. However, with ₹298 the subscriber gets 2GB of 3G data plus unlimited free voice calling for 28 days.

Unlimited Voice Calling at Just ₹103:

Apart from these high data benefit plans; Tata DoCoMo has also launched unlimited calling facility at ₹148 packed with 500MB of data valid for only 14 days. The jewel of the unlimited plans is ₹103 that offers unlimited on-net calling (Tata DoCoMo to Tata DoCoMo, both local and STD) without any data benefit.

That means, a Tata DoCoMo subscriber can stay in touch with his near and dear ones with just ₹103 across the country. Similarly, the subscribers can make unlimited local and STD voice calls at just ₹246 but with no data benefit.

Addressing the launch of unlimited voice plans, Mr. Balaji Prakash, CBU Head – Karnataka and Kerala Circle, Tata Teleservices Limited, said: “Our unlimited plans are devised to offer maximum value in terms of voice and data to all our customers as per their requirements. With unlimited talk time and abundant data at best available prices, our unlimited plans will suit the ever-increasing demands of our customers to stay connected. This is a New Year bonanza for our customers, with the on-going holiday season; we want our customers to make maximum utilization of voice and data. We will continue to delight our customers with our superior user experience”.

What’s Your Opinion?

Tata Teleservices Ltd’s Tata DoCoMo has a good presence across 19 telecom circles in India with 3G spectrum benefits. The latest unlimited calling offerings are truly unique in their nature and hope the subscribers get a maximum benefit of it. Tata DoCoMo known for its low cost calls has really got something to cheer in the New Year.

Re: [Redmi Note 4 Launched - Comes with Helio X20 10-Core CPU](4100mAh Battery)

Beijing-headquartered World’s 4th largest smartphone maker Xiaomi has announced two new color variants Black and Blue to its Redmi Note 4 smartphone. Previously, the Redmi Note 4 smartphone was only offered in Gold, Grey, and Silver colors.

Redmi Note 4 Specifications:

From now onwards, the beast would also sport Black and Blue color. As per the Xiaomi official website, the black and blue models will only be made available for 3GBRAM/32GBstorage and 3GBRAM/64GBstorage configurations of the Redmi Note 4. The new color variants do not attract any premium price and are listed CNY999 (₹10K) and CNY1199 (₹12K) respectively.

It is to recap that Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 features a 5.5-inch full HD 2.5D curved glass display with 1080x1920 pixels resolution. Powered by a deca-core MediaTek Helio X20 SoC and Mali-T880 MP4 GPU, the smartphone supports expandable storage up to 128GB via microSD card. Optics wise, Redmi Note 4 sports a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera that can click 85-degree wide angle shots.

Will Redmi Note 4 Launch in India?

Connectivity wise, Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 supports a hybrid dual-SIM slot with 4G VoLTE support, Bluetooth, GPS, Micro-USB etc. Backed by a massive 4100mAh battery, Redmi Note 4 runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS. Since India is known to have a Xiaomi Redmi fanbase, the handset is expected to launch in the country as well.

BigC Mobiles, the largest mobile retail chain in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, announced 5% cashback on all purchases made through credit and debit cards. This is a unique offer to encourage cashless transactions after the country has been facing cash crunch due to demonetisation of high currency notes.

To Encourage Cashless Transactions:

Announcing the 5% cashback offer, Mr. Balu Chaudhary, CMD, BigC Mobiles, said: ‘We would like to join the cashless economy by offering 5% cashback on payments made through credit or debit cards for the purchases of mobiles”. He further added that this might be the unique offer by any mobile retail chain in the country itself”. Apart from the announcement of cashback offer, retail chain CMD has declared the details of prize winners of Dussehra and Diwali Bumper Offer.

The BigC Mobiles retail chain offers the widest range of mobile devices and has been in the business for 13 years. Currently, the BigC mobiles multibrand mobile showroom has about 120+ retail stores in AP and Telangana. The store has sights on replicating its success PAN India.