Xiaomi Smarter Living Event 2020 has got many new surprises including the much-awaited Mi Smart Band 5 and IoT products. Let’s explore Mi Smart Band 5 in detail.

The Mi Smart Band 5 sports a 1.1-inch (20% larger than Mi Band 4) AMOLED colour display with a brightness level of 450 nits. Though it comes with the black strap as the standard, one can purchase Teal, Purple, Navy Blue, and Orange strap colours too.

Mi Smart Band 5 Gets Magnetic Charging:

Moving out from the traditional charging method, the new Mi Smart Band 5 has got a magnetic charging feature where one can charge the fitness band without removing the strap.

The battery life in power-saving mode goes up to 21 days, or else 14 days in a normal mode.

Auto Detection of 11 Professional Sports:

The big update with Mi Smart Band 5 is auto-detection of 11 professional sports including yoga, jump rope, rowing machine etc. The earlier version was limited to 6 workout modes.

By tracking all workouts, the smart band allots PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence) points based on the personal profile, heart rate, and fitness level.

Equipped with Women’s Health Tracking:

Women’s Health Tracking seems to be a good feature as it records ovulation phases of women and reminds the menstrual cycle. This benefit could be a big USP to try Mi Smart Band 5.

As usual, the new Mi fitness band 5 monitors 24-hours sleep activity. The company boasts that the band’s accuracy has improved by 40%. At the same time, it works on 24-hour continuous heart rate monitoring.

Apart from monitoring the stress level and breathing exercises, it boasts to give suggestions for recovering from stress. One can even track their fitness data on My Fit App that works on both Android and iOS.

The new Mi Smart Band 5 do provide useful features like idle alerts, find my phone, do not disturb, incoming call notification etc. The 5ATM water resistance up to 50 m is a big bonus at this affordable price.

Though seems to be silly, the band allows you to customize watch faces. Starting October 1st, the new Mi Smart Band 5 will retail at 2499 on Amazon India and Mi.com and Mi Home.

Would you like to try Mi Smart Band 5 or happy with Mi Band 4? Share your thoughts.

Also Read: Amazon Unveils New Fire TV Stick (Adds Low-Cost Lite Variant)

Undoubtedly, competition in the telecom sector is the key to digital India dream. However, blocking of the competitor’s website is not acceptable.

Yes, it agreed that in today’s’ business climate, every company has more competition than they did a few years ago. Due to this, the consolidation has happened in the telecom sector.

“Survival of the Fittest” in Telecom Sector:

The rock-bottom tariffs announced by the new entrant Jio has led to the hyper-intensive competition. The bigger players Vodafone India and Idea Cellular merged their networks to stay on the battlefield.

On the other hand, companies like Reliance Communications went bankrupt.

This is true as per Charles Darwinian Theory “Survival of the fittest”, the most intelligent who can best manage the change will survive whereas the weak will die out.

Thus, managing or smart work is the new mantra of the business. For the same, it looks Bharti Airtel is well managing the telecom business by adhering unethical practice.

Airtel Fiber Blocks Jio Website:

It sounds strange but really shocking! The Bharti Airtel Xstream Fiber network is blocking Jio.com website. One can’t access the Jio website. Both the Jio mobile and Jio FTTH sections on the website are not accessible.

That means if you want to recharge your Jio SIM on its website, it’s not possible. Similarly, one can’t access JioFiber plans. The core idea is to block the user.

An average user might look at the Jio.com website and find it as DOWN. Whenever the user browses Jio.com, the browser displays “Hmmm… can’t reach this page”. The www.Jio.com’s server IP address could not be found.

VPN Unblocks Jio.com Website:

However, a technical person can still access it through a VPN. The Virtual Private Network allows access to blocked sites.

If you happen to test the Jio.com website through one of the best VPN services (including NordVPN, Express VPN, Surfshark etc), the Jio.com website would be alive.

What does it Indicate?

Due to the competitive nature of the market, telecom operators like Bharti Airtel are indulging into unhealthy and unethical practices. The rise of a duopoly in the Indian telecom sector seems to be inevitable.

Instead, the companies should look at innovation. Hope the regulatory bodies including Telecom Regulatory of India (TRAI), Department of Telecommunications (DoT), and Competition Commission of India will look in it.

Would you agree with my opinion? Share your thoughts.

Also Read: JioFiber Launches New Tariff Plans (With 30-Day Free Trial)

Soon after the U.S. Court issued a temporary stay against the decision to ban WeChat, another US District Judge blocked the decision.

As per the new order, both the Chinese Apps got a reprieve. Till then, Google and Apple will continue to have these apps on their store. It seems the Trump administration has already filed a suit to stay an injunction blocking the ban.

TikTok Puts Deal With Oracle, Walmart in Beijing’s Hands:

With the tensions between the US and China are at the peak, the Trump administration wants to consolidate the things by forcing the sale of the short-video service TikTok to Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc.

The U.S. has been saying that WeChat is a threat as the Tencent-owned app track users and steal their data. Don’t know how the Chinese Communist Party is going to react.

How to Keep in Touch with Chinese?

Earlier, the Chinese American community claimed that WeChat is a lifeline connecting them to family and friends in China. And with the American restrictions, the person reported “It’s really sad. I’ll be completely cut-off.

Interestingly, both Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp are banned in China. That’s the reason, WeChat is considered to be the primary app for Chinese speakers in the US to socialize.

Currently, WeChat has about 19 million active users in the US alone. Here, the Indian Government unilaterally banned the Chinese apps citing the protecting sovereignty of the nation as the reason.

For a fact, Trump has been taking an anti-China stand. He repeatedly refers to novel coronavirus as China-virus and China Flu.

Do you agree with my opinion? Share your thoughts.

Also Read: Govt Bans TikTok. Full List of 59 China-Linked Apps on Security Concern

In a power-packed event, the Amazon threw many surprises by announcing the redesigning of Fire TV experience. As a part of it, the company launched Fire TV stick and a lower-cost Fire TV Stick Lite.

Fire TV now gets video calling support. Through Zoom one can have a video chat over the Fire TV. By enabling video chat, Amazon has developed Fire TV as a communication device. Just by calling Alexa, the user can have 2-way video calling experience with Fire TV.

Fire TV Stick with 4K and Dolby Atmos Support:

Coming back to the Fire TV Stick, it is one of Amazon’s best-sellers. That’s the reason, Amazon has upgraded its processor to support 4K and Dolby Atmos functionality.

The new Fire TV Stick has got 50% more faster quad-core CPU and GPU. Apart from the upgraded processor, Fire TV Stick has got new dual-band and dual-antenna for stable connectivity.

Fire TV Stick Lite Costs $30:

On the other hand, the Fire TV Stick Lite now comes with the Alexa Voice Remote Lite. There are minor differences as it retains most of the functions. The omission of volume and mute buttons (to control AV and TV) makes it $10 cheaper.

In short, the Fire TV Stick 4K model costs $50 whereas the standard Fire TV Stick costs $40. The Lite version is priced at $30.

As a BIG surprise, Amazon launched its own cloud gaming service titled Luna. Though it has got many similarities from Google Stadia, it’s still not open to everyone. Currently, it can be accessed only through invitation and priced at $6 per month.

If its availability is limited in the US then it’s a long road for an Indian launch.

Do you agree with my opinion? Share your thoughts.

Also Read: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Gets Dolby Vision and HDR 10+ Support at ₹5999

As per the latest data revealed by TRAI, the Reliance Jio has surpassed its rivals by increasing its subscriber base to 397 million. The total number of active wireless subscribers in June 2020 was reported as 958 million.

Though this is an old data (TRAI June Report), the COVID-19 unlock guidelines has helped the telecom companies to gather some oil. Despite the easing of restrictions, the telecom companies failed to attract new subscriber base.

Reliance Jio is the Front Runner in Wireless Segment:

Except for Reliance Jio, all the telecom companies registered negative growth. Reliance Jio has seen a 1.15% monthly growth rate of wireless subscribers in the month of June 2020.

On the other hand, industry heavyweights Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea registered a negative growth of (-)0.36% and (-)1.56% respectively. Similarly, both the Public Sector Units, BSNL and MTNL fared badly reflecting (-)1.45% and (-)0.11% respectively.

The month of June has got 5.83 million requests for Mobile Number Portability (MNP). The data also summed up a total of 497.04 million subscribers since the implementation of MNP.

The data also revealed that 89.33% of the wireless subscriber’s are with private service providers. The remaining 10.67% share is being served by PSUs (BSNL and MTNL).

Reliance Jio tops the list with 34.82% market share, followed by Bharti Airtel (27.76%), Vi (26.75%), BSNL (10.37%), and MTNL (0.29%).

BSNL is the Market Leader in Wireline Segment:

In case of wireline subscribers, BSNL leads the market share with 41.27%, followed by Bharti Airtel (21.57%), MTNL (15.58%), Tata Tele (8.71%), and Reliance Jio (7.35%).

Overall, the PSU’s enjoy a 56.87% market share in the wireline segment.

Do you agree with my opinion? Share your thoughts.

Also Read: BSNL Prepaid Recharge Plans for Validity Extension (Updated 2020)

The Lenovo-owned Motorola Mobility has launched the all-new Moto E7 Plus in the Indian market. The Flipkart exclusive will go on sale from September 30th at a price of ₹9,499.

Sporting a dual-camera setup and me-too looks of Moto G9, this has got a dewdrop notch at the top. Leaving the SIM tray, all the buttons on the Moto E7 Plus are on the right side.

Moto E7 Plus Specifications:

The new E series handset sports a 6.5-inch display with HD+ resolution (720 x 1600 pixels resolution) and 20:9 aspect ratio. Powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 chipset, Adreno 610 GPU and 4GB RAM, the handset has inbuilt 64GB space.

The Hybrid SIM slot limits the internal space to 64GB or else one can upgrade it up to 512GB using microSD card. On the battery front, 5000mAh battery unit (with 10W charger) makes it truly dependable.

Even after 10 hours of continuous video streaming, the battery didn’t drop to 50%.

Also Read: Poco M2 with Helio G80 & 6GB RAM Priced at ₹10999 (Flipkart Exclusive)

Motorola Boasts Ultimate Camera Experience:

The Moto E7 Plus has got dual-camera set up at the back. The 48mp primary shooter (f/1.7 aperture) and 2mp depth sensor are worth testing. For selfies, you get an 8mp camera.

Though it can’t compete with camera-centric handsets, Moto E7 Plus optics are decent enough. The fingerprint sensor at the back is responsive.

Considering the price factor, Motorola has ditched the stock android. But still, Motorola’s MyUX on Android 10 provides a clean experience. However, I didn’t expect the Facebook app to be preinstalled.

What’s Your Opinion?

The Navy-Blue colour (the other being Amber Bronze) looks astonishing giving a premium feel. While coming to the alternatives, one could anytime go with Redmi 9 Prime.

The sub 10K budget segment has got many handsets, and the companies should properly target their products. A mere change in the processor of Moto G9 will solve the purpose.

Do you agree with my opinion? Share your thoughts.

Also Read: Dual SIM Nokia C3 Comes with 1-Yr Replacement Warranty (Just ₹7499)

HMD Global is again in the news by launching an entry-level smartphone in the Indian market. Termed as the budget smartphone, the new Nokia C3 comes with a 5.99-inch display.

Starting September 17th, the handset will be available for sale in 2 colour options - Nordic Blue and Sand Gold. One can grab this budget handset at any retail store across India.

Prices at just ₹7499, this is purely a made-in-India handset. The USP of Nokia C3 is that it comes with a 1-year replacement warranty. Moreover, it runs stock Android 10 operating system (OS) out of the box.

Have you ever seen sub-10K smartphones offering a clean and stock Android OS?

Nokia C3 Specifications:

Regarding specifications, Nokia C3 sports a 5.99-inch HD+ display with 720 x 1440 pixel (269 ppi density). Powered by a Qualcomm octa-core Unisoc SC9863A processor and 2GB/3GB RAM, the handset offers up to 32GB storage inbuilt expandable.

As it is equipped with a dedicated slot, one can expand the storage capacity through a microSD card.

Backed by a 3040mAh removable battery (with 5V/1A charging support), the handset boasts a talk time of 50 hours on 2G, 23 hours on 3G and 22 hours on 4G SIM.

On the optics side, Nokia C3 sports an 8mp rear camera that enables you to take decent photos and 720p video at 30fps. There’s a 5mp front camera for selfies. It also features a fingerprint scanner at the back.

As said, it’s a dual-SIM handset with Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2 support, FM radio, and a micro USB port.

The two variants 2GB RAM + 16GB ROM and 3GB RAM + 32 GB ROM variant costs ₹7499 and ₹8999 respectively. Above all, the guaranteed 1-year replacement program makes Nokia C3 a go-to device under 8K budget.

Nokia C3 or Indian-made Chinese Handsets?

Though the specs can’t be compared to Chinese Redmi 9A or Realme C11, the Nokia C3 is a decent one. The UNISOC SC9863A chipset is definitely new to the Indian customers but it offers a similar performance provided by Qualcomm Snapdragon 429 SoC.

If you don’t bother about Qualcomm or UNISOC, then Nokia C3 definitely performs. Above all, you can’t go wrong with the brand Nokia and its 1-year replacement guarantee

Do you agree with my opinion? Share your thoughts.

Also Read: Reliance Jio to Roll Out Cheap 4G Smartphones (With Google Android)

Reliance Jio, India’s only VoLTE network across India, is planning to roll out lost-cost 4G smartphones in a big way. According to the Business Standard, the telecommunications company is all set to outsource 100 million handsets by the year-end.

Till now, Reliance Jio has got only 4G feature phones that run on KaiOS.

If the reports are to be believed, Jio has asked the manufacturer to build Android-centric smartphones that can bundle data packs too. Qualcomm’s recent investment of ₹730 crores in Jio platforms triggers the speculation.

Jio Pact with Google:

To those who are unaware, Google had already acquired a 7.7 per cent stake in Jio Platforms with an investment of ₹33,737 crores.

It’s to be noted that Reliance Jio has already tied up with search engine giant Google to optimize 4G and 5G smartphones for the Indian market. The announcement was already made at the 43rd Reliance AGM meeting attended by Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

This could realize the dream of developing entry-level (affordable) 4G smartphones to suit the needs of billions of Indians.

This commercial pact between Google and Reliance Jio could ultimately stop the dominance of Chinese handsets in the budget segment. If this materializes, Chinese conglomerates such as Xiaomi, Realme, OPPO, Vivo etc will definitely feel the heat.

As the Reliance Jio Infocomm’s 4G network is 5G ready, the transition from 4G to 5G is easier when compared to other telecom networks. Ultimately, Jio gets an upper hand even in the smartphone market.

Jio Phone Worldreader BookSmart App:

In another development, the global non-profit education organization Worldreader has tied up with Reliance Jio to bring children’s books to JioPhone users.

With Worldreader BookSmart app, Jio Phone users can access free children books. One can find the new app in the Education category of JioPhone’s app store. It’s a huge database of the online library including books from all niches.

Children will definitely like Worldreader BookSmart’s database that caters storybooks, folk tales, nature, science etc.

Also Read: JioFiber Launches New Tariff Plans (With 30-Day Free Trial)

Telecom companies are now trying to retain their customer base by launching attractive recharge offers. With the huge success of Reliance Jio’s 459 plan, the incumbent telecom operators are making efforts to drive customers for an extended period.

Bharti Airtel’s new ₹509 plan is a good offering to match Jio’s 459 vouchers. The Sunil Mittal-led telecom giant is trying hard to maintain its supremacy to bind the subscribers for a good period of time.

This is to inform that Airtel Prepaid Promise that offers unlimited calls and daily 1GB data for 70 days with ₹448 recharge is helping a lot by retaining the customers for a good period of 70 days. With its super success, the Bharti Airtel formulated another recharge plan that offers unlimited voice calls and daily data benefit for 84 days.

As per the new ₹509 plan, the Airtel user can enjoy unlimited voice calls (including roaming), daily 1GB data, 100 SMS (including roaming) with a validity of 84 days. Irrespective of your telecom circle, one can enjoy voice calls, data and SMS benefits.

Undoubtedly, this is one of the best plans introduced by Bharti Airtel.
Earlier, there used to be some terms and conditions such as daily 300 voice calls and weekly 1200 minutes limit. The subscriber is free to use these benefits irrespective of the telecom circle.

The best thing about Airtel ₹509 Plan is its open market offer. The plan is applicable to all 4G/3G/2G customers. The users can recharge the plan on Airtel’s website and myAirtel app.

Also Read: Airtel FRC 495 Offers Unlimited Combo Benefits with 70 Days Validity

In a similar development, Idea Cellular also joined the tariff war by launching ₹509 plan. It offers unlimited calls, daily 1GB data, and 100 SMS per day with 84days validity. The Idea subscribers are encouraged to avail extra 1GB data offer after the usage of the daily limit. This extra 1GB offer is limited to the recharges made through MyIdea app and official idea cellular portal.

Bharti Airtel front-runner in launching plans to compete against Reliance Jio. The Idea Cellular and Vodafone India just follows the market leader with respect to the launch of me-too plans.

Starting from the state-run BSNL to the latest Idea Cellular, every telecom operator is offering the same benefits with ₹509 plan. Then which telecom operator will you consider?

LG Electronics Inc, the South Korean multinational electronics company, launched its entry-level smartphone LG K8 in the Indian market. Though the handset was showcased much earlier, it made a late entry.

There’s nothing big to write about LG K8 smartphone. It packs the entry-level specifications but is priced on a higher scale. Though the box carries an MRP tag of ₹11,999, it will be on sale for ₹9,999 only. This has been confirmed by the tweet of Mahesh Telecom on the micro-blogging website.

For those unaware, Mahesh Telecom is a reputed telecom retailer based in Mumbai (Maharashtra) and widely popular for its aggressive pricing on mobile phones, tablets and accessories.

LG K8 Specifications:

Regarding specifications, LG K8 (X240i) sports a 5-inch HD In-Cell Touch IPS display with 720x1280 pixels (293 PPI pixel density) and 2.5D glass coating on top. Powered by a 1.4 GHz quad-core Qualcomm MSM8917 Snapdragon 425 chipset and Adreno 308, the LG K8 runs on 1.5GB RAM. It packs 16GB internal storage space and is expandable up to 32GB via microSD card slot.

Finally, the South Korean electronics giant has joined Snapdragon chipset wagon wheel for optimizing its handset performance. The LG K8 is equipped with a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and 5-megapixel front snapper for selfies. It also has a fingerprint sensor at the rear side.

Connectivity wise, the LG K8 is a dual-SIM handset with 4G/3G connectivity, VoLTE, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth, A-GPS, ambient light sensor, micro USB 2.0 port etc. Design wise, the LGK8 is sleek and weighs just 144 grams with 144.5 x 72.1 x 8 mm in dimensions.

Small Battery and Over-Priced:

The LG’s entry-level smartphone runs on Android 7.0 Nougat operating system. However, it is backed by a small removable 2500mAh Li-Ion battery. The company claims to offer 490 hours of standby time on 3G and up to 18 hours talk time on the 3G network.

LG has got 4 colour variants (Dark Blue, Gold, Silver and Titan) for this smartphone. Despite its good design, the LG K8 fails to incorporate better specs and will be considered as an over-priced product.

When there are better alternatives for the same price, LG Electronics should rethink its strategy.

Also Read: Xiaomi Redmi 4 Budget Smartphone Launched with Snapdragon 435 SoC for ₹6999