Posts made by Toshi Tandon

The Chinese electronics company Xiaomi launched the phablet Mi Max 2 in Delhi. Claimed to be the successor of the Xiaomi Mi Max, this handset will be available for sale starting July 27th.

Regarding the availability, the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 can be purchased for ₹16,999 both on online and offline platforms. The company has made arrangements with Flipkart, Amazon India, Paytm Mall, and TATA Cliq. Similarly, one can experience it at Mi Home stores, eZone, BigC, Sangeetha, Lot, Poorvika, etc.

Also Read: Huawei Honor 8 Pro Launched with 5.7-inch QHD Display at ₹29999

Xiaomi Mi Max 2 Specifications:

Xiaomi known for the best possible hardware specs with an affordable price tag hasn’t disappointed its fan base. The Mi Max 2 sports a premium look with metal unibody design. It has got a 6.44-inch full HD display (1920x1080 pixels) with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection against scratches.

There’s a big change in the design aspect of Mi Max 2. Similar to Apple iPhone 7, the antenna bands can be observed both at the top and bottom of the handset. The matte black colour of Xiaomi is truly an asset.

The phablet is powered by a 2.0GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor and coupled with 650MHz Adreno 506 graphics. It is packed with 4GB RAM and 64GB inbuilt space further expandable up to 128GB via microSD card slot.

Excellent Camera:

On the camera front, the Mi Max 2 has got 12-megapixel Sony IMX386 sensor (for low-light photography) with f/2.2 aperture. For the unaware, it is the same sensor used in the flagship Mi 6 that can record 4K videos too. However, it is disappointing to observe that Xiaomi has incorporated just 5-megapixel sensor for selfies.

Regarding battery, the Mi Max 2 is backed by a massive 5300mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 and Parallel Charging technology. The company claims to provide 68 percent battery juice with an hour charge. The impressive battery life makes it more reliable than the Nokia 3310 in terms of standby time.

The Mi Max 2 boots Android Nougat with MIUI 8 skin on top. Connectivity wise, this dual-SIM phablet offers 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Type-C USB port and 3.5mm headphone jack.

Additionally, the phablet has got dual speaker stereo for an optimised audio experience. The split screen mode helps the user to access different types of content on the single screen.

100GB Jio 4G Data with Xiaomi Mi Max 2:

Interestingly, Xiaomi has partnered with Reliance Jio. Under the strategic partnership, the telecom company will offer up to 100GB data on the purchase of Mi Max 2.

Seems tricky? There is nothing free. You just need to purchase a recharge of ₹309 or more. Say, if you are making a recharge of ₹309, you will get 56GB of data with 56 days validity. However, under this offer, you will get extra 10GB for the first 28 days and another 28GB for the next 28 days. After the validity, you’ll make another recharge of ₹309 for 28 days. As and when you recharge with ₹309, you’ll receive extra 10GB data up to 31 May 2018.

Also Read: Redmi Hat-trick - 2.5 Lakh Xiaomi Redmi 4 Units Sold in 8 Min

Be an Early Bird on 3rd Mi Anniversary:

Xiaomi is conducting a special third-anniversary sale on July 21 and July 22. Though the handset is scheduled for sale from July 27th, the Mi Max 2 lovers can utilise this opportunity and grab their favourite phablet at the earliest.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the Government owned Telecom Company has launched two new FTTH broadband plans in Kerala. Though the plans are already live in key areas like Calicut, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Thrissur, and Thiruvananthapuram, BSNL Kerala Circle officially rolled out for the residents of these areas.

BSNL FTTH Unlimited Plans:

The new Fiber-To-The-Home plans are titled as Fibro ULD 1045 and Fibro ULD 1395. The Fibro ULD 1045 plan offers up to 20 Mbps download speed with FUP limit of 50GB. The usage beyond 50 GB will result in 1 Mbps download speed.

Also Read: World Telecom Day: BSNL Signs MoUs with Facebook, MobiKwik, Data Infosys and Disney India

Similarly, the Fibro ULD 1395 plan offers 20 Mbps speed download limit up to 75 GB and there onwards 1 Mbps as a part of Fair Usage Policy. As a promotional offer, BSNL Kerala waived off the installation charges.

Both these plans will see limelight on a PAN-India basis. The existing BSNL subscribers can switch to these FTTH plans without any security deposit. However, the new customers have to pay a 1-month security deposit.

Free eMail Services:

To attract new users, the BSNL is offering free eMail services. Under this plan, one email with 1GB free space is being provided. There are many advantages of opting these FTTH plans.

However, the biggest disadvantage is the lack of free voice calls. The voice calls are charged based on the base plan of the landline connection.

Also Read: BSNL Triple Ace STV333 Offers 3GB Data per Day for 90 Days

BSNL Yearly Schemes:

Leaving it aside, the BSNL FTTH has also got yearly schemes for these plans. The BSNL enthusiasts should consider this plans if they are viable enough.

Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd is working towards a commercial launch of its home broadband operations. As per the reports, Reliance Jio is planning a Diwali launch (October 19th) something like last year Jio launch that triggered the mobile price war.

The company is planning to launch PAN-India services by making itself available in at least 100 cities and towns across India. Regarding the pricing strategy, JioFiber plans start from ₹500 with 100GB data. This is something that the incumbent players should worry about. Currently, high-speed 50GB data is offered at ₹1000.

Also Read: Reliance Jio Fiber 1Gbps Broadband Tariff Starting at ₹ 500 per Month?

Though home broadband is a small market, the average user pays much more for a fixed-line home broadband connection. The Bharti Airtel’s Average Revenue per User is about ₹1064 against ₹162 in the mobile data business. Similarly, if one considers the state-run telecom BSNL it has about 20 million wireline broadband users whereas 200 million wireless broadband users.

JioFiber Disruptive Pricing:

When the incumbent telecom player’s balance sheets are still bleeding, the JioFiber’s inaugural pricing will definitely make an adverse effect. Mr. Rohan Dhamija, Partner &South Asia Head, Analysys Mason, said: “Jio’s pricing will be absolutely disruptive and the company’s Fiber-to-the-Home technology to be superior to rival’s digital subscriber lines.”

Currently, Reliance JioFiber has rolled out its beta services in at least 10 cities including Gurgaon and Noida. The network is capable enough to carry data speeds up to 100 Mbps. Bharti Airtel is claiming to offer similar broadband speed through Vectorization Technology. Recently, Airtel started offering 1000 GB data to Delhi-NCR users with its select plans. Jio made it offer double data benefit on the existing home broadband plans.

Also Read: Reliance Jio to Bring Gigafiber Welcome Offer, 1Gbps Internet for 90 days

Weak Competition from Incumbent Players:

Though BSNL enjoys the major share in home broadband segment, its reach is limited to 10 million users. BSNL using the similar FTTH technology offers 175GB data at ₹2641. However, the speed is just limited to 8 Mbps only. As per the data revealed by TRAI, the second spot Bharti Airtel has about 1.95 million connections.

Reliance Jio is establishing itself as a hands-on service provider by identifying high-rise residential apartments and commercial establishments to expand its broadband operations in 100 cities and towns. All you need to do is pay a refundable security deposit for the company’s affordable Wi-Fi router packed with premium features.

Also Read: Bharti Airtel to Extend V-Fiber Broadband Operations to 10 More Cities

The Chinese handset maker, Vivo, launched Vivo V5s in India at ₹18990. The Vivo V5s is a new selfie-centric smartphone with a 20-megapixel front camera. None can deny that selfies are its forte.

Vivo V5s Specifications:

The new V series selfie-centric smartphone has a 5.5-inch HD display with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Powered by a 64-bit octa-core Media Tek MT6750 SoC, the Vivo V5s has got 4GB RAM and 64GB storage space expandable up to 256GB.

Also Read: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Creates a New Record with Million Units of Sale

As disclosed, Vivo V5s is equipped with a 20-megapixel selfie camera of Sony sensor and f/2.0 aperture. The USP of the smartphone is Moonlight Glow that brings a natural glow on the face irrespective of the lighting conditions. The additional 8-megapixel up front is meant for group selfies.

The Vivo V5s directly combats Oppo F3 Plus with all its imaging properties where one can shoot panorama photos and record 1080p videos. The 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and f/2.2 aperture never lets you down. The fingerprint sensor makes the imaging part comprehensive.

4G VoLTE Moonlight Selfie Camera:

Keeping up the trend, the Vivo V5s is a 4G VoLTE smartphone with hybrid SIM slots. Other connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, FM radio and 3.5mm audio port. Backed by a fast charging 3000mAh battery, the handset offers a decent battery life.

Also Read: ASUS ZenFone 3s Max, the 4G VoLTE Battery Powerhouse at ₹14999

Similar to MIUI’s dual app functionality, Vivo has got app clone in its Funtouch OS 3.0 based on Android Marshmallow 6.0.

Both Online & Offline Availability:

The latest handset Vivo V5s will be available in Crown Gold and Matte Black colours. The Vivo has tied up with Saavn to offer two months of free subscription. Starting May 6th, pre-registrations of this Moonlight selfie camera will be done through Flipkart and other offline stores.

Of course, the availability of phones (both online and offline) is the biggest advantage of Vivo smartphones. The Crown Gold version of Vivo V5s can be expected from May 20th onwards.

If you are a selfie enthusiast, then you can definitely go with Vivo 5s. For others, there are plenty options at far less the price. What do you think of the Vivo V5s, share your thoughts?

Also Read: Lenovo Moto G5 Plus in India Starting at ₹14999 on Flipkart

@DennisCNLew

Guess, their systems are following some red tapism!
Anyway, that’s excellent news on the personal front…even if it is for ₹1.

The sensational Reliance Jio has launched two new postpaid plans for its higher end data users. As per the new plan, Reliance Jio users can enjoy a whopping 810GB data at ₹9999. The plan has got 14 months validity period that translates to 420 days. With the recent guidelines from TRAI, the telecom operators started framing yearly plans to attract users.

Also Read: Reliance Jio Dhan Dhana Dhan Offer Gives 84GB Data for 84 Days at ₹309

Reliance Jio Long Validity Data Packs:

Cashing the demand for long validity plans, Reliance Jio has got ₹9999 plan with 14 months validity. With this plan, the effective rate for 1GB of 4G data comes to as low as ₹12.35. This is remarkably a cheaper plan meant for huge data downloading. However, one should remember that this plan is strictly limited to Jio Prime subscribers. The non-Jio Prime subscribers will be able to get 750GB of data with 360 days validity. That means the Jio Prime user will get extra 60GB of 4G data with additional 60 days validity.

Surprisingly, the new plan doesn’t have any daily FUP limit as one is experiencing with Jio Dhan Dhana Dhan offer. Truly, an unlimited pack with whopping data benefit. If the subscriber happens to use all the allocated data, then he can recharge with data booster packs.

Apart from this ₹9999 plan, the Reliance Jio has also launched ₹4999 pack that offers 410GB data with 240 days validity period. In the case of non-Jio Prime subscribers, they are limited to access 350GB data for 180 days. All these long validity plans are targeted at higher-end data users.

Also Read: BSNL Triple Ace STV333 Offers 3GB Data per Day for 90 Days

Both Rich and Generous to Gain Supremacy:

With Jio Dhan Dhana Dhan offer, Reliance Jio has stormed the internet world. Apart from ₹309 and ₹509 plans, the company didn’t release any postpaid plans. However, with this long validity packs, Jio has proved that it is going to stay and disrupt the highly potential data market.

When the data was charged ₹250 per GB, Reliance Jio stormed the market with its freebies and offered data ₹50 per GB. Now with intense competition, Reliance Jio is ready to offer ₹13 per GB and show its generosity and earn supremacy.

Also Read: Jio Effect: Airtel Offers Unlimited Calls and 1GB Data Daily at ₹399 for 70 Days

The Government-owned telecom company, BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) announced new mobile data plans to celebrate the festival of Holi. As per the new plans, the BSNL subscribers would get extra benefits in this festival season.

Also Read: BSNL to Offer Free Voice Calls to Any Network at ₹149

According to the reports available, the existing data packs of ₹156, ₹198, ₹291 and ₹549 will now offer 4GB, 7GB, 14GB, and 30GB of 3G data respectively. The validity of these packs varies from 10 days to that of 30 days. Interestingly, this Holi offer is just limited till March 17th. If you want to avail this extra data benefit, then recharge before March 17th.

Apart from these data plans, BSNL has also unveiled a couple of talk time packs to celebrate the festive season. The recharge voucher of ₹190 will now give ₹ 220 worth talk time. Similarly, the ₹490 recharge will provide ₹600 worth of talk time. All you need to do is just recharge before March 17th as this offer will expire on the specified date.

Also Read: Govt Launches Pre-Loaded BSNL SIM Cards to Foreign Tourists

BSNL Recharge Schemes Available Till 17th March 2017

This is to mention that this extra benefit Holi offer is just limited to BSNL prepaid subscribers and is valid for all the existing and new subscribers alike. Above all, PAN India customers can avail these plans without any restriction. If one considers the current data tariff in the telecom industry, BSNL’s ₹549 plan is one of the best to subscribe as it offers 30GB of reliable 3G data with 30 days validity.

BSNL Adapting New Technology for 4G and 5G:

If the early reports are to be believed BSNL is planning to upgrade its 28,000 2G sites to deliver 4G services across the country. BSNL would work with Nokia in the transition of its telecom services to provide 5G technology and Internet of Things.

Must Read: Airtel to Offer 1GB of Data per Day with ₹150 Booster Pack in Postpaid

The Chinese handset maker, Lenovo, launched its new product in India. Though it was launched in Romania in August 2016, Lenovo Vibe B didn’t see the light in India. The company has packed entry-level specifications in Lenovo Vibe B but specified a price of ₹5799. As per the information, the smartphone will be available in Matte Black color, White and Gold color variants.

Also Read: Lenovo Vibe K5 Note 4GB RAM Variant Updated with Extra 32GB Storage

Lenovo Vibe B Specifications:

Regarding specifications, Lenovo Vibe B sports a 4.5-inch FWGA display with 854x480 pixel resolution. The handset is powered by 1GHz 64-bit quad-core MediaTek MTK635m SoC processor coupled with Mali T720 MP1 GPU for graphics. Moreover, the smartphone has 1GB RAM, 8GB inbuilt storage that can be further expandable up to 32GB via microSD card slot.

On optics front, Lenovo Vibe B is equipped with a 5-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel front camera for selfies and video calls. Connectivity-wise, the new Lenovo smartphone supports 4G LTE, dual-SIM, Wi-Fi, micro USB port, Bluetooth, GPS etc.

Lenovo Vibe B is built on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS and is backed by a small 200mAh battery that can last 11.3 hours with respect to talk time. The company claims that the handset can provide 7 days of standby time when on 3G network. No details are specified about its validity on 4G network.

Also Read: Swipe Elite Sense with Snapdragon 425 Chipset Now On Flipkart for ₹7499

Is Lenovo Vibe B Worth the Price?

Do you think that the Indian market will support entry-level specifications of a smartphone to be priced at ₹5799? If one can invest ₹1000 or more, then you will have a lot of options such as Xiaomi Redmi 3S, Moto E3 Power, Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus etc that are the best in their segment.

Must Read: Xiaomi Redmi 3S and 3S Prime, 1 Million Units Sold on Flipkart

Vodafone India rolled out SuperHour packs to its subscribers in Rajasthan. Based on the public reports pertaining to Telecom India, Vodafone SuperHour packs are the most sought after Reliance Jio SIMs. These flexible packs offer unlimited 4G/3G data, 2G data and on-net calling facility at a cheaper rate.

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

Vodafone SuperHour Packs:

Vodafone SuperHour pack for 4G/3G data comes at just ₹17 per hour. It gives unlimited access to 4G/3G data for a one-hour duration at ₹17. One can easily recharge with this SuperHour data pack from any retail outlet in Rajasthan. Instead, one can even activate the offer by dialling 44417#.

If the Vodafone subscriber is looking for unlimited 2G data packs, then SuperHour 2G data at ₹5 per hour is a killing one. It can be directly activated by dialling 444555#. Similarly, there is a unlimited Vodafone calling SuperHour pack priced at ₹7 that enables its subscribers to enjoy unlimited Vodafone-to-Vodafone voice calls. Dial 444700# to avail unlimited on-net Vodafone calls across India.

Addressing the launch of Vodafone SuperHour packs for Rajasthan, Mr Amit Bedi, Business Head – Rajasthan, Vodafone India, said: “With Vodafone SuperHour, you can upload and download as much data as you like for one hour at a fixed, nominal price. Moreover, with unrestricted repeat purchase, you can make every hour SuperHour.”

Vodafone Play - Vodafone India’s Wholesome Entertainment:

The USP of Vodafone SuperHour packs is it gives ample flexibility to recharge as and when required without worrying about the limitations of usage during that superhour duration. Moreover, one can enjoy the subscription to Vodafone Play as it is completely free till 31, March 2017. Vodafone Play offers wholesome entertainment to its subscribers as it provides unlimited access to watch 150 plus LIVE TV channels, 14000 plus movies, TV shows, music and much more.

Also Read: Get 1.7GB 3G/4G Data through #Huntthehearts on Vodafone Prepaid and Postpaid

Vodafone India offers free 1.7GB of 3G/4G data for both prepaid and postpaid customers. However, the subscriber could only claim this free data through a contest named #Huntthehearts. There is nothing technical in grabbing this offer. Just navigate through My Vodafone app and find out the hidden hearts on different screens.

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

#Huntthehearts Contest:

As per the company’s statement, Vodafone decided to give 1.7GB of free data to all its subscribers through #Huntthehearts contest on My Vodafone app. This free data offer is limited for this month and will not be available for Red postpaid subscribers. Any Android smartphone can be used for claiming free data through #Huntthehearts contest.

Vodafone Sakhi:

Data being the new oil, the telecom companies are luring the customers to by offering various schemes. Recently, India’s second-largest telecom carrier Vodafone introduced “Vodafone Sakhi” pack that allows women to claim private recharges through an OTP code. These packs come in varied denominations ranging from ₹52, ₹78 and ₹99 offering free 50MB of 2G/3G data with 30 days validity.

After initiating the mega merger deal, Vodafone India is trying to increase its subscriber base and brand value in India. If the reports are to be believed, the Vodafone India – Idea Cellular combined entity will have a subscriber base of over 380 million and 80,000 crore revenue.

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

Taiwanese electronics giant ASUS rolled out VoLTE support to its Zenfone 3 smartphone and other select devices in Zenfone series. As per the update, the VoLTE support is available in India and will extend to other countries soon.

Also Read: ASUS ZenFone 3s Max, the 4G VoLTE Battery Powerhouse at ₹14999

The company will roll-out this OTA update in a phased manner so it would take a week or so. If the reports are to be believed, the ASUS Zenfone 3 handset owners have already received the 4G VoLTE update. If you are don’t happen to see it on your screen, just tap the settings -> About Phone -> Check for updates.

VoLTE Support to Other Phones:

The ASUS India has made it public that this VoLTE update would be available to other smartphones including ZenFone 3 Ultra (ZU680KL), ZenFone Selfie (ZD551KL). Apart from the Zenfone 3 series, the VoLTE update will be on for Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe 5.7-inch (ZS570KL), Asus Zenfone 3 5.2-inch (ZE520KL), Asus Zenfone 3 5.5-inch (ZE552KL), Asus Zenfone 3 Laser (ZC551KL), Asus Zenfone 3 Max 5.2 (ZC520TL), Asus Zenfone 3 Max 5.5-inch (ZC553KL), Asus Zenfone 3S Max 5.2-inch (ZC521TL), Asus Zenfone Max ZC550KL, Asus Zenfone 2 Laser (ZE550KL) and Asus Zenfone Go 5.0 LTE (ZB500KL).

Currently, 4G VoLTE is the most sought after feature in smartphones. Without VoLTE, one cannot directly make voice calls on Reliance Jio network and should use the Jio4G voice app. Now with this VoLTE connectivity, a Reliance Jio user can directly make voice calls using the default dial pad of the smartphone.

Also Read: ASUS ZenFone 3 Receives Android 7.0 Nougat Update

Videocon Telecom, the subsidiary of Videocon Group will shut down its operations in Punjab circle including Chandigarh and Panchkula town with effect from the coming February 15th. In a statement, the company has urged its subscribers to choose MNP facility to port out to the network of their choice.

Sale of Spectrum:

The company which has been providing the services under Quadrant Televentures Ltd. will exhaust its Unified Access Service Licence for Punjab circle with effect from the midnight of February 15, 2017. Videocon Telecom has been incurring losses from the last 2 years and thus it has taken the extreme step to exit from the business of telecom sector.

Also Read: Tata Teleservices Migrates to Unified Licence in Three Circles

It is to inform the readers that Bharti Airtel has purchased two of Videocon’s 5MHz spectrum in the 1800MHz band in all six telecom circles that had been allotted by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The company will shut down operations in the entire Punjab circle so that it will not incur further losses.

Videocon Telecom has issued a public statement and a 30-day prior notice urging its postpaid subscribers to clear the pending bills before Feb 15th. All the existing subscribers (more than 2.9 million users) are requested to port out to the network of their choice by February 15th or else the user can’t retain the number.

More Consolidation Likely in Indian Telecom Sector:

It’s sad to say that telecom sector is going through tough times. Starting from Reliance Communications merger with Aircel to the latest shut down of Videocon Telecom, the entire sector is finding tough to have a smooth going. We also reported that Telenor India is looking to sell its business to Bharti Airtel. The latest statement by Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Bharti Mital, “Vodafone-Idea Cellular merger is a perfect match” clearly signifies that consolidation is inevitable in the telecom sector.

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

The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Gionee has roped in Virat Kohli (the captain of Indian cricket team) as its brand ambassador. This move will increase its presence in India. Currently, the Indian market is being dominated by multinational companies where the Chinese smartphone makers are having the lion’s share.

Gionee’s New Brand Ambassador:

Gionee Communication has already got its first made-in-India smartphone (Gionee F103) manufactured from a Foxconn plant in SriCity, Andhra Pradesh. And the company is looking to double its market share by March, from about 5% six months ago. Though Gionee did not disclose the contract value for Virat Kohli, it has concrete plans to increase the number of retail stores in India from the current 100 to 500.

Announcing the partnership, Mr. Arvind R Vohra, Country CEO & MD, Gionee India, said: “Gionee takes immense pride in having India’s biggest youth icons Virat Kohli and Alia Bhatt as its brand endorsers. With the two of the most loved icons in India, our motto of Making Smiles is bound to create a new benchmark across billions of young hearts.”

Aiming to reach a larger target audience base, the Shenzhen-headquartered smartphone maker is increasing its marketing budget. Earlier, the Gionee has been signed the “Udta Punjab” actress Alia Bhatt for endorsing Gionee brand for two years. Furthermore, the company has spent about ₹200 crore during Diwali festival in 2016.

Brand Virat Kohli:

Coming to Virat Kohli, everything seems to going fine for this Indian International cricketer. First, he bagged cap of the captain of Indian cricket test team and now he will lead the team in all formats of the game.

As a brand ambassador, Virat Kohli has endorsement deals with 24 brands including Adidas, Audi, Boost, Cinthol, Colgate-Palmolive, Fair & Lovely, Fastrack, Flying Machine, Herbalife, Manyavar, Mattel Toys, MRF, Nestle Munch, Nitesh Estates, Oakley, PepsiCo, Red Chief Shoes, Sangam Suitings, Smaaash, Tissot, Toyota Motors, TVS Motors, United Spirits, and Vicks.

The Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus has signed on Emily Ratajkowski (American actress and model) to explain how OnePlus Dash Charge works. The company has set a new benchmark for quick charging solutions.

Quick Charging Solutions:

These days every smartphone manufacturer is claiming fast charging for their handsets. Qualcomm has QuickCharge, MediaTek has Pump Express, OnePlus has Dash Charge and Oppo has VOOC. Of course, the race seems to be interesting despite its first victim. We all know Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Note 7 is now dead after a months-long controversy over its defective and dangerous batteries.

OnePlus has recruited the beautiful tech fan Emily Ratajkowski for its very informative video on how Dash Charge technology works. In this two minutes video, the American model gives viewers the ins and outs of fast charging a smartphone.

How does Dash Charge actually work?

As per the tech-giant, a quick 30-minute charge will refill over 60% of OnePlus 3’s battery. This single charge will allow a juice of 7 plus hours of HD video playback. Still confused on how this technology helps to increase battery power without raising the temperature of the phone? Then watch the latest video advertisement by the beautiful Emily Ratajkowski. Indeed it’s a nice marketing initiate by OnePlus!

Youtube Video

Vodafone India, India’s number two mobile network operator, has rolled out SuperNet 4G services in Rajasthan’s historical city of Udaipur. The telecom service provider has been rolling out 4G in a phased manner. Previously, it has commenced 4G services in Ajmer, Jodhpur, Kota, and Sikar in the last few days.

Vodafone SuperNet 4G in Udaipur:

Commenting on the 4G roll out, Mr. Amit Bedi, Business Head – Rajasthan, Vodafone India, said: “Vodafone 4G services will be rolled out across more locations of Rajasthan over the next few months”.

Known for its Rajput-era palaces and scenic locations, Udaipur is a very popular tourist destination. By launching SuperNet 4G services in Udaipur, Vodafone India will cater its high-speed mobile data to the subscribers in and around Udaipur. As a launch offer, Vodafone India is providing a free upgrade to 4G. With every upgrade to 4G, the Vodafone India subscribers will get 2GB data free.

Moreover, the Vodafone data users will get twice the data allowance on every data packs greater than 1GB. As per Mr. Bedi, Rajasthan is a key market for Vodafone India as it provides services to more than 12 million customers in the state. Incidentally, Vodafone India has expanded its 4G presence in 12 telecom circles in India.

Idea Cellular, the country’s third-largest telecom operator, has launched another affordable plan for its postpaid subscribers. Though Idea Cellular follows Bharti Airtel in the prepaid pricing, it has got a unique identity in postpaid segment. The company has been regularly updating its postpaid tariff plans to keep in tune with Reliance Jio.

As per the telecom company, the new postpaid plan is termed as “New Ultimate 349 Plan” and offers free local, STD and roaming calls across all networks in India. However, if the reports are to be believed this free offer is limited to a maximum of 3000 local and STD minutes. And the incoming is free while in roaming for 6 bill cycles on Idea network.

Idea New Ultimate 349 Plan 4G Data Benefits:

Regarding data benefits, the New Ultimate 349 Plan offers 1GB of 4G data for 4G enabled handsets. The subscribers without a 4G handset will get 100MB of data benefit for 30 days bill cycle. The plan can be availed by both the existing and new customers across all the telecom circles. However, there would be a refundable charge of ₹300 as activation fee for the new customers.

Though one can expect similar plans from other telecom operators but a cap of 3000 minutes is something that needs to be addressed. Hope Bharti Airtel and Vodafone India would work out to offer affordable tariff plans to match Reliance Jio freebies.

The state-owned telecom operator BSNL has launched digital wallet MobiCash App in partnership with State Bank of India. This StateBank MobiCash app can be accessed on feature as well as smartphones.

The Widest Coverage:

The new digital wallet service is launched in four states of the country including Bihar, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan and will be expanded PAN-India in a fortnight to promote cashless economy. Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Arun Jaitley, Minister of Finance, Government of India, said, “With the large network of BSNL and SBI, this wallet will reach the remotest areas of the country, in line with the government’s digitisation mission.”

BSNL Chairman and Managing Director, Mr. Anupam Shrivastava, said: “The app has been launched in Bihar, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh at the outset. Gradually, it will be launched all over the country to promote cashless society.” In a statement, SBI Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya said, “This wallet would initiate the masses to the digital journey in an assisted mode”.

State Bank MobiCash:

To recap, this digital wallet application is available both in smartphone and feature phones. The customer has to register and then he or she can avail both the cash in and cash out facilities at a wide network of BSNL.

The Taiwanese computer hardware and electronic giant ASUS has finally announced that its Zenfone 3 Max would be for sale in India at ₹17,999 through online portals and ASUS preferred partner’s retail outlets. The ASUS Zenfone 3 Max comes in Titanium Gray, Glacier Silver and Sand Gold colour variants.

Zenfone 3 Max (ZC553KL) is the third smartphone that is being locally manufactured by the company. Previously, the company has manufactured ASUS Zenfone 2 Laser and Zenfone Go smartphone in India. Starting from November, ASUS has started manufacturing Zenfone 3 Max at its facility in Union Territory of Daman and Diu.

ASUS Zenfone 3 Max Specifications:

Regarding specifications, ASUS Zenfone 3 Max sports a 5.5-inch full HD display (1920x1080pixels) with 2.5D contoured glass. Powered by a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 Octa-core processor in addition to an Adreno 505 graphics processor, the ASUS Zenfone 3 Max has 3GB RAM and 32GB inbuilt storage space expandable up to 128GB via microSD card.

On the camera front, the ASUS Zenfone 3 Max features 16-megapixel rear camera and 8-megapixel secondary camera for selfie enthusiasts. And connectivity wise, the smartphone supports dual SIM, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 4.1 etc.

The latest smartphone from ASUS runs on Android Marshmallow OS with ZenUI on 3.0 on top and has fingerprint sensor button to unlock the phone in just 0.3 seconds. With a high capacity 4100mAh battery pack, Zenfone 3 Max makes it an ideal smartphone to use it as a power bank.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Peter Chang, Region Head, South Asia & Country Manager, ASUS India, said: “With the powerful battery of Zenfone 3 Max, we have been able to provide a smartphone that ensures the users are able to enjoy the specs and photography experience for a longer duration of time.”

What’s Your Opinion?

With these amazing specifications, the Asus Zenfone 3 Max will give a stiff competition to the latest Lenovo K6 Power and the old horse Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 smartphone. However, it looks a bit pricy when compared to other big battery smartphones.

The state-owned Bharat Sanchar Limited (BSNL) has upgraded the information technology (IT) network of 18,000 SBI branches spread across the country. Post demonetisation, the public sector bank SBI along with other network of banks has been facing a sudden rush of customers.

As per the sources, BSNL has upgraded from 64Kbps to 2Mbps which is 30 times faster than the existing speed. This upgrade will definitely help the government owned bank to speed up its entire operations and enable it for several customer-friendly services.

Enabled Customer Friendly Services:

Commenting on the upscale, Mr. NK Mehta, Director – Enterprises Business, BSNL, said: “We had to this upgradation of over 1800 SBI branches spread across the country in 3-4 months and had to carry out without hampering customer services through working all night.”

As per the SBI Chairperson Mrs. Arundhati Bhattacharya, the upgradation is not only helping the bank speedup their entire operation but, at the same time, it has enabled the bank to go in for a number of other customer-friendly services.

Upscale Across All SBI Branches:

Around 400 SBI branches were upscaled and integrated all together on a daily basis. The whole process of IT upgrade was well handled by BSNL telecom and thereby helped the banking system to handle the sudden rush in a smooth manner. This is really a great sign of cooperation between two government giants and hope the collaboration will yield much greater benefits in the coming days.

Panasonic India launched a new Eluga-series smartphone with 4G VoLTE connectivity. The company has been launching a good number of phones in Indian market. The latest in the Eluga series is Panasonic Eluga Prim. Priced at ₹10,290, the smartphone comes in Champagne Gold with a white display panel and Gun Metal Silver color with Black display panel.

Panasonic Eluga Prim Specifications:

As seen, Panasonic Eluga Prim sports a 5-inch HD IPS on-cell 2.5D curved Asahi glass display with an all metal body. Powered by 1.25GHz quad-core processor, the latest Eluga Prim packs 3GB RAM and 16GB inbuilt storage expandable up to 128GB via microSD card. The handset runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with FitHome UI on top.

Regarding optics, the Panasonic Eluga Prim supports a 13-megapixel camera with triple LED flash and a 5-megapixel front sensor for selfies. The inbuilt fingerprint sensor with the home button makes the smartphone more secure. Backed by a modest 2,500mAh non-removable battery, the phone might not last more than a day of medium usage. Keeping up with the latest trend, the company has provided 4G VoLTE support for better call quality along with other connectivity options including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, microUSB 2.0 port. etc.

What’s Your Opinion?

At 10K price, the Panasonic Eluga Prim can face stiff competition from the likes of Chinese smartphone brands such as Lenovo K6 Power. The modest 2500mAh battery and HD screen can let it down. However, its availability via offline stores across India might give better acceptance and a wider reach.