All low res file feb 2018 by My Mobile

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10 Ways How AI Will Make Smartphones Smarter! Chief Speak Neeraj Sharma, Country Head, Spreadtrum India

Face to Face Jai Mani, Lead Product Manager, Xiaomi India

Tested

Honor View 10, Galaxy A8+, Bharat 5, iVOOMi i1, Redmi 5A, t-phone P and many more… phone of the month Google Pixel 2 XL

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Our Chipset. Your Smartphone.

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A world of possibility opens up when the latest MediaTek Helio chipsets meet your phone. mediatek.com

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Editorpage

The Future is Here and How!

tage is all set for a new era in smartphone evolution! Your smartphone is going to be

EDITORIA L

smarter, rather one should say it will soon

Pankaj Mohindroo |

have a brain of its own. And the catalyst

for the next stage of evolution will be the fusion of

Editor-in-Chief

Shelley Vishwajeet | Editor

Artificial Intelligence or AI with the phone device

Ramesh Kumar Raja | Assistant Editor

which is underway at a frenzied pace. A Gartner

Haider Ali Khan | Senior Correspondent

study has forecasted that by 2022, 80 percent of

Nijhum Rudra | Correspondent

all smartphones shipped will have on-device AI capabilities, up from 10 percent in 2017. So from a device which worked primarily at your command, it will soon have a mind of its own. The device will become intuitive, will have impressive cognitive capability and will be intelligent

Vanshika Malhotra | Correspondent

DE S I G N Ajit Kumar Parashar | Sr. Graphic Designer

enough to advice and guide you with your daily chores. The next stage of evolution will not be so much about hardware

M AR K ETIN G

or specs but software. The future is indeed here!

Puja Mohindroo | Manager - Business

Stage is also set for India finally becoming a

Sandeep Kumar | Sr. Manager – Marketing

manufacturing hub for mobile handset. Years of unrelenting efforts on policy front and regulatory roadmap by Indian

O P ERATION S

Cellular Association is bearing fruit in a massive way. Our effort is to push this momentum to the next level by making

K. Rajagopalan | Advisor-Legal, Accounts & Administration

India a hub for just not mobile and batteries but entire

Deepak Kohli | Manager – Accounts

electronics devices. Good news on this front too will be

Varun Lama | Sr. Manager – Human Resources

heard soon.

B. G. Mathur | Manager- Production

This is our anniversary issue! We have completed 13 years of glorious leadership, both in terms of readership

CIRCU L ATION

and mindshare as well as impact. Evolution with times by

Bhupender Singh Bisht | Manager – Circulation

making continuous improvement in content, design and presentation is what has kept us at leadership position ever

AD V I S ORY BOARD

since our launch. And very soon, we are going to launch our

Bejon Misra

totally new, international class website which will provide

Rajan Mathews

our readers and aficionados with a most in-depth platform

S.D. Saxena

for the world of mobility. For our advertising associates and

Subhash Chandra

brands, our new website will provide the most distinguished

Sunil Dutt

platform for outreach and promotion.

Sonu Bhasin

Readers, advertisers and associates – thank you very

Uvaraj Natarajan

much for this wonderful journey and your support. Keep showering your love and affection.

G ET IN TOUCH

And Yes, Happy Reading! n

Editorial : shelley@mymobile.co.in Marketing : sandeep@mymobile.co.in Circulation : bhupender@mymobile.co.in Phone : 011—46206161 Fax : 011—41520637 Edited, published, printed and owned by Pankaj Mohindroo, Published from Flat No. 25, First Floor, Shankar Market, Connaught Place, New Delhi – 110001. Printed at HT Media Ltd. B-2, Sector 63, Noida.

Pankaj Mohindroo editor-in-chief

04 | february 2018

The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for errors and omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and the views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged.

Volume XIII, Issue I, february 2018

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contents

46 Style Notes 10 letters 12 Cell Speak 14 Rumor Mill 16 NEWS 21 big NEWS 109 My Guide

46 Chief Speak Neeraj Sharma – Country Head

135

(India), Spreadtrum

& CEO, VideoTap

Market Insight

Dilip Venkatraman – Founder

Communications

Face to Face: Interviews with business/industry 52 leaders

Jai Mani – Lead Product

Manager, Xiaomi India

Prashant Bora – CEO, East Sun

Chinese mobile brands’ profit

soars but they still have a long way to go

IoT connected devices to cross

the billion mark by 2020

Electronics India

26 just in Get a close look at new mobile devices now in the market

IT & Mobile Enterprises

54 Consumer Insight

Business, Samsung India

App is still the way to go!

Sukesh Jain – Vice-President,

Ramakant Khandelwal – Chief

Marketing Officer, PAYBACK

42 Lead Story

India

10 Ways How AI Will Make

Smartphones Smarter!

General Manager, Ookla

06 | february 2018

Doug Suttles – Co-Founder and

The Burntest 62 Google Pixel 2 XL 64 Honor View 10

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What's Inside

contents 66 Samsung Galaxy A8+ (2018)

to reach USD3.7 trillion in

CES 2018: Innovations

68 Amazon 10. or D

2018

Showcased

Special Feature 92 Expectations MWC 2018!

106 Bazaar Bargain

131 The Best Smartphones

Four phones which are smart

Under 10K!

buy today

70 Micromax Canvas Infinity Pro 72 Xiaomi Redmi 5A 74 InFocus Vision 3 76 Smartron t-phoneP

Global IT spending forecasted

100 Showbiz

134 Where’s my Kitty Cat? 136 Add Ons

78 Comio C2 80 Micromax Bharat 5 82 iVOOMi i1

By Invitation 94 Here is how chatbots are redefining human/business interactions – Aakrit Vaish,

The latest and the best of gadgets and accessories, from gaming peripherals to fitness-centric accessories

Co-Founder & CEO, Haptik

Industry Insight 88 Samsung displaces Intel as

104 5 Digital Marketing Trends

146 Vantage Point

the undisputed leader of the

To Watch Out For In 2018

“G’Five will invest INR 1,000

global semiconductor

– Vaibhav Vats, Co-Founder,

crore by 2020” – Aashish

business

Digiperform

Kumar, Director SSIC

109

131

104

Total number of pages = 148

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Honor 7X, Moto X4, Vivo V7, Centric L3, Redmi Y1, Comio P1, and more…

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PHONE OF THE MONTH ONEPLUS 5T

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ecosystem which you guys deliver through the magazine and it’s simply brilliant. I would also suggest you to add few more devices and gadgets like you did of OnePlus 5T in your burn tests. Majority of readers or the users might not be aware of the whole insight about any latest mobile or technology but

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e ave th

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ream in a d ellpho c y e t k u o o st zy ab ew lines? an als n the late e a r c c d u n f o u hav o a Are y al to pen a for news our hands u think yo o y ti se poten have a no rave to lay t them? If y CV to r u le, c u Do yo e? Do you world abo . Rush you My Mobi in e in ou headl and tell th king for y your name o s o e o l to se gizm u, we are .co.in ine. o e y l i n b i o it az mym e mag team@ best mobil India’s

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Quotes

cellspeak “Digital India has to be implemented, which will offer many benefits to other sectors as well. Telecom ministry should be seen as a facilitator, rather than a revenue generator. It’s a valid point” — Manoj Sinha, Union Telecom Minister, in an interview to a newspaper

“I told DoT that I am not quitting telecom, I am exiting the mobile business. We are in cloud, IoT (internet of things), data centre, submarine cables” — Anil Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Group, spoke to ET in his first interview in 10 years

“We are one of the biggest companies on planet to effectively leverage AI (artificial intelligence) and ML (machine learning) for efficient global supply operations and for planning and management of manufacturing” — Ken Wong, President - Asia Pacific, Lenovo, on the sidelines of Consumer Electronics Show 2018

“Digital India can greatly benefit from 5G, you will get digital content that would be for public use across all markets. India is extremely powerful today in all aspects - IT, local industry, on application” — Emmanuel Coelho Alves, Wireless Marketing Director, Huawei, in an interaction with a news daily

12 | february 2018

“We are planning a robust data protection framework to empower the digital mandate. Data protection is beyond Aadhaar; issue of privacy is a global threat” — Aruna Sundararajan, Secretary, DoT, at an event in New Delhi

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Rumour Mill

Talk

in Tech Corners

Google Duo lets you call people who don’t have the app installed

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 likely to come with QS 632 SoC

There is a buzz in the air that Google Duo, the Google’s video calling app works on devices that don’t have the app installed. According to reports, the users, who have installed the latest Android version on their smartphone, can access Google Duo without downloading the app. However, on iOS platform, the app will be required for making calls on Duo. The company is also reportedly working on versions of the app for web browsers, and group calls with better audio quality. Google’s video chats mobile app was announced at the company’s developer conference in May 2016 and began its worldwide release in August the same year. Google Duo lets users make video calls in high definition. It is optimised for low-bandwidth networks. End-to-end encryption is enabled by default. Duo is based on phone numbers, allowing users to call someone from their contact list. The app automatically switches between Wi-Fi and cellular networks.

Xiaomi is expected to unveil a new smartphone in its Redmi Note series, dubbed the Redmi Note 5 soon. Rumours have started building up and the latest one hints about the possible specs of the forthcoming smartphone. According to a Chinese site MyDrivers. com, the Redmi Note 5 (which is currently in the testing phase) is expected to be powered by the future Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 mobile platform clocked at 1.8GHz, which is expected to launch soon. The smartphone is likely to come with a bezel-less display, rated at 5.99-inch with an aspect ratio standing at 18:9. It is likely to come equipped with 4GB of RAM, however, the internal storage configuration is still not known. Moreover, the smartphone is expected to feature dual rear cameras, rated at 12-megapixel, however, there is no word on the front camera. The smartphone is reported to come with a price tag of CNY 1,599 (around Rs 15,630).

14 | february 2018

LG to rebrand its G series this year South Korean tech major LG reportedly plans to repackage its flagship G series of smartphones with a new naming scheme, which means that there will no longer be an LG G7 this year. The name might be replaced with a two digit number, among other options that the company is yet to announce. According to a report by The Investor, “LG is preparing a new brand strategy for the G series in the first half of the year. Numbering the phone with a two-digit number and rebranding the phone with a new name are some of the options on the table.” LG, in 2012, had began producing the high-end G series with the launch of the Optimus G, followed by the removal of the word ‘Optimus’ and keeping the ‘G’ for the series. The report suggests that this decision is an industry standard with Apple and Samsung having indulged similarly in the past. n

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What’s Up

newsbits Samsung to grow its presence across channels in India

Samsung is looking to grow its business across channels, including online, as the year progresses, Asim Warsi, Global Vice President, Samsung India, said recently. “We are wherever our users are. And that’s why we have the largest retail network in the country with over 150,000 touch points. We are constantly looking to grow our business and are looking to pave growth stories in all channels including the online space,” Warsi said. Samsung, which is gearing up to take on Chinese rivals in the online segment, has launched two back-toback “online exclusive” handsets. The two devices -- Galaxy A8+ and Galaxy On7 Prime -- are from different price segments. Samsung has 43 per cent market share in the offline market, which account for nearly 75 per cent of all smartphones sales. Vivo unveils online store to sell smartphones in India

Chinese handset maker Vivo has launched its e-store to sell Vivo smartphones in the country. It has also rolled out a host of benefits like discount coupons up to Rs 2,000 on selected smartphones and 12month zero-cost EMI, to name a few. “Vivo’s strategy of launching an e-store is an affirmation of the Indian market maturing

16 | february 2018

in terms of internet penetration, payment and fulfillment infrastructure, thus representing a huge growth potential,” said Kenny Zeng, Chief Marketing Officer, Vivo India. Additionally, the offer includes “Book My Show” couple vouchers up to Rs 500, free delivery on all orders across the country and a lucky draw where 10 customers will get a chance to win premium Bluetooth speakers worth Rs 2,999. Vivo said that its online store is catering to more than 10,000 pin codes covering most of the serviceable areas in the country. Huawei upgrades its OS with AI capabilities

Chinese smartphone major Huawei recently unveiled EMUI 8.0 -- its custom Operating System (OS) based on Android Oreo platform that promises to boost productivity with Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities. The EMUI 8.0, already available on Honor View 10, will be rolled out on devices such as Honor 8 Pro, Honor 9i, Honor 7X and Honor 8 Lite soon. “The update significantly cuts down on the number of steps needed to achieve the desired function through its smart applications like navigation dock and smart screen. It enables the user to reach 90 per cent of the core functions in a singleclick,” Huawei said in a statement. The custom OS engages in low-memory management by allocating resources in a way to provide more space to ensure holistic experience coupled with AI capabilities. EMUI 8.0 has features like smart resolution, dynamic wallpaper, navigation bar customisations and more. Apple revamps App Store web interface with iOS 11-like design Apple has updated its cumbersome App Store web interface similar to the userfriendly iOS 11 App Store. “The new redesign takes cues from the all-new App

Store in iOS 11, which offers larger images, a focus on curation and reviews, and more. On the new webpage, you’ll see a larger app heading, preceded by ‘this app is only available on the App Store for iOS devices’,” 9to5Mac reported recently. As part of the design overhaul, Apple is showcasing app screenshots from its latest iPhone X. “Previously, the web interface used the old square interface of screenshots from older iPhone devices. In the case of screenshots from apps that are not optimised for iPhone X, Apple still shows the older images,” the report added. The Cupertino-based giant redesigned and launched the iOS 11 App Store in September last year. Honor rolls out new update for Honor View 10, brings ‘Face Unlock’ feature

Huawei’s sub-brand Honor recently announced the roll-out of a software update that will bring ‘Face Unlock’ feature to its “View 10” smartphones. To enable the feature, you need to register your face by accessing face-recognition feature in phone settings menu. The Rs 29,999 Honor View 10 detects the positioning between a user and the device and adjusts the direction accordingly. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology not only unlocks the device when sensors recognise your face but also turn off the screen when it senses that the users are no longer reading. It also detects

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newsbits users’ position and adjusts the direction accordingly. The update will also enable closed-eye face-unlock prevention and intelligent screen-on. Honor View 10 has octa-core Kirin 970 chipset, 6GB RAM, 128GB on-board memory and EMUI 8.0. Xiaomi picks three joint sponsors for IPO

Chinese tech major Xiaomi has picked Citic Securities, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley as joint sponsors for its proposed IPO, according to reports quoting people familiar with the development. The IPO of the company, which could be the world’s biggest tech float this year, is expected to come in the second half of the year and likely to be in Hong Kong, according to the people. The company is expected to add more banks to the transaction later, say the reports, adding that Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan and around two Chinese banks are likely to be added as joint global coordinators. The deal, which could value Xiaomi at as much as US$100bn, is highly anticipated by investors. Xiaomi earlier told bankers it would top its annual revenue target by as much as 18%. It is estimated to post a net profit of at least US$1bn in 2017, banker projections based on the company’s revenue estimate of US$17bn$18bn show. itel Mobile launches itel A40, a 4G VoLTEenabled smartphone at Rs 3,099

itel Mobile recently rolled out its latest 4G

18 | february 2018

smartphone offering, itel A40, at an effective price of Rs 3,099 in association with telecom operator Airtel, under its ‘Mera Pehla Smartphone’ initiative. Customers need to make a down payment of Rs 4,599 to own the all-new itel A40 and will get an attractive cashback benefit of Rs 1,500 over a period of 36 months. At the end of 18 months, customers who have done recharges worth Rs 3,000 (in any denomination of their choice) will be eligible for the first cashback installment of Rs 500. They will be eligible for the second installment of Rs 1000, provided they complete another set of recharges worth Rs 3,000 over the next 18 months. The smartphone will come bundled with a monthly recharge pack of Rs 169 from Airtel, offering generous data and calling benefits. Smartron welcomes golfer Anirban Lahiri on board

After Sachin Tendulkar, technology firm Smartron has added ace Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri to give it a sporty edge in the competitive market. Anirban will endorse the brand on a five-year contract on the global stage. In return, Smartron, the global OEM and IoT brand, will be the main sponsors involving Anirban and will support his journey on the global stage. Tendulkar has been involved with the company as its brand ambassador and strategic shareholder from its early days. With this association, Smartron wants to bring alive on the global stage Indian stories from all walks of life. It wants to put India on the innovation map of the world through its powered tronX platform and ecosystem, said an official press release. Lahiri, an Arjuna awardee is the highest ranked Indian golfer in the world,

and was no 75 in the PGA Championship in 2017. He has 20 professional wins to his credit. Reliance Jio posts Rs 504 crore profit in Q3

Telecom major Reliance Jio Infocomm has reported a net profit of Rs 504 crore for the fiscal third quarter, its first within 15 months of start of commercial operations, buoyed by strong subscriber additions and cost efficiencies, including sharply lower payments on account of interconnect charges. The company, which upended the market since its entry in September 2016 with its initially free voice and data and now much cheaper mobile internet services, has posted a revenue of Rs 6.879 crore, up nearly 12% on quarter. India’s fourth largest telco by user base had recorded a net loss of Rs 271 crore in the previous three-month period ended September, which was also the first quarter when it formally reported results. The new telecom entrant’s average revenue per user (ARPU) - a key performance parameter - stood at Rs 154, the same as in the fiscal second quarter. Vodafone 4G VoLTE rollout begins in India

Vodafone has started rolling out its 4G VoLTE services in the country by kickstarting the new experience in Gujarat. The telco announced its plans to launch 4G VoLTE services in December. Alongside Gujarat, Vodafone 4G VoLTE services are set to reach Delhi, Karnataka, Kolkata, and Mumbai. Subscribers in the Gujarat region

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who have a Vodafone 4G SIM card and a 4G LTE-supported smartphone will be able to make VoLTE calls. Jio and Airtel already offer 4G VoLTE network in India. “The introduction of VoLTE will enhance customer experience with HD quality calling and offer our customers newer possibilities,” Sunil Sood, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Vodafone India, had said while announcing the rollout of its 4G VoLTE services. Xiaomi unveils Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 charger for select models

Xiaomi has launched the India Standard Adapter 9V 2A that supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0. Earlier, Xiaomi sold the standard 5V-2A charger in India. The new charger from Xiaomi is available on the company’s website and has been priced at Rs 449. According to Qualcomm, select smartphones are compatible with the company’s Quick Charge 3.0 Technology. While Xiaomi Mi 5, Xiaomi Mi 5s, Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus, Xiaomi Mi 6, Xiaomi Mi Max, Xiaomi Mi Max 2, Xiaomi Mi Note 2, and Xiaomi MIX 2 are listed, only three of the handsets are currently available in India. So, Mi 5, Mi Max 2 and Mi MIX 2 users can purchase the new adapter. The new Xiaomi charger has a power output of 5V-3A/9V2A/12V-1.5A. It has surge protection up to 380V and features Automatic Temperature Control. The Xiaomi Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 Charger comes only in Black colour. Airtel to offer Amazon Prime membership to postpaid, broadband customers Bharti Airtel has entered into a partnership with Amazon India to offer one year Amazon Prime membership to its postpaid customers with an Infinity plan of Rs 499 or above, and V-Fiber broadband customers. The

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membership is worth Rs 999 and includes unlimited access to Amazon Prime Video, as part of their plan benefits. Airtel said that the offer for one year of Amazon Prime is activated exclusively through the Airtel TV app. Vijay Subramaniam, Director, Content, Amazon Prime Video India, said this exclusive offer enables the company to reach Airtel’s customer base across the country. “This partnership is a major milestone in Airtel’s endeavour to build a world-class content platform… We look forward to working with Amazon to delight customers with great benefits backed by a seamless experience,” said Sameer Batra, CEO - Wynk. New Google app feature to match selfies with artwork Google’s Arts and Culture App has rolled out a new feature that allows users to take a selfie, upload it and then match it with a doppelgänger in one of several art museums worldwide. “The update to the Google Arts and Culture App has catapulted it to the most-downloaded free app on the Apple App Store. It claimed the No. 1 spot in the US, according to the app metrics site AppAnnie,” Recode reported recently. The app uses computer-vision technology to examine what is similar about the user’s face to the thousands of pieces of art that are shared with Google by museums and other institutions. The tech giant said this new feature is merely experimental, the report added. Formerly known as the Google Art Project and launched in February 2011, the new initiative from the tech giant aims to make great art more accessible in this digital age. Truecaller introduces Backup feature for Android Popular communication app Truecaller has launched Truecaller Backup for Android, a new feature which allows users to backup and restore their contacts, call history, block

list and settings to Google Drive. Every day thousands of Truecaller users are switching to a new phone, getting new SIM card, resetting their device or in general having to start their Truecaller journey anew. This inevitably leads to lost contacts, blank call logs and data gone missing. Truecaller Backup has been one of the most highly requested features by its users, and will

What’s Up

newsbits

simplify a user’s transition to a new phone or SIM card by securely backing-up their contacts and settings, and stored on your Google Drive. Users also have the power to customize the frequency of backup between daily, weekly, monthly and on demand. PhonePe now lets FreeCharge customers pay at PhonePe partner merchants

Flipkart’s payments arm PhonePe has partnered mobile wallet company FreeCharge to allow the latter’s customers pay for transactions at PhonePe’s partner merchants. As per the deal terms, PhonePe has now enabled its over 45 million users to link their existing FreeCharge wallets to the PhonePe app. Once linked, PhonePe customers will be able to spend their FreeCharge wallet balance at all online and offline merchant outlets that accept payments via PhonePe. “This is in line with our vision of making PhonePe India’s first truly open payments platform, where customers can use any and all payment instruments of their choice,” PhonePe Head Banking Products and Strategic Partnerships Hemant Gala said. To pay via

february 2018 | 19

What’s Up

newsbits FreeCharge on PhonePe, customers can link FreeCharge from ‘My Account-Other Wallets’ section, following which they can pay using FreeCharge or PhonePe wallet balance. 93.5 Red FM launches mobile app Radio network 93.5 Red FM has launched its application from which users can listen or watch their favourite content anytime by selecting the city of choice. Through the app, the users can catch live broadcast if they have missed it. “Itemisation of on-air content creates flexibility and allows the listeners to exercise control over the audio content of their choice,” Red FM said in a statement. The mobile application gives the option to handpick curated content from localised Red FM station. “The Red FM app cuts away from the usual practice of radio content which has a low shelf life and when broadcasted once disappears,” 93.5 Red FM COO Nisha Narayanan said. She further said the app works as a great retention strategy where it can be reused on other platforms like mobile and social media. The application is available on iOS App Store and Google Playstore. Alibaba-owned DingTalk enterprise chat app forays into India

Alibaba-backed platform DingTalk recently unveiled an English version that caters to the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The English version of the app, also available in Malaysia, is the first concerted push outside of China since launching three years ago. Over five million enterprises and organisations in China are already using the

20 | february 2018

Chinese version. DingTalk aims to ramp up its user count in India and Malaysia by the end of the fiscal year ending in March. “Our endeavour is to empower SMEs so they can scale and become part of the global marketplace. With DingTalk, we will enable organisations to seamlessly communicate and collaborate across locations, thereby increasing productivity,” Chris Wang, Head of Global Business Development for DingTalk, said in a statement. New app to help locate people in areas without network

Scientists have developed a smartphone app that can be used in emergency situations arising due to earthquakes, floods or forest fires, where mobile phone infrastructure is often rendered useless. The system created by researchers at the Universidad de Alicante (UA) in Spain makes it possible to locate people who have suffered an accident in remote locations without a phone signal and where a speedy rescue is essential to save lives. “We have designed an application that can be incorporated to any smartphone and that, without a signal, emits a Wi-Fi signal which in turn acts as a distress beacon over a distance of several kilometres,” said Jose Angel Berna, creator of the technology and professor at UA. This signal contains the location (coordinates) of the person who has suffered the accident or disappeared and is using the smartphone emitter, along with a short message that can be altered depending on the situation, with examples such as “I am injured,” “I am disorientated,” or “I need help,” said reports quoting Berna. Western Digital unveils next generation storage drives Data storage company Western Digital recently announced that it is expanding its portfolio for enterprise customers with a

new, mid-range series of 4TB, 6TB and 8TB hard drives. The new products help corporate data centres having data-set sizes smaller than ones in hyper-scale environments to harness the power of data in applications

such as analytics and distributed file systems, the company said in a statement. “Our new enterprise solutions blend the technology and total cost of ownership of Western Digital’s capacity enterprise product line will allow OEMs to offer data centres a solution to keep Big Data onpremises, rather than transition entirely to the Cloud,” Brendan Collins, Vice President of Marketing, Devices Business Unit at Western Digital, said in a statement. GPS, panic buttons mandatory on public transport from April 1

All taxis, buses and public transport vehicles, barring three-wheelers and e-rickshaws, will have to install location tracking device or GPS and an alert button from April 1. The road transport ministry has reiterated the deadline amid reports that most of the states had not done much to meet the target. “From 1st April, 2018, passenger transport vehicles including taxis and buses are to be mandatorily equipped with GPS devices,” the ministry tweeted recently. According to reports quoting a senior official, there will be no extension to roll out these passenger safety measures in public transport vehicles. Though initially the ministry had proposed mandatory installation of CCTV cameras in buses having more than 23 seats, the proposal was dropped due to privacy concerns. n team@mymobile.co.in

MYMOBILE

Motorola expands retail footprint, announces 50 Moto Hubs in Delhi

enovo-owned Motorola recently announced the opening of 50 new Moto Hubs in New Delhi to further its retail presence. Moto Hub is a key destination for consumers to experience the latest Motorola technology and get a hands-on demo of the entire product portfolio, in a fun, easy to access setup that is conveniently located at consumer hangout areas. Delhi has emerged as one of the biggest markets for the smartphone industry and the same is true for Motorola. As per GKF, out of the total estimated sales of 7 million units per month, Delhi contributes 8-9% to the total sales, necessitating the need for Motorola to be accessible across the

city and hence the augmented presence. Sudhin Mathur, Managing Director, Motorola Mobility India, said, “Offering premium customer experiences is a pillar of our strategy. More than two-thirds of the smartphone customers make their purchase at retail, however, while there is access; experience has been a pain point for most of the buyers. Moto Hub addresses this need of customers by offering a platform to interact, engage and purchase. Encouraged by the customer response, we have accelerated the retail expansion significantly to ensure that we are present where our customers want us to be.” As part of the strategy to consolidate its offline presence, earlier in December 2017, Motorola had announced a strategic partnership with Poorvika Mobiles across 43 cities in Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Karnataka and with Big C and Lot Mobile stores across 55 cities in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to provide easy access to customers to experience the wide range of Motorola products. The Moto Hub store will house the entire portfolio of Motorola devices, including the online exclusives such as Moto X4 and Moto MODs. They will also house Motorola accessories like on-ear and in-ear headphones, Moto shells and covers. n

What’s Up

bignews

Coolpad eyes fresh innings in India with $300 mn funding C hinese smartphone maker Coolpad recently announced it has received a fresh investment of $300 million. With this fresh funding from Power Sun Ventures, a family trust, the Shenzhen-based Coolpad plans to expand its capabilities in Artificial Intelligence (AI), the company said in a statement. “With this new investment, Coolpad aims to shift its focus from being just into mobile business to an AI-focused technology company. We plan to expand this by creating AI-focused applications across communications, health, education and gaming,” said Jiang Chao, CEO, Coolpad Group. Chinese property mogul Chen Hua, Founder and Head of Kingkey Group, is leading the new investment through Power Sun Ventures. With this, Coolpad India will look forward to strengthen its position in the domestic market with some aggressive products in the coming months. The last product launched by Coolpad in the country was “Cool Play 6”. In 2016, the company launched eight smartphone models in India. “It’s a very positive development for Coolpad, especially after a few ups and downs last year.

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With fresh investment and road map ready, we are looking forward to have a new start to Coolpad in India,” said Syed Tajuddin, CEO, Coolpad India. “Apart from benchmarking the products, we will also be looking forward to introduce some inventive technologies, which will eventually benefit the end users,” he added. The company has been producing 34 million smartphones globally every year, raking up $3 billion in revenue each year. In terms of market share in online space, Coolpad ranks among top three smartphone brands on Amazon.in. The struggling LeEco has sold more than half of its stake in Coolpad Group, media reports said recently. LeEco has been repaying its debt after selling shares in Coolpad Group. LeEco recently repaid $103.20 million of its debt owed to China Merchants Bank. n

february 2018 | 21

What’s Up

bignews

Xiaomi to expand India store network in tussle with Samsung I n a bid to grab the lead in a smartphone market which South Korea’s Samsung has dominated for more than five years, Chinese company Xiaomi plans to expand its store network in India. A little over three years after Xiaomi entered India, its cheap, highspec handsets have helped the start-up, which is now valued at close to $100 billion and plans to list this year, to pull neck-andneck with Samsung in its biggest market behind China. “If you look at 2017 and 2018 combined, the biggest change in our strategy is our focus on offline,” Manu Kumar Jain, Managing Director of Xiaomi India, told a news agency recently. Xiaomi opened its first Mi Home, an Apple store-style sales and experience centre, in May last year and already operates 17 such outlets in India. Jain said Xiaomi is ahead of schedule on its plans to open 100 Mi Home stores by mid-2019 in India and also plans to add more preferred partner stores - multi-brand outlets that stock largely Xiaomi products. Interestingly, Xiaomi is looking to strengthen its network beyond online, which accounts for some 70 per cent of local revenue. Its strategy in India has so far rested on flash sales on leading homegrown e-commerce player Flipkart and US tech giant Amazon.com’s Indian sites, an approach that helped Xiaomi save on expensive marketing spends and grab market share. Jain said Xiaomi will launch six to eight new smartphones across key price ranges in 2018. “We want

to improve on whatever we launched in 2017 and also launch and plug whatever we think are the big use cases where we are not present,” he said. Last year, Xiaomi launched eight smartphones priced from 4,999 Indian rupees ($78) to 32,999 rupees ($516). Samsung, by comparison, offers more than 40 smartphone models in India. n

Optiemus aims 10% of India’s premium phone market with BlackBerry

ptiemus Infracom, which holds the rights for manufacturing and distribution of BlackBerry phones in India and other countries, eyes to garner 10 per cent share of the domestic premium smartphone market by the end of this year. BSE-listed Optiemus had signed a licensing deal with BlackBerry last year which includes rights for India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. Blackberry has

22 | february 2018

a similar partnership with TCL for some other markets. Optiemus Infracom Executive Director Hardip Singh said the company plans to scale up its product portfolio by bringing in a number of models across price segments. “Year 2018 will be significant for our business and we are targeting a 10 per cent market share in India in the Rs 20,000-plus premium segment category by end of this year,” he told a news agency recently. The company recently expanded to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. “We are looking at launching BlackBerry KEYone Limited Edition Black in Nepal in the first quarter of 2018, which will mark the entry of Optiemus in Nepal,” he said. Singh said the company makes the devices in India and will continue to explore opportunities in these key markets. “We expect International markets to contribute approximately 25 per cent of our total business volume to BlackBerry business by the end of calendar year 2018,” he added. Once a dominant player in the smartphone category, BlackBerry struggled to compete against global competitors like Samsung and Apple. It, then, agreed to license its brand to handset manufacturers TCL and Optiemus. India is one of the fastest growing smartphone markets globally. Players like Samsung, Xiaomi, Lenovo and Vivo have aggressively eaten into the market share of domestic players like Micromax and Lava. n

MYMOBILE

What’s Up

bignews India ranks second in app downloads

ndia has recorded the second-largest number of mobile app downloads, beating the US and trailing only China, according to a report from App Annie, an app insights company. The data collated is inclusive of Apple’s iOS Store, Google Play and third-party Android stores. App usage grew rapidly in India, driven by the introduction of subsidised, unlimited 4G access by Reliance Jio in September 2016, the report noted. India saw a growth of about 215% while US saw a degrowth of 5% during 2017. India, which is seen as an emerging market in the app economy, came on top of the list for highest monthly average number of apps used and installed. On an average, Indians use more than 40 apps in a month, while having a total base of close to 80 apps. On this parameter, China and Brazil are behind India. Incidentally, the report threw light on consumer spending behaviour of Indians with regards to mobile apps. Despite the popular perception that Indians shy away from paying for in-app purchases, dating app Tinder and over-the-top (OTT) entertainment platform Netflix topped the chart as far as spends on apps go. Chinese video app Bigo Live and Google Drive are the other top apps where Indians have spent significantly in 2017, the data in

the report pointed out. Star India-owned Hotstar is another OTT player in the top 10 apps here with high consumer spends. The report did not specify the amount consumers spent on these apps throughout last year. The data indicates an interesting trend where Indians are starting to pay for various apps. The more mature a market is, the higher chances of monetisation, the report added. n

Reliance to manufacture mobiles, set top boxes in West Bengal R eliance Industries Ltd (RIL) will invest as much as Rs 5,000 crore in West Bengal to bolster telecom arm Reliance Jio Infocomm’s operations, its digital ecosystem as well as the group’s retail and fuel retail businesses, chairman Mukesh Ambani said recently. The group will also be “working with multiple partners to

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explore the setting up of state-of-the-art, next-gen electronics manufacturing facilities” to make West Bengal an innovation hub for “consumer devices such as mobile phones and set-top boxes,” he said at the fourth Bengal Global Business Summit in Kolkata recently. He said West Bengal was a leader in “ease of business,” attributing this to “industrial peace” under the government of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Reliance Industries will also set up digital service centres (DSCs) in West Bengal to provide government-to-citizen (G2C) services, initially in five districts. The move is part of the company’s plans to set up DSCs across India to bring such services within easy reach of every citizen, especially in the rural hinterland. “The move will give birth to digital entrepreneurs in villages and small towns, kickstart ecommerce, support agriculture as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs),” said Ambani, signalling Jio’s plans for a countrywide digital revolution. Reliance Industries is already one of the largest investors in West Bengal, having pumped in Rs 15,000 crore, most of this for setting up the telecom network, Ambani said. Jio’s initiatives had created employment opportunities -- both direct and indirect – for more than 100,000 people in the state, he said. In the immediate term, Ambani said the country’s newest 4G carrier will expedite steps to ensure 100% network coverage in West Bengal by end-2018. n

february 2018 | 23

What’s Up

bignews

WhatsApp targets small businesses with new service P opular messaging app WhatsApp has launched a new service WhatsApp Business, aimed at small businesses that have thus far been using their accounts meant for individuals, a move that brings it closer to monetising its free platform. While the focus, at present, is to get small business on the platform for free, the firm plans to charge them in the future. The app has been launched on Google Play in many countries. “Through our research, we know that over 84% of small businesses who use Whatsapp in India think that it helps them communicate with their customers, and 80% of them think that it helps them grow their business,” WhatsApp chief operating officer Matt Idema told a newspaper recently. “People can continue using WhatsApp as usual — there’s no need to download anything new. And people will continue to have full control over the messages they receive, with the ability to block any number, including businesses, as well as report spam,” the company reportedly said in its blog. According to reports, WhatsApp Business gives users a verified green checkmark badge next to account name. Businesses will be

able to create a company profile with information such as address, business hours, and description of product or service offered. Its messaging tool will help businesses manage consumer chats -quick replies that provide fast answers to frequently asked questions, greeting messages that introduce customers to your business, and away messages that let them know you’re busy. It also has a web interface. As per reports, WhatsApp could go live with its much awaited payments feature soon, possibly this month only. n

Hike unveils ‘Total’ to let users access services without data

argeting the lower end of smartphone users to better take on leader WhatsApp, Indian messaging app Hike has come out with a mobile operating system that will offer services such as messaging and recharging without using data. Services offered on the system called Hike Total include financial transactions via Hike Wallet, news, horoscopes and rail information. The operating system will be pre-installed in entry-level smartphones from Intex and Karbonn priced between Rs 3,500 and Rs 5,000. Unlike WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, the micro-apps on Hike Total will work even

24 | february 2018

without data. Hike Total uses USSD (unstructured supplementary service data), a technology that transmits information through GSM network channels, which are normally used to make voice calls and send messages. The objective was to get more users on the Hike platform, Kavin Mittal, founder of Hike, said recently. “We decided to invert the pyramid and go bottom-upwards because there are still around 200 million users of the total 400 million smartphone users who have smartphones but do not use data… we have to break into that market,” he said. Intex will integrate Hike’s services in lower-priced smartphone models for the benefit of consumers, who will also get customised and differential data packs at cheaper rates, said director Keshav Bansal. Hike, backed by Tencent, Foxconn, Tiger Global, Softbank and Bharti Airtel, is in talks with Lava and Micromax, besides Samsung and Chinese smartphone makers. On the carrier side, it has tied up with Bharti Airtel, Aircel and BSNL. Reliance Jio Infocomm users will have to wait a while because the company’s Voice over LTE network does not support USSD service. Hike Total’s services work on its new patented technology called UTTP, a version of USSD, which is often used to check a phone’s serial number or data usage. Hike will give Rs 200 to each user on purchase of the phones, which will be available beginning March 1. n

MYMOBILE

US tech firm Redmorph enters India with smartphone security app A fter its launch in the US, Pittsburgh-based Redmorph forayed into the Indian market recently with ‘The Ultimate Privacy and Security Solution’, its comprehensive privacy and security app for smartphone users. The security solution allows users to control and protect their privacy and security online. The app allows users to clearly visualize what is happening in the background behind apps, OS and websites in real time. The product is equipped with algorithms to audit all system and user apps to determine and minimize risks. With behavioral and predictive analysis, it uses contextual logic to identify and block suspicious or malicious apps. The solution monitors background behaviour and proactively prevents malicious apps from spying on banking, email, social and other critical apps. Equipped with daily tracker and app definitions updates, the app ensures full protection from threatening behaviour from apps on the customer’s phone. As per a study by Zenith, India is poised to have the second highest number of smartphone users by 2018, in excess of 530 million users, resulting in a mobile first economy. The proliferation of apps and websites for our everyday needs also enables unknown third party vendors to track users and steal data weakening personal

privacy and security. Significantly, India has surpassed the US, the second largest market in the world in terms of Android app downloads, says a recent Mary Meeker report on Internet trends. According to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), at least one cybercrime was reported every 10 minutes in India in the first six months of 2017, calling for a concerted effort to treat cybercrimes. The recent Supreme Court verdict stating privacy as a fundamental right stands testimony to government’s efforts to address concerns around privacy and data protection. n

What’s Up

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Trai okays mobile services during air travel T

he Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recently recommended allowing mobile telephony and Internet services for passengers during air travel in the country through both satellite and terrestrial network. “The authority recommends that both, Internet and Mobile Communication on Aircraft (MCA) service should be permitted as In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) in the Indian airspace,” Trai said in its recommendations on ‘In-Flight Connectivity’ (IFC). The Department of Telecom had sought views of the Trai on August 10, last year over proposal to introduce voice,

data and video services over Indian airspace for domestic, international and overflying flights in Indian air space. Trai said that for mobile services, there should be flexibility to IFC service providers in terms of use of technology and frequencies inside the aircraft cabin that should be consistent with international standards, provided no harmful interference is caused. The telecom regulator said that Internet services through Wi-Fi onboard should be made available when electronic devices are permitted to be used only in-flight or airplane mode and announcement regarding this should be made after boarding is completed and the aircraft is about to taxi. The regulator recommended creation of an IFC Service Provider for IFC services at annual licence fee of Re 1 only initially, after entering into an arrangement with telecom licence holder having appropriate authorisation. It said that the IFC service provider should be permitted to use either INSAT systems (Indian Satellite System or foreign satellite capacity leased through Department of Space) or foreign satellites outside INSAT systems in the Indian airspace. Trai added that routing of traffic through satellite gateway in India should be imposed regardless of whether the satellite in question is an Indian satellite system or not. n team@mymobile.co.in

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february 2018 | 25

First Look

justin OnePlus 5T Lava Red

nveiled recently in China, the new Lava Red colour

variant of the OnePlus 5T is now official in India. The special edition smartphone, painted in red, comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage Talking about the technical specifications, the OnePlus 5T comes with a 6.01-inch full HD+ full Optic AMOLED display with an aspect ratio rated at 18:9. It is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. The camera department houses a dual rear camera setup, rated at 16-megapixel and 20megapixel. However, the secondary camera at the back comes with changed aperture rated at f/1.7 as compared to the OnePlus 5, with the absence of a telephoto lens. The front-facing shooter is rated at 16-megapixel with improvements for low-light photography, using Intelligent Pixel Technology. The

limited

edition

smartphone is powered by a 3300mAh battery with the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dash Charge tech for fast charging. The smartphone runs OnePlusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; OxygenOS based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat. Additionally, the OnePlus 5T comes with a fingerprint scanner now at the back, and also supports facial recognition. Additionally, the OnePlus 5T comes in existing Midnight Black and Star Wars Edition variants. The Lava Red OnePlus 5T is now up for grab at Amazon India at the price of Rs 37,999. n

26 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

First Look

justin

Samsung Galaxy On7 Prime

ollowing a series of teasers, Samsung has finally made the

expandable up to 256GB with the use of a microSD card.

Galaxy On7 Prime official in India. The main highlight of the

On the camera front, there is a 13-megapixel primary shooter

smartphone is the new Samsung Mall feature which allows the

with LED flash and autofocus and the front-facing snapper too

users to shop by simply capturing a productâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s image.

stands at 13-megapixel for selfies and video calling.

The users, after capturing the image can search for the product

Moreover, the Galaxy On7 Prime supports Samsung Pay

across various online portals using visual search and can purchase

feature for making payments, which now is integrated with UPI.

the product using Universal Cart feature.

Additionally, the device houses a fingerprint scanner embedded

Talking about the technical specifications, the Galaxy On7 Prime comes with a 5.5-inch full HD display and is powered by an octa-core Exynos 7870 processor ticking at 1.6GHz. The

in the home button and comes in black and gold colour options. The Samsung Galaxy On7 Prime comes with a price tag of Rs

smartphone comes in two RAM/ROM options- 3GB of RAM/32GB

12,990 (3GB RAM/32GB ROM) and Rs 14,990 (4GB RAM/64GB

of ROM and 4GB of RAM/64GB of ROM, both the options being

ROM) and is available via Amazon India and Samsung Shop. n

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2018 | 27

First Look

justin Energizer Power Max P600S

xclusively known for producing batteries, Energizer has

The smartphone comes in two variants: one with 3GB of

officially launched a new smartphone, dubbed the Power

RAM, 32GB of internal storage, painted in Black colour and

Max P600S. The main highlight of the smartphone is the 4500mAh

the model with 6GB of RAM, 64GB of ROM, in Blue colour.

battery it is backed by, with a standby time of up to 16 days

In the camera department, the Power Max P600S houses

and usage time of up to 12 hours. The battery also supports

a dual- camera module by Samsung, rated at 13-megapixel

fast charging.

and 5-megapixel, while the front-facing snapper stands at

In terms of the spec sheet, the Power Max P600S comes

8-megapixel.

with a 5.99-inch full HD display with an aspect ratio rated at

With a carbon fiber-looking rear side, the smartphone

18:9, making it a member of the bezel-less clan. The

runs Android 7.1 Nougat. The Power Max P600S is also

smartphone is powered by octa-core MediaTek Helio P25

accompanied by USB Type-C port and a rear-mounted

chipset clocked at 2.45GHz.

fingerprint scanner. n

28 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 7.0

amsung has launched a new tablet in its Galaxy Tab A

299 plan, with Rs 800 to be credited after 12 months and Rs

series, dubbed the Galaxy Tab A 7.0 in India.

1,200 to be credited after 24 months.

Speaking of the technical specs, the Galaxy Tab A 7.0 comes

with a 7-inch HD display and is powered by quad-core processor ticking at 1.5GHz. The tablet comes equipped with 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of inbuilt storage which can be further expanded up to 200GB with the use of a microSD card.

The new tablet comes with a price tag of Rs 9,500 and is available exclusively via Amazon India. n

First Look

justin

In the camera department, there is a 5-megapixel primary shooter with autofocus, while the front-facing snapper is rated at 2-megapixel for selfies and video calling. The Galaxy Tab A 7.0 sources power from a 4000mAh battery with up to nine hours of video playback. Furthermore, the tablet supports Kids Mode which provides the kids with content specified for them and the Parental Control mode which lets the parents take control of their kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; usage, with features such as setting usage time limits and restricting app access. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 7.0 comes in white and black colour options. On purchase of the Galaxy Tab A 7.0, Reliance Jio users, after a recharge of Rs 299, will get a cashback of Rs 2,000 in his or her JioMoney after 24 continuous recharges of the Rs

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2018 | 29

First Look

justin Gionee S10 Lite

hinese handset maker Gionee has launched a new smartphone

power from a 3100mAh battery and runs the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Amigo

in the mid-segment, dubbed the Gionee S10 Lite in India.

4.0 OS based on Android 7.0 Nougat.

The smartphone is a toned down variant of the Gionee S10. In terms of the technical specifications, the Gionee S10 Lite

The Gionee S10 Lite comes with several connectivity options such as 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth v4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS,

comes with a 5.2-inch HD display and is powered by Qualcomm

A-GPS, micro USB, FM radio, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The

Snapdragon 427 processor clocked at 1.4GHz. The smartphone

smartphone is also accompanied by a fingerprint scanner

comes equipped with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage

embedded in the home button.

which can be further expanded up to 128GB with the use of a memory card. On the camera front, the device features a 13-megapixel rear shooter with LED flash and autofocus, with the front-facing snapper (which is the highlight of the smartphone) rated at 16megapixel for selfies and video calling. The smartphone sources

30 | february 2018

Additionally, customers will get additional 5GB data on the Reliance Jio Rs 309 pack or more, and Paytm coupons worth Rs 250 and Rs 350, for purchases worth Rs 350 or more via Paytm Mall. The Gionee S10 Lite is up for grabs for Rs 15,999, via offline as well as online stores in the country.n

MYMOBILE

Karbonn Titanium Frames S7

First Look

justin

omegrown Karbonn Mobiles has launched a new budget smartphone,

dubbed the Karbonn Titanium Frames S7 in India. The main highlight of the smartphone is the camera department which houses rear and front cameras, both rated at 13-megapixel, featuring LED flash. The smartphone comes with Airtel cashback services for which the users are required to pay Rs 6,999 and make 36 continuous recharges of Rs 199,

following which the customers will get a cashback of Rs 500 after 18 months and another cashback of Rs 1,500 after 18 months, totaling to a cashback of Rs 2,000. Additionally, the users using Mobikwik will get flat Rs 2,100 SuperCash on a purchase of the smartphone. The IndusInd Bank and Standard Chartered Bank cardholders will get a discount of 10 per cent of the purchase using debit or credit cards. In terms of technical specs, the Karbonn Titanium Frames S7 comes with a 5.5-inch full HD IPS display with a layer of 2.5D curved glass and is powered by a quad-core processor clocked at 1.45GHz. The smartphone has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, expandable up to 128GB via a memory card. The device is backed by a 3000mAh battery and runs Android 7.0 Nougat. The 4G dual-SIM Titanium Frames S7 comes with connectivity options such as 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and OTG support. Furthermore, the Titanium Frames S7 is accompanied by a rearmounted fingerprint sensor and a virtual assistant, dubbed Niki.AI for making payments, recharges and much more. The smartphone comes with a price tag of Rs 6,999 exclusively via ShopClues. The Karbonn Titanium Frames S7 is available in Black, Champagne, and Red colour options. n

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2018 | 31

First Look

justin Honor 9 Lite

fter several rumours and leaks, Huawei’s sub-brand

octa-core Kirin 659 processor along with Mali T830-MP2

Honor recently launched the Honor 9 Lite smartphone

GPU. The device comes in two RAM /ROM configurations-

at an event in India.

3GB RAM/32GB ROM and 4GB RAM/64GB ROM, both the

The main highlight of the Honor 9 Lite is the camera

options expandable up to 128GB via a memory card. The

department which contains four cameras; two at the back

Honor 9 Lite is backed by a 3000mAh battery and runs

rated at 13-megapixel and 2-megapixel and another pair at

Android 8.0 Oreo with Huawei’s EMUI 8.0 on top.

the front, also standing at 13-megapixel and 2-megapixel.

The glass-bodied smartphone houses dual SIM card slots

Another highlighting is the 5.65-inch full HD+ IPS

and is topped with connectivity options such as 4G VoLTE,

FullView display with an aspect ratio rated at 18:9, making

Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, 3.5mm audio

way for minimal bezels. The smartphone is powered by the company’s 64-bit

jack, Micro-USB, and OTG support. Additionally, the smartphone is accompanied by a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The Honor 9 Lite comes with a price tag of Rs 10,999 (3GB RAM/32GB ROM) and Rs 14,999 (4GB RAM/64GB ROM) and is available exclusively via Flipkart, in Sapphire Blue, Glacier Grey and Midnight Black colour options. Furthermore, the Honor 9 Lite comes with a free back cover and the Citibank credit and debit cardholders can avail a 10 per cent discount on purchase. n

32 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

First Look

justin

OPPO A83

xpanding its A series, Oppo has come up with its new mid-segment smartphone,

dubbed the Oppo A83 in India. The major highlights of the smartphone

are the 5.7-inch HD+ LCD display featuring minimal bezels with an aspect ratio standing at 18:9 and facial recognition. The smartphone also comes with AI Beauty Recognition technology that enhances the picture quality and makes them look real. The smartphone is equipped with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage which comes with the ability to be expanded up to 256GB with the use of a microSD card. The Oppo A83 gets its fuel from a 3180mAh battery and runs the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ColorOS 3.2 based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat. In terms of the optics, the smartphone comes with a 13-megapixel primary snapper with LED flash, while the one situated at the front is rated at 8-megapixel. The smartphone houses dual SIM card slots and is topped with several connectivity options such as 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS, GLONASS, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Priced at Rs 13,999, the Oppo A83 comes in Black and Gold colour variants, and is available via Amazon India and Flipkart. n

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2018 | 33

First Look

justin Tecno Camon I

ranssion Holdings-owned Tecno Mobile has come up with

the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HiOS based on Android 7.0 Nougat. The

a new budget smartphone, dubbed the Tecno Camon I in

smartphone houses dual SIM card slots and is stacked with

India.

connectivity options such as 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n,

The major highlight of the smartphone is the FullView

Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio jack, GPS, OTG, and micro USB port.

display rated at 5.65-inch and is HD+ IPS in nature. The

The Camon I is also accompanied by a fingerprint scanner

display comes with an aspect ratio rated at 18:9 with thin

situated at the back.

bezels. Talking about other specs, the Tecno Camon I is powered by a 64-bit quad-core processor, coupled with 3GB of RAM. The

The Tecno Camon I comes with a price tag of Rs 8,999 and will be available in Champagne Gold, Midnight Black and City Blue colour variants via offline stores in the country. n

smartphone comes equipped with 32GB of internal storage which comes with the option to expand up to 128GB via a microSD card. In terms of optics, there is a 13-megapixel rear snapper with 5p lens, Quad LED flash. The one at the front is also rated at 13-megapixel featuring front flash and screen flash. The Camon I gets its fuel from a 3050mAh battery and runs

34 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

International

justin

Alcatel 3C

rior to announcing new smartphones at MWC 2018 in

On the camera front, the smartphone consists of an

February, Alcatel has unveiled a new budget smartphone,

8-megapixel rear snapper while on the front there is a

known as the Alcatel 3C in Italy.

5-megapixel shooter for selfies and video calling.

The USP of the device is the massive 6-inch HD+ IPS

The Alcatel 3C sources its power from a 3000mAh battery

display with an aspect ratio standing at 18:9, coming with

and runs Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box. The device

minimal bezels. The smartphone supports a screen resolution

supports dual-SIM card slots and is accompanied by a

rated at 1,440 x 720 pixels.

fingerprint sensor present at the back.

The Alcatel 3C is powered by a quad-core MediaTek MT8321 processor clocked at 1.3GHz and comes with 1GB

The smartphone comes in Metallic Black, Metallic Blue, and Metallic Gold colour options.

of RAM. The device is equipped with 8GB of inbuilt storage

The Alcatel 3C comes with a price tag of Euros 129.99

which can be further expanded with the help of a memory

(around Rs 10,120). There is no word on its availability in

card.

India yet. n

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2018 | 35

International

justin

HTC U11 EYEs

ollowing several leaks and speculations, HTC has finally

2TB with the use of a microSD card.

announced the U11 EYEs smartphone in China and Taiwan.

The smartphone is backed by a 3930mAh battery with Quick

The HTC U11 EYEs comes with a 6-inch full HD+ display with an

Charge 3.0 tech and power saving mode. The device runs Android

aspect ratio rated at 18:9, featuring minimal bezels.

8.0 Oreo out-of-the-box with HTC Sense on top. The smartphone is topped with various connectivity options

Another highlight is the camera department, which consists of a dual-camera setup at the front, each camera sensor rated at 5-megapixel. The front cameras support HDR, Bokeh mode for

such as Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth v4.2, USB Type-C, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, and NFC. Additionally, the HTC U11 EYEs is accompanied by a fingerprint

both videos and images, and various beauty modes. The primary

scanner at the back, facial recognition, HTC Usonic active noise

shooter stands at 12-megapixel and features OIS, PDAF, UltraPixel

reduction headphones, HTC Edge Sense technology and IP67

3 technology, fast HDR, EIS and dual-tone LED flash.

certification. The device comes in Metallic Blue, Black and Red

The HTC U11 EYEs is powered by octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor clocked at 1.8GHz, coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage which is expandable up to

36 | february 2018

colour options. The HTC U11 EYEs comes with a price tag of CNY 3,299 (around Rs 32,660). n

MYMOBILE

LG V30 Raspberry Rose

G recently unveiled a new colour variant of the V30 smartphone,

another highlight of the smartphone. It houses a dual camera

paying heed to all the romantics on Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day.

setup at the back, which includes a 16-megapixel camera sensor

The new Raspberry Rose colour of the LG V30, in addition to

with f/1.6 aperture and another one rated at 13-megapixel with

the existing Aurora Black, Cloud Silver, Moroccan Blue and

f/1.9 aperture. Upfront, there is a 5-megapixel shooter with 90-

Lavender Violet colour options, will be up for grabs post CES in

degree wide-angle lens. It comes with Cine Effect and Point

Europe and Asia.

Zoom camera features.

In terms of the specs, the Raspberry Rose V30 shares the

Additionally, the LG V30 comes with a rear-mounted

same specs as the original V30. The smartphone sports a 6-inch

fingerprint scanner, facial recognition, UX 6.0+, 32-bit Hi-Fi

QHD OLED FullVision display with a pixel density of 538ppi and

Quad DAC audio by Bang & Olufsen, and IP68 certification. n

is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. The smartphone is equipped with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of

International

justin

internal storage which can be further expanded up to 2TB via a memory card. The device sources power from a 3300mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 tech and runs Android 7.1.2 Nougat. Apart from the bezel-less display, the camera department is

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2018 | 37

International

justin

Honor 7X Red

uawei’s sub-brand Honor recently unveiled a new limited

edition red colour variant of the Honor 7X in the US. The

4GB of RAM.

special edition smartphone will be up for grabs on Valentine’s

The smartphone comes in three internal storage options-

Day in countries such as the United States, Russia, India and

32GB, 64GB and 128GB, all the three options coming with

Western Europe (United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and

the expandability option of up to 256GB via a memory card.

Spain). The new colour variant of the Honor 7X has just 20,000 units manufactured, and the first 100 customers will get Red co-branded Honor-Monster AM15 headphones as a special gift. In terms of the specs, the new variant shares the same specs as the original Honor 7X. The Honor 7X sports a 5.93-inch full HD+ bezel-less display with an aspect ratio rated at 18:9. It is

38 | february 2018

In the camera department, there are two camera sensors at the back, rated at 16-megapixel and 2-megapixel each, while the one at the front is an 8-megapixel one. The device is backed by a 3340mAh battery with SuperCharge fast charging technology and runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat with the company’s EMUI 5.1 on top. The Honor 7X also comes in existing Aurora Blue, Midnight Black, and Platinum Gold colour options. n

MYMOBILE

International

justin

Nokia 6 (2018)

MD Global-owned Nokiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget smartphone Nokia 6 has

Snapdragon 630 processor clocked at 2.2GHz, coupled with 4GB

got a successor, known as the Nokia 6 (2018), officially

of RAM. The device comes with two internal storage options- 32GB

launched in China. The main highlight of the smartphone is the incorporation of

and 64GB, both being expandable up to 256GB via a memory card.

Nokiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proprietary Bothie feature which allows users to use the

The Nokia 6 (2018) gets its fuel from a 3000mAh battery

primary and the secondary cameras at the same time. The primary

(same as the one found in Nokia 6 2017) and runs Android 7.1.1

shooter is rated at 16-megapixel featuring dual-tone LED flash and

Nougat, upgradable to Android 8.0 Oreo. However, in the 2018

Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF), while the secondary snapper

model of the Nokia 6, the fingerprint scanner is placed at the back

stands at 8-megapixel with 84-degree wide-angle lens.

instead of the home button, and the presence of on-screen buttons

In terms of the spec sheet, the Nokia 6 (2018) comes with a 5.5-inch display with a screen resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels and a layer of 2.5D curved glass. The smartphone is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm

www.mymobileindia.com

in place of the capacitive touch buttons. The device comes in Black and Silver colour options. The Nokia 6 (2018) comes with a price tag of CNY 1,499 or Rs 14,650 (32GB) and CNY 1,699 or Rs 16,600 (64GB). n

february 2018 | 39

International

justin

LG Tribute Dynasty

outh Korean brand LG has launched a new smartphone,

The Tribute Dynasty gets its fuel from a 2500mAh Lithium-

dubbed the LG Tribute Dynasty in the US. Taking a look at

ion battery with up to 15 hours of talk time and runs Android

the specifications, the LG Tribute Dynasty features a 5-inch HD IPS TFT display and is powered by octa-core MediaTek MT6750 processor ticking at 1.5GHz. The device has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage which can be further expanded up to 32GB with the use of a memory card. On the camera front, there is an 8-megapixel primary shooter with LED flash and autofocus, with the front-facing camera rated at 5-megapixel featuring screen flash.

40 | february 2018

7.1.2 Nougat operating system. The device comes with several connectivity options such as 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS, A-GPS, and micro-USB. The LG Tribute Dynasty is also accompanied by a fingerprint scanner at the back. The LG Tribute Dynasty comes in a single Champagne colour. There is no word on its availability in India. The LG Tribute Dynasty is available via Boost Mobile for $60, while it is priced at $100 via Sprint. n

MYMOBILE

Lenovo K320t

enovo has introduced a new budget smartphone in its K

In terms of other specs, the smartphone is powered by quad-

series, dubbed the K320t in China. The main highlights of

core Spreadtrum processor clocked at 1.3GHz. The device

the smartphone are the bezel-less display and the dual rear

comes equipped with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of inbuilt storage

cameras.

which can be further expanded up to 128GB with the use of a

The Lenovo K320t is the first Lenovo smartphone to come

microSD card.

with an aspect ratio rated at 18:9, with HD+ display spanning

The Lenovo K320t sources its power from a 3000mAh

5.7-inch. The display is covered with a layer of 2.5D curved

battery and runs Android 7.1.2 Nougat. The smartphone houses

glass.

dual SIM card slots and is topped with several connectivity

In the camera department (which is another highlight of the

options such as 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, micro-USB,

smartphone), there are two cameras at the back, rated at

FM radio, and 3.5mm audio jack. Moreover, it is accompanied

8-megapixel and 2-megapixel each with fixed focus, while the

by a fingerprint sensor at the back.

front-facing shooter is rated at 8-megapixel for selfies and video calling.

International

justin

The Lenovo K320t comes with a price tag of CNY 999 (around Rs 9,770). n team@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2018 | 41

Limelight

lead story

10 Ways How AI Will Make

Smartphones Smarter!

Gartner predicts 80 percent of smartphones shipped will have ‘On-Device AI Capabilities’ by 2022

44 | january 2018

MYMOBILE

Limelight

lead story

new chapter in smartphone evolution is on the horizon. The fusion of AI with

smartphone has gathered pace and your smartphone is all set to become smarter rather intelligent and would have a mind of its own – very soon. And endorsing this view is Gartner which has forecasted that by 2022, 80 percent of smartphones shipped will have on-device AI capabilities, up from 10 percent in 2017. On-device AI is currently limited to premium devices and provides better data protection and power management than full cloud-based AI, since data is processed and stored locally.

“Smartphones will be an extension of the user, capable of recognizing them and predicting their next move. They will understand who you are, what you want, when you want it, how you want it done and execute tasks upon your authority”

smartphones to learn, plan and solve problems for users. This isn’t just about making the smartphone smarter, but augmenting people by reducing their cognitive load. However, AI capabilities on smartphones are still in very early stages.” “Over the next two years, most use cases will still exploit a single AI capability and technology,” points out Roberta Cozza, Research Director at Gartner. “Going forward, smartphones will combine two or more AI capabilities and technologies to provide more advanced user

“Future AI capabilities will allow smartphones to learn, plan and solve problems for users. This isn’t just about making the smartphone smarter, but augmenting people by reducing their cognitive load” – C K Lu, Research Director at Gartner

www.mymobileindia.com

The respected research body also points

experiences.”

out that Artificial intelligence (AI) features will become a critical product differentiator for smartphone vendors that will help them to acquire new customers while retaining

So here are 10 ways AI will empower smartphones according to Gartner:

shifts from selling technology products to

1: “Digital Me” Sitting on the Device

delivering compelling and personalized

Smartphones will be an extension of the

experiences, AI solutions running on the

user, capable of recognizing them and

smartphone will become an essential part

predicting their next move. They will

of vendor roadmaps over the next two

understand who you are, what you want,

years.”

when you want it, how you want it done

“With smartphones increasingly becoming

and execute tasks upon your authority.

a commodity device, vendors are looking

“Your smartphone will track you throughout

for ways to differentiate their products,”

the day to learn, plan and solve problems

says C K Lu, Research Director at

for you,” says Angie Wang, Principle

Gartner. “Future AI capabilities will allow

Research Analyst at Gartner. “It will

current users. “As the smartphone market

february 2018 | 43

Limelight

lead story leverage its sensors, cameras and data

assistants and other AI-based technology

included an ARKit feature that provides

to accomplish these tasks automatically.

for conversational systems is driving the

new tools to developers to make adding

For example, in the connected home, it

need to add emotional intelligence for

AR to apps easier. Similarly, Google

could order a vacuum bot to clean when

better context and an enhanced service

announced its ARCore AR developer

the house is empty, or turn a rice cooker

experience. Car manufacturers, for

tool for Android and plans to enable AR

on 20 minutes before you arrive.”

example, can use a smartphone’s front

on about 100 million Android devices

camera to understand a driver’s physical

by the end of next year. Google expects

condition or gauge fatigue levels to

almost every new Android phone will be

increase safety.

AR-ready out of the box next year. One

2: User Authentication Password-based, simple authentication is becoming too complex and less effective,

example of how AR can be used is in

experience, and a high cost of ownership.

4: Natural-Language Understanding

Security technology combined with

Continuous training and deep learning

machine learning, biometrics and user

on smartphones will improve the

behavior will improve usability and

accuracy of speech recognition, while

6: Device Management

self-service capabilities. For example,

better understanding the user’s specific

Machine learning will improve device

smartphones can capture and learn a

intentions. For instance, when a user

performance and standby time.

user’s behavior, such as patterns when

says “the weather is cold,” depending

For example, with many sensors,

they walk, swipe, apply pressure to the

on the context, his or her real intention

smartphones can better understand and

phone, scroll and type, without the need

could be “please order a jacket online” or

learn user’s behavior, such as when to use

for passwords or active authentications.

“please turn up the heat.” As an example,

which app. The smartphone will be able

natural-language understanding could be

to keep frequently used apps running in

used as a near real-time voice translator

the background for quick re-launch, or to

on smartphones when traveling abroad.

shut down unused apps to save memory

resulting in weak security, poor user

3: Emotion Recognition Emotion sensing systems and affective computing allow smartphones to

apps that help to collect user data and detect illnesses such as skin cancer or pancreatic cancer.

and battery.

people’s emotional states and moods.

5: Augmented Reality (AR) 7: Personal Profiling and AI Vision

The proliferation of virtual personal

With the release of iOS 11, Apple

detect, analyze, process and respond to

Smartphones are able to collect data for

MYMOBILE

Limelight

lead story

behavioral and personal profiling. Users can receive protection and assistance

rate based on driving behavior.

any content that violates any laws or policies. For example, taking photos in high

is being carried out and the environments

8: Content Censorship/ Detection

they are in (e.g., home, vehicle, office, or

Restricted content can be automatically

leisure activities). Service providers such

detected. Objectionable images, videos

as insurance companies can now focus on

or text can be flagged and various

9: Personal Photographing

users, rather than the assets. For example,

notification alarms can be enabled.

Personal photographing includes

they will be able to adjust the car insurance

Computer recognition software can detect

smartphones that are able to automatically

dynamically, depending on the activity that

security facilities or storing highly classified data on company-paid smartphones will notify IT.

produce beautified photos based on a user’s individual aesthetic preferences. For example, there are different aesthetic preferences between the East and West — most Chinese people prefer a pale complexion, whereas consumers in the West tend to prefer tan skin tones.

www.mymobileindia.com

10: Audio Analytic The smartphone’s microphone is able to continuously listen to real-world sounds. AI capability on device is able to tell those sounds, and instruct users or trigger events. For example, a smartphone hears a user snoring, then triggers the user’s wristband to encourage a change in sleeping positions. n team@mymobile.co.in

february 2018 | 45

Exclusive

Chief speak

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are partnering with leading mobile brands to enable better access to the latest mobile technologies to consumers across the globeâ&#x20AC;?

Shanghai headquartered Spreadtrum Communications

How would you rate and analyze the overall

is now a leading supplier of mobile chips in the

performance of Spreadtrum in the Indian market?

Indian market and has witnessed impressive growth

achievements in the last few months? 2017 has been

Could you talk about some important developments/

in terms of volume and reputation here in the last

an incredible year for Spreadtrum. The year started

couple of years. Leading the charge from the front in

chipsets, SC9853 and SC9850 which are game

India has been Neeraj Sharma, Country Head (India), Spreadtrum Communications who has

on a high note with the launch of our dual camera changers in dual selfie camera domain. Various mobile phones brands are launching affordable dual camera phones based on these chipsets and

scripted impressive success for the company in a

are taking high-end technology to mainstream.

highly competitive market. Under him, Spreadtrum has

in 2017 in the telecom domain. We would like

gone beyond as a supplier of chipsets to becoming

to proudly call ourselves as the 4G enabler for

a facilitator and collaborator of OEMs in designing

Indian mobile brands and consumers. Spreadtrum

and developing new gen mobile handsets. In an

launched several 4G-enabled chipsets in India at extremely competitive prices to achieve this aim

The advent of 4G brought a paradigm shift

interaction with Shelley Vishwajeet, Mr Sharma

and are driving the adoption of 4G-led services in

dwells deep into Spreadtrumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offerings, strategy and

the 4G feature phone powered by Spreadtrum

future road map.

46 | february 2018

the country. The launch of Reliance Jio Phone, SoC marked as an important development in

MYMOBILE

the year gone by. Another milestone worth mentioning is Micormax Bharat 2. The smartphone based on Spreadtrum chipset, SC9832 successfully sold more than half a million units in just 50 days of its launch. Samsung J2 and J3 series, based on Spreadtrum chipsets were named as among the top 5 smartphones in 2017. Spreadtrum’s global footage and reputation as a competent chip-maker has been growing

“In addition to mobile chipsets, we also have SoC’s catering to IoT, digital payments, security, automotive, wearables, etc. Our aim is to facilitate the creation of a more interconnected world by promoting the ease of communication”

Exclusive

chief speak

but it remains largely preferred for feature phones. Against this backdrop what are your

chipsets have received an incredible

world’s first Shared Wi-Fi Translator in

plans to capture more of smartphone market?

response from brands across the globe.

collaboration with Baidu. Spreadtrum also

Spreadtrum already has a diverse product

Built on Intel’s 14nm foundry platform,

has its technology in a lot of innovative

catalogue which not only caters to entry-

Spreadtrum SC9853I is targeting the global

products, including 360 Rider GPS Locator,

level smartphones and feature phones, but

mid and high-level smartphone market. It

Automatic Vending Machine, In Vehicle

also provides turnkey solutions to high-end

features 1.8GHz Octa-core 64-bit Intel

Infotainment, A.I. Children Smart Watch,

devices and has cutting-edge technological

Airmont architecture based processor,

Bike Sharing Platform, to name a few.

capabilities extending to quad-core

which enables SC9853I to offer a high-

smartphones.

performance mobile computing ability

Do you also collaborate or assist a mobile

The recently launched LEAGOO T5c

coupled with ultra-low power. LEAGOO T5c

manufacturer in helping them overall design

based on Spreadtrum SC9853I is targeted

is the first phone to be launched globally

better offerings? Or you only confine yourself to

to gen next smartphone audience and comes

based on SC9853I.

only providing chip solutions? At Spreadtrum,

with a strong core and enhanced camera

Designed for overall entry and mid-level

we provide turnkey solutions which means

processing capabilities. Lenovo K320t

markets globally, SC9850 - the powerful

collaborating with mobile brands at every

with Spreadtrum SC9850 is one of the

Quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 application

step and not only just only providing chip

most affordable dual camera smartphone

processor is being used by a lot of global

solutions.

and is integrated with interesting features

brands who intend to offer superior quality

like fingerprint scanner, light sensor and

as low price point.

proximity sensor.

For the same reason, we have set up a one-of-its-kind hardware lab with an

Intex newly launched phone, Elyt Dual,

OTA chamber at Spreadtrum’s Research

To diversify our product portfolio further,

the most affordable dual camera smartphone

& Development Center in Noida. This is

we are integrating advanced features like

is based on SC98530 and comes with a

the very first in India and offers turnkey

eMBMS, VoWiFi, Carrier Aggregation

lot of promising features. Also we would

solutions to Indian mobile brands to help

and Dual Camera in our chipsets. We are

be seeing a number of brands launching

them design, develop, test and debug with

additionally partnering with leading mobile

their phone models based on SC9850 and

a reduced time to market.In fact, we have

brands to enable better access to the latest

SC9853I in Q2 and Q3 of 2018.

been working with lot of mobile brands,

Apart from providing chipsets for mobile,

manufacturing projects, providing end-to-

are there other devices you are looking

end solutions. n

mobile technologies to consumers across the globe. We have also set up one of a kind

including Samsung on various R&D and

hardware lab and are providing end-to-end

at to open up new sales avenues? Mobile

support from creating a reference design to

chipsets have always been Spreadtrum’s

development, to testing, and debugging – to

forte. In addition to mobile chipsets,

our partners and thus helping them with a

we also have SoC’s catering to IoT,

faster go-to-market time.

digital payments, security, automotive, wearables, etc. Our aim is to facilitate the

How has been the response to Spreadtrum’s

creation of a more interconnected world by

much talked about SC98530 and SC9853i

promoting the ease of communication.

chipset? Both SC98530 and SC9853I

www.mymobileindia.com

In fact, we have recently launched the

shelley@mymobile.co.in

february 2018 | 47

Exclusive

face to face

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will continue to challenge limits with faster chipsâ&#x20AC;? Xiaomi, the top smartphone seller in the online space, has emerged as the hot favourite smartphone brand among the buyers across the country, which reflects in its market share of almost 24 percent during July-September quarter last year. The wide range of smartphones it has, starting from Rs 4,999 to Rs 35,999, Xiaomi has innovations for everyone. Jai Mani, Lead Product Manager at Xiaomi India, shared his expertise with Haider Ali Khan on how things have shaped for Xiaomi in India and what he expects of 2018 when the company is planning an IPO. Xiaomi has been rated as the top mobile shipper in the country last year. What are the key aspects of the Xiaomi smartphones which make them a suitable choice for the buyers in the country? At Xiaomi, our core belief is innovation for everyone. With this in mind, we create premium smartphones and sell them near cost. This means Mi fans get the best value for their money and our smartphones, like the Redmi Note 4 or Redmi 5A, stand out in their price range. At the same time we also love exploring new possibilities with smartphones, like the Mi MIX, our first full screen display smartphone, or the Mi Max 2 which is a sequel to our first largescreen smartphone which has no competition in its price range. Our products are also very proudly made in India, and have India-specific features such as the IRCTC SMS view, OTP Copy, and more. We believe the amalgamation of our commitment to India, innovative

48 | february 2018

Exclusive

face to face “Our products are very proudly ‘Made in India’, and have India-specific features such as the IRCTC SMS view, OTP Copy, and more. We believe the amalgamation of our commitment to India, innovative products, our efficient team and the love of our Mi Fans is what helped Xiaomi build a strong equity within India”

products, our efficient team and the love

phones. It’s no wonder so many of our users

the Mi A1 with Android One. We are always

of our Mi Fans is what helped Xiaomi build

go for this price range, it’s simply because

open to trying new things but have nothing

a strong equity within India.

we have an incredible product at that price.

to announce right now.

Of course, we cater to different sections of

Recently, Google announced Android Go for

The strength of Xiaomi lies within the sub-10K

the population, and have phones ranging

the budget category devices. Will that help

segment. Is it the segment which contributes

from INR 4,999(Redmi 5A) to INR 35,999

you to penetrate even deeper into the rural

the maximum into the overall sales and

(Mi MIX 2).

markets of India? Mi A1 was our first Android

shipment of the Xiaomi smartphones? At

One device, which got an encouraging

Xiaomi our core focus lies in providing

How has been the response to your Android

response. Android Go is a great initiative

innovative technology to the masses,

One smartphone Mi A1? Do you also plan

by Google, and hopefully a lot of people

and we believe that even in the sub-

to bring out few more devices in the same

who’ve never been able to take advantage

10K category, there’s a lot of potential to

lineage? We’ve been overjoyed by the

of technology will come on board. We don’t

provide an amazing experience. Just look

enthusiastic response we’ve gotten to the

have any Android Go plans to announce at

at the Redmi Note 4. At Rs 9,999, you get

Mi A1. Xiaomi believes in giving our users

the moment.

features usually only seen in Rs 20,000

choice, which is what led to the creation of Online has been a major source of traction for Xiaomi smartphones last year. Would it be the same in 2018? How has the Mi Stores helped you to get more eyeballs? Xiaomi is the number 1 smartphone player in the online market with 50.8% market share as per IDC Q3 2017 reports. Xiaomi started building its offline business in January 2017 and as of today, offline contributes to more than 20% of our overall sales. We have a three pronged approach to our offline presence

february 2018 | 49

Exclusive

face to face “At Xiaomi our core focus lies in providing innovative technology to the masses, and we believe that even in the sub-10K category, there’s a lot of potential to provide an amazing experience”

which is based on an Internet+ New Retail

What would be the dominating trends in 2018

model. The three spokes are Mi Preferred

in smartphone market? Could we expect some

Partner shops, Large Format retail partners

interesting and industry first technologies

and Mi Home stores. Mi Home stores are

from Xiaomi? For 2018, we are excited

Xiaomi’s exclusive offline retail stores that

to enable more users to get their first

allow Mi fans to experience and purchase

smartphone and get on the internet. At the

Xiaomi’s latest products under one roof.

same time we are also committed to our

These stores represent Xiaomi’s “Internet+”

innovation for everyone motto, and create

and “new retail” approach — combining

more ecosystem products outside of just

the internet efficiency of e-commerce with

smartphones.

the service and user experience of offline

It was evident when we launched Mi

retail. Mi Home stores will allow Xiaomi in

MIX that Xiaomi is doing a lot of things

India to extend the success of its online

that others haven’t, whether it’s the use

Mi.com store to offline retail.

exciting things coming up this year!

We have more than 1500 Mi PP stores

of materials like ceramic, or pushing boundaries in reducing bezel size and

across 15+ cities and 17 Mi Home stores

How big is the network of service centres you

changing conventions like screen aspect

and hope to reach 100 stores by May

have in the country? We have more than 750

ratio. We will continue to challenge limits

2019.

authorized service centres in India spread

with faster chips, including a new flagship

What are the key specifications in a

across more than 350 cities. More than

this year that features Snapdragon 845.

smartphone on which you are focusing to

100 of these service centres are exclusive

Our continuing research into AI will also

ease the pain points of the buyers? We are

to Xiaomi. We have a repair rate of 95% for

be a big thing for us this year. n

always listening for feedback from our

one day repairs and 86% repair rate for 4

Mi fans. Thanks to this feedback, we’ve

hour repairs across all our service centres.

focused on releasing devices with great

As per IMRB, we are the best in class in

battery life, solid build quality, as well as

great performance in the price range. The competition in the market is huge. Do you Do we expect some more flagships from

go by it or the consumers? Would you also like

Xiaomi in 2018 like Mi MIX 2? We are very

to partner service providers to sell bundled

proud of how we pushed boundaries to

smartphones? We are driven by our Mi Fans,

create the Mi MIX 2, our second full screen

who constantly give us feedback and help

display smartphone. Safe to say, we have

us make better decisions.

50 | february 2018

haider@mymobile.co.in

MYMOBILE

face to face

In Conversation

“We practice KAIZEN, the philosophy of ‘Continuous Improvement’ at all levels of organization” East Sun Electronics has emerged as a leading and reputed manufacturer of high quality chargers. The Company has a state-of-the-art manufacturing unit in Chakan, Pune with production capacity of 30 million chargers per year. The Company has more than 120 employees and is led by a professional team of Indian and Chinese directors with vast experience in electronics manufacturing & telecom industry. My Mobile interacted with Prashant Bora, CEO, East Sun Electronics India to talk about the company’s strategic plans. How big is the market of accessories in

philosophy of “Continuous Improvement”

India? Accessories market in India is more

at all levels of organisation. The price you

than Rs.6000 crore. India mobile phone

pay constitutes only real value added to

Are you mulling options to start a second

accessories market has grown significantly

our product. You will never pay for any

manufacturing facility elsewhere in the

in recent years with immense opportunities

inefficiency on our part.

country? As we have huge capacity in our

owing to substantial growth in the worldwide

join our customer list soon.

current unit so as of now we don’t have any

adoption of smartphones and tablets.

What is the current strength of your facility

such plan. However in coming time if we get

Decreasing prices of mobile phones is

in Pune in terms of manpower and output on

big orders with respect to our current facility

increasing smartphone penetration, which

monthly basis? Our total strength of manpower

than we can think to start another unit.

in turn is surging the growth of the India

is around 200 peoples working in single shift. Could we expect East Sun exploring export

mobile phone accessories market. Increasing disposable income has transformed consumer buying and spending trends mainly in urban areas. Adoption of mobile devices amongst the youth across the globe has provided a robust stimulus for the

“East Sun is committed towards delivering quality, reliability, efficiency and value to its customers”

growth of the market. Moreover, increasing

market in near future? As our Indian unit is a joint venture so East Sun is already present in Shenzhen (China). This year we will start exporting to some countries from our India plant and if customers are satisfied with our quality than definitely East Sun will have a

internet penetration has uplifted the trend

We can produce 3 million chargers per month

of online retailing in the India mobile phone

but at present we are manufacturing around

accessories market due to convenience of

1 million chargers per month. However by

Are you exploring other options of the

cash on delivery payment option and various

the end of this year we are targeting to utilize

accessories business like Bluetooth, headsets,

price discounts along with a wide variety

our maximum capacity.

powerbanks etc.? Mobile phone charger

of products offered by e-retailers. This is

unit abroad.

market itself is very huge so initially we are

anticipated to catalyze the growth of the

Please tell us about some of the prominent

focusing on the same. We are trying to add

India mobile phone accessories market.

handset OEMs market for whom East

some more products as per market trend

Sun manufactures/supplies products? At

in our product list. Let me tell you we have

What are the core strengths, business

present we are manufacturing for Intex

launched double port chargers in 2.1A

philosophy of the company? East Sun is

technologies, Swipe mobiles, ivoomi

& 3.1A with smart IC last month and we

committed towards delivering quality,

mobiles, Clout mobiles. We are also in talks

have some more products in queue like Car

reliability, efficiency and value to its

with many big conglomerates of mobile

charger and QC chargers n

customers. We practice KAIZEN, the

industry and many of them are expected to

www.mymobileindia.com

team@mymobile.co.in

february 2018 | 51

International

market insight

Chinese mobile brands’ profit soars but… They still have a long way to go before they can dream of margins enjoyed by Apple and Samsung

hinese brand mobile handsets’

Counterpoint Associate Director Tarun

are positioning their flagship models just

profit crossed US$1.5 Billion

Pathak highlighted, “This is the first time

below the premium offerings from Apple

for the first time in a single

ever when the cumulative profits of Chinese

and Samsung. This strategy is designed

quarter i.e in Q3 2017 but

brands crossed USD 1.5 Billion for the first

to penetrate premium market while

the margins enjoyed by them continue to

in a single quarter. Usually all the profits

be miniscule as compared to Apple and

have been shared by just two brands

Samsung. The global smartphone profits

Samsung and Apple, however, Chinese

too grew impressively in the third quarter.

brands have made inroads here as well.”

According to the latest research from

Mr Pathak further added, “The growth

Counterpoint’s Market Monitor program for

of Chinese brands can be attributed to the

Q3 2017 (July-September), global mobile

diligent efforts in streamlining the supply

handset profits grew 13% YoY in Q3 2017

chain with rising mix of mid to high end

due to strong performance of Samsung and

smartphones in their portfolio. Even in the

Chinese brands.

premium segment, players like Huawei

“The growth of Chinese brands can be attributed to the diligent efforts in streamlining the supply chain with rising mix of mid to high end smartphones in their portfolio……. This strategy is designed to penetrate premium market while maximizing revenue and profit” – Tarun Pathak, Associate Director, Counterpoint

60 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

Huawei’s smartphone ASP grew by 6%

Global Handset Profit Share by Brands: Q3 2017

YoY driven by its Mate and P series.

85.9%

• Oppo &Vivo captured fourth and fifth

2016 Q3

spot in Global Handset profit share

2017 Q3

mainly driven by their performance in China.

59.9%

• While Xiaomi has made a strong comeback with handset profit growth of 41% YoY, it is still behind the market leaders. For Xiaomi, offline distribution is the key to reaching OPPO or Huawei’s

25.9%

scale, but most of Xiaomi’s sales are still skewed towards lower-end models.

0.0% APPLE

3.3% 4.9%

SAMSUNG

HUAWEI

4.2% 4.0%

3.7% 3.1%

OPPO

VIVO

Source : Counterpoint Technology Market Research

“Huawei witnessed highest profit command lion share of mobile handset growth of 67% YoY in Q3 industry profits capturing almost 60% share. However, this is down from 2017 due to its portfolio 86% share in the same quarter last expansion across price bands. year when Samsung had to gulp Huawei’s smartphone ASP up a loss due to the Galaxy Note 7 debacle. The Korean vendor though grew by 6% YoY driven by with relatively stronger demand for Note its Mate and 8 and mid-tier high-scale J series have P series” been able to capture almost a fourth of the Counterpoint’s Research Director,

Neil Shah, added, “Apple continued to

global mobile handset industry profits.” Mr Shah added, “Apple still generates

holiday season quarter buoyed by the high

profits of Apple will improve driven by its

price iPhone X series. Our recent channel

iPhone X sales.Apple exited the quarter

checks across key Apple markets showed,

with some iPhone 8 inventory due to

the demand for the 256GB version of

softer than expected demand compared

iPhone X is higher which will boost Apple’s

to the iPhone 7 series. • Samsung made a strong come back in the third quarter with its Note 8 series while S8 series continue to perform on

• Apple captured nearly 60% of the total

par. The profit share reached 26% as

profits generated in mobile handset

compared to its loss during Q3 2016

segment followed by Samsung

due to Note 7 debacle.

• Apple’s profit share declined by 30% YoY

• Huawei witnessed highest profit growth

mainly due to increased mix of previous

of 67% YoY in Q3 2017 due to its

generation iPhones. The average selling

portfolio expansion across price bands.

www.mymobileindia.com

expansion costs. Xiaomi is rumored investors confidence that it can scale and make more money will be key next year. • Expansion of Chinese players outside china will have an impact on the profit margins of Chinese players which they would like to mitigate by increasing the mix of mid segment devices in markets outside China. n

Profits per unit sold 8

Apple’s per unit profit is five times higher than Samsung and approximately 14 times higher than the average per unit profit of Chinese brands. Apple’s per unit profit stood at USD151 in Q3 2017.

Samsung with its global presence has one of the highest number of models across price bands. Its profit per unit was USD31 in Q3 2017

Chinese brands like Huawei, Oppo and

the shipments increased 3% YoY. • In Q4 2017, we estimate that the total

Market Summary

higher profits also to offset the offline

price of iPhone remained flat YoY while

and this will continue to grow into the

profits even higher.”

Mix 2 or Mi 6 series to scale and drive

to be in pre-IPO phase and instilling

maximizing revenue and profit.”

more than USD150 profit per iPhone sold

Xiaomi needs premium flagship like Mi

International

market insight

Vivo are all performing similar in terms

of profits per unit, each having an average per unit profit of USD 15, 14 & 13 respectively.

8 As compared to other Chinese brands, Xiaomi’s per unit profit is lower (USD2) as it plays on very thin margins. team@mymobile.co.in

february 2018 | 53

Trendz

Consumer insight

App is still the way to go! Despite disruptions, app sessions continue to rise albeit at a slower pace while online shopping and entertainment garner most time spend!

ime spend on app sessions

2017 was the year that mobile app

app usage as a user opening an app and

continued to rise unabated

innovation and growth was disrupted.

recording what it calls a “session.”

in 2017 though at a slower

Stalwart industry players held and gained

pace as compared to 2016

market position, while years-old disruptors

when average time spend had crossed a

struggled to find their footing. Compared to

Mobile Session Growth Stagnates in 2017

whopping five hours. According to latest

2016, Flurry measured overall session app

This past year’s 6% growth is down from

Flurry Analytics’ “Flurry State of the Mobile

activity growth of just 6%. While growth

11% in 2016. As we reported last year,

2017 Report” which tacked one million

may have stagnated, users continue to

users now spend more than five hours a

applications across 2.6 billion users, the

diversify their behavior while using mobile

day on their smartphones, and shift their

year 2017 saw session app activity growing

applications.

daily time spent between new and old app

by 6% YoY.

Over the last year, Flurry’s app footprint

experiences, versus giving more of their overall daily time.

Flurry observes that for an industry that’s

grew to track more than one million

seen staggering growth and disruption

applications, across 2.6 billion devices

The Shopping category grew by 54% as

since the launch of the first smartphone,

globally. In this context, Flurry defines

consumers continue to shift their spending

54 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

54%

Trendz

Consumer insight Mobile App Usage Grows 6% Year-Over-Year Sessions

43% 33% 20%

20% Average 6% Sports

Shopping

Music, Media & Entertainment

Business & Finance

Utilities & Productivity

News & Magazine

Photography Personalization

-8%

Games

Lifestyle

-8% -16%

-40%

Source : Flurry Analytics, 2016-2017

into e-commerce via mobile shopping

year-over-year growth. While Gaming saw

growth came from medium phone adoption

apps. Users are increasingly comfortable

another year of decline in sessions with

decline.

making physical purchases on their phones

-15% in 2017, Flurry has previously

with now ingrained in-app digital purchase

reported that gamers are spending more

habits. Additionally, digital wallet services

time and money in mobile games than ever

such as Apple Pay and Samsung Pay

before.

allow seamless access to stored payment

Android Dominates OS, While Apple holds Manufacturer Market Share Although Android manufacturers make up

Media, and Entertainment came in a close

Phablets Continue to Steal Medium Phone Market Share

second with 43% year-over-year growth,

Understanding form factor adoption

with 34% of all active devices. Samsung

reaffirming users’ shift to mobile devices

is critical for both app developers and

maintained their share between 2016 and

to consume media.

marketers, as we know that usage differs

2017 with 28% and will look to return to

information for mobile purchases. Music,

two thirds of all active devices in 2017, Apple dominates individual market share

Lifestyle saw the steepest decline in

between devices. 2017 proved that there

growth in 2018 with the launch of the S9.

growth with -40% in 2017. The decline

is no end in sight for phablet growth –

Chinese manufacturers Huawei, Xiaomi,

in Lifestyle, a catchall category for both

they represent a staggering 55% of active

and OPPO round out the top five and are

the Google Play and Apple App stores,

devices. As medium phone users trade in

slowly seeing growth by driving adoption in

highlights an app’s need to build daily

their devices, it is clear that they’re opting

Asia Pacific and European markets.

usage habits in order to retain or increase

for phablet devices, as 9% of the phablet

2017

From Factor Distribution End of Year Device Distribution

Developers Have Users’ Attention, It’s Time to Innovate Although session growth may have stalled, it has never been more apparent that mobile apps and smartphones have

6% 4%

55%

35%

cemented their roles in users’ lives. While users, marketers and the tech industry drive towards what’s next, developers

2016

have an incredibly captive audience and a 8%

41%

44%

platform to engage them. And Flurry will be there to help drive the mobile app market

n Full-size Tablets

n Small Tablets

n Phablets

n Medium Phones

n Small Phones

Source : Flurry Analytics, 2016-2017

www.mymobileindia.com

forward. Here’s to 2018! n team@mymobile.co.in

february 2018 | 55

In Conversation

face to face

“Samsung Knox as a security platform is being used by 29 countries worldwide” Samsung Knox, an enterprise solution platform, has been the core of most of the Samsung smartphones, tablets and wearables providing chipset level security integration thus making them more secure and reliable. The same Knox platform is being used by various governments and their agencies to secure and manage their policies. Sukesh Jain, Vice-president, IT & Mobile Enterprises Business at Samsung India, highlighted various use cases of Knox with Haider Ali Khan as how it can help enterprises to build a more secure way to manage their businesses. Excerpts... What is the role of Samsung Enterprises

We are probably the only OEM who

Business and how Knox has been a catalyst

has a dedicated Enterprises team which

Because Knox is our own program we

for the same? In the enterprise business

is responsible for driving solutions and

have integrated it at chipset level and have

space Samsung has been doing lot of

services across business spectrum from

a trusted boot zone or trust zone. When the

innovations in three to four years, not

small to large organizations. We have

device is booting up that’s when security

only in terms of providing services and

set up technical solution team as an

integrity checks happen, which is the first

solutions but also developing its own

organization because we believe that a

level of security that has happened and

platform to enable the enterprises of small

lot of these organizations need solutions.

no one else does today. At the middleware

and medium businesses and support their

We have 5 R&D facilities in India. We are

level, we have something called Trust

digital journey.

working with software developers or end

Zone, where it’s constantly keep checking

IT team of the particular organization to

for any violation that may have happened.

help them get their applications working

The third check is at OS level, where we

on devices as best.

have the Knox containers set. Most of the

We have SEAP program for the software developers to get their applications best on

is accepted by 29 countries worldwide.

MDM works at that level.Blockchain is more on the FinTech side.

Samsung devices. We have best in-class service network which put together was

What are the concerns organization have

where we were able to offer the best service

and how Samsung Knox manages things for

and solutions to the enterprises.

them? There are two main concerns of any organization; security and management,

How is Samsung Knox different from

and we do take care of it completely. We

Blockchain? The biggest issue for an IT

provide tools to manage their applications

department is security. That’s where Knox

across platforms and user and help them

brings in probably the best-in-class

manage the entire thing, if we take care

security environment. Samsung Knox

of these things they would be happier.

gives you security at hardware level,

These two can be the limiting factor of

middleware level and at an OS

an organization in its digital journey. We

level as well. Knox is the only

enable them with our tools in their digital

security software which works

102 | february 2018

journey.

at a chipset level. All others

The kind of plug and play services

primarily work at an OS

we provide through Knox help smaller

level. Knox as a platform

and medium organization to save huge

MYMOBILE

In Conversation

chief speak

amount of investment on IT side and they

The third customization is we do

can drive far stronger policies using Knox

can use these tools very fast without too

two to three times more APIs than any

platform. We do not store any data. All we

much of integration required for their

other normal APIs. We call it CSDK or

do is constantly checking whether any

business enablement. We bring in ease

Customized SDK. This is at an application

breach is happening on this or not.

of deployment, flexibility and above all

level so if you’re a software developer and

security.

you want to integrate your application far

Are you lending this technology to others

deeper into Samsung devices then we will

OEMs? The products features are proprietary

What kind of customization Knox has to offer

open up SDKs and integrates your device

of Samsung because they open up the

for Enterprises? At the product level we are

into it. For example, we have an Iris tablet.

APIs of our device. I cannot open the API of

doing a lot of feature enablement from

One of the premium airlines uses our tablet

other OEMs but the Knox security platform

a business use case perspective. We’ve

with our level of customization and many

can also manage iOS and Android devices.

something called Knox Manage which is

banks also do the same with our Iris tablet

The security available on Samsung devices

the EMM kind of a product wherein you

of eKYC AND eSign.

is far higher than other devices but Knox

can put in a lot of policies of what you want

can manage other OS and OEMs as well.

to drive as far as mobile is concerned. For

Where Samsung Knox does comes into

The chipset level security is only available

example if you want the policy in terms of

play for a common manas compared to an

with Knox.

switching off the camera or switching on

organization? For a common person as end

the GPS, etc.

user the Knox container comes into play

What could be the newer domains for Knox?

We’ve another product called Know

wherein they can keep their applications

It’s pervasive across all verticals. The

Customization, is like a sales force

that they want for higher level of security

financial sector has been the first and

automation tool. For example, it can

in the container, for example, banking

foremost adapter because security for

ensure that the GPS is always onor from a

application.

them is paramount. Cab companies and

certain fixed time of a sales guy in order

It has far deeper application

lot of service industry is using our Knox

to locate his/her presence. We are not

from business perspective. Business

platform. Various government departments

coming into personal domain;it’s only for

organizations want to drive very specific

are already using our Knox platform. Even

business use cases. It can help blacklist or

policies for its employees, it does not

the Gartner identifies Knox as one of the

vice-versa any app which an organization

want you to use it anything from an official

top most secure platform available in the

wants as part of its policies using Knox

email. It does not want you to download

market. n

Customization.

anything from your device. Organizations

www.mymobileindia.com

haider@mymobile.co.in

february 2018 | 57

International

market insight

Springboard Gets Ready For IoT’s Big Leap IoT connected devices to cross the billion mark by 2020 while China Mobile and Vodafone lead the charge!

ccording to the latest research

such as China Mobiles and Vodafone.

operators dominated the market holding

from Counterpoint’s IoT

Counterpoint’s study reveals that

more than 46% of IoT cellular connections.

(Internet of Things) service, the

the global IoT cellular connections grew

China Mobile was the world’s leading

stage is all set for exponential

41% annually to the end of 3Q 2017,

operator in terms of IoT connections.

growth of IoT connected devices with global

having already crossed the half billion

However, outside China, Vodafone leads in

cellular majors ramping up their services

mark earlier in 2017 while predicting that

IoT cellular connectivity globally.

to provide the necessary infrastructure for

the next half a billion will come as soon as

fuelling and facilitating the boom. And

2020.

leading the march are cellular operators

58 | february 2018

At the end of 3Q 2017, Chinese

Commenting on the latest research on IoT connectivity, Counterpoint’s Research Analyst Satyajit Sinha noted, “Cellular

MYMOBILE

Trendz

market insight Exhibit 1: Global IoT Connections Share by Cellular Access Technology

26.2% 42.4%

55.3%

n LTE-M/NB-IoT 34.3%

n 4G LTE

Connection

28.7% 21.2%

39.5%

28.9% 23.1%

3Q2015

3Q2016

n 3G Connection

n 2G Connection

3Q2017 Source : Counterpoint

IoT acts as the backbone in driving secure

technologies like GSM (2G), WCDMA (3G),

connectivity for different devices to the

4G LTE and upcoming 5G technologies,

internet and across different verticals.

operate in licensed spectrum and have

The type of access used will depend on

primarily targeted high-quality mobile voice

the nature of the application. 3GPP WAN

and data services. However, they are being

Exhibit 2: Global Cellular IoT Connections Share by Operator in 3Q 2017

32%

“Today, 4G LTE supports IoT with legacy 4G and LTE-Cat1 connections. The main application areas are for Energy Utilities and Remote Asset Monitoring. However, going forward most of these applications will be supported by cellular LPWA technologies like EC-GSM, LTE-M and NB-IoT, especially for low-power, low-data, battery-powered usecases” – Satyajit Sinha, Research Analyst, Counterpoint

n China Mobile n Vodafone

36%

n China Unicom n AT&T n China Telecom 11%

5% 6%

n Others

the new radio access standards like ECGSM, LTE-M and narrowband IoT (NBIoT), specifically tailored to be an attractive solution for emerging low power wide area (LPWA) applications that will be the key IoT connectivity drivers alongside 5G in coming

years.” Source : Q3 2017 IoT Connections Tracker

www.mymobileindia.com

complemented with new functionality and

Mr Sinha further added, “As at the end

february 2018 | 59

Trendz

market insight

IoT Study Highlights: 8

60 | february 2018

China Mobile grew 21% QoQ and leads the market with 32% share of connections. China Mobile has leapfrogged global operators, exercising enormous domestic scale, quickly transitioning to 4G LTE IoT connections and now aggressively rolling out NB-IoT connections to further exploit the IoT opportunities. China Mobile was a bit late starting its NB-IoT service but is now aggressively pursuing the service rollout. In August 2017, China Mobile issued RFPs (Requests for Proposals) for two projects, worth a combined total of CYN 39.6 billion (US$ 6 billion) to achieve nation-wide NB-IoT commercialization by early 2018. Vodafone grew 37% YoY and holds the second position with 10.9% market share. As of 3Q2017, Vodafone had launched NB-IoT in four countries including, The Netherlands, Ireland, Czech Republic and Spain. Vodafone added commercial NB-IoT networks in Turkey and Australia in early 4Q 2017. China Unicom grew 39% YoY and holds third position with 9.4 % market share. China Unicom announced precommercialization of NB-IoT in May. Shanghai became the first trial city for its pre-commercial network. China Unicom is still in the pre-commercial stage with no officially announced tariff plan. It will have pre-commercialization in 10 domestic cities by the end of 2018. AT&T grew 23% YoY and holds fourth spot with 6.4 % market share. AT&Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s LPWA IoT strategy currently is focusing on LTE-M, which the operator began rolling out in 2Q 2017 with initial applications being asset tracking (pallet tracking) and smart meters.

China Telecom grew 17% YoY and holds fifth place with 5% market share. In terms of NB-IoT, it was the fastest developing company for NB-IoT connection among Chinese operators. It completed network coverage of 800 million people under NB-IoT by the end of June 2017, and announced commercialization of NB-IoT in July. In so doing it became the first operator in China to officially kick-off the commercialization of an NB-IoT service.

Asia grew 64.2% YoY and dominates cellular IoT connections with a 57.2% share. China is the major contributor with 81% of Asian connections and grew 75% YoY.

Japan And South Korea grew 15 % and 25 % YoY respectively. Japan holds 5% share and South Korea holds 2% share within Asia.

In terms of LPWA development, South Korea is ahead of Japan. S.K.Telecom, LG U+ and KT Corp commercialised their NB-IoT services in 3Q 2017. KT Corp also commercialised LTE-M in 2Q2017. South Korean Operators are looking forward to driving their LPWA connections in 2018 with specific focus areas being agriculture and energy utilities.

Americas grew 20% YoY and holds second position with a 19.6% share. The USAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s four operators account for 68% of the connections in the Americas region. The US grew 17% YoY.

AT&T and Verizon are the only US operators that have so far commercialised LTE-M networks - both in 2Q2017. Within the US, these two operators hold 72.5% of IoT cellular connections.

MYMOBILE

Trendz

market insight

“IoT cellular connectivity has been modest so far, but we expect the next half billion IoT cellular connections to be added by 2020. The upcoming dual-mode modules supporting both LTE-M and NB-IoT will further drive LPWA connections, and we will see a decline in legacy connections” – Peter Richardson, Research Director, Counterpoint

www.mymobileindia.com

of 3Q 2017, 4G LTE connections were

cellular LPWA adoption internationally.

leading, accounting for more than half the

China serves as a model, where Chinese

cellular IoT connections and registering

operators such as China Mobile and China

84% YoY growth. Today, 4G LTE supports

Telecom are ramping up the roll-out and

IoT with legacy 4G and LTE-Cat1

deployments at a rapid pace. This is also

connections. The main application areas

having a knock-on impact of lowering the

are for Energy Utilities and Remote Asset

overall module (see here), device and

Monitoring. However, going forward most

service costs”.

of these applications will be supported by

Highlighting the cellular IoT connectivity

cellular LPWA technologies like EC-GSM,

opportunity and value, Research Director

LTE-M and NB-IoT, especially for low-

Neil Shah notes, “Cellular IoT operators

power, low-data, battery-powered use-

are well-positioned to become a single

cases. These cellular LPWA connections

and preferred source for IoT solutions by

are in the early deployment or trial phase

bundling IoT devices, secure connectivity,

and amount to less than 1% of the total

platform and data management. While

cellular IoT connections”.

some operators might lead in offering

Providing additional color on the latest

end-to-end IoT solutions for specific

trends in IoT connectivity strategies,

verticals e.g. connected cars or asset

Research Director Peter Richardson

tracking, for some verticals operators

noted, “IoT cellular connectivity has been

will still depend on system integrators

modest so far, but we expect the next

and other solution providers to help

half billion IoT cellular connections to

customers deploy the complete solution.

be added by 2020. The upcoming dual-

Having said that, operators are better

mode modules supporting both LTE-M and

positioned to capture maximum value

NB-IoT will further drive LPWA

in IoT, unlike in the smartphone space

connections, and we will see a decline

where much of the business opportunity

in legacy connections, as most of the

was captured by OTT players. We should

earlier M2M type applications will

see a more integrated play by leading

migrate to LPWA networks. Players such

operators in the IoT space in mid- to

as Vodafone will be able to accelerate the

long-term, at least is some application

NB-IoT roll-outs across multiple countries,

areas.” n

leveraging global scale to accelerate the

team@mymobile.co.in

february 2018 | 61

Tried & Tested

burntest

Google Pixel 2 XL Lightens Each Moment!

oogle ended the

this time around weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve the XL

which fits perfectly in your

slot is at the left side of the

year 2017 with

variant of the same. Most of

hand. At the rear side of the

phone whereas the placement

two premium

the specifications remain the

phone there is 12.2 MP rear

of power button and volume

flagship devices;

same except the bigger screen

lens which is accompanied

rockers is towards the right

Google Pixel 2 and Google

size and few adjustments at

by LED flash. The rear side is

side of the phone.

Pixel 2 XL, carrying forward its

the back.

also sporting the fingerprint sensor which is placed at the

Display

perfect position which comes

The Google Pixel 2 XL has

The looks of the Google Pixel

in contact with your finger the

an impressive display size as

has been,the Google Pixel has

2 XL comprises of matte

moment you lift the phone.

well which is 6 inches QHD

a great camera performance

finish providing you more

The front side of the device

pOLED display. The display

and guess what, they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

comfortable grip of the

comprisesan 8 MP camera

has resolution of 2880 x1440

disappoint this time either.

phone. The phone is

at the left corner alongside

pixels and 18:9 aspect ratio.

Both these smartphones have

undoubtedly light in weight

screen flash. The bottom of

The display of the Pixel 2

similar optical setup and give

and it is a treat to your hands

the device has USB Type-C

XL provides amazing HD

some brilliant shots throughout

because it does not exert any

port which has dual function

experience and has various

the conditions. Last we did

stress to the muscles of your

of charging and acting has

display features like night light

review Google Pixel 2 and

fingers because of its size

headphone jack because

to adjust the phone brightness

the Google Pixel 2 XL has

according to the light

removed the 3.5mm jack.

condition. The 6 inch display

The pavement for sound to

size provides every detail of

come out is through the four

any portrayal on it in full HD

grilles which are located at

quality. Gaming experience

the top and bottom edges of

is also very good because of

the smartphone. The SIM

the size of the display which

legacy of much appreciated Pixel smartphones. The ever-

Design

established fact in the markets

74 | FEBRUARY 2018

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verdict Looks

09 /10

Cameras

10 /10

Performance

10 /10

Battery

09 /10

Distinctively Pixel Best In Class Fluidly Smooth

also has laser and dual pixel

Battery

autofocus. The shots taken

The new Pixel 2 XL has

by the rear camera are very

powerful battery support as

sharp and clear no matter

well. The battery power of Pixel

unharmed from any damage.

whether it is day or night. The

2 XL is of 3,520mAh. The

The Pixel 2 XL is water and

front camera is of 8 megapixel

battery lasts at least for 30

dust resistant certified by

and the selfies taken by it are

to 36 hours of normal usage

Cons

very clear. If you like taking

once it gets fully charged but,

No Radio and 3.5mm Audio jack

selfies then the Pixel 2 XL is

it takes at least 3 hours to get

your phone and all the filters

charged completely.This will

of Snapchat designed for

certainly irk the users who

iPhone works fine in Pixel 2

donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have much time.The

XL which is not usually found

rapid charging seems to be not

in Android OS smartphones.

working properly.

is offering extra space. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 which makes sure that the screen remains

Drains Less

Value For Money Worth it

OVERALL

IP67.

PROS

Platform

Cameras, Processor

The Google Pixel 2 XL has 64 bit octa-core Snapdragon 835 processor which is one of the most powerful processor of the

10 /10

96%

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

present time. The powerful

The camera of the Pixel 2 XL

processor is fused with 4GB

the-box operating system. The

can outlast any dual camera

Conclusion

RAM and can take on any task

phone runs like a beast without

smartphones. The Pixel 2 XL

The Google Pixel 2 XL

without any issue. There is

any thought of hesitation. At

can record 4K video at 30fps

performs like a beast, shots

no issue in multitasking, all

times, it becomes irresponsive

or 1080p at up to 120fps.

like a professional camera and

the processes works smoothly

as well but I will hope that

Meanwhile, the front-facing

runs as an athlete with very

and fluently. The phone can

Google will fix it with further

camera can do 1080p at

lesser battery drain. The design

support any game with no

updates rolling.

30fps video. You cannot even

of Pixel 2 XL more or less

think of complaining here as it

remains the same as it was

has produced some stunningly

before with few adjustments.

issues, games like Asphalt8, NFS etc works smoothly. The

Cameras

Pixel 2XL has ROM size of

The Google Pixel 2 XL has

beautiful shots which were

It will have to compete with

64 GB and cannot be further

similarity with Pixel 2 in terms

properly exposed. The best

Samsung S8, Note 8 and

expanded, but on my personal

of camera. The Pixel 2 XL

of XL cameras remains the

iPhone X as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s being sold

account the internal storage is

has 12.2 MP rear lens. The

Portrait mode shots. Simply

at around Rs 64,999 across

sufficient for storing any media

rear camera has an upgraded

unbelievable! It can easily

online portals for the 64GB

or games. The Pixel 2 XL runs

f/1.8 aperture with optical

compete with any DSLR

on Android 8.0 Oreo out-of-

stabilisation. The rear camera

around.

variant. n haider@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

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Honor View 10

Best AI-driven handset under 30K at the moment!

onor, the sub-brand of one of the world’s leading technology giant Huawei, has

tasted much of success into the Indian smartphone market with series of launchessuch as Honor 6X, Honor 9i, Honor Holly 4, Honor 7X, Honor 8 Pro and now the company has come up with its latest innovation called Honor View 10. The Chinabased company is touting it as their first Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven smartphone for the consumers. With this new smartphone, Huawei might aim to drive the smartphone market dominated by selfie-centric mobile phones. We’ve got the Navy Blue version of Honor View 10 for you. So let’s check this out that how it responds to our commands.

Design The new Honor View 10 is an eye catching smartphone because of its sleek body and attractive colour. It has bezel less design which makes the device operative with one hand despite its big display size. The phone is available in two colour variants Navy Blue and Midnight Black. The device is undoubtedly light and there is no issue in carrying it or operating it. The bezel-less View 10 has unibody design with both volume rocker and power botton on the right of the device. The module of rear cameras bulges out of the back panel which makes it uneven while placing it on a flat surface. The fingerprint sensor is embedded on the front, right below the display, which also serves as home icon. It works really fast and accurate on most occasions. It has Type C port for charging at the lower panel. Overall, the design is an attraction of the View 10 and it’s not slippery either.

64 | FEBRUARY 2018

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Display Honor View 10 has impressive display size of 5.99 inch which provides a vast view of anything being displayed on the screen either you are playing any

verdict Looks

09 /10

Cameras

10 /10

Premium Finish Brilliant results

Performance

media or you are reviewing your

Very Immersive

10 /10

shots captured by the camera.

Battery

08 /10

Value For Money

10 /10

The phone with such a huge display gives the complete satisfaction of playing any game. It has a resolution of

Tried & Tested

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Compliments it Has it all you need

OVERALL

94%

1080x2160 pixels and aspect ratio of 18:9 which provides a complete thrilling display of anything being displayed on the phone. The display of the View 10 is quite bright and immersive to go with the huge

PROS Camera, Processor

Cons Lacks Radio and Water resistance

size.

Platform

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

Honor View 10 is the first AI

playing any game.

Cameras

of 3,750mAh which is far beyond enough to let you fully utilise your device without

Honor View 10 allows you

the concern of charging it at

to capture images similar to

regular occasion. It has 5/4.A

that captured in a DSLR. The

Honor supercharge and to

phone has combination of

add to this it has smart power

processor phone from Huawei.

undisturbed experience while

dual lensesrear camera 20MP

management to increase the

It has Huawei own Kirin 970

performing any task. The RAM

+ 16 MP and faster focusing

efficiency of the battery.It has

chipset which delivers stronger,

supports all the games no

technology. The rear camera

4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 4.2,

faster and exciting smartphone

matter what size they possess.

delivers sharp and clear images

Wi-Fi, Hotspot and GPS. Other

experience. It possess built in

The phone is packed with

in every condition and the LED

features include Facial Unlock,

Neural Processing Unit (NPU)

internal storage of 128 GB

flash at the rear side helps

AI accelerated translator,

which enables deep learning

which is more than enough to

you to capture clear images

Smart Tips, Easy Talk, and

based on user behaviour. The

store anything on the device

even at night. It has dual f/1.8

Intelligent Notifications lock,

Honor View 10 has EMUI 8.0

and further it can be expanded

aperture and intelligent scene

Intelligent Display Rotation

which works together with the

with the help of microSD card.

recognition which delivers

etc.

AI technology to understand how you use your smartphone

Performance

and allocates resources by anticipating your behaviour.

incredible image quality even when you are shooting from

Conclusion

The Honor View 10 has

far. The phone possesses

Clearly, the Honor View 10 is a

something new to offer for the

intelligent photography

disruptor in the 30K segment

The AI processor enables the

game addicted individual who

algorithms and identifies 13

which has been largely

device to run smoothly even

doesn’t like any disturbance

different types of scenes and

dominated by OnePlus. The

after continuous use of the

while being indulged in

objects. The Honor View 10

AI-driven beautiful smartphone

device. The new Honor View

gaming. The phone has

has 13 megapixel AI selfie

is being complimented with

10 has an impressive RAM to

game suite with intelligent

camera to deliver beautiful

its powerful processor coupled

match the AI processor. The

optimization which enables

selfies at any occasion, place or

with NPU, dual rear lens setup

phone is carrying 6 GB RAM

smooth, seamless, speedy

lighting condition. The phone

and bezel-less display to name

which can handle any multi

gaming experience. The

also has motion detection and

a few. Priced at Rs 29,990,

task without even raising the

phone’s uninterrupted gaming

smart camera configuration.

Honor View 10 is a serious

phone temperature. Together

function doesn’t allows any

with the AI processor the

unnecessary calls or messages

Battery

RAM guarantees you to have

to get in between when you are

Honor View 10 carries battery

www.mymobileindia.com

competitor for OnePlus 5T and Samsung Galaxy A8+. n haider@mymobile.co.in

FEBRUARY 2018 | 65

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Samsung Galaxy A8+ (2018) A Good Way to Begin 2018!

ollowing the success of the

A8+ (2018).

year 2017 with

Design

path breaking

sporting the dual selfie camera

button. It sometimes gets

and also the notification

awkward or it could be said

indicator at the top of the front

that it takes time to adjust to

The new A8+ (2018) is

side and towards the bottom

the placement of the buttons

smartphones such as Galaxy

undoubtedly a beauty with

of the front side of the phone

at the opposite sides. On

S8 and Note 8, awell-known

curved body shape and a

lies the capacitive keys. The

the other hand looking at

smartphone manufacturer,

big display size of 6 inches.

phone has interestingly two

the bright side of this new

Samsung, has started the

Despite having such body

SIM trays one being located

buttons placement is that it

year 2018 with a its latest

itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very comfortable to hold

at the left side of the phone

avoids any mistake of pressing

smartphone Galaxy A8+

and carry out any action. The

carrying just one SIM and

the buttons altogether. The

(2018). The company is

fingerprint sensor in the new

the other SIM tray is a hybrid

bottom of the device is

not just focusing on the h

A8+ has got a new renovated

SIM slot with a capability of

sporting the USB Type-C port

igh pricedsmartphones but it

look which is the circle

carrying the second SIM and

and the 3.5mm headphone

also takes into consideration

fingerprint sensor is more now

the microSD card which is

jack. To some extent the

mid and low price ranged

oval and located just below

a new feature upgraded in

phone is water and dust proof

smartphones with products

the rear camera. The rear side

the new Samsung A8+. The

as well.

like Samsung OnMax. So in

of the device is also sporting

placement of the physical

this review we will see whether

LED flash and the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

buttons like the volume

Display

the company is able to carry

logo in the centre at the rear

rockers and the power button

The display size of new

its legacy or not with Galaxy

side. The front of the device is

has been separated. The left

Samsung A8+ is of impressive

side of the phone is sporting

6 inch which is similar to the

the volume rockers and on the

2017 model C9 pro which

side which is right side of the

also sported the same display

phone is carrying the power

size. The big display size

66 | FEBRUARY 2018

MYMOBILE

provides a wide angle and

the advantage of the device

more open space for you to

the company has dedicated

perform any task. To match

different microSD card slot

the big display size A8+ it has

which helps in expanding of

screen resolution of 1080 x

your internal storage or the

2220 pixels and an aspect

ROM. The Operating system

ratio of 18:5:9. This display

on the phone has Samsung

size and its resolution in other

Experience 8.5 based on

terms is called as the Infinity

top of Android 7.1.1 Nougat

Display.

that delivers a customised

Processor

experience.

In the new A8+ the company

Cameras

has loaded the phone with

Another luring feature of

new octa-core Samsung

the new Samsung A8+ is

Exynos 7885 SoC processor

the presence of dual selfie

with two cores clocked at 2.2

cameras with the two sensors

GHz and six cores clocked at

being of 16 and 8 Megapixel

1.6 GHz. The new processor

respectively. There is no

works smoothly and can

dedicated LED flash in the

handle multi-tasking without

phone which is quite odd to

breaking any sweat. While

find out but the screen flash is

testing it was found on some

present which works perfectly

occasions the some processes

just like the LED flash and

like the opened apps do not

does not disappoint you with

load up when you try to open

the selfies taken in dark or in

them from the multi task bar. On some occasions the apps gets hanged up and all blank with complete white screen but it was just 2-3 times which was later not noticed. The new processor Exynos 7885 is the latest mid-range processor from Samsung. The processor is paired up with a powerful RAM of 4GB which keeps the functioning of the device in a well maintained

verdict Looks Huge

09 /10

Cameras

09 /10

Performance

09 /10

Front Magic No complaint

Battery

Lasts a day

Value For Money Justified

OVERALL

Go etc. The internal storage is of 64 GB which is more than enough storage to store any media or application

Selfie Lenses, Display, IP68 Resistance

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is long lasting and can stand

Stickers, Beautification modes

throughout the day with just

etc to enhance your selfies

being charged once in a day.

further. The rear camera has a

When tested the battery of the

16 megapixel sensor with an

phone performed just as what

aperture if f/1.7. The images

we expected form it lasting

captured were extremely clear

throughout even after playing

and well defined. The rear

games for hours, watching

camera captures every detail

movies and using many

that has been in the frame of

applications.

the camera and in the reach

09 /10

The new Samsung Galaxy A8+

admirable and proficient and

(2018) set a good tempo for

09 /10

if you like to have the feel

the company this very New

of real life coloured images

Yearin the starting premium

then the camera of A8+ will

segment. The dual selfie

not disappoint you at all. The

lenses, huge display and IP

videos recorded from the

resistance makes it a good

camera are well and in HD

choice for the buyers at Rs

quality and in the presence

32,990. It will have to face the

of good network coverage and

heat of OnePlus 5T and Honor

speed the video calls are clear

View 10 in the market.A8+

without any image break.

is bit on the heavier side as

90%

Cons Heavy

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

on your phone. To add to

battery of 3,500mAh which

like Bibxy Vision, Live focus,

Conclusion

tasking or even playing any big 2017, Asphalt, Pokemon

A8+ has a non-removable

front camera possess features

by the camera of A8+ are

of overheating when multi-

PROS

dim lighting condition. The

of the lens. The images taken

situation reducing the risk

games like Need For Speed

Tried & Tested

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compared to its predecessors

Battery The new Samsung Galaxy

and competitors in the fray. n haider@mymobile.co.in

FEBRUARY 2018 | 67

Tried & Tested

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10. or D

A Worthy Smartphone at Entry Level!

he latest

The new entrant knows for sure

allowing comfortable usage

is sporting the rear camera

smartphone brand

what does the smartphone

of the device. The volume

with LED flash. The rear side

which has entered

lovers seek in a smartphone.

rockers and the power knob

also has fingerprint sensor

into the Indian

The first launch of the New

is located at the right side of

which is usually not found in

smartphone market is Amazon-

Year 2018 from the Tenor

the phone. At the left side of

smartphones of the price tag

backed 10.or which has come

(10.or) is the 10.or D. We will

the phone lies the SIM tray

which the 10.or D is having.

up with its latest launch of the

be looking at various aspects

which has dual SIM carrying

The bottom of the device is

budget smartphone 10.or D.

which the smartphone as what

capacity and a dedicated

sporting the USB port and the

The company has previously

it has to offer for the buyers.

slot for microSD card giving

mic. At the top of the phone

the device an extra leverage

lies the 3.5mm headphone

of being preferred by the

jack.

launched 10.or E and 10.or G models. The strong point of

Design

the Chinese company Huaqin

The new 10.or D body has

users. The front of the phone

Technology is that it is offering

plastic all over with back panel

has selfie camera towards

Display

great deal of features in low

sporting a metallic finish. The

left corner and the earpiece

The new 10.or D is sporting

price range smartphones

body is light in weight as well

in the centre of front side.

neither too big nor too small

which is attracting the users.

and fits your hand comfortably

The rear side of the phone

full HD display of 5.2 inch.

68 | FEBRUARY 2018

MYMOBILE

Tried & Tested

burntest The screen resolution of the device is of 720x1280 pixels. The display will give you complete satisfaction without making you feel or developing the feeling of the screen being small. The display is big enough to allow you to have a wide viewing angle of anything which is being portrayed on the screen. The display has saturated colours embedded emitting sharp colours. The screen is protected by the Gorilla glass to prevent any harm to the screen. The display size also allows you to have good gaming experience as well.

Platform The new 10.or D is powered by Snapdragon 425 cloaked at 1.4GHz quad-core processor which is meant to deal with the running applications and other tasks of the phone with ease by reducing the workload. The device carries a 3 GB RAM which is capable of dealing with any process reducing the pressure amount on the processor and as well as on the battery life of the device. The 3 GB of RAM when fused with the processor is good enough to let you have a good gaming

store large files and videos and

size which

thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not all, the storage can

allow you to have

further be expanded to 128GB

uninterrupted gaming

carrying the battery power of

with the help of microSD

experience without getting

3,500mAH. The 3,500mAh

card giving you enough space

hanged while you are playing.

battery lasts throughout the

to store anything you wish

Cameras

the Android 7.1.2 operating

After the RAM there is another

connectivity options include

system. The RAM can support

attracting aspect of new

4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 4.2,

medium sized games which

10.or D is the camera of the

Wi-Fi, USB OTG, and FM.

does not require high RAM

phone. The phone is featuring

The sensors on the phone are

13MP rear camera along with

compass sensor, proximity

flash which enables you and

sensor, accelerometer and

gives you benefit of clicking

gyroscope.

verdict Looks

06 /10

Cameras

08 /10

Performance

08 /10

Simple Pleasant Shots Smooth companion

Battery

08 /10

Suffices a day

Value For Money

experience as well. The

Truly Justified

RAM and the processor is the

OVERALL

attracting feature of the 10.or

09 /10

78%

D because it is offering 3 GB RAM which is not easily found in the smartphones of the price range which the 10.or

PROS

D is having and this feature

Processor, Rear Lens

for sure to attract the users who likes to do multitasking. The new 10.or D has 32 GB of

day even after the constant

for. The device is running on

Cons Competition

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

ROM which is quite enough to

www.mymobileindia.com

images in every condition, no

use of the phone. Other

matter whether it is dusky or

Conclusion

dark conditions. The images

The new 10.or D seems to

taken from the rear camera

be a good beginner for the

are satisfactory and well

people who want to upgrade to

clear. There are other features

a smartphone. The processor

attributed with the rear camera

along with 3 GB of RAM (it

like portrait mode, landscape

has 2GB variant also) proves

mode and many others. The

appropriate for it while it

selfie camera is of 5 Megapixel

also has good camera setup

with no selfie flash which

and decent battery life at Rs

restricts the usage of front

5,999. There are Redmi 5A,

camera only in well lighted

InFocus Vision 3 and Moto

conditions.

C as its competitors in the

Battery

market. Being marketed by Amazon India 10.or D might

The new 10.or D is sporting

have an advantage over the

a powerful battery to last

offline players. n

for long hours. The phone is

haider@mymobile.co.in

FEBRUARY 2018 | 69

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Micromax Canvas Infinity Pro A Pro-selfie smartphone!

ne of the most

Design

prominent and

The new Micromax Canvas

established

Infinity Pro is a classic looking

Indian

smartphone with aluminium

smartphone company

body which is compared to its

Micromax has now reached

previous model Canvas Infinity

upto Infinity models of

is new because the previous

smartphones as in the past

model had plastic body which

it had done reasonably well.

might somewhere added to

It was one of the first budget

the minus point but it is now

smartphone makers available

overcame with the aluminium

in the Indian smartphone

body to provide rigidity to the

market fulfilling the needs

device. At the rear side of the

of smartphone lovers at that

phone there lies the primary

time. Micromax is well

camera in the centre at the

known for its budget

top of the rear side and further

sensor for easy access.

Display

smartphones and mid ranged

accompanied by LED flash

The rear side is also sporting

The new Micromax Canvas

smartphones which were

and just some centimetre

the logo of the device towards

Infinity Pro has the display

aimed at delivering greater

below lies the fingerprint

the lower side. The front

size as similar to Micromax

performance and power.

side of the device is sporting

Canvas Infinity. The phone

Last year we talked about

the powerful dual camera

has 5.7 inch full vision

with the LED flash and

display with a resolution of

capacitive keys towards the

720x1440 pixels and also

bottom of the display. At the

has impressive aspect ratio

left side of the device you will

of 18:9. The display size is

find the dualSIM tray with

such that it improves your

dedicated slot for microSD

visual experience without any increase in the size of

Micromax Canvas Infinity which attracted the users with its 18:9 display aspect ratio, cameras and the powerful processor. Though the Micromax Canvas Infinity lacked the metal body but

verdict Looks

08 /10

Cameras

09 /10

Sleek Design Best part of it

Performance Very basic

07 /10

Battery

still it did a good business.

Survives a day

07 /10

card which is another plus point of the new Micromax

the phone and also produces

But,in this review we have the

Value For Money

07 /10

Canvas Infinity Pro. The

saturated colours to let you

volume rockers and the

enjoy a thrilling experience

power knob are at the right

of performing any task on

side of the device. At the

the display. The screen has

luring the users with its new

bottom of the device lies

protection of 2.5D curved

and interesting features such

the USB port and a single

glass.

as 5.7 inch HD IPS screen,

speaker grille. The top of the

upgraded form of the previous model which is Micromax Canvas Infinity Pro which is

dual selfie camera, powerful RAM and ROM etc. So we will be looking in detail about the features of the Micromax Canvas Infinity Pro in this review.

70 | FEBRUARY 2018

Could be a choice

OVERALL

PROS Front Camera

76%

Cons

phone is sporting the 3.5mm

Platform

Competition

headphone socket. The device

The new Micromax Canvas

might feel heavy because of its

Infinity Pro has quad-core

metal body when compared to

Qualcomm Snapdragon

its previous model Micromax

430 SoC processor which is

Canvas Infinity.

in a budget smartphone is

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

MYMOBILE

powerful enough to handle

which is delivering great

majority tasks. The processor

images from both the primary

is paired with 4GB RAM which

and secondary camera.

in the previous Canvas Infinity was 3 GB, so the Pro now has

Battery

upgraded RAM as well. The

The new Micromax Canvas

fusion of processor and RAM

Infinity has 3,000mAh non

keeps the functioning of the

removable battery which

device at stable state. The

is able to last long a day. It

processor handles games,

could have been more as the

though there might be some

category in which Infinity Pro

noticeable heating but that

falls prefer bigger battery life.

is sorted by the device so you can easily enjoy gaming

Conclusion

without any hindrance. The

The Micromax Canvas Infinity

phone offers 64 GB internal

Pro takes the experience of

storage which allows you to

Infinity to a more refined

store your desirable media,

platform where we get dual

games etc. and further it can

selfie lenses and metallic

be expanded further all thanks

body. Canvas Infinity is

to the dedicated microSD

priced at Rs 13,999 and

card slot in the SIM tray.

it performed well on

Micromax Canvas Infinity Pro

various aspects.There are

has Android Version 7.1.2

minor improvements in

operating system.

processor and RAM of

Cameras

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Infinity Pro as compared to Canvas Infinity.

The main attractive feature

But, it has to battle it

which may drive the attention

out with the likes of

of the users is the 20

Xiaomi Mi Max 2,

megapixel dual front camera of

Honor 7X and Moto

Micromax Canvas Infinity Pro.

G5s Plus. n

The 20 MP camera is assisted

haider@mymobile.co.in

by the LED flash which works in coordination with the camera at the dim light conditions delivering clear selfies 24x7. The selfie camera has other various interesting features as well like face beauty and many more which you will find interesting and helpful in case you want to opt for editing or putting effects in your selfies. The rear camera is also impressive as well with 16 megapixel and LED flash. The new Micromax Canvas Infinty Pro possess powerful camera

www.mymobileindia.com

FEBRUARY 2018 | 71

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Xiaomi Redmi 5A Makes A Mark In The Entry Segment!

he Indian

witnessedsmartphones from

smartphone

the company like Redmi Note

market is flooded

4, Redmi A1, Redmi Mix2,

with varieties

Redmi Y1 etc. In our last review

of smartphones of various

we talked about the Redmi Y1

ranges. The most successful

which was a budget smartphone

smartphone brand which made

and today in this review we will

a great amount of selling deals

be talking about another latest

in the year 2017 is Xiaomi

entry segment smartphone

Redmi. The reason for the

launch from the company which

success of the Xiaomi Redmi

is Redmi 5A. The new Xiaomi

smartphones are that theyhave

Redmi 5A is considered to be

to offer something new and extra in a lesser price when compared to other smartphone companies. In the year 2017 we

the upgraded version of the previous Xiaomi Redmi 4A.

Design The new Redmi 5A is an average looking smartphone with the metal finishing at the rear side of the phone body. The body of the Redmi Y1 is of metal and have curved edges all around.The rear side has the secondary camera along with LED flash. The front side of the phone has the selfie camera above the display but there is no selfie flash which is adding to minus point of the device. Below the display there are the capacitive keys with the home key in between. At the left side of the phone there are two trays on is for the single nano SIM and other for the microSD card. To the right side of the phone there are the volume rockers and

72 | FEBRUARY 2018

MYMOBILE

the power button. The phoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s speaker grille runs along the entire lower back. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Micro-USB port on the bottom and a 3.5mm audio socket

verdict

Battery The battery power of Redmi

07 /10

play them without producing

5A is 0f 3,000 mAh which can

any hindrance. The ROM

last throughout the day with

capacity of device is of 16 GB

a single charge. The powerful

which lets you carry decent

battery of the Redmi 5A can

amount of files in your phone

let you have non-stop hours

whether be its any media,

of entertainment and fun.

games or applications. The

There is little heating of the

Redmi 5A comes pre-loaded

device noted while charging

with MIUI 9 and operating

it but it gets cooled down

system of Android 7.1.2.

shortly.Other connectivity

MIUI 9 is loaded with system

options include Bluetooth

level customizations and

4.1, Wi-Fi, 4GVoLTE. The

optimisations for performance

sensors included infrared,

and battery life.

accelerometer, proximity

Cameras

on the top. One interesting

Rear Outshines

touch is the presence of an IR

Performance

08 /10

Battery

07 /10

Value For Money

09 /10

emitter on the top, which you can use to control household appliances. The phone is light weighted and imposes no burden while carrying it around as it easily fits your palm and

Sustains a day A good beginner

OVERALL

78%

also easily fits in your pocket.

Display The new Redmi 5A features fully laminated 5 inch compact HD display which in

PROS Display, Processor

Cons Plastic Body

its price ranges an acceptable smartphone. The screen resolution of Redmi 5A is of

f/2.0 large aperture.

various games and let you

08 /10

Goes in sync

decent amount of gaming as well as the RAM supports

Looks

Feels Nice

of battery. One can enjoy

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

Cameras The new Redmi 5A has a

sensor and ambient light sensor.

rear camera of 13 Megapixel

Conclusion

with PDAF. The rear camera

The Redmi 5A makes an

is also featuring Reading mode

core Qualcomm Snapdragon

has rear LED flash to assist

impact in the entry segment

which protects your vision and

425 processor with four cores

the camera in taking pictures

market with good overall

reduce eye fatigue by filtering

clocked at 1.4GHz which

even at dark and dim lighting

specifications such as rear

out the blue light. The display

will take your app load with

conditions. The images taken

camera, crisp display and

size and the resolution lets

ease resulting in smooth

by rear camera are decent and

nice processor. The

you enjoy every detail of any

performance of the device.

clear with the addition of crisp

smartphone is available at

sort of video or work doing in

The processor easily handles

in them. The phone is sporting

Rs 4,999 which makes it an

a clear HD quality. The screen

multi-tasking and let you enjoy

selfie camera of 5 Megapixel

ideal option to shift to next

is protected by Corning Gorilla

various apps at the same time.

which gives decent images

level, i.e, to a smartphone

Glass which protects the

The phone is carrying 2 GB

in daylight and well lighted

from feature phone. The things

screen from scratches and any

ROM which is mostly seen in

condition but in dim and dark

which might go against the

breakage.

low priced range smartphones.

light conditions the usage

Redmi 5A are the mediocre

The RAM together in sync with

of selfie camera is limited

battery life and noisy front

the processor works flawlessly

because of the lack of selfie

camera. n

and helps reducing the heating

flash. The front camera has

720 x1280 pixels. The display

Platform Redmi 5A is powered by octa-

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InFocus Vision 3 Focussed on Camera and Battery!

he smartphone

market is mainly dominated

company has launched a new

being backed by Foxconn

sector of India

by Asian smartphone

smartphone in the

in India. The company

is witnessing a

manufacturing firms but in

budget range section of

wants to add the portfolio of

wide range of

this review we will be talking

smartphones by analysing

budget friendly smartphones

smartphone launches in every

about the new launch of

the majority of the Indian

where there has been huge

price range be it low to mid to

smartphone whose main

population and the market

traction as compared to other

high priced smartphones.

functioning unit is located

dynamics in whichInFocus

segments.

The Indian smartphone

in the state of Oregon U.S. The

Vision 3 plays. InFocus is

Design The new InFocus Vision 3 has plastic body which gives the smartphone a light and attractive look and also at the same time providing portability. The rear side of the phone has the fingerprint sensor for easing the accessibility and also the primary camera is located at the back side assisted by the LED flash. The device is comfortable to hold because of its compact size but on constant use might feel little heavier. The front side of the phone has the selfie camera and towards the end of display lies the capacitive keys. The bottom of the device has the USB port and at the top of the phone lies the 3.5mm headphone socket. One can find the volume rockers and the volume button at the right side of the device and towards the left lies the SIM tray.

Display InFocus Vision 3 has 5.7 inch HD+ On-Cell Display and has 18:9 aspect ratio which is one of the attractive feature of the InFocus Vision 3. You can enjoy HD experience

74 | FEBRUARY 2018

MYMOBILE

without missing any detail as

you to enjoy the games which

13MP + 5MP with the phone

media or surfing the internet.

the display size lets you have

requires the RAM size of 2GB

to capture every minute details

Overheating while charging

big viewing frame. The display

which is being offered by the

and the LED flash is providing

is being noticed which is the

size provides good gaming

phone. InFocus vision 3 has

the users with an advantage of

issue with the phone but it is

experience as well allowing you

Android 7.0 Nougat (InLife

capturing images at dark and

resolved as well by the phone

to make full use of display size

UI 2.0) operating system. The

dim light conditions. The rear

but it takes a little longer time

.The display possess saturated

processor didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t perform well

camera also has various effects

to make the phone to reach the

colours providing clear image

as a whole which is a kind of

and filters to let you capture

equilibrium state.

disappointment for me.

images in whatever shades

and good brightness. The screen protection is provided

include 4G, Bluetooth 4.0,

camera is of 8 megapixel with

Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS,

The new InFocus Vision 3 is

no selfie flash which means

microUSB 2.0. The 4G

offering dual rear camera of

that the users are restricted

availability lets you enjoy all

using the selfie camera in

the offers from various network

dim and dark light conditions.

providers.The phone also

The camera performance is

has various sensors as well

good and has all those aspects

like Accelerometer sensor,

08 /10

which a smartphone of budget

Proximity Sensor, Ambient

range should possess but the

Light sensor, Compass sensor

07 /10

lack of front LED flash might

and Fingerprint sensor.

Cameras

keeps the device safe from any minor injuries due to sudden fall or scratches.

Platform The new InFocus Vision 3 has octa-core MediaTek processor.

verdict Looks

Neat and Big

Cameras

The processor can handle

Justified Results

various tasks at once but fails

Performance

to give multitasking. The use

Works Fine

of big apps might sometimes

Battery

cause the phone to get heated up. InFocus vision 3 has 2GB RAM which is usually found

The connectivity features

you choose to prefer.The selfie

by 2.5D curved glass which

Very good

Value For Money

A worthy purchase

OVERALL

08 /10

let the users to be in double

09 /10 08 /10

80%

mind before approaching the

Conclusion

phone.

Overall, the new InFocus Vision

Battery

3 is a decent smartphone in the budget ranged smartphone

The battery power is the main

with powerful battery and dual

together with the processor.

attractive feature of InFocus

rear camera. The negative

The phone has 16 GB of ROM

Vision 3 which is for sure

points include lack of selfie

which provides decent amount

to last long. The phone has

flash, sluggish processorand

of storage capacity to store

Cons

4,000mAh battery power

it also has the heating issue.

Plastic Body

which will undoubtedly last for

Priced at Rs 6,999, Vision 3

more longer period allowing

has potential of being a good

you to have unlimited fun

choice in the budget segment

whether its playing games,

with bezel-less display. n

in budget smartphones and

apps and various media files. Further it can be expanded with the help of microSD card. The gaming experience is satisfactory as well as it allows

PROS Battery, Rear Lenses

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

www.mymobileindia.com

watching or playing any

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FEBRUARY 2018 | 75

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Smartron t-phone P A Worthy Option in the Budget Segment!

martron, an IoT-

are all those features people

of budget smartphones and

streamlined shape which is

backed company,

wants to have in a smartphone

tagged at a price of Rs 7,999.

making the device to look

is the new addition

which can be easily affordable

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve reviewed the device for

good and at the same time

to the smartphone

and durable in the course of

you. Here it goes.

the curvy edges allowing

race in the Indian smartphone

long run. The latest model

market offering wide range

of smartphone which the

Design

of smartphones such as

company has launched is

The new Smartron t-phoneP is

not heavy to hold despite of

srt-phone and t-phone. The

Smartron t-phonePwhich is

beautiful looking smartphone

being made of all metal. The

company is of Indian origin

considered into the section

with all metal body and curvy

physical attributes of the

and clearly understands what

comfortable grip while holding the phone. The device is

phone includes a fingerprint sensor at the rear side of the phone which is like a bonus in a budget smartphone because it is not easily available in budget smartphones. The rear side of the phone also has the rear camera which is accompanied by the LED flash. The front side of the phone is sporting front camera towards the left side having proximity light sensor lying next to it and then there is selfie flash /front flash. The capacitive keys are below the display screen. The right side of the phone is having the volume rockers above and the power knob below the volume rockers. The hybrid SIM tray is located at the left side of

76 | FEBRUARY 2018

MYMOBILE

the phone. The bottom of the phone is having two speaker grilles and the USB port. At the top of the phone lies the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Display

verdict Looks

08 /10

Solid built

Cameras

07 /10

Rear outshines

08 /10

Performance

Smartron t-phone P has a

Nothing to complain

display of 5.2 inch in full HD

Battery

10 /10

Value For Money

08 /10

with the screen resolution 720

Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ask for more

by Smartron in t-phoneP is 32

battery of 5,000mAh which

GB which is quite a decent

is the main attractive feature

amount of storage to allow you

of the phone and will drive

to store various apps and files

the attention of users towards

on your phone. The storage is

the phone. To charge such

further expandable up to 128

powerful battery the company

GB with the help of microSD

has provided a charger which

card.

takes the input of 100-240V

Cameras

and output of 5.0V which quickens the charging of the

Smartron t-phonePhas a rear

phone. This will certainly add

camera of 13 Megapixel with

more value to the device as the

f/2.2 aperture which delivers

needs of having bigger battery

you are watching or performing

clear shots. The images

is going up with time as data

on screen whether being

captured during day time are

consumptions are becoming

it watching your images

sharp and well detailed. The

cheaper and convenient.

x 1280 pixels. The display offers saturated colours and gives clear view of anything

or videos. The experience

A good buy

OVERALL

82%

Cons

rear camera has night mode embedded to allow you to take

Conclusion

clear images even at night. The

The new Smartron t-phoneP

selfie camera is of 5 Megapixel

has all the potential of being

with a bonus of selfie flash

a good budget segment

which is very rare in budget

smartphone with features such

smartphones. The selfies taken

as bigger battery, 13MP rear

t-phoneP is coupled with 3

during day time are well clear

camera, capable processor

GB RAM. The RAM size is the

and crisp but at night with the

and sufficient amount of

Smartron t-phoneP is powered

attractive feature of this phone

flash coming in play the quality

inbuilt as well as expandable

by an octa-core Qualcomm

because mostly the budget

of the image degrades a bit.

storage options. Available at

Snapdragon 435 SoC with four

smartphones do not offer such

There are preloaded features

Rs 7,999, t-phoneP will be a

processing cores at 1.4GHz

RAM. The 3 GB RAM with

as well like Beautify, HDR,

key differentiator in the budget

and other four cores at 1.1

the processor reduces the

Panorama, Time Lapse etc.

segment.There are Redmi 4,

GHz. The processor is meant

workload of the device helping

overall, both the lenses showed

InFocus Vision 3 and Moto

to deal with action without

in better performance of the

satisfactory results and can

C Plus as the other options

getting any hindrance from any

device without causing any

be within the demands of the

available near around t-phone

app which when used at the

heating issue while using big

target audience itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aimed at.

P, if you prefer different

time of multi-tasking or at a

apps. The RAM hardly allows

time of playing any game.The

the phone to hang in between

Battery

8 processing cores of Smartron

any task. The ROM size offered

The phone has non removable

of playing any game is satisfactory as well because of 5.2 inch compact sized screen. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass which acts as a

PROS Battery

Front camera

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

protective layer for the screen.

Platform

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FEBRUARY 2018 | 77

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Comio C2

A Big Battery Budget Buy!

omio is the new smartphone brand which we recently saw in the Indian

smartphone market catering in the low to mid ranged smartphones with interesting feature to lure users from the variant socio economic Indian population. The company has the lineage of devices such as P1 and S1. Keeping in mind the need of people who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford high priced smartphones the company has tried to compress all the desirable traits which one smartphone should possess in its latest launch C2 and we will be reviewing all the features of the phone for you.In this review the phone which we have been provided is of black colour and the rim, power knob, and volume rocker has

Design The new Comio C2 is a beautiful compact sized smartphone which fits in your hand comfortably. The device is somewhat heavier

the phone you will find

bottom of the device has the

power knob and the volume

3.5mm headphone socket

rockers. The front side has

along with the USB port.

the selfie camera and also the capacitive keys towards the

Display

lower part of the display. The

The display size of the phone

but it is felt only when you are prolonging the time of usage. The device is easy to carry around as well. The body of Comio C2 is made up of tough plastic fibre with black and gold detailing at the back. The lining of rear camera is also surrounded by rim of golden colour. The rear side of the phone has the rear camera with LED flash and in centre you will see the logo of the company. Opening the rear panel beneath lies the SIM slots and a different slot for the microSD card. At the right side of

golden colour on them.

78 | FEBRUARY 2018

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is of 5 inch HD IPS. The

store anything you wish for.

like Snapchat and many other

resolution of Comio C2 display

There are various applications

big sized applications or any

os of 720x1280 pixels and

as well which cleans up the

big sized games.

294 PPI. The display size

junk from the phone and

provides enough viewing size

helps in smooth working of

Cameras

so that one can easily enjoy

the phone. The Comio C2

The Comio C2 offers

watching any video or playing

has the Android 7.0 Nougat

impressive cameras and

games. The display size won’t

allowing the users to get the

both the rear and selfie

disappoint you and no details

benefits of latest update of

cameras are of 8 Megapixel.

will be missed. The screen is

the android operating system.

The rear camera is of 8

protected by the 2.5D glass

The processor of the device

Megapixel with LED flash

which prevents the display

mightadd to the disadvantage

which lets you click clear

from scratches and provides

because the 2GB of RAM

images even in the dark

resistivity while the device falls

somewhere restricts you from

conditions. The images taken

by chance.

using certain big applications

in daylight are quite clear

Platform The new Comio C2 is powered by 1.3GHz quad-core processor and carries a 2 GB RAM which is capable of handling normal day to day usage. It’s not meant for the game enthusiasts. The 2 GB of

verdict Looks

08 /10

Attractive back

07 /10

Cameras

Perform well in daylight

07 /10

Performance Decent

09 /10

Battery

Stands out

let you have satisfying gaming

Value For Money

big sized games won’t work

details of the image clicked. The selfie camera is of 8.0

RAM is quite good enough to experience as well but the

and crispy delivering all the

07 /10

A nice pick

OVERALL

76%

megapixel which performs well in the daylight but it lacks the selfie flash which adds to the disadvantage of the phone. The selfies taken are quite clear and beautiful in well lighting conditions. The camera app features a face beauty mode and you can adjust the exposure,

effectively and might cause

white balance, anti flicker,

device to freeze on many

anti shake. The overall

occasions. The Comio C2 has

performance of the Comio

16 GB of ROM which is quite

C2 camera is quite good and

enough to store files and videos and that’s not all, the storage

PROS Battery

can further be expanded with the help of microSD card giving you enough space to

Cons No Fingerprint sensor

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

www.mymobileindia.com

stands upto the expectations but it has one disadvantage which is the missing of selfie flash which binds your limits to daylight selfies.

Battery The Comio C2 has a powerful battery of 4,000 mAh which is adding to the plus point of the phone. The battery is

Tried & Tested

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sure to last for long providing long hours of non-stop fun and entertainment. The phone do heat up while playing games which might make you feel little uncomfortable and heating is also observed a bit during charging which is not the matter of concern. The phone also has Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, 4G VoLTE.

Conclusion The Comio C2 fits easily into a budget pocket with huge battery life, nice camera experience and attractive design. The consumers in this particular segment would not be surprised if C2 does not perform well on the gaming front because they do not expect it to be. Being sold at Rs 6,899, Comio C2 can be good option to begin your smartphone experience but, it also has to face the likes of Redmi in the market. n haider@mymobile.co.in

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Micromax Bharat 5 Battery is the only saving grace!

icromax

series smartphones because

phone which in fusion with

Micromax Bharat 5 is powerful

launched a

they are mainly aimed at

Telecom Company BSNL

smartphone with interesting

new series of

reaching to those who are

offered 4G features giving

features compiled in it within

smartphone

witnessing a shift from feature

competition to RelainceJio

low price, making it an

called ‘Bharat’ series which

phones to smartphones.

feature phone.In this review

approachable smartphone in

is somewhat on the lines of

In our last review of Bharat

we will shade light on the new

the budget price segment.

‘Make in India’ concept. The

series smartphone we talked

launch of the company which

company has named the new

about Bharat 1, the feature

is Micromax Bharat 5. The

Design The new Micromax Bharat 5 is not very catchy in terms of looks but that does not mean that it is not good to look at. The device has average looks but it does not matter as the device size is very compact and fits your hand nicely. The device is easy to carry around as well. The body of the phone is made up of polycarbonate plastic. The front of the device is sporting the selfie camera which is accompanied by the LED flash. The rear side of the device has the primary camera with the LED flash and the logo of the company could be seen at the rear side as well. The right side of the device is sporting the volume rockers and the power button and to the left there lies the hybrid SIM slot which could support two micro SIM cards at a time or one SIM card and one microSD card. At the top of the phone lies the 3.5mm headphone socket and at the bottom of the device lies the

80 | FEBRUARY 2018

MYMOBILE

tagging, panorama, HDR, touch focus, face detection, white balance settings, ISO settings and many other features. The camera of Micromax Bharat 5 for sure is the plus point of the device which will work in the success of this smartphone in the Indian market. USB port and the two speaker

which is meant to deal with

The RAM size could have

grilles which delivers a great

the running applications and

been improved which is the

Battery

minus point of the device. The

The main attracting aspect

ROM of the device is of 16GB

of the Micromax Bharat 5

and can be further expanded

is the battery power. The

upto 64GB with the help of

phone is packed with a

microSD card.

powerful 5,000mAh battery

quality of sound even at low price range which the Bharat 5 is offering.

verdict Looks

Display

Very Basic

The new Micromax Bharat 5

Manageable

has 5.2 inch HD IPS display

06 /10

Cameras

06 /10

Performance

05 /10

Average

Cameras

and it can last for almost two days continuously with the

The new Micromax Bharat 5

battery being charged fully.

has something new to offer

The current demand of long

which is mostly not found in

lasting battery is kept well in

the low range smartphones

mind by the company. Other

which is a powerful selfie

connectivity options include

camera of 5 megapixel and

USB-OTG, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

display screen is protected

to make the camera more

4.0, 4G VoLTE.

by 2.5D curved glass which

efficient and functional in

protects the device from

every lighting conditions it is

Conclusion

accompanied by LED flash.

Micromax Bharat 5 fits easily

The front camera has video

in the budget segment buyersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

resolution of 640x480 pixels.

pocket, complimented by huge

The selfie camera has 83.3

battery life, decent cameras

degree wide lens as well.

and display size. Currently,

The rear camera is also of 5

the Bharat 5 is available at

Megapixel with f/2.2 aperture.

around Rs 5,555, which isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

with a screen resolution of 1280x720 pixels and it has pixel density of 282 PPI. The phone also has aspect ratio of 16:9. The display also offers features like VR ready. The

scratches and breakages due to sudden fall. The display gives you saturated colours and you can enjoy any video in HD quality. The display size is reasonable as well,

10 /10

Battery

King sized

Value For Money If you love Micromax

OVERALL

PROS Battery

06 /10

66%

Cons No Fingerprint Sensor

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

as it provides enough space to engage in any task like

other tasks of the phone with

The rear camera is also

a bad option to begin your

reading, watching etc.

ease by reducing the workload.

accompanied by LED flash

smartphone experience. It has

The device has a RAM of 1GB

to enable you to click images

to compete with Redmi 5A and

which is not powerful enough

even at night and in dark

Moto C, where both look better

The new Micromax Bharat 5 is

to allow you to engage in

conditions. The rear camera

option than Bharat 5. But,

multi-tasking. One can do but

also has interesting features

you can go with it if you prefer

MediaTek MT6737 processor

increasing the workload might

like autofocus, continuous

bigger battery. n

clocked at ARM Cortex A53

let the device to get slow down.

shooting, digital zoom, geo

Platform

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iVOOMi i1

A Very Competent Budget Smartphone!

ual cameras

being launched by the

when I first saw it. Resembling

bezel-less bandwagon, the

everywhere,

Chinese company, the recently

the Samsung Galaxy S8 with

smartphone still has wide

which is the

launched ones are the iVOOMi

its pseudo curved edges; the

enough bezels on the top and

new smartphone

i1 and the iVOOMi i1s. We got

smartphone is comfortable

the bottom (illusionary in the

sporting the pair? And,

the i1 for review and here is

to hold. Starting with the

Jade Black colour variant

in the growing number of

the result of our burn test.

aesthetics, the smartphone,

given for review). The screen

made up of polycarbonate,

produces averagely bright

smartphones with dual cameras, we have a new

Design

has a dual-camera module

colours and the icons pop

entrant- the iVOOMi i1. Among

The iVOOMi i1 gave me all

at the back with LED flash,

out well, making the usage

the budget smartphones

the high-end, premium feels

followed by a pleasant

convenient and easy on

presence of a fingerprint

the eyes.

sensor (iVOOMi’s another first) and the ‘iVOOMi’ logo in the

Cameras: Two at Your disposal

middle. Upfront, there is a

Apart from the touted Full

selfie shooter on the top with

Screen display, the iVOOMi i1

assortment of regular sensors.

has another highlight which

The left-hand side houses the

is housed comfortably at the

volume rocker and the power

back; the dual cameras, with

on/off button, the bottom end

one rated at 13-megapixel

has speaker grille, and the top

and the other one standing

end sports a micro-USB port

at 2-megapixel, featuring

and a 3.5mm audio jack.

autofocus and LED flash. The

Overall, the smartphone,

82 | FEBRUARY 2018

dual cameras are also capable

for the price it comes with,

of creating the Bokeh, going

is visually appealing and

by the same name in the

comfortable at the same time.

camera app. The primary shooter was

Display

able to capture good pictures,

The smartphone spans 5.45-

be it in broad daylight, indoors

inch and comes with an HD

or in low-light. However,

resolution. While the company

with a closer look, the

claims the device to be the

details were not highlighted

company’s first to hop on the

adequately and the images

MYMOBILE

Talking about the performance, the smartphone

presence of bloatware remains.

worked fine while carrying

Furthermore, the audio quality

out various tasks an average

was fine too.

user would do. The social

seemed slightly processed.

your knowledge, the iVOOMi

On opting for Bokeh, the

i1 and the i1s has only one

smartphone did create the

difference, the RAM/ROM

effect, however, seemed more

configuration, which in the

like an amateur in the arena.

latter’s case is an increased

The Bokeh created looked

3GB of RAM/32GB of ROM.

way too processed, losing the naturalness of the subject. The one at the front is rated at 8-megapixel actually impressed me. The output was good; not too exposed, not too processed and was clear. Overall, the camera performance has been fine for

verdict Looks

08 /10

Cameras

07 /10

Premium Feel Impressive

Performance

08 /10

Fine Tuned

Battery

the price the smartphone has,

Lives a Day

07 /10

however, the dual cameras

Value For Money

08 /10

could have performed better.

Spec Sheet and Performance

A worthy purchase

OVERALL

76%

The iVOOMi i1 is powered by a quad-core MediaTek MT6737 processor and comes equipped with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of ROM. The internal storage comes with the option to expand up to 128GB via a memory card. For

Dual Rear Lenses

factor the smartphone features

as Facebook, Instagram,

is the rear-mounted fingerprint

WhatsApp, and many more

scanner (which the company

was convenient, however,

was initially reluctant to

with various apps in the

add). The fingerprint scanner

background, the smartphone

unlocked the device in

did stutter. Numerous

less than 60 seconds, thus

background apps led to the

becoming a quick one.

slow launch of the smartphone as well. For playing around

Conclusion

with games such as the

The iVOOMi i1 for a price of

Asphalt 8 or any of the pre-

Rs 5,999, with dual cameras,

equipped ones (Cupcake

a fingerprint scanner and a

Dreamland or Temple Paradise

premium design, proves to be

Dash), the smartphone played

steal. However, with the pros

averagely, with the visuals

comes the cons, and

appearing fine.

the smartphone still lacks

Battery

the power of the dual cameras it houses. The

The i1 gets its energy from

smartphone stands against

a 3,000mAh battery which

the likes of the Xiaomi Redmi

ensured that the smartphones

4A which comes with a better

lives a day without getting

processor, bigger battery

charged. The battery did not

and a 13-megapixel front

get use too quick, however, it

camera. While the iVOOMi i1 has a

Cons

the battery, especially when

share of misses, it still proves

Could be the Battery

connected to a PC or a

to be a daily driver and can still

laptop. Therefore, my say on

make it to the nominations for

the battery is average. The

the ‘best smartphone under Rs

smartphone runs Android

6,000’ title. n

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

www.mymobileindia.com

Among many, the pleasing

media browsing on apps such

took a lot of time to recharge

PROS

user-friendly, however, the

7.0 Nougat and the UI was

Tried & Tested

burntest

vanshika@mymobile.co.in

FEBRUARY 2018 | 83

In Conversation

face to face

“We embrace technology to create a state-of-the-art rewarding experience for our customers” PAYBACK is India’s largest multi-brand loyalty program with over 110 million members. The company recently entered into partnership with IBM to upgrade its customer engagement offerings. PAYBACK also has its own mobile app where users can earn scores of loyalty points. It is also the first loyalty program firm to launch the Mobile Identifier as the Unique Customer Identifier. Nijhum Rudra spoke to Ramakant Khandelwal, Chief Marketing Officer, PAYBACK India about the niche it is aspiring to carve in India and other markets. Mr Khandelwal has been associated with PAYBCK since 2010 and was elevated to the role of CMO in September 2017 with brief of strategising and leading the next phase of company’s growth. Can you please elaborate the business

customer interfaces by combining engaging

model of PAYBACK in India? PAYBACK, the

communication that is contextual,

coalition loyalty program in Europe entered

personalized and real-time. Thereby,

the Indian market in 2010. Being a multi-

building a robust engagement strategy

brand loyalty program, PAYBACK offers

between brand, partners, and the customer.

its members a multitude of benefits over

The mechanism behind PAYBACK loyalty

traditional, stand-alone customer loyalty

program and points is simple and if utilized

schemes. It has over 50 partners including

properly, one can avail multitude of benefits

affiliate brands participating in the PAYBACK

across several leading brands. The brand

Network across categories in-store, online,

has received an overwhelming response in

and mobile apps namely ICICI Bank, Big

the country with over 100 million customers

Bazaar, American Express, BookMyShow,

already associated with the platform and the

Brand Factory, Central, Ezone, Home

number is expected to grow further in coming

Town, HPCL, TripAdvisor, Food Bazaar,

years.

eBay, Amazon, Flipkart and many more. With such a varied portfolio of partners,

Recently, you have partnered with IBM; in this

PAYBACK Members can earn points

context can you please elucidate the reason

on everyday shopping and redeem

behind the partnership? PAYBACK India has

them for attractive rewards, at

partnered with tech giant IBM to deploy

their preference. Other benefits

the latter’s Watson Customer Engagement

include discounts on purchases

solution. The idea behind this partnership is

through points earned or through

to provide more personal, content-rich and

coupons and special offers.

102 | february 2018

enhanced experience to customers. These

PAYBACK is the first

solutions are aimed at providing customers

to launch the Mobile

and partners with a more personalized and

Identifier as the unique

real-time experience and will help PAYBACK

customer identifier. The

analyze customer behaviour and spend

company reaches to

patterns and transform their experiences by

its audiences across

using data-driven insights to create customized

platforms and various

experiences. With this partnership, PAYBACK

MYMOBILE

of smartphones,

need of the hour, and today our customers

PAYBA C K i s

are always looking for reasons to interact

poised to grow at

directly with brands of their choice. Hence,

an exponential

the new IBM Watson Customer Engagement

pace with new

solution will help us achieve this objective

partner additions

by enabling us to capture relevant insights

and new consumer

about consumer spend patterns and

acquisitions in the

behaviour, thus creating an ecosystem

network.

shopping experience. It

aims to transform their customer

What are your current business

which can deliver more personalised, real time information to customers which is relevant and behaviour based.

engagement from mass marketing to

strategies in India? At PAYBACK, we believe

behaviour-based cross-channel marketing.

in embracing technology to constantly

What is your roadmap for the coming years?

With real-time data flowing in, PAYBACK

create a more rewarding experience for

Our focus will be mainly on scaling up the

will look at significantly reducing the

our customers. We continue to benchmark

ecosystem by bringing cross -industries

complexity of managing multiple vendors

ourselves against our own potential and

partners on board based on customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

and technologies, thereby helping them

targets. The decision to invest in upgrading

interest and market relevance that can

reach out to both customers and partners

our digital capabilities with the help of

drive better customer experiences. We

at the right time, and at the right place.

IBM is to ensure we keep pace with the

will also be largely focusing on driving

changing retail landscape, technology

digital transformation by adding solutions

Who are your partners and what are the biggest

and evolving needs of our customer base.

like digital enrolment through Aadhar,

differentiating aspects of PAYBACK that can

We are also looking to invest in our new

machine learning to create custom offers

thwart your rivals in the market? PAYBACK

businesses of performance marketing and

and more. In all, we will be focusing on

has over 50 partners including affiliate

affiliate marketing and create an ecosystem

ubiquity to give our customers more choice

brands participating in the PAYBACK

for brands to create more customised and

and freedom.

Network across categories in-store as well

relevant experiences for their customers. In

We are also looking to focus more on

as online namely American Express, ICICI

addition, our focus will be on new partner

the performance marketing platform. We

Bank, HPCL, TripAdvisor, Big Bazaar, Food

acquisition and increasing our penetration

believe in real time and targeted marketing,

Bazaar, Food Hall, Central, Ezone, Home

in more consumer spend categories so

giving the customer an experience like

Town, Brand Factory, bookmyshow.com,

that we offer consumers a single platform

no other in terms of the right offer at the

eBay, Amazon, Flipkart and many more.

which rewards them for their loyalty and

right time through the right channel. Our

stickiness to brands.

web portal, mobile app, mobile identifier

It offers the consumers a truly unique shopping experience and drives customer

We are currently devising market

retention through on-going engagement.

strategies to improve the overall customer

Customers, today have 24X7 access to the

experience and add delight at every step of

brands they love through social media and

their shopping journey. Our new strategies

mobile devices. So, loyalty program like

will enable us to empower our customers

PAYBACK which is aligned with social media

and give them an advantage.

In Conversation

â&#x20AC;&#x153;PAYBACK-IBM partnership is aimed at will provide its providing customers and customers partners with a more and partners personalized, conceptualized with a more personalized, and real-time experience conceptualized to give them an and real-time enhanced shopping experience to give them an enhanced experienceâ&#x20AC;?

platform is a step towards enhancing consumer shopping experience. n

and mobile commerce increasingly impact the brand experience and the stickiness

How do you aim to transform your customer

of the consumer. With the advent of a

engagement from mass marketing to

large digital population and e-commerce

behaviour-based cross-channel marketing?

industry, along with increased penetration

A cross-channel engagement strategy is the

www.mymobileindia.com

nijhum@mymobile.co.in

february 2018 | 85

In Conversation

face to face

“Over 10 million unique tests are taken with Ookla’s Speedtest every day and over 17 billion have taken to date” The U.S-based company Ookla, or we commonly know it through Speedtest which is used to check performance and analysis of mobile and fixed broadband, has been at the forefront in providing information to individual as well as multi-national companies such as Microsoft, Vodafone and CISCO to name a few, in order to get a proper troubleshooting. Doug Suttles, Co-founder and General Manager at Ookla, shared the latest findings of the company with Haider Ali Khan on how India fared on their parameters and what needs to be done. Excerpts: In your November 2017 report of the Speedtest

evolving focus on sophisticated network

key to support the internet needs of the

Global Index, India ranked at 109 out of 122

infrastructure will always be important.

Indian market. Additionally, being open

countries. Where are we lacking and how can

India is one of the geographically largest

to emerging technologies and ways of

we improve the existing scenario? We would

and most populated countries in the world,

boosting network performance will also be

frame it more in terms of what opportunities

meaning a well laid out network that is

helpful.

for advancement are available. An ever

able to handle high volumes of usage are

102 | february 2018

Beyond the physical network and the

MYMOBILE

face to face

In Conversation

technology behind it is the competition that drives growth in a market. Operators offering new products, plans and services will also help drive the market forward. In the broadband space, however, things are bit better with India ranking at 76 out of 133 countries. What is the outlook for India in 2018? Many of the same general principles apply in the broadband and mobile space. Solid infrastructure, emerging technologies and competition are all valuable to the advancement of broadband as well. From trends Ookla observed in 2017, Indian broadband has been steadily increasing over the past year. Given this trend, it is reasonable to assume that unless something markedly changes that we will continue to see growth in 2018. Do you at Ookla believe that the India has the basic infrastructure lagging and is it related to the regulatory frameworks? Our role is to measure the speed and

help a huge country like India? Whenever

performance of networks and not

technology advances anywhere in

“A tool like necessarily how they are set up Speedtest provides and who may be responsible. consumers in measuring and The Speedtest Global Index, a monthly updated ranking of verifying the speeds they are internet speeds by country, receiving… One of the things is a good way to track trends that sets Speedtest apart is the ability in India’s internet speeds. to test to a local server from anywhere What is the current MAU Ookla in the world, which ensures has and the revenue generated the most accurate test result out of it in 2017? What would be the next target for you in 2018? Over possible”

the world it tends to open up new avenues for consuming and sharing content. Following this logic, 5G will provide faster internet that will make it easier for people to access and use the internet. What does Ookla thinks of Net Neutrality? We are supporters of a fast and open internet. It remains to be seen what changes may come from recent regulation shifts - we’re always

10 million unique tests are taken

working on measuring people’s internet

with Speedtest every day and over

speeds and the experience they have.

17 billion have taken to date. Our goal for 2018 is to continue releasing new native

value that a tool like Speedtest provides

What kind of customization Ookla has to offer

apps and features that extend the number

consumers in measuring and verifying the

for Indian users? One of the things that sets

of devices you can take a Speedtest on and

speeds they are receiving. On any operator

Speedtest apart is the ability to test to a

deepen understanding of more elements of

in any country, the ability to check what is

local server from anywhere in the world,

what impacts internet experience.

being delivered by a neutral third party like

which ensures the most accurate test result

Ookla not only empowers consumers but

possible. In India, we have 439 servers for

What are your thoughts on the 2G verdict and

also generates data that helps the industry

testing so that you can easily determine

how it had impacted the telecom growth and

better understand their networks.

the speed of the internet where you are

investment perspective in India? Situations like this are a good reminder of the

www.mymobileindia.com

located. n How do you see the adoption of 5G will

haider@mymobile.co.in

february 2018 | 87

International

market insight

Samsung pole-vaults Intel as the new leader of global semiconductor business But experts dub the lead as flash in the pan even as worldwide semiconductor revenue grew impressively in 2017, though slowdown predicted for 2018

major shake-up in global

long terming it as ‘flash in the pan’ fuelled

worldwide semiconductor revenue totalled

semiconductor pecking order

by transitory but sharp surge in the price

USD419.7 billion in 2017, a 22.2 percent

has taken place and Samsung

of memory silicon. Memory accounted for

increase from 2016. Undersupply helped

has done what was once

more than two-thirds of all semiconductor

drive 64 percent revenue growth in the

considered an almost impossible task –

revenue growth in 2017, and became the

memory market, which accounted for 31

displacing Intel as the undisputed leader

largest semiconductor category.

percent of total semiconductor revenue in

of the global semiconductor business - the

In the meanwhile, it’s a been a good

first time Intel has been toppled since

year for semiconductor industry. According

“The largest memory supplier, Samsung

1992. But experts doubt the lead to last

to a preliminary result by Gartner Inc,

Electronics, gained the most market share

88 | february 2018

2017.

MYMOBILE

and took the No. 1 position from Intel -

Disruptor

Industry insight “Samsung’s lead is literally built on sand, in the form of memory silicon. Memory pricing will weaken in 2018, initially for NAND flash and then DRAM in 2019 as China increases its memory production capacity. We then expect Samsung to lose a lot of the revenue gains it has made”

the first time Intel has been toppled since 1992,” said Andrew Norwood, Research Vice President at Gartner. The key driver behind the booming memory revenue was higher prices due to a supply shortage. NAND flash prices increased year over year for the first time ever, up 17 percent, while DRAM prices rose 44 percent. Equipment companies could not absorb these price increases so passed them onto consumers, making everything from PCs to smartphones more expensive in 2017. Other major memory vendors, including SK Hynix and Micron Technology, also

– Andrew Norwood, Research Vice President at Gartner

performed strongly in 2017 and rose in the rankings (see Table 1). Second-placed Intel grew its revenue 6.7 percent in 2017, driven by 6

slowly at 1.9 percent, but average PC

The current rankings may not last long,

percent growth in data center processor

prices are on the rise again after years of

however, “Samsung’s lead is literally built

revenue due to demand from cloud

decline following the market’s shift from

on sand, in the form of memory silicon,”

and communications service providers.

traditional desktops toward two-in-one and

said Mr Norwood. “Memory pricing will

Intel’s PC processor revenue grew more

ultramobile devices.

weaken in 2018, initially for NAND

Top 10 Semiconductor Vendors by Revenue, Worldwide, 2017 (Millions of US Dollars) 2017 Rank

2016 Vendor Rank

2017 Revenue

2017 Market Share (%)

2016 Revenue

2016-2017 Growth (%)

Samsung Electronics

61,215

14.6

40,104

52.6

Intel

57,712

13.8

54,091

6.7

SK Hynix

26,309

6.3

14,700

79.0

Micron Technology

23,062

5.5

12,950

78.1

Qualcomm

17,063

4.1

15,415

10.7

Broadcom

15,490

3.7

13,223

17.1

Texas Instruments

13,806

3.3

11,901

16.0

Toshiba

12,813

3.1

9,918

29.2

Western Digital

9,181

2.2

4,170

120.2

NXP

8,651

2.1

9,306

-7.0

Others

174,418

41.6

157,736

10.6

Total Market

419,720

100.0

343,514

22.2

Source : Gartner (January 2018)

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2018 | 89

Disruptor

industry insight flash and then DRAM in 2019 as China

could slip to third place during the next

increases its memory production capacity.

memory downturn in 2019.”

We then expect Samsung to lose a lot of the revenue gains it has made.”

Forecast 2018

“Favorable market conditions for memory sectors that gained momentum in the second half of 2016 prevailed through 2017 and look set to continue

2017 was a relatively quiet year for

Worldwide semiconductor revenue is

in 2018, providing a significant boost to

mergers and acquisitions. Qualcomm’s

forecasted to total USD451 billion in 2018,

semiconductor revenue,” said Ben Lee,

acquisition of NXP was one big deal that

an increase of 7.5 percent from USD419

Principal Research Analyst at Gartner.

was expected to close in 2017, but did

billion in 2017, according to Gartner, Inc.

“Gartner has increased the outlook for

not. Qualcomm still plans to complete

This represents a near doubling of Gartner’s

2018 by USD23.6 billion compared with

the deal in 2018, but this has now been

previous estimate of 4 percent growth for

the previous forecast, of which the memory

complicated by Broadcom’s attempted

2018.

market accounts for USD19.5 billion.

takeover of Qualcomm.

“FieldQualcomm and NXP were $41.2 programmable billion in 2017 — a total beaten gate array (FPGA), only by Samsung and Intel,” said Mr Norwood. “If Broadcom can optoelectronics, applicationfinalize this double acquisition specific integrated circuits and Samsung’s memory revenue falls as forecast, then Samsung (ASICs) and nonoptical sensors will lead the semiconductor device categories in 2018” “The combined revenues of Broadcom,

Price increases for both DRAM and NAND flash memory are raising the outlook for the overall semiconductor market.” However, these price increases will put pressure on margins for system vendors of key semiconductor demand drivers, including smartphones, PCs and servers. Gartner predicts that component shortages, a rising bill of materials

“Worldwide semiconductor revenue totalled USD419.7 billion in 2017, a 22.2 percent increase from 2016. Undersupply helped drive 64 percent revenue growth in the memory market, which accounted for 31 percent of total semiconductor revenue in 2017”

90 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

Disruptor

Industry insight

“Despite the upward revision for 2018, the quarterly growth profile for 2018 is expected to fall back to a more normal pattern with a mid-single-digit sequential decline in the first quarter of the year, followed by a recovery and buildup in both the second and third quarters of 2018” (BOM) and the resulting prospect of having

firmware and software updates, and has a

The other significant device category

to raise average selling prices (ASPs) will

potential processor performance impact.

driving the 2018 forecast higher is

create a volatile market through 2018.

This may result in an increased demand for

application-specific standard products

Despite the upward revision for 2018,

high-performance data center processors

(ASSPs). The predicted growth in ASSPs

the quarterly growth profile for 2018 is

in the short term, but Gartner expects

was influenced by an improved outlook for

expected to fall back to a more normal

that in the longer term, microprocessor

graphics cards used in gaming PCs and

pattern with a mid-single-digit sequential

architectures will be redesigned, reducing

high-performance computing applications,

decline in the first quarter of the year,

the performance impact of the software

a broad increase in automotive content

followed by a recovery and buildup in both

mitigations and limiting the long-term

and a stronger wired communications

the second and third quarters of 2018, and

forecast impact,” said Alan Priestley,

forecast.

a slight decline in the fourth quarter.

Research Director at Gartner.

The mixed fortunes of semiconductor

On January 3, a security vulnerability

Taking the memory sectors out of the

vendors in recent years serves as a reminder

that spans all microprocessor vendors

equation, the semiconductor market

of the fickleness of the memory market,”

was revealed, impacting nearly all types

is forecast to grow 4.6 percent in 2018

said Mr Lee. “After growing by 22.2 percent

of personal and data center computing

(compared with 9.4 percent in 2017) with

in 2017, worldwide semiconductor revenue

devices. While this is an obscure security

field-programmable gate array (FPGA),

will revert back to single-figure growth in

vulnerability that is difficult to achieve, the

optoelectronics, application-specific

2018 before a correction in the memory

potential of a high-impact security issue

integrated circuits (ASICs) and nonoptical

market results in revenue declining slightly

cannot be ignored and must be mitigated.

sensors leading the semiconductor device

in 2019.” n

“The current mitigation solution is via

www.mymobileindia.com

categories.

team@mymobile.co.in

february 2018 | 91

Pipeline

Special feature

Expectations

MWC 2018! So what would be the genies out of the hat this year? By Vanshika Malhotra

t’s this time of the year again! The time, our eyes (with gleam) wait

for the tech tradeshows to begin. With the end of the very recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2018), our expectations now lay on the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2018, hoping for some new wonders to happen. But first, for uninitiated, Mobile World Congress or

MWC

amongst

the most awaited and most prestigious annual mobile and electronics tradeshows

held

Barcelona in February, starting 26 until March 1, where majors launch their latest offerings wooing audience around the

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

ollowing its trend of giving the mobile world a flagship each year, Samsung, after unveiling

the Galaxy S8, the Galaxy S8+ and the Galaxy Note 8 in 2017 is most likely to bring about the 2018 flagships- the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+. And, as a usual ritual, we have tons of

rumours flying in, fueling further anticipation. Both the new flagships are likely to remain the same as the predecessors on the design front; the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ could sport the same Infinity display with an aspect ratio rated at 18:9 as the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+. However, adhering to rumours, we might see a change in the rear panel design. In terms of specifications, the smartphones are likely to feature the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, could come in three RAM/ROM configurations each, and run Android 8.0 Oreo. While the purported Galaxy S9 is expected to house a single-camera module (much like the Galaxy S8), the elder sibling might get a dual-camera setup. Additionally, the 3.5mm audio jack is here to stay in Samsung’s case and there is a possible change in address of the fingerprint scanner. Nevertheless, we still lack concrete details and look forward to the unveiling with all the excitement! n

globe. While all of us are trying our shots in the dark, hoping to hit the bull’s eye, we present you expected tech pieces we might get to see at the Barcelona tradeshow,

basis

cumulated speculations and leaks:

92 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

Applause

Specialfeature Motorola G, Z and X lineup

nd well, Lenovo-owned Motorola won’t stay behind

the Moto Z3 Play and a new 5G Moto Mod, to go with the

when it comes to getting new products to stage.

new smartphones. The Moto Z3 and the Moto Z3 Play are

Rumours have it that the company is expected to showcase

also expected to come with an aspect ratio rated at 18:9

new smartphones in its G, Z and X series, with almost

and could be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845

bezel-less display as highlights. The G series could include

chipsets. Other details still remain scarce.

the alleged Moto G6, the Moto G6 Plus and the Moto G6

Last but not the least is the Moto X5 in the X series,

Play are expected to share the same design ethos as the

going the Apple way. The purported Moto X5 could feature

Moto X4 with body made of glass. The Moto G6 and the

a notch, much like the recent iPhone X, which can be

Moto G6 Plus could feature 5.7-inch FHD displays, while

seen as a possible entry of facial recognition or under-the-

the Moto G6 Play could come with a 5.93-inch one. The

display fingerprint sensor in the Motorola lineup. Other

smartphones could come with upgraded processors,

major features include four cameras and Moto XP or the

batteries and dual rear cameras.

Smart AI which could Motorola’s own virtual assistant or

For the Z series, Motorola could unveil the Moto Z3,

use of AI in the camera department.

Xiaomi Mi 7

Nokia 9

hile the HMD Global-owned Nokia remained out of sight at the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show, the company has

confirmed to unveil ‘awesomeness’ at the event. While there is no word on what Nokia plans to introduce to us, we expect a bunch of smartphones, much like last year. However, our mind is on the flagship Nokia 9. The successor to the 2017’s Nokia 8 is speculated to come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 mobile platform, four cameras; two at the back and two at the front, and the inclusion of Nokia’s proprietary Bothie camera feature. Apart from the flagship, Nokia could also introduce someone to the low-end bracket, maybe with Android Oreo Go Edition, or could also launch revamped versions of its feature phones- the way it did with the iconic

Nokia

3310.

Additionally, there could be upgraded versions of the existing Nokia models at the tradeshow. Till then, let’s keep our fingers crossed and wait for the awesomeness to pop up. n

mong various tech companies, Chinese company Xiaomi is also expected to be a part of the much-

awaited tradeshow, likely to launch its flagship Mi 7. Even though we lack information about Xiaomi, the successor to last year’s Mi 6 might embrace the bezelless display concept, much like the Mi Mix series, and could sport a 6-inch AMOLED one. This one too, could also be powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 745 SoC, and come with 3D facial recognition which might lead to the death of a fingerprint scanner. Additionally, the alleged Mi 7 could be backed by a 3,000mAh battery with support for Qi wireless charging tech and run Android 8.0 Oreo with MIUI 9.0 on top. Xiaomi is also likely to launch a third member in the Mi Mix series, purported called the Mi Mix 2s. While details are not enough, the smartphone could feature the iPhone X-like notch and could come with facial recognition, really thin bezels, and Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. n

*Pictures are for representation only

Sony Xperia XZ Pro

ony, as part of its annual cycle could unveil a new smartphone, dubbed the Xperia XZ Pro, in addition to the recently unveiled Xperia XA2, the Xperia XA2 Ultra and the

Xperia L2 at CES 2018. The smartphone too is likely to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, sport a 4K OLED display and come with dual cameras at the back. Just to clear the mist, the aforementioned details are pure speculations, and can’t be deemed true. At this moment, all we can do is stay, speculate, and get surprised! n vanshika@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2018 | 93

Guest Column

by Invitation

Here is how chatbots are redefining human/business interactions Aakrit Vaish takes you through the World of Conversational AI

hatbots started out as a fairly niche concept in technology, but in 2017 have become a de facto prerequisite for every growing enterprise. With the advent of the Messengers: WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram, Kik and more, communication through text has become a way of life for most people these days. If a 60-year-old grandmother of three can happily be a group admin for three WhatsApp groups, there’s very little standing in the way of chat becoming the new task completion platform. And

chatbots simply help businesses ride this wave. For the uninitiated, a chatbot is a conversational interface (voice or text) that enables people to interact with a human aided robot to get something done. Here are a few ways that we have seen chatbots redefine customer-business interactions:

Brand Perception

chatbot is an excellent tool to reach out to customers at a personal level to help build a brand’s story and image. Due to the conversational nature of bots - queries, concerns and rumours can all be dealt with

individually. The customer’s perception is a brand’s reality and no one knows this better than FMCG brands which run purely on the strength of their media presence. With health consciousness and socio-environmental impact becoming a crucial focus for most modern brands and customers, global brands need a way to allay their customers’ concerns and directly address rumours and queries. We found the Coca-Cola chatbot on Facebook interesting where the bot allows the company to directly address rumours and concerns, evangelise about the brand’s community and CSR initiatives, and engage at a more personal level as opposed to traditional broadcast media - all

Lead Generation

The modern customer is inundated with a million ads and

promotional material from every angle and has learnt to block most of these by now. Chatbots offer a more conversational, natural way of introducing brands to customers. Chatbots can be used to help identify the needs of the customer and generate valuable leads for the brand in question. Here are two examples of chatbots being used for quality Lead Generation:

through Facebook Messenger! n

94 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

Guest Column

by invitation Service Delivery

chatbot helps solve this principal pain point by conversing with the user to quickly understand their

needs and provide services that they ask for, quickly collect necessary details and send the service their way. The way you present your product decides whether a deal falls through. There are three key matrices that will help you close a deal: Presentation, Speed and Quality. A chatbot is especially great to automate simple tasks like service bookings and provide instant replies, reduce manpower costs, and streamline the entire customer experience flow. Here’s an example: Housejoy has completely automated their entire catalogue of offerings and now allows users to find, book and pay for services directly within the bot - all in a matter of minutes! n

1: IDentifying Pain Points

dentifying a pain point for the customer before presenting the product is an excellent approach, especially for sectors like

Insurance which see very little traction from traditional media. In this chatbot aimed to drive customer interest for life insurance,every user was first prompted to answer a few questions about their personal finances in order to ‘Secure Your Future’.

Financial Awareness being a universally relatable topic meant that people were curious and excited to know their results. After answering a few questions, the user was given a score out of ten. This was followed by a prompt asking if the user would like to improve his/her score by getting in touch with an expert. Since the bot solved the customer’s genuine pain point, the quality of leads generated was extremely high as opposed to those generated through traditional web-based forms. Customization is the new king! n

2: Improving Product Suggestions

chatbot radically increases the chance of a user actually picking a product from a multitude of

options and reduces the overhead expenses and time needed to pick an offering which is crucial to any BFSI company. This chatbot for ICICI Credit Cards illustrates this well. Financial management is intimidating to most young customers and the long forms, unresponsive systems and simply add to the problem. By designing a bot that first understood the customer’s income range, spending habits and preferences, every single customer interest generated stood a high chance of translating into actual business! On top of that, the bot went a step ahead to even book the appointment for documents pick up to further process the credit card application. n

www.mymobileindia.com

Guest Column

by Invitation Value Proposition

roactively offering users some services that align with the core business is an excellent way to improve the

value proposition of a company. A chatbot

is especially conducive to this since every business has a need for an open communication pipeline in one way or the other. Every brand has something to offer. Before you ask

facilitate the communication between the user and

your customers what they can give you, tell them what

the company, thereby keeping the conversation alive

they will get. This is a fairly well-known caveat but one

and providing a valuable service in the process. This

that is rarely executed.

perpetually available security bot is the perfect extension

In this example,the Ziman app offers security as a service and the 24/7 built-in chatbot feature helps

of the Zicom’s offerings and is such a nifty tool to have in your pocket! n

Social Initiatives resources. Chatbots are the future. According to Gartner, 80 percent of businesses want to use chatbots by 2020. There are quite a few non-traditional businesses and organisations who are a part of the chatbot wave with use cases ranging from therapy bots to crypto-currency bots to fashion bots. Bots are rapidly getting smarter, more efficient and more pervasive. The aforementioned Gartner report

even states that by 2020, the average hatbots are excellent for projects that require

person will have more conversations with bots than with

immediate and efficient responses.

their spouse. That’s a lot of chatbots in a lot of places. And

Quickly answering questions, providing helpful

the market is only growing. There is a need throughout the

resources and being available 24/7 to any user around the

industry for more AI experts, bot builders, engineers and

world are no longer expensive, resource-heavy endeavours.

creative thinkers to build the next wave of chatbots. It’s

These situations have always been the best use cases for

the perfect time to climb aboard the chatbot bandwagon

deploying bots and have seen some great results.

if you aren’t on already! n

Social initiatives are a major focus for quite a few companies these days but dedicating valuable manpower and resources to these initiatives are impediments. ‘Akancha Against Harassment’ is an online resource for victims of cyber harassment. The chatbot can help victims in real-time, transfer sensitive cases to the right authorities, provide phone numbers, workshops and other

96 | february 2018

The author is Co-founder and CEO of Haptik, one of the world’s largest chatbot platforms. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, USA. He was one of the first employees of Flurry (now Yahoo Flurry) and was a lead investor in ‘Flatchat’, a rental flatmate-finding application, which was later acquired by Commonfloor.

MYMOBILE

International

market insight

Investments in Emerging Technologies to Drive IT Spend Global IT spending forecasted to reach USD3.7 trillion in 2018 while digital business, blockchain, IoT and AI to drive growth

orldwide IT spending

digital business, blockchain, Internet of

as financial management systems (FMS),

is projected to total

Things (IoT), and progression from big

human capital management (HCM) and

USD3.7 trillion in

data to algorithms to machine learning to

analytic applications.

2018, an increase of

artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to

The devices segment is expected to grow

4.5 percent from 2017, according to the

be main drivers of growth,” points out Mr

5.6 percent in 2018. In 2017, the devices

latest forecast by Gartner, Inc.

Lovelock.

segment experienced growth for the first

“Global IT spending growth began to

Enterprise software continues to exhibit

turn around in 2017, with continued growth

strong growth, with worldwide software

percent. End-user spending on mobile

expected over the next few years. However,

spending projected to grow 9.5 percent in

phones is expected to increase marginally

uncertainty looms as organizations

2018, and it will grow another 8.4 percent

as average selling prices continue to creep

consider the potential impacts of Brexit,

in 2019 to total $421 billion (see Table

upward even as unit sales are forecast to

currency fluctuations, and a possible global

1). Organizations are expected to increase

be lower. PC growth is expected to be flat

recession,” says John-David Lovelock,

spending on enterprise application

in 2018 even as continued Windows 10

Research Vice President at Gartner.

software in 2018, with more of the budget

migration is expected to drive positive

time in two years with an increase of 5.7

“Despite this uncertainty, businesses

shifting to software as a service (SaaS).

growth in the business market in China,

will continue to invest in IT as they

The growing availability of SaaS-based

Latin America and Eastern Europe. The

anticipate revenue growth, but their

solutions is encouraging new adoption and

impact of the iPhone 8 and iPhone X was

spending patterns will shift. Projects in

spending across many subcategories, such

minimal in 2017, as expected. However,

98 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

Worldwide IT Spending Forecast (Billions of U.S. Dollars)

2017 Spending

2017 Growth (%)

2018 Spending

2018 Growth (%)

2019 Spending

2019 Growth (%)

Data Center Systems

178

4.4

179

0.6

179

-0.2

Enterprise Software

355

8.9

389

9.5

421

8.4

Devices

667

5.7

704

5.6

710

0.9

IT Services

933

4.3

985

5.5

1,030

4.6

Communications Services

1,393

1.3

1,427

2.4

1,443

1.1

Overall IT

3,527

3.8

3,683

4.5

3,784

2.7

Source : Gartner (January 2018)

International

industry insight

“Spending patterns will shift. Projects in digital business, blockchain, IoT and progression from big data to algorithms to machine learning to artificial intelligence will continue to be main drivers of growth” – John-David Lovelock, Research Vice President at Gartner

AI by 2021, as well as the ability to recover

“Capturing the potential business value

6.2 billion hours of worker productivity,”

will require spending, especially when

says Mr Lovelock. “That business value

seeking the more near-term cost savings.

is attributable to using AI to, for example,

Spending on AI for customer experience

iOS shipments are expected to grow 9.1

drive efficiency gains, create insights that

and revenue generation will likely benefit

percent in 2018.

personalize the customer experience,

from AI being a force multiplier — the

“Looking at some of the key areas

entice engagement and commerce, and

cost to implement will be exceeded by

driving spending over the next few years,

aid in expanding revenue-generating

the positive network effects and resulting

Gartner forecasts USD2.9 trillion in new

opportunities as part of new business

increase in revenue,” says Mr Lovelock. n

business value opportunities attributable to

models driven by the insights from data.”

team@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2018 | 99

Overview

Showbiz

CES 2018

Innovations Showcased CES 2018, the mega technology event held recently (Jan. 9-12) in Las Vegas was quite special from the mobility point of view. While it brought disruptive technologies (from health and entertainment to security and food) closer to our lives, the biggest annual tech show on the Earth also showcased how the mobile phones were going to redefine our lifestyle like never before. Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Robotics were other technologies that drew prominent attention from across the world. Among the interesting developments in the mobile segment, Vivo showedoff an optical finger sensor which will be integrated within the screen, Sony announced its next lineup of mid-range smartphones, Samsung unveiled its latest chipsets and Alcatel joined the bezel-less bandwagon. Here is a sneak peek of some of the innovations of what to expect in 2018:

Vivo’s touchscreen fingerprint sensor

hinese handset maker Vivo showed off a new fingerprint sensor which will be integrated on the display of upcoming Vivo smartphones. Vivo showcased

a 6-inch smartphone with the on-screen optical fingerprint sensor developed by US based touchscreen company Synaptics. The sensor works only with OLED screens and will be placed under the smartphone’s screen. Though Vivo didn’t say anything about the new handset, it is likely to be shown up first on premium smartphones as OLED panels are costly. n

100 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

Overview

showbiz Sony Xperia 2018 lineup

ony unveiled its next line-up of mid-range and budget smartphones at the tech show. The mid-range Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra are powered

by Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, also used in the Moto X4, run the latest version of Android (Oreo) and are the first Sony smartphones in the price segment to include finger print sensors. The XA2 Ultra has a 6-inch screen, while the XA2 has a 5.2-inch screen. Targeted at budget segment, the Xperia L2 runs Android 7.1, has a 5.5-inch screen with resolution of 1,280x720p and is powered by a MediaTekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1.5GHz quadcore processor. n

Alcatel joins the bezel-less trend

lcatel Mobile showcased three new smartphone at the tech show,

dropping hints about the price bracket they will be launched at, but kept the spec details under wraps. The Alcatel 5

smartphone will be targeted at budget segment buyers. It will have a big screen with thin bezels and a 3000mAh battery. Alcatel 3 will be a mind-range smartphone with a bezel-less display, and face unlocking system, USB Type-C. The Alcatel 1 will be their budget offering for entry level buyers. More details are likely to be announced at Mobile World Congress to be held soon in Barcelona. n

Asus mid-range smartphone with high-end features

aiwanese tech major Asus announced the budget-friendly ZenFone Max Plus at

CES, which includes a face-unlock feature. So far, facial recognition has largely been relegated to flagship smartphones like the iPhone X, the Galaxy Note 8, and the LG V30. In addition to its security features, the ZenFone Max

Plus includes a massive battery and a 120-degree wideangle feature on its camera. The device will sell in the US for $229 unlocked.n

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2018 | 101

Overview

Showbiz Blackberry KeyOne Bronze edition

lackberry announced a bronze coloured variant of the KeyOne smartphone at the CES. It is also a dual SIM

smartphone, unlike the Black edition which had single SIM slot. Blackberry also announced the availability date of its upcoming touch-only smartphone, Motion, at the mega event. It will be available in US at $450 (approximately Rs 28,721). Blackberry Motion will be manufactured by TCL and will run on the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor used in the KeyOne. n

Samsung’s next generation Exynos 9810 chispet

outh Korean tech giant Samsung unveiled its next generation Exynos 9810 chipset which will power the upcoming Galaxy

9 and Note 9 smartphones. Samsung claims, it is 40 per cent faster than its predecessor, Exynos 8895. It is an octa-core processor with four performance cores clocking at a whopping 2.9GHz. It also supports hybrid face detection which means the new smartphone face unlocking tech will be able to carry out 3D mapping of user’s face, just like Apple’s Face ID tech, and will be harder to bypass. n

Lenovo’s first standalone Daydream VR headset

nother first at CES is Lenovo’s Mirage Solo standalone Daydream VR headset. The fully-equipped headset powered by the

Snapdragon 835 has 4GB of RAM, microSD expansion, a Daydream controller, seven hours of battery life, and “six degrees of freedom” — all without cables or a smartphone. By placing more of the weight on your forehead, with the goggle section just resting against your face via a hinge above the head strap, the Mirage Solo already feels more comfortable than many smaller VR headsets. Lenovo is tentatively pricing it at “under $400” but we’ll have to wait a little longer to see just how affordable truly untethered VR is going to be. It’ll reportedly go on sale in Q2, this year. n

102 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

Overview

showbiz Razer Phone and Project Linda

aming firm Razer showcased its smartphone and computer combination

concept called “Project Linda” at the show. The concept uses the company’s new Razer

phone to power a laptop. The phone serves as a trackpad, speaker system and second screen from the setup, while the smartphone’s Android apps run on the computer’s screen. Razer expects this kind of setup will be the go-to electronics product of the future. n

LG rollable OLED TV

lectronics major LG showcased the world’s first 65-inch Ultra HD rollable OLED display. When

not in use, it can be rolled inside a box that’s size of a sound bar. Not that you carry your TV around, but transporting a rollable TV is incredibly convenient. The box conceals all the circuitry and speakers to make this TV work. The OLED

technology is already known for its impeccable colour reproduction and stunning contrast ratio. The emissive type panel is considered holy grail of display technology due to its ability to render perfect blacks. n

HTC announces Vive Pro

aiwanese company HTC announced a new virtual reality headset, called the Vive Pro which is said to be an upgrade

to the Vive VR headset and boast of in-built headphones with an amplifier and said to feature superior resolution and pixel density. The Vive Pro includes dual-OLED displays of 2880 x 1600 combined, and a 78% increase in resolution over the current Vive HMD. Vive Pro’s new headstrap has enhanced, dual microphones with active noise cancellation and dual front-facing cameras claimed to empower developer creativity. Along with this, HTC also launched the Vive Wireless Adaptor, which is claimed to be the first to device in the market with a ‘truly wireless’ VR headset integration for both Vive and Vive Pro. It features Intel’s WiGig technology. The device operates in the interference-free 60Ghz band, which means lower latency and better performance. n

www.mymobileindia.com

ramesh@mymobile.co.in

february 2018 | 103

Guest Column

by Invitation

5 Digital Marketing Trends To Watch Out For In 2018 By Vaibhav Vats

017 was a monumental year for businesses waiting to

endeavours.

get on the digital marketing bandwagon. From online

In this increasingly technology-driven industry, as we gaze at the

shopping to net banking to Artificial Intelligence,

new year to see how to amplify our marketing strategies and alter

machine learning and chatbots, technology has smartly

our game with an eye on the ever-changing digital landscape, hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

digitalized the ways in which any organization attracts and engages

a look at what will rule this segment in 2018. While the forthcoming

audiences. With so many emerging technologies in the market,

year is poised to be a truly landmark one for all digital initiatives,

digital marketers are becoming well aware of which platform

letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s learn about the biggest trends that are expected to be at the

and technology to leverage to get the most out of their marketing

forefront of creating traction for brands:

Foreseeing the future in voice search

renâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t many of us already familiar with the concept

searching for anything on the internet. Voice search in

of voice search since Apple launched Siri for

the coming year will transform the way information and

iPhone users? Well, that concept is now the

communication is processed. The rise in voice searches

future as digital marketers and brands are now using it

will enable digital marketers in creating SEO optimized

tremendously to ease the efforts for their audience in

high quality content for promoting their businesses. n

104 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

Get the traffic on smartphones

t’s probably a gross understatement to say that the days of PCs and laptops are long gone. Consumer marketing in 2018 must focus on

millennials as a valuable audience. Unlike other generations of consumers, this lot has grown up with the internet and smartphones. Speedy purchase of products and prompt customer service are often the only determiners of brand success when it comes to engaging a millennial audience. The snapchatters and instagrammers of the world are obsessed with their mobiles and yearn for authentic experiences on the devices they are forever connected to. Thus, businesses are required to focus on a millennial-first

Live videos to be the content king

ive videos were already a rage in 2017with everyone from brands to individual users leveraging them to reach out to their target audiences and viewers. It’s not a surprise

then that this trend is growing remarkably as everyone wants

marketing strategy by optimizing the smartphone

to watch a live Facebook or Instagram video rather than read

experience they offer. While mobile was already a

a post or an online ad. This clearly indicates that live video

hit this year and it will continue to grow, businesses

content is the future. The real-time engagement that live

optimizing their websites for mobile will be able to

videos enable make them essential for a brand to realise their

attract higher traffic, as well as unlock better sales

power and focus on this increasingly popular medium in 2018

and engagement opportunities in 2018. n

to engage with their target audience. n

Guest Column

by invitation

Augmented reality incorporated through social media

ur mobile devices today have become extremely potent and all social media apps are getting integrated with AR with great

felicity. For instance, by tracking a user’s location,

brands can trigger sponsored AR content that can

Tapping social channels like Facebook & Instagram for ads

be accessed by them only in that specific region and time. Pokémon Go was the one to introduce this concept it’s not long before and Instagram and

eading social media platforms such as Facebook and

Facebook integrate this tech onto their platforms.

Instagram are ruling the digital media marketing

Given all these advancements, 2018 will be

game already. Nearly 800 million people are using

the year of the 3As for AR, as this innovative

Instagramevery month. Thanks to its recently introduced

technology becomes more acceptable, adaptable,

option of Instagram stories, its popularity has risen further

and affordable for mass marketing. n

giving Snapchat a solid run for its money.Facebook too has strengthened its ad functionality, beating platforms like Twitter. As a result, brands are foreseeing better engagement on these platforms through social media influencers to connect with their prospects.Given the performance that such targeted ads deliver, it is a good idea for businesses and brands to explore advertising on these platformsin 2018 as well. n

www.mymobileindia.com

The author is Co-Founder, Digiperform, a leading digital marketing training platform. With over 7 years of industry experience, Mr Vats has trained more than 2000 professionals and consulted over 30 corporate clients in the past 5 years in areas of online media planning, conversion optimization, content marketing strategies and much more.

february 2018 | 105

Great Deals

mobilesensex

bazaar bargain Vivo V7 The USP of the Vivo V7 is its selfie camera. The smartphone comes with a 24MP selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture and Moonlight Glow feature. The rear of the device houses a 16MP camera with f/2.0 aperture and LED flash. The smartphone runs Android 7.1 Nougat operating system out-ofthe-box and sports a 5.7-inch HD+ display with 18:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor paired with 4GB of RAM. It offers 32GB internal storage which can be expanded up to 256GB. The Vivo V7 comes equipped with a rear mounted fingerprint sensor and is backed by a 3000mAh battery. n

Launched at: Rs 76,000 Current Price: Rs 39,990

Google Pixel XL (Quite Black)

Launched at: Rs 18,990 Current Price: Rs 16,990

106 | february 2018

The Google Pixel XL comes with a 5.5-inch QHD AMOLED display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor. It comes equipped with 4GB of RAM and has two internal storage variants32GB and 128GB. The smartphone houses a 12.3megapixel primary shooter with dual-tone LED flash, with the front-facing snapper rated at 8-megapixel. It gets its fuel from a 3450mAh battery with Quick Charge tech and runs Android 7.1 Nougat. Still tagged as one of the most bankable devices, the Pixel XL come with a single-SIM slot and is accompanied by a fingerprint scanner at the back. n

MYMOBILE

Great Deals

mobilesensex

Asus ZenFone 3 Max 5.5 (ZC553KL) The smartphone features a 5.5 inch full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) 2.5D curved glass display. The Hybrid dual SIM phone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Zen UI 3.0 on the top. It sports a metal body and a Fingerprint sensor on its back. It is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 64-bit processor clocked at 1.4 GHz with Adreno 505 GPU. It packs 3GB LPDDR3 RAM and 32GB internal storage, expandable up to 128GB. It features a 16MP rear camera with dual-tone LED flash, f/2.0 aperture. At the front, it sports an 8MP camera with f/2.2 aperture and 84-degree field of view. n

Launched at: Rs 64,000 Current Price: Rs 54,999

Apple iPhone 8 (64GB) The iPhone 8 (launched alongside the iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X) comes with a 4.7-inch Retina HD LCD display and has the A11 Bionic chipset. On the camera front, there is a 12-megapixel rear shooter with Quad-LED True-tone flash, OIS, digital zoom up to 5x, while the front-facing snapper is rated at 7-megapixel with Retina flash. The iPhone 8 is backed by a 1980mAh battery, supporting wireless charging and runs iOS 11. It comes with a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button and is accompanied by dust and water resistance. The iPhone 8 comes in Silver, Gold and Space Grey colour options. n team@mymobile.co.in Launched at: Rs 17,999 Current Price: Rs 9,999

www.mymobileindia.com

(Note: Prices are those available at prominent dealers, online and/or offline. They may not reflect official price reductions)

february 2018 | 107

Subscription Final New gift March New offer-1.qxd

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5:51 PM

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MY GUIDE While My Mobile tries to ensure accuracy in the pricing and features any discrepancies that may emerge are beyond our control. Please check with the retailer about features of the phone before buying. Feel free to update us.

(Last updated on January 22, 2018)

Disclaimer : The prices quoted in My Guide are the Best Buy prices quoted by the respective companies, ex-Delhi. The prices may vary on account of promotional schemes or dealer discretion.

Devices featured in the My Guide have been segregated into different categories based on price and colour-coded as:

Up to Rs. 2,499 Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999 Rs. 6,000 – Rs. 9,999 Rs.10,000 – Rs. 14,999 Rs.15,000 – Rs. 19,999 Rs. 20,000 – Rs. 29,999 RS. 30,000 and above. Tablets

Spreadtrum—ST Intel Atom—IA Qualcomm Snapdragon—QS MediaTek—MT MediaTek Helio—MTH

FEBRUARY 2018 I 109

MYGUIDE UP TO RS. 2,499

UP TO RS. 2,499

MODELS

UP TO RS. 2,499

PARAMETERS

HITECH Pride 350

Model

I-SMART 103

NEW

102 Cute

NEW

ITEL 204 Flip

NEW

LEPHONE

Smart Selfie it5231

2.8

1.8

2.4

2.4/ 240 x 320

1.8

2.4

131 x 58 x 10.2

112x46.5x13.5

100x50x15

124.5 x 54 x 11.4

112x46.5x13.9

Weight (grams)

Processor/RAM

Spreadtrum 6531DA/NA

Speadtrum 6531da

Speadtrum6533

Speadtrum 6531da

360MHz/64Mb

312MHz /32MB

Operating system

Nucleus

Storage/Expandable

32+32MB

64MB/32GB

32MB / 32GB

Rear/Front Camera

1.3 MP/NA

0.8/NA

0.08MP/0.3MP

Digital Camera

0.3 MP

1,800

1,000

850

580

1900

1000

1450

2G/3G/4G

Yes/No/No

Dual SIM

Yes

YES

Yes/Yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

YES

Launched

May, 2016

August, 2016

1,549

650

684

1,190

1,335

674

950

Display (inches/res) Dimension (mm)

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

UP TO RS. 2,499

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

MODELS

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

LEPHONE

PARAMETERS

HONOR

HITECH

IN-FOCUS

Model

Sleek 9

Honor Bee

Amaze S9

Air A8

Bingo 10 (M415)

Display (inches/res)

2.4

4.5/ 854 x 480

5.0/ 540 x 960

4.5/ 480 x 854

Dimension (mm)

123x51.8x14.9

100 x 42 x 13.4

134.3 x 66.7 X 10

140 x 66.88 x 9.65

140.2 x 72.4 x 8.8

135.65 x 67.38 x 10.43

Weight (grams)

102

170

150

152

140

Processor/RAM

312MHz /32MB

ST SC 7732/1GB

ST 7731/512MB

ST 7731/1GB

MT 6580A/1GB

Android OS, v4.4

5.1 Lollipop

5.2 Lollipop

Android OS, 6.0

Storage/Expandable

32MB / 32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera

Digital Camera/ Digital Camera

0.1 MP

8MP/2MP

5MP/2MP

8MP/2MP

5MP/5MP

2,500

800

1,730

1,400

2,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Dual SIM

YES

Yes

Music Player/FM

YES

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

October, 2016

May, 2015

April, 2016

999

1,325

4,999

2,999

4,999

4,399

Operating system

Battery (mAh)

Launch Price Rs.

110 I FEBRUARY 2018

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

MODELS

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

PARAMETERS

IN-FOCUS

INTEX

I-SMART

Bingo 21 (M 430)

Aqua Fish

Cloud Glory 4G

Cloud String HD

Aqua Classic 2

4.5/ 854 x 480

5/720x1280

4.5/ 480 x 854

5/ 720 x 1280

5/480/854

5/854x480

4.5/854x480

Dimension (mm)

136.8 x 67 x 10.95

142.4x72x9.6

134.2 x 68 x 9

144.5 x 72.5 x 8.7

145.2x72.6x10.9

143.5x73.6x9.5

135.2x66x10.8

Weight (grams)

152

150

120

150

Model Display (inches/res)

is-59

NEW

i1-Mini

NEW

120

109

ST Shark/2GB

Quad core/2GB

MT 6735M/ 1GB

SC 9832A/ 1GB

qcta-core/1GB

1.2GHz, quad-core/1GB

1.3Ghz quadcore/512MB

Operating system

Android 5.1

Sailfish 2.0

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 6.2

Storage/Expandable

8GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

8GB/ 32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera

8MP/5MP

8MP/2MP

5MP/2MP

8MP/2MP

5MP/2MP

2,300

2500

1,800

2,200

2200

2,200

2,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes

March, 2016

February,2016

June, 2016

May, 2016

Launched

5,499

3,999

5,599

2,999

3,199

Processor/RAM

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

MODELS

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

4,600

ITEL

PARAMETERS

Model

MICROMAX

Power Pro it1410 Canvas Juice 3 Q393

M-TECH

Canvas Spark 3

Canvas Bolt Selfie

EROS PLUS

TURBO 4G

TEZ 4G

4/ 800 x 480

5.0/720 x 1280

5.5/720x1280

4.5/854x480

5 FWVGA TN

5 FWVGA IPS

Dimension (mm)

124x64.7x12.2

144.9x73.3x9.5

146.6x73.6x11.5

144x72.5x8.8

Weight (grams)

142

171

Processor/RAM

Dual core, 1.3 GHz/512MB

MT6580/2GB

quad-core/1GB

MTK6735/1GB

Operating system

Android4.4

Android 5.1

Android Nougat

Storage/Expandable

8GB/32GB

1GB/8GB/64GB

2.0MP/0.3MP

8MP/2MP

8MP/5MP

5MP/5MP

0.3MP/5MP

2MP/5MP

2,800

4,000

2,500

1,750

2,000

2,400

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

May, 2016

March, 2016

May, 2016

November, 2017

August, 2017

3,339

4,171

4,848

4,849

4,299

4,699

4,799

Display (inches/res)

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

1.3GHz Quad Core 1.3GHz Quad Core 1.3GHz Quad Core

FEBRUARY 2018 I 111

MYGUIDE Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

MODELS

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

M-TECH

VIDEOCON

EROS 4G

Delite11

Astra Metal 4G

Astra Colors 4G

Astra NXT+

Zi-34

Astra Prism

Display (inches/res)

5 FWVGA IPS

5/1280x720

5/480X854

5/720X1280

4 inch

3.5 inch

5 inch

Dimension (mm)

72.4x142.7x9.3

146.66X74.3X10.52

143.8X73.3X10.4

142.9X71.65X11

125.4X64.2X13

116.2X61.4X11.3

134.4X67X10.1

Weight (grams)

136

151

171

182

130

108

119

1.3GHz Quad Core

Quad-core/1GB

1.5Ghz Quadcore ARM

Spreadtrum

Operating system

Android Nougat

Android 6.0

Android 4.4.2

Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable

1GB/8GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

1GB/8GB

256 MB/512 MB

512 MB/4GB

0.3MP/5MP

5MP/2MP

5MP/5MP

2MP/0.3MP

0.3MP/ 0.3MP

0.3MP/2MP

2,000

3,000

4,000

2,000

1,200

1,700

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

October, 2017

Launched

4,999

5,840

5,553

6,499

3,703

2,993

3,813

PARAMETERS

Model

Processor/RAM

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

ZIOX

512MB+4GB(DDR2) 2xCortex-A7,32bit

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

1.2 GHz Quadcore

ZIOX

PARAMETERS

ASUS

CELKON

CENTRIC

Zenfone Max

Q550

5.5/720 x 1280

5.5/ 720 x 1280

5.0/720 x 1280

5 HD IPS

135x68x10.2

152.5 x 77.2 x 3.9

156 x 77.5 x 10.55

145.6 x 71.8 x 8

141x70.5x8.6

130

170

202

149

143

QS 410/2GB

QS 615/ 2GB, 3GB

Broadcom/2GB

1.3GHz Quad Core

Astra Zing

Astra NXT Pro

Astra Blaze

4 inch

4.5/480x854

Dimension (mm)

124X64X10.1

123.5x64.2x10.5

Weight (grams)

105

111

Processor/RAM

1.2 GHz Quadcore

Model Display (inches/res)

Quad-core A7MP 1.3GHz Quad-Core

Zenfone 2 Laser ZE550KL

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 7

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Android Kitkat 4.4.2

Android Nougat

Storage/Expandable

512MB/4GB

1GB/8GB

16GB/128GB

16GB/32GB, 64GB

16GB/32GB

2GB/16GB/256GB

Rear/Front Camera

0.3MP/2MP

2MP/0.3MP

0.3MP/2MP

13MP/5MP

8MP/2MP

13MP/5MP

1,400

1,900

2,000

3,000

5,000

2,500

3,050

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Music Player/FM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Launched

August, 2015

May, 2016

2,014

January, 2018

3,653

3,899

4,499

9,299

9,325/ 12,999

7,499

6,749

Battery (mAh)

Launch Price Rs.

112 I FEBRUARY 2018

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

COMIO

PARAMETERS

COOLPAD

Note 3

Note 3s

Note 5 Lite

5 HD IPS

5.2 HD IPS

5.5 HD IPS

5.5/720 x 1280

5.5/1920x1080

5/1280X970

Dimension (mm)

143.5X71.3X9.35

144X71.6X9.9

149X72.6X7.9

152.85X76.14X9.2

152 x 77 x 9

154.5x77x8.6

145.3X72.3X8.7

Weight (grams)

175

165

159

178

150

167

148

MT6753/3GB

octa-core/3GB

MT6735/3GB

Model Display (inches/res)

Processor/RAM

1.3GHz Quad Core 1.3GHz Quad Core 1.3GHz Quad Core 1.3GHz Quad Core Android Nougat

Android Nougat

Android 5.1

Android6.0

Storage/Expandable

1GB/32GB

2GB/16GB

2GB/32GB

3GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

32GB/32GB

16GB

Rear/Front Camera

8MP/5MP

8MP/8MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

2,200

4,000

2,700

5,000

3,000

2,500

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

August, 2017

September, 2017

August, 2017

October, 2015

November,2016

March, 2017

5,999

7,199

8,999

9,999

8,999

9,999

8,199

Operating system

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

PARAMETERS

GIONEE

HONOR

HITECH

IN-FOCUS

Honor Holly 3

Honor Holly 2 Plus

Air A9

M 350 (16GB)

M680

M810

5.0/720x1280

5.5/1920x1080

4.8/720 x 1280

5.0-inch, 720 x 1280

5.0/720 x 1280

5.5/720x1280

5.5/1080x1920

Dimension (mm)

143.1 x 71.8 x 9.7

140.2 x 72.4 x 8.8

151 x 71.5 x 10.6

156 x 76.8 x 7.25

153.70 x 76.20 x 6.99

Weight (grams)

160

152

146

158

155

Processor/RAM

Quad-core/2GB

Kirin 620/2GB

MT6735P /2GB

MT 3735M/2GB

MT6732/2GB

MT 6753/2GB

QS 801/ 2GB

Android 6.0

Android 5.1.1

Android 5.1

Android 4.4.2

Android 5.1

Android 5.0

16GB

16GB/128GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

8MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

8MP/8MP

13MP/13MP

13MP/5MP

2,300

3,100

4,000

3,500

2,500

2,600

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/-

Yes/Yes

December,2016

October, 2016

February, 2016

June, 2015

December, 2015

July, 2015

9,999

8,499

6,999

8,999

9,999

Model Display (inches/res)

Operating system Storage/Expandable Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

FEBRUARY 2018 I 113

MYGUIDE RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

INTEX

PARAMETERS

Aqua S7

Model

Aqua Secure

I-SMART Aqua View

IS-57i

IS-56i HD Mercury V6

ITEL Ultra 50

Wish it1512

5/720x1280

4.5/ 480 x 854

5/ 720 x 1280

5/HD IPS, MiraVision, 5.0-inch/480 x 854 5.0-inch/720 x 1280 cast screen

Dimension (mm)

142.5x72.5x8.7

133.5 x 66.5 x 9.4

124 x 64 x 10.3

146.72 x 72.85 x 8.73 143.54 x 71.55 x 8.52 148.24X72.56X11.44

143x72x8.65

Weight (grams)

150

130

146

155

170

186

Processor/RAM

Quad core/3GB

MTK6735M/ 1GB

MTK6735P/ 1GB

Quad Core/1 GB

1.3GHz Quad Core

Quad core/1GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Android 4.4.2

Marshmallow 6.0

Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable

16GB/64GB

8GB/ 32GB

16GB/ 32GB

8GB/64GB

3GB/32GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera

13MP/5MP

5MP/ 2MP

8MP/5MP

8.0MP/3.2MP

13MP/5MP

5.0MP/2.0MP

3,200

1,900

2,200

2,100

2,500

3,000

2,500

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/ Yes/ Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

Music Player/FM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

September, 2016

May, 2016

June, 2016

September, 2016

September, 2015

Launched

June, 2016

9,499

6,499

8,999

6,499

6,999

9,990

6,000

Display (inches/res)

Battery (mAh)

Launch Price Rs.

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

5/FWVGA/TN

PARAMETERS

ITEL

KARA

LAVA

Power Pro it1553

Mega 1

Mega 4

Mega 2

X10

Pixel V2

X50+

5.5)

5.5, Full HD

5.0-inch, HD IPS,

5.0/ 720 x 1280

5.5/1280x720

Dimension (mm)

138.5x69.5x9.8

152.4x77.1x9.5

152.4X77.1X9.5

142 x 70.8 x 7.9

141.6 x 70.8 x 7.6

155x71.8x8.85

Weight (grams)

184

133

128

155

Processor/RAM

Quad core/1GB

1.2 GHz,Quad Core

1.3GHz Quad Core(64bit)

Quad core /3GB

Quad Core/ 2GB

quad-core/2GB

Operating system

Android 5.1

Marshmallow 6.0

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable

16GB/32GB

3GB/32GB/64GB

1GB/16GB

2GB/16GB

16GB/32GB

32GB/32GB

8.0MP/2.0MP

13MP/5MP

8MP/2MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

8MP/5MP

5,050

4,000

2,000

3,000

2,900

2,500

2,800

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

152.4X77.1X9.5

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

June, 2016

June, 2017

Launched

November, 2015

September, 2015

7,290

7,950

4,500

6,500

9,999

8,499

Model Display (inches/res)

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

114 I FEBRUARY 2018

9,199

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

LEPHONE

PARAMETERS

W7+

W12

W15

W21

W11

4.5/854X480

5/854X480

5/1280X720 IPS

5 inch/1280X720

5/1280X720

5.5/1280X720

5 inch/1280X720

Dimension (mm)

134.5X68X10.2

143.6x72.5x10

143.6x72.5x9.1

145.2X72.4X10

144.2x72x8.8

152.8x76.9x8.6

144X72.4X9.5

Weight (grams)

126

177

151

148

142

164

161

Model Display (inches/res)

Processor/RAM

1.3GHz Quad Core 1.3GHz Quad Core 1.3GHz Quad Core 1.3GHz Quad Core 1.3GHz Quad-Core 1.3GHz Quad-Core 1.3GHz Quad Core Android 6.0, Marshmallow

Android 6.0, Marshmallow

Android 6.0

1GB/8GB/32GB

1 GB/8 GB

1GB/16GB/32GB

2GB/16GB/32GB

1GB/16GB/32GB

2MP/VGA

5MP/2MP

5MP/5MP

8MP/2MP

8MP/5MP

8MP/2MP

1,500

2,000

1,800

2,000

2,500

2,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

"Yes "

Yes

Music Player/FM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

Launched

4,499

4,999

5,999

6,399

6,499

6,799

6,999

Operating system Storage/Expandable Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Launch Price Rs.

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

PARAMETERS

Model Display (inches/res)

LENOVO

LYF

K6 Power

Wind 5

Canvas Unite 4

Canvas Amaze 2

Canvas XP 4G

Canvas 5

5/1920x1080

5/ 720 x 1280

5/ 480 x 854

5.0/ 1280 x 720

5/ 720 x 1280

5.0/720 x 1280

5.2/1080 x 1920

Dimension (mm)

141.9x70.3x9.3

Weight (grams)

145

144.6 x 72.8 x 8.45 143.6 x 72.5 x 8.95 137

MICROMAX

MTK 6735P/1GB

QS415/ 2GB

MT6735P/3GB

MT6753/3GB

Processor/RAM

QS 430/3GB

MT6735P/ 1GB

1.1GHz Quad Core/ 1.5GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Android 5.0.2

Android 5.1

Storage/Expandable

32GB/128GB

8GB/ 32GB

8GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

8GB/ 32GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

13MP/8MP

8MP/ 5MP

5MP/5MP

8MP/5MP

13MP/ 5MP

8MP/2MP

13MP/5MP

4,000

2,000

2,125

2,500

2,000

2,900

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/ Yes/ Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/ Yes/ Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/-

Yes/Yes

November,2016

June, 2016

January, 2016

June, 2016

May, 2016

November, 2015

9,999

6,599

8,690

6,999

7,499

9,999

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

FEBRUARY 2018 I 115

MYGUIDE RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MICROMAX

PARAMETERS

Model Display (inches/res)

MOTOROLA

NOKIA

NUU

PANASONIC

Canvas Unite 4 Pro

Canvas Sliver 5

Moto G4 Play

Moto E4/Plus

Nokia 3

Q626

P55 Max

5.0/ 1280 x 720

4.8/720 x 1280

5/720x1280

5/5.5/1280x720

5/1280X720

5/1280 x 720

5.5/1280x720

143.4x71.4x8.4

141.2x70.3x7.3

152 x 72.6 x 8.7

Dimension (mm)

5.1mm thick

144.4x72x9.9

144.5x72x9.3/ 155x77.5x9.55

Weight (grams)

137

150,/181

148

180

Processor/RAM

Quad core/ 2GB

QS 410 /2GB

QS 410/2GB

MTK6737

MT 6737

1.3GHz Quad Core

MTK6737

Operating system

Android 5.1

Android 5.0.2

Android 6.0

Android 7.1.1

Android 7.0

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Storage/Expandable

16GB/32GB

16GB/No

16GB/128GB

2/16/3/32GB

16GB/128GB

2GB/32GB/64GB

3GB/16GB

8MP/5MP

8MP/5MP/13MP/5MP

8MP/8MP

8MP/5MP

13MP/5MP

3,900

2,000

2,800

28,00/5,000

2,650

2,000

5,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

June, 2016

2,015

September, 2016

August, 2017

July, 2017

August, 2017

7,499

8,387

8,999

8,450 onwards

8,635

9,625

7,499

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

PARAMETERS

PANASONIC

SAMSUNG

TCL

XIAOMI

TCL 560

TCL 562

Redmi 2 Prime

5/720x1280

5.5/ 1280x720

5.5/1920x1080

4.7/720 x 1280

142.4 x 71.1 x 8.0

142.4x71.1x8

152x77x8

134.00 x 67.20 x 9.4

149

138

156

150

133

MT6737/MT6753

Quad core/ 2GB

Quad core/ 1.5GB

Quad core/2GB

QS 210/2GB

MT6755M/3GB

QS 410/2GB

Operating system

Android 7.0

Android 6.0

Android 4.4

Storage/Expandable

3GB/32GB

16GB/128GB

8GB/128GB

16GB/128GB

16GB/32GB

32GB/64GB

16GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera

5/13/13/13

8MP/5MP

13MP/5MP

8MP/2MP

Battery (mAh)

4,000/5,000

2,600

2,500

2,960

2,200

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

September, 2017

July, 2016

July,2016

July, 2016

July,2016

August, 2015

8,999/9,999

6,490

6,990

9,090

6,999

9,999

6,999

Eluga Ray 500/700

Galaxy On 5 Pro 5.0/ 1280 x 720

5.0/ 1280 x 720

Dimension (mm)

5/5.5/720 x 1280/ 1080 x 1920 144.3 x 71.3 x 9.2/ 153.8 x 75.4 x 8.9

142.3 x 72.1 x 8.5

Weight (grams)

163/182

Processor/RAM

Model Display (inches/res)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

116 I FEBRUARY 2018

Galaxy J2 (2016) Galaxy J2 Pro (2016)

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

XIAOMI

PARAMETERS

Redmi 3S/ 3s Prime Redmi Note Prime

Model

VIDEOCON

Redmi Note 3

Redmi 3s Plus

Redmi Note 4

Graphite2

Graphite1

5/ 1280X720

5.5/720 x 1280

5.5/1080 x 1920

5/1280x720

5.5/1080X1920

4.5/1280x720

Dimension (mm)

139.4 X 69.7 X 8.5

154 x 78.7 x 9.45

150 x 76 x 8.65

139.3x69.6x8.5

151X76X8.3

137.55X70.28X10

136.76X69X10

Weight (grams)

144

185

164

144

165

129

127

Processor/RAM

QS 430/ 2GB, 3GB

QS 410/2GB

QS 650/2GB,3GB

QS 430/2GB

QS625/2GB,3GB,4GB

Quad-core/1GB

Android 6.0

Android 4.4

Android 5.0.2

Android 6.0

16GB, 32GB/128GB

16GB/32GB

16GB,32GB/32GB

32GB/128GB

32GB/64GB

8GB/64GB

13MP/5MP

16MP/5MP

13MP/5MP

5MP/2MP

4,100

3,100

4,000

4000/4100

4,100

2,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes (Hybrid)

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/-

Yes/Yes

Yes/Yees

Yes/Yes

Launch

August, 2016

December, 2015

March, 2016

October,2016

January, 2017

Price Rs.

6,999/ 8,999

7,999

9,999/ 11,999

9,499

9,999

6,299

6,499

Display (inches/res)

Operating system Storage/Expandable Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

VIDEOCON

PARAMETERS

ZEN

Delite21

Krypton3

Ultra30

Ultra50

Yunique

Yuphoria

Cinemax 3

5/1280x720

5/1920X1080

4.7/720x1280

5.0/720x1280

5.5/720x1280

Dimension (mm)

146.66X74.3X10.52

144.5X73.14X9.74

144.31X73X10

Weight (grams)

151

153

186

128

143

August,2016

Processor/RAM

Quad-core/2GB

Quad-core/3GB

QS 410 / 1GB

Quad core / 2GB

Quad core/2GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.1.

Android 5.1.1

Android 5.1

Storage/Expandable

16GB/32GB

32GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

8MP/2MP

13MP/5MP

8MP/2MP

8MP/5MP

5MP/3.2MP

3,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

2,230

2,900

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

September, 2015

May, 2015

August, 2016

7,200

7,999

9,990

6,300

6,499

6,999

Model Display (inches/res)

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

148.24X72.56X11.44 134.5 x 67.5 x 8.3 142.4 x 73 x 8.2-9.35

FEBRUARY 2018 I 117

MYGUIDE RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

ZIOX

PARAMETERS

ZOPO

ZTE

ASUS

Model

Astra Star

Astra Curve 4G

Duopix F1

ZP331

Blade V6

ZenFone 2 (2GB/4GB)

Display (inches/res)

5/480x854

5/1280x720

4.5/ 854 x 480

5/ 1280 x 720

5.5/ 1080 x 1920

5.5/1080 x 1920

Dimension (mm)

145.6x72.7x10.2

146.5x73.1x10.3

145.2x71.7x9.1

133 x 65.7 x 8.5

142X69.5X6.8

152.5 x 77.2 x 10.9

156.5 x 77.2 x 10.8

Weight (grams)

150

160

148

113

122

170

Quad core/1GB

MTK 6735/2GB

IA Z3560 /2GB

QS615 /2GB,3GB

Android 5.0

Processor/RAM

1.3GHz Quad-Core 1.3GHz Quad-Core 1.3GHz Quad-Core

Zenfone Selfie

Operating system

Android 7.0

Android 5.1

Storage/Expandable

1GB/16GB

2GB/16GB

8 GB/64 GB

16GB/128GB

Rear/Front Camera

5MP/2MP

8MP/8MP+2MP

5 MP/2 MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/13MP

2,350

2,200

2,400

1,700

2,500

3,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/-

Launched

July, 2016

March, 2015

August, 2015

5,899

7,299

7,499

7,500

9,999

13,999, 18,999

10,999/ 16,999

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MODELS

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

16GB,32GB/128GB 16GB,32GB/128GB

ASUS

PARAMETERS

CENTRIC

COOLPAD

GIONEE

Model

Zenfone 3 lazer

Zenfone 3 Max(ZC520TL)

Coolpad Note 5

Cool 1

F 103 Pro

Marathon M5 Lite

Display (inches/res)

5.5/1920x1080

5.2/1280x720

5.5/1920x1080

5.50/1080x1920

5.0/ 1280 x 720

5.0/720 x 1280

149x76x7.9

149x73.7x8.55

152 x 76 x 7.8

152.00 x 74.80 x 8.20

145.3 x 70.5 x 8.5

143 x 69.9 x 8.5

148

160

173

142

182

Dimension (mm) Weight (grams) Processor/RAM

QS 430.4GB

Quad-core/3GB

QS 430

QS 617/4GB

1.4GHz octa-core

Quad core/ 3GB

Quad Core/3GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 7.1.1

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Storage/Expandable

32GB/128GB

32GB/32GB

3GB/32GB/256GB

32GB/64GB

32GB

16GB/128GB

32GB/128GB

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

8MP/5MP

3,000

4,100

3,000

4,010

4,000

2,400

4,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Music Player/FM

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Launch

October,2016

November,2016

November, 2017

October, 2016

January, 2017

July, 2016

December, 2015

18,999

12,999

10,999

13,999

11,999

13,000

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Price Rs.

118 I FEBRUARY 2018

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MODELS

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

HONOR

PARAMETERS

HTC

INFOCUS

LAVA

Honor 5C

Honor 5X

Honor 6X

Desire 630

Epic 1

Snap 4

Display (inches/res)

5.2/ 1920 x 1080

5.5/ 1080 x 1920

5.5/1080X1920

5.0/ 1280 x 720

5.5/1920x1080

5.2/720x1280

5.5/720x1280

Dimension (mm)

147.1 x 73.8 x 8.3

151.3 x 76.3 x 8.15

150.9X76.2X8.2

146.9 x 70.9 x 8.3

153x76x8.4

147.1 x 73.8 x 8.3

151.9 x 94.7 x 8.3

Weight (grams)

156

158

162

140

162

153

Processor/RAM

Kirin 650/ 2GB

QS 616 /2GB

Kirin 655

QS 400/2GB

Decca-core/3GB

Octa-core/4GB

Quad core/3GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.1.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Android 5.1

Storage/Expandable

16GB/128GB

32GB/64GB

16GB/2TB

32GB/128GB

64GB/128GB

16GB/32GB

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

12 and 2MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

16MP/8MP

13MP/8MP

3,000

3,340

2,200

3,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/-

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes

June, 2016

January, 2016

Jnauray 2017

February, 2016

November,2016

September, 2017

January, 2016

10,999

12,999

11,999

10,890

12,999

11,590

11,299

Model

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MODELS

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

LENOVO

PARAMETERS

Phab 2

Vibe K4 Note

Vibe S1

Phab Plus

Vibe K5 Note

Phab 2 Plus

K8 Note

Display (inches/res)

6.4/1920x1080

5.5/1080x1920

5.0/1080x1920

6.8/1080 x 1920

5.5/1920x1080

6.4/1920x1080

5.5/1080 x 1920

Dimension (mm)

175x89.5x6.89

186.6 x 96.6 x 7.6

152x75.7x8.49

174x88x5.5

154.5 x 75.9 x 8.5

Weight (grams)

225

158

132

229

165

218

180

Processor/RAM

MTK8735/3GB

MT 6753/3GB

MT6752/3GB

QS 615 /2GB

Helio P10/4GB

MT/3GB

MT Decacore/3GB/4GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.1.

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Android 7.1.1

Storage/Expandable

32GB/128GB

16GB/128GB

32GB/128GB

32GB/64GB

32GB/128GB

32GB/64GB/256GB

13MP/5MP

13MP/8 MP + 2 MP

13MP/5MP

13MP.8MP

13MP,13MP/8MP

13+5MP/13MP

4,050

3,300

2,420

3,500

4,050

4,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/-

Yes/Yes

Yes

December,2016

January, 2016

November, 2015

October, 2015

Jaunuary,2016

November,2016

August, 2017

11,999

12,999

14,999

13,499

14,999

12,999

Model

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

153.67 X 76.45 X 9.14 143.3 x 70.8 x 7.8

FEBRUARY 2018 I 119

MYGUIDE RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MODELS

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

PARAMETERS

LYF

MICROMAX

MOTOROLA

K 10

X Screen

G4 Stylus

Canvas 6

Canvas 6 Pro

Moto G Turbo Edition

Display (inches/res)

5.5/1920x1080

5.3/ 1280 x 720

4.93/ 1280x720

5.7/ 720 x 1280

5.5/1920 x 1080

5.0/720 x 1280

Dimension (mm)

155.5x77.6x7.9

146.6x74.8x8.8

142.6 x 71.8 x 7.1

154.4 x 79.2 x 9.4

142.1 x 72.4 x 11.6

Weight (grams)

153

140

120

163

155

Processor/RAM

QS 617/3GB

QS 410/2GB

QS 400 /1GB

MT6753/3GB

Helio x10/4GB

QS 615 /2GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Android 5.0

Android 5.1

Android 5.1.1

Storage/Expandable

32GB/128GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/128GB

16GB/32GB

32GB/128GB

Yes/Yes

16GB/32GB

16MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

3,200

2,300

3,000

2,470

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/-

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

October,2016

January, 2016

July, 2016

May, 2015

May, 2016

2,015

13,099

12,999

12,990

13,869

10,999

Model

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MODELS

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MOTOROLA

PARAMETERS

NOKIA

NUBIA

Moto G4

Moto G4 Plus

G5 Plus

Nokia 5

Nokia 6

Z11 Mini

5.5/ 1920 x 1080

5.5/ 1920X1080

5.2/1980X1080

5.2/ 720x1280

5.5/1920X1080

5/1920x1080

5.5/1920x1080

Dimension (mm)

153 x 76.6 x 7.9

153X76.6X9.8

153X76X9.6

149.7 x 72.5 x 8.05

154 x 75.8 x 7.85

141.4x70x8

150.9x79x8.9

Weight (grams)

155

138

190

Processor/RAM

QS 617/2GB

QS 617/2GB,3GB

QS 625 Octa-core

QS 430

QS/3GB

MTK P10/3GB

Operating system

Android 6.0.1

Android 6.1

Android 7.0

Android 7.1.1

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable

16GB/128GB

16GB, 32GB/128GB

16GB/32GB

2GB/16GB

3BG/32GB

32GB/200GB

32GB/128GB

13MP/5MP

16MP/5MP

12MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

8MP/16MP

16MP/8MP

13MP/13MP

3,000

2,800

5,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/yes

Dual SIM

Yes

yes

Yes/No

Yes

Yes/Yes

May, 2016

May,2016

March, 2017

July, 2017

October,2016

December,2016

10,499

13,499/ 14,999

12,999

12,499

14,299

12,999

11,999

Model Display (inches/res)

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

120 I FEBRUARY 2018

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MODELS

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

NUU

PARAMETERS

PANASONIC

SAMSUNG

Eluga Note

Eluga Arc

Eluga Pulse X

Eluga A3/A3 Pro

Galaxy On7

Galaxy J5

5.5/1920 x 1080

5.5/ 1920 x 1080

4.7/720x1280

5.5/1280X720

5.2/720 x 1280

5.5/1280 x 720

5.0/1280 x 720

Dimension (mm)

153x76.5x7.8

146.00x74.50x8.10

139 x 67 x 8.10

148.7 x 72.4 x 9.1

77.5x151.8x8.2

142.1 x 71.8 x 7.9

Weight (grams)

170

142

130

152

161

171

146

Processor/RAM

1.5GHz Octa Core

Octa Core/3GB

QS 410/2GB

Quad-core/3GB

Quad-core/1.5GB

Android 7.0

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Android 5.1

3GB/32GB/128 GB

32GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/128GB

16GB/32GB/128GB

8GB/128GB

13MP/5MP

16MP/5MP

8MP/5MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

2,950

3,000

1,800

3,000

4,000

3,000

2,600

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

August,2017

July, 2016

April,2016

March, 2017

August, 2017

October, 2015

June, 2015

12,100

10,290

10,190

10,990

11,290/12,790

10,990

10,390

Model Display (inches/res)

Operating system Storage/Expandable Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MODELS

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS

XIAOMI

Galaxy J Max

Galaxy J5 (2016)

Galaxy J7

J5 Prime

Galaxy On7 Pro

Mi 4i

Mi Max

7.0/ 1280 x 800

5.2/1280x720

5.5/720 x 1280

5/1080x720

5.5/1280 x 720

5.0/1080 x 1920

6.44/1920x1080

Dimension (mm)

186.9 x 108.8 x 8.7

145.7 x 72.3 x 8.1

152.2 x 78.6 x 7.5

142.8x69.5x8.1

151.8 x 77.5 x 8.2

138.1 x 69.6 x 7.8

173.1x88.3x7.5

Weight (grams)

158

171

143

171

130

203

Processor/RAM

Quad core/1.5GB

QS 410/2GB

Octa Core/1.5GB

Quad-core/2GB

Quad core/ 2GB

QS 615/2GB

QS 650,652/3GB,4GB

Operating system

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable

8GB/200GB

16GB/128GB

16GB/256GB

16GB/128GB

16GB,32GB/No

32GB,128GB/128GB

8MP/2MP

13MP/5MP

8MP/5MP

13MP/5MP

16MP/5MP

4,000

3,100

3,000

2,400

3,000

3,120

4,850

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

July, 2016

May, 2016

2,015

September,2016

July, 2016

April, 2015

June,2016

11,400

13,990

11,890

12,990

10,900

11,999/ 14,999

10,999

Model Display (inches/res)

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

FEBRUARY 2018 I 121

MYGUIDE RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MODELS

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

PARAMETERS

Model Display (inches/res) Dimension (mm)

VIDEOCON

VIVO

Cube3

Y51L

Y55L

Y55S

Yureka Plus (YU5510A,YU5510 )

5/1280x720

5.0/ 540x960

5.2/1280x720

5.5/1080x1920

5.5/(1080X1920)

6.0/1080 x 1920

147.9x72.9x7.5

155 x 78 x 9

153.3X75.4X8.5

144.5X73.14X9.74 143.80 x 71.70 x 7.52

Yunicorn

Yureka Note

Weight (grams)

152.5

157

142

154

172

Processor/RAM

Quad-core/3GB

QS 410/2GB

QS 430/2GB

QS 425/3GB

QS 615/2GB

MT Helio P10/4GB

MTK6753T/3GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.0.2

Android 6.0

Android 4.4.4

Androis 5.1.1

Android 5.1.1

Storage/Expandable

32GB/64GB

16GB/128GB

16GB/256GB

16GB/32GB

32GB/128GB

16GB/Yes

Rear/Front Camera

13MP/5MP

8MP/5MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

3000

2,350

2,650

2,730

2,500

4,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

yes/yes/yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

yes

Yes/Yes

January, 2016

October,2016

March, 2017

July, 2015

May,2016

April, 2016

10,490

10,700

11,980

12,490

8,999

12,999

13,499

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MODELS

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

ZOPO

PARAMETERS

ASUS

CREO

ZP350

ZP370

Hero 1

Zenfone 2 Laser ZE601KL

Display (inches/res)

5.0 / 1280 x 720

5.5/ 1280 x 720

5.0/1280 x 720

5.5/1920 x 1080

6.0/ 1080 x 1920

5.5/1920x1080

5.5/ 1440x2560

Dimension (mm)

145.9 x 71.4 x 8.5

153.8 x 77.1 x 9

146.1 x 70.6 x 8.65

155.7 x 77.3 x 8.9

164.6 x 84 x 10.6

151.4x76.24x8.3

155.4 x 76.1 x 8.7

Weight (grams)

137

167

136

175

190

175

190

Processor/RAM

Quad-core/1GB

Ouad-core/1GB

Quad-core/2GB

QS 801/3GB

QS 616/3GB

QS 430/3GB

Helio X10 /3GB

Operating system

Android 5.1

Android 5.1.1

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Android 5.1.1

Storage/Expandable

8GB/64GB

16 GB/64 GB

64GB/No

32GB/128GB

32GB/-

8.0MP/2.0MP

13.2 MP/5.0MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

16MP/8MP

21MP/8MP

2,100

3,000

2,500

4,100

3,000

4,100

3,100

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/-

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Model

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

122 I FEBRUARY 2018

ZENFONE 3 MAX(ZC553KL)

Mark 1

May, 2016

December, 2015

November,2016

April,2016

10,000

11,000

14,500

13,499

16,499

17,999

19,999

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

MODELS

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

GIONEE

PARAMETERS

HTC

Model

Marathon M5

S6s

Desire 728 LTE

Desire 828

Desire 825

HTC 10 Lifestyle

Display (inches/res)

5.5/ 720 x 1280

5.5/1920x1080

5.5/ 720 x 1280

5.5/720 x 1280

5.5/ 1280 x 720

5.5/1920x1080

Dimension (mm)

152 x 76 x 8.6

151.9 x 74.6 x 6.9

154.5x75.6x8.15

157.9 x 77.8 x 7.8

157.9 x 77.8 x 7.89

156.9 x 76.9 x 7.4

156.9x76.9x7.7

Weight (grams)

211

147

166

153

148

155

1.3GHZ OCTA CORE/3GB

MT6753/2GB

MT6753/1.5GB

QS 400/2GB

QS 400/3GB

MT6735/3GB

MT6753T /3GB

Android 5.1

Android 5.1.1

Android 6.0

Android 5.1.1

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

32GB/128GB

32gb/128gb

16GB/200GB

16GB/2TB

32GB/2TB

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

6,020

3,150

3,159

2,800

2,700

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

November,2015

November, 2015

August,2016

November, 2015

February, 2016

September,2016

17,500

19,999

17, 999

12,999

15,300

12,550

15,990

Processor/RAM Operating system Storage/Expandable Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

MODELS

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

LENOVO

PARAMETERS

LYF

MOTOROLA

Vibe P1

Vibe Shot

Vibe X3

Z2 Plus

Earth 1

Earth 2

Moto X Play

5.5/1080x1920

5.0/1080 x 1920

5.5/1080x1920

5/1920x1080

5.5/1080x1920

5/1920x1080

5.5/1080 x 1920

Dimension (mm)

152.9 x 75.6 x 9.9

142.7 x 70 x 7.6

154 x 76.5 x 9.3

140.2x60x6.2

154 x 76.6 x 7.25

142x76x7.9

148 x 75 x 10.9

Weight (grams)

187

145

175

150

162.5.

140

169

Processor/RAM

QS615 /2GB

QS 615/3GB

QS 808 /3GB

QS 820/3GB,4GB

QS 615/3GB

QS615 /2GB

Operating system

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 5.1.1

Android 5.1

Android 5.1.1

Storage/Expandable

32GB/128GB

32GB,64GB/128GB

32GB/32GB

32GB/64GB

16GB,32GB/128GB

13MP/5MP

16MP/8MP

21MP/8MP

13MP/8MP

13MP + 2MP/5MP

13MP/13MP

21MP/5MP

5,000

3,000

3,500

2500

3,630

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/-

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

October, 2015

June, 2015

December, 2015

September,2016

January, 2016

15,499

18,500

19,999

19,499

Model Display (inches/res)

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

Sept, 2015 19,999

15,999

FEBRUARY 2018 I 123

MYGUIDE RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

MODELS

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

NEXTBIT

OPPO

Robin

F1 S

Galaxy J7 (2016)

Galaxy On8

On Nxt

J7 Prime

J7 Max

5.2/ 1080 x 1920

5.5/1280x720

5.5/1920x1080

5.7/1920x1080

Dimension (mm)

149 x 72 x 7

154 x 76 x 7.38

76 x 151 x 7.8

151.7x76x7.8

151.7x75x8

151.7x75x8.1

Weight (grams)

160

169

167

PARAMETERS

Model Display (inches/res)

SAMSUNG

QS 808/3GB

MTK 6750/3GB

Exynos 7870/2GB

Octa-core/3GB

OCTA-CORE MEDIATEK

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.1.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Storage/Expandable

32GB/ 100GB (ONLINE)

32GB/128GB

16GB/128GB

32GB/256GB

16MP/256GB

4GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera

13MP/5MP

13MP/16MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/13MP

2,680

3,075

3,300

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/yes

Yes/Yes

May, 2016

August, 2016

May, 2016

September,2016

October,2016

September,2016

July, 2017

19,999

16,444

14,900

12,090

14,900

17,290

Processor/RAM

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

MODELS

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

VIVO

PARAMETERS

XIAOMI

ZOPO

APPLE

ASUS

MIMax 2

ZOPO SPEED 7 PLUS

iPhone 5S

Zenfone 3

Zenfone 3 Ultra

5.0/1280×720

5.5/1280x720

6.44/1080 x 1920

5.5/ 1920 x 1080

4.0/640 x 1136

5.2,5.5/(1920x1080)

6.8/(1920x1080)

Dimension (mm)

143.6 x 71 x 7.5

153.8x75.5x7.55

174.1 x 88.7 x 7.6

153.6 x 76.5 x 8.8

Weight (grams)

138

154

211

164

112

144

233

Processor/RAM

QS 616/3GB

octa-core/4GB

QS 625/4GB

Octa-core /3GB

Dual-core/1GB

QS 625/3GB,4GB

QS 652/4GB

Operating system

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.1.1

Android 5.1

iOS 9.2.1

Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable

32GB/128GB

64/128GB

16 GB/64 GB

16GB,32GB,64GB/No

32GB,64GB/2TB

64GB/128GB

13MP/8MP

13MP/20MP

12/5MP

13 MP/5.0MP

8MP/1.2MP

16MP/8MP

23MP/8MP

2,550

3,000

5,300

3,000

1,560

4,600

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/-

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes

May, 2016

November,2016

August, 2017

September, 2013

August,2016

August, 2016

15,250

16,990

16,999

17,500

19,280 onwards

21,999/ 27,999

29,999

Model Display (inches/res)

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

124 I FEBRUARY 2018

123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 146.87 x 73.98 x 7.69 186.4 x 93.9 x 6.8

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

MODELS

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

BLACKBERRY

COOLPAD

DTEK 50

Max

M5 Plus

S6 Pro

Honor 8

Honor 7

5.2/1920x1080

5.5/1920x1080

6.0/1920 x 1080

5.5/1920x1080

5.2/1920x1080

5.2/1080 x 1920

5.5/ 1080 x 1920

Dimension (mm)

147x72.5x7.4

152x75.5x7.6

153x75.3x7.6

145.5x71x7.45

143.2 x 71.9 x 8.5

153.9 x 75.9 x 7.99

Weight (grams)

135

170

210.8g

170

153

157

170

Processor/RAM

QS 617/3GB

QS 617/4GB

Octa Core/3GB

octa-core/4GB

Kirin 950/4GB

HS Kirin 935/3GB

MT H X10/ 3GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable

16GB/2TB

64GB/128GB

64GB/256GB

32GB/128GB

16GB/128GB

32GB/2TB

Rear/Front Camera

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

12MP,12MP/8MP

20MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

3000

2,800

5,020

3,130

2,900

3,100

3,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

yes/yes/yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

November,2016

May, 2016

October,2016

October, 2016

July, 2015

May, 2016

21,000

24,999

27,000

21,130

29,000

22,999

25,990

PARAMETERS

Model Display (inches/res)

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

GIONEE

HONOR

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

MODELS

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

HTC

PARAMETERS

MOTOROLA

Model

Desire 10 Pro

Stylus 2

Stylus 2 Plus

Nexus 5X

Moto Z Play

Z 2 Play

Display (inches/res)

5.5/1920x1080

5.7/1280X720

5.7/ 1920 x 1080

5.2/ 1080 x 1920

5.5/1920x1080

5.2/1080x1920

5.5/1920X1080

Dimension (mm)

156.5x76x7.86

155 x 79.6 x 7.4

155 X 79.6 X 7.4

147 x 72.6 x 7.9

156.4x76.4x6.99

148.4x73.4x8

156.2X76.2X5.99

Weight (grams)

165

145

146

136

165

163

145

Processor/RAM

Helio P10/4GB

Quad Core /2GB

Octa Core/3GB

QS 808/2GB

QS 625/3GB

QS630/3GB

QS 626/4GB

Android 6.0

Android 7.1

Android 7.1.1

64GB/2TB

16GB/2TB

32GB/2TB

16GB,32GB/No

32GB/2TB

32GB/64GB/256GB

64GB/2TB

20MP/13MP

13MP/8MP

16MP/8MP

12.3MP/5MP

16MP/5MP

12+8MP/16MP

12MP/5MP

3000

3,000

2,700

3,510

3,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

November,2016

May,2016

July, 2016

October, 2015

October,2016

October, 2017

July, 2017

26,490

20,500

24,000

24,490/30,645

20,490

20,990

24,999

Operating system Storage/Expandable Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

FEBRUARY 2018 I 125

MYGUIDE RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

MODELS

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

MOTOROLA

NUBIA

Moto X Style

Z11

OnePlus 5

Galaxy A7

5.7/ 1440 x 2560

5.5/1920z1080

5.5/1080p

5.5/1920x1080

5.5/1080 x 1920

6.01/1080x2160

5.5/1080 x 1920

Dimension (mm)

153.9 x 76.2 x 11.06

151.8x72.3x7.5

151.8x74.9x9.85

152.7x74.5x7.35

154.2 x 74.1 x 7.3

156.1x75x7.3

151 x 76.2 x 6.3

Weight (grams)

179

162

175

158

153

162

141

Processor/RAM

QS 808/3GB

QS 820/6GB

QS 810/3GB&4GB

QS 821/6GB

QS 835/8GB

QS835/6GB

Octa Core/2GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.1.1

Android 5.0.2

16GB,32GB/128GB

64GB/2TB

64GB

64GB/128GB

16GB/64GB

21MP/5MP

16MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

16MP/16MP

16+20MP/16MP

13MP/5MP

3,000

3000

3,300

3400

3,300

3300

2,600

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

September, 2015

December,2016

July, 2015

December.2016

June, 2017

November, 2017

February, 2015

26,999/ 28,999

29,999

22,999

22,000

32,999

22,900

PARAMETERS

Model Display (inches/res)

Storage/Expandable Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

ONEPLUS

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

MODELS

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS

Model

Galaxy A5 (2016)

SMARTRON

Galaxy A7 (2016) Galaxy A5/A7 (2017)

SONY

J7 Pro

t phone

Xperia C4

Xperia XA

Display (inches/res)

5.2/1080 x 1920

5.5/ 1080 x 1920

5.2/5.5/1080X1920

5.5/1920X1080

5.5/1920x1080

5.5/1080 x 1920

5.0/1280 x 720

Dimension (mm)

144.8 x 71 x 7.3

151.5 x 74.1 x 7.3

144.8 x 71 x 7.3/ 151.5X74.1X7.3

150.3 x 77.4 x 7.8

158.2x78.2x6.98

150.3 x 77.4 x 7.9

143.6 x 66.8 x 7.9

Weight (grams)

153

169

157/I86

157

149

147

137

QS 810/4GB

MT6752/2GB

MTK H P10/2GB

Octa Core/2GB

Octa Core/3GB

Octa Core/2GB/3GB

Octa core Exynos/3GB

Operating system

Android 5.1.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Android 6.0

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable

16GB/128GB

32GB/256GB

64GB

64GB/128GB

16GB/200GB

13MP/5MP

16MP/16MP/16MP/ 16MP

13MP/13MP

13MP/4MP

13MP/5MP

2,900

3,300

3000/3600

3,600

3,000

2,600

2,300

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/yYes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

April, 2016

December, 2015

March, 2017

July, 2017

July,2016

June, 2015

May, 2016

21,900

25,900

28,990/33,490

20,900

22,999

20,800

20,990

Processor/RAM

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

126 I FEBRUARY 2018

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

MODELS

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

SONY

PARAMETERS

XIAOMI

VIVO

Xperia Z3+

Xperia C5 Ultra Dual

Mi 5

X5 Pro

V3 Max

VIVO V5 Plus

V7 Plus

Display (inches/res)

5.2/ 1080 x 1920

6.0/1080 x 1920

5.15/1080 x 1920

5.2/ 1080 x 1920

5.5/1080 x 1920

5.5/1080X1920

5.99/720x1440

Dimension (mm)

146.3 x 71.9 x 6.9

164.2 x 79.6 x 8.2

144.5 x 69.2 x 7.25

147.9 x 73.5 x 6.4

153.9x77.1x7.58

152.6 x 74 x 7.3

155.9x75.8x7.7

Weight (grams)

144

187

129

151

168

159

160

Processor/RAM

QS 810 /3GB

MTK6752/2GB

QS 820/3GB

QS 615/2GB

QS 652/4GB

QS450/4GB

Operating system

Android 5.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 5.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.1.2

Storage/Expandable

32GB/128GB

16GB/200GB

32GB/No

16GB/128GB

32GB/128GB

64GB

64GB/256GB 16MP/24MP

Model

20.7MP/5MP

13MP/13MP

16MP/4MP

13MP/8MP

12MP and 8MP/ 16 MP

2,930

3,000

2,450

3,000

3,160

3,225

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

June, 2015

August, 2015

April, 2016

June, 2015

April, 2016

42,736

September, 2017

26,990

27,799

24,999

21,400

23,980

22,990

21,990

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

MODELS

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

APPLE

PARAMETERS

iPhone 6

iPhone 6Plus

iPhone SE

iPhone 6S

iPhone 6S Plus

iPhone 7

iPhone 7 Plus

Display (inches/res)

4.7/750 x 1334

5.5/1080 x 1920

4.0/640 x 1136

4.7/750 x 1334

5.5/1080 x 1920

4.7/1334x750

5.5/1920x1080

Dimension (mm)

138.1 x 67 x 6.9

158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1

123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6

138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1

158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3

138.3x67.1x7.1

158.2x77.9x7.3

Weight (grams)

129

172

113

143

192

138

188

Processor/RAM

A8,M8/1GB

A9,M9/2GB

A10 Fusion, M10/2GB

A10Fusion, M10/3GB

iOS 9

iOS 9.3

iOS 9

iOS 10

16GB,64GB/No

8MP/1.2MP

12MP/1.2MP

12MP/5MP

12MP/7MP

12MP,12MP/7MP

1,810

2,915

1,614

1,715

2,750

1,960

2,900

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes/No

September,2014

March, 2016

September,2015

October,2016

0ctober,2016

23,999

24,999 onwards

24,000 onwards

39,990 onwards

48,998 onwards

45,775 omwards

59,999 onwards

Model

Operating system Storage/Expandable Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

16GB,64GB,128GB/ No 16GB,64GB,128GB/ No 32GB/128GB/256GB 32GB/128GB/256GB

FEBRUARY 2018 I 127

MYGUIDE RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

MODELS

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

APPLE

PARAMETERS

ASUS

BLACKBERRY

8 Plus

Zenfone Zoom

Zenfone 3 Deluxe

ZenFone AR

DTEK 60

KEYone

4.7/750 x 1334

5.5/1080x1920

5.5/1080 x 1920

5.7/(1920x1080)

5.7/1440x2560

5.5/2560x1440

4.5/1080 x 1620

Dimension (mm)

138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3

158.4 x 78.1 x 7.5

158.9 x 78.8 x 11.95

156.4x74.4x7.5

158.7 x 77.7 x 9

153.9x75.4x7

149.1 x 72.4 x 9.4

Weight (grams)

148

200

185

172

170

165

180

Processor/RAM

A11 Bionic

IA Z3590/4GB

QS 820,821/6GB

QS 821/8GB

QS 820/4GB

QS625/3GB/4GB

iOS 11

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Android 6.0

Android 7.1

2GB/64GB/256GB

3GB/64GB/256GB

128GB/ 128GB

256GB/128GB

64/256GB

32GB/2TB

32GB/64GB/256GB

12MP/7MP

12MP/12MP/7MP

13MP/5MP

23MP/8MP

21MP/8MP

12MP/8MP

1,821

2,691

3,000

3,300

2,610

3,505

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/No

Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

September, 2017

January, 2016

September,2016

August, 2017

November,2016

August, 2017

61,990

70,800

26,999

25,999

49,990

29,999

39,990

Model Display (inches/res)

Operating system Storage/Expandable Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

MODELS

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

GOOGLE

PARAMETERS

HUAWEI

HTC

Pixel 2

Pixel 2 XL

Nexus 6P

One A9

HTC U Play/Ultra

5/1920x1080

6/1440X2880

5.7/1440 x 2560

5.2/1920x1080

5.0/1080 x 1920

5.2/ 2560X1440

5.2/1080X1920/ 5.7/2560X1440

Dimension (mm)

145.7x69.7x7.8

157.9x76.7x7.9

159.3 x 77.8 x 7.3

145x70.9x6.95

145.75 x 70.8 x 7.26

145.9 x 71.9x 9.0

162.41X79.79X7.99

Weight (grams)

143

175

178

144

143

161

145/175

Processor/RAM

QS835/4GB

QS810 /3GB

Kirin 955/3GB,4GB

QS 617/3GB

QS 820/4GB

MediaTek/QS821

Operating system

Android 8.0

Android 6.0

android 6.0

Android 6/Android 7

Storage/Expandable

64GB/128GB

32GB,64GB/No

32GB,64GB,/128GB

32GB/2TB

Rear/Front Camera

12.2MP/8MP

12.3MP/8MP

12MP,12MP/8MP

13MP/4MP

12MP/5MP

32GB/256GB/64GB/ 2TB 16MP/16MP/16MP/ 12MP

2,700

3,450

3,000

2,150

3,000

2500/3000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

October, 2017

October, 2015

August,2016

December, 2015

May,2016

February, 2017

61,000

81,000

34,999/ 39,999

39,999

25,990

34,999

29,999/53,999

Model Display (inches/res)

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

128 I FEBRUARY 2018

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

MODELS

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

HTC

PARAMETERS

MOTOROLA

ONEPLUS

HTC U11

G4 Dual SIM

V20

Moto X Force

Moto Z

5.5/2560X1440

5.5/1440 x 2560

5.3/ 2560x1440

5.7/2560x1440

5.4/1440 x 2560

5.5/2560x1440

5.5/1920x1080

Dimension (mm)

153.9 x 75.9 x 7.9

148.9 x 76.1 x 8.9

149.4x73.9x7.3

159.5x77.9x7.6

149.8 x 78 x 9.2

153.3x75.3x5.19

152.7x74.5x7.35

Weight (grams)

169

155

159

174

169

136

158

Processor/RAM

QS 835

QS 808 /3GB

QS 820/4GB

QS 810 /3GB

QS 820/4GB

QS 821/6GB

Operating system

Android 7.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Android 5.1.1

Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable

64GB/128GB

32GB/2TB

32GB/100GB

64GB/2TB

32GB,64GB/2TB

64GB/2TB

128GB

Rear/Front Camera

16MO/12MP

16MP/8MP

16MP,8MP/5MP

21MP/5MP

13MP/5MP

16MP/16MP

3,000

2,800

3,200

3,760

2,600

3,400

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

July, 2017

May, 2015

April,2016

December,2016

November, 2015

October,2016

December.2016

47,999

34,800

25,999 onwards

54,999

25,990

39,999

25,990

Model Display (inches/res)

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

MODELS

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS

Galaxy S6

Galaxy S6 Edge

Galaxy A9 Pro

Galaxy Note 5

Display (inches/res)

5.1/ 1440 x 2560

6/1920x1080

5.7/1440 x 2560

5.1/2560 X 1440

5.5/2560 X 1440

5.8/6.2/2960X1440

Dimension (mm)

143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8

142.1 x 70.1 x 7

161.7x80.9x7.9

153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6

69.6x142.4x7.9

72.6 x 150.9 x 7.7

148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0/159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1

Weight (grams)

138

132

210

171

152

157

155/173

Processor/RAM

Octa core /3GB

octa-core/4GB

Quad core /4GB

Exynos 8890/4GB

Exynos 8896

Android 5.0.2

Android 6.0

Android 5.1.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Storage/Expandable

32GB,/No

32GB/No

32GB/256GB

32GB/No

32GB/200GB

64/256GB

Rear/Front Camera

16MP/5MP

16MP/8MP

16MP/5MP

12MP/5MP

12MP/8MP

2,550

2,600

5,000

3,000

3,600

3000/3500

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/-

Yes

March, 2015

April, 2015

September,2016

August, 2015

March, 2016

April, 2017

26,990

34,900

32,490

40,900/43,900

32,900

38,900

53,00/58,900

Model

Operating system

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

Galaxy S7

Galaxy S7 Edge

Galaxy S8/Plus

FEBRUARY 2018 I 129

MYGUIDE RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

TABLETS

MODELS

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

PARAMETERS

SAMSUNG

SONY

APPLE

Note 8

Xperia Z5 Dual

Xperia X

Xperia Z5 Premium

Xperia XZ

iPad Mini 2

iPad Mini 4

Display (inches/res)

6.3/1440 x 2960

5.2/1080 x 1920

5/1920x1080

5.5/ 2160 x 3840

5.2/1920x1080

7.9/1536 x 2048

Dimension (mm)

162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6

146 x 72 x 7.3

143 x 69 x 7.7

154.4 x 76 x 7.8

146x72x8.1

200 x 134.7 x 7.5

203.2 x 134.8 x 6.1

Weight (grams)

195

156.5g

152

181

161

331

298.8/304

Processor/RAM

Exynos 8895/6GB

QS 810/3GB

QS 650/ 3GB

QS 810/3GB

QS 820/3GB

A7,M7/1GB

A8,M8/2GB

Android 7.1.1

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

iOS 8

iOS 9

64GB/128GB/256GB

32GB/200GB

64GB/ 200GB

32GB/200GB

64GB/256GB

16,32GB/No

16GB,64GB,128GB/No

12MP/12MP/8MP

23MP/5MP

23MP/13MP

23MP/5MP

23MP/13MP

5MP/1.2MP

8MP/1.2MP

3,300

2,900

2,620

3,430

2,900

23.8w

19.1W

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/No

Yes/-

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

September, 2017

November, 2015

July, 2016

November, 2015

October,2016

November, 2015

Spetember, 2015

67,900

37,000

38,990

47,990

49,990

28,460 onwards

44,500

Model

Operating system Storage/Expandable Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

TABLETS

MODELS

TABLETS

APPLE

ASUS

MICROMAX

iPad Pro 9.7-inch iPad Pro 12.9-inch iPad Air 2 with Wi-Fi WiFi/ Wi-Fi + Cellular WiFi/ WiFi + Cellular

ZenPad 8

LapTab

Galaxy Tab S3 9.7

Tab A

PARAMETERS

Model

SAMSUNG

9.7/2048x1536

9.7/1536 x 2048

12.9/2732 x 2048

8.0/1280 x 800

10.1/1280X800

9.7/ 1536 x 2048

8/800 x 1280

Dimension (mm)

240 x 169.5 x 6.1

305.7 x 220.6 x 6.9

209 x 123 x 8.5

259.2 x 175.4 x 9.2

237.3 x 169 x 6

212.1 x 124.1 x 8.9

Weight (grams)

437

713/ 723

350

1.1kg

429

364

Processor/RAM

A8X,M8/1GB

A9X,M9/2GB

"A9X,M9 /4GB"

QS MSM8929/2GB

Intel 4 Gen/2GB

QS 820/3GB

QS425/2GB

iOS 9

iOS 9.3

iOS 9

Android 5.0

Windows 10

Android 7.0

Android 7.1

16GB, 64GB/No

32GB,128GB,256GB/ No

32GB/No

16GB/-

32GB/64GB

32GB/256GB

16GB/256GB

8MP/1.2MP

12MP/5MP

8MP/1.2MP

8MP/2MP

2MP/2MP

13MP/5MP

8MP/5MP

27.3W

27.9 W

38.5W

4,000

7,700

6,000

5,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes/No

October, 2014

March, 2016

November, 2015

July, 2015

2,015

June, 2017

October, 2017

38,000

49,900 Onwards/ 61,900 onwards

65,900 nwards/ 85,900 onwards

12,496

10,999

47,990

17,990

Display (inches/res)

Operating system Storage/Expandable Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

130 I FEBRUARY 2018

MYMOBILE

Best Smartphones 10 Under 10K! By Nijhum Rudra

he year 2017 witnessed a massive revolution in the global smartphone market, which displayed tons of smartphones with sophisticated features in various price segments. Smartphones under Rs 10,000 are mostly in demand as they cater to the requirements of budget-centric customers. With

a huge number of handsets being launched in this price segment, it often leaves the people confused in choosing a better device. My Mobile’s exclusive selection of budget smartphones will help you choose the

Worthy Picks

Specialfeature

better with reasonable certainty!

iVoomi Me 3s

he phone was unleashed in India in September 2017. It appears with a 5.20-inch display

coupled with a resolution of 720 pixels by 1280 pixels. iVoomi Me 3s is backed by a quad-core MediaTek MT6737 chipset. Packed with a 3GB RAM, the phone features a 32GB inbuilt storage that can be increased upto 128GB through external microSD card. It sports an 8MP selfie shooter and 13MP primary camera. n

Price: INR 7,800

ASUS Zenfone 4

aunched in the second half of 2017, the smartphone is backed by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630It SoC coupled

with a 4GB RAM. Along with a resolution of 1080 pixels by 1920 pixels, the handset features a 5.50-inch display and is equipped with a 64GB ROM that can be expanded upto 200GB. For photography, the phone sports an 8MP selfie shooter and a dual 12 MP primary camera (f/1.8, 25mm, 1/2.55”, 1.4 µm, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF). n

Price: INR 9,999

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2018 | 131

Special feature

Worthy Picks

Micromax Canvas Infinity

aunched in August 2017, the phone is powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset and comes

with a 3GB RAM. It sports a 16MP selfie shooter and a 13MP rear camera for photography. The phone is powered by a 2900mAh battery and operates on Android 7.1.2 OS. The 32GB inbuilt storage phone can be increased upto 128GB through external memory card. n

Price: INR 9,048 (32GB)

Lenovo K6 Power

he Lenovo K6 Power sports a 13MP primary camera and an 8MP selfie sensor for impeccable photography. Along with a

3GB RAM, the phone is backed by 1.4GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 chipset. The device is powered by a 4000mAh battery and operates on Android 6.0.1. The dual SIM (GSM and GSM) smartphone sports an 8MP selfie sensor and a 13MP primary sensor. n

Price: INR 8,949 (32GB)

Motorola E4 Plus

or optics, the phone sports a 5MP selfie shooter and a 13MP rear camera. It is powered by a large 5000mAh battery and is

backed by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MTK6737M chipset. Coupled with a 3GB RAM the device has an inbuilt storage of 32GB that can be expanded upto 128GB. It operates on Android 7.1.1 OS and features a a 5.50-inch touchscreen display. n

Price: INR 9,999 (32GB)

Motorola C

he Moto C operates on Android 7.0 and is backed by a 2350mAh removable battery. The phone features a 5.00-

inch display and is powered by a 1.1GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6737M chipset. It sports a 2MP selfie shooter and a 5MP rear camera. Along with a 1GB RAM phone is equipped with a 16GB ROM that can be increased till 32GB. n

Price: INR 5,099 (16GB)

132 | february 2018

Xiaomi Redmi 4

owered by a large 4100mAh battery the phone is also backed by a 1.4GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 435

chipset. It appears in three variants of RAM 2GB/3GB/4GB. The phone sports a 5MP selfie shooter coupled with f/2.2 aperture and a 13MP primary camera with f/2.0 aperture, PDAF, and LED flash. n

Price: INR 6,999 (16GB)

Samsung Galaxy On7 Pro

his Samsung budget smartphone features 5.7” (14.48 cm)

Worthy Picks

Specialfeature

display coupled with a resolution of Full HD (1080 x 1920

pixels). For optics, the phone sports a 13MP primary camera and a 5MP front shooter for selfies. It is powered by a 3000mAh removable battery and backed by 1.2GHz quad-core processor along with a 2GB RAM. The smartphone operates on Android 6.0 OS and the connectivity options include Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, FM, 3G and 4G (with support for Band 40 used by some LTE networks in India). n

Price: INR 7,490

Yu Yureka Black

oupled with a 4GB RAM the phone is backed by a 1.4GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 chipset. It sports an

8MP selfie shooter and a 13MP primary camera. The 32GB inbuilt storage phone can be expanded upto 64GB. It appears with a 5.00-inch display coupled with a resolution of 1080 pixels by

Xiaomi Redmi 5A

1920 pixels. n

Price: INR 8,999 (32GB) nijhum@mymobile.co.in

smartphone

features a 5-inch HD

(720x1280 pixels) display with a pixel density of 296ppi. It is backed by a Snapdragon 425 processor that is clocked at up to 1.4GHz, along with with 2GB or 3GB of RAM. For optics, the phone boosts a 13MP primary camera and a 5MP selfie sensor with an f/2.0 aperture. The USP of the

phone is its ‘8-day battery life’ that is powered by 3000mAh battery with 5V/1A charging. n

Price: INR 4,999

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2018 | 133

Games

Special feature

Where’s my Kitty Cat? The latest mobile game from the stable of JetSynthesys promises good fun especially for cat lovers and puzzle enthusiasts!

etSynthesys, a leading digital entertainment and gaming

casual gaming audience with the launch of our newest game,

company, has unveiled “Where’s my Kitty Cat?” - a mobile

“Where’s my Kitty Cat?”. We are confident that this new game will

game for iOS users, especially for those who are cat lovers

resonate with avid gamers looking for a fun experience, inspiring

and puzzle enthusiasts. This exciting and quirky game

us to continue experimenting and developing vibrant and exciting

promises to fulfill the players’ fun quotient as they try to find KITTY,

the naughtiest cat ever! Kitty could be anywhere, hiding under cars,

games for everyone.” This sweet little cat has the power to steal everybody’s heart and

over the dining table, in the bath tub, on the neighbour’s porch,

she will definitely become the player’s favourite friend.

in the fish market; the world is her playground. The player needs

Key Features:

to use the hints given and logic to solve the different puzzles and find Kitty.

• 160+ levels • Explore unique locations • Enjoy unpredictable moments Few words must be said about JetSynthesys, a company which had carved a niche for itself in the arena digital entertainment and gaming. In India, the company has innovated and pioneered celebrity gaming successfully with a catalogue of over 300 exciting games across HTML, Java, Android and iOS platforms featuring eminent stars like Salman Khan, Sachin Tendulkar and others. Headquartered in Pune and with offices in Europe, UK, US and India, JetSynthesys is equipped with the best in class technical

In “Where’s my Kitty Cat?”, the player will have his/her own cat

and creative talent, striving to create and connect worlds. Through

who needs to be found through various adventures and collect toys

its diversified business divisions across gaming, music, digital

for her to play with along the way. This intellectually challenging

& social entertainment, celebrity video blogging, AI & machine

yet fun game is now available on iOS.

learning technologies, the company aims to digitally connect

On the occasion of this launch Roopak Nair, Vice-President,

celebrities, brands and consumers and drive user engagement

Product and Marketing, JetSynthesyssaid, “After the successful

and monetization through personalization. n team@mymobile.co.in

run of our sports and Bollywood games, we now tap into a more

134 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

“We want to build a booming ‘Interactive Smart Video’ Ecosystem platform in India” VideoTap is an ‘Interactive Smart Video’ ecosystem which is built to deliver the smart video experience seamlessly across connected devices and at scale. Nijhum Rudra spoke to Dilip Venkatraman, Founder and CEO, VideoTap, as to how personalized video concept will change the way consumers are influenced these days. How will the concept of smart video change the

people but there is restriction in terms of

With the feedback questions feature,

way consumers are influenced? Consumers

content. In case of VideoTap, it adapts

available on VideoTap, advertising is now,

do not have much choice when it comes to

itself based on the interactive inputs from

a two way communication.

video content. The control lies on the supply

the user and there is much greater impact

end. The content is viewed the same way the

as the right audience receives the relevant

What are your service roll-out plans? In next

vertical content provider wants the viewer to

message. Hence, it is beneficial for the

few months, we will enter in India as our first

watch it. Hence, VideoTap is a highly useful

customer as well as for the advertiser. For a

market as a consumer viewership platform

for the viewers to have a total control over

BMW product manager, real time feedback

and in further few months, we plan to enter

the content to be viewed. Suppose, if you

can be generated in terms of which content

the US market.

are watching a movie for the first time, it

is relevant for which kind of audience. For

is better you watch it linearly. However, the

anyone who is interested in BMW 7 series,

consumption is high for the non original

a 30 sec ad is available for the view and

viewing such as compilations, trivia and

the same ad is shown to someone who isn’t

other types of videos for which VideoTap is

interested.

highly relevant.

In Conversation

face to face

On VideoTap, ad takes you deeper into the categorization. Therefore, it can expand

What will be the biggest differentiating aspect of

to occupy the attention for a longer time

VideoTap? VideoTap’s biggest differentiating

span and do not restrict the viewer to the

aspects are that it is dynamic and personal.

30 sec ad so if you keep on clicking the ad

Also, we have a unique cloud based video

will go on for more than 30 secs. Hence, in

tagging, curating and authoring software,

effect, what we do is instead of serving a

Design Room, which will help producers to

video as an ad we are serving a website as

curate their uploaded video content, create

an advertisement.

‘smart videos’ and publish them. With Design Room a Publisher is able to convert

Could you please reflect upon some of the

an existing video into an ‘interactive smart

big changes that would be ushered by smart

video’.

video in marketing and advertising industry? Firstly, there will be huge amount of

What all smart video has to offer for the

analytics available for the advertisers as

advertising industry? In the advertising

they can get important data about the kind

What will be your marketing strategies? As

industry, smart video has such a great

of audiences watching certain categories

VideoTap is a B2B as well as a B2C brand

impact that the viewers see it without

of the content. When advertisers map that

we are considering targeted advertising and

realizing. Normally, for advertising, viewers

portion of the video content to the whole

we are also going to use Public Relations

have eight features on video platforms and

content of the video, then it is much easier

as a tool for building the brand and taking

since there are only 30 seconds, the ad

to understand which portion of the video

in consideration the government initiatives,

agency needs to decide one aspect to focus

is working with the target audience. When

such as Make in India, Digital India and

on when that message gets delivered into

mapped messaging against the content,

Start Up India. We think we are a global

30 seconds.

advertisers will understand which portion of

company, so we will be expanding very soon

For a sophisticated product like a luxury

the messaging is effective and which type

car, different features appeal different

of triggers work with their target audience.

to the other parts of the globe. n nijhum@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2018 | 135

Gadget Corner

add-ons HGD 2A Charger Known for its lower energy consumption and high efficiency

R 699 N I : e Pric

his 2A charger is a benchmark product of HGD

charger promises to keep your device always boosted

India which has passed through 6-layer quality

with power. It is very light weight and smaller in size,

checks. Each and every component incorporated is of

and has passed through different tests such as, long-

well tested standards, with BIS & ISO certification.

time charging test, input overvoltage test, temperature/

Because of this quality standards and high durability,

humidity test, salt spray test, drop test, vibration

it’s the first preference of some of the biggest players

measurement, high temperature test, insertion force

of market like Lava, Xolo, Celkon, Intex, Infocus,

test, interface insert force & output test and ageing

Blapunkt, itel, Swipe, Lemon etc. This charger is

test. When it comes to performance, you can trust this

well known for its lower energy consumption and high

product without any second thought. Moreover, this

efficiency, a complete value for money product. The

product is also environment friendly. n

PTron Boom Dual Driver Earphones Experience the magic of sound like never before

orking-out or enjoying a sport but struggling to find the right pair of earphones? PTron, a fast-

emerging audio brand creating waves among millennials, has come up with ergonomically designed earphones that snugly fit into your ears. The high-quality output of dual drivers would make you want to keep the earphones on, all day long. PTron has launched the Boom 4D sports earphones to enhance listening experience of millennials and Gen Z with exceptional sound quality. The in-ear stereo earphones incorporate a host of other engineering refinements too. The earplugs are ergonomically designed to fit into the ear and keep the users comfortable even as they enjoy music for extended durations of time. Latest as they are with technology, the PTron Boom 4D earphones are high on fashion as well. With three vibrant colour combinations – red/black, gold/black & silver/white – consumers can pick one that suits their style statement. Launched on LatestOne.com, the PTron Boom 4D sports earphones can also be ordered on e-commerce platforms such as Flipkart and Amazon alongside LatestOne.com. n

136 | february 2018

Gadget Corner

add-ons Acer Predator Galea 500 Gaming Headset & Cestus 500 Gaming Mouse Built to appeal hardcore gamers

etting new standards in the gaming feat, Acer, one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading gaming PC makers, recently

unveiled Predator Galea 500 Gaming Headset and Cestus 500 Gaming Mouse in India. Engineered to make every

minute of gaming real, the Galea 500 headset comes with Acer TrueHarmony 3D Soundscape technology which offers an unparalleled surround sound experience, while the customizable design of Cestus 500 mouse is built to appeal hardcore gamers by giving precise control with host of customizable controls and ergonomic feel for long fatigue free gaming. Predator Galea 500: The gaming headset puts you right inside the game, giving you the ability to hear every detail in surround sound within the game. Acer TrueHarmony 3D Soundscape technology recreates the acoustic space based on the orientation of the playerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head, giving the gamer a truly immersive feel. Featuring a driver diaphragm made from bio-cellulose with rubber surround, the Predator Galea 500 headset delivers clear highs with resounding lows, and responds quickly to precisely reproduce vocals and mid-high range notes, while a unique acoustic cavity helps deliver punchy rhythmic bass. The headset offers customization, letting users select from three modes including EQ Music, Movie and Sport. Predator Cestus 500: The gaming mouse features a unique dual switch design, which allows gamers to adjust the click resistance according to the game type they are playing, such as a lighter resistance for FPS games that demand a more nimble reaction, or a heavier resistance for fine maneuvers in RTS games. It features 16.8 million RGB Lighting with 8 lighting patterns, 5 on-board profile settings, 8 programmable buttons, and a gold-plated USB connector with precision control to take gaming to the next level. Together with customizable side panels, an ambidextrous design, the Cestus 500 is one of the most customizable options for the gamers in India. n

Price: INR 12,999 (Predator Galea 500 headset); INR 4,599 (Cestus 500 mouse)

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2018 | 137

Price: INR 995 (DPC 1M LTC); INR 595 DPC IM C; INR 595 (DPC IM MU); INR 395 (DPC 1.5M AU)

Digitek Platinum Smartphone Cable Series Eco-friendly cables compatible for various devices

igitek, a market leader in photographic and

The HD lightning (DPC 1M LTC) & Type C data (DPC IM

smartphone accessories, has come up with its

C) & Micro USB HD (DPC IM MU) cable are all available

platinum smartphone cable series in India. The series

in Black and Grey colours while AUX cable (DPC 1.5M

includes HD lightning cable (DPC 1M LTC), Micro USB

AU) are available in White colour. These products can be

HD cable (DPC IM MU), Type C data cable (DPC IM C)

purchased online from the various e-commerce platforms

& 3.5 mm AUX cable (DPC 1.5M AU). All the cables are

such as Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal. n

eco-friendly as they meet EU Environmental Protection Standard ROHS. The tangle-free HD lightning (DPC 1M LTC), Micro USB HD (DPC IM MU) & Type C data (DPC IM C) cables are equipped with enhanced USB 2.0 metallic connectors that allow a steady power supply & high-speed data transmission. The cables have been extensively tested and provide best in class performance to match the needs of the discerning users. These 1 meter long cables are compatible for various devices such as iPhones, Android phones and Macbooks respectively. The new DPC 1.5M AU AUX cable with standard plating 3.5mm jack is composed from TPE and Aluminum alloy shell, enabling the cable to be durable and wear resistant for a long-term use. The cable has a premium copper core for excellent audio signal transmission and offers wide compatibility with smartphones, tablets, mp3 players, car stereos, portable speaker, etc.

138 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

ViewSonic Frameless Design Monitor Enjoy a truly immersive visual entertainment experience

iewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of

IPS panel technology and WQHD (2560 x 1440)

visual solution products, recently introduced

resolution. Guaranteeing detailed image quality

theVX3276-2K-mhd, a 32â&#x20AC;? WQHD IPS Monitor

no matter the vantage point. By utilizing 10-bit

with a stylish ultra-slim frameless design. Users can

colour, theVX3276-2K-mhd is able to produce a

now enjoy a truly immersive visual entertainment

colour palette of over one billion colours, resulting

experience with the VX3276-2K-mhd. With this

in richer, more vivid colour reproduction, smoother

product, ViewSonic delivers a visually appealing

gradients, and a more natural transition between

design combined with efficiency and performance.

hues. Also, with dual integrated the monitor stereo

The product features include a sizeable 32â&#x20AC;?

speakers give a powerful sound quality.

frameless bezel, minimalist design, SuperClear

Moreover, users can use the View Mode feature

IPS panel technology, flexible connectivity, low

that includes optimized Game, Movie, Web,

energy consumption and WQHD (2560 x 1440)

Text, Mono, and Mac presets. Each preset offers

resolution.

specialized enhancements to deliver optimal

The VX3276-2K-mhd monitor has an

viewing experience for different applications.

architectural inspired design aesthetic combined

Additionally, the monitor features Flicker-free

with modern form factors such as an ultra-slim

technology and a Blue Light Filter help to eliminate

profile, modern frameless bezel, and unique

eye strain. n

triangle stand. Consumers can enjoy vivid, rich

Gadget Corner

add-ons

Price: INR 49,999

colour and consistent brightness with SuperClear

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2018 | 139

Gadget Corner

add-ons Samsung Level In ANC Earphone Enjoy immersive music experience on-the-go

amsung recently introduced Level In ANC earphone

to stop listening to music, while jogging amid traffic or

in India, which features powerful Active Noise

while riding in a metro.

Cancellation (ANC). The stylish and compact earphone

The Level In ANC’s sleek and sophisticated design

comes with metal finish and provides an immersive

comes paired with a slim remote control that lets you

music experience for consumers. With its powerful

answer calls, adjust the volume, and pause/play and

ANC technology and two-way speakers, the Level In

skips audio tracks easily, without having to constantly

ANC provides immersive music experience. Rather

reach for your smartphone. It provides for a minimum

than just drowning out ambient sounds around you, the

of 10 hour stellar performance with active ANC. It

Level In ANC actually picks up those external noises

resonates brilliantly with the audio requirements and

with two external microphones, analyzes them, and

style quotient of millennials, crafting an uninterrupted

creates inverted sound waves to cancel out those noises,

audio experience. It is available in retail stores across

reducing the noise going into your ears. The active

India in white and black colours. n

noise cancellation of Level In ANC is up to 90 per cent effective, reducing outside sounds by up to 20 dB.

Price: INR 3,799

The Level In ANC comes with ‘Talk in Mode’ functionality, enabling consumers to be cautious about the surrounding sounds. The ‘Talk in Mode’ allows certain ambient sounds to enter into the earphones without diluting the sound quality. It offers to be the ultimate choice for consumers, who regularly travel through noisy surroundings like airports, metro or other public spaces. With this, consumers will no longer have

140 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

Gadget Corner

add-ons Corsair Wireless Gaming Peripherals It’s time to Unplug and Play

orsair, a world leader in enthusiast memory, PC components and high-performance gaming hardware,

recently announced a complete range of new performance wireless gaming peripherals. Powered by Corsair Unplug and Play wireless technology, the K63 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard, K63 Wireless Gaming Lapboard, Dark Core RGB

tailored fit for almost

Wireless Gaming Mouse, and MM1000 Qi Wireless Charging

any gamer.

Mouse Pad allow PC enthusiasts and gamers to experience wire-free gaming without compromise. The new K63 Wireless mechanical gaming keyboard, a

The Dark Core RGB SE adds Qi wireless charging support, pairing perfectly with the all-new Corsair MM1000 Qi

CES 2018 Innovation Award honoree, brings the quality,

wireless charging mousepad for a truly wireless gaming

performance and reliability of Cherry MX Red mechanical

mouse that never needs to be plugged in to charge.

keyswitches to the wireless desktop. Connecting via a choice

Combining a micro-textured hard surface mouse pad with a

of ultra-fast 1ms 2.4GHz gaming-optimized wireless, low

dedicated Qi wireless charging spot, the MM1000 ensures

latency Bluetooth wireless, or a wired USB connection, the

wireless power is always on hand, charging almost any Qi

K63 Wireless instantly registers keystrokes and commands

compatible device, from the Dark Core RGB SE to the latest

whatever you connect. With up to 75 hours of rechargeable

smartphones. Even if your devices don’t have Qi charging

battery life, the K63 Wireless has the stamina to outlast the

built-in, the MM1000 includes USB Micro-B, Type-C, and

longest gaming session.

Lightning Qi charging adapters, letting you easily add Qi

The new Corsair Dark Core RGB wireless gaming

wireless charging.

mouse offers the same flexible three-mode connectivity

Together, the K63 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard, K63

as K63 Wireless, bringing its 16,000 DPI optical sensor

Wireless Gaming Lapboard, Dark Core RGB and MM1000

precision to your PC via ultra-fast 1ms 2.4GHz, low-latency

create the ultimate wireless gaming setups for desktop or

Bluetooth wireless or wired USB connection. A contoured

living room.

shape that’s supremely comfortable makes Dark Core RGB

For up-to-date pricing on all new Corsair products

instantly at home in your hand, and can be customized

announced at CES 2018, please refer to the Corsair website

using two interchangeable magnetic side grips to provide a

or contact your local Corsair sales or PR representative. n

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2018 | 135

Gadget Corner

add-ons

BenQ W1700 DLP & W11000H Projectors Enjoy the theatre-like experience at home

enQ, the world’s renowned and globally No. 1 DLP

India market.

projector brand, has brought its two new models

CineHome W1700 DLP projector W1700 comes in

in the 4K UHD HDR Projector model, the CineHome

a compact size, fully equipped with a 4K UHD true

Series W1700 4K HDR home cinema projector and the

cinema experience, true 8.3 million megapixels, and

CinePro Series W11000H, the ultimate digital home

projection-optimized HDR for stunning true-to-life

cinema flagship featuring projector-optimized HDR to

image quality. W11000H is equipped with true 8.3 million pixel 4K UHD performance. The CineHome projector is distinguished by prestigious THX Certification and guarantees the precise experience of attending a commercial digital cinema. The move comes in its ongoing project to release an entire lineup to revolutionize and popularize the 4K Home Cinema projectors as an integral part of everyone’s home cinema viewing experience. BenQ’s projectors have earned the distinct position of being consistent top performers with it occupying the top slot in DLP Projectors for eight years running. The feat can be further appreciated if we take into account that DLP has a dominant presence in all IMAX theatres around the world. BenQ DLP projectors featuring CinematicColor Technology, a sophisticated colour engine that meets the film industry’s highest standards of cinematic colour accuracy, to bring the same level of sophistication with its true 4K UHD resolution and enhanced HDR performance that gives you a cinema like experience in the comfort of your home. n

Price: Starting INR 2.25 lakhs

142 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

Fitbit Ionic, Flyer & Aria 2 Get in shape with these fitnesscentric accessories

eading wearable brand Fitbit recently expanded its portfolio in India with the launch of the Ionic,

Flyer and Aria 2. The Fitbit Ionic is the brand’s premium smartwatch that flaunts a SpO2 sensor. The Fitbit Flyer is the brand’s first wireless headphone, which features a durable, sweatproof design and a customisable fit. The Fitbit Aria 2 is a smart Wi-Fi scale, which syncs tracked data with the Fitbit app on your smartphone.

and can also connect to the Fitbit Ionic smartwatch.

Fitbit Ionic: The smartwatch features a heart rate sensor

The other specs include Bluetooth 4.2 with the ability to

and is water resistant up to 50 meters. The included SpO2

connect to two devices simultaneously, up to six hours of

sensor can estimate your blood oxygen levels. The device’s

audio playback and two MEMS microphones.

swim tracking feature can monitor real-time laps, exercise

Fitbit Aria 2: The device can be set up via your

duration and calories burned while swimming. There’s

smartphone’s Bluetooth connection. It helps you track

also a PurePulse heart rate tracking feature, which offers

and understand your body composition

better accuracy during exercises like cycling and running.

including weight, body fat percentage,

The smartwatch offers around four days of battery life with

lean mass and BMI. The device syncs

normal use, and up to 10 hours when GPS is in use.

the data to the Fitbit app on your

The Fitbit Ionic comes with a 1.42-inch touch-enabled

Gadget Corner

add-ons

smartphone, which lets you see all

colour LCD display with a resolution of 348 x 250 pixels.

of your stats in one place, making

The connectivity options on board include an integrated

it easier to track your progress

antenna for GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC for

and get results. The device also

payments. The wearable is compatible with both iOS and

recognises eight different users, so

Android devices. There’s also built-in storage to let you

multiple family members can use it. n

store 300 songs on the smartwatch. Fitbit Flyer: The wearable has a durable design with a hydrophobic nano-coating and interchangeable ear tips. The accessory features Waves MaxxAudio technology,

www.mymobileindia.com

Price: INR 22,990 (Fitbit Ionic); INR 9,990 (Fitbit Flyer); INR 9,990 (Fitbit Aria 2)

february 2018 | 143

Innovation

add-ons Mahindra Electric Virtual Reality Drive Experience Set to revolutionize the test drive experience

ahindra Electric, a part of the diversified USD

the e2oPlus. One of the main objectives of this initiative

19 billion Mahindra Group and a pioneer in the

is to innovatively communicate all the technologically

development and production of electric vehicles (EVs) in

advanced features packed into the e2oPlus through an

India, recently launched a Virtual Reality (VR) based drive

immersive experience of the vehicle, at select Mahindra

experience for its smart and connected all electric vehicle,

dealerships. The campaign aims to expand the base of

the e2oPlus.

people who can experience electric mobility first hand,

The experience, enabled through VR headsets, highlights the technical features and focuses on the key attributes of

as well as delivering an advanced test drive experience to enable the faster adoption of EVs. The Virtual Reality based drive experience for the e2oPlus is currently available at select Mahindra dealerships. The same is also delivered to customers before a door step test drive, which can be booked on the Mahindra e2oPlus. The 2D, 360 degree version of the experience is also available on YouTube. However the best way to experience the drive is through VR headsets and it can be enabled via apps available on Android and iOS. n

144 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

Exclusive

Vantage Point

“G’Five will invest INR 1,000 crore by 2020” G’Five, a yesteryear mobile brand has made its comeback into Indian mobile ecosystem with the launch of six feature phones ranging between INR 700 to 1,500 for the masses. The Hong Kong-based technology company is being marketed by Sat Saheb International Corporation (SSIC) in India. Aashish Kumar, Director SSIC spoke with Haider Ali Khan on his comeback plan and shared the future strategy for G’Five in India. Excerpts… So it’s a comeback! Why had you

strategy? We will be making

exited? Certainly yes, it’s a kind

both feature and smartphones

of comeback for us. We started in

for the customers in India.

2008 and till 2012 we were among

Initially, we’re only starting with

top five brands in the country in

feature phones from Rs 700 to

feature phones. After that we faced

Rs 1,500. These feature phones

lots of difficulties because of the

will focus on dual selfie camera,

taxation policy at that time. There

auto call recording, speaker,

were huge VAT differentials among

vibrator, music player, Bluetooth

the various Indian states ranging

and heavy duty batteries ranging

from 22 percent to 18 percent,like

from 1,200mAh to 4,000mAh.

in Haryana it was 7 percent and in

We will also start smartphone

Delhi it was 5 percent. We did not

business from the second

vanish from the market but were

quarter of 2018. And then

actually making devices for other

gradually move to smart

like an ODM does.

accessories such as smart bands and watches for kids. We are also

Has the GST provided a level playing field? Yes, both the GST and ‘Make in India’ initiative has provided a level playing field for a brand like G’Five and not only that it has also encouraged other foreign brands to invest in India. What are your plans in the second inning? We will start manufacturing mobile phones for ourselves under ‘Make in

giving 111 days replacement

“We will be making both feature and smartphones for the customers in India. Initially, we’re only starting with feature phones from Rs 700 to Rs 1,500. These feature phones will focus on dual selfie camera, auto call recording, speaker, vibrator, music player, Bluetooth and heavy duty batteries ranging from 1,200mAh to 4,000mAh”

warranty on our products. Our smartphones will be 4G-enabled starting at around Rs3,500.We are a mass brand and want everyone to become an afford mobile phone brand. What is the state of service networks you have? Currently, we have 700 plus service centers across India. Which is the best suited channel for G’Five in India- online or offline? G’Five has the

India’ scheme and

at the same time

target audience which does not have

stop making for other brands. The company

much access to smartphone, internet and

is planning to invest 1,000 crore in India

credit cards. Offline is considered to the

by 2020. Meanwhile we will be finalizing

best channel for promotions for us. We’ve

land and marketing till then.

a very strong distribution network and will

What would be your product and pricing

leverage that only. n haider@mymobile.co.in

MYMOBILE

RNI REG NO. DELENG/2005/15033 DL (ND) - 11/6100/2018-19-20 (Posting Date 26-27 of every month) Publishing Date- 22-01-18

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