MyMobile February 2020

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Digital Darkness Are We Back To Primitive Era?

Chief Speak Madhav Sheth CEO, realme India

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Editorpage

firstcall

A

mid nationwide protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Internet shutdowns across many cities,

EDITORIA L

towns have been reported and it is affecting people

Pankaj Mohindroo |

in many ways. It is not only affecting telecom

Haider Ali Khan | Deputy Editor

companies or costing businesses across the country but also showing the darker side of digital dependence on businesses and livelihood.

Internet shutdown is a suspension of Internet access ordered by the authorities. Telecoms companies then turn off the cellular networks at transmitting towers providing mobile phone Internet services in the area. It is governed by either Section 144 of the CrPC under a set of rules by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and is

Editor-in-Chief

Ramesh Kumar Raja | Assistant Editor Vivek Singh Chauhan | Correspondent Pahi Mehra | Correspondent

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

issued under the Telegraph Act. Arbitrary Internet shutdowns are not only an attack on the civil liberties and the constitutional rights of the citizens, by the State, but they have grave economic consequences too, with businesses and working professionals losing out on sales and job days. Moreover, it is suspect whether these shutdowns help in achieving the stated goals of maintaining law

M AR K ETIN G Puja Mohindroo | Manager - Business Sandeep Kumar | Sr. Manager – Marketing

and order. Internet and communications shutdowns, when in place, violate the fundamental freedom of expression. Access to the Internet brings to the fore voices from across the political spectrum, significantly increasing agency, perhaps the reason governments are wary of the Internet. So, it is certainly

O P ERATION S Deepak Kohli | Sr. Manager – Accounts

morally questionable to strip people of a fundamental right by indiscriminately disabling communications. Internet shutdowns not only curb dissent, but they give governments’ excessive control over the dissemination of information and dominance over the narrative. Regular and indiscriminate shutdowns can have

CIRCU L ATION B. G. Mathur | Manager- Production & Circulation

chilling effects on free speech in the long run. The UN declared the Internet as a fundamental right in 2016. Unavailability of the Internet leads to tangible monetary losses for these professionals. Students also increasingly rely on

AD V I S ORY BOARD Bejon Misra

online resources for their education.

According to a report, in 2019, India lost over $1.3 billion (Rs 9,300

Rajan Mathews

crore) as a result of major Internet shutdowns in regions like Jammu &

S.D. Saxena

Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Tripura, and

Subhash Chandra

Uttar Pradesh. The loss is the third-highest among 21 countries where major

Sunil Dutt

Internet shutdowns happened last year. However, when it comes to monetary

Sonu Bhasin

losses, it isn’t just telecom companies that are hit. The Internet has become the

Uvaraj Natarajan

lifeblood of several businesses, not the least of which is the app-based economy — comprising e-commerce majors, cab operators, food delivery services etc

G ET IN TOUCH

as Internet shutdowns are not just about curbing dissent, but also have an

Editorial : haider@mymobile.co.in

economic cost attached to it.

Marketing : sandeep@mymobile.co.in

Finally, we would like to thank each one of you for your continuous support and love entrusted to us for last 15 years. We will keep you updated and

Circulation : bgmathur@mymobile.co.in Phone : 011—46206161 Fax : 011—41520637

informed.

Happy Reading!

Pankaj Mohindroo editor-in-chief

Edited, published, printed and owned by Pankaj Mohindroo, Published from 203, Kanchenjunga Building | 18, Barakhamba Road | Connaught Place | New Delhi-110001. Printed at HT Media Ltd. Plot No. 8, Udyog Vihar, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh - 201306

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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 XV, Issue I, February 2020

MYMOBILE

contents

28

42

34 Style Notes

India, and Anuj Sidharth –

12 letters

and Communication,

13 Newsbits 17 Big News 21 Just In Get a close look at new smartphones now in the market

28 Lead Story Digital Darkness: How Internet

Deputy Director Marketing MediaTek India

41

Nisha Pokhriyal – Associate

Director (Marketing), VMate

63

Ronak Sarda – Founder,

Cover it up

68

Vikram Kumar – Founder and

CEO, Letstrack

Spotlight 46 MWC 2020: What to expect from the world’s biggest mobile tech event

50

Pop Up Flips to Under Display

72

for AMOLED Displays

Rahul Sharma – MD - India

and SAARC, LogMeIn

64

Shakeout Coming in AI Chip

Start-Up Market

34 Chief Speak Madhav Sheth – CEO, realme

New Games

India

76

08 | february 2020

State of Mobile 2020

Technology Officer, Skillsoft

Apratim Purakayastha – Chief

Feature 42 Are Phone Calls Dying?

74 Top Platforms to Discover the

Face to Face 38 Anku Jain – MD, MediaTek

45 In Focus

Market Insight 48 It’s Going to Be a Defining Year

70

shutdowns are taking us back to Primitive Era

74

Startups Engaging Consumers

110 2020 to Witness Slight Growth in Device Shipments

Burn Test 52 Realme X2

via User-Interactive Apps

54 Oppo F15

104 Worried about your Health

56 Tecno Spark Go Plus

and Fitness?

58 Riversong Motive+

MYMOBILE

C

TM

What's Inside

contents 59 Amani ASP TWS 615

and Obesity – Narendra

gadgets and accessories, from

60 1More Piston Fit Wireless

Dahiya, Founder and Director,

earphones and Bluetooth

Homefoodi

speakers to mobile chargers

61 Philips Smart Wi-Fi LED Bulb 62 CLAW G11

By Invitation 66 Good times await Indian Data Center Industry in 2020 – Alan Richardson, Business Development Consultant,

79 My Guide The most comprehensive

and smart TVs

feature and price list of

126 Vantage Point

mobile devices

The Business of Safety – Pavan Vaish, Head - Central Operations, Uber, India SA

Apptastic 103 NeoMart 109 Stylework

AFL Hyperscale

78

Emerging trend of e-food,

Helping Shoot up Economy

106 Games Most Anticipated Games of 2020

111 Add Ons The latest and the best of

46

106

110 Total number of pages = 126

104

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Supported By

TM

Inbox

letters

and subscriber of My

thousands of its employees

cover are very timely,

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are on the verge of losing

properly researched and

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Furthermore, the

presented a diverse portfolio

magazine rather than going

incumbent government at

of vivo India and other its

to any website. The main

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journey till date.

source of our tech content

immediately attend the

comes from My Mobile

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magazine. The unmatched

of the telcos and bail them

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quality of the product

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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 c u e, Do yo e? Do you world abo . Rush you My Mobil u n e n i o i l h y t for ame tell head s and are looking see your n o m z i g to e ou, w .co.in it in y mymobile magazine. @ e editor best mobil India’s

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Xiaomi spins off Poco as independent smartphone brand

Chinese handset major Xiaomi has spun off its Poco sub-brand as an independent entity and that it will now run as a standalone brand independent of the company. It now has three handset brands - Redmi, Mi and Poco. As a result of the company’s restructuring, Poco now will have its own team and go to market strategy. Xiaomi had launched Poco as a sub brand in 2018 with its first offering-Poco F1 that, according to the player, has performed well in the market. This announcement comes after the smartphone player recently said that it is planning to go big on its premium “Mi” line up in India this year and that the portfolio will see a continued set of launches through 2020.

Realme unveils new User Interface

Oppo spin-off brand Realme has launched its new user interface, the Realme UI with a host of updated features, new design language and more. To start with, the new user interface comes with simplified design language. To achieve real design in visual effects, the UI is designed in terms of system colours, icons, wallpapers, and animations. The Realme UI has also

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introduced an icon customization function.

Not only the shape and size of the icons can be customized, but the internal graphic size of the icons can also be changed, whether it is square or round, large or small. In line with the vibrant app icons, it also brings 11 new wallpapers inspired by natural elements which are indeed a perfect match for its colour scheme. In terms of system animation, the UI is equipped with the latest quantum animation engine, which improves the screen fluency. Following the latest Android 10 with light, fast and power saving features, the Realme UI system has been further optimized in terms of fluency, power consumption and performance.

Bose will be offering outplacement assistance and severance to affected employees

Given the dramatic shift to online shopping in specific markets, Bose plans to close its remaining 119 retail stores across North America, Europe, Japan and Australia over the next several months. In other parts of the world, Bose stores will remain open, including approximately 130 stores located in Greater China and the United Arab Emirates; and additional stores in India, Southeast Asia, and South Korea. In 1993, Bose opened its first store in the United States to provide personal, private demonstrations for Wave music systems and Lifestyle home theater systems. As smartphones changed the industry, the company’s focus turned to mobile, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi solutions. Today, Bose noise-cancelling headphones, truly wireless sport earbuds, portable speakers, and smart speakers are increasingly purchased through e-commerce, including Bose.com; and Bose is a larger multinational company, with a localized mix of channels tailored for a country or region.

Bose will be offering outplacement assistance and severance to affected employees. Additional details, including the number of employees affected, will remain private.

Apple to sell 80-85 mn iPhones with 5G in 2020

What’s Up

newsbits

Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has claimed that Cupertino-based tech giant Apple will sell between 80 to 85 million iPhones based on the draw of 5G connectivity. Kuo has revealed that Apple is on track to launch sub-GHz as well as sub-6GHz-plusmmWave 5G iPhone models in the second half of 2020, Apple Insider reported. As per a report, the iPhone 12 mmWave models will be available in five markets, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, and the United Kingdom.

Additionally, the 5G variant of the iPhone 12 may come with advanced image sensorshift stabilisation technology to click stable images without distortion when there is excessive motion. Recently, J.P. Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee claimed that Apple will release a 5.4-inch iPhone, two 6.1-inch iPhones and one 6.7-inch iPhone with 5G connectivity in 2020. He predicts the company may introduce two high-end models (one 6.1-inch and one 6.7-inch) with support for mmWave, as well as a triple-lens camera and “world facing” 3D sensing for improved Augmented Reality capabilities.

Huawei shipped 6.9 million 5G smartphone

Huawei recently tweeted that it ‘ended

february 2020 | 13

What’s Up

newsbits 2019 on a high’ and shipped 6.9 million units of 5G smartphones by the end of December last year. While the last year was a little difficult for the Chinese electronics and telecommunication giant because of Google, it still did manage to launch quite a few 5G phones in various markets.

Huawei started 2019 with 5G Mate 20 X and later followed up with Mate 30 5G, Mate 30 Pro 5G, Mate 30 RS Porsche Design, Mate X 5G foldable, and the Huawei Nova 6 5G. The company recently launched its latest Kirin 990 (5G) flagship chipset with an integrated 5G modem at the IFA 2019. Kirin 990 (5G) is the first full-frequency 5G SoC to support both non-standalone (NSA) and standalone (SA) architectures as well as TDD/FDD full frequency bands, enabling it to accommodate hardware requirements under diverse networks and networking modes.

Samsung appointed Roh Tae-moon, currently its youngest-ever president at 51, as mobile chief as part of a reshuffle that came later than usual amid a series of court cases involving some of its top executives including leader Jay. Y Lee. Samsung’s network business chief Cheun Kyung-whoon, who was involved in the world’s first commercialisation of 5G services in South Korea, was promoted to president to help turn networking into a major business for the firm.

Airtel rated as top network for video experience

Samsung appoints new mobile chief

Samsung Electronics has named its youngest president as its new smartphone chief as the firm seeks to defend its lead in the handset market from rising challenges from rivals such as Huawei Technologies. The South Korean firm also promoted the head of its network equipment business, which analysts said got a lift from a US campaign to convince allies to bar Huawei from their networks.

Samsung took an early lead in smartphones running on quicker fifth-generation (5G) telecommunication networks, but Huawei is widely expected to boost sales of 5Gcapable smartphones and equipment this year, leveraging its huge home market.

14 | february 2020

Mobile analytics firm Opensignal has rated Bharti Airtel as the top network for its video offerings, adding that its high speed mobile network has the fastest download speeds in India. The network analytics company, in a statement recently, said that Airtel has the highest scores for video experience across the country. The findings, the company said, are based on the analysis of data from millions of smartphones across India. “Smartphones have become the screen of choice in our lives and video is the most popular form of content for customers,” said Randeep Sekhon, CTO, Bharti Airtel.

Google acquires no-code app development platform AppSheet

Search engine major Google has acquired leading no-code application development platform AppSheet to help businesses

create and extend applications without coding. AppSheet is used by a number of enterprises across a variety of industries.

The acquisition will help enterprises empower millions of citizen developers to more easily create and extend applications without the need for professional coding skills. “With this acquisition, customers will be able to develop richer applications at scale that leverage not only Google Sheets and Forms which are already popular with customers, but other top Google technologies like Android, Maps and Google Analytics,” said Amit Zavery Vice President, Business Application Platform, Google Cloud. Founded in 2012 in Seattle, AppSheet’s customers include Pepsi, Toyota, Whirlpool, the Global Cancer Institute, Costco and the University of Michigan, among others. AppSheet complements Google Cloud’s strategy to reimagine the application development space with a platform that helps enterprises innovate with no-code development, workflow automation, application integration and API management as they modernise their business processes in the cloud.

Huawei, TomTom ink deal for Google Maps alternative

Sending a message to the US that it can do without Google Maps, Chinese telecom and handset giant Huawei has now struck a partnership with Dutch location technology provider TomTom, which will allow it to use the company’s maps, traffic information and navigation software to develop its own mobile apps. Fortunately for Huawei, TomTom isn’t just a new player in that field, having specialised in navigation services and devices for more than two decades now. The arrangement had been struck a while back, according to TomTom’s Remco Meerstra, but hadn’t been revealed until now. The company

MYMOBILE

declined to share more details, Engadget reported. This partnership is almost providential just as the Dutch location technology firm decided to shift its focus away from hardware and into licensing software and selling services.

categories, while chief operating officer Muralikrishnan B will helm the offline

WhatsApp to get animated stickers feature soon

nation-wide multimedia campaign. Anker Innovations – an umbrella to five brands – Anker, Soundcore, Nebula, Eufy and Roav – is one of the fastest growing brands in the country. In growing by 200% from last year, Anker is well on track to becoming among the top-five accessory brands in India by 2021. The brand is focussing on key touch points across the country to cater to its discerning consumers, with a range of innovative products and solutions.

Sennheiser to expand its distribution network in India with Xilica Audio Design

Popular messaging platform WhatsApp’s latest beta update for its Android has claimed that it might be bringing support for animated sticker packs soon.

WABetaInfo, a fan website that tracks WhatsApp updates, spotted tracks hinting at the animated stickers in the latest WhatsApp beta for Android. “All Stickers Packs received a server side update from WhatsApp! Open WhatsApp > Chat > Stickers button > Plus icon and you see “UPDATE” for all packs you have previously downloaded. Reasons of the update are actually unknown. Maybe some improvements,” WABetaInfo tweeted recently. WhatsApp’s new feature ‘Disappearing Messages’ was also spotted in the latest beta version 2.19.275 for Android. With the ‘Delete Messages’ feature, group admins will be able to select a specific duration for messages on the group and once a message crosses the duration, it will be automatically deleted.

Initially, the new feature was expected to be available for both individual chats and group chats, but now the report claims that the feature will be limited to group chats only.

Xiaomi India MD hands over offline retail biz to COO; to focus on new areas Manu Kumar Jain, the managing director of Xiaomi India would reportedly play a key role in deciding the Chinese brand’s entry into newer global markets and product

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expansion. The entry into brick and mortar stores was till now spearheaded by Jain.

According to reports, while Jain will continue in his existing role of India MD, he will allocate disproportionate time to anchor these strategic initiatives and mentor new projects, both for India and global operations. Considered the poster boy of the smartphone industry in the country, Jain is one of the rare Indian executives featuring in the top leadership team of a Chinese company as a global vice president. He is the only expat in the CXO team at Xiaomi Corp. Xiaomi wants to enter new markets and categories banking on the success in India where it overtook deep pocketed and well-entrenched Samsung more than two years ago to become the largest smartphone maker. It also claims leadership in smart televisions in India, a category it entered less than two years ago.

Saina Nehwal appointed as Anker Innovations brand ambassador

What’s Up

newsbits

German audio giant Sennheiser has partnered with Xilica Audio Design, a leading manufacturer for the digital signal processor, to expand its presence and visibility in the India market. This partnership will help Sennheiser to provide an integrated sound solution to its customers. Vipin Pungalia, Director, Professional Segment, Sennheiser Electronics India, said, “This is an exciting partnership for us and will further help us to strengthen our distribution network. At Sennheiser, we pride ourselves to provide the best offerings to all our customers.

Collaborating with Xilica is a step further towards better serving our partners who are operating or venturing into the professional audio integration system. Sennheiser has one of the largest sales, service and support operations in India and will provide support for Xilica’s full range of DSP solutions.”

Google reveals timeline for killing off Chrome apps

US-based tech firm Anker Innovations has roped in ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal as its brand ambassador. The year-long deal will see Saina – arguably India’s finest women’s player – be a part of a 360-degree

Google has announced that it will start phasing out support for Chrome apps

february 2020 | 15

What’s Up

newsbits across Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms from this year. The company revealed that from March this year, Chrome Web Store will not accept new Chrome apps, while developers will get the option to update their existing apps through June 2022. The development isn’t surprising given that the company had announced back in August 2016 that it would discontinue Chrome apps. The company is citing “less usage” as the primary reason for its decision to kill the apps. Apart from not accepting new apps from March, the company will also end support for Chrome apps on Windows, macOS, and Linux from June this year. However, customers on Chrome Enterprise and Chrome Education Upgrade will get a policy in place to extend support through December. The search engine giant has also announced that Chrome OS users will get support for Chrome apps until June 2021. Also, the company has revealed that support for NaCI, PNaCI, and PPAPI APIs will go offline from June next year. Further, Google will end support for Chrome apps on Chrome OS for all users from June 2022.

UC Browser launches cloud storage service ‘UC Drive’ in India

Alibaba-owned UC Browser has launched its in-app cloud storage service in the India domain. UCWeb, in a release, stated that India is one of the largest markets for UC Browser and makes up for about 50% of its global downloads. The technology industry has been unwaveringly moving away from local storage to remote, serverbased storage and processing since the advent of the internet. The cloud storage theory isn’t a new concept and is booming extensively. Choosing the best option from

16 | february 2020

a sea of cloud storage providers is essential for you or your business can be a tough proposition. It is a step forward for the over billion users in India and has been launched with add-on features to make the browsing experience only easier.

Disney+ grosses nearly $100mn on mobile in its first 2 months

Two months after Disney’s long-anticipated entrance into the streaming video on demand, its mobile app service has been downloaded nearly 41 million times across the App Store and has generated an estimated $97.2 million in user spending.

Disney+ generated $43.9 million during its second month, in addition to the $53.3 million it made during its first 30 days, analytics firm Sensor Tower has revealed.

While competitors Netflix and Hulu predate our available data, we can see that, in comparison, Disney rival HBO Now grossed $23.7 million during its first 60 days -even when launching alongside a new season of its top program, Game of Thrones -- and Showtime grossed $1.2 million. In terms of downloads, Disney+’s second month garnered 13.5 million, or 33 per cent, of the 40.9 million installs it’s seen since launch. Comparatively, 29 per cent of HBO downloads during its first 60 days came from its second month. It may arrive in India in the second half of 2020, post the Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament.

CamScanner touches 100 mn users in India

Popular document scanning app

CamScanner has reached 100 million users in India. The app claims to have changed the way people scan their documents with attractive features like book-ebook, Scanning of PowerPoint Presentation, Printing Certificates, etc. With a diverse user base, the app is mostly used by teachers, students, white-collar workers, lawyers and doctors, to name a few. The brand plans to introduce more functions suitable for the Indian market. Under the new suite, the Indian users will be able to generate electronic copies of their utility documents such as identity cards, licenses, etc. in a 1:1 ratio. Available on Google Play and App Store, CamScanner has been installed on over 370 million devices across more than 200 countries. CamScanner records more than 50,000 subscribers every day, it said.

Dating apps like Tinder, OkCupid and Grindr leak personal data

Dating apps including Grindr, OkCupid and Tinder leak personal information to advertising tech companies in possible violation of European data privacy laws, a Norwegian consumer group said in a report recently. The Norwegian Consumer Council said it found “serious privacy infringements” in its analysis of how shadowy online ad companies track and profile smartphone users. The council, a government-funded nonprofit group, commissioned cybersecurity company Mnemonic to study 10 Android mobile apps. It found that the apps sent user data to at least 135 different third party services involved in advertising or behavioral profiling. “The situation is completely out of control,” the council said, urging European regulators to enforce the continent’s strict General Data Privacy Regulation, or GDPR. It said the majority of the apps did not present users with legally-compliant consent mechanisms. n

MYMOBILE

newsbits Jio becomes No.1 telco by user base, revenue

A

fter three years of disrupting the telecom landscape, billionaire Mukesh Ambaniled Reliance Jio has now become the biggest telecom operator in India in terms of subscribers, as well as, revenue market share. As per the latest information released

by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Jio has become the largest telecom operator in India after it added 5.6 million mobile subscribers in November taking its total to 369.93 million and market share to 32.04 per cent in the telecom sector. The other big gainer in the period was Bharti Airtel which also increased its market share in November, by adding 1.65 million mobile users in the month. Its total now adds up to 327.30 million users that gave it a 28.35 per cent market share. However, during the period its wireless telecom subscriber base reduced by 28.8 million despite its best efforts.

While the two operators gained in numbers, it was Vodafone Idea, which faced the worst losses with its subscriber base thinning to 36.41 million during the month. The company also posted reduced market share, and now only has control over 29.12 per cent of the sector making it second in the subscribers list. But while Jio and Airtel added in numbers, overall the industry saw a decline in subscriber across all categories at a rate of (-) 2.40 per cent over the previous month, with the total

mobile subscribers now at 1.17 billion, TRAI said. This is despite both Jio and Airtel introducing the facility to make Wi-Fi calls over its network everywhere in the country. With the new feature, users can now, in theory, make crystal clear voice calls even in areas of poor network using an available Wi-Fi network.

Interestingly, the feature is also free and as such provides users with a way to make calls free of charge regardless of the network they are trying to connect to.n

Alphabet joins Apple, Microsoft and Amazon in 1 trillion club

G

oogle’s parent company Alphabet Inc. has now become the fourth US company ever to achieve a $1 trillion market value, punctuating a powerful rally in shares of large internet stocks to start 2020. The search-engine giant joins peers Apple Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Microsoft Corp. as the only firms to reach the threshold during intraday trading. According to a report, Apple and Amazon accomplished the feat in the summer of 2018, while Microsoft hit $1 trillion for the first time in April of last year. Amazon never closed above $1 trillion and has fallen well behind Apple and Microsoft, which have rocketed past that level recently. The massive gains for technology stocks come with Silicon Valley companies ascending to the forefront of the

world economy and flexing their muscles in new arenas such as health care and transportation.

Despite concerns about stricter regulatory scrutiny, the biggest technology companies have continued soaring in value, highlighting how investors favour firms that steadily improve sales in a world with tepid economic growth and low-interest rates. Google faces investor concerns about antitrust probes into its dominance in advertising and rising costs. Those worries have put Alphabet shares behind the pace of many of its technology peers in the past year, but many investors remain confident the company can continue growing consistently. “Google is one of those critical, important leaders in multiple areas,” said Michael Lippert, who manages the Baron Capital Opportunity Fund that counts Alphabet among its largest holdings. “You almost can’t live your life without Googling things.” Alphabet shares have surged since the company said in early December that Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin were stepping down from managing the parent company and ceding control to Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai. n

february 2020 | 17

What’s Up

bignews Xiaomi claims 50,000 jobs created in India

C

hinese tech major Xiaomi announced that it has generated employment for over 50,000 people in India. This includes employees across different verticals of the company including manufacturing plants, service centres, Mi Stores, and also its corporate offices. Xiaomi India Head Manu Kumar Jain made the announcement via a tweet, including a short video, stating that they started off with only four members working in a small room in 2014 to more than 50,000 members in 2020.

According to a news report, over 30,000 of these employees work in the manufacturing division. It also highlighted that about 95 per cent from the 30,000 people in the facilities are women.

Followed by the manufacturing department, all the authorised service centre engineers, repair factory engineers and customer care executives form the second largest group of employees. The third includes the staff from its offline stores with logistics support coming next. Its corporate head office in Bengaluru and five other regional offices have around 1,000

employees. Back in 2014, Xiaomi had started its operations as an online-only brand with the Mi 3, Redmi 1S and Redmi Note (3G) devices. It has been slowly building up its name in the offline segment as well. Along with smartphones, Xiaomi also entered the smart TV market with several models ranging from full HD to 4K TVs. Then it brought its smart home and lifestyle product portfolio to India with its line of air purifiers, water purifiers, LED bulbs, etc. n

Honor to strengthen India product portfolio this year with laptops, smart TVs

H

uawei’s sub-brand Honor has said it is strengthening its portfolio in India and will bring in products like smart TVs and laptops to Indian consumers by the end of the first quarter. The company, which launched its 9X smartphone along with MagicWatch 2 and Band 5i (wearables) in India recently, said the country continues to be a key market for the company. “Indian smartphone market continues to grow and we will bring more and more phones across price points for the consumers here. These will have some features designed specifically for users here. Apart from smartphones, we are also bringing in IoT products,” Honor India President Charles Peng said. The core philosophy is to provide customers with the best experience and quality, he added.

“We unveiled the smart TVs in the later part of the year, and we

18 | february 2020

have said we will introduce laptops as well. These products should be available by the end of the first quarter or beginning of next quarter,” he said. Peng said the company is also talking to contract manufacturers in the country for local production of smart TVs. Talking about the 9X smartphone, Peng said the device features the brand’s first pop-up selfie camera. “With the launch of these new devices (smartphone and wearables), we take a step towards further fortifying our commitment of offering an expanded product portfolio to Indian consumers,” he added.

Honor 9X - priced at Rs 13,999 onwards - features 6.59-inch display, 4GB/6GB RAM, triple rear camera setup (48MP+8MP+2MP), 16MP AI pop-up front camera and 4,000mAh battery. Honor MagicWatch 2 wll be priced at Rs 12,999 onwards, whie Band 5i will be available for Rs 1,999. n

MYMOBILE

What’s Up

bignews BBK-owned IQOO to enter India this month with Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 premium smartphone

I

QOO, a new mobile brand is all set to enter India, and will soon launch its first premium flagship 5G smartphone this month. This will be the first smartphone and brand to ship Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 high-end SoC in India. IQOO (I Quest On and On), is owned by BBK Electronics of China and will function as an independent entity here in India. Although, IQOO is a functional smartphone brand in China since March 2019 with few launches under its belt. Now, BBK Electronics is going to have five smartphone players in India; vivo, OPPO, OnePlus, realme and IQOO. IQOO is going to launch its first premium flagship smartphone featuring Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC that has an in-built 5G modem in it. It means IQOO’s first smartphone will be a 5G-enabled handset. The company will also launch a 4G version with this, specifically for India. On competition, the brand spokesperson said, “We do not have to beat anybody but, ourselves.” India is their second market outside China, he added. For the sales, IQOO, initially, will be an online-centric brand and later would be available across

channels, offline. The new entrant will initially use vivo’s India resources at Noida facility to mark and expand its presence.

IQOO also said that the other specifications of the smartphone will be at par with the competition in the market and gaming and battery will be one of the key focus areas for the brand. n

MediaTek unveils Helio G70 chipset for entry-level gaming phones

F

abless semiconductor major MediaTek has unveiled a new gaming-oriented chipset ‘Helio G70’ for entry-level phones.

It is equipped with the company’s “HyperEngine” technology which is also present in the Helio G90 chipsets, the company said in a statement recently. Heading over to the graphics department, the chip features Mali-G52 2EEMC2 running at 820Mhz. The G70 incorporates a pair of powerful Arm CortexA75 CPUs operating up to 2GHz, plus six Cortex-A55 CPUs in

a single, octa-core cluster.

The MediaTek Helio G70 enables brands to mix up large, dual camera systems that use wide angle, telescopic, macro or other lens setups to create differentiated smartphone options.

The secure ISP design means facial recognition actions such as smartphone unlocking are ultra-fast, highly accurate and add a new layer of security. Building on generations of photographic excellence in MediaTek Helio, the G70 includes a multitude of hardware accelerator, such as a dedicated depth engine, Camera Control Unit (CCU), Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) and Rolling Shutter Compensation (RSC) technology that enhances video panning and ultra-fast recording (up to 240fps). It also builds in VoW (voice on wakeup) capability, which optimizes platform size and minimizes power use for voice assistant services. n

february 2020 | 19

What’s Up

bignews OnePlus to turn India its global R&D hub

P

remium smartphone brand OnePlus is turning its India R&D facility for global technology research in the area of 5G, television, payment solution and software with engineers leading the Chinese company’s manpower expansion in the country, the company’s India head said recently. OnePlus India general manager Vikas Agarwal said the company is investing around Rs 1,000 crore in its R&D facility which is operational in Hyderabad.

OnePlus at present has 400 people in the Indian operation which will go up to 1500 people over the next three years, he said.

“Currently out of the 400, around 300 are engineers in India.

Going forward, we expect the ratio of engineers in total manpower will further go up. India will become a research hub for all products and undertaking a lot of research in both software and hardware,” Agarwal said.

India is the biggest market for OnePlus accounting for onethird of its global revenue. The company is also the market leader in the premium (handsets priced above Rs 30,000) smartphone

space competing tightly against Apple and Samsung. OnePlus also forayed into televisions in 2019 with a pilot in India. The company has started export of smartphones from India including 5G handsets to the US and has plans for export of televisions which it will start local manufacturing from this quarter. “As and when OnePlus launches television globally, it will be exported from the country,” Agarwal said. OnePlus at present has 30 brand stores in India in 15 cities, which Agarwal said will be expanded to 100 stores in 50 cities by December 2020. These stores are operated and managed by the brand, but the final sale is undertaken through a business partner. Agarwal said it has no plans to change this structure or start direct sales under retail FDI.n

Amazon to invest $1 billion in digitizing SMBs in India

A

mazon CEO Jeff Bezos recently announced $1 billion (over Rs 7,000 crore) investment in India to help bring small and medium businesses online and committed to exporting $10

billion worth of India-made goods by 2025. Before this, the online retail giant had committed $5.5 billion investments in India - Amazon’s most important market outside the US and a key growth driver. We are committed to being a long-term partner of India.

And actions speak louder than words, he said. “Over the next five years, Amazon will invest an incremental $1 billion to digitise micro and small businesses... across India, helping them reach more customers than ever before. This initiative will use Amazon’s global footprint to create $10 billion in India exports by 2025,” he said.

He added that part of this goal is to ensure that more people can participate in the prosperity of India. “We are making this announcement now because it is working... When something works you should double down on it. And that is why we are doing it.” Amazon hopes that this investment will “bring millions of more people into the future prosperity of India and at the same time expose the world to the ‘Make in India’ products that represent India’s rich, diverse culture.” The company had previously said it expected e-commerce exports from India to reach $5 billion by 2023 under its global selling programme. Bezos, who was on a three-day visit to India, was speaking at the SMBhav summit - an Amazon India gathering for small and medium businesses. n team@mymobile.co.in

20 | february 2020

MYMOBILE

First Look

justin

Realme 5i

E

xpanding its affordable budget line-up in India, Chinese

wide-angle lens, the main camera of 12MP, portrait sensor of

handset maker Realme has launched a new smartphone --

2MP and ultra-macro lens of 2MP and an 8MP AI front

Realme 5i -- with quad-camera rear setup for Rs 8,999 that is available on Flipkart and realme.com.

The smartphone comes with a sunrise design inspired by the power and hope of the first rays of the sun. Available in Forest Green and Aqua Blue colours, realme 5i comes in a single 4GB + 64GB configuration variant and packs 5,000mAh battery.

The smartphone has 6.52-inch mini-drop full display and to

camera.

The handset has 4K video and 240 fps slow-motion shooting and video modes with EIS that support wide-angle and ultrawide-angle shooting.

It runs Android 9.0 with the company’s ColorOS 6.1 operating system (OS) on top and will be upgraded to Android 10 with ColorOS 7 by May.

make viewing more immersive, the mini-drop is 39 per cent

The brand-new sunlight display technology makes the whole

smaller than the previous dewdrop design, to achieve an 89 per

display vivid, even in strong lighting conditions, claimed the

cent screen-to-body ratio.

firm.

Equipped with reverse charging, the Realme 5i houses a

The handset features a splash-resistant design, which

Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 AIE octa-core chipset. It packs an

protects all interior and exterior components from splashes of

AI quad-camera setup with 8MP camera with 119-degree ultra-

water, including the screen, back cover and the buttons. n

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2020 | 21

First Look

justin

itel A25

S

martphone brand from TRANSSION India, itel, has

the various language in India, along with the support of 4G

launched a fully loaded smartphone A25 with trendy

VoLTE/ViLTE across all operator bands of India.

features, for Rs 3,999 in India.

It is also packed with a 5MP rear camera and 2MP selfie

The itel A25 comes fully loaded with a sleek ID of 9.85

camera, which comes with smart recognition capability and

mm design. The device comes with a gradient tone back

HDR features. Apart from this, the device comes equipped

colour finish. It is available in three gradient tones such as

with Google Lens that’ll provide users to expand their

Gradient Purple, Gradient Blue, and Gradient Sea Blue

horizons.

across offline stores.

Furthermore, itel A25 runs on a powerful battery of

On the display, itel A25 comes packed with brighter and

3,020mAh and is equipped with 16GB internal storage

clearer display resolution of 12.7cm (5.0 inches) HD along

along with a dedicated expandable memory up to 32GB.

with wider viewing angles with IPS.

And it will be available across India starting today. n

It runs on the Android Pie 9.0 (Go Edition) OS and powered by a 1.4Ghz quad-core processor for high-tech experience and seamless functionality. The phone comes equipped with the convenient face unlock feature, multilanguage support- apart from English and Hindi language, the device has an inbuilt localization of 12 languages pack

that

helps to write

22 | february 2020

MYMOBILE

First Look

justin

vivo S1 Pro

A

fter the successful launch of S1, Chinese smartphone

slowing down. A 128GB memory lets you store more of your

maker vivo has announced the vivo S1Pro in India. The

favourite apps, videos, and photos. S1Pro is powered by a

all-new entrant is the company’s second offering under the

powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 at its heart making the

S-series portfolio.

experience more powerful and smooth.

Priced at Rs 19,990, the device will be available in three

S1Pro houses a 4500mAh battery that lets you use it for

attractive colour options -- Mystic Black, Jazzy Blue, and

much longer. When it’s time to recharge, vivo’s exclusive 18W

Dreamy White. The smartphone is available across all offline

Dual-Engine Fast Charging technology re-juices at breakneck

as well as online channels such as vivo India E-store and leading

speed.n

e-commerce platforms -- Amazon, Flipkart, and all other major e-commerce websites.

S1Pro features a 16.20cm (6.38-inch) Super AMOLED display with a 90 per cent screen-to-body ratio, FHD+ resolution with AMOLED screen. S1Pro supports ‘Always on Display’ at low power consumption, with In-Display Fingerprint Scanning.

The device’s main camera delivers 48MP super clarity, an 8MP camera that covers wide-angle and 2MP cameras each for macro and Bokeh.

S1Pro’s 8GB RAM makes your phone super smooth by keeping multiple apps running as you like without hanging or

First Look

justin

Honor 9X

H

uawei’s sub-brand Honor has unveiled a smartphone --

microSD card.

Honor 9X -- alongside the MagicWatch 2 and Honor

In the optics department, Honor 9X sports a triple rear

Band 5i. The smartphone is available on sale through

camera setup: a 48MP camera with 1/2″ sensor, 0.8μm pixel

Flipkart.

size and f/1.8 aperture + an 8MP ultra-wide sensor with f/2.4

Honor 9X comes equipped with a 6.59-inch (2340 x

aperture + a 2MP depth camera with f/2.4 aperture. On the

1080 pixels) Full HD+ 19.5:9 2.5D curved

front lies a 16MP selfie shooter housed in the pop-up camera

glass display. It is powered by the Kirin

module.

710F chipset, paired with

Honor 9x features a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. It

ARM Mali-G51 MP4

packs a 4000mAh battery with 10W charging support. It

GPU.

runs EMUI 9.1.1 based on Android 9 Pie.

The smartphone

Honor 9X price in India starts at Rs 13,999 for the base

comes with 4GB+6GB

4GB + 128GB variant. The higher-end 6GB RAM + 128GB

RAM and 64GB+128GB

storage model will cost Rs 16,999.

of internal storage

Users purchasing with ICICI Bank credit card and Kotak

that can be expanded

Mahindra debit or credit card will get a 10 per cent discount.

up to 512GB with

a

Further, buyers can avail Jio benefits worth Rs 2,200. n

First Look

justin

LAVA Z71

I

ndian multinational company in the mobile handset industry

latest Android 9 Pie OS and also has a face-unlock feature and

LAVA International Limited has announced the launch of its

a fingerprint scanner.

new smartphone -- LAVA Z71 -- with special JIO offers. Priced at Rs 6,299, LAVA Z71 is available on Flipkart.

LAVA Z71 is equipped with a dedicated Google Assistant key which enables users to access a variety of apps and features,

The smartphone offers a 2GB RAM and a storage capacity of 32GB, expandable up to 256GB and packed with a powerful 3200 mAh AI battery, the LAVA Z71runs for 1.5 days in a single charge.

using voice command. The smartphone’s 5.7-inch HD+ Dot

The smartphone is powered by a 2GHz quad-core

Notch display with an aspect ratio of 19:9 provides an immersive

MediaTekHelio A22 16nm processor and offers dual SIM with

viewing experience to the users.

4G as well as VoLTE support.

On the camera front, LAVA Z71 is coupled with a 13MP+2MP

Consumers will also get special JIO offers on the purchase of

Dual Rear Camera with LED Flash and a 5MP selfie camera with

LAVA Z71 including, Rs 1200 cashback which shall be credited

soft flash that captures stunning pictures, even in low light. The

in the form of 24 cashback vouchers of Rs 50 each in the MyJio

smartphone’s camera is packed with premium features like

App on Rs 198 and Rs 299 Plans, up to 50GB of additional 4G

professional mode and an AI studio Mode which enables users

data in the form of one additional data voucher of 5GB per

to click pictures using 6 level portraits. The LAVA Z71runs on the

recharge for a maximum of 10 recharges. n

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2020 | 25

International

justin

Huawei Y6s

H

uawei has quietly made the Huawei Y6s phone official. The

The smartphone is powered by the quad-core MediaTek Helio

phone is a different variant of the Huawei Y6 (2019) phone

P35 (MTK MT6765) SoC paired with 3GB of RAM. Onboard

launched in March last year, and it comes with a dewdrop notch

storage options include 32GB and 64GB, and storage can further

and a single rear camera setup at the back.

be expanded via a microSD card (up to 512GB).

The company is yet to reveal the pricing and availability of the

In the imaging department, the Huawei Y6s comes equipped

Huawei Y6s. The phone has been discreetly listed on its US website

with a 13MP rear camera with f/1.8 aperture and rear LED flash

as of now, and Huawei should reveal sale details soon. The Huawei

support. On the front is an 8MP camera with f/2.0 aperture and

Y6s is listed in two colour options – Orchid Blue and Starry

fixed focus capabilities.

Black.

The Huawei Y6s packs a 3,020mAh battery, and connectivity

On the software side, the Huawei Y6s boots EMUI 9.0 based

options include 4G LTE, GPS, Glonass, Bluetooth 4.2, Micro USB,

on Android 9 Pie. Furthermore, the Huawei Y6s packs a 6.09-inch

Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, and 3.5mm ear jack. Onboard sensors include

HD+ (720x1560 pixels) TFT IPS display with a dewdrop notch

a proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, gravity sensor, and

and 283ppi pixel density. There’s a considerable chin seen on the

fingerprint sensor. The phone measures 156.28x73.5x8mm and

bottom of the display that houses the Huawei logo.

26 | february 2020

weigh 150 grams. n

Coolpad Legacy 5G

C

oolpad has launched a new 5G smartphone -- the Coolpad

new Coolpad phone features a 6.53-inch full-HD+ IPS LCD

Legacy 5G -- at CES 2020 IN Las Vegas, and it might well

dispaly paired with HDR 10 support and flaunt what the company

be the cheapest 5G phone to debut in the Western market.

calls a V-notch.

The new Coolpad phone packs decent hardware for its

The Snapdragon 765 SoC is paired with 4GB of RAM and

promised sub-$400 (roughly Rs. 29,000) price tag. The Coolpad

64GB of UFS 2.1 internal storage that can further be expanded

Legacy 5G features a 6.53-inch full-HD+ HDR10 display with a

via a microSD card (up to 128GB).

waterdrop notch. It is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765

The Coolpad Legacy 5G features a dual rear camera setup that

SoC, which packs the Snapdragon X52 modem for 5G connectivity.

includes a 48MP primary camera and an 8MP wide-angle

The new Coolpad phone also sports a 48MP camera at the

shooter. On the front is a 16-megapixel fixed-focus camera

back.

housed in the waterdrop notch. It comes equipped with a

The single-SIM Coolpad Legacy 5G runs Android 10, however,

4,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging and also

the company is yet to specify if the software is vanilla Android or

adheres to the Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 standard. There is

whether the phone will come

Bluetooth 5.0 onboard that is enhanced with Tempow technology

with a custom skin. The

for multi-device connectivity.n

International

justin

team@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2020 | 27

lead story

Digital Darkness

How Internet shutdowns are taking us back to Primitive Era Internet shutdowns are not just about curbing dissent, but also have an economic cost attached to it

By Vivek Singh Chauhan

A

mid nationwide protests against

How it is affecting us?

the Citizenship (Amendment) Act

Arbitrary Internet shutdowns are not only an attack

(CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Internet shutdowns

across many cities, towns have been reported and it is affecting people in many ways. It is not only affecting telecom companies or costing businesses across the country but also showing the darker side of digital dependence on businesses and livelihood.

Internet shutdown is a suspension of Internet access ordered by the authorities. Telecoms companies then turn off the cellular networks at transmitting towers providing mobile phone Internet services in the area. It is governed by either Section 144 of the CrPC under a set of rules by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and is issued under the Telegraph Act.

28 | february 2020

MYMOBILE

The curious case of Internet Shutdown in Kashmir As the Kashmir valley has been under communication curbs for the last 171 days (as of 21/01/2020) since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court has finally said orders suspending Internet in Jammu and Kashmir should be reviewed forthwith.

“Such suspension can only be for a

Limelight

lead story

limited time and is subject to judicial review,” said the bench of Justices NV on the civil liberties and the constitutional

So, it is certainly morally questionable

Ramana, R Subhash Reddy and BR

rights of the citizens, by the State, but

to strip people of a fundamental

Gavai. It asked the central government to

they have grave economic consequences

right by indiscriminately disabling

review restrictions within a week.

too, with businesses and working

communications. Internet shutdowns

“Freedom of speech and expression

professionals losing out on sales and job

not only curb dissent, but they give

includes right to the Internet within

days. Moreover, it is suspect whether

governments’ excessive control over

Article 19 of the Constitution. So the

these shutdowns help in achieving the

the dissemination of information and

restrictions on the Internet has to follow

stated goals of maintaining law and

dominance over the narrative. Regular

the principles of proportionality under

order.

and indiscriminate shutdowns can have

Article 19(2),” said the Supreme Court

chilling effects on free speech in the long

bench adding that all orders imposing

run.

restrictions should be published so that

Internet and communications shutdowns, when in place, violate the fundamental freedom of expression.

The UN declared the Internet as a

they can be challenged in courts of law.

Access to the Internet brings to the fore

fundamental right in 2016. From Uber

The verdict came on a bunch of

voices from across the political spectrum,

drivers to restaurants to garments shop

petitions against the Internet and

significantly increasing agency —

owners, everyone depends on the Internet

communication blackout imposed in

perhaps the reason governments are wary

to facilitate their businesses. Unavailability

Jammu and Kashmir.

of the Internet. People depend on the

of the Internet leads to tangible monetary

Internet to communicate with friends and

losses for these professionals. Students

family, share news and knowledge, and

also increasingly rely on online resources

How it is Affecting our Economy?

to hold public institutions accountable.

for their education.

According to a research by Top10VPN, a

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2020 | 29

Limelight

lead story Country

Total cost of shutdowns

Iraq

$2,320 million

Sudan India* Venezuela

$1,886 million

$1,073 million $612 million

Algeria

$200 million

Indonesia

$188 million

Sri Lanka Myanmar- Rakhine, chin

283 hours 1,560 hours

$1,330 million

Iran

Chad

Shutdown duration

3,196 hours 171 hours 240 hours 50 hours 416 hours

$126 million $84 million

$75 million

4,728 hours 337 hours

4,880 hours

publication focused on Internet privacy,

Council for Research on International

etc as Internet shutdowns are not just

in 2019, India lost over $1.3 billion (Rs

Economic Relations (ICRIER) in 2018

about curbing dissent, but also have an

9,300 crore) as a result of major Internet

showed that Internet shutdowns added up

economic cost attached to it.

shutdowns in regions like Jammu &

to over 16,000 hours between 2012 and

Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,

2017, costing the Indian economy about

Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Tripura, and Uttar

$3.04 billion (over Rs 21,000 crore).

Where’s the Freedom of Speech?

However, when it comes to monetary

As per a senior lawyer, Vrinda Grover, “As

The loss is the third-highest among 21

losses, it isn’t just telecom companies

far as Internet shutdown is concerned, the

countries where major Internet shutdowns

that are hit. The Internet has become the

court held that freedom of the Internet is

happened last year. The combined toll

lifeblood of several businesses, not the

part of freedom of speech and expression

from all cyber blockades stood at $8.05

least of which is the app-based economy

and therefore is given protection under

billion, estimated Top10VPN.

— comprising e-commerce majors,

Article 19 (1) of the Constitution. It also

cab operators, food delivery services

said the freedom of the press is impacted

Pradesh.

Another study conducted by the Indian

30 | february 2020

MYMOBILE

Limelight

lead story

by the shutdown of communication and the Internet.”

gets hampered.”

“Most people nowadays rely heavily

Another lawyer added that the top

on the news and social media websites

court held that “indefinite Internet ban

for information, but with the Internet

is not permissible under the Constitution

being suspended, people are withheld

and is an abuse of power”.

from such facilities and it becomes

Grover added, “The court said that

very difficult for the media to dispense

restrictive orders were not placed before

information among the general public,”

it which is not acceptable in law. The

she added.

administration has to place the orders

Blaming the current government, a

before the review committee within seven

Delhi-based Kashmiri journalist says that

days.”

its looks weird that he largest democracy

The lawyer said that the orders will be reviewed “based on the doctrine of proportionality and least restrictive measures”.

What Do People think?

in the world has to go through such embarrassment.

“I don’t know why government has created a department like a cyber cell.

The current blockade to maintain the law and order I the country has backfired

On being asked how Freedom of Press

them. They want to restore the services

is getting affected, a Delhi-based journalist

but the system needs to be changed,”

born in Assam said, “The press, obviously

Shamshad Ali said.

being the fourth pillar of democracy,

“In the 21st Century, it looks weird

does get affected badly due to Internet

in a country like India being the largest

shutdowns as their sole responsibility of

democracy in the world to snap the

reaching out to the public with information

Internet services,” Ali added.

www.mymobileindia.com

Previous Internet Shutdowns Since 2012, the Indian government has shut down the Internet in various parts of the country 374 times. More than a hundred of those shutdowns took place in 2019 alone and the number of states that shut down the Internet in one or more districts has increased, from just Jammu and Kashmir in 2012, to 14 states in 2019. The most notable of which is the ongoing blackout in the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir, which is already more than 170 days (it is now active only in the Kashmir valley). Last year, the Internet services across 21 Uttar Pradesh districts were suspended for 24 hours in the wake of violence during protests against the CAA. The most recent shutdown took place in Uttar Pradesh when the Internet was snapped. In Kashmir, there has been no mobile Internet service since August 5.

february 2020 | 31

Limelight

lead story Longest Internet shutdowns in India 171 Days and Counting 4th August 2019 - Present Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir

Internet shutdown was imposed on 4th August 2019, when Article 370 of the Constitution was abrogated by the Parliament of India. There was a Presidential order 272 dated 5th August 2019 implying the same. The State of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. There was a preventive shutdown imposed in the state

The shutdown was imposed alongside the

Wani on 8th July 2016. Mobile Internet

which is yet to be lifted, the beginning

suspension of all landline, mobile and SMS

Services were suspended for 133 days.

of the communication blockade saw

communication as a preventive measure in

While mobile Internet services on postpaid

landlines, as well as Mobile services,

the wake of the abrogation of article 370.

numbers were restored on November 19,

restricted, the ban on landlines was lifted

It was lifted on 27th December 2019 in

2016. Mobile Internet services for prepaid

but the suspension of the mobile Internet

the district but it continues in other parts

users were resumed in January 2017, this

continues in the valley.

of the Erstwhile State.

implies they faced almost a six month

145 Days

133 Days

4th August 2019 - 27th December 2019

8th July 2016 - 19th November 2016

100 Days

Kargil

Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir

18th June 2017 - 25th September 2017

Internet shutdown.

Kargil District of Laddakh faced

Darjeeling, West Bengal

a shutdown of 145 days which was

Longest Internet Shutdown was

imposed since 4th August 2019 on the

observed in Kashmir located in the state

Third longest Internet services

erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir.

of Jammu and Kashmir in 2016 due to the

suspension was observed in Darjeeling.

agitation caused by the killing of Burhan

The order suspending the Internet services was promulgated on 18th June

32 | february 2020

MYMOBILE

are unable to keep up with the digital

to call on India to reconsider its proposed

expressions of citizens sentiments, does

amendments to its intermediary liability

that mean we become ungovernable

rules.

today?” Sonowal stressed.

On a Global Level

In an open letter to India’s IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, representatives from organisations such as Google,

In 2018, the #KeepItOn coalition—

Twitter, Internet Society, and Mozilla,

which works with the support of 191

among others, expressed to the Indian

organizations globally—and the non-

government that if it goes ahead with its

profit Access Now reported that of the

proposed amendments, it could “put

196 Internet shutdowns collated from

the security of the Internet and its users,

25 countries, India was responsible

and the future of a digital India at greater

for the majority: With 134 incidents,

risk”.

67 per cent of the world’s documented

It is unclear yet what new twist and

2017 due to the ongoing agitation for a

shutdowns took place in India last

turns we are going to see in the coming

separate Gorkhaland. Two days later, on

year. Facebook’s Transparency Report,

times. However, before completing

20th June, the order was extended to the

released last month, identified close to

blocking the Internet, it is essential to

Limelight

lead story

broadband services as well, effectively shutting down the entire Internet, with several such extension orders Internet services were suspended in Darjeeling for 100 days.

Many Indians - who are part of one of the fastest-growing Internet markets in the world - have criticised what they perceive to be a clampdown on free speech and a “regressive” leadership whose knee-jerk reaction at the first sign of unrest is to suspend the Internet.

Reacting to the ban on the Internet in some parts of Assam due to protests against CAA and NRC, a resident named Mitali Sonowal says that the Internet blackout during the period affected the daily life to a very large extent, such as unable to access important updates, emails, pay for bills online, use various services for payments.

“With the outburst of the prevailing

70 disruptions of Facebook services in

conduct a proportionality and necessity

situation, the sudden shutdown of the

15 countries in the first half of 2019—

test. It is crucial to consider whether the

Internet does throw a threat to democracy.

India accounted for 40 of these.

same objective can be achieved by a less

Democracy, exercised at the ballot box

According to a report, India’s mobile

intrusive and more effective solution. It

now is lived and experienced on a day to

operators are losing around 24.5 million

is also essential to conduct a cost-benefit

day basis as well. The members of the

rupees ($350,000) in revenue every

analysis and choose a measure that

society who has the complete freedom to

hour they are forced to suspend Internet

minimises the short-term and long-term

participate in public discourse and speak

services on government orders to control

social and economic costs incurred.

up issues, they deem to be of public

protests against a new citizenship law.

concern, the Internet has focussed the diversity of citizens views more salient.

Conclusion

In such case, if our representatives

Various organisations have come together

www.mymobileindia.com

Indiscriminate Internet blockades are not likely to safeguard public order in today’s time and age. n vivek@mymobile.co.in

february 2020 | 33

Exclusiv

Chief Speak

“We enjoy being a challenger, an underdog” realme is getting some unreal response in the Indian smartphone market endorsed by both buyers and critics. The young and disruptive mobile brand, in a short span of time, has evolved into tech lifestyle brand and wants to further establish its hold with IoT products and fitness bands in 2020. The man in-charge, Madhav Sheth, CEO, realme India, has been at the forefront of this remarkable journey daring others to leap. He had a conversation with Haider Ali Khan. Excerpts: realme has been the fastest growing mobile

growth in the recent festive season. Last

brand and No. 7 smartphone brand globally.

brand since the last many quarters. Why is it

Diwali, we sold 5.2 million smartphones

In 2019, the total number of smartphone

so as that despite so many brands it has got

and realme reinforces its position as the

shipments was more than 25 million units,

the maximum traction? We are a young brand

top-selling smartphone brand on Flipkart.

with a year-on-year growth of over 500%

who has made huge strides in a short span

According to Counterpoint’s Q3 2019

enabling more and more consumers to

Global Smartphone Shipments report,

Our key decision that turned out to be

choose us. The testament to this fact is our

realme was the fastest-growing smartphone

a game changer for us is our focus on user

34 | february 2020

in 2018.

MYMOBILE

ChiefSpeak

Exclusive

experience. Our key user is the youth and we connect with them through all possible social media platforms. Focusing on the customer needs is the main core strategy.

We avoid investing in random marketing activities.

We have an active fan community (75+ fan meets) and the fans who help us to inspire more fresh users. We have Photo expedition, realme Insiders, Campus star program global photo contest just for our fans. realme’s success also defines its core philosophy of ensuring to deliver the best in class products in every single price segment.

What were the pain-points that realme addressed to get things going for it? We, at realme have always had an ‘India-first’ approach, which has helped us define our growth to be now amongst the top four

and with lowest repairs.

smartphones in the country. When Sky Li

up to this position in just 20 months of our inception. While we have launched

and I started this company, we realised that

In a journey of around 20 months, what have

some remarkable smartphones in each

the online market space for smartphone

you learnt from competitors and buyers?

price segment and have also recently also

makers is huge and hardly any players were

realme is a product oriented company

ventured into the premium segment, our

meeting this demand efficiently. We saw

with a focus on building products

core fundamentals still remain the same.

that the scope is not been met and hence

and user experience. We have best in

As a brand we have learnt that if a brand

started realme to address the demand

class technology, premium feel and an

sticks to its basics and core fundamentals,

of the online consumers. At realme, we

affordable price range. When we started

growth and market share is bound to

dream of realme for every Indian. Our user

the company, we believed that the under-

come.

base is vast and is increasing fast in India.

10K segment was also worth a shot and

Users constantly look for newer innovation,

decided to pursue the same with our

realme is being accused of selling half-baked

excellent camera capabilities, powerful

innovative designs. Our focus is also on

products in order to steal the limelight. Do

performance, premium feel and more.

providing timely updates to our customers,

you agree? Of course we disagree. That’s

Our motto is to make people experience

as that adds to the user-experience.

an accusation that has no merit. We are

the joys of technology and premium-ness

realme also has the lowest return rates in

here to serve the customers and bring

at a reasonable price. realme’s offerings

the industry, which adds to our credibility.

products that make our consumers happy.

come in different price segments with best

We believe in valuing our customers and

We are proud of our achievements that we

of the performance ratios along with the

their feedback, which is why we have

have made in a short

been able to grow and stand

finest quality

www.mymobileindia.com

december 2019 | 43

Exclusive

Chief Speak span of time and we are here to further

smartphones, so it is tough to specify which

onto their devices for a longer time. We are

drive the smartphone market by bringing

is the best-selling segment.

excited about the opportunities that will

out products that are both powerful and stylish.

still be available for us, and we will continue Does realme want to consider itself as Tech

to bring products for our customers as per

Lifestyle brand and for that what is your

their needs.

realme is walking the same path once travelled

roadmap for 2020? realme has exciting

by Xiaomi. Is it true and if not, how different

plans for 2020. We are venturing into

Online, offline and after-sale service are

is it? We respect Xiaomi for its position in

IoT enabled products which include the

key to success. How determined are you for

the current smartphone industry. We are a

launch of realme buds air and will include

these? In today’s growing market, a brand

young brand and we take learnings from

wearables too - the first one being the

grows by being present both online and

those who have been in the industry. We

fitness band. This is in line with realme’s

offline as consumers are varied and should

enjoy being a challenger, an underdog. realme has got into earbuds and powerbanks.

What would be the next phase of transition for you? Would it be TV, Air Purifier, or other wearables in 2020? 2020 is going to be a big year for realme. We have plans of venturing into IoT enabled products which include our recently launched realme buds air and the latest addition, realme fitness

have a readymade option while making a

“We are currently targeting at 30 per cent sales from offline segment and 70 per cent from online. Next year we aim to grow this to be at least 40 per cent”

purchase. Online we have been no.1 and we now see huge growth in being offline.

We are currently targeting at 30 per cent sales from offline segment and 70 per cent from online. Next year we aim to grow this to be at least 40 per cent. The scope for offline growth is based on relationship and trust being the most important factors to become a trusted brand. Our offline strategy will be

band. We will keep you posted on other

focusing more on the relationship building

upcoming products.

and connections with more distributors

realme has got range of smartphones; from budget to premium. Are you satisfied with 5K30K range and out of these which has been your best-seller segment? We have always been fast and we have always been furious.

We started the brand with an aim to deliver class-leading design, performance and quality in each price segment. In this span of 20 months, we have been able to capture these price segments, and have received great feedback from our customers. We will continue to bring in more innovation in our products, and keep up with customers’ expectations. All our products are budget

strategy to be the tech lifestyle company.

We will start to build a new realme tech and lifestyle ecosystem with our own unique software experience. We want to bring more fashionable IoT products to the youngsters.

Do you see the market dominance shifting in 2020 and where do you position realme in that table? The growth in the smartphone market is expected to be in single-digits in 2020, about 5-6%, lower than the 2019 levels, as consumers are hesitant to upgrade to entry level smartphones and are also holding

and dealers across the country instead of providing the high margins in the sacrifice of product and user experience. That’s why both our partners and us share the same vision that is to give the best options to more massive audience. Even though we are not that big in offline markets, I believe realme has the best offline channel relations than any other brands. realme has been adjudged as No. 1 Quality Smartphone Brand in India by CMR with the lowest return rate and the highest customer satisfaction on reliability. realme still lingers under the cloud of Oppo without having no dedicated manufacturing facility here in India. Would it change in 2020? realme Mobile Telecommunications Private Limited is already an independent brand and legal entity. realme was officially established on May 4th, 2018 by its founder Sky Li and Madhav Sheth. realme has a global R&D centre in China, and a dedicated R&D centre in Hyderabad to improve on the product based on local needs. n haider@mymobile.co.in

MYMOBILE

In Conversation

face to face

“MediaTek is all geared up for the arrival of 5G” While strengthening its foothold in the chipmaking business, Taiwanese fabless semiconductor company MediaTek, is all geared up to enter the new decade of 5G with its 5G solutions all ready. The company is known for developing system-on-chips for mobile device, tablets, digital televisions, OTT boxes, wearables and automotive solutions. It majorly offers its chips to mid-tier devices so everyone has access to great technology and with 42 per cent market share in the market, MediaTek is striving to get into the premium smartphone sector soon. With its recent launch of Dimensity MediaTek’s family of powerful 5G system-on-chips (SoCs), Anku Jain, Managing Director, and Anuj Sidharth, Deputy Director Marketing and Communication, MediaTek India, in conversation with Pahi Mehra, discussed how they are standing out the direct comparisons with Qualcomm chips and focusing only on delivering latest technology and their take on 5G! How well do you think the Indian

Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

smartphone industry is doing? Anku

The Indian smartphone market

Jain: The Indian mobile sector is

grew 9.9 per cent year-on-year

showing a good sign of growth

(YoY) and 14.8 per cent quarter-

and will continue to maintain

on-quarter (QoQ). Chinese OEMs

it for a longer period. There is a

continue to be the main player

stiff competition in the market

with Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo and

to get the larger pie of market

Realme cumulatively accounting

share among the OEMs. This is

for over 60 per cent of the Indian

leading OEMs to introduce back

smartphone market. Besides,

to back products with added

Samsung has also increased its

features. This has created an eco-

market size to 25.3 per cent from

system favorable for customers,

22.3 per cent market share in Q1

competition leading to the best

2019. E-Commerce websites also

technology at an affordable price.

played an important role in fueling

In the second quarter of 2019,

the demand for mobile phones

smartphone shipments rose

supported by big discounts and

to 36.9 million, up from 32.1

easy finance schemes etc.

million in the previous quarter, according to International Data

Howdoyouassessthe5Gsmartphone

Corporation’s (IDC) Asia/Pacific

opportunity in India? Anku Jain:

Anku Jain, MD, MediaTek India

India is the 2nd largest mobile market in the world, with over 636

MYMOBILE

face to face million internet users just accounting for

largest 5G market in the world.

36 per cent of the Indian population which provides enough headroom for growth in

What is MediaTek’s 5G strategy? Anku Jain:

this sector. This is evident from the fact

As a SoC company, we are ready with the

that almost every handset OEM’s either

5G solutions. In November, MediaTek has

has manufacturing or assembling facility

unveiled Dimensity 1000, first 5G mobile

in India. India is an ocean of opportunities

SoC in its 5G family of chipsets. The

and the best market to exploit technologies

single 5G chip solution, with its integrated

like 5G. OEMs like Oppo could be the first

5G modem, is a brilliant combination of

smartphone manufacturer to bring a 5G

advanced technologies packed into a

enabled smartphone to India and OnePlus

7nm chip and tuned for 5G performance.

is working on a pilot project of exporting 5G

The Dimensity series is a culmination of

smartphones from India. So the technology

MediaTek’s investment in 5G and a position

is already there and most of the OEMs are

as a leader driving 5G development and

ready to bring their products to the Indian

innovation. The first Dimensity powered

market but in India, we need to have 5G

devices will start hitting the market in Q1

services and infrastructure in place so that

of 2020.

Anuj Sidharth, Deputy Director Marketing and Communication

the customer can experience and enjoy 5G

Besides, we have also collaborated

enabled services. There is a high probability

with Intel for our 5G modem for PCs. Dell

And last but not the least 5G

that the commercial 5G services will

and HP are expected to be among the first

smartphones that too at an affordable price

launch in India by early 2021, with gradual

original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)

are yet to hit the market.

uptake in the first few years reflecting likely

to embrace the 5G modem. The first rollout

constraints including limited network

of devices is expected for early 2021. Our

Apart from smartphones and tablets, which

coverage and relatively expensive devices.

new 5G modem for PCs is based on Helio

other device categories are you betting on the

The cost of handsets will be an important

M70 5G modem which was introduced

most for future growth and implementation of

factor in a price-sensitive market such as

earlier this year.

your higher-end SoC solutions? Anku Jain:

India. The first 5G handsets are likely to

If we talk about market share our global

be at a premium to existing 4G devices,

How soon do you think India will hold 5G

smartphone business is around 35 per

but prices will fall as the technology

trials? Anku Jain: A number of 5G field trials

cent to 40 per cent of our portfolio and

scales and matures. 5G connections in

are already going on and some operators

we have a very vibrant portfolio outside

India are forecast to reach 88 million by

and vendors have already entered into

of smartphone including the intelligent

2025, equivalent to around 7 per cent of

agreements and set plans for trials.

home business that includes products

the total connections base in the country.

powered by MediaTek like TV’s, voice

The issue of 5G device costs is of particular

According to you what are the key challenges

assistant devices (VADs), smart speakers,

relevance to a lower-income market such

and hurdles for complete 5G installation in

connectivity solutions like Wi-Fi, routers

as India, where the government’s desire to

the country? Anku Jain: The overall financial

and set-top boxes. Globally we are the

build a domestic high-tech manufacturing

health of the Indian mobile operators

number one chip supplier in the Smart

sector adds a further dimension. There is

remains challenging, with high debt levels

Speaker, connectivity solutions, set-top

a growing handset ecosystem in India that

and low levels of profitability. Beyond

box, and Smart TV markets. For example,

could provide the basis for the domestic

competitive market factors, several other

our chipsets power Amazon Echo Dot

production of 5G devices. It will likely take

issues contribute to this situation, including

products (VAD) where we hold 59 per cent

several years for some of the outstanding

the disproportionate cost of spectrum, high

of market share. Amazon Fire Stick is also a

technical issues to be addressed and for

rights-of-way charges and regulatory levies/

market leader in its segment. The recently

device and component manufacturing to

taxes, and spectrum usage charges.

launched One Plus Smart TV and Moto TV

scale and bring 5G devices costs more in line with existing 4G devices.

In India, the 5G spectrum auction

are also powered by MediaTek chipsets.

hasn’t been done as it is too expensive for

This will leave India trailing regional

the service providers. The biggest challenge

There’s a direct comparison of MediaTek

peers such as China, which is set to see

is the acquisition of the sites for network

chips to Qualcomm. How are you standing

almost 30% of its total connections base

connectivity and this will require setting-up

out in the competition? Anuj Sidharth: Our

on 5G by 2025, making it by some way the

more towers and antennas.

focus is to deliver the latest technology to

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2020 | 39

In Conversation

face to face our customers at a good price point. I am

chipset companies use to remain behind

(SoCs), can you give us some details

happy to share that we have successfully

the scene, now customers are getting

about that? Anku Jain: Dimensity 1000 is

managed to meet the expectations of our

more tech-savvy and want to know what is

MediaTek’s first 5G mobile SoC in the

partners. With the success of our various

powering their phone and all this is made

family of chipsets. The single 5G chip

platforms multiple OEM partners are keen

possible by the joint effort of the OEMs and

solution, with its integrated 5G modem,

on launching more and more products

chipset companies to educate customers

is a brilliant combination of advanced

powered by MediaTek.

and information that is available to the

technologies packed into a 7nm chip

buyer through various mediums.

and tuned for 5G performance. The

Can you say MediaTek SoCs are on par

Dimensity 1000 5G SoC supports 5G

with Qualcomm? Anuj Sidharth: I would

How important the Indian market is for

two carrier aggregation (2CC CA) and

like to reserve my comments as far as

MediaTek? What is your current market

boasts the world’s fastest throughput SoC

the comparison goes with the competition

share in India? Anuj Sidharth: The Indian

with 4.7Gbps downlink and 2.5Gbps

that is for you, the esteemed customers

market has a special place at MediaTek

uplink speeds over sub-6GHz networks.

& end-consumers to decide. But I can

not just because this country is the 2nd

The chipset is designed to support stand

certainly say the MediaTek SoCs has won

largest mobile market after China but

alone and non-standalone (SA/NSA) sub-

the hearts of millions of customers in the

also we have two R&D centers in Noida

6GHz networks and includes multi-mode

last year, whether it was Helio P60, Helio

and Bengaluru with 650 strong employee

support for every cellular connectivity

P70, Helio P90 or recently launched

bases and looking to expand it by 800

generation from 2G to 5G. It also integrates the latest Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1+ standards for the fastest and most efficient local wireless connectivity, offering more than 1Gbps throughput in both downlink and uplink speeds Dimensity 1000 is a performance powerhouse, pairing four Arm Cortex-A77 cores operating up to 2.6GHz with four power-efficient Arm Cortex-A55 cores operating at up to 2.0GHz. MediaTek’s Dimensity 1000 also comes with a new MediaTek AI Processing Unit – APU 3.0 – with more than double the performance of the previous generation APU. It brings devices a significant performance boost at 4.5 TOPS. MediaTek Dimensity 1000 is World’s First Dual 5G SIM having Unparalleled Imaging, Powerful APU Camera & Video Support, and Stunning

Helio G90 Series. MediaTek has proved

in the coming years. Our Indian team

time and again that it is standing true to

of engineers played an important role in

Dimensity 1000 brings the latest

its commitment to democratize mobile

designing the Helio G90 Series chipsets.

connectivity, multimedia, AI, imaging

technology.

MediaTek has around 42% of the market

and gaming innovations, all tuned for

share in the Indian mobile market.

5G performance to consumers so they

So how does the marketing works in a

Graphics.

can expect incredible experiences with

chipset company? Anuj Sidharth: Marketing

So far Mediatek SoCs have been powering

has always been a tricky profession and

Android devices, can we expect them to

when you work for a chipset company

power Windows mobile devices in future?

What are your future targets? Anku Jain:

you have to be extra cautious. One has

Anku Jain: As a SoC company we always

The year 2020 would begin the era of 5G

to be in-sync with the OEM’s marketing

look forward to work with new clients.

across the globe and we at MediaTek are

strategy and make sure that MediaTek

all geared up for it as we already have our

also gets prominently highlighted in the

You recently launched Dimensity MediaTek’s

campaigns. Gone are the days when

family of powerful 5G system-on-chips

40 | february 2020

Dimensity powered 5G devices.

5G solutions ready. n pahi@mymobile.co.in

MYMOBILE

“Short video industry is still new in India” Anyone can be a star now like any Bollywood celebrity, provided his/her skills or creativity hit the bullseye and spreads like wildfire – kudos to the short video platforms that have taken internet by storm. VMate is one such platform that has opened new doors of opportunities for content creators as well as consumers.

Backed by Chinese tech behemoth Alibaba, the social video app aims to make it big in India with its content portfolio. Nisha Pokhriyal, Associate DirectorMarketing, VMate, speaks more about the platform, in a conversation with Ramesh Kumar Raja. Excerpts: A number of short video platforms have

videos at famous tourist spots of India

mushroomed up in the recent past, which

like India Gate, Taj Mahal etc.

In Conversation

face to face

has incredibly changed the social media landscape. How is VMate different from

How do you do the content moderation?

Can you please tell us about your business

others in features and contents? What defines

Content moderation is one of the most

model and Alibaba’s strategic investment into

and differentiate VMate are the creators

VMate which seems to be aimed at taking on

of our platform and the ease with which they

TikTok and Likee’s dominance? Short video

“Content moderation industry is still new in India and we will have to wait for 3-5 years to witness the is one of the most important people, speak through their videos in this sector. Alibaba identified tasks for us. As a company, VMate growth and enjoy the attention from fellow the need for such kind of platform in has deployed adequate processes creators. Our content is as diverse as Indian market. Alibaba’s investment our country. We want to make video of $100 million is the testament and systems in place to ensure shooting experience of all kinds of to the growing popularity of short requisite due diligence is exercised with users easy and simple. We have video apps in India. regard to content. We also inform grandmother cooking food, fitness our users by way of rules and trainer showcasing fitness training, Do you have any plan to come up with shopkeeper displaying latest the Lite version of VMate to cater to regulations, privacy policy and designs, teacher educating through first-time smartphone users? Yes, we user agreement regarding any her sketches and many other creators have VMate lite version for first time content they publish” shooting their life on VMate. smartphone users. Since mobile internet showcase their life. VMate is a platform for every Indian who wants to connect with

penetration is around 32%, there is a huge How do you engage and ensure the retention

opportunity for growth from rural India.

of your users as they usually keep hopping

important tasks for us. As a company,

from one platform to the others? Our

VMate has deployed adequate processes

Considering Indians’ love for mobile and

creative team keeps creating relatable and

and systems in place to ensure requisite

apps in India, do you have any India-specific

engaging ideas for our creators. As an

due diligence is exercised with regard to

expansion plan? We will continue to tap tier 2

IT company, we keep building unique

content. We also inform our users by way

& 3 markets, mostly first time internet users

functionalities as per our users’ preferences;

of rules and regulations, privacy policy and

to provide them a platform which can help

recently we launched special Virtual

user agreement regarding any content they

Reality stickers which led users to create

publish.

them showcase their life easily. n ramesh@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2020 | 41

Glimpse

Feature

Are Phone Calls Dying?

Despite using phones all the time, traditional calling has come to an end, which will be a blow for Human Relations as it is the best mode of communication we have ever come up with!

By Pahi Mehra

W

hat happened? When did

connectivity and cheap calling plans

we fall out of love? Why did

the mobile phones allowed us to make

This is not another Millennial-

we stop talking? Apparently

calls anywhere. But now it has become

bashing article, we will not diatribe

these are very hard questions to answer.

an outdated service for many, with

against an entire generation, it is an

But one thing is quite certain that Phone

dropped connections, poor reception

issue seen with our veteran generation

calls are not here for long!

and epidemic levels of spam.

as well, and it surely will be there for our

The last decade has clearly suggested

Some researches indicate that a

really dying and if it even matters!

future generation if not done anything.

that the Phone call is fading as a mode

quarter of smartphone users never

But why we always counter millennials

of communication and to the young

use them to place a voice call, maybe

is because of their heavy consumption

among us, talking on the phone is said

because of the ongoing digital revolution

of resources and technology. But there is

to be an intrusive consumption of time

or the countless other social media

one characteristic we all seem to share

in the digital age of emojis and gif.

options available. Phones calls are gone

and that is pure hatred of making phone

but are we really losing something? Or

calls. To anyone. At any time. For any

has become such a garbage feature

we are just evolving? Let’s take a look at

reason.

now, earlier, with the easy network

the ways we still talk, are conversations

It’s sad that the voice phone service

42 | february 2020

Which is a bit ironic! because

MYMOBILE

everyone is constantly using their

Intelligence was coming out of Marvel

phones. And this is all quite sad, the

comic books and there was a visible

death of the phone call will be a blow

improvement, so much that blueprints

for human relations because talking on

of smart homes were coming to life.

the phone is one of the best ways we

All the cartoons with futuristic

hairless apes have ever come up with to

robotic “butlers” and taking assistance

communicate. Lest go back in time and

becoming a reality slowly and steadily.

see how things escalated to this point.

All of this sounded too futuristic at

The problem started around 2010!

If we recall, that’s the year when WhatsApp emerged as one of the most

that time but if we look back now we will realize that the benefits of digital communication was starting to show some results.

next year, in 2011, Facebook launched

Why Do We Avoid Making Calls?

its Messanger app and Snapchat also

Just like technology, people were

made its debut. Suddenly there was

changing, and one of the important

a way to communicate with people

reasons why people were making a

without even having to talk.

shift from calling to texting is to do with

common messaging apps. The very

This was the time when text

Converse

Feature

‘time’.

messaging topped mobile phone calling

With changing time, people were

in usage. There was also a huge shift in

thinking faster, they started processing

trend that propelled all the smartphone

the information faster, and said their

companies to come out with more

goodbyes to the outdated technology.

phone call, there’s a chance the person

advanced devices with affordable

In the emerging era of WhatsApp,

on the other end of the line might have

prices in order to make messaging

Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat

an opinion. With messaging and other

apps trend accessible to the mass. The

people wanted things quick, they

forms of digital communication, you say

starting of the 2010 era marked a huge

wanted results not lengthy discussions.

what you need to say and move on. It’s

If you’re from the old school, you

harder to have a conflict this way, so no

technological revolution, after which there was no looking back.

Futuristic features!

will remember your college time most for the urge of having a good phone and

place for stress!

countless hours of talking with friends.

Voice Calling

Calling was fading and instead of

But do you remember wasting that

If the old media has taught us anything,

asking for its reason people were gladly

much amount of time once you start

it is the process of knowing and walking

accepting the change, for them making

some serious stuff in life like working!

with the technology. A lot of trends were

calls were not that efficient and it was getting less and less efficient day by day.

Around the time of cold calling, chatbots became a major trend, allowing you to order a pizza by talking to a bot instead of a person. Artificial

With the fast service of WhatsApp-

emerging and taking over the phone

ing, people don’t waste their time

calls, and all of these trends were a

calling friends and even family for that

success solely because of the network

matter. They simply text!

advancement.

Another reason for avoiding calls has to do with conflict avoidance. In a

The era of 3G and 4G arrived and it offered more than just internet

february 2020 | 43

Converse

Feature surfing, initially to make a good holding market, network providers made internet accessible to all with cheap rates. Amid all this, messaging apps took another step in the era of digital transformation and came up with a new thing called internet voice calling.

It had nothing new or exciting about it, but it still saw a huge success mainly because of the absence of network dropping issues, which we have suffered for a long time with phone calls.

Video Calling

great way of interaction between longing

a stable place in people’s lives. And with

friends and family living apart. It also

these apps, a new trend started to bloom

changed the way of having official

called ‘Boomerang.’ Making your own

Just like text messaging people were

meeting, instead of traveling to different

short rebound video became the talk of

also adopting the trend of video

destinations for meetings, people started

the town. People were now sharing the

calling. Although initially, it was only

doing Skype. Again it saved a lot of time,

moments of their lives by capturing and

accessible to people who had premium

energy and resources.

trimming videos to not only one but to all

smartphones, as it was not widespread, slowly it made a place for itself.

Now people instead of making calls, making live video calls. It started as a

Boomerang!

the people who are connected through these apps. The spark of Boomerang

Now we are in the mids of the 2010 era

initially took place because of millennials

and Instagram and Snapchat have taken

but it spread among all the generations with time.

Lack of Interest Of course, phone calls are on the verge of dying and the entire industries are also shifting to these new ways of digitalization, in order to have efficient results. But having said that, there are still some of the works that just can’t be done with traditionally calling, because there are some processes left that can’t be done without having a conversation.

But looking at the era of so many changes and new trends, one thing is for sure that, people have lost their interest in phone calls, and they have a lot of new ways to get their work done without doing it. But we can’t say for the future, believe it or not in 2010 we didn’t think that in 2020 we will see automatic cars, voice assistants taking over our homes or working robots. But still, the fear of phone calls is real. It is a technology that people are avoiding as much as possible, to most of them, it is like living in the dark ages. n pahi@mymobile.co.in

32 | january 2020

MYMOBILE

State of Mobile 2020 The latest App Annie’s annual report highlights the biggest app trends of the past year, and sets forecasts for the years ahead

M

obile data and analytics firm App Annie recently released the State of

Saga are examples of games that are

process, from initial research all the way

dominating on mobile.

to launch.”

• Video Streaming Wars Heat Up:

“For brands and publishers worldwide,

Mobile 2020 report.

Nearly 25% of Netflix’s iPhone users

mobile is fueling digital transformation,”

This annual appraisal provides insight

also used Disney+ in Q4 2019, the

said Theodore Krantz, Chief Executive

into mobile’s expansive impact across

highest overlap of users among top

Officer of App Annie. “We uniquely surface

industries and the global economy,

video streaming apps in the US,

both market data and critical advertising

highlighting publishers and brands that

demonstrating consumers pay for

insights to optimize monetization and help

multiple services.

our customers thrive on mobile.”

are outperforming their peers.

Buzz

in focus

Furthermore, Gen Z is becoming an

Key Findings:

increasingly strategic segment to business.

• Mobile Creates Company Value:

Mobile is Gen Z’s native language.

Mobile-focused companies, including

This demographic is highly engaged

Uber and Alibaba, had a combined IPO

with apps: they have 60% more

valuation of $544B, 6.5x higher than

sessions per user in the

companies without a mobile focus.

most popular apps

Consumers averaged 3 hours and 40

when compared

minutes on mobile in 2019, up 35% since 2017, and downloaded 204 billion apps.

• Massive Year for Mobile Advertising: Brands continue to embrace the unprecedented reach and value of mobile, bolstering the success of Snap, Facebook, Google, Twitter, and TikTok. Advertisers will pour more than $240 billion into ad spend in 2020—up 26% from 2019.

• Subscriptions Contribute to 95% of Spend: 3 out of 4 top non-gaming apps monetize via subscriptions, with video and dating categories propelling app store spend as adoption of Tinder, Tencent Video, iQIYI and YouTube climbs.

• Mobile Games Increase Share: Global spend on mobile games reached 56% of all game software in 2019.

Spend on mobile games across all app stores is projected to top $100 billion in 2020. Tencent’s Honour of Kings, Sony’s Fate/Grand Order, and Activision Blizzard’s Candy Crush

www.mymobileindia.com

to

older

generations.

“Snapchat continues to double down on mobile experiences that help real friends communicate visually. As our audience has expanded, so have our app’s capabilities,” said Kathleen Gambarelli, Group Product

The State of Mobile 2020 examines

Marketing Manager for Performance at

macro mobile trends; identifies which

Snap. “We continue to develop powerful

leading brands and publishers across

advertising technology that enables brands

gaming, fintech, retail, social, video,

to efficiently engage with and convert our

and others are winning on mobile; and

valuable Gen Z and Millennial audience.

shows how businesses can navigate

As a product marketer, my goal is to verify

and reach key demographics. The

product-market fit and grow adoption

analysis and data in this report is based

of effective solutions for our customers.

on data from App Annie’s Intelligence

App Annie and its Intelligence platform

platform.n

have been instrumental throughout this

team@mymobile.co.in

february 2020 | 45

Spotlight

MWC 2020:

What to expect from the world’s biggest mobile tech event

A

lthough

a

few

more

smartphones debuted at CES 2020 than usual, the real smartphone event of 2020 is

February 22, as many companies hold press

may choose to lay low at MWC this year, so

conferences ahead of the doors opening.

while we know it has a stand at the show,

Focus on 5G

we might have to wait until afterwards to see any big new releases. History tells us

still to come. Mobile World Congress (MWC)

5G has been a major talking point at MWC

that the P40 and P40 Pro won’t appear

is just around the corner when all the big

for the past few years, and there’s unlikely

until March, although with leaks showing

phone makers show off their wares for the

to be much change at this year’s show.

a five-camera Leica setup on the back, a

rest of the year.

Except for this time, rather

When does it happen?

than focusing mostly on network hardware, there

The show runs from February 24 to February

are likely to be a lot more

27, 2020. It takes place in the huge Fira

5G smartphones to see.

Gran Via event space in Barcelona, Spain, and last year attracted more than 109,000

Huawei

attendees. While the show begins on

Given its struggles with

February 24, the news will start coming from

Google recently Huawei

46 | february 2020

MYMOBILE

In Focus

Spotlight

bezel-less front with two selfie snappers, and ceramics used in the chassis, we’d be more than happy to see this one unveiled early. Without Google’s apps onboard though, will anybody want to buy one?

Xiaomi Xiaomi usually releases its phones in China before sending them elsewhere, so the Mi 10 (and Mi 10 Pro) will likely appear before MWC, with news of a European launch to follow in Barcelona. Xiaomi has already confirmed it’ll use Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 865 processor, which suggests it’ll be compatible with 5G, but

release an affordable 5G phone in 2020,

due to be officially announced before April,

beyond that things are still very much up

so MWC would be the perfect place to

which puts it in prime MWC territory. It’s

in the air. Recent Xiaomi handsets have

show it off. What does ‘affordable’ mean

expected to come with 5G but whether

packed in impressive tech, often at very

to Nokia? According to an interview given

it keeps the sliding mechanism of its

affordable prices, so this is definitely one

to Digital Trends, the phone will cost half of

predecessor remains to be seen.

to keep an eye on.

what current 5G phones will set you back,

LG LG, like Sony, tends to use MWC to show off

which is a pretty significant saving. Let’s

Google

just hope it’s not a total munter.

Google usually takes over one of the expansive outdoor areas at MWC, where

it’s latest and greatest, although whether

Motorola

that’ll be the G9 or V60 ThinQ is yet to be

Moto’s MWC is likely to be all about

in real-world scenarios. For the last few

seen. Whatever it ends up being called,

pushing its resurrected RAZR but towards

years, collectors have run around the

leaks show a phone that looks very similar

the end of last year, the company did say it

show grabbing special Google pins at

to Samsung’s Galaxy S10, right down to

had some new flagship treats up its sleeve

the company’s partner booths, and we

the row of cameras, although there’s no

for 2020. Will we see one in Barcelona?

doubt much will change this year. While

fingerprint sensor in sight, suggesting

If so, Moto is keeping its lips very tight.

new phones like the Pixel 4a are unlikely,

LG has stuffed it underneath the display.

A new addition to the G range could be

Google has previously shown updates to its

Either way, it’ll likely come with 5G on

on the cards though. The G7s launched

software, including Google Assistant and

board.

just before MWC last year and while the

Android Go, sometimes in conjunction with

G8 Plus (pictured) appeared in October it’s

new phones from other manufacturers.

Nokia Nokia said last year that it was planning to

still flying solo, so it could well be joined by a smaller-screened model.

Oppo

Sony Sony has scheduled a press conference for February 24 and a new version of the

Unlike most other manufacturers, Oppo

existing Xperia 5 has been spotted in a

likes to show off the tech it’s putting

few leaks, currently known as the Xperia

into its phones before the phones

5 Plus, and there’s potential for a new

actually exist – but MWC 2020 could

flagship phone too. n

buck that trend. The Oppo Find X 2 is

www.mymobileindia.com

it shows its products and software off

team@mymobile.co.in

february 2020 | 47

Trendz

Market insight

It’s Going to Be a Defining Year for AMOLED Displays AMOLED smartphone sales will grow 46% YoY in 2020 driven by an increased mix of flexible OLED smartphones in $300-$500 price tier, says a new study

T

he global sales of smartphones

remained the leading smartphone vendor,

with AMOLED panels are set

capturing 45% of the total AMOLED

to surpass 600 million units

smartphone sales in 2019 followed by

by the end of this year with

Apple with 16% share and Oppo with

a YoY growth of 46%, according to a new

11% share. However, all the leading

research from Counterpoint’s Display

brands have launched their flagships in

Market Outlook service. The growth will be

2019 with AMOLED panels. But Chinese

coming from the diffusion of AMOLED into

players led by Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and

mid-tier price bands, driven by Chinese

Xiaomi have now adopted OLED panels

brands like Huawei, Vivo, Oppo, Realme

in their mid-tier portfolios ($300-$500)

and Xiaomi, as they seek to differentiate

to differentiate their products. This is

their offerings.

one of the key reasons for the growth of

“Displays drive a major part of the overall smartphone experience. In 2019 smartphone displays gained a lot of attention in a bid to attract users to upgrade their smartphones. Some notable supply chain efforts included reducing the screen to body ratio, increasing the refresh rate, changing the form factor (foldable) or innovating with other components to get more real estate for the display (smaller notch, punch hole camera, pop-up camera, in-display fingerprint sensor, image sensors). These innovations further drove the growth of AMOLED as the technology is best suited to leverage these trends thanks to superior image quality, reduced power consumption and flexible form factors, among other things.

Hence, we believe that AMOLED-based smartphones will remain in demand with Chinese smartphone brands aggressively adopting them for their mid-tier portfolio.

AMOLED panels are already a default choice in premium-tier smartphones,” said Tarun Pathak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, while talking about the market dynamics.

Commenting on brand performance, Jene Park, Senior Research Analyst at Counterpoint Research, said, “Samsung

48 | february 2020

Exhibit: AMOLED-based Smartphones Penetration within Key Brands’ Portfolios – 2020

AMOLED smartphones. In future we

“Samsung remained the leading smartphone vendor, capturing 45% of the total AMOLED smartphone sales in 2019 followed by Apple with 16% share and Oppo with 11% share. However, all the leading brands have launched their flagships in 2019 with AMOLED panels.

But Chinese players led by Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi have now adopted OLED panels in their mid-tier portfolios ($300$500) to differentiate their products. This is one of the key reasons for the growth of AMOLED smartphones” – Jene Park, Senior Research Analyst, Counterpoint

expect these brands to further bring the AMOLED smartphones to the sub-$200 price tier in 2020. Apple is also likely to go for an all-OLED portfolio in its next launch cycle. These factors will further lead to the growth of AMOLED based smartphones in 2020.”

Although AMOLED is a preferred choice for smartphone brands, there are still some reservations that might lead to a slower transition from LCD to OLEDs. One factor being the production capability.

Samsung Display currently accounts for close to 90% of the OLED panel market.

Other brands that have LCD fabs like BOE, Tianma, CSOT are transitioning fast but might take some time to arrive with good volume. Additionally, the demand for AMOLED in other product categories like wearables, TVs will further put a supply constraint on existing OLED panel makers. Furthermore, the majority of the other smartphone brands in sub-$200 will continue to use LCD panels. Hence, Counterpoint believes that AMOLED’s growth will be upwards but a lot will also depend on the production capacity of the panel makers. n team@mymobile.co.in

MYMOBILE

ADVT.

Convergence India 2020 expo to witness the ‘Next Level’ of innovation in Digital Technologies The 28th edition of the expo will be held from 19 -21 February 2020, at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

n

There will be a congregation of more than 25,000 trade visitors, 750+ exhibitors from 30 countries,

n

1,500 delegates, and over 200 speakers in 40 sessions.

Experience state-of-the-art capabilities of modern products and services across communications,

n

broadcast, IT, IoT, automation, and digital domains.

B

uilding upon the success of previous

businesses function and bring them closer

domain leaders is supported by a strong

editions, India Trade Promotion

to the dream of Digital India. The expo will

political will. As a result, technologically-

Organisation (ITPO) and Exhibition

display applications and innovations in

intensive industries in India have gone

India Group are set to return with the

fields such as cryptocurrency, e-wallets,

from strength to strength in recent years.

28th edition of Convergence India expo,

mobile banking & smartphones, cyber

This event is envisioned as a collaborative

co-located with the Internet of Things

security, and electronic trading. Also

platform for new partnerships and

India expo, EmbeddedTech India expo and

showcased will be latest developments

opportunities for global innovators to

Mobile India expo. This year also marks the

capitalise on and lead a tech-driven

launch of the much-awaited Fintech India

transformation on the national and

expo as well as the Gamethon expo.

international level.”

The Convergence India 2020 expo is an

About India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO)

international platform for overseas and Indian exhibitors to showcase cuttingedge innovations and latest digital

ITPO, the premier trade promotion

technologies on: Broadcast & digital

agency of the Ministry of Commerce

media; wire/wireless technologies

& Industry, Government of India is

(broadband, 4G, 5G); IoT; Cloud & Big

committed to showcasing excellence

Data; AR/VR; M2M; artificial intelligence;

achieved by the country in diverse fields, in risk management, financial/capital

especially trade and commerce. ITPO

Conference sessions organised

markets, start-ups/financial investors,

provides a wide spectrum of services to

alongside the expo will see informative

banks/insurance and much more. Some

trade and industry and acts as a catalyst

discussions by sector experts,

of the domain leaders that have already

for the growth of India’s trade.

government representatives, digital

confirmed participation including the

innovators, international business gurus,

Paytm Payment Bank, Tally Solutions,

etc. Visitors coming to the exhibition and

SettleMint India, Lloyd’s Register Quality

the conference will get an opportunity to

Assurance Ltd., etc.

robotics; drones, and much more.

About Exhibitions India Group Exhibitions India Group is a trade promotion organization creating

observe, interact and learn from the best

Other leading players participating in

opportunities for investments, joint

in the industry, even as hectic business

Convergence India 2020 include: Mediatek,

ventures and technology transfers.

activity and negotiations take place

Amazon, Dell, PTC, Panasonic, HiSilicon,

Exhibitions India Group acts as an interface

behind the scene.

Vector Informatik, BBNL, A2Z, etc.

between businesses, government,

The FinTech India expo, with the theme

Shri Prem Behl, Chairman, Exhibitions

academia, society, media, etc. Exhibitions

“Exploring the era of Digital Money,” will

India Group, said, “India is experiencing

IndiaGrouphasbeeninexistencesince1987

provide an opportunity for fintech leaders,

the advantages of Industry 4.0 on the

and is committed to providing satisfaction

start-ups, professionals and industry

back of a new generation of thinkers,

to its customers by organizing quality

experts to engage and explore the latest

innovators and businessman who are

and focused international trade shows

activity in the realm of emerging, new-age

constantly pushing frontiers with the

through exceptional services, employee

financial technologies. The FinTech sector

aim of advancing the country’s tech

involvement, market intelligence and

has the potential to change the ways

ecosystem. Fortunately, this breed of

continual improvement. n

For more information, please visit: https://www.convergenceindia.org/

In Focus

Spotlight

Pop Up

Flips to Under Display Shall we call an end to the pop-up, rising, flip, or shark-fin selfie camera trend in 2020? If we do so, then what we have in store for us as replacements to these? We tried exploring this avenue.

By Haider Ali Khan

S

martphone should be smart

such as the pop-up, rising or shark-fin selfie

forehead notch to create an extra inch of

enough to qualify as a

camera enable them to allow for higher

space. The bezels were reduced to minimal

smartphone. With its features

screen-to-body ratios, minus the thick

so that cinematic viewing could make way

and functionalities that can

bezels or a notch. In doing so, they are able

to users, giving birth to pop-up, rising, flip

enchant users to spend a good 15 to

to cater to different consumer cohorts, with

or shark-fin selfie lenses, whatever you love

18 hours of day with it and importantly,

a unique style and differentiation,” said

to call them.

camera is one of them; a key ingredient

Prabhu Ram, Head- Industry Intelligence

without which much of the essence of a

Group (IIG), CMR.

smartphone would not have been same for users and app developers.

Pop-up Selfie Camera

Faisal Kawoosa, Founder and Chief Analyst at techARC said, “I think users

To make the users feel more confident,

have not appreciated the attempt of brands

mobile makers came with an idea of

to achieve full screen experience. It isn’t

introducing pop-up selfie camera some two

something that bothers users. As regards

years ago with vivo being credited to start the

motorised selfie camera systems (popup,

Primary consumer insights from have

trend in India, replacing the traditional and

sharkfin, flip, etc.) they have appeared as

consistently highlighted the import of the

cliché concept of forehead mounted selfie

a fad and seems they have already lost the

smartphone camera as one of the most

cameras. The mobile makers were quite

appeal in the market. It’s not something

important specification in a smartphone,

successful in their attempt because users

sustainable.”

driving consumer considerations, quotes

appreciated this new R&D challenge and

The pop-up selfie camera is a trend

CMR.

advancement, because they got something

that can be found in smartphones beyond

unique and fun-some to enjoy and flaunt.

15k generally and never became a mass

The go-to mobile platforms such as Amazon

thing which we did not see in budget

and Netflix, online shopping portals such

smartphones. On the R&D front, pop-up,

“For Smartphone brands, innovations

as Flipkart, and advancements in the field of mobile photography

rotating or shark-fin technology costs much higher to

have also been a catalyst to

the makers due to the

this change/trend because

mechanism involved but,

users wanted much larger

in order to provide the

space on the display to enjoy

value for money to a user

the content to enhance their

and beat the competition,

shopping experiences, overall.

smartphone vendors kept

Thus, mobile makers wanted

the cost to minimum,

to reduce the screen-to-body

overtaking financial

ratio and hence played with the

burden onto themselves

drop notch,” says Faisal.

and after all these efforts, buyers were still not very much convinced to the longevity, durability and ruggedness of it and thus, it remained a niche concept, something not very appreciated by rural buyers or where it rains the most. But, Upasana Joshi, Associate Research Manager, IDC India disagrees and says, “Pop up camera will certainly remain in 2020 to very limited models and price segment.”

Till date this year, only Honor has launched a pop-up selfie smartphone 9X, interestingly its first pop-up selfie smartphone in India, to start the trend, at Rs 13,999.

Did It Make Sense?

The future of pop-up selfie camera would remain in a price bracket as mentioned by Upasana above but, I still question the use and essence of it, because it takes away the privacy of the user in the first place.

My next co-passenger in metro or a cab will definitely notice me taking a selfie which I may don’t want but, with popping selfie camera the whole world would come to notice you taking photos. The cavity it has may allow the moisture to creep in damaging the internal hardware of your smartphone and if not that, the dust in the atmosphere will surely get into it making it dirty and over the time, sluggish.

“Personally, I feel users are okay with Notch, waterdrop works the best. That is minimal, and gives almost full screen experience. The punch hole camera is okay, but I would prefer that second to water

www.mymobileindia.com

photo quality, rather than new, cool hardware

There are new technologies which

iterations. There is a reason why the likes of

are making its way like under display

Google and Apple have consistently been

camera like what we normally see

able to deliver top-notch performances with

with under display fingerprint sensor,

their smartphone camera.”

which we may not practically see but

He’s actually correct in his thought as we

it will be there for you if you want to

still have to see these technologies being

take a selfie. “Under display camera

made into practicality by the likes of Apple

will be an innovation which 2020 will

and Google. With the full screen and wrap

witness but limited to high end price

around screen coming into smartphone, we

segment,” told Upasana.

do see some changes coming to the selfie

Future

In Focus

Spotlight

camera positioning and its appearance.

In the end, irrespective of hardware

I spoke to Oppo asking them whether they would call it a day for pop-up selfie lens which they categorically denied saying their future launches in 2020 would definitely be having it. We would soon hear from them launching Reno3 on the similar lines of its predecessors having shark-fin selfie lens.

“Going forward, all such innovations will continue to co-exist. Some brands may have decided to drop their pop-up camera to potentially seek an official IP rating for their new smartphones,” added Prabhu.

Meanwhile, Upasana points out, “Very low-end price segment will continue to use notch display and somewhere in between which is the mid-price segment will have Notch + punch hole as more and more

and or software iterations, what would

devices adopt for OLED screens.”

essentially matter most for consumers

Going by the leaks as what’s being

is the quality of the finished product – the

planned for MWC 2020, OnePlus has

photo taken with the smartphone. That’s

reportedly ditched the pop-up selfie camera

what, smartphone brands should vie for.

in OnePlus 8 and has incorporated a punch hole design to begin with.

Conclusion

What I believe is that selfie lens and its designing has got evolved with the time and will continue to do so in 2020. The pop-up selfie camera trend

In the year ahead, some smartphone

is not dying anytime soon this year as

OEMs may debut new smartphone camera

the price of other advancements such

innovations, such as the disappearing

as under display would be much higher,

camera that debuted at CES. While such

something that suits premium buyers.

hardware innovations are commendable,

OEMs would be surely looking at using

and they will surely generate hype and

waterdrop and punch hole display more

command all the eye balls, their eventual

in their respective smartphone launches

success remains to be seen.

in 2020. Apple, still in 2020, conveniently

Prabhu concludes, “In the long run, the

selling huge notch screen phones and

market acceptance will consistently favour

the world is applauding it, as what the

software iterations that lead to substantial

sales say. n

improvement and enhancement in the

haider@mymobile.co.in

february 2020 | 51

Tried & Tested

burntest

Realme X2 A Package Hard to Resist

T

he year 2019

3D design at the

has seen coming

rear side are adding

seen from the screen type

up of so many

more to the beauty

and size of the phone which

smartphones in

of the phone. The

is 6.4 inches Super AMOLED

the various price sections but

curvy body edges

capacitive touchscreen. The

in the competitive section,

of the phone are

screen space on Realme X2 is

one smartphone company

making it stick to

impressive with sleek bezels

which emerged out as

the palm for a long

and waterdrop notch. One

one of the fastest-growing

time. At the right

can enjoy any task in full HD

smartphone company is

side of the phone

cover. The front fascia of the

quality on the widescreen be

Realme. It has manufactured

lies the power button whereas

phone is dominated by the

it playing games or watching

a series of smartphones that

towards the left side of the

screen with waterdrop notch

movies. The phone has a

won the hearts of the users by

phone lies the volume rockers

and sleek bezels. The screen

screen ratio of 19:5:9 ratio

their beauty and performance

and the triple slot SIM tray

has an inbuilt fingerprint

and a screen resolution of

in every section. The company

capable of carrying two SIM

sensor which is very quick

1080x2340 pixels. The

came with another phone

cards and a microSD card at

to respond. Further, to

screen is super tough as the

before the year ended called

the same time. At the top side

provide more security the

phone has Corning Gorilla

the Realme X2 which we will

of the phone lies a secondary

phone comes up with a face

Glass 5 at both the rear and

be reviewing and take a deep

mic and at the bottom side

recognition feature that works

front side of the phone. The

look at the various aspect of

of the phone lies a 3.5mm

very good as well in almost

color reproduction is also very

this new phone.

headphone jack, Type-C USB

every condition.

good as the colors produced

Design

port, and a speaker grille. At

are very bright, vivid and

the rear side of the phone lies

Display

Realme loves to keep the

vertically placed quad-core

Realme leaves no stones

touch of shiny beauty in its

camera sensors enframed in

left unturned which shows

phones and the new Realme

a bulged frame and besides

why the company is gaining

Platform

X2 also carries the same gene

the frame lies the rear LED

massive success. The new

The new Realme X2 comes

of beauty which can be seen

flash. The glossy rear finish

Realme X2 under the price

with OS Color 6.0 running on

from the rear glossy body

attracts smudges and is also

range which it comes is

top of Android 9.0 Pie. The

finish. The spectral gradient

very slippery which can be

setting more fire to the

OS of the phone also comes

and hyperbolic pattern with

prevented by using the phone

competition and this can be

with a planned upgrade

52 | february 2020

punchy plus the visibility of the phone is also very good.

MYMOBILE

to Android 10.0 as well.

impressive images no matter

with an aperture of f/2.4.

what the conditions are. The

The selfie camera, on the

quad rear camera setup of the

other hand, is 32MP with an

phone is very much capable

aperture of f/2.0. The selfie

of taking breathtaking images.

camera is a treat for the selfie

The images captured by

lovers and while testing it we

the rear camera at daylight

found out that the quality of

were of supreme details and

the selfies both at day and

09 /10

quality. The micro and macro

night was impressive with

88%

details captured by the rear

proper details and possessed

camera is very good. The color

the essence of reality. Overall,

Snapdragon processor.

preserving capability and the

the cameras of the new

Clubbed together, the RAM

ability to maintain the essence

Realme X2 are very good and

and the processor it is seen

of originality in the images

capable of making the phone

Cons

captured could be easily

to gain the top spot in the

No Telephoto Lens

seen. The images captured at

budget range.

night are also good but lose

The OS of the phone offers various smart and smooth features that you can make

verdict Looks

Refreshing

09 /10

Cameras

use of. Realme shows clear

Improved

09 /10

dominance in every section

Performance

08 /10

which can be seen in the performance segment as well where the new Realme X2 comes with 8GB RAM and Snapdragon 730G Qualcomm

that the phone takes on any task without any glitch. All the applications and games ran on top-notch quality when we tested the performance

Smooth

Battery

Sustains a Day

Value For Money Worthy

OVERALL

PROS Camera, Display

09 /10

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

some amount of clarity and

Battery

details when compared to

The new Realme X2 is

daylight images. But overall, it

backed by a battery power

some issues with the graphics

could be further expanded

could be said the saturation,

of 4,000mAh. The battery

of the phone as the games

with the help of a microSD

detailing, etc are on point. To

sustaining ability is very good

like PUBG, Pokemon GO

card.

make all the above-mentioned

as we managed to use the

abilities of the camera

phone a whole day with a

of the phone. I came across

showed some downfall in their graphics level also the

Cameras

possible the new Realme X2

single charge. The phone

games sometimes got hanged

The camera segment of the

has a 64MP wide primary

has VOOC Flash Charge

for some seconds. To smartly

Realme phones I admire, the

sensor with an aperture of

4.0 and while testing the

tackle the processes the phone

ability of the cameras within

f/1.8. The secondary sensor

charging speed we found out

has eight cores where two

such price range is something

is an ultra-wide lens with an

that the phone got charged up

cores are clocked at 2.2GHz

which is helping the company

aperture of f/2.3. The third

from 0-70% within half

Kryo 470 Gold and six cores

to pace up its reach and

sensor is a dedicated macro

an hour.

clocked at 1.8GHz Kryo 470

to gain the top spot in the

camera sensor of 2MP with an

Silver. The internal storage of

market. The new Realme X2

aperture of f/2.4. The fourth

Conclusion

the phone is 128GB which

is also capable of delivering

sensor is a 2MP depth sensor

Realme X2 comes as a

Tried & Tested

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package for those wanting a smartphone under 20K segment. It offers immersive Super AMOLED display where notch isn’t a problem either while viewing, tried and tested SoC that performs efficiently under various circumstances, quad camera setup that shoots brilliantly, selfie is another highlight, and battery is sufficient enough to last a day. With X2, Realme further strengthens its grip in the midsegment where competition is quite intense. n haider@mymobile.co.in

february 2020 | 53

Tried & Tested

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Oppo F15 Raises Bar in ‘Style’

T

he previous

The two-color gradients at the

Display

handed to Corning Gorilla

decade witnessed

rear side of the phone with a

Oppo F15 has an impressive

Glass 5.

rocket fast growth

glossy finish are making the

display size of 6.4 inches

in the competition

phone to be very eye catchy.

which is an AMOLED

Platform

amongst smartphone

The front fascia of the phone

capacitive touchscreen. The

The new Oppo F15 is running

companies and new players

has a tall and widescreen

screen allows you to enjoy

ColorOS 6.1.2 on top of

came to the scene. One such

with waterdrop notch and

high definition quality videos

Android 9.0 Pie. The range

company which emerged

an inbuilt fingerprint sensor.

and games with wide viewing

under which the new Oppo

as one of the top leading

At the rear side lies a quad-

angles and this attribute is

F15 falls has one of the quick

smartphone company is Oppo

camera sensor within a

due to the 20:9 aspect ratio

processors which is capable

and the various series of

vertically bulged frame and

of the screen. The bezels

of dealing with any task with

smartphones it produced won

next to the camera sensors

below the screen are quite

no issues. The processor

the heart of many customers.

lies the dual-tone LED

visible not that sleek whereas

onboard is Mediatek

Once again after a long gap

flash. At the top side of the

there are very sleek bezels

MT6771V Helio P70 which

in the F series phones the

phone lies the secondary

on both sides. The color

runs without any glitch.

company has launched F15

mic whereas at the bottom

reproduced on the screen is

The processes which we

which will be carrying on the

lies a 3.5mm headphone

bright and punchy plus the

performed like multitasking

lineage of F3, F7, F9, etc. We

jack, Type-C USB port, and

visibility is quite good when

of heavy applications, playing

will be providing deep insight

speaker. Towards the left side

the phone is used outdoors

games for hours resulted in

into the newly launched Oppo

of the phone lies the volume

in bright daylight. The phone

no slowdown of the processor.

F15 in this review of ours.

rockers and SIM tray capable

has a screen resolution of

But in some instances, you

of holding dual SIM cards and

1080x2400 pixels and

might come across some

microSD cards.

has 408 PPI density. The

slight heating which is of no

protection of the display is

major concern. The processor

Design The variant which we got to review has unicorn white

has eight cores with four

body color which looks very

cores clocked at 2.1GHz

beautiful. The phone holds

Cortex A73 and the other four

very reasonable body

cores are clocked at 2.0GHz

weight and curvy

Cortex A53. The gaming

edges to allow

experiences were good as well

the users to use

as because we played some

the phone for

high definitional games and

a longer period.

their graphics levels were at their best with some slight degradation. The likes of PUBG, COD, Asphalt were some of the games which we played and found out that there was some slight downfall in the graphics level to make the games run smoothly.

Cameras Since the time of entry into the Indian smartphone

52 | february 2020

MYMOBILE

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market, Oppo always amazed its users with its camera capability. The new Oppo F15 is no different from its previous family members as it also possesses the same genetical coding of powerful camera setup. The images taken from the new Oppo F15 were just brilliant as it does not seems to miss out on any details while capturing the

verdict

well. The selfie camera is 16MP with an aperture of

Looks

08 /10

Cameras

08 /10

Performance

08 /10

which you want to apply

Battery

09 /10

selfies maintain a good

Value For Money

08 /10

Gradient Good

Upto Tasks For a Day

Can be Considered

OVERALL

82%

f/2.0.The selfie camera is AI-driven but you can adjust the level to the beautification. The level of detail be it color exposure or maintaining clarity. Overall the cameras are very good

shot. The daylight images

under the price range

captured from the rear lens

which the new Oppo F15

had proper color saturation, edge detection, clarity to make the image worth watching and appreciating. In daylight we did not come across any

PROS Design, Battery

Cons Plastic Back

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

falls.

Battery A 4,000mAh battery is powering the new Oppo F15 which is an

graining effect, there was some minor noise effect but

the Oppo F15 were very good

enormous amount of

not to that much extent.

as they maintained a high

battery power. The battery

few tweaks. The designing

The AI of the phone does

level of detail with proper color

consumption rate is very slow

attracts and is equally light

sometimes interfere with the

balance. The images of high

as well because while testing

weight to hold because of the

images you try to capture

quality which the new Oppo

our battery lasted a complete

polycarbonate back used,

by softening the images but

F15 captures are due to the

day quite easily. Even if you

quad-camera gives lot to

you can adjust the level of

quad rear camera sensors. The

manage to drain out the

experience, and battery is

AI interference which you

primary sensor is a wide lens

battery, there is nothing to

sustainable for a day easily.

want. The images captured

of 48MP with an aperture of

worry about as the phone

Starting at Rs 19,990 for

at night by the rear sensors

f/1.8. The secondary sensor is

comes up with 20W Fast

8GB/128GB, Oppo F15

were of good quality as well

of 8MP which is an ultrawide

charger which is VOOC Flash

falls behind competition

with on-point details like

lens with an aperture of f/2.3.

Charge 3.0 which rapidly fills

that uses glass back at that

sharp focus, locking of the

The tertiary sensor is of 2MP

up the battery tank.

price point but, chipset level

object, color saturation. The

with an aperture of f/2.4 and

resolution when increased

the quad sensor is of 2MP

Conclusion

at night shows some level of

with an aperture of f/2.4.

The newly introduced Oppo

with enough storage and

graining and noise effect. The

The selfie camera sensor of

F15 lives on the legacy of its

RAM. n

ultrawide shots captured by

the Oppo F15 is amazing as

predecessor F15 Pro with

performance, camera and battery outputs come handy

haider@mymobile.co.in

february 2020 | 55

Tried & Tested

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Tecno Spark Go Plus Decent Device at this Price Point

T

o achieve a

is claimed to be the first

and can dominate the

segment. But, the bigger

bigger share

smartphone to offer 6.52-

audience or not. We reviewed

screen compensates for it.

in the Indian

inch HD+ screen under 5-7k

the device for a week and

smartphone

category by the company.

here’s how it fared.

market, Global smartphone

According to Counterpoint

Camera In the imaging department,

brand of Transsion India

Research, Tecno, along

Design

TECNO has unveiled a new

with Infinix, was ranked the

The Spark Go Plus comes in

an 8MP AI camera with f/2.0

smartphone, Tecno Spark Go

number six OEM in the India

two colour options -- Hillier

aperture, dual flash and offers

Plus, in India in the budgeted

smartphone market in the

Purple and Vacation Blue. We

features like bokeh effect and

category. The company says

third quarter of 2019. The

reviewed the Hillier Purple

AI beauty mode. Upfront, the

that it is strengthening it’s

smartphone brand is doing

variant, which is a mixture

phone sports an 8MP selfie

‘For India’ philosophy by

quite well in the Nigerian

of light purple and maroon

camera with f/2.0 aperture

introducing a product that

smartphone market, however,

colours. Along with the glossy

as well, an 81-degree

is customized to enhance

it will be interesting to

back, there’s a fingerprint

viewing angle and single

the life of the local Indian

see if the newly launched

sensor, a single camera setup

flash support. Front camera

consumers. Priced at Rs

smartphone can boost the

and a speaker placed at the

features include adjustable

6,299, the Spark Go Plus

presence of Tecno in India

rear. On the front, it has a

flashlight brightness, portrait

6.52-inch HD+ display with

mode, and AI beauty mode.

a waterdrop-style notch and

The rear camera delivered

an 8MP selfie camera. The

decent images in bright light

device is handy but attracts a

conditions. The low-light

lot of smudge because of its

images weren’t that great. In

plastic back and the colour

terms of selfie camera, we

combination makes it more

found that it is just average.

visible. The volume and

One thing that I didn’t like

power keys are placed on the

about the pictures clicked

right edge. The dual-SIM slots

from the phone was that it

can be accessed by removing

always processed too glossy

its back panel.

images, which didn’t look

Display

real.

(720x1600 pixels) display

Processor/ Performance

with 89.5 per cent screen

The phone is powered by the

ratio, 480 nits brightness

2GHz MediaTek Helio A22

and 20:9 aspect ratio. The

quad-core SoC paired with

massive display will surely

2GB RAM. It comes with

be a treat for your eyes as it

32GB of built-in storage

offers an amazing viewing

capacity, with the option

experience. However, at the

to expand further using a

same time, the bezels were

microSD card slot (up to

very much visible that made

128GB). It is an Android

the device look a little less

Go phone, running HIOS

attractive as compared to few

5.5.2 based on Android 9.0

smartphones in the same

Go edition. Connectivity

The 6.52-inch HD+

52 | february 2020

the Tecno Spark Go Plus has

MYMOBILE

Tried & Tested

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options like Dual LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, and Bluetooth 4.2, and measures about 166.7x75.8x8.4mm.

Sensors onboard include accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor and rear fingerprint sensor.

The phone also supports Face Unlock. We did not find any lag while using the device. In fact, it was smoother as compared to other smartphones in the same segment. There’s no complaining from its user interface too. It looked good.

However, it can be better in the upcoming variants. We played few online and offline games and in terms of that, the processor worked perfectly fine. Thankfully, none of

4,000mAh battery, and the

Go Plus, which bundles with a

company claims that it can

free Bluetooth earpiece worth,

last up to six hours of video

free three months Gaana Plus

playback, 110 hours of music

Subscription worth, along

playback, 6.9 hours of gaming,

with few other offers, is a good

5.7 hours of browsing, 26 hours

device but there’s nothing

of talk time, and 343 hours

unusual things about it. We

of standby time. 4,000mAh

can see that the smartphone

battery is quite massive and

players are betting higher by

on average use that included

offering high-end features

light gaming, video streaming,

at a budgeted price such as

3G/4G connectivity, the

a bigger battery, multiple

smartphone lasted over a day

cameras etc. So if you can add

on a single charge. There is no

a little extra to your budget,

Cons

fast charging option but the

you can also check other

Back Panel, Camera quality

battery department is quite

brands such as Realme, Infinix

satisfactory.

to see what’s best you can get

verdict Looks

08 /10

Okay

Cameras

06 /10

Performance

08 /10

Average

Satisfactory

09 /10

Battery

the apps got crashed or the

Massive

device got hanged. Talking

Value For Money

about its security, I found the fingerprint sensor friendlier

Decent

07 /10

OVERALL

76%

than the face unlock as the facial reorganization feature wasn’t performing well in low lit conditions. The sound of

PROS

the device is impressive as it is

Battery, Display

not noisy at all.

Battery

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

The Spark Go Plus packs a

www.mymobileindia.com

Conclusion At Rs 6,299, the new Spark

under the same price bracket. n vivek@mymobile.co.in

february 2020 | 57

Tried & Tested

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RIVERSONG MOTIVE+

Beautiful Budget Smart Watch

S

martwatches are

Functionalities

touted as next-

When connected with RS

generation wearable

motive app, the sleep monitor

device and we are

feature will allow you to

witnessing a surge among

track your sleep timings

the Indian users, who have

whereas the heart rate lets

become increasingly health

you measure your heartbeat.

and fitness-conscious. We

The smartwatch monitors 24-

can see that the smartwatch

hour real-time changes in the

market is booming, while basic

heart rate which assists in the

digital/analogue wristwatches

adequate amount of exercise

are witnessing a decline.

according to the heart rate

Well, it’s only sensible when

curve. The smartwatch has an

people are choosing a watch

in-built multiple sports mode

that not only shows time but

like walking, run, cycling ,

apart from that, they are pretty

climbing , shocker, basketball

multifunctional. Riversong has

, skipping and badminton

launched the successor of its

which works as a tracker

Motive smartwatch in India

for the fitness activities

Priced at Rs 3499/-, the new

you indulge in. The smart

Motive+ Smart Watch. Let’s

notification feature displays

get into more details about the

your incoming calls, emails,

watch.

WhatsApp messages and text

Design

message notifications on your smartwatch’s display. The

battery and it can run up to 7

crafted smartwatch. The

Motive features a 1.33” IPS

shutter feature is a camera

days that can last up to 240

new watch can surely

display with 2.5D curved

control feature that will let

hours as per the usage.

give competition to other

glass with full touch. It is

you click pictures through

equipped with features like

the feature. The music lets

How to use

sleep monitoring, heart rate

you play the music that is

Users need to download

a premium and stylish

monitoring, multiple sports

available on your smartphone.

RS Motive application on

look along with taking care

modes, smart notifications,

The company claims that the

their Android and iOS device.

of your fitness. It’s sleek,

shutter & music control. You

smartwatch is IP67 water-

It is compatible with Android

comfortable, sturdy and

can customise watch face

resistant.

5.1 and iOS 9 and above.

is specially designed for

as per your style. The sleek and sturdy style of the device

Battery

Conclusion

makes it look classy and

According to the company,

Quite similar to its Motive,

premium.

the device houses 170mAh

Motive+ is a beautifully

58 | february 2020

brands. As just at Rs 3499/Riversong’s Motive+ offers

the people looking for an affordable smartwatch with an X-factor in it. n vivek@mymobile.co.in

MYMOBILE

Amani ASP TWS 615 Affordable True Wireless Earbuds You Can Have Hands-on

W

ireless

the AMANI wireless earbuds

earbuds are

come with a battery charging

the newest

case, which is very lightweight

add-on to

and easy to carry, as it will fit in

our must-have-list, it is the

your hand very easily, but it will

trendiest device and wireless

be a little difficult to put in the

earbuds are one of the best

pocket. The buds and the case

Performance

ways to listen to your music

come in Matt Black color and

In terms of performance, the

with the AMANI wireless

on the go. Whether you’re

the looks are very appealing.

earbuds don’t disappoint you,

earbuds, you just have to

commuting, heading to the

The buds are very lightweight

it delivers high-quality sound,

press the button on the buds

gym, or relaxing poolside on

but a little large to fit in ears.

but if you are listening with

once to pick-up the call and

a sunny day, the right pair of

Although the looks of the buds

full volume in crowded areas,

to disconnect press the same

earphones will stay put and

and charging case are fine,

almost everyone around you

button. While listening to

bring you quality sound.

the quality of both feels very

can listen. While connecting

music you press twice for the

cheap, but how much can we

the earbuds make sure you

next track and press thrice for

ask in just 999.

are wearing both headsets,

the previous. And because

initially, when I connected

there’s a dedicated button

Those of you who still think big bulky headphones are better than wireless earbuds

Battery

Taking calls is very easy

only one earbud and wear

present on the buds all these

few short years ago, Bluetooth

The AMANI wireless earbuds

the second after 2 minutes,

features are very easy.

wasn’t the best way to listen

come with 400 mAh battery,

the second headset was not

to your favorite music. But

and the company claims that

connected and there was no

Conclusion

those days are gone, the

the earbuds can last 6 hours

sound. So you have to wear

The AMANI wireless earbuds

time has changed now, with

of continuous use and standby

both the headsets while

are perfect for anyone who is

time wireless earbuds have

mode for 48 hours, however,

connecting it, which is a

looking to buy wireless earbuds

become so viral that almost

when the case is charged fully

drawback.

with affordable pricing.

every tech company has

it recharges the buds only 2

introduced their own earbuds.

times and doesn’t go for much

not at par with other devices

disappoint you but if you are

But since this technology is so

longer. But again the battery

available in the market but

looking for all the high-end

uncomplicated the devices are

performance in this price

the sound quality gives it a

features and quality like noise

mostly expensive.

segment is fair. The headsets

little swing. The earbuds are

cancellation and touch sensors

individually packed with 50

compatible with almost all

then you are definitely asking

mAh battery.

the brands of smartphones,

way too much in just Rs,

accessories has launched its

and it pushes the notifications

999. It is very easy to handle

new truly wireless earbuds

when connected by itself, so

and very easy to carry with its

called the ASP TWS 615 in

you don’t have to go and set

lightweight body. The looks are

India with the price of just

anything.

just top-notch and the matt

would be forgiven, because a

But recently, AMANI, a manufacturer of mobile

Rs, 999. The AMANI wireless

The noise cancelation is

The sound quality will not

finishing gives it an extra point.

earbuds come with the latest

If you want to add wireless

Bluetooth 5.0 technology. But

earbuds to your must-have list

are these earbuds worth buying

the AMANI wireless earbuds

or not, let’s find out!

Design Just like any other earbuds,

www.mymobileindia.com

Tried & Tested

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are worth considering, this device is perfect for the entrylevel earbuds. n pahi@mymobile.co.in

february 2020 | 59

Tried & Tested

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1More Piston Fit Wireless It Can be Your Travel Companion

W

hile popular

Fit wired earphones. Let’s get

chipset that enables a faster

connection without any major

audio

into the detail of this product

transmission and a more

issues. The earphones are

brands

to find out how worthy it is as

stable connection during

powered by 10mm dynamic.

are busy

per its price.

daily activities like exercising,

There is also IPX4 water

working, or travelling. The new

resistance and an in-line

optimized stable Bluetooth

remote and microphone

churning out premium wireless earphones, the

In the box

entry-level segment has also

Apart from the earphones

chip enables compatibility

for hands-free calling and

bombarded with plenty of

themselves, you’ll get a

with a wide range of

use. The earphones feature

options to choose from. It’s

micro-USB charging cable

smartphones, tablets, laptops

a soft cable with two large

now relatively easy to find

and a total of four pairs of ear

and other Bluetooth devices.

modules connecting to the

inexpensive true wireless

tips, including the ones that

It comes with 45-degree

earphones, and also feature

earphones that sound pretty

come pre-installed on the

oblique-angled nozzles that

voice assistant support on

decent. Among the list, there

earphones.

naturally lay in your ear canals

paired smartphones. On the

for a tight, secure fit during

connectivity front, it has

extended use.

support for HFP, A2DP, and

is 1More, which is selling quality audio products at cut-

Design and Features

throat prices and has even

Look wise, the new earphone

lent its talents to companies

comes in a cable-type

Sound

like Xiaomi. 1More has

neckband-style design,

For any pair of earphones,

meters. There is also IPX4

recently launched a wireless

just like any other wireless

the most important thing to

water resistance and an in-

earphone, Piston Fit Wireless,

earphones, and has no

consider is how the earphones

line remote and microphone

in the Indian market that

uniqueness in it. But, that’s

sound — and thankfully,

for hands-free calling and use.

connects to your smartphone

not necessarily a terrible

these earphones sound pretty

The earphones feature a soft

via Bluetooth. The company

thing. On either side of the

good. Sound tends to leak a

cable with two large modules

claims that it can give you

neckband, there’s a small

bit, which is noticeable in a

connecting to the earphones,

eight hours of listening time

module — with the left-

quiet environment, but this

and also feature voice

from one full charge. It is also

hand side housing what we

also has the effect of making

assistant support on paired

said to be sweatproof. Priced

assume to be a battery, and

the sound more open with a

smartphones. The earphones

at Rs 3,999, the 1More Piston

the right side a three-button

wider soundstage. The bass

have a claimed battery life

Fit Wireless earphones are the

control module. Also on the

response was relatively deep

of up to 8 hours on a single

Bluetooth-powered wireless

right is a small micro-USB

and powerful. However, there

charge and are powered by a

version of the 1More Piston

port — though we wish 1More

could have been a little more

130mAh battery, which we

opted for USB-C here. It

bass extension. Overall, I did

found it to be true.

comes in all black colour and

not have much complains

weighed only at 18 grams,

from its audio quality.

which is approximate to 4

AVRCP protocols. It also comes with a range of 10

Conclusion At this price point, the 1More

pieces of A4 paper. It features

Performance

an optimized Bluetooth

The 1More Piston Fit wireless

offers a decent design,

earphones connect to your

comfortable fit, and relatively

listening device through

good sound quality. This is

Bluetooth 5.0 and we found

a value for money device.

that they retained a good

One can surely use it while

Piston Fit wireless earphone

travelling, gymming. n vivek@mymobile.co.in

54 | december 2019

MYMOBILE

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Philips Smart Wi-Fi LED Bulb Illuminate your Room with Cool Colours

A

s technology

Xiaomi and more. Priced at

or wall fixture, and follow the

is evolving

Rs 999, this smart bulb works

step-by-step guide in the app

very swiftly

on Wi-Fi and lets you easily

to complete the setup. The

around us, we

control your Philips Smart

Wiz app suggests user select

are witnessing a lot of new

lighting using a mobile app

between 2.4GHz and 5GHz

trends too. One of them is

or voice assistants including

WiFi, which may leave many

smart bulbs. Smart bulbs that

Siri, Google Assistant and

users a little confused. Once

can be controlled through

Amazon Alexa. Controlling

I selected 2.4GHz, I had

mobile apps and smart

lights with your voice used to

to enter my WiFi network’s

devices have started gaining

be something only a god could

password to complete the

popularity in India. They are

do, but these days we have

pairing process. For me, the

among the most immediately

smart lighting systems to make

setup process wasn’t that

successful offerings in the

any of us feel all-powerful. So,

hassle-free but towards the

growing category of home

let us find out how powerful it

end of the setup, I was able to

automation and the Internet

is for your room!

select where the bulb is being

of Things (IoT) products.

used.

It is an internet-capable

Design

LED light bulb that allows

No-one has been able to come

Performance

lighting to be customized,

close to the fine design and

On it was illuminated, it

your daily tasks. By choosing

scheduled and controlled

sturdiness of the Mi LED bulb.

was all easy. The on/off and

the right light suiting time,

remotely. With the integration

If we talk about this smart

sleep controls are placed

it also supports your body’s

of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee or

Wi-Fi bulb’s design, this smart

at the bottom. Right above

natural circadian rhythm,

a proprietary connection for

Wi-Fi bulb looks just like

there’s the option to control

enhancing your well-being.

a home automation system,

any other smart bulbs in the

the brightness and select

Philips Smart Wi-Fi Bulb

smart bulbs can be controlled

market. The design is quite

or rather change the colour.

also lets you automate your

through a mobile app or a

usual and comes in two cap

You can also select between

lighting, using its timer and

home/building automation hub

types -- E27 and B22. My

the pre-set modes including

scheduling functions. For

and individual bulbs can be

review unit was E27.

cosy, relax, fireplace, fall,

example, your lights could

club, sunset, spring, summer,

switch on automatically as

forest and many more, or

you reach home. Overall, the

programmed to change output in a specific manner.

How to connect

light, ranging from warm white to cool daylight to suit

Philips Smart Wi-Fi LED bulb

create my custom colour. The

performance was simply mind

leader in lighting (formerly

works on the WiZ technology

app also has the option of

blowing.

known as Philips Lighting),

platform. You can get started

checking power consumption.

launched Philips Smart Wi-Fi

simply by installing the

Other than the app, it can

Conclusion

LED Bulb in already crowded

easy-to-use WiZ app on your

also be controlled using

Philips Smart Wi-Fi LED Bulb

Indian market dominated

smartphone or tablet and

voice assistants such as

is a beautiful product at Rs

by the likes of Wipro, Syska,

connect to your home’s Wi-Fi

Google Assistant, Alexa and

999. The setup part was a bit

network – no wiring, smart

more. Adding the bulb by

difficult for me, but once it

hub or additional equipment

selecting Wiz hardly took a

was on, it simply illuminated

is required. Download the free

few minutes for integration.

my room with different

Last year, Signify, the world

There’s a vacation mode

colours. This affordable smart

screw the Philips Smart

too. You can also tune your

bulb will surely be a worth

WiFi LED light bulb in

Philips Smart Wi-Fi Bulb to

buying. n

any existing table lamp

the perfect shade of white

WiZ app (iOS or Android),

vivek@mymobile.co.in

february 2020 | 61

Tried & Tested

burntest

CLAW G11

Keeps you focused on the game

F

ollowing the recent

decent and apparently, is

device. It offers two pairs of

because of its dual flange ear

launch of G9,

an upgraded version of its

ear tips in the box, besides

tips.

homegrown audio

predecessor. Like CLAW G9, it

the dual flange ear tips that

brand CLAW has

is light in weight and is totally

the earphones have on by

Performance

come up with the G11 dual

different from the regular

default.

The ergonomically-angled

driver gaming earphones with

gaming headsets which are

boom microphone for mobile

quite bulky. It sports a 1.2m

Functionalities

phones, PC and consoles.

cable, which is made with

The all-new gaming headset

superior noise isolation,

Available in colours of Black

premium quality rugged

by CLAW features a dual

keeping you focused on

and Red, the G11 is priced

textured TPE + ABS materials

driver system with 2 x 6mm

the game by obstructing all

at Rs 1,490 and one can

that strengthens the bending

dynamic drivers on each

outside distractions. The dual

purchase it at leading online

resistance and can withstand

side. The device includes

drivers produce immersive 3D

and retail stores across India.

tugging as per the demands of

Volume Control slider, Mic

stereo sound with enhanced

The CLAW G11 is said to be

professional gamers.

Mute switch and a

bass which helps in gaming

Multi-function button

scenarios so you can hear

an ideal choice for gaming

It consists of a 3.5mm

earbuds reach deep into the ear for a snug fit offering

sessions on the go, but is it

gold-plated plug which

that allows you to Play/Pause,

footsteps, gunshots allowing

so? Let’s find out.

has a 45-degree angle to

Answer/Reject, Previous/Next

you to know exactly where

Design

increase its durability. Also,

Track and even brings up

your enemy is located at all

included is a 3.5 mm to 2 x

Voice Assistant. As mentioned

times.

The CLAW G11 looks quite

3.5 mm PC adapter ensuring

above, it consists of a

compatibility with all your

detachable boom mic,

crisp and clear sound, but

which is 360-degree

are quite loud overall. It

adjustable to pick up your

seems the company has

voice clearly delivering

given a priority to the highs at

compatible with

accurate and smooth

the cost of sacrificing

almost every

communication.

the mids and lows, however,

devices. The goldplated 3.5mm PIN is indeed universally

The G11 is better suited for gaming on the go, but one can also

The earphones deliver

it’s not bad for gaming purposes. The earphones are particularly useful in the

use this for

context of playing intense

listening

shooters or in multiplayer

to music

gaming.

and while watching a movie. It doesn’t gracelessly fall off the ears

Conclusion The CLAW G11 is totally different from the regular gaming headsets which are quite bulky. It offers an ergonomic design and looks very decent. You can play games anywhere and everywhere with clarity and precision, with this device which justifies its price by offering some unique features. n ramesh@mymobile.co.in

62 | february 2020

MYMOBILE

“Cover it up strives to carve a niche in phone case cover manufacturing” Mobile accessories include a wide range of items and just like any other segment, competition is on roll, because of the technological advancements and dropping prices. In order to mark a place for himself, a young entrepreneur, Ronak Sarda founded Cover it up, an online marketplace for custom-made phone cases. In conversation with MyMobile, Sarda shared how with his clear vision and strong belief made it to this point.

Please tell us something about your company?

people. We have a team of talented and

accessories. Not only the expensive ones,

Cover It Up is a mobile accessories platform

passionate designers and conceptualists

but every smartphone can be made to look

that strives to carve a niche in phone case

who work their hearts out to churn out new

like a luxury item, only if it’s wrapped in a

cover design and manufacturing. With a

and innovative mobile accessories.

gracious and attractive mobile cover.

people across all age groups, from college-

As there are multiple platforms selling mobile

Making your customer satisfied is the biggest

going Marvel groupie to the sophisticated

accessories products, what is your USP? We

challenge, how you take this challenge? As

office-goer, we have lived up to become a

are the only company that has created a

quoted by Jeff Bezos, “a brand for a company

leading online portal that churns out high-

niche in the segment of phone covers. We

is like a reputation for a person. You earn

quality cases with rich retailed printing for

not only have a variety of cool designs but

reputation by trying to do hard things well.”

all possible models on a daily basis.

are also tech-oriented. Apart from the sturdy

Similarly, to build a robust reputation, we

build quality, we have a full line of exclusive

firmly focus on product quality. Whether it’s

products that you will not find anywhere.

a mobile accessory or apparel, we make sure

In Conversation

face to face

wide array of exclusive designs to cater to

What was the inspiration behind starting Cover It up? The inspiration behind Cover

to deliver the top of the line quality.

It Up comes from my inclination towards

You are merchandise partner with almost

comic and movie characters and the idea to

all the big names like Marvel and DC, so do

According to you what are the gridlocks in the

be able to personalize it. Myself being a DC

your competitors, how do you take on the

e-commerce sector? One of the gridlocks is

fan, I wanted to get my favorite character

competition? I believe there is going to be

the missing human touch. The customer is

on the back of the smartphone and that

a competition in whatever you will do. We

unable to experience the product no matter

idea pushed me to blend my interest into

on our end give utmost priority to quality

how accurately you depict the product

my passion.

over quantity. We also take our customers’

through images or information notes.

feedback very seriously and strive to provide

To actually solve this, we have to make sure

What are your milestones till now? From

a seamless experience. Getting a partnership

that our customer service team is available

starting the production in India itself and

with brands doesn’t stop us there, we invest

for them to answer all the possible queries

putting up the manufacturing unit in

our creative heads in coming up with

they have about the product.

Chennai to building up such an amazing

amazing ideas that do get appreciated by

team and becoming official merchandiser

our customers.

of brands like Marvel, DC. There have been

What are your future plans? Going further, we are looking forward to collaborating with

a lot of milestones we have achieved and

How would you see your journey of making

TV shows, celebrities and explore more

more are yet to come!

the mobile cover from necessity to luxury? A

exclusive merchandising opportunities.

mobile accessory is not a luxury item, but

We are also planning to extend our range of

How does Cover It Up work? At the outset, I

a smartphone surely is. Smartphones like

phone covers, generating more innovative

started the platform on my own, but later,

Apple, Samsung, OnePlus are the leading

I got the backing of some talented pool of

smartphones and surely calls for exclusive

designs for our audience. n team@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2020 | 63

Trendz

Market insight

Shakeout Coming in AI Chip Start-Up Market Over 80 start-up companies around the world are developing AI chips for training and inference

T

he rapid adoption of AI has

performance and efficiency compared to

spurred the development of

today’s CPUs and GPUs.

The current AI landscape is still in flux. Although a host of AI start-ups are

a new breed of AI chip with

AI-friendly memories being adopted

developing new hardware architectures

the performance needed to

by start-ups include near-chip memories

and software stacks, client companies do

meet the high processing and low power

(DRAM and NAND flash), on-chip

not want to be locked to any specific AI

requirements of machine learning and

memories (SRAM) and emerging NV

acceleration architecture, particularly with

deep learning applications. There are now

memories. “Some of these start-ups also

consolidation likely in the next few years.

more than 80 start-up companies around

use analog memory technologies which

Also, they want to ensure that solutions are

the world developing AI chips for training

promise to reduce power consumption

scalable.

and inference.

from milliwatts to microwatts,” said Gareth

In the training market, competition will

These start-ups are focused on

Owen, Associate Director of Emerging

be particularly tough. Start-ups will have to

developing chips designed for specific

Technologies at Counterpoint Research.

compete against Nvidia as well as home-

AI workloads and use cases using new

“This is ideal for the always-on inference

grown products from potential customers

processor architectures which address the

market, for example, for smart speakers,

such as Amazon, Alibaba, Baidu, Facebook,

so-called “memory bottleneck” by adopting

potentially increasing battery life from days

Google and Tencent. In addition, the cloud

a much better balance between memory

to months. However, there are still many

training market will be a smaller market

and on-chip compute. As a result, they

challenges, particularly associated with

than the inference market.

hope to deliver dramatic improvements in

mass production.”

64 | february 2020

A small number of vendors, such as

MYMOBILE

Graphcore and Habana Labs, have already

Nvidia, Xilinx and Microsoft’s Altera who

launched commercial products, mostly

will be under pressure to acquire emerging

PCI-type plug-in accelerators. However,

winners in order to maintain and increase

they are competing against Nvidia, who

overall market share. This has already

will be tough to beat for several reasons,

started to happen with Intel’s recent

but particularly due to its strong software

acquisition of Habana Labs for $2 billion.

ecosystem. As a result, many start-ups are

At present, it is not clear who will be the

staying out of Nvidia’s way and focusing on

winners or losers, but the industry will not

the inference market.

accommodate many new chip suppliers.

In contrast, the edge-based inference market is still in its infancy with many new players and new approaches. It will be a much bigger market opportunity than the cloud data market, with demand for AI chips in potentially billions of industrial and consumer devices and hence with a wide range of different requirements. Like the server chip vendors, however, edge-based chip start-ups will need to focus on very specific markets differentiated, primarily, by processing capability, power and cost requirements.

Key start-ups in the inference market include Gyrfalcon, Efinix and Syntiant which have already launched commercial products, and Flex Logix, Mythic and Blaize which are sampling and will offer commercial products later this year.

However, these start-ups face their own unique set of challenges. To be successful, they must offer chipsets that are highly scalable and flexible, achieve the right balance between performance and power budget but also feature strong ecosystem support and a comprehensive software stack. Time to market will also be key.

They will also face tough competition from established players such as Intel,

www.mymobileindia.com

A few will get acquired, but most will disappear.

“We believe that there will be

“Some of these startups also use analog memory technologies which promise to reduce power consumption from milliwatts to microwatts. This is ideal for the always-on inference market, for example, for smart speakers, potentially increasing battery life from days to months. However, there are still many challenges, particularly associated with mass production” – Gareth Owen, Associate Director Emerging Technologies, Counterpoint Research

“We believe that there will be consolidation in the market during the next two years, predominantly due to a mismatch between actual performance from working silicon and predicted theoretical performance. Many of these start-ups have not developed software in tandem with hardware and thus are not able to perform accurate performance modelling, resulting in shortfalls in actual performance achieved”

Trendz

Market insight

–Peter Richardson, Research Director, Counterpoint Research consolidation in the market during the next two years, predominantly due to a mismatch between actual performance from working silicon and predicted theoretical performance,” said Peter Richardson, Research Director at Counterpoint Research. “Many of these start-ups have not developed software in tandem with hardware and thus are not able to perform accurate performance modelling, resulting in shortfalls in actual performance achieved.” he added.

Ultimately, the differentiator may not be the company with the best hardware solution but the one with best software/hardware mix. Established players such as Intel and Nvidia will continue to dominate the market landscape due to the robust developer ecosystems they have created around their AI chipsets. n team@mymobile.co.in

february 2020 | 65

by Invitation

Guest Column

Good times await Indian Data Center Industry in 2020

By Alan Richardson

T

he Indian data center industry

plans for data centers in the key locations

to utilise colocation type data centers. It is

is very buoyant with space at

is causing concern as land costs continue

so evident to say that good days await the

a premium especially in the

to rise and the availability of power is

Indian data center industry with a lot more

“Hotspots� such as Mumbai,

a constant struggle. In 2019, we have

challenges.

Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai.

seen the emergence of two leading Indian

Further, India is dominated by the

Why the Hotspots? Well, it is the same all

real estate developers and infrastructure

colocation data center segment, which is

over the world. Hotspots or location is the

solution providers- Yotta Infrastructure and

the fastest area of growth for the data center

name of the new game today. The industry

Adani Group announcing development

industry. The growth is being fuelled by the

seems to be on a stream to exceed the

of new data ceters to support global

global hyperscalers (AWS, Microsoft, Oracle,

industry forecast of $4 Billion for 2020 as

hyperscalers and also to meet the demand

Google) requiring evermore space/capacity

reported by various industry commentators

of home-grown companies from the field

to support the Indian Market demand.

and marketers. The aggressive building

of finance, retail and service, as they want

The colocation data center is also benefitting from strong growth in Companies wanting to relocate their own data centers within the colocation facilities and the adoption of cloud services, either gateways to global Cloud Providers or colocation data centers ability to offer their own Cloud hosting and services to their clients. This trend is already seen in the US, Europe and parts of Asia and now, it is widespreading into India, as the country is being transformed as Research and Development hub for many global Technology and Pharma companies. The other driving force of the trend is the expansion of financial industry and government services at a fast pace.

Good Times Ahead The adoption and implementation of cloud applications are still very small in India today.

80 | december 2019

MYMOBILE

It is set to explode as more clients readily

subsea landing stations, upgraded robust

to largest power supply source. However,

accepting that cloud is the way forward to

network infrastructure and introduction

as the industry expands, the challenge lies

scale up their business growth and acts as

of new ISPs (internet service providers).

in balancing he power demand against the

a support system for various applications.

market demand. Therefore, going forward,

Additionally, the government’s decision for

it is imperative to link solar power with “The year 2020 will regional and national power grids strategy witness the global colocation the country-is also a tremendous which will eventually boost the smooth companies start to focus and align their move that adds to the data center operation of data centers. existing Indian businesses with global footprint. development in India. To reap on Connectivity is also going to be this opportunity, big hyperscalers another challenge from 2020 due We are also expected to see new global players are already preparing the grounds to rising demand trends of global start their activities through either acquisitions or for major expansion within the hyperscalers and leading Colocation cooperation and start building a strong presence Indian market, aiming to further players. Managing access and in India, making India a stronger link in the global extend their new builds within availability to connectivity is very communications highway. Importantly, with the colocation facilities and seemingly essential. The effects of not having 5G rollout expected in 2020, the role of Indian showing interest to build their own access and available connectivity is telecom industry plays a major role in facilities. disastrous to revenue growth, meeting As stated above, the new entrants performance expectations, and lacks ability reinforcing growth” data localisation against storing it outside

to the India data center market- Yotta

Guest Column

by invitation

to cope with increasing traffic demand.

Infrastructure and Adani Group are focusing on building a more “Wholesaler” model than “Retailer” in India by providing Land, Power, and building that meets the leaseholders’ requirements and specification that are potentially to attract any global hyperscalers, terming them as hyperscalers-dedicated data centers. As a testimony to this, recently Adani Group announced its tie up with US-based Digital Realty Cooperation to foray into data center domain, while Yotta NM1 to go live in January 2020.

With all these development, the year 2020 will witness the global colocation companies (NTT, Equinix, Digital Realty etc.) start to focus and align their existing Indian businesses with global footprint.

We are also expected to see new global players start their activities through

These can be better managed through use

either acquisitions or cooperation and

of optic fibres.

On other side, the carbon emission is rapidly heading to the “Top of the

start building a strong presence in India,

The biggest challenge for the whole of

List” and undoubtedly, it will become

making India a stronger link in the global

the Data Center business moving forward

a big environment concern moving

communications highway. Importantly, with

is summed up in these keywords: Power

forward. Already, globally, the data center

the 5G rollout expected in 2020, the role of

Availability – Connectivity Access – Carbon

industry is under pressure to take drastic

Indian telecom industry plays a major role

Emission. These are not just the Indian

measurements to curb its carbon emissions.

in reinforcing growth factor of the Indian

Market challenges but also prevailing

It is something to wait and watch as to how

data center market. For these, along with

in the global data center market. Power

the legalisation that the Indian Government

accessibility is always a challenge to the

the Indian government and the industry plan to manage this. n

might consider to support, Indian needs to

data center industry. Certainly, the solar

look into the aspects like installing more

power has been significantly contributing

www.mymobileindia.com

The author is Business Development Consultant, AFL Hyperscale

february 2020 | 67

In Conversation

face to face

“Anything that moves can be tracked by Letstrack” GPS tracking is no more related to your personal well-being, it holds special value for businesses as well. Leveraging this trend is Letstrack, a global leader in GPS and mobile tracking system that enables App-to-App and App-to-Web mobility solutions and platform to power the Internet of Things (IoT). The homegrown startup, which also offers its services to different government bodies, corporate houses, etc., has some bigger plans to expand its reach globally. Ramesh Kumar Raja caught up with Vikram Kumar, Founder and CEO, Letstrack, to discuss more about the brand, technicalities involved and its expansion plan. Excerpts: How is Letstrack leveraging the trend of GPS

helps them reduce operational costs and

tracking in today’s smart world? Letstrack

enforce better driving habits among their

offers solutions to business and many

drivers. But Letstrack’s solutions aren’t just

How Letstrack is different from others in the

organizations. The need for a business or

limited to fleets, they apply exceptionally

market? Letstrack, from the beginning

a fleet owner to extract data provided by

well among the employees and sales teams

focuses on innovation and adding values to

GPS and telematics devices is growing. It

as well. It helps organizations manage

the end users. We are the world’s first voice

their employee timings and efficiency. It’s

integrated security company which mean

not just cost effective but ensures that the

you can talk to your vehicle and know its

organisation runs efficiently as well.

whereabouts, distance travelled in a day

parents.

till a month and much more. We have our Can you please tell us about the technicalities

in-house software team who makes sure

involved in delivering the tracking products/

the App is running smooth at all times and

services? Letstrack provides a hardware

our research team works very hard to bring

and software -based Personal and Vehicle

all the innovations in this genre.

Security solution, giving location-based

48 | december 2019

reports to analyse and make productive

Who are your prominent subscribers in India

decisions. In other words what it essentially

and what is your business model? Letstrack

means is that anything that moves can be

hit the headlines when its trackers were

tracked by Letstrack, which incidentally is

fitted in Election Commission vehicles

also our vision and thought going forward.

carrying EVMs and VVPATs in Punjab,

With the rise in demand for top-notch

Haryana and other states to monitor speed,

tracking and security solutions, we see a lot

route and location. The organization’s

of scope for innovation in this industry. We

growth trajectory has been noticed, and

go through rigorous research and testing

valuable associations have been made

just to ensure that each and every product

with several state governments of India,

is used based on the requirements of the

such as Delhi and Karnataka, Election

customers. For example, a small match

Commission of India, State Tourism and

box sized device is used to track children,

Transport Ministries, Railways, Bangalore

providing the needed security and safety

Metro, Bihar Police, as well as many

in their lives and peace of mind to the

major private sector banks, over 500 top

MYMOBILE

face to face “We are the world’s first voice integrated security company which mean you can talk to your vehicle and know its whereabouts, distance travelled in a day till a month and much more.

We have our in-house software team who makes sure the App is running smooth at all times and our research team works very hard to bring all the innovations in this genre”

collaborate and partner with such players. We would never want to be contained, and are always looking for out-of-the-box

as to what they want and need. Our priority

ideas and players who believe in doing

corporates like Exide, Honda, Orix, etc.

is always to give our best, and if you check

innovative work. It’s our kind of thinking

The services offered by Letstrack are

out the praise people have lavished us in

and working, and we love exploring such

extensively used by Ola, Uber and other

their reviews, you’ll see that we’ve been

opportunities.

companies who depend on tracking and

doing quite good.

delivery.

Letstrack expanded its footprint to the US

Vehicle tracking varies from bikes,

How do you look at India as a market and

market more recently. What next now? The

scooters and cars to commercial and

what’s your strategy to be a prominent player

future is looking promising for us, and we

heavy vehicles and enterprise-level fleet

in the given segment? The last six months

have our own set of goals that we have

telematics. The best part is that low

have been a whirlwind. This time saw

in our minds and working on executing

frequencies rarely hinder tracking and

us take some giant strides. To start with

them. We are market leaders with 20%

reporting in real time. The company’s

we won over 19 awards and accolades,

share and soon, we will command 50%

personal trackers, pet tags and asset

including Asia One India’s 100 Biggest

share of the market. Currently, we are also

trackers are also doing well. As I believe

Brands. Then we acquired the largest

looking for investors to raise $8-10 million

that the “future is all about tracking and

share in the GPS Security Services sector

in Pre-Series A round of funding. So yes,

the data derived from it”, the company

in India, becoming a force to reckon with.

these are some of the goals we have for

generates well-analysed reports besides

We also recently crossed a big milestone

now.

pushing data through live feeds,

of serving over 5 lakh happy customers.

notifications and updates. The innovation

And all this put together places us as

What’s your opinion about the imminent

makes us different, we are world’s first

Asia’s biggest car security brand. And

5G technology? How helpful it will be for

voice integrated vehicle security brand.

we are looking ahead to serving more

Letstrack? The advent of 5G will be a

customers and making even bigger name

tremendous boost to our business. It will

for ourselves.

widen the horizon and give us more space

How is the response of Letstrack app on Google Play and App Store? Our ratings and

to be innovative. We have big plans once

reviews provided by people about those

Do you have any plan to collaborate with

5G starts becoming mainstream, one of

platforms speak for themselves. We have

smartphone players similar to Google Maps

them being AI which we’ve already been

always been very keen on talking to our

that comes inbuilt with Android phones?

customers, it gives us tremendous insight

Yes, we are always looking forward to

working with. n ramesh@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2020 | 69

In Conversation

face to face

“With AI, our lives will be deeply affected in 2020” Skillsoft offers an engaging learning experience through superior content and simplified content delivery. It offers high-quality, innovative, cloud-based learning and performance support resources to organizations, giving them a competitive advantage through enterprise-wide knowledge and skill enhancement. The platform consists of 120,000 pieces of content, including over 7,000 courses, 65,000 videos, and 46,000 book options. Apratim Purakayastha, Chief Technology Officer, Skillsoft spoke to our correspondent Vivek Singh Chauhan and shared his opinion on diverse needs of different types of learning, new-age technologies, key trends to watch out for in the IT sector for 2020 etc. Here are the edited excerpts.

Can you give a brief overview of Skillsoft?

how to increase innovation in any of our

Skillsoft is one of the most pre-eminent

customers through continual learning and

companies in the area of corporate digital

development.

learning. In the late 90s, the company was founded on the premise that there is

Can you elaborate on the diverse needs

a need for democratization of learning. At

of different types of learning and the key

that time, right after college, you join a

challenges organizations face with building

company and all the learning happened

modern platforms? The platform must allow

by hiring learning instructors. Using the

learner choice. Because fundamentally

revolution of personal computers and

everyone is different and so are their

video, Skillsoft pioneered the whole notion

goals. We see there are various kinds of

of video-based learning or digital

learning that happens. One of them is

learning. Obviously, that has

performance enhancement. For example,

transpired to a large extent

you’re working on excel and you must do a

to consumer domain

pivot table. In that case, you’re looking for

right now to other

a quick module. Learn something quickly

forms of learning

and just move on. You’re not looking to

not just video but

become an excel expert. That’s called

also eBooks,

micro-learning. In some cases, let’s say

podcasts,

you’re preparing for a meeting with a

audiobooks.

customer and you need to know quickly

Skillsoft

about negotiation skills. You’re not looking

basically

to become a professor of negotiation

focuses

skills, but you quickly need to have some

on how to

pointers. It’s not five-minute learning

increase

but you’re ready to spend half a day. You

business

watch some videos, take a course. That’s

productivity,

called macro-learning because you’re

MYMOBILE

we offer a significant amount of course

question, learning from one another, those

It better be curated because you cannot

material in things like Data, AI, ML which

are what we call as learning engagement.

spend a half-day searching for it. Then

are a precursor to automation or robotics.

Any platform should support that and

there’s something called deep learning.

We work with some of the world’s largest

much more. Learning is not about clicking

Suppose you’re trying to become an

companies like banks and telecom

something and watching for some time.

expert in python programming, well that’s

companies. So, process automation is a big

going to take more than half a day and

theme in a telecommunication company.

How do the Indian industries fare in

a month. You need to go through a few

Mid-level managers don’t know anything

adapting to rapidly advancing new-age

courses, certifications, tests, labs etc.

about IoT which is part of automation.

technologies? It is bipolar as sometimes

in an organization sometimes even for

So, we see a lot of demand for what

Indian industries are far ahead in adopting

a single learner, there can be a need for

we’re bringing to the market. The digital

new-age technologies than their western

micro-learning, macro learning and deep

learning industry is growing at double

counterparts and sometimes, they

learning. Any platform that is calling

digits compound year over year, especially

lack behind. For example, the Indian

itself a modern learning platform should

the content is somewhere between 10-14

e-commerce industry and the consumer’s

support all of that.

per cent growth. So, Skillsoft is very well

adoption of e-commerce are at par with any

positioned to help organizations with this

other advanced nation. But at the same

digital transformation.

time, the public sector is way behind.

So, at Skillsoft we’ve built a platform that does all of that. In addition, how you deliver learning becomes very important.

Let’s take a bank for instance. A bank is

Some of the old manufacturing sectors

People are busy. So, you need to deliver

at least influenced by four or five emerging

ate behind. It’s a matter of opportunity

learning at the office, when they are

technologies including blockchain,

for them. If the manufacturing company’s

travelling in a cab or a bus. So, the delivery

which completely changes the backend

digital processes can improve productivity

mechanism becomes very important.

operations. A bank is also influenced by

by 5 per cent, then margins go through the

mobile because consumers want very

roof. They suddenly become a leader in

Data Science, AI and ML have lately been the

different behaviour. But a single person

terms of velocity of production, employee

talk around HR circles for long. Robotics is the

cannot be an expert in both. Management

engagement etc. there are rewards to this

next to come. How are today’s organisations

needs to have broad exposure to all of

and any CEO does this becomes a hero

placed to meet such fast-evolving needs of

these at the same time they need to create

overnight. So, with awareness, having the

the industry and how can they leverage

agile teams. They need to build subject

right leader, creating a right eco-system

Skillsoft to stay ahead of the curve? To be

matter experts in these areas quickly.

within the company, giving employees

honest, organizations today are not well-

But then for a problem or a project bring

the right tools will help them tackle these

positioned. Technology is moving much

all of them together in an agile team,

challenges.

faster than organizations capability to

execute it and then move on to another

change. Five years ago, there were no self-

one. So, fundamentally the organizations’

What are some of the key trends to watch

driving cars, now we have them. Ten years

models are becoming far more agile than

out for in the IT sector for 2020? With

ago, there was no Uber. So, organizations

a hierarchical structure.

AI, our lives will be deeply affected. AI

are not well prepared at all. There needs to

includes data science, machine learning.

be a complete leadership change in terms

With the growing number of millennials now

Another trend to watch out is the use of

of building a growth mindset, continuous

being part of the workforce, what should

blockchain especially in retail, financial.

curiosity. Employees need to begin to feel

organizations do to support the overall

The last thing which you may not expect

what I know today can become irrelevant

ecosystem of learning for them? Make it

is leadership skills because IT is no more

in two years. I need to master what I know

habit forming like introduce gamification

about a few programmers in a corner. It’s

today. But you always need to look out for

into learning because millennials are more

very agile. Working in an agile team means

what’s going to come in two years.

interested in such learning engagements.

how to be sometimes a leader, sometimes

Skillsoft helps in several ways and in

Their ability to share learning, ability to

fact, we are helping our customers. First,

post something in a group, ability to ask a

a contributor becomes critical. n vivek@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

In Conversation

spending a significant amount of time.

february 2020 | 71

In Conversation

face to face

“Our diverse product portfolio acts as a strong differentiator for us and we don’t have any consistent competitors in the Indian market” LogMeIn delivers industry-leading solutions designed to empower companies to deliver smarter, more personalized customer engagement and support. It simplifies how people connect with each other and the world around them to drive meaningful interactions, deepen relationships, and create better outcomes for individuals and businesses. Rahul Sharma, Managing Director - India and SAARC, LogMeIn, responsible for company’s operations and go-to-market activities in the region, spoke to Vivek Singh Chauhan and shared the company’s vision, product portfolios etc.

Here is the edited excerpt.

Please give a quick background brief on

with a sizeable amount of start-ups and

LogMeIn? LogMeIn simplifies how people

emerging businesses. The rapid evolution

connect with each other and the world around

of technology has levelled the playing field,

them to drive meaningful interactions, deepen

and every business is looking to adopt

relationships, and create better outcomes for

solutions that enhance their engagement

individuals and businesses. One of the world’s

experience comprehensively. There are a

top 10 public SaaS companies, and a market

lot of enterprises looking for adaptable and

leader in communication & conferencing,

easy to use communication solutions that

identity & access, and customer engagement

significantly cut down on the costs of having

& support solutions, LogMeIn has millions of

physical meetings across the country. At

customers spanning virtually every country

present, LogMeIn has over 100,000 global

across the globe. LogMeIn is headquartered

customers worldwide which are increasing

in Boston with additional locations in

fast. Our clients range from emerging

North and South America, Europe,

start-ups to already established brands in

Asia and Australia.

the market. In India, we surpassed 3,000 customers recently. We have a broad range

How important the Indian market is for LogMeIn? India

of products, suiting the needs of a new organisation to large enterprises.

is a unique market for us as it offers a diverse

Who are the competitors of LogMeIn? Where

business canvas

does it stand in the current scenario as

with established

compared to its competing brands?

corporations,

Our diverse product portfolio acts as a

both national and

strong differentiator for us and means we

international along

don’t have any consistent competitors in the

MYMOBILE

face to face How can companies ensure they are getting the best out of their video conferencing?

You can test your system compatibility, internet connection and audio settings ahead of time to ensure your session goes smoothly, or test your connection while in the session if you’re experiencing technical difficulties.

Indian market. While there are quite a few similar technology vendors for specific products few have the scope and onestop holistic operational capabilities we provide.

Can you enlist a few key clients of LogMeIn? In India, the company’s clientele includes Tech Mahindra, Accenture, Cognizant, Vodafone, and SAP, among others.

Kindly brief me about products and solutions.

How it is different from others? GoToMeeting is a cloud-based software as a service created and marketed by LogMeIn. It is an online meeting, desktop sharing, and

“At present, LogMeIn has over 100,000 How technology is changing the way professionals communicate? global customers worldwide Enterprise communication which are increasing fast. Our clients has become extremely range from emerging start-ups to fluid and flexible from being largely restrictive. already established brands in the As organizations expand market. In India, we surpassed 3,000 and become global in their customers recently. We have a broad outreach, solutions that can put the time and space barrier range of products, suiting the behind are becoming popular. needs of a new organisation For instance, our GoToMeeting is to large enterprises” a comprehensive and quick solution

video conferencing software package that enables the user to meet with other computer users, customers, clients or colleagues via the Internet in real-time. GoToMeeting has just gained a new look and feel and a range of new functions to go with it. Created with intuitive user experience in mind, the enhancements were made to each phase of the meeting (pre-, in-, post-meeting) and include: • A revised interface • Improved scheduling.

• The Hub provides users with meeting

to instantly host or manage an audio/

information and the ability to start

video-based meeting and can quickly turn

and schedule meetings from a central

applied to desktop, mobile, and web-

conference rooms into all-encompassing

location.

based GoToMeeting Versions.

collaboration centres. Such solutions

• Attendees can now join the meeting either through a web-based meeting or via the new GoToMeeting desktop or mobile app.

• Transcription capabilities.

make every business meeting into an event

• Sharable content.

and a learning experience by widening

With GoToWebinar, our customers

the scope of those who can participate.

can easily set up, deliver and monitor

Jamming sessions to exchange ideas and

• Real-time notetaking.

large webinars and online events from

opinions has become limitless today, and

• A new look across devices. The new

anywhere at any time with up to 2,000

will further do so in the future. n vivek@mymobile.co.in

look and feel have been consistently

www.mymobileindia.com

participants.

february 2020 | 73

Glimpse

Feature

Top Platforms to Discover the New Games There’s a reason why smartphone-based games have become all the rage lately.

They enable people to play the games of their liking anytime, anywhere. So, there is never a dull moment with smartphones in our pockets. The meeting got delayed?

Or, rather, waiting for a friend who is stuck in a jam? Simply pull out your phone and hop on to any of the popular games online. However, it often becomes hard to discover unique as well as quality games to try our hands at. If you are facing the same challenge, here’s a list of gaming platforms that will satiate your entertainment needs without charging you any money.

Junglee Games

J

unglee Games is the fastest-growing skill-

gaming platform across the globe. But what sets the platform apart? Junglee Games builds on reasoning

Gamezop.com

and memory while also providing its gamers with

S

flagship game, Junglee Rummy, a card game that

ourcing games from the world’s leading game developers on a single platform, Gamezop has a

curated catalogue of 250 high-quality games. Games are from across all popular categories: Action, Arcade,

Adventure, Sports, Logic and Strategy. The best part is that Gamezop makes all games instantly playable -- these HTML5 games can be played on a single tap without the need to install any app. Just visit Gamezop.com on your phone and begin! The best part is that you can win easy money to play games on Gamezop!

74 | february 2020

much-needed entertainment. Another factor is its has been very popular in India. It brings the new-age flavour to the venerable rummy game and enables players to relive their childhood memory online.

Glimpse

Feature

Zapak.com

P

romoted by Reliance Big Entertainment, Zapak offers a number of innovative games such as ‘Ben 10 Alien Run’, ‘Little Singham’,

‘Jurassic Drive’, and so on. You can also pre-register now for its upcoming game ‘World Robot Boxing 2’ (WRB2). However, make sure you have

Adobe Flash Player installed on your device since all games on Zapak are Flash-based. WRB2 requires a dedicated download.

GreyKernel

T

ired of playing typical games on your smartphone? How about adding a hint of reality

to your gaming experience? Say ‘Hello’ to new-age gaming with Virtual-Reality-based games. GreyKernel has developed its flagship product IRA VR to cater to the burgeoning global demand of VR games. The approach adds a real-life element to GreyKernel’s games, thereby making them as appealing as they can get!

My11Circle

W

atching cricket is passé as now you can test your cricket acumen while playing against ‘the

champions’. Yes, My11Circle empowers you to play against cricketing legends such as Sourav Ganguly and Shane Watson by creating your own team. And if you win, you get to receive three-times the cash reward. The platform also launches special contests frequently where you can participate for free and win cash prizes. team@mymobile.co.in

february 2020 | 75

Glimpse

Feature

Startups Engaging Consumers via User-Interactive Apps

T

he time people spend on their

With the growing number of brands,

the users, startups/brands need to build

mobile phones continues

there are roughly two million mobile

a user interface which is interactive

to grow every year. With the

apps available for download on both the

with an understanding of a few of the

devices becoming more urbane, the

App Store and Google Play. Nowadays,

basic functions users want and expect

number of activities that we can do on

people, especially millennials and

can help you start off on the right

our mobiles is also growing at a greater

Gen-Z, tend to get bored quite often.

foot. Gamification is a powerful tool

frequency. Modern technologies such

Therefore, only something exciting and

to acquire, engage and retain users.

as AI, machine learning, 5G, Internet

challenging can keep them constantly

Startups have started using gamification

of Things and blockchain are all going

engaged.

feature to engage their consumers and

to transform our future in a big way.

To become the first screen app of

use their loyalty points through the win.

Todist

T

odoist is a productivity app that helps users track everything from major

work projects to simple household chores.

The app uses gamification to prompt users to complete their tasks by rewarding them with karma points for every task they finish — and negative karma for missing a deadline. As users collect more karma they unlock new levels, from ‘Beginner’ to ‘Enlightened.’

And they can instantly share their karma score

Byju’s

with friends on

B

and Instagram.

yju’s uses gamification by allowing students to play games, earn reward points and challenge each other

Facebook, Twitter

through different quizzes and competitions. Competing with each other motivates students to work for better results. This sort of gamification results in a win-win situation for the app as well as its users.

76 | february 2020

MYMOBILE

Feature Mall91

M

all91 is India’s leading social commerce platform for vernacular users across tier

2, 3 and 4 cities. The first principles-based vernacular social commerce platform combines live videos, social gaming, social content, voice, and messaging AI to enable the next 400 million internet users to transact online. With increasing internet penetration, the next 400 million internet users will emerge at an unprecedented pace over the next few years. These users will reside across all socio-economic geography of the country and will require a uniquely designed range of services and products that suit their needs. It is with this knowledge that Mall91 has created a platform that can engage vernacular audiences while also allowing them to earn commission on transactions that they facilitate.

Trell Momspresso

M

omspresso.com is a user-generated content sharing platform in 10 languages. Its app has a

feature of Support Group - India’s first anonymous social network for women which facilitates a safe environment for them to initiate conversations about lesser talked about topics such as single motherhood, sex & intimacy, depression and more in six languages – Hindi, English, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu. Momspresso’s Support Group has provoked over 350,000 conversations from around 90,000 members in the community.

T

rell is a content-community-commerce platform for discovering lifestyle choices through video

blogs in vernacular languages. The platform is powered by user-generated video content, which is being created intrinsically by its strong and growing community. It is fondly referred to as the Video Pinterest for India powered by user-generated original content. Trell bridges the gap between users looking for meaningful content around lifestyle inspirations and content creators or aspiring influencers who wish to create vlogs of their interests and lifestyle stories via videos and photos. Riding on the back of its thriving and passionate community, Trell aims to be the biggest lifestyle communitycontent-commerce platform of India by 2020. team@mymobile.co.in

february 2020 | 77

Guest Column

by Invitation

Emerging trend of e-food, Helping Shoot up Economy and Obesity

By Narendra Dahiya

I

ndia has the most vibrant food

50% Off, Cashback, refer a friend, etc.

Omnipresent. For instance, if one asks a

culture with an endless list of

making most of us fall for these offers as we

Security Guard of any apartment and they

appetizing cuisines from every State

feel smart being a Bargain hunter. In reality,

will tell you that all they do the entire day is

to savour. Most of us keep gazing

there is no such thing as a “Free Lunch”, in

call up residents on the inter-com informing

through various Mobile Food Applications

most cases it is nothing but a Mark-up and

“Khana Aaya Hai”. Food Binds Culture and

each day to try something new, this Food

Mark-Down. However, these offers are able

Society, it brings people together. Food is

frenzy has created a vibrant ecosystem of

to convince the customers of their victory, of

at the centre of culture and which is why

Delivery Restaurants and other commercial

a genuine bargain they have achieved.

it occupies a significant time of our daily

Kitchens (Some known as Cloud Kitchens)

As per Statista, Revenue from the

conversations.

focusing only on Delivery as it helps cut

Online Food Delivery in India is pegged

We all have childhood memories of eating

costs of Rentals by doing away with seating

at about a Billion USD growing at double-

our favourite food cooked by our Mother or

and dining arrangements.

digit percentage points. Who says, every

Grand Mother. We fondly remember how

As a country, we are obsessed with the

Industry is declining? This one is exploding;

we carried our Tiffins with Home Food

word “Discount” and marketers have been

with close to 200 Million Users ordering

delicacies and made friends over shared

leveraging this opportunity time and again

Food online in India,

by creating lucrative campaigns such as

Food Delivery Boys are

78 | february 2020

MYMOBILE

Guest Column

by invitation Tiffins. The memory of our Fathers making Saturday evenings extra special by serving up his famous recipes albeit messing up the kitchen. If we stop and think about it, each one of us will probably associate some of our memorable memories with Food and Family.

However, there has been an everincreasing growth in the number of customers preferring to ‘order-in’ their food, it is not surprising that a number of restaurants and delivery services have jumped onto the bandwagon.

We all know that Food is important for nutrition and also meaningful to human

with family at home, there is something

beings in other ways. Think about it, we’re

hugely satisfying about having home-

the only mammals that cook our food. But,

cooked food with family or with friends.

Mobile Food

in this era wherein e-commerce is emerging

Some of the best discussions and most

Apps. But while

and advancing we are becoming more and

fun we have all have is around the dining

keeping health

more fickle-minded due to the array of

table decorated with the choicest

delicacies that are available at the click of

home-made delicacies.

a button. This behavioral pattern is taking a

Apart from being overly

severe toll on our health, mostly the younger

delicious, it’s healthier, it’s fresh

generations. This has further reduced the

and definitely in-expensive. We

amount of nutrients in our food, which was

are able to control the amount of

not the case a decade back. A decade back

fat, sugar and salt that we put into

there were home-cooked meals, lots of

our food at Home. In addition, we

nutrients and very few diseases, especially

can monitor the portion size. In

childhood obesity. Studies have shown

essence, we know what we are eating and

and hygiene in

that the more time a nation spends on food

thus, eat according to our bodily needs.

mind one must

preparation at home, the lower its rate of

Consuming Home Food is fun and truly

choose

obesity. Home cooking introduces our

Satisfying. Playing with Grandma recipes

better options,

children to good eating practices. It is also

and flavours, there is always a scope to relish

per say the

educational and improves their knowledge

delicacies carried over from generations.

wiser option of

the

of nutrition. It helps them to develop life-

Although, there exists a varied list

ordering Home-cooked meals from the

long skills which they will hopefully pass to

of pros and cons of online food delivery,

homely kitchen instead of Food joints

their own children.

the cons outweigh the pros; but when we

known to deteriorate our health.

While we all may agree that food brings

look at the bigger picture the demand for

In today’s date, a lot of applications have

people together and It builds important

online food delivery is increasing and so is

surfaced in the market that delivers home-

connections for a harmonious community

the market. All fresh recipes take a little

cooked meals in no time and thus making

that celebrates every culture for their food

time to prepare but the important thing is

lives easier. From lasagnas to biryanis these

delicacies, we might not agree to the sudden

that the end result provides us with

home food delivery applications make sure

decrease in the nutritional content of our

a Healthier Experience unlike refrigerated

to provide almost every cuisine every dish

meals. Ordering food online considering

food with preservatives delivered in

for their customers acting as a boon for

our convenience has never been a bad

minutes by most food delivery applications.

them. This drops the requirement to drop

decision, but ordering food from a restaurant

It is obvious to everyone that Home-

on a daily basis is sure unhealthy. Food is

made Food is the best our Stomach can

major dough to make something absolutely delicious and healthy. n

quintessential for our health while it also

get but our Long working Hours, boredom

forms a link to our cultural heritage. One of

to cook food and lack of culinary skills

the nicest things about life is having food

persuades us to order food online from

www.mymobileindia.com

The author is Founder and Director, Homefoodi

february 2020 | 79

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Tablets

    

NeoMart An e-retail platform that comes to the rescue of local vendors and shopkeepers

D

eveloped by Gurugram-based

application, both sellers and buyers

images of the products. A significant

The Phantom Codes, NeoMart

have to register on-site for identification

feature of this application is that the

is an application that gives

either by email or phone number.

retailers can choose other parameters

small retailers, vendors and local Kirana

Following registration and a minimum

of sale, for instance – radius of delivery,

store owners an opportunity to regain

subscription for monthly/half-yearly/

discounts and offers on products, to

their prospects in this digitally-reliant

yearly plans, retailers can make

name a few. The application also allows

world. NeoMart lets them use the

themselves discoverable to customers

inventory, billing and GST management

online platform to boost up their sales

from the comfort of their homes through

and retaining customers from the

by connecting with their regular old

the application.

neighborhood. Unlike other e-commerce

consumers. NeoMart also assists one to

sites, retailers themselves have to

and retain their customers. The NeoMart

Distinctive features unlike other e-commerce apps

Seller App provides end-to-end support

Retailers can create their own e-store

system so as to preserve the vendor-

for small retail stores.

for groceries, vegetables, fruits,

customer relationship. For customers, in

medicine/pharmacy in minutes by

today’s age of digitization, it is easier to

just uploading their inventory and

trust someone you know, this application

manage inventory, create offers & deals

Downloading the app

deliver the orders to customers directly.

NeoMart doesn’t involve in the delivery

The application can be easily located

allows customers to

on the Android platforms and other

order online directly from

significant mobile OS. The 22.09MB

known Kirana-walas and

file can be downloaded for free and has

vendors.

an ample number of users so far in a short period of time.

Getting started An easy to use application, NeoMart

Conclusion The application is easy to use even for those who are not much digitally-

lets you sell your

enabled, sellers can

products in just

enjoy services like POS,

a few clicks.

Upon opening the

Review

Apptastic

e-billing, inventory management with just a smartphone.

Unlike other e-retailers, NeoMart doesn’t take a stake of orders rather they charge a minimum monthly subscription easing the burden off small retailers.

NeoMart comes to the rescue of small retail stores by providing a platform and solution to help them expand the business and reach out to consumers.

It assists small retail stores to convert internal and external challenges into a digital opportunity. n team@mymobile.co.in

february 2020 | 103

Applause

Feature

Worried about your Health and Fitness?

No need to worry, as apps can be your fitness guide to be in shape and good health!

W

ho doesn’t want to stay

requires some serious changes in your

them. They also give you the tools you

fit and healthy, especially

daily habits and lifestyle, and of course

need, whether it’s a calorie calculator

in today’s context when

a little thrust in the right direction from

or a video-based workout session, to

people have either no control over

your mobile phone that might make

achieve success. We bring you some

themselves in terms of binge eating

all the difference. There are a number

apps that could be your accountability

and drinking or they rarely find time

of fitness apps that give you that help

partner and help you monitor your diet,

to hit gym or do exercises outside?

by reminding you of your goals and

health, workout and other things to stay

Maintaining fitness or staying in shape

prompting you to follow through on

fit.

Fittr

T

he app Fittr offers automated nutrition chart, nutrition tracker, training tool, etc. It provides

customized recipes to users and helps them graphically track individual body metrics and follow the right fitness routine – anytime, anywhere. Once the user feeds in the required data like his/her age, weight and other health details, the app automatically generates a plan based on the information shared. Fittr has several transformational challenges in store for individuals to participate in and is taking the message of staying healthy the natural way to the last mile with its unique features and approach. The initiative is to make the fitness more impressive and engaging for people. Fitshop and Fitcoin are reward programs by Fittr.

104 | february 2020

MYMOBILE

Feature

T

Applause

Healthify Me his mobile app lets you track a range of things.

Starting with food, it helps you keep a track of the

amount of calories you’re putting in your body. Moving on, it also helps you track your water intake and whether you’ve hit the required amount. Other than that, it tracks your physical activity and also lets you be in touch with people that share similar goals through the groups.

There are also challenges you can be a part of which encourages people towards health and fitness.

7 Minute Workout

I

f you happen to be someone who doesn’t want to spend more time working out, this app called 7

Minute Workout could be really helpful. The app wants users to not spend more than seven minutes on a workout. It also has a fun reward system to keep users engaged and sharing achievements, stats and goals with friends. You can also choose to compete with your friends and see how they do with their workout.

Home Workout

I

t does exactly what it says: You don’t need trainer or gym equipment for bodybuilding. The app is

primarily aimed at offering daily workout routines.

It provides workouts for abs, chest, legs, full-body and more. Some of the features of this app include warm-up and stretching routines, automatically recording your training progress and more. It also provides detailed video and animation guides.

Bodybuilding aside, the app also focuses on strength training, fat burning workouts and more.

MyFitnessPal

M

yFitnessPal is a calorie counter app that can help users meet their calorie

goals. It can keep a check on your food habits and set the goal accordingly.

One of the main highlights of the app includes recipe import feature that determines nutritional stats of your homemade meals. Interestingly, the app keeps an eye on restaurant order

recommendations as well to help users make healthy choices while eating out. team@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2020 | 105

BoredumBuster

Upcoming

GAMES

Most Anticipated Games of 2020 We are already into the second month of a new year and there are hundreds of new games coming for you in 2020. We’ll try our best, but we already know playing each one of them is a hopeless task. It’s too many! Whether you’re a role-playing fan or gravitate more toward shooters, there are titles to satisfy any hunger for prime, unadulterated gaming. Unfortunately, that makes it extremely difficult to choose favourites out of the veritable onslaught of epic, amazing games. Here are My Mobile’s picks for the most anticipated games of 2020.

106 | february 2020

MYMOBILE

follow-up to Witcher 3, a massive, open-ended roleplaying game designed to immerse you in a complex world and carry you through it. Where Witcher had spells and swords, this time you’ve got guns, hacking, cybernetic implants, and Keanu Reeves, who plays a major mentor role

Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt Red)

W

announced at this past E3 to major acclaim. While it’s unlikely to capture

hile not without controversy, CD Projekt

the lightning in a bottle that was Witcher 3’s near-

Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the

perfect role-playing excellence, Cyberpunk 2077

more interesting releases of the upcoming year.

will still undoubtedly be worth paying attention to

Based on a long-running and well-loved tabletop

when it launches for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC,

role-playing game series, this is the studio’s big

and Google Stadia on April 16

BoredumBuster

Games

Doom Eternal (id Software)

O

riginally planning for a November 2019

maim in gory fashion. First revealed at Bethesda’s

release, the developer delayed the latest

2018 E3 press conference, the gory, fast-paced,

entry in the Doom franchise to March 2020. After

heavy-metal-blaring first-person shooter sequel

months of silence, Id Software released a new

will put players back in the role of the Doom

trailer for Doom Eternal. The story trailer gives

Slayer, the hero from the original game, who was

some insight that Doomguy may not be

revived to take on the forces of hell. This time

just some human who happened to defeat the

around, demons have made their way to Earth,

armies of hell. Still, whatever the story maybe

and it’s up to Doom Slayer to save the world

for the game, there’ll be plenty of demons to

once again.

www.mymobileindia.com

january 2020 | 35

Games Half-Life Alyx (Valve)

A

flagship virtual-reality title, HalfLife: Alyx is a prequel set in between

the first and second games in the series, starring hero and future-Gordon-Freemancompanion Alyx Vance. It looks like a fascinating attempt to blend classic HalfLife gameplay with current VR mechanics, and the visual design is impressive. As the

every region except for Japan. That’s according to

March release date of Half-Life: Alyx looms, the Valve

data from Road to VR, which found that Valve’s high-

Index virtual reality headset is currently sold out in

end headset is out of stock in 30 out of 31 regions.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo)

I

f you fancy a holiday already, an Animal Crossing pre-order is probably the cheapest way to do it.

Some parts of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is undoubtedly going to be more idyllic than others. But even with the friction created by Tom Nook’s creeping capitalist empire, the newest entry in Nintendo’s pastoral series of animal-based life simulators promises a heaping dollop of escapist joy. Build a home and a village and share it with friends. Along with everything you loved doing in earlier Animal Crossing games, you’ll use resources like wood, clay, weeds, and trash to craft a variety of items and tools, which you can use to build up and decorate the island as you please; what could be more wonderful than that? After fans clamouring for a new entry in the series since roughly the day the Nintendo Switch was announced, New Horizons will finally hit the platform on March 20.

Final Fantasy VII Remake (Square Enix)

by, is not feeling any less prescient in 2020 than it did

R

2020. However, it’s due on April 10. team@mymobile.co.in

arely has a game generated so much hype, but this remake of an absolute classic is pumping up the

gamers of the world. It’s easy to feel stupid looking at the promotional materials for Final Fantasy VII Remake,

the first part in what looks like a whole series of games recreating the original Japanese role-playing game in lavish real-time 3D. Like, we all know this game. Many of us love it, have played it dozens of times, know the characters and the settings intimately. So why does it look so damned exciting and fresh? The lavish nostalgia trip looks like a blast every time it’s shown its face, with fast action and pyrotechnics making what might have seemed like stiff turn-based encounters in the ‘90s feel like, well, big battles between a hardy band of ecoterrorists and a giant evil corporation. Which, by the 108 | february 2020

in 1997. It was supposed to be launched on March 3,

Apptastic

Review

Stylework A one-stop solution for your coworking space needs

L

et yourself free when you work’, the Stylework app upholds that motto by bringing office

spaces at your fingertips so that you don’t have to waste time looking for a place to work from and instead can focus on your work. Developed in 2017, it was launched first on the Android platform then on iOS soon after, to make the search for coworking spaces a hassle free experience. The app covers the entire Delhi NCR region, featuring a diverse group of spaces to choose from. You can make an informed

checking out the photos, the description

Turning the table around with

of the space and its amenities, as well

The best feature of this app is flexibility.

as the reviews of the people who have

You can choose from a variety of

worked at it before. Choose a region

memberships: daily, weekly, or monthly.

convenient for you, and the listed spaces

There is also an option to choose

in that area will also have information

between fixed and multilocational

about how far the place is from your

passes. Within minutes you can make

current location. The whole booking

a booking for a month, in different

process is also easy and takes barely

locations, and get back to your work.

5 minutes. It also has a social media

Space, location, and timing are all yours

feature where you can make posts and

to choose from, and switch up as per

network with the people trending on the

your convenience. What is more, you

Feed.

can reschedule or cancel your booking

decision about the right space for you by

in just four simple steps.

Downloading the app The app can be easily located on

Conclusion

both Android and iOS platforms,

Overall, the experience of browsing

and can be downloaded for free. It

displays the option to browse coworking

and booking coworking spaces on

has a rating of 4.8 on Google Play and

spaces, book your space directly,

the Stylework app is very smooth and

4.9 on Apple’s App Store. The 39.1

book a free tour of a space, go to your

simple. It is a one-stop solution for your

MB file is developed so that it’s easy

bookmarked spaces and the settings.

space needs. The Stylework Team offers

on phone’s storage space, while at the

If you are unsure how to go about the

prompt support in case of any issues,

same time offering a wide range of

whole process, under the ‘Account’ tab

and you don’t even need to write long

features.

-- that is the link to your profile -- there

emails to them. The contact feature is

is a ‘How To Use’ option that offers a

built in the app, and connects you to

Getting started

step by step guide. It covers everything

the team in five easy steps. It is a user-

On opening the app, you are required

from booking a space to purchasing

friendly app that truly lets you work in

to create a small profile to start your

membership to adding money for

style. n

unconventional journey. The homepage

transactions.

team@mymobile.co.in

february 2020 | 109

Trendz

Market insight

2020 to Witness Slight Growth in Device Shipments The market share of 5G mobile phones will grow rapidly, from 12% in 2020 to 43% in 2022

W

orldwide shipments of

increase in 2023, when 5G handsets will

devices – PCs, tablets

account for over 50% of the mobile phones

and mobile phones –

shipped,” said Atwal.

will total 2.16 billion

2019, according to research and advisory

Global PC Market to Decline in 2020 and Beyond

firm Gartner. In 2019, global shipments of

Even after experiencing a return to growth

devices totaled 2.15 billion units.

in 2019, PC shipments are still forecast

units in 2020, an increase of 0.9% from

“2020 will witness a slight market

to decline in 2020 and beyond. Through

recovery,” said Ranjit Atwal, Senior

2020, this market will be affected by the

Research Director at Gartner. “Increased

end of the migration to Windows 10.

availability of 5G handsets will boost

After three years of growth in the

mobile phone replacements, which will

professional PC market, replacement

lead global device shipments to return to

levels will decrease. However, there

growth in 2020.”

will be opportunities for professional

The worldwide mobile phone market

PC replacements through 2020. The

is on course to grow by 1.7% in 2020.

Chinese government launched the locally

Shipments of smartphones were weak in

manufactured “secure and reliable PC”

2019, recording a 2% decline year over

initiative, which stalled in 2019, but

year, but are expected to grow in 2020,

such initiatives should gain momentum in

particularly in Greater China and emerging

2020.

markets in Asia Pacific.

In addition, there is a “long tail”

Gartner estimates that 5G models will

of upgrades from small and midsize

account for 12% of mobile phone shipments

businesses across emerging regions as they

in 2020, and that will reach 43% by 2022.

react to Microsoft’s withdrawal of support

“From 2020, Gartner expects an increase

for Windows 7 on January 14, 2020.

in 5G phone adoption as prices decrease,

Gartner estimates that one billion PCs

5G service coverage increases and users

will have migrated to Windows 10 through

have better experiences with 5G phones.

2020 – around 80% of all PCs in use.

The market will experience a further

“The PC market’s future is unpredictable

“From 2020, Gartner expects an increase in 5G phone adoption as prices decrease, 5G service coverage increases and users have better experiences with 5G phones. The market will experience a further increase in 2023, when 5G handsets will account for over 50% of the mobile phones shipped”

—Ranjit Atwal, Senior Research Director, Gartner

because there will not be a Windows 11.

Instead, Windows 10 will be upgraded systematically through regular updates,” said Atwal. “As a result, peaks in PC hardware upgrade cycles driven by an entire Windows OS upgrade will end.”n team@mymobile.co.in

46 | december 2019

add-ons

A

Gadget Corner

Anker Soundbuds Verve For your daily use nker Innovations has come up with the Soundbuds Verve wired earphones with built-in microphone in

India. Ensuring perfect fit, the earphone comes with soft silicone ear tips for a customized fit. The design offers

Price: INR 1,199

improved noise isolation, reducing external distractions and putting the focus on the music. Ergonomically designed with increased durability, the earphones are resilient to wear and tear of everyday use. The strong but extra tough wire comes with the aluminium alloy body construction and reinforced strain reliefs and cabling.

The entire length of the cable integrates a thermoplastic reinforcement on top, giving the cable a bendy extra thick layer. The cable is built to withstand over 15,000 bends, matching the daily use.

The Soundbuds Verve earphone features 10mm composite drivers that deliver impressive audio with clear highs and powerful bass. It comes equipped with built-in remote along with the microphone. The earphone can

cool grey and white colour options and is available with

connect into a 3.5mm audio socket of a smartphone,

leading retail stores along with ecommerce platforms in

laptop or computer. The product comes in sleek silver,

India.n

A

fter having its footprints in 161 countries, global consumer electronics brand Havit has marked its entry in India with

the launch of its i37 wireless headset that claims to offer excellent audio sound quality, attributes smart and stylish look with impressive features. The Havit i37 neckband sports dynamic speaker and Bluetooth 5.0 that ensures super-stable transmission speed, higher compatibility, instant pairing and lower latency. It claims to deliver strong audio performance, with robust bass and bright highs and hi-fi stereo sound

Price: INR 1,299

performance.

Available in colours of Black, White and Red, the Havit i37 features a cable that connects the earpieces. Embedded with in-built remote enables the user take/ end calls, skip and pause tracks and control volume on the go without the hassle of reaching out to the device. The earpieces are lightweight and make a strong seal in the canal. The Havit i37 is rated IPX5 for sweat and dust resistance. The earphone comes with the magnetic earbuds that prevents tangling of wires as the

Havit i37 Neckband Intelligently designed for music lovers www.mymobileindia.com

magnetic panels of the earbuds lock together when not in use.

Engineered with a premium Li-ion battery and exclusive power management technology, the headset offers 10 hours of music playback and 12 hours back of time talk, 180 hours of standby.

The earphone comes with the voice assistant support with Google and Siri. It’s available on Amazon and Flipkart..n

february 2020 | 111

Gadget Corner

add-ons Amazon Echo Auto Designed exclusively for in-car usage

A

mazon has come up with the Echo Auto, an easy way to add the power of Alexa

to your car. With an eight-microphone array designed for in-car acoustics and speech recognition technology, Alexa can now hear you over music, A/C, and road noise. Echo Auto is powered by your car’s 12V charging socket or

Price: INR 4,999

USB port. The device connects to your car stereo system

and more. You can also control smart home appliances,

for audio playback using a 3.5 mm auxiliary cable or

set reminders, add errands to your to-do list and check

Bluetooth connection. It connects to Alexa through the

them off when they’re complete, build your shopping

Alexa app on your smartphone and uses your existing data

list or manage your calendar—all while your eyes stay

plan to stream your favourite music, make a call or send

on the road. With Echo Auto, customers can stream ad-

messages to your phone contacts, and more. Echo Auto

free music from Amazon Prime or access music from

is available for sale on Amazon.

other providers such as Apple Music, JioSaavn, Gaana or

With Echo Auto in your car, just ask Alexa to hear

Hungama Music. Echo Auto uses the default navigation

your morning news, listen to an Audible book on your

app on the smartphone and its data plan to provide

commute, ask for the nearest coffee shops, petrol pumps

directions. n

Pebble Dome The travel-friendly speaker that punches above its weight

L

ifestyle accessory brand Pebble has come up

sound, the speaker serenades from the bedroom to the

with yet another travel-friendly wireless Bluetooth

beach, and everywhere in-between. It features a sleek

speaker called Dome which is available with leading

curved design with minimalist exterior, a custom pattern

retail stores and ecommerce platforms such as Amazon

and easy to access control buttons.

and Flipkart in India. It comes in colours of

Despite its tiny size, the Pebble Dome claims to

Black and White. The palm-sized speaker is

bring high quality sound in stunning 5W. The speaker

designed true to its name. Being

guarantees deep heavy bass stereo sound with enhanced

lightweight and compact,

clarity, promising the loudest music for the outdoors.

with no compromise in

It claims to give extended playtime, with 1,200mAh battery, 5 hours of non-stop music from a single charge.

Price: INR 1,499

The speaker connects up to 10m range. Dome also features inbuilt FM along with several connectivity options which include micro SD/USB/AUX providing the all in one experience. The wireless 5.0 Bluetooth speaker also comes with TWS connectivity, which connects two Pebble Domes at one time, for the surround sound stereo effect. Dome also supports handsfree calling facility, enabling ease of use between music and calls.n

112 | february 2020

MYMOBILE

Gadget Corner

add-ons Zoook Eagle Cam 100 Built to provide all-round surveillance

M

arking its entry into the security and surveillance market, French audio brand Zoook has launched

Price: INR 2,599

Eagle Cam 100, a CCTV camera that is built to provide all-round surveillance with 360-degree pan and 90degree tilt capabilities. The Zoook Eagle Cam 100 is a full HD 2MP camera sporting SD card storage of 128 GB. The camera can be enabled through WiFi as well as LAN, and its various features can be controlled via a smartphone. The device can be connected with Amazon Alexa voice assistant. Leveraging AI capabilities, the camera is equipped to capture and send alert basis motion detection.

The Security Alarm feature in the camera works in sync with motion detection, and the loud alarm is

time with crystal clarity. Also, the camera is equipped

blared obstructing unwelcoming activities. The in-built

with ultra-compressed recording which allows the users

microphone and speaker in the device enable two-

to store 10 days backup in only 32GB micro SD card in

way communication i.e. the user can listen as well as

advanced mode. The camera, however, can support up

communicate via the camera. Other notable features of

to 128 GB storage. The product also provides 7 types of

the camera are cloud storage facility and 4x digital zoom

notification ringtones along with a vibration option which

capability to enlarge the images as per requirement and

can work without Router with Camera’s Wi-Fi – for local

the night vision feature to capture video during night

usage. It is available on Amazon.n

Blaupunkt BTW Pro Earphones Designed to deliver high resolution audio

G

erman tech brand Blaupunkt has launched the all-new

The IPX7 rating makes it sweat proof and water proof,

true wireless earphones called BTW Pro in the Indian

which allows you to do extreme gym with sweat or enjoy

market. The true wireless earbuds meet all audio demands

music in the rain. One feature which really makes it a

for TWS for the audiophiles and promise an incredible

smart choice is its battery capacity. Having a 70mAh

performance with Qualcom AptX, beautiful stick design, high quality dual microphones a n d h a s s l e - f r e e u s e r- f r i e n d l y

in each ear coupled with 740mAh battery case,

Price: INR 6,999

you practically can’t ask for more. You can use it continuously for 36 hours and

experience and excellent clarity

has a standby 10 days. The BTW Pro

during calls with external noise

comes with all the bells and whistles

cancellation. AptX HD supports 24-

such as - support for Hey Siri/OK

bit music quality and also solves the

Google voice assistants that let you

long time problem of TWS not giving

set appointments, make calls, have

quality conversation. This has

messages read back to you, turn up

dual mic with one mic dedicated

the volume and so much more. In

for talking and the other mic for

addition, it also has the hassle-free

noise cancellation.

auto-pairing option.

114 | february 2020

MYMOBILE

add-ons

A

Gadget Corner

Sound One V10 Headphone Ensuring wireless to wired connectivity in a few seconds dding on to its portfolio of headphones, Hong Kongbased portable audio device maker Sound One has

Price: INR 1,390

launched V10 Bluetooth wireless headphone with mic

offering Bluetooth v5.0 technology that assures a strong and stable connectivity up to 10-meter radius and the built-in mic ensures convenient call management. The Sound One V10 headphones are ergonomically designed to give you long hours of listening comfort. One can spend a whole day listening to music with the superior cushioning comfort of this Bluetooth headset.

The Sound One V10 offers true and pure stereo sound quality from large 40mm speakers with superior output.

One can get the best deep bass and accurate notes with these wireless headphones. It is built with a 200mAh battery with up to 8-10 hours of music playtime. It offers

design is an added advantage to carry it around. The

multiple play modes such as Micro SD card slot and Aux

product carries a warranty of one year and is available

cable. You can go wireless to wired connectivity in a few

for purchase on Amazon, Flipkart and various retail

seconds. The Sound One V10’s portable and foldable

outlets.n

Cloudwalker Burst TV Soundbars Redefine your smart home entertainment with these devices

H

omegrown startup CloudWalker Streaming

top box, DVD, Blu-ray and MP3 players as well as other

Technologies has come up with two new soundbars

compatible devices.

– Burst I2000 and Burst E300 – in India. Both the

It comes with the Party light mode with 11 different

soundbars are available at Amazon for sale. To begin

LED light effects. It is loaded with red, blue, green, yellow

with Burst I2000, the soundbar comes loaded with a 2.1

lights and plenty of alternate light effects. The soundbar

channel 50W speaker with an in-built subwoofer. One can

comes with Digital Signal Processing technology to let

easily connect the soundbar to the Smart TV.

the users enjoy details of every sound in music

It comes with Bluetooth

and movies. It features 5 preset equalizers

5.0 connectivity option

including Jazz, Pop, Classic, Flat and Rock.

through which one can

Coming to Burst E3000, it also features a

connect the soundbar

2.1 channel with an external subwoofer. The

to play music directly

soundbar delivers 100W sound output. Apart

from the smartphone. It

from this, the rest of the specifications remain

also comes loaded with

similar to the Burst I2000 model. Both the

multiple connectivity

variants come with the jet-black finish. They

options including Aux,

can either be mounted on the wall or placed

Line IN & Optical port,

below the TV on table-top.n

to easily connect TV, set-

Price: INR 5,999 (I2000); INR I2000 (E3000)

february 2020 | 115

Gadget Corner

add-ons Secureye Falcon iCam 500 The Alexa-controlled night vision camera

H

omegrown security and surveillance brand Secureye has launched Falcon iCam 500 colour night vision

camera in India. The Secureye Falcon iCam 500 has smart humanoid tracking mode, motion detection alarm and imaging system which could track or capture any peripheral movement and raises phone alarm automatically. The camera assures security and enables controlling as well as monitoring through smartphones connected via Wi-Fi. The camera can be controlled by Amazon Alexa, this will apply to those who own an Echo Show or an Echo Spot

Price : INR 7,000

smart display, due to the visual component inherent to

with auto day and night mode which can beat the eyes of

interacting with a video camera. This 2.0 MP camera with

the Falcon. The camera supports 32GB SD card and can

LED flood light has an extraordinary digital zoom along

record unlimited video feed on cloud storage. n

CLAW Stag Superb Plus Turntable Adding vintage feeling to your decor

C

onsumer Lifestyle Accessories Worldwide, better

Plus Turntable with built-in speakers. The record player

known as CLAW, has come up with the Stag Superb

is available in 2 colour variants – Black and Brown and is available at leading online and retail stores. The Stag Superb Plus carries a vintage design with its wooden finish base and transparent dust cover. The diamond ceramic stylus supports 33.3, 45 & 78 RPM speeds and 7”, 10” & 12” vinyl records featuring a belt drive with a manual tone arm and auto stop function for easy of playback.

Built-in with 2 units of 3W stereo speakers allows the user to listen to

Price : INR 8,990

their records instantly. It can even be connected to external speakers or headphones via the RCA or 3.5mm outputs while the volume control knob allows the user to adjust speaker output levels.

Additionally, the Stag Superb Plus offers an analog to digital recording feature so that users can digitize their vinyl records into MP3 audio files on PC by using the included USB cable and software. The Stag Superb Plus carries a 1 year warranty across India.n

116 | february 2020

Gadget Corner

add-ons Harmonics Twins Mini The all-new wireless earbuds by Portronics

D

igital portable product maker Portronics has launched the Harmonics Twins Mini wireless

earbuds in India. These add to the existing list of wireless range of Portronics earbuds. Harmonics Twins Mini boasts of True Wireless Stereo (TWS) sound that is said to offer wireless connectivity of the earbuds through Bluetooth without the hassles of wires. It is

touted to provide true HD stereo sound with powerful bass performance through its 8mm speaker drivers. It is available in the colour of Black across both online and

Pri ce: INR 3,4 99

offline stores. On purchase of the earbuds, you will also get a 1-year of warranty.

The case of the Twins Mini has an inbuilt 320mAh battery while the earbuds pack a 40mAh an inbuilt

indicator too for the charging status. The Harmonics

battery that is claimed to deliver a total of 12 hours

Twins Mini true wireless earbuds come with Bluetooth

of playback time. The case is compact in design and

5.0 version. You can connect your smartphone with the

can easily fit in your pocket. It consists of an LED light

earbuds and manage your calls and music.n

Toreto Bash A handy and quirky speaker

H

omegrown mobile accessory and audio brand Toreto

The speaker has an output of 5 Watts. It boasts of

has come up with an all-new portable Bluetooth

unique features like True Wireless Connection which

speaker called Bash in India. The Toreto Bash speaker

allows you to connect two speakers simultaneously via

is light-weight and can easily be placed in your pocket

Bluetooth V5.0. The Bash speaker also has hands-free

making it extremely handy and quirky. It comes with

calling facility which allows you to take and attend your

a 1,200mAh battery which claims to offer 6 hours of

calls. The Toreto Bash is available in colours of Black,

playback time and a full charge takes 1.5 hours. Besides

Grey and Red at retail stores and leading e-commerce

Bluetooth, one can also play their favourite tracks on

platforms across India. This portable speaker comes with

Bash using a USB cable, TF card, FM, and Aux cable.

a one-year warranty..n

Price: INR 1,799

february 2020 | 117

Gadget Corner

add-ons Netgear Orbi 4G LTE Tri-band Wi-Fi Router Top of the line solutions for your smart home

N

etworking major Netgear launched the Orbi 4G

seamless 4K

LTE Tri-band Wi-Fi router at CES 2020 in Las

streaming

Vegas recently. The all-new Wi-Fi router that not only

and

provides connectivity through the tri-band AC2200

anywhere in your

mesh Wi-Fi system, but also via 4G LTE. It comes with

home.

a SIM card slot that is compatible with major 4G LTE

gaming

The router comes

service providers to ensure constant connectivity even

with smart parental controls that

in areas where there is no wired broadband. Alongside

let you set online time limits, block inappropriate

4G LTE support, the Orbi 4G LTE Tri-band Wi-Fi router

websites, and pause the Internet as well. These controls

also supports fibre, DSL, or cable Internet as well. The

are available on the Orbi app that can be installed via

Netgear Orbi 4G LTE Mesh WiFi router’s integrated

Google Play or the App Store. The new 4G LTE-capable

CAT18 cellular modem supports internet speeds up to

router is powered by a 710MHz quad-core processor,

1.2Gbps and works with a SIM card from major 4G LTE

supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, and is MU-MIMO

cellular network providers. The company touts coverage

capable as well. Netgear offers advanced cyber threat

of up to 2,000 square feet. The integrated cellular

protection for your PC, Mac, and mobile with Netgear

modem is compatible with Orbi AC satellites to create

Armor Wi-Fi security. It is priced at $399.99 and will

a wide range mesh Wi-Fi system, enabling support for

be available in April this year. n

Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Yet another masterpiece in the camera world Price : INR 575,995

G

lobal imaging tech leader Canon has come up with a new camera called the EOS-1D X Mark III, which succeeds

EOS-1D X Mark II that was launched in 2016. The EOS-1D X Mark III will be available in India from this month only.

This is the price only for the camera body, and a 512 GB CF Express Card. The Canon EOS-1D X Mark III features a new 20.1-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, combined with a new High Detail Low-Pass Filter. This filter, according to Canon, would help the camera capture better details. Given that it is aimed at working professionals, the speed is the top feature of EOS-1D X Mark III. Canon says that its new camera is fastest in the market. It can shoot 16FPS when a user is utilising view finder, and the speed goes up to 20FPS when live view is used. Other features include support for 10-bit stills in the HEIF image format; built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS; Gigabit

Ethernet port; and a dust and weather-sealed body. The battery in the EOS-1D X Mark III is rated to capture 2,850 shots per charge. It weighs 1.4kg and and measures 158 x 168 x 83 mm in dimensions.n

118 | february 2020

MYMOBILE

add-ons Cadyce USB-C Dock with Wireless Charging Charging simplified

C

adyce has introduced a Qi Technology based Wireless Charging USB-C Dock CA-WCHP, for high-speed

and efficient charging without much use of space. It adds HDMI and USB ports to computers and charges your compatible smartphone wirelessly. What’s most convenient about the wireless charging dock is its cablefree functionality. The Wireless Charging Dock saves you from the trouble of taking care to keep your wires organized. All you need to do is place your phone on top, without the use of any additional devices, and your phone shall begin charging immediately. The charger supports 5W/7.5W/10W Max output.

What’s more, you can charge your phone without even removing its case. The high-speed wireless charging dock, Cadyce CA-WCHP, can work with most cases, thereby sparing you the inconvenience of even removing the case for charging your phone. Reasonably priced, highly convenient and freeing you from practically all

charging systems, this product is really a great catch in

inconveniences that come with the traditional cable

the market. n

Zoook Rocker Thunder Stone Add high spirit to your party with this speaker

F

rench audio brand Zoook has launched yet another

with desired gadgets via Bluetooth or utilize USB and Aux

speaker called Rocker Thunder Stone in India. The

input. The built-in FM receiver enables the users to tune

24W outdoor party speaker, with the ability to wirelessly

into their favourite radio stations.

connect with two speakers (TWS function), sports dual

The compact boombox comes with sturdy handle on

high-performance drivers that deliver highly impressive

top and weighs about 800 grams making it a portable

and dynamic HD sound output with thumping bass. It

device to make outdoor parties special. It has a

comes with a mic and is a perfect choice for organizing

comprehensive control panel. The device comes with 4

outdoor Karaoke parties. Users can connect the speakers

integrated rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries allowing

Price : INR 2,399

the users to enjoy music for a long period of time. The Zoook Rocker Thunder Stone is built with waterproof, shockproof and dustproof materials, demands low maintenance, making it easier for users to manage and maintain the speakers. It is available at all leading online and offline stores across India.n

www.mymobileindia.com

february 2020 | 119

Gadget Corner

add-ons Adcom Vision Headphones Made for ultimate gamers

H

omegrown brand Adcom has come up with the Vision gaming headphones in India. The Adcom Vision

sports 50mm hi-fi white magnet bass drivers and a highly sensitive omni-directional mic that helps in canceling out

Price : INR 1,790

the background noises in order to collect the required voice clearly. Apart from this, it offers a plethora of features i.e., 100% noise-cancellation for greater clarity during in-game communication, leather padded cushion headbands and ear-pads with an adjustable microphone for long and comfortable hours of gaming.

The all-new gaming headphone by Adcom weighs merely 322 grams, making it lighter to wear for extended gaming sessions. Also, it comes equipped with a 7 feet long OTG connecting cable making it easily connectable

volume/voice control and a mic switch on the headphone

to any PC, laptop, tablet, mobile phones or gaming box

itself. It is available in Steel Grey colour at leading

such as Playstation, X-box and Nintendo. For superior

ecommerce platforms and offline stores across India. The

sound, the Adcom Vision offers 7.1 True Surround Sound,

gaming headphones come with a one-year replacement

Plug-and-play USB audio and is equipped with adjustable

warranty from the date of purchase.n

Stuffcool Theo Speaker Offering five ways to enjoy music

T

ech accessory brand Stuffcool has launched Theo portable True Wireless Stereo Bluetooth speaker

with mic in India. The ultra-portable speaker comes with Bluetooth connectivity, USB, TF Card, Aux-in and FM

radio offering five ways to enjoy music. The Bluetooth 5.0 version allows quick connection and using of two devices simultaneously. The Stuffcool Theo echoes an ergonomic design emphasized by smooth flawless edges. The sleek and durable Stuffcool Theo can produce a truly immersive audio experience, courtesy a 5W power output supplied by 40mm driver and 3ohms impedance for super bass

microphone for hands-free calling function. The Stuffcool

sound and quality.

Theo speaker is available at an introductory offer price of

The inbuilt 1,200 mAh Li-ion battery can play through

Rs 1,999 against its original price. The product carries

the day, making the Stuffcool Theo extremely reliable.

a 6-month warranty and is available online at stuffcool.

It provides access to your favorite music anytime and

com, Amazon and Flipkart and all leading stores across

anyplace for up to 6 hours. The speaker comes with a

India.n

120 | february 2020

Price : INR 2,099

Gadget Corner

add-ons

TCL C8-Series 4K AI Smart TVs, AI-Powered Ultra-Inverter ACs Make your home intelligent

E

xpanding its range of smart TVs, Chinese tech major

shades. Both new smart TVs also have MEMC, paired with

TCL recently launched new artificial intelligence (AI)

TCL’s proprietary software algorithm to deliver enhanced

powered C8 series based on Google’s Android TV. The

details. The TCL C8 55-inch 4K AI TV and TCL C8 65-inch

company also brought its AI-backed air conditioners (ACs)

4K AI TV are powered by dual-core processors, coupled

dubbed AI Ultra-Inverter Air Conditioners under its Elite

with dual-core GPUs. Connectivity options on both new

series and released TCL Home app for both Android and

smart TVs include Wi-Fi 802.11ac as well as HDMI and

iOS users. The new 4K AI smart TV models by TCL come in

USB ports. Besides, the TVs have S/PDIF digital audio

55-inch and 65-inch screen sizes and have Amazon Alexa

optical and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

and Google Assistant support. The TVs also have support

TCL AI Ultra-Inverter AC: The new smart AC family,

for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos technologies and come

which includes seven TCL AI Ultra-Inverter Air Conditioner

with a range of over-the-top (OTT) media apps such as

models ranging from 1 tonne to 2 tonne, are touted to

Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.

provide non-stop cooling in up to 60-degree Celsius and

As for prices, the new 4K AI Smart TV comes with a price

have a rapid cooling technology that is claimed to reduce

tag of Rs 49,990 for the 55-inch model and Rs 69,990

the room temperature in just 30 seconds. The TCL AI

for the 65-inch model. Coming to the air conditioners, the

Ultra-Inverter Air Conditioner models have evaporator and

Elite series - Turbo Air comes with 3 Star 1T for Rs 26,990,

condenser based on a patented Titan Gold formula and

3 Star 1.5T for Rs 31,990 and 3 Star 2T for Rs 41,990.

include a silver-ion filter. The company also provided a

The Smart Air series includes 3 Star 1T for Rs 28,990,

four-way air flow and a digital temperature display. The

3 Star 1.5T for Rs 33,990 and 3 Star 2T for Rs 43,990.

bundled remote control also has an iFeel technology with

TCL AI Ultra Inverter AC comes with 5 Star rating and it is

a sensor to detect room temperature.

priced at Rs 40,990 for 1.5-tonne variant.

Notably, what makes the new TCL ACs poles apart from

TCL C8 series: The TCL C8-series smart TVs come with

the competition is their support to connect with a TCL AI

a far-field voice recognition technology to let users control

Android TV to let users control their room temperature

them using their voice. The company is also aiming to

-- without using the bundled remote control. The ACs also

make its smart TVs as a gateway to control other connected

work with Google Assistant and can be controlled through

devices. The TVs have Onkyo speakers and run Android

mobile devices using the TCL Home app. Moreover, there

TV (version Android 9 Pie). Further, they sport 4K UHD

are features such as a Mute mode and Sleep mode.

panels with TCL’s proprietary Wide Colour Gamut (WCG) technology and Dolby Vision support.

The company claims that its new smart TVs provide 90 per cent colour space along with vivid colours and realistic

122 | february 2020

TCL Home App: It helps in operating the latest Android TVs and smart air conditioners. TCL Home App turns your mobile phone into a remote control. n team@mymobile.co.in

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SafeTalk

Vantage Point

The Business of Safety

S

—By Pavan Vaish

afety is at the heart of everything

features - RideCheck, a feature that detects

stored on the rider or the driver’s device. It

we do at Uber, from setting new

trip irregularities; Audio Recording, which

cannot be listened to on the rider or driver’s

standards to the development of

will be piloted in India later this year; and PIN

device, and only Uber can decrypt and listen

technology, we never stop raising

Verification, to help ensure riders are getting

to it after the rider chooses to submit the

into the car they are matched with.

recording to Uber. This feature provides a

the bar for the industry. We want people to move freely, safely, make the most of

seamless way to report a safety incident while

their time, and be connected to the people

RideCheck

and places that matter most to them. In

Since our first ride nearly a decade ago, GPS

this journey, transparency, integrity, and

technology has been the backbone of the

PIN Verification

accountability have been our guiding

Uber experience. Every trip is on the map

The safety PIN is a trip verification feature

principles. We have also made significant

and by using the GPS data and other sensors

to help ensure riders are getting into the

improvements in how we use technology

in drivers’ smartphones, our technology can

car they are matched with through the app.

coupled with human interventions to make

detect long stops or midway drops that might,

Riders will receive a 4-digit PIN that they can

every ride a 5-star experience for our riders

in some rare cases, indicate an increased

provide verbally to their driver. The driver can

and drivers.

safety risk.

start the trip in the app only when the correct

protecting your privacy.

Uber’s priority is to get you efficiently

When a RideCheck is initiated, both a

PIN is entered. In addition to the PIN, we

and safely to your destination. Background

rider and driver will receive a notification

are also working on advanced technologies

checks and gender sensitisation workshops

asking if everything is OK. They can let us

that will, in the future, use ultrasound waves

know through the app that all is well, or

to automatically transmit the PIN between

can opt to take other actions like using the

the driver and rider phones when they are in

emergency button or reporting the issue to

close proximity. Riders can opt-in to the PIN

Uber’s 24x7 Safety Helpline. Our safety

feature, and can choose to receive a PIN on

team may also follow up by phone to inquire

every trip or just for night time trips.

about the RideCheck.

of safety for us, we take a full 360 degree

and we are working to add additional

approach with our safety initiatives. There are

scenarios to RideCheck.

multiple other non-tech initiatives as well to

Audio Recording

ensure our platform is safe. These initiatives include background checks, real time ID

We understand that everyone has the right

checks, orientation of driver partners before

to ride and drive with confidence. That’s why

on-boarding, ratings and feedback, rider and

our focus is on developing technologies and

driver insurance, Law Enforcement/police

finding ways to make our rides safer.

liaison team at Uber, and to top it all, Gender

We plan to pilot Audio Recording as a

Sensitisation Workshops for Driver partners

pioneering safety feature in India in 2020,

in partnership with Manas Foundation, a

for drivers, phone number

available for both our riders and drivers.

Delhi based NGO.

anonymization, and a

Once introduced, if you feel uncomfortable

Helping keep millions of riders and drivers

robust set of Community

while on-trip, you can record audio of the

around the world safe is a huge responsibility

Guidelines are a few of

trip within the Uber app itself. You can start

with unique challenges. While we are proud

the many measures Uber

and stop the recording at any time through

of the progress we’ve made, when it comes

takes to ensure safety never

the Safety Toolkit. When the trip ends, you

to safety, we know our work is never done and

stops. In keeping with this

will be asked if everything is ok, and you will

that safety will remain an ongoing effort of

principle, we recently raised

have the option to report a safety incident

#SafetyNeverStops. n

the bar on safety yet again

and submit the audio recording.

by rolling out 3 new safety

124 | february 2020

While technology is a critical enabler

This technology will continue to evolve,

The audio file shall be encrypted and

The author is Head of Central Operations, Uber, India SA

MYMOBILE

RNI REG NO. DELENG/2005/15033 DL (ND) : 11/6100/2018-19-20 Posting Date 26th to 31st every month Publishing Date : 22-01-20