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Your gateway to the world of mobility

Mobile & Happiness

The Connection! Chief Speak P Sanjeev VP Sales, Huawei Consumer Business Group

Face to Face Anish Kapoor CEO, Infinix India

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Editorpage

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he recently presented Finance Bill 2018 will be a big boost for ‘Make in India’ program in mobile and electronics sector. The customs duty hike on mobile phones from 15% to

EDITORIA L

20%, on smart watches and wearables to 20% and

Pankaj Mohindroo |

on specified parts and accessories to 15% was much

Shelley Vishwajeet | Editor

needed to incentivize domestic manufacturing while making imports non-viable. Thus the intent of the duty imposition is to encourage local manufacturing which are already taking place for chargers/ adapters, battery packs and other component verticals on which duty

Editor-in-Chief

Ramesh Kumar Raja | Assistant Editor Haider Ali Khan | Senior Correspondent Nijhum Rudra | Correspondent Vanshika Malhotra | Correspondent

is already imposed as part of the Phased Manufacturing

DE S I G N

Program (PMP) of the Government. While these measures will make in ‘Make in India’ more viable and attractive, I foresee no appreciable increase in prices of handsets, at least for locally manufactured devices. Reason being that 81% of Mobile Handset Volumes (225

Ajit Kumar Parashar | Sr. Graphic Designer

M AR K ETIN G

mn out of 275mn) and 84.5% of Mobile Handset Value

Puja Mohindroo | Manager - Business

(Rs. 1,32,000 crs out of Rs. 1,56,000 crs.) is already

Sandeep Kumar | Sr. Manager – Marketing

manufactured in India. Coming to mobile handset, a worldwide study by GSMAGallup covering respondents from 140 countries has just

O P ERATION S

provided the empirical evidence of what we had always

K. Rajagopalan | Advisor-Legal, Accounts & Administration

believed – mobile makes a person happy and mobile with

Deepak Kohli | Manager – Accounts

internet connections makes one happier. So from being

Varun Lama | Sr. Manager – Human Resources

a purely utilitarian device to becoming an instrument of happiness, mobile has indeed come a long way. But its journey doesn’t end here. The next I visualize mobile as a device of deliverance from illiteracy and ignorance and a deliverer of good governance, social equity and the most important tool for ‘Digital India’ dream. I am happy to inform you that we have totally revamped our online presence by bringing in a new international class website which has the widest and most insightful

B. G. Mathur | Manager- Production

CIRC U L ATION Bhupender Singh Bisht | Manager – Circulation

AD V I S OR Y B OARD Bejon Misra Rajan Mathews S.D. Saxena

content sections. Our leadership in print combined with

Subhash Chandra

fortified web presence makes My Mobile brand the most

Sunil Dutt

attractive platform in its category for readers and advertisers

Sonu Bhasin

alike. Do visit www.mymobileindia.com for a totally new

Uvaraj Natarajan

experience! Happy Reading! n

G ET IN TO U CH Editorial : shelley@mymobile.co.in Marketing : sandeep@mymobile.co.in Circulation : bhupender@mymobile.co.in Phone : 011—46206161 Fax : 011—41520637 Edited, published, printed and owned by Pankaj Mohindroo, Published from Flat No. 25, First Floor, Shankar Market, Connaught Place, New Delhi – 110001. Printed at Utility Forms Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.

Pankaj Mohindroo editor-in-chief

04 | march 2018

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

Volume XIII, Issue II, march 2018

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service centers

KBR TRADING PVT. LTD.

contents

46 52

48 Style Notes 10 letters

Consumer Insight 46 One out of three featurephone

12 Cell Speak

users in India intends to buy a

14 Rumor Mill

one year

16 NEWS

21 big NEWS 109 My Guide 29 just in Get a close look at new

data enabled phone in next

40% of Indians prefer video

ads on mobile phones

48 Chief Speak

What Industry felt about Union Budget 2018-19?

Face to Face: Interviews with business/industry leaders

Anish Kapoor – CEO, Infinix

India

Abhay Edlabadkar – Founder &

CEO, Redmorph

P Sanjeev – Vice President,

Sales, Huawei Consumer

MD, Instappy

Business Group

mobile devices now in the market

54 Budget Reactions

Ambika Sharma – Founder & Gurmit Singh – VP & MD,

Yahoo India

52 Tech Trendz

Nutan ChokkaReddy – CEO,

KeyPoint Technologies

44 Lead Story

Virtual assistants are coming

Mobile, Happiness and

but brand apps are losing their

100 Fu Zanchen – Director, HGD

Wellbeing!

charm

China

06 | march 2018

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What's Inside

contents 102

86 Industry Insight

134 Add Ons

Founder & CEO, AxisRooms

Real AI deployment in

The latest and the best of

131

organizations set to

gadgets and accessories, from

gather pace

Bluetooth speakers to

Anil Kumar Prassanna – Kamal Rana – Managing

Director, MobiOcean

headphones

The Burntest

88 Market Insight

62 OPPO F5

device market in 2018

Mobile phones to drive global

64 HONOR 9 LITE

146 Vantage Point The Road to Achieving Pervasive Digitization – Jose

66 SAMSUNG GALAXY ON7 PRIME

104 Bazaar Bargain

68 TECNO CAMON I

Four phones which are

70 OPPO A83

smart buy today

Thattil, CEO, Phi Commerce

132

72 PANASONIC P100 74 OPPO A71 (2018) 76 KARA S5

Events

78 AQUA S1 JAZZ

106

‘Convergence India 2018’

80 ASUS ROG STRIX GL503VM

curtain raiser

107

Glimpses: ERD Technology

82 BOSE QUIET COMFORT 35 II

Road Show 2018

132 Special Feature Roposo-TV by the People, an app that reflects a true social democracy

109 86

Total number of pages = 148

08 | march 2018

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Quotes

cellspeak “There is no restriction on App based calls at present. Hence, in the view of the DoT, there is no policy required to be under consideration in the government” — Manoj Sinha, Union Telecom Minister, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha

“The DoT has received good inputs on 5G in the new telecom policy or NTP 2018 which is yet to be unveiled. The draft of the NTP 2018 is in final stages and will be put in public soon” — Aruna Sundararajan, Telecom Secretary, while inaugurating an Assocham event in New Delhi

“Whatever is being produced locally or shipped into India from us is actually being sold faster than any other brand, unless I am building big, secret warehouses and accumulating the unsold handsets there” — Manu Kumar Jain, MD and Global Vice President, Xiaomi, in an interaction with a news agency

“Digital technology will transform all businesses here (India), whether it is financial services, telecom, retail or healthcare. There are going to be new business models which will emerge in developing countries first” — Shantanu Narayen, Chairman, Adobe, in an interview to a news daily

12 | march 2018

“The real vision of Digital India is bridging the digital divide and empower ordinary Indians through digital delivery of services” — Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Electronics and IT Minister, on the sidelines of an event in Hyderabad

MYMOBILE

Rumour Mill

Talk

in Tech Corners

LG likely to windup smartphone business in China

Vivo may launch world’s first smartphone with 10GB RAM

South Korean electronics major LG is reportedly planning to exit the Chinese smartphone market, as the company has failed to turn around its struggling business. According to reports, LG cited increased competition from Oppo, Xiaomi, and Huawei for the reason of exiting the world’s biggest smartphone market. Reports say LG was able to sell a mere 160,000 units in China in the entire 2016 out of an estimated 480 million shipments. This shows why the G6 and V30 haven’t been made available in China. Even the data from Strategy Analytics shows that LG’s market share in the Chinese smartphone market stands at 0.1 per cent. LG’s struggling smartphone business reported an operating loss of $192 million in Q4 and the company specifically quoted ‘strong competition from Chinese brands’ as one of the reasons for the loss. Not just in China, LG’s grip in the handset business is losing out fast across key markets.

Vivo is now speculated to be the world’s first smartphone manufacturer to launch a 10GB RAM smartphone, which is rumoured to be Xplay7. At the CES 2018, Vivo unleashed the first phone with under the display fingerprint sensor, possibly Vivo X20 Plus. The speculated Xplay7 smartphone would be backed by Qualcomm’s brand new Snapdragon 845 chipset, a 512GB in-built storage, a 4K resolution screen, and 10GB RAM as mentioned above. The specifications and the news surfaced from Chinese website Weibo. The other slides in the website also mentioned that Vivo Xplay7 might sport an 8GB of RAM and 256GB of in-built storage, but it is nothing new because smartphones with these features are already available now. The device is expected to come with Dual IMX Sony sensors that offer 4x optical zoom. If the smartphone will offer this much RAM, then it will be world’s first.

14 | march 2018

Huawei’s next P-series flagship phone tipped to come with triple camera setup Although rumour mill is already in overdrive ahead of the release of Huawei’s P series of smartphones, the recently leaked image of one of the smartphones in the series (reportedly called the Huawei P20) hints at a step further in the camera technology. According to leaked case image posted on SlashLeaks, the purported Huawei P20 is speculated to come with three cameras at the back, aligned vertically, as per the image. The camera module could be accompanied by a dual-tone LED flash, and laser autofocus. Additionally, the image suggests that the smartphone is likely to lack a 3.5mm audio jack. At the front, the Huawei P20 could sport really thin bezels, accompanied by a notch at the top much like the iPhone X. The triple-camera setup could be rated at 40-megapixel and feature 5X zoom. n

team@mymobile.co.in

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What’s Up

newsbits LG G6 and Q6 get new colour variants

LG has unveiled new colour options for the LG G6 and the LG Q6 smartphones. While the LG G6 now has three new coloursMoroccan Blue, Lavender Violet and Raspberry Rose, the LG Q6 comes in two new colours- Moroccan Blue and Lavender Violet. The new colours are in addition to existing colour options such as Astro Black, Ice Platinum, Mystic White, Terra Gold and Marine Blue for both the LG G6 and the Q6. The LG G6 sports a 5.7-inch QHD FullVision display with an aspect ratio of 18:9, is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor along with 6GB of RAM and comes in two internal storage options64GB and 128GB. On the other hand, the LG Q6 comes with 5.5-inch full HD FullVision display with an aspect ratio of 18:9, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 mobile platforms, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. Xiaomi Redmi 1s gets MIUI 9.0

Chinese company Xiaomi has updated its older smartphone, the Redmi 1s with its latest MIUI 9.0 operating system. The smartphone will get the features brought by MIUI 9.0 such as Split Screen, Search for Apps, Dual Apps, and the customizable Quick Cards, among many others. However, the Android version still remains Kitkat

16 | march 2018

4.4.4 and the security patch is dated October, 2016. To recall, the Xiaomi Redmi 1s launched back in 2014, sports a 4.7inch IPS HD display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor. The device comes with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage which is expandable up to 64GB. The device houses an 8MP rear shooter with LED flash and a 1.6MP front camera. It is backed by a 2,000mAh battery and houses dual-SIM card slots. It comes with a price tag of Rs 5,999. Oppo patents design for foldable smartphone

Oppo is the latest brand to join the race to develop foldable smartphones. The Chinese smartphone maker has reportedly patented a design for a foldable device that could also be used as a tablet. The patent was picked up by China Mobile (via GSMArena) and presents an exciting prospect for those awaiting the first truly foldable handsets. “The patent indicates that the device would look something like a regular smartphone device -- albeit without a bezel on one side -- when in one configuration, but that it could also open up to resemble a compact tablet,” Android Authority reported recently. Oppo is said to be one of the manufacturers currently eyeing a foldable product, along with Samsung, LG and Apple. Gionee here to stay, restructuring India operations Chinese smartphone maker Gionee has confirmed its restructuring plans for India, and said the company is not scaling down its operations in the country. Reacting to media reports that financial woes in China may hit Gionee’s India operations, David Chang, Global Sales Director, Gionee India, said that the brand is here to stay. “We are in the process of restructuring our India team and executing a completely different

business model for the brand in the market very soon,” Chang said. “We are equally excited about our presence in the Indian market and would like to assure all Gionee lovers that the brand is here to stay,” Chang added. The company had 2.2 per cent share in the Indian smartphone market for 2017, according to Counterpoint Research. Gionee, which established its presence in India in 2012, claims to have retail presence in over 42,000 stores and has 600 exclusive service centres in the country. HMD Global partners Airtel to offer Nokia 4G smartphones Finnish startup and Nokia-licensee HMD Global has collaborated with telecom major Bharti Airtel to offer affordable 4G smartphones at a starting price of Rs 4,999. HMD Global is offering the Nokia 3 and Nokia 2 smartphones – bundled with Airtel’s

Rs 2,000 cashback offer – at an effective price of Rs 7,499 and Rs 4,999, respectively. To avail the benefits, a customer needs to make a down payment of Rs 9,499 or Rs 6,999 to purchase Nokia 3 or Nokia 2, respectively. To avail the cashback, a customer needs to make prepaid recharges worth Rs 3,500 within the first 18 months to be eligible for the first cashback of Rs 500. Similarly, in the next 18 months, a customer needs to make another set of recharges worth Rs 3,500 to receive the second instalment of Rs 1.500. The Nokia 3 and Nokia 2 are also eligible for Airtel prepaid recharge of Rs 169 as the company is offering 1GB 4G data per day

MYMOBILE

What’s Up

newsbits and unlimited calling – Local and STD. Vivo’s association with actor Ranveer Singh comes to an end

through relevant solutions,” Marco Ma, Managing Director, Transsion India, said in a statement. “We have been building an extensive portfolio of feature-driven 4Genabled smartphones, differentiated service offerings and a strong post-sale experience.” A latest report from CyberMedia Research (CMR) highlighted Itel Mobile as one of the few mobile brands observed to have a strong upwards trajectory in 2017 despite market fluctuations. Transsion Holdings has 92,000 retail outlets and over 1,000 channel partners in the country. Samsung to hire 1000 engineers for R&D facilities in India

Chinese smartphone brand Vivo has ended its association with Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh, who had been its brand ambassador for around two years. “Ranveer Singh and Vivo India have had an exciting and productive association for the past two years. Vivo India is thankful to Ranveer for being an invaluable and integral part of the Vivo India Journey so far,” the company said in an official statement. It added that the relationship with the actor aided Vivo India in generating mass brand awareness. While Vivo India did not disclose the reason for discontinuing the partnership, reports suggest that the company may rope in actor Aamir Khan as its new brand ambassador. According to research firm IDC, Vivo ranked third in terms of smartphone shipment in the fourth quarter of 2017 with 6.5 per cent share in India, behind Xiaomi (26.8 per cent) and Samsung (24.2 per cent). Itel Mobile registers 217% growth in India

Transsion Holdings-owned Itel Mobile registered a 217 per cent growth in India in 2016-2017, the company claimed recently. Itel Mobile entered the Indian market in April 2016. “The reason behind itel Mobile’s continued success in the Indian market is its dynamic expansion strategy that focuses on meeting existing market requirements

18 | march 2018

South Korean tech major Samsung will hire 1000 engineers from top institutes for its three research and development (R&D) facilities in India. It would be hiring the talent from IITs, NITs, Delhi College of Engineering, BITS Pilani, Manipal Institute of Technology and IIITs among others. “Samsung is extremely bullish on R&D in India. We have been here for over 22 years. The three R&D centres in India work on several cutting edge technologies,” said Dipesh Shah, Samsung Global Senior VicePresident and MD, Samsung R&D Institute India Bengaluru. Majority of the talent is being hired for new age domains such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, biometrics, natural language processing, augmented reality and networks including 5G. Last year Samsung hired 800 engineers for its R&D facilities, out of which 300 were from IITs and this year too it would be hiring a similar number from IITs. JioPhone now available on Amazon India Reliance Jio’s affordable JioPhone will now be available on Amazon.in, an e-commerce platform. The JioPhone is available at a refundable security deposit of Rs 1,500 for three years, the company said in a statement.

Reliance announced the launch of 4G VoLTE-enabled JioPhone on July 21 last year. Aimed at over 50 crore feature phone users, the 2.4 inch device has 2MP rear camera and runs on 2,000mAh battery. The JioPhone has a single Nano-SIM slot and a microSD card slot. JioPhone supports 22 Indian languages and has its own Voice Assistant -- HelloJio. JioPhone users can also enjoy free voice calls and unlimited data (1GB at high speed) for 28 days at a price of only Rs 49, the statement added. Idea teams up with Panasonic to offer exciting cashback on 4G smartphone

Telecom operator Idea Cellular has partnered with Panasonic to offer cashback on its latest 4G smartphone - P100. With a cashback of Rs 1,500 on P100, Idea customers will get the device for an effective price which is over 25% lower than the MRP. Idea customers will get a cashback of Rs 300 after the first 12 months of use, and Rs 1,200 after the next 12 months, on the purchase of the latest Panasonic P100 which is priced at Rs 5,299 for 1GB RAM variant and Rs 5,999 for 2GB RAM. With the cashback of Rs 1,500, the effective price of the 4G device will be Rs 3,799 and Rs 4,499, respectively. To avail the offer, Idea customers need to do a cumulative recharge of Rs 2,500 during the first 12 months and the same amount during the

MYMOBILE

next 12 months period. Vodafone rolls out VoLTE services in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR and Gujarat

Mathew said adding that the work in this regard is in progressing. The 4G service will offer higher data speeds leading to a better user experience, he said. BSNL prepaid mobile subscribers will be able to avail international facility in the USA which is being launched in an association with T-mobile. UCWeb launches UCBrowser Version 12.0

Vodafone India has started its Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services across Mumbai, DelhiNCR and Gujarat (Surat and Ahmedabad). Accessible on 4G mobile devices with a Vodafone 4G SIM, customers can make calls using Vodafone VoLTE and enjoy HD quality crystal clear voice with super call connect, thus experiencing the best from Vodafone’s Data Strong Network. Vodafone SuperNet 4G customers can access Vodafone VoLTE for no additional charges and all calls will be billed as per existing plan or pack benefits. Vodafone VoLTE service will next be launched in Karnataka and Kolkata and extended across the country in a phased manner over the next few months. BSNL 4G services rolled out in India from Kerala

State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has started its 4G mobile services in India from the southern state of Kerala. Initially the 4G service will be available at five locations in the high range Idukki district. The service was commissionned by making the first call to BSNL Chairman and Managing Director Anupam Srivastava recently, a BSNL press release said. Commissioning of the service in other districts in Kerala is expected by this year end, BSNL Chief General Manager P T

www.mymobileindia.com

UC Browser, a flagship product of UCWeb, an Alibaba Mobile Business Group company, has rolled out a new version of its popular browser in India. UC Browser 12.0, upgraded to support faster video content consumption on mobile, now consumes 50% less data and buffers with zero time lag. It has now crossed 130 Million Monthly Active Users (MAUs) in India as of January 2018. UC Browser, with a leading market share of over 43%, as per StatCounter, is the sixth-most downloaded app in India and the only one in the top 10 that is not a social media or entertainment app, according to reports from Mary Meeker and Kleiner Perkins. UC Browser has upgraded from a traditional tool-plus product to a content distribution platform powered by big data technology. World’s first smartphone with diamond display coming in 2019

US-based AKHAN Semiconductor, which specializes in crafting next generation

Nanocrystalline (NCD) based materials and devices, recently announced to launch the world’s first diamond display smartphone in 2019. The diamond display would be six times stronger and 10 times harder than what’s currently in the market, reported Android Authority. The forthcoming technology is dubbed as Mirage Diamond Glass that utilizes the sturdy lab-grown diamonds in a “nanocrystal” model to make the display strong, thereby decreasing the ability to crack. It must be noted that the diamond glass could be used with the current Gorilla Glass to protect the displays even further. CNET reported that the company’s close alliances are now testing and developing this technology. They are working to reduce the reflectance of the product so that it turns out to be easier for the user to use the phone in bright daylight.

What’s Up

newsbits

Ola plans its first-ever overseas operation in Australia

Bengaluru-based cab aggregator Ola is all set to go beyond India, for the first time, by starting its services in Australia as it sees immense potential for the ride-sharing ecosystem there. The company has already begun the drive to invite private vehicle owners of Sydney, Melbourne and Perth to register on its site. “We are very excited about launching Ola in Australia and see immense potential for the ride-sharing ecosystem which embraces new technology and innovation.” said Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-Founder & CEO, Ola. Australia’s ridesharing ecosystem is set for a refreshing change after Ola, one of the world’s largest ride-sharing platforms, has announced its plans to enter Australia, providing both driver-partners and passengers a better way to move.

march 2018 | 19

What’s Up

newsbits Microsoft buys gaming startup PlayFab

next three months. Vivaan Solar launches ‘My Vivaan’ app as a green gift to Digital India

Microsoft has acquired gaming startup PlayFab for an undisclosed sum and will integrate its services into Azure platform to help developers build better games. PlayFab powers more than 1,200 live games and has served over 700 million players. “Together, Azure and PlayFab will further unlock the power of the intelligent cloud for the gaming industry, enabling game developers and delighting gamers around the world,” Kareem Choudhry, Corporate Vice President of gaming at Microsoft, said in a blog post. PlayFab technology is being used by entertainment companies like Disney, NBC Universal, Wizards of the Coast, Nickelodeon, Bandai Namco, Rovio and Capcom. Real-time quiz app Brain Baazi goes live

Alibaba signs deal to offer Disney shows on video platforms

Solar PV installation and development company Vivaan Solar has come up with a unique mobile app, ‘My Vivaan’, in an attempt to make solar power consumers more delighted and empowered. My Vivaan app can accurately monitor various aspects of solar power plants and deliver the reports and analytics to end users in an easily understandable form. The USP of this app is that users can monitor multiple projects in one application along with easily assessing O&M reports that contain billing history, energy consumption details, and maintenance report. The app, which is widely available on the web, Android and iOS platforms can prove to be extensively beneficial when it comes to setting up photovoltaic solar panels. Apple to build second data centre in China

Digital products company Times Internet has come up with a real-time quiz app called BrainBaazi, which is a live trivia game show with real cash prizes. The platform is open to all and users can tune in and answer questions. People who answer all of the questions correctly are the winners and get the cash prize which is initially Rs 50,000 that further gets divided in case of multiple winners. The app is currently available on the Play Store for Android devices, and will soon be available on iOS. The show goes live once each day at 1 PM, and the TIL is exploring other timings and more frequency as well. The host of the show will keep changing on the app. The prize money can be withdrawn to a PayTM or MobiKwik wallet at any time by the players. The app will be available in Indic languages too in

20 | march 2018

put into operation in 2020 and offer iCloud services on the Chinese mainland, state-run Xinhua news agency reported recently. The project will use 100 per cent renewable energy sources, according to the cooperation agreement between the city government and the company. Inner Mongolia was listed as one of the country’s big data development zones in 2016 and Ulanqab is now home to a big data center of Chinese technology giant Huawei.

US tech major Apple will build a second data centre in China in Inner Mongolia autonomous region which will provide various iCloud services for users on the Chinese mainland, state-media reported. The first data centre is being built in southwestern Guizhou province. Like the Apple’s first centre, the second one will be

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd’s entertainment arm has signed a licensing agreement with Walt Disney Co in a deal that will provide the Chinese group’s Youku video streaming platform with the largest Disney animation collection in China. Alibaba said in a press release recently that the multi-year licensing agreement signed between Alibaba Digital Media and Entertainment Group and Disney subsidiary Buena Vista International Inc will see more than 1,000 Disney episodes released on Alibaba platforms which include set-top boxes. The deal comes as Disney has faced obstacles in getting digital television content into China. In 2016, its DisneyLife online content venture, which it launched with Alibaba, was shut down by Chinese regulators less than five months after operations began. The reason for the shutdown was not made public. Qualcomm, Samsung join hands for 5G-enabled chipsets Qualcomm Technologies and Samsung have yet again collaborated, to produce future 5G-ready processors, based on Samsung’s 7nm LPP EUV Process Technology launched recently. The new chipsets, using the Extreme Ultra Violet (EUV) lithography process technology, will provide room for bigger batteries and a sleeker smartphone designs. The future processors will come with enhanced chip design, process improvements, along with improved battery life. n team@mymobile.co.in

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What’s Up

bignews

Google pulled down 7 lakh malicious apps from Play Store in 2017

earch engine Google took down over seven lakh malicious apps from Play Store in 2017 that violated its policies - 70 per cent more than the apps it took down in 2016. In a blog post, Andrew Ahn, Product Manager, Google Play, said, “Not only did we remove more bad apps, we were able to identify and take action against them earlier.” In fact, 99 per cent of apps with abusive contents were identified and rejected before anyone could install them, he added. Google has developed new detection models and techniques that can identify repeat offenders and abusive developer networks at scale. Google also removed 100,000 bad developers in 2017. “This was possible through significant improvements in our ability to detect abuse -- such as impersonation, inappropriate content, or malware -- through new Machine Learning models and techniques,” the post read. “Copycats” apps attempt to deceive users by impersonating famous apps. They do this by trying to sneak in impersonating apps to the Play Store through deceptive methods such as using confusable unicode characters or hiding impersonating app icons in a different locale. “In 2017, we took down more than a quarter of a million of impersonating apps,” Google said. When it came to inappropriate content such as pornography, extreme violence, hate and illegal activities, Google’s improved machine learning models

sifted through massive amounts of incoming app submissions and flagged them for potential violations. “Tens of thousands of apps with inappropriate content were taken down last year as a result of such improved detection methods,” the company noted. Potentially Harmful Applications (PHAs) are a type of malware that can harm people or their devices - like apps that conduct SMS fraud, act as trojans or phishing user’s information. n

WhatsApp rolls out payment feature in India

opular messaging app WhatsApp has rolled out the UPI-based payments feature in India. The company has already started testing the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) functionality to integrate peer-to-peer payment system in the app. The new UPI integration feature is available for select WhatsApp beta users on

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iOS (2.18.21) and Android (2.18.41), enabling users to send and receive money using the Indian government’s UPI standard. This new feature can be accessed in a chat window and can be found alongside other options such as Video, Gallery, Documents and others in the Attachments menu. After clicking on Payments option, a disclaimer window will show up a list of banks. From there, users can select their preferred bank account to connect with UPI. Then they have to create an authentication pin if you haven’t yet used the UPI payments program. Moreover, if you don’t have a UPI account, you have to create one through the UPI app or your respective bank’s website/ app. The payments platform’s integration may boost digital payments in India, considering the number of active users on the platform in the country. Moreover, with the new feature, users could instantly transfer their funds between two people or a bank account directly through WhatsApp. Furthermore, both the sender and receiver need to have the WhatsApp Payments feature to successfully transact on the app. WhatsApp Co-Founder Brian Acton had said in 2017 that the company was looking at how the platform can be used in the e-commerce and digital payments segments, among others. n

march 2018 | 21

What’s Up

bignews

Lava to invest over Rs 2,600cr in manufacturing units in 5 years H omebred handset maker Lava International is investing over Rs 2,600 crore in its manufacturing units to reach a production capacity of 21.6 crore units in next five years, as a part of its ambitious plan to capture 40 per cent share in the sub-Rs 12,000 segment. The Noida-based company has also launched the first mobile devices design centre in India with an initial investment of

Rs 250 crore to roll out advanced products at price point suited for its target market, Lava International Chairman and Managing Director Hari Om Rai told a news agency recently. Lava is present in 11 countries, including Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indonesia, Mexico, the Middle East, Russia, Egypt and Thailand, where it is the market leader, Rai said. “We want to dominate the sub-12k segment by acquiring over 40 per cent of the market share in almost all the markets where we operate. We are investing Rs 2,615 crore in manufacturing units. By 2023, Lava will have annual production capacity of 21.6 crore mobile phones which will help us achieve our goal,” Rai told the news agency. Lava’s market share in the sub-Rs 12,000 segment is estimated to be around 8-9 per cent in India. Rai said the design centre is key to brining mobile manufacturing ecosystem to India and Lava plans to roll out the first smartphone designed in India by October 2018. “With design centre in India, we want to create entire ecosystem for mobile phone manufacturing in the country, including components that are required for making devices. The Indian government has come up with phased manufacturing plan which provides certainty over growth of ecosystem in the country,” Rai said. The Phased Manufacturing Programme notified by the government in 2017 includes roadmap for duty or tax intervention for components that are used in mobile devices in phased manner. n

Google bets big on its $1.1 billion deal with HTC

earch giant Google officially closed its $1.1 billion deal with HTC Corp., adding more than 2,000 smartphone specialists in Taiwan to help it chase Apple Inc. in the cut-throat premium handset market. According to a Bloomberg report, the deal will help Google design more of its own consumer hardware and could set it up to wade deeper into special-purpose chips -- like Apple. Google’s most recent Pixel model came with a new image processor to improve the device’s camera. More of this “custom silicon” will come in the future, Google’s hardware chief Rick Osterloh said in an interview. Osterloh brought in HTC engineers and designers to help Google control more of the design and production of its products, including working more closely with suppliers. Google previously focused on software and let manufacturers including Samsung Electronics Co. and HTC handle the hardware. But modern phones offer features like augmented reality and artificial intelligence-based services that require close integration of software and hardware. As per reports, HTC said in a separate statement that it plans to proceed with its next flagship smartphone and will focus its efforts in the segment. “Today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter at HTC as we continue to drive innovation in our branded smartphone and VIVE virtual reality businesses,” Cher Wang, chairwoman at HTC said in the statement. For Google, a bigger step

22 | march 2018

would be to create its own “system-on-a-chip” -- the main processors inside phones that Apple now inserts into its devices. Qualcomm Inc. provides the bulk of these chips to Android phone makers, and Osterloh said Google will keep working with the supplier for the foreseeable future. The HTC deal is also bad news for manufacturers of phones based on Google’s Android operating system. n

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Oppo announces formal entry into Japan

ccelerating globalization, Chinese smartphone maker Oppo has announced its formal entry into the Japan market with its full-screen camera phone. With this, Oppo has now entered more than 31 markets including Asia, Middle East, Africa and Oceania. The brand is also rated as the World’s No.4 by total shipments in the year 2016 and No.1 of Asia in Q3, 2017. “The entry into the Japanese market is a further step in the globalization of Oppo. Oppo has been committed to uncovering and meeting the core needs of consumers and has accumulated rich experience in global market expansion. We believe Oppo will win the recognition of Japanese customers. In the future, we will learn from the

successful experience of Japanese brands, adhere to our strategy of quality products and localized operations, and strive to bring to Japanese consumers the smartphone products that combine leading technology with artistic beauty,” said Sean Deng, CEO of Oppo Japan. With the establishment of the Oppo Japan branch in November 2017, which will be responsible for localized marketing activities, Oppo has also set up a research and development center in Yokohama (the second largest city in Japan), focusing on the development and exploration of mobile photography and imaging technology. Oppo started on its globalization path in 2009 with its first international market in Thailand. It has maintained rapid growth in Southeast Asia, India, and other markets. With its welldeveloped path of market globalization, Oppo emphasizes technology development such as 5G, and has set up six research and development centers around the world in Silicon Valley, Japan, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Dongguan, providing a steady impetus for sustainable development. n

What’s Up

bignews

Uttar Pradesh leads in mobile subscribers

ttar Pradesh has emerged as the leading state in terms of subscriber numbers in India, according to a recent report by Cyber Media Research (CMR). Also, 15% of total handsets are used in Uttar Pradesh which happens to be the India’s largest state. The report brought out that 12% of smartphones used in India are in UP, while in feature phones the share is 17%. Most importantly, 1 out of 3 users in the state is using a smartphone. Samsung emerged as the overall and segment leader by installed base in Uttar Pradesh. Vivo made its position in the top 5 smartphone brands in the state while being the only Chinese brand to make it. According to a recent report by CLSA, in 2020 India is expected to see growth of 14 million units of smartphones. The report stated that smartphone penetration in India reached 43%

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in 2017 declining 1% from the previous year when it was 44%. India’s mobile phone and smartphone shipment reached 288 million units in 2017 as compared to 249 million in 2016. Also, smartphone shipment in India touched 124 million in 2017 where previously in 2016 it was 109 million, CLSA said. n

march 2018 | 23

What’s Up

bignews Regional language users to be 75% of internet user base by 2021

ernacular users will account for 75 per cent of India’s internet user base by 2021, says a recent report. Affordable smartphones and low priced 3G and 4G connections are driving internet penetration and digital literacy in the country and access to high speed internet connectivity is no longer restricted to metro cities, which is causing a massive shift in online content consumption patterns, as per the Times Internet study ‘The Changing Lingual Face of Digital India’. The regional language user base in India has grown at a compounded rate of 41 per cent between 2011 and 2016 to reach 234 million. This is expected to grow by 18 per cent CAGR to reach 536 million by 2021 against English which may grow at 3 per cent CAGR to reach 199 million by 2021. The study surveyed over 90 million people and noted the rapid shift of digital users towards regional content consumption, as more than half of those are non-English readers. Over two third of Hindi readers are also reading English, it observed. “Regional languages have surpassed English with a 66 per cent share in overall content consumption,” it said. Across all

regional languages, news as a genre sees the highest content consumption at 67 per cent, followed by sports at 17 per cent and entertainment at 16 per cent. Among female users, Gujarati language has the highest online content consumption at 44.78 per cent. The study observed that content consumption in regional languages among younger audiences is fast growing, with consumption among Indians in the 25-34 age group being the highest. n

India again lies at bottom in 4G download speeds among 88 countries

ven though India has 86.26% 4G availability which makes it one of the top countries in terms of 4G availability, in terms of 4G speed, it again lies at the very bottom among 88 countries with 6.07 Mbps being the average speed, said the latest report by OpenSignal. In its previous report that was published in November, India stood at the bottom in terms of 4G speed among 77 countries; the numbers for India have worsened since the country had 6.13 Mbps average speed previously which has now declined to 6.07 Mbps. The report shows that there is no country that has yet cracked 50 Mbps average 4G download speed even though some of the

24 | march 2018

operators may have broken this barrier but there is no country that has been consistently been able to provide LTE connections greater than 50 Mbps. Singapore and Netherlands come the closest with average 44.31 Mbps and 42.12 Mbps 4G speeds respectively. Three months ago the fastest 4G speeds were in Singapore with an average LTE download of 46.6 Mbps. In this report, Singapore still tops the speed charts, but its average download speed is now below 45 Mbps. The global average 4G download speed is 16.9 Mbps, increasing from 16.6 Mbps. The average download speed globally on 2G stood at 0.1 Mbps, for 3G it stood at 4.1 Mbps and for WiFi networks it averaged to 14 Mbps increasing significantly from November when it was 9.9 Mbps. In OpenSignal’s last report, only 13 countries averaged speeds greater than 30 Mbps. Three months later, 18 countries have surpassed the 30-Mbps mark. Also, in the last report, there were 20 countries that had LTE availability of 80% or higher. Since then, Thailand, Belgium, Latvia, Finland, Canada, Uruguay, Denmark and Croatia have crossed over the 80% threshold, bringing the total number of countries to 30. n

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What’s Up

MediaTek displays Next-Gen technologies for smartphones in India

aiwanese chipmaker MediaTek recently showcased several future-ready smart technologies in India, in an endeavour to help handset players bring premium features to midrange devices in India. The company showcased “Sensio MT6381” -- a six-in-one biosensor module that can easily be incorporated into smartphone designs and give users access anywhere to monitor their health. The global fabless semiconductor leader also displayed new chipset designs -- including MT 6739 and Helio P23 -- that offers technologies like dualSIM and dual-VoLTE, dual camera, photo and video enhancements, extended battery life, higher performance and improved connectivity. “India is a market of immense opportunities with its own set of aspirations and needs. We continue to intensify our technology collaboration in India, even beyond smartphones, and recognise its importance in the global marketplace,” said TL Lee, General Manager, Wireless Communication, MediaTek. In order to strengthen design capabilities among companies in India, the second “MediaTek Smartphone Design Training Programme” was announced late last year, along with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). “MediaTek is

already powering smartphones that have high-end features yet affordable to all. We will continue to innovate on the smartphone side this year in India to deliver devices that have become the primary access point for a connected lifestyle,” Lee added. Midrange devices today are catching up with flagship smartphones in terms of features, capabilities and power consumption. In order to fulfil such needs, the MediaTek MT6739 chip has face detection capabilities. The high-speed quad-core System on Chips (SoCs) are built for India’s rapidly growing 4G market. In December, MediaTek became the first SoC partner to provide Google’s Android Oreo (Go edition) solution to the Indian mobile manufacturers. n

Internet users in India projected to cross 500 mn by June this year

he number of Internet users in India is expected to reach 500 million by June 2018, showed a survey conducted jointly by IMAI and Kantar IMRB. India was estimated to have 481 million Internet users in December 2017, a growth of 11.34 per cent over

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December 2016 figures. As per the report ‘Internet in India 2017’, as on December 2017, the overall Internet penetration is 35 per cent of total population. The survey was conducted in 170 cities and 750 villages by the Internet and Mobile Association of India and Kantar IMRB. There were 362.87 million broadband subscribers in the country at the end of December 2017, according to recent data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). “Trai gives number of connections but one person may have multiple connections or one connection may be used by many. This survey was conducted at individual level. If two member of a family having Internet or broadband connection say they use Internet we count them as 2,” an IAMAI spokesperson said. The survey was conducted between June to August 2017 covering 60,000 individuals in urban India across 170 cities and 15,000 individuals across 750 villages in rural area, the spokesperson said. According to the findings of the report, urban India witnessed a growth of 9.66 per cent from December 2016 and is presently estimated to have around 295 million Internet users as on December 2017. On the other hand, rural India witnessed a growth of 14.11 per cent from December 2016 and is presently estimated to have around 186 million Internet users as on December 2017, the report said. n

march 2018 | 25

What’s Up

bignews Competition Commission slaps Rs 136 crore penalty on Google for ‘search bias’ in India

ndia’s antitrust regulator Competition Commission recently imposed a fine of Rs136 crore on Google Inc. for unfair business practices in the local market for online search. Passing the order on complaints filed in 2012, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) said the penalty is being imposed on Google for “infringing anti-trust conduct”. Globally, this is one of the rare cases where Google has been penalized for unfair business practices. It was alleged that Google indulged in abuse of its dominant position in online search through practices leading to search bias and search manipulation, among others. The penalty of Rs135.86 crore translates to 5% of the firm’s average total revenue generated from India operations from its different business segments for the financial years 2013, 2014 and 2015, according to the CCI order. The antitrust regulator said it has given thoughtful consideration to the submissions made by Google and found it appropriate to impose a fine. The ruling has come on complaints filed by Matrimony. com and Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) against Google LLC, Google India Pvt. Ltd and Google Ireland Ltd. According to reports, a Google spokesperson said the regulator has found that the company’s conduct on the majority of issues examined were in compliance with Indian laws. “We have always focused on

innovating to support the evolving needs of our users. The Competition Commission of India has confirmed that, on the majority of issues it examined, our conduct complies with Indian competition laws. We are reviewing the narrow concerns identified by the Commission and will assess our next steps.” n

Trai asks data-speed testers to share certification methodologies

he Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has suggested that all data-speed testers must share their certification methodologies in a transparent manner to ensure that stakeholders, including consumers, can clearly understand them amid a surge in

26 | march 2018

consumption levels. “Speed of internet connection is the most important and fundamental metric to measure broadband experience, especially since 4G LTE networks’ penetration in India has increased and data consumption pattern has undergone a massive change,” the telecom regulator said in a paper on measuring wireless data speeds issued recently. Accuracy in measuring broadband experience, it said, is critical for “consumers to make informed choices” and for regulators and policymakers “to assess the accessibility to services dependent on broadband.” Inconsistency in operator data speeds came to the fore after US tester Ookla certified Bharti Airtel as the fastest network in the country last year, contrary to the regulator’s ranking of Reliance Jio Infocomm as the fastest 4G network. Jio accused Ookla of knowingly and blatantly releasing the misleading speed results and had filed a case against the testing company, alleging loss of reputation and money due to the ad campaign run by Airtel that had amounted to conspiracy, defamation and breach of trust, among others. The court, however, reportedly dismissed Jio’s plea. Trai said measuring broadband speeds of telecom service providers “had become critical” since customer expectation levels about broadband experience had risen sharply.n

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What’s Up

bignews Unigroup Spreadtrum & RDA collaborates with Google’s GMS Express program

abless semiconductor company Unigroup Spreadtrum & RDA recently announced their official collaboration with GoogleTM on the GMS Express program. Spreadtrum’s full line of products will support Google’s GMS Express program including the newly released AndroidTM Oreo and Android Go configurations. Spreadtrum has been committed to providing customers with quality products and turn-key solutions that are highly cost-effective and time-saving. Through in-depth collaboration with Google’s GMS Express program, Spreadtrum provides manufacturers of mobile devices with pretested, pre-certified, and fully compatible Android software. This includes supporting Google Mobile Service (GMS), and the Compatibility Test Suite (CTS) as well as monthly security updates. Participants in this program, including Spreadtrum’s OEM and ODM customers, can significantly reduce the time period for compatibility verification. Meanwhile, customers are able to receive latest Android security update patches and technical support, reducing the risk of device intrusion. “As the first mainland China SoC partner of Google’s GMS Express program, Spreadtrum is in a wonderful position to help customers around the world improve product development efficiency, comprehensively enhance user experience, and achieve Speediness-to-Success,” said Adam Zeng,

Global Executive Vice President of Unigroup and CEO of Unigroup Spreadtrum & RDA. “Looking forward, we will continue to emphasize customer-focus strategy, and collaborate with customers to create greater ‘core’ value. With close partnership with Google on GMS Express, Spreadtrum aims to provide our customers with valueadding solutions in the Android 8.0 era and beyond,” Zeng added. In the meantime, Spreadtrum will also become the first SoC partner in Google’s GMS Express program to support Intel-based CPUs. Integrating advanced manufacturing with excellent product quality, Spreadtrum continues to provide customers with a selection of an even more diverse array of products and solutions. n

Government working on AI-muscled cyber security plan

he Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is reportedly working on a project to provide cyber forensic services to law-enforcing and other government and non-government agencies. According to reports, the project seeks to support activities using artificial intelligence-based tools to tackle cyber security threats. The CDAC Digital Forensic Centre will also undertake

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problem oriented research in cyber forensics and allied areas, and help micro, small and medium enterprises to undertake commercial activities in the area of cyber security. C-DAC’s Kolkata centre and Indian Institute of Technology-Patna will implement the project with a total budget of Rs 3.95 crore. MeitY’s contribution is Rs 2 crore. Reports say the centre will conduct research in the field for two years. Once that is over, it will offer training to government agencies to protect their data, said reports quoting a senior government official privy to the development as saying. The project proposal was initially made by the chief investigator of C-DAC-Kolkata. It was set in motion after several meetings and iterations among MeitY, C-DAC-Kolkata, IIT-Patna, and the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, which is funding the capital equipment for the centre. MeitY had already provided funds to develop AI-based applications envisaged under the project. Forensic tools developed by C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram, C-DAC Hyderabad, C-DAC Kolkata and other C-DAC centres would be used in the project, instead of importing them. For training, the centre would use technical content prepared by C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram, C-DAC Hyderabad and NIELIT Gorakhpur. n

march 2018 | 27

What’s Up

bignews India’s first AI research institute opened in Mumbai

rime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated India’s first research institute dedicated to developing artificial intelligence solutions for social good in Mumbai. The institute, Wadhwani AI, will focus on researching ways to harness the power of AI to solve deep rooted problems in healthcare, education, agriculture, and infrastructure to accelerate social development. “Wadhwani AI is a prime example of how the public sector and the private sector can come together with good intentions to build a world-class institute, aimed at benefiting the poor,” Modi said. The institute is partnering

with the government of Maharashtra for its mission to create AI solutions for social impact. The Maharashtra government will help the institute identify problems, and test and scale the solutions. The Wadhwani brothers are committing $30 million to the institute over its first 10 years and will also be personally involved, offering their expertise in creating and scaling successful global businesses. Through its partnership with Mumbai University and other institutions, Wadhwani AI aims to create a talent ecosystem in AI and Data Science. Founded by Indian-American tech entrepreneurs Dr Romesh Wadhwani and Sunil Wadhwani, the institute will be led by AI pioneer and founding MD of Microsoft Research India, Dr P. Anandan. The development of AI technologies has accelerated in recent years, driven largely by easy access to tech platforms and tools, availability of large data sets, and compelling business opportunities in areas like finance, transportation and healthcare. “Wadhwani AI is the first of its kind in the world — a nonprofit research institute dedicated exclusively to applying AI for social good, to help improve the lives of millions,” Romesh Wadhwani said. n

You may soon harness body movements to power gadgets

s scientists have developed a small metallic tab that can generate electricity from simple body movements, searching for a power outlet to charge your devices may soon become a thing of the past. “No one likes being tethered to a power outlet or lugging around a portable charger. The human body is an abundant source of energy. We thought - why not harness it to produce our own power?” said Qiaoqiang Gan, associate professor at University at Buffalo in the US. Triboelectric charging occurs when certain materials become electrically charged after coming into contact with a different material. Most everyday static electricity is triboelectric. Researchers have proposed numerous nanogenerators that utilise the triboelectric effect; however, most are difficult to manufacture (requiring complex lithography) or are not cost effective. The tab - a triboelectric nanogenerator - that researchers including those from Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) are developing addresses both of those concerns. It consists of two thin layers of gold, with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) - a silicon-based polymer used in contact lenses - sandwiched in between. Key to the device is that one layer of gold is stretched, causing it to crumple upon release and create what looks like a miniature mountain range. When that force is reapplied, for example from a finger bending, the motion leads to friction between the gold layers and PDMS. “This causes

28 | march 2018

electrons to flow back and forth between the gold layers. The more friction, the greater the amount of power is produced,” said Yun Xu, professor at CAS. The tab - measuring 1.5 centimeters long and 1 centimeter wide - delivered a maximum voltage of 124 volts, a maximum current of 10 microamps and a maximum power density of 0.22 millwatts per square centimeter. That is enough to light 48 red LED lights simultaneously, although it cannot quickly charge smartphones, according to the study published in the journal Nano Energy. n team@mymobile.co.in

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First Look

justin

HTC U11+

nveiled back in 2017 along with the HTC U11 Life, the HTC

comes with the enhanced audio system powered by HTC USonic

U11+ has now landed in India. The USP of the smartphone

with Active Noise Cancellation and HTC BoomSound Hi-Fi

is the bezel-less display, rated at 6-inch which is Quad HD+ LCD in nature. The display comes with an aspect ratio rated at 18:9 and a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

edition. Moreover, the smartphone comes with IP68 certification for dust and water resistance and sports a fingerprint sensor at the

In terms of the other specifications, the device is powered by

back. The HTC U11+ also comes with the Edge Squeeze feature

Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 mobile platform clocked at 2.45GHz.

which enables various features by simply squeezing the edges of

It comes in two RAM/ROM variants: 4GB RAM/64GB ROM, and

the smartphone.

6GB RAM/128GB ROM, both the variants expandable up to 2TB via a microSD card. On the camera front, the HTC U11+ houses a 12-megapixel

The HTC U11+ comes with a price tag of Rs 56,990 and is available to buy exclusively via Flipkart. It comes in an Amazing Silver colour. n

primary shooter with HTCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s UltraPixel 3, UltraSpeed Autofocus, BSI sensor, OIS, and dual LED flash. The front-facing camera stands at 8-megapixel. The smartphone is backed by a 3,930mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 tech and runs Android 8.0 Oreo with HTC Sense on top. It

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march 2018 | 29

First Look

justin

Tecno Camon I Air

oon after launching the Camon I, Transsion Holdings-

In the camera department, the Camon I Air houses a

owned Tecno Mobile has introduced a new budget

13-megapixel featuring Quad LED flash while the front-

smartphone, dubbed the Camon I Air in India, if a tweet

facing snapper is rated at 8-megapixel, with Video Chat

by famous Mumbai-based retailer Mahesh Telecom is to

flash.

be believed. However, the said smartphone is still not listed on the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website.

The device gets its power from a 3,050mAh battery and runs the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HiOS operating system based on

Talking about the hardware specifications, the Camon

Android 7.0 Nougat. The smartphone is topped with

I Air comes with a 5.65-inch HD+ FullView display with

connectivity options such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and

a screen resolution of 1,440 x 720 pixels and an aspect

micro-USB port.

ratio rated at 18:9. The smartphone is powered by a quad-

Moreover, the Camon I Air features a fingerprint

core MediaTek MTK6737H processor clocked at 1.3GHz,

scanner at the back, and comes in Champagne Gold and

along with 2GB of RAM. The smartphone comes equipped

Midnight Black colour variants.

with 16GB of RAM which comes with the option to expand up to 128GB via a memory card.

30 | march 2018

The Tecno Camon I Air comes with a price of Rs 7,999 and will be available via offline stores. n

MYMOBILE

Sony Xperia L2

ost its launch at the recently-concluded Consumer

comes equipped with 32GB of inbuilt storage which can be

Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, US, the Sony

further expanded up to 256GB with the help of a memory

Xperia L2 has now arrived in India.

card.

The smartphone is a selfie-centric one, featuring an

The Sony Xperia L2 sources its power from a 3,300mAh

8-megapixel front-facing snapper with 120-degree Super

battery with Qnovo Adaptive Charging and runs Android

wide-angle lens. The rear shooter is rated at 13-megapixel.

7.1.1 Nougat. The dual-SIM smartphone comes with several

The smartphone comes with Portrait Selfie mode and the

connectivity options such as 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth v4.2,

Group Selfie mode.

Wi-Fi, GPS, USB Type-C, NFC.

Talking about the other specifications, the Sony Xperia

Furthermore, the Sony Xperia L2 is accompanied by a

L2 comes with a 5.5-inch HD display with Image Enhance

fingerprint scanner at the back and comes in Black and Gold

Technology and covered by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass

colour options.

for protection. It is powered by MediaTek MT6737T processor, coupled with 3GB of RAM. The smartphone

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First Look

justin

The smartphone comes with a price tag of 19,990 and is available in Black and Gold colours. n

march 2018 | 31

First Look

justin InFocus A2

oxconn-backed InFocus has launched a new budget

smartphone, dubbed the InFocus A2 in India. The main highlight of the smartphone is the 4G VoLTE support it comes with. In terms of the technical specifications, the InFocus A2 comes with a 5-inch HD display covered by a layer of 2.5D curved glass and is powered by a quad-core Spreadtrum SC9832 processor clocked at 1.3GHz. The smartphone has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of inbuilt storage which can be further expanded up to 64GB with the use of a microSD card. In the camera department, the smartphone features a 5-megapixel rear snapper with LED flash with the front-facing camera also rated at 5-megapixel for selfies and video calling. The InFocus A2 gets its fuel from a 2,400mAh battery and runs Android 7.0 Nougat with 360 UI on top. The smartphone is topped with connectivity options such as 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, FM radio, GPS, Micro-USB port and 3.5mm headphone jack. The InFocus A2 comes with a price tag of Rs 5,199 and is available in Black and Champagne Gold colour variants. Additionally, Reliance Jio users will get an extra 30GB of data and MobiKwik users will get a cashback of up to Rs 300 on the purchase of the InFocus A2. n

32 | march 2018

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First Look

justin

Honor 9 Lite (Glacier Grey)

uawei’s sub-brand Honor has come up with a new colour variant of the Honor 9 Lite in India. The new

Glacier Grey colour variant is in addition to the existing Sapphire Blue and Midnight Black colour options. For those who have forgotten, the main highlight of the Honor 9 Lite is the quad-camera setup it comes with. The rear duo is rated at 13-megapixel and 2-megapixel with the front pair featuring the same configuration as the rear cameras. Another highlight is the 5.65-inch full HD+ IPS FullView display with an aspect ratio rated at 18:9. The smartphone is powered by the company’s 64-bit octa-core Kirin 659 processor along with Mali T830-MP2 GPU. The device comes in two RAM /ROM configurations3GB RAM/32GB ROM and 4GB RAM/64GB ROM, both the options expandable up to 128GB via a memory card. The Honor 9 Lite is backed by a 3,000mAh battery and runs Android 8.0 Oreo with Huawei’s EMUI 8.0 on top. Additionally, the smartphone is accompanied by a rearmounted fingerprint scanner. The Honor 9 Lite is priced at Rs 10,999 (3GB RAM/32GB ROM) and Rs 14,999 (4GB RAM/64GB ROM). The new Glacier Grey colour option is up for grabs exclusively via Flipkart. n

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march 2018 | 33

First Look

justin Redmi 5A (Rose Gold)

ollowing several teasers, Chinese smartphone maker

megapixel rear shooter with LED flash, 5p lens and PDAF,

Xiaomi has come up with the Rose Gold colour variant

while the front-facing snapper is rated at 5-megapixel.

of the recently launched Redmi 5A in India.

which is claimed to last up to eight days of standby time.

features a 5-inch HD display and is powered by quad-core

The smartphone runs the latest MIUI 9.0 based on

64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor clocked at

Android 7.0 Nougat, and supports facial recognition.

1.4GHz. The smartphone comes in two RAM/ROM

The Xiaomi Redmi 5A is priced at Rs 4,999 (2GB

variants- 2GB RAM/16GB ROM and 3GB RAM/32GB

RAM/16GB ROM), discounted from Rs 5,999 for the first

ROM, both the options coming with the option to expand

five million units and Rs 6,999 (3GB RAM/32GB ROM).

up to 128GB with the use of a microSD card.

The new colour option is up for grabs exclusively via

In terms of the optics, the Redmi 5A houses a 13-

34 | march 2018

It has its highlight in the form of the 3,000mAh battery

To recall, the Xiaomi Redmi 5A or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Desh Ka Smartphoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Flipkart. n

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First Look

justin

Infinix Hot S3

ollowing several rumours and teasers, Transsion Holdings-

The Infinix Hot S3 gets its fuel from a huge 4,000mAh

owned Infinix recently launched the Hot S3 smartphone at

battery which is expected to last up to two days on a single

an event in India. The USP of the smartphone is the camera department which

charge and runs the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s XOS 3 based on Android 8.0 Oreo.

features a 20-megapixel front-facing shooter featuring dual LED

The dual-SIM smartphone is topped with connectivity

soft flash and 5P Lens. The front camera supports Bokeh effect.

options such as 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth

The primary snapper stands at 13-megapixel with PDAF.

v4.2, GPS, GLONASS, and micro USB.

Another highlight is the 5.65-inch HD+ Full View display

Moreover, the Infinix Hot S3 is accompanied by a rear-

with an aspect ratio rated at 18:9 and is powered by octa-core

mounted fingerprint scanner and comes in Sandstone Black

Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor. The smartphone comes

and Brush Gold colour options.

in two RAM/ROM variants- 3GB RAM/32GB ROM and 4GB

The Infinix Hot S3 is priced at Rs 8,999 (3GB RAM/32GB

RAM/64GB ROM, both the variants expandable up to 256GB

ROM) and Rs 10,999 (4GB RAM/64GB ROM) and is available

with the use of a microSD card.

as a Flipkart exclusive. n

www.mymobileindia.com

march 2018 | 35

First Look

justin

Intex Aqua Lions T1 Lite

xpanding its Aqua Lions series of smartphones, home-bred

shooter is rated at 2-megapixel. The smartphone comes with

Intex Technologies has launched a new smartphone, dubbed

various camera features such as Beauty mode, Panorama, Burst

the Aqua Lions T1 Lite in India.

mode, and Frame. The 4G-enabled smartphone is backed by a

In terms of the technical specifications, the Intex Aqua Lions

2,200mAh battery which is expected to last up to six hours of talk

T1 Lite comes with a 5-inch display covered with a layer of 2.5D

time and up to 10 days of standby time, and runs Android 7.0

curved glass. The smartphone is powered by a 64-bit quad-core

Nougat.

MediaTek processor clocked at 1.3GHz. The device comes

Furthermore, the Aqua Lions T1 Lite comes equipped various

equipped with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of inbuilt storage which is

Value Added Services (VAS) such as LFTYâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; a one-stop platform

further expandable up to 64GB with the use of a microSD card.

for multiple content, DataBack app for data saving, and Prime

In the camera department, the Aqua Lions T1 Lite houses a

Video for viewing and downloading of popular movies or TV shows.

5-megapixel rear shooter with LED flash while the front-facing

It also supports Matrabhasha service for communication in over 21 Indian languages. Priced at Rs 3,899, the Intex Aqua Lions T1 Lite comes in Royal Black, Steel Grey, and Champagne colour variants. n

36 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

First Look

justin

Motorola Moto X4 (6GB RAM)

enovo-owned Motorola has announced a new variant of X4 with 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage which

offers a smarter Android 8.0 Oreo experience out of the box, giving you faster speeds, longer battery life, splitscreen capabilities, smart text selection, improved notifications, autofill framework for your trickiest of passwords, and the all new Google Play Protect, helping to ensure none of your apps become compromised. Earlier, the Moto X4 was available in 3GB/32GB and 4GB/64GB variants with Android Nougat. It also comes with the special Moto key feature that allows you to access your favorite password-secured websites on your phone or laptop with a simple touch of your finger. The new Moto X4 features 12MP+8MP wide angle dual rear camera. The primary 12MP camera comes with dual autofocus pixels to capture images and the secondary 8MP is a wide angle camera offering 120 degree field of view with depth capabilities. Its advanced camera software with features like ‘Selective Focus’ and ‘Spot Color’ add artistic touch to the pictures and offer a superior camera experience. Additionally, the Moto X4 is equipped with 16MP front camera with flash that captures amazing selfies even in challenging light conditions and is packed with new age features like Face Filters, Panoramic selfies and Beauty mode. Priced at Rs 24,999 in Super Black and Sterling Blue colours, the 6GB variant of Moto X4 is available exclusively on Flipkart and Moto Hubs across India. n

www.mymobileindia.com

march 2018 | 37

First Look

justin

flagship-grade Snapdragon 800-series of SoCs. With AnTuTu benchmark scores of well over 100K, the Note 5 Pro blows the competition out of the water with its eight Kryo 260 cores, Adreno 509 GPU, and up to 6GB of DDR4X RAM. The Redmi Note 5 Pro features a 20MP front camera with an LED Selfie-

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, Note 5 Pro

light, which uses complex algorithms to deliver the perfect selfieâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;now also in portrait mode. On the rear, it consists of a 12MP + 5MP sensor and Beautify 4.0, featuring 18:9 full HD+ display with rounded corners. The Redmi Note 5 Pro is priced at Rs 13,999 for 4GB

iaomi has started 2018 on a high note in India with the

RAM, 64GB storage variant and Rs 16,999 for 6GB RAM,

launch of two new smartphones; Redmi Note 5 and

64GB storage variant.

Redmi Note 5 Pro. The Note 5 and Note 5 Pro bring full screen

Redmi Note 5: The new smartphone fills the shoes of its

display innovations starting at Rs 9,999. These two new

predecessor, the Redmi Note 4. Designed with the same 18:9

smartphones are said to exceed expectations in terms of

FHD+ display as Redmi Note 5 Pro, it features SoC with

design, camera and performance.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, a 12MP rear camera, 4GB RAM

Redmi Note 5 Pro: This is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first smartphone to feature the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 636. As part of

and 64GB storage. It features an LED Selfie-light for the perfect selfie even in challenging lighting conditions.

the Snapdragon 636 package, the Note 5 Pro features

The Redmi Note 5 is priced at Rs 9,999 for the 3GB RAM

Qualcomm Kryo cores which are typically only seen on the

and 32GB storage variant and Rs 11,999 for the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant. Available in Black, Gold, Rose Gold and Blue colour variants, the Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro are available on Flipkart and Mi.com. n

38 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

First Look

justin

Celkon UniQ

omestic handset manufacturer Celkon Mobiles has unveiled

memory card.

a new budget smartphone, known as the Celkon UniQ in

In terms of the optics, the smartphone comprises a 16-

India. The Celkon UniQ comes with a fingerprint sensor

megapixel rear shooter featuring LED flash, while the front-

embedded in the home button as its highlight.

facing snapper is rated at 8-megapixel with Moonlight flash.

Talking about the technical specs, the Celkon UniQ comes with a 5-inch HD IPS display with a layer of 2.5D curved

The Celkon UniQ gets its power from a 2,700mAh battery and runs Android 7.0 Nougat.

glass. The metal-body smartphone is powered by a quad-

The device houses a dual-SIM card slot, and is topped with

core processor clocked at 1.3GHz, coupled with 3GB of

connectivity options such as 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS/ A-GPS,

RAM. It comes equipped with 32GB of onboard storage which

and Micro-USB port.

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

www.mymobileindia.com

The handset comes with a price tag of Rs 8,999. n

march 2018 | 39

First Look

justin

Comio S1 Lite & C2 Lite

ome-grown brand Comio has launched the

The S1 Lite is powered by a

lighter version of its two previously launched

3,050mAh battery.

smartphones- S1 and C2, called the S1 Lite and

On the other hand, the Comio C2

C2 Lite budget smartphones for the Tier 2 and 3

Lite comes with 8MP auto-focus rear

cities. The Comio S1 Lite sports a unibody design with curved

camera with flash, 5MP selfie-camera with flash, expandable 128GB memory and a

edges and is available in three colour variants- Ocean Blue,

5-inch HD IPS display. The phone is available in three

Royal Black and Sunrise Gold. One the photography front,

colours- Sunrise Gold, Royal Black and Metallic Grey.

the S1 Lite comes with a 13MP auto focus with flash rear camera and 8MP selfie camera with flash. The phone features a 5.0-inch HD IPS display. It runs on Comio UI based on Android 7.0 Nougat and is powered

It features Comio UI based on Stock Android 7.0 Nougat. The Comio C2 Lite packs a 3,900mAh battery that company claims can run the phone for up to 2 days with up to 27 hours talk time and a standby time of 270 hrs.

by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MTK6737 SoC coupled

While the Comio S1 Lite is priced at Rs 7,499, the C2

with 2GB of RAM. The phone packs in 32GB internal

Lite costs Rs 5,999. They also have Jio cashback offer to

storage thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expandable up to 128GB via microSD card.

go with them. n

40 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

First Look

justin

Motorola Moto Z2 Force

xtending its Z series of smartphones, Lenovoowned Motorola has brought the Moto Z2 Force to

the Indian shores. The USP of the smartphone is the ShatterSheild display touted to be shatterproof, spanning 5.5-inch and is Quad HD poLED in nature. The display comes with a screen resolution rated at 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. Another highlight is the accompaniment of Motorolaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Moto TurboPower Mod which when connected via the pogo pins to the smartphone, will provide an additional battery capacity of 3,500mAh. On the camera front, the Moto Z2 Force houses a dual-camera setup at the back, rated at 12-megapixel each with Sony IMX386 sensor, PDAF, Laser Autofocus, and dual-LED flash. The front-facing snapper stands at 5-megapixel featuring 85-degree wide-angle lens and a flash module. In terms of the other specifications, the Moto Z2 Force is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with Adreno 540 GPU, coupled with 6GB of RAM. It comes equipped with 64GB of internal storage which can be further expanded up to 2TB via a memory card. The smartphone is backed by a 2,730mAh battery with fast charging tech and runs Android 8.0 Oreo. Moreover, the Moto Z2 Force comes with a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button and Moto Actions to perform tasks using various gestures. Priced at Rs 34,999, the Moto Z2 Force is up for grabs via Flipkart and Moto Hub stores. The Motorola Moto TurboPower Mod is priced at Rs 5,999. n

www.mymobileindia.com

january 2018 | 41

First Look

justin Nokia 6 (4GB RAM)

MD Global-owned Nokia has come up with a new variant of the Nokia 6 smartphone in India. The new variant comes with

an increased 4GB of RAM and 64GB of inbuilt storage.

Furthermore, the Nokia 6 comes with a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button. To recall, Nokia recently unveiled the Nokia 6 (2018) which

Although other specs remain the same, for those who have

comes with Nokiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proprietary Bothie feature, allowing users to

forgotten, the Nokia 6 comes with a 5.5-inch full HD 2.5D curved

capture photos and videos using both the front and rear cameras

glass display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 430

simultaneously.

processor. The smartphone is backed by a 3,000mAh battery and runs the latest Android 8.0 Oreo.

While most specs remain the same as the original Nokia 6, the Nokia 6 (2018) comes with octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 630

In the camera department, the handset comes with a 16-

processor and two ROM options- 32GB and 64GB. Besides, the

megapixel primary shooter along with Phase Detection Auto Focus

fingerprint sensor placement has been changed; the Nokia 6

(PDAF) and dual-tone LED flash while the front facing camera

(2018) gets a rear-mounted one instead of the front-facing one.

stands at 8-megapixel.

The new variant is available to buy via online portal Flipkart for Rs 16,999. n

42 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

First Look

justin

Karbonn Titanium Jumbo 2

omestic company Karbonn Mobiles has unveiled a new

covered with a layer of 2.5D curved glass and is powered by a

budget smartphone in its Titanium series, dubbed the

quad-core processor ticking at 1.3GHz. The smartphone comes

Titanium Jumbo 2 in India. It is available to buy via Amazon

equipped with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage which

India.

can be further expanded up to 64GB via a memory card.

The Titanium Jumbo 2 comes with a cashback offer by Airtel

In terms of the optics, the device features a 13-megapixel

which will provide users with a cashback of Rs 2,000 on

rear snapper with LED flash with an 8-megapixel front-facing

purchase of the smartphone. All the customers need to do is,

snapper. The Titanium Jumbo 2 is backed by a huge 4,000mAh

make a down payment of Rs 5,999, make recharges worth Rs

battery with a standby time of up to 400 hours and talk time of

3,500 for 18 months to get a cashback of Rs 500, followed by

up to 16 hours, and runs Android 7.0 Nougat. Besides, it comes

a cashback of Rs 1,500 on recharges of the same amount for

with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

another 18 months. Talking about the technical specifications, the Karbonn Titanium Jumbo 2 comes with a 5.5-inch HD IPS display

www.mymobileindia.com

The dual-SIM Titanium Jumbo 2 comes in Black, Champagne and Coffee colour variants. n team@mymobile.co.in

march 2018 | 43

Limelight

lead story

Mobile, Happiness and Wellbeing! Mobile makes people happy and mobile with internet makes people happier! An extensive global survey conducted by GSMA-Gallup provides empirical evidence for this long held belief!

raving to own a mobile is now

bearings too? Is a man (no gender bias

countries, a majority of residents (56%)

almost part of our genes.

intended) with mobile a happy person

now have a mobile phone.

Toddlers who can’t even talk

and is the man with mobile with internet

Though internet access remains less

or walk get infatuated by this

connection even happier? We had all

prevalent than mobile phone ownership in

handheld device. They, in fact, make an

suspected these assumptions to be true

many regions, a slight majority of residents

instant connect, far more to them than

and now it is backed by empirical evidence

worldwide (51%) now say they have access

what toys did to toddlers just a generation

too!

to the internet, whether on a computer

ago! To top, internet has raised the bar as it

GSMA which represents the interests

or mobile device. The percentage who

vastly expands the horizon of what one can

of mobile operators worldwide, uniting

have both a mobile phone and internet

do with this ubiquitous handheld device!

nearly 800 operators with more than

access is only slightly lower at 48%, while

Ads galore depicting the joy of mobile and

300 companies in the broader mobile

just 3% worldwide have internet access

internet ownership! But is it simply the

ecosystem, including handset and device

but no mobile. Again, these results vary

utility which makes this device irresistible

makers, software companies, equipment

by economic development as 77% of

or does it actually impact people’s inner

providers and internet companies, together

residents in high-income countries have

with Gallup, the leading research body,

both a mobile phone and internet access

conducted World Poll in 2016 to discover

compared to just 15% in low-income

the correlation between mobile ownership,

countries.

internet connection and people’s wellbeing. The full results are out in public domain

Subjective Well-Being

now and here are the findings.

Subjective Well-Being (SWB) measures

The Rise of Mobile

their lives and experiences. These metrics

Based on World Poll results representing

have been developed to complement

more than 95% of the world’s

other indicators of well-being such as

population, Gallup estimates that

income, education and health. The rapidly

82% of adults worldwide personally

expanding body of research on SWB has

had a mobile phone in 2016. A

led to a growing consensus that it can be

majority, 55%, say they have a mobile

measured in ways that are both valid and

phone but no landline phone in their

reliable - a number of government agencies

homes, while 27% have both a mobile

and international organisations now

and landline phone. These results vary

incorporate SWB measures among their

considerably by economic development

benchmarks for social progress, including

level, but even among low-income

44 | january 2018

peoples’ perceptions of the quality of

the OECD and the United Nations.

MYMOBILE

infrastructure and where governments,

Mobile, Happiness & Wellbeing n

non-governmental organisations and mobile operators have sought to provide

Mobile and internet access are associated with an increase in Subjective Well-Being measured by both Life Evaluation and Affect Balance.

vital services and information via cellularonly phones, which remain more prevalent than internet-enabled phones on much of the continent.

Mobile ownership has a significantly positive impact on how people felt in the last day (Affect Balance) in upper-middle income countries and certain regions, including Western Europe, Eastern Europe, PostSoviet Eurasia, East Asia, and Latin America, but the results do not reveal significant effects in other regions.

Mobile phone ownership without

internet access is associated with net

Limelight

lead story

positive emotions, particularly in uppermiddle income countries, and in specific regions including East Asia, Post-Soviet Eurasia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. The combined effect of mobile phone ownership and internet access is significant

Average Global Life Ratings by Connectivity Status, 2016

Adults

No mobile phone or internet access

4.59

Have mobile phone but no internet access

4.65

No mobile phone but have internet access

5.83

scores even when internet access is

for both Life Evaluation and Affect

held constant.

Balance, and consistent across all model specifications. This is particularly true with

The Impact of Mobile on People’s Happiness and Well-Being

regard to Life Evaluation, and the effects are particularly strong in certain regions including Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern

Mobile phone ownership supplemented

Europe and South Asia. The results are

with internet access is associated with

generally consistent with the proposition

“Mobile phone ownership supplemented with internet access is associated with an improvement in peoples’ lives, as evidenced by increases in both average life evaluations and net positive emotions”

Have both mobile phone 5.92 and internet access Scale of zero to 10, where zero represents the worst possible life and 10 represents the best possible life GALLUP WORLD POLL

Experiential Well-Being (Affect Balance) The World Poll’s experiential well-being

an improvement in peoples’ lives, as

of a greater well-being dividend in areas

indicators – composed of six questions on

evidenced by increases in both average life

where mobile information technologies

respondents’ emotions (or “affect”) the

evaluations and net positive emotions.

represent a greater impact in terms of

day before the interview – have also been largely stable over the past ten years.

In the absence of internet access those who have a mobile phone give, on average,

At the global level there are significant

similar life ratings as those without one.

differences in Affect Balance scores

However, in some regions a modest

by respondents’ level of connectivity,

increase in average life evaluations is

as those with a mobile phone and

associated with mobile phone ownership

internet access have significantly higher

only (i.e. without internet access) –

net positive emotions than those with

including low-income countries, where

neither. Further, mobile phone ownership

there has historically been a lack of existing

is associated with higher Affect Balance

widespread fixed line communications

www.mymobileindia.com

access to new services. n

shelley@mymobile.co.in

march 2018 | 45

Trendz

Consumer insight

Wishlist Smartphone! One out of three featurephone users in India intends to purchase a data enabled phone in next one year!

ccording to International Data Corporation (IDC)â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Smartphone Consumer PULSE research study on the

mobile phone consumer trends in India, one out of three of the featurephone users would like to buy a data enabled phone in the next one year. With the availability of affordable mobile data; the featurephone users are getting more aware of the different use cases of the internet and want to experience it.

Willing to spend more One out of three mobile phone consumers are willing to spend more than their planned budget and more than half ready to spend between USD100 to USD200 on a new smartphone. This reflects the attractiveness of this mass segment which contributes almost half of the India smartphone market and is dominated by brands like Xiaomi, Samsung and Motorola. The availability of

consumer offers like zero cost EMIs, easy exchange programs at both offline retail stores and online are additional incentives for customers to spend more. Brand remains one of the major decision factors while replacing their old smartphone, with almost 40% of the consumers of Samsung and Xiaomi staying brand loyal in their next smartphone purchase. Major replacement driver for a smartphone user is broken or lost smartphone for almost half of the respondents. This was followed

However, affordability of the mobile

by need to get a new phone with better

devices in terms of upfront purchase cost

specifications and technology like higher

remains a strong barrier for the much needed migration of these featurephone users to smartphones. With the launch of 4G featurephones by Jio and several other brands, the industry is trying to bridge this affordability gap by providing telco bundled value to this large featurephone user base, with one out of two featurephone consumers showing strong intent to buy a 4G featurephone in next 6 months. IDC India Smartphone PULSE is an extensive smartphone end consumer facing research program covering 10 major cities of India. It gives detailed insights on the purchase process helping in understanding the consumer buying habits for smartphones and featurephones in India.

54 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

Trendz

Consumer insight average, it gets difficult for a consumer

“Brand remains of options. one of the major decision Almosthalfoftheconsumers factors while replacing their check online portals for price comparisons and more old smartphone, with almost than 70% consumers 40% of the consumers of take recommendations from their family, friends Samsung and Xiaomi staying & colleagues for brand brand loyal in their & model choice. Even consumers buying online next smartphone are visiting offline stores for touch and feel with 40% online purchase” to make a choice from the variety

“In Tier 1 cities like Delhi, Mumbai & Bengaluru, specifications and brand value are other key drivers of choice of a brand, whereas in Tier 2&3 cities, apart from price, consumers also prefer design and good after sales service” –Himanshu Jain, Market Analyst, IDC India RAM, better camera, more memory. According to Himanshu Jain, Market Analyst, IDC India, “Word of mouth and recommendation by family and friends continue to be the most prominent factors influencing the smartphone consumer’s purchase decision. In Tier 1 cities like Delhi, Mumbai & Bengaluru, specifications and brand value are other key drivers of choice of a brand, whereas in Tier 2&3 cities, apart from price, consumers also prefer design and good after sales service.” Retailer or promoter push is the most prominent factors for choosing the brand and model selection. With 25 to 30 smartphone launches every month on an

www.mymobileindia.com

consumers admitted visiting stores in their vicinity.

Channel trends According to Sachin Mehta, Market Analyst, IDC India, “The online channel is finding appeal across consumer segments by high decibel marketing, consumer offers and multiple round of sales. Around one third of the online purchases try to get information about prices and specifications via online blogs and reviews”. In offline channel, near to home

“The online channel is finding appeal across consumer segments by high decibel marketing, consumer offers and multiple round of sales. Around one third of the online purchases try to get information about prices and specifications via online blogs and reviews” –Sachin Mehta, Market Analyst, IDC India

convenience plays vital role in selecting channel of purchase for more than 75% consumers who buy from offline. Retailers, especially, mom & pop stores develop relationship who in turn help consumers make brand and model decisions. Retailer discounts and offers entice ~40% of the consumers. “In offline, around half of the consumers want to pay via cash followed by zero cost EMIs. Interestingly, 3/4th of the consumers pay via cash while buying a high-end phone above USD400” adds Mr Mehta. However, consumers are willing to hold on to their smartphones for a longer period now, with more than 50% of the respondents having replaced their phones after 18 months or more. However, this is also an opportunity for new brands to capture the other 50% who are more prone to experimenting and replacing their devices more frequently.n team@mymobile.co.in

march 2018 | 47

Exclusive

Chief speak

“Under the ‘India First’ strategy, we will be launching benchmark devices with an India focus” Huawei, a global technology giant based at Guangdong, China, has been very vocal in pushing new technologies, be it AI or 5G, throughout the world via its smartphones, PCs, wearables and other passive infrastructure. The same is being followed by them in India through Honor, its sub-brand, in smartphones. Huawei and Honor have been able to garner much attention in the country with products such as Honor 6X, 7X, Honor 8 and Pro, Honor 9i and Lite and the much loved Honor View 10. Leading the brands in India, P Sanjeev, Vice President, Sales, Huawei Consumer Business Group, spoke with Haider Ali Khan on how things will shape up for Huawei and Honor in India in 2018. Excerpts: Are you satisfied with the dual brand strategy; Huawei and Honor, in India? Have they been able to achieve the targets you have aspired for in terms of numbers and market base? Honor is a consumer-centric brand which focuses on bringing affordable products to target consumers, that is the millennials of the country. While Honor products are primarily available online, Huawei follows a more traditional retail model, entailing marketing premium products and selling them in brick-mortar shops. Thus, by default, the two brands function as per entirely different models and to an extent independently as well. And yet they are the same given the sharing of few technical aspects, such as the Kirin processors. They, therefore, work in consort with each other for a coherent overall strategy rendering both Honor and Huawei as trustworthy dependable brands. As per the recent report, Huawei is among the fastest growing brands with 165% growth, whereas Honor has registered a strong growth of 300% in Q4 2017,

46 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

Exclusive

chief speak

“AI will drive mobile connectivity into a new age of intelligent connectivity. Smartphones will be able to listen, read and even understand how humans think, providing us with relevant information when we need it”

compared to last year same quarter. We are

In 2018, the AI experience will completely

to understand the varying needs of the

confident of continuing this momentum

change smart applications.

Indian consumer and ensuring a solid

and growth.

Like 2017, we started 2018 with a

foundation. Picking up momentum, we

bang, and besides the launch of the View

have been consistently strengthening our

Honor smartphones, be it Honor 8 Pro, 9i, 6X,

10 in early January, we have also launched

base by investing in R&D and also setting

and 7X, have done well for Huawei last year.

the beautiful Honor 9 Lite offering quad

up a manufacturing base for our Indian

What would be the newer addition to the series

cameras with an all glass body at a very

operations. Our aim is to provide solutions

in 2018?

aggressive price. Under the ‘India First’

which hinge on our philosophy of innovation,

Honor, in 2017, produced some of the

strategy, we will be launching benchmark

being consumer-centric and quality.

most avant-garde smartphones enclosed

devices with an India focus.

with upgraded technology and features-

From the outset, Huawei was envisioned as a brand targeting business elites that

like EMUI 8.0 user interface, quad-camera

Huawei has been pushing Honor more

focusses more on premium segments,

with full view display, homegrown Kirin

aggressively in the country in the mid and high-

which differs from Honor. The dual brand

970 processor and bezel-less screen

end segment while the Huawei smartphones

strategy ensures our competitive advantage

amongst others. As we are entering the era

have taken a backseat. Huawei has now

in different markets, allowing us to cater to

of Artificial Intelligence, Honor has taken

stopped being aggressive in the premium

varying consumer requirements. The Indian

steps in that direction by becoming the

segment here in India. Any particular reason

smartphone market is the second largest

first brand to bring in a true AI enabled

for that or it’s just a marketing strategy?

in the world but effectively tapping the

smartphone-The Honor View 10. Running

Huawei has been present in India for the

potential of this vast country is a challenging

on the very powerful Kirin 970 processor,

last 17 years, and we were the first ones to

task. Therefore, our marketing strategy

the processor uses the most power-efficient

realize the massive potential of the Indian

here differs and is based on multiplicity of

computing architecture to enhance AI

market. Meanwhile, the Honor brand was

languages, customs and ethnicities even

computing significantly, while integrating a

rolled out in India less than three years ago

while speaking the language of millennials.

standalone Neural Network Processing Unit

and we have been gradually consolidating

Huawei has already established its name

(NPU) for heterogeneous computing. The

our position in the market. Honor was

so we do not believe in being aggressive

Kirin 970 uses an advanced 10nm process

envisioned as a young, energetic e-brand

but relevant. We continue to focus on

to integrate 5.5 billion transistors within an

for digital natives, aiming to create a better

providing consumers with premium quality

area of just one cm, dramatically improving

and accessible mobile internet experience

technological devices at compelling price

computing performance to deliver both

for the young generation. Our growth has

points. We are already amongst the top

rapid response and a smooth experience.

been calibrated; our priority initially was

three smartphone players globally and plan

www.mymobileindia.com

march 2018 | 49

Exclusive

Chief speak to replicate the success in India as well.

you do. AI powered by the new Kirin 970

chips and core processors from the start/

chipsets understands what you do with your

scratch- thereby ensuring the authenticity

Huawei has come up with your first AI-driven

phone. From recognizing different scenes

and purity of the product. As a brand itself,

smartphone, Honor View 10, in India. How

to make your photos better to optimizing the

we believe in innovation and creating

could it prove to be a game changer for you

phone system to suit the way you use your

products which are technologically sound

in terms of market disruption dominated

phone, AI speeds up operations, improves

and yet affordable. Kirin Chipset is one such

by OnePlus in that category? Media critics

ease-of-use and delivers the best results.

and experts have termed Honor View

product which is fueled by AI developed using homegrown technology. It is the same

10 as the best smartphone under INR

Do you think that your own chipset Kirin

product which enabled the brand to be the

30,000, equipped with the most advanced

is capable enough to take the limitless

first to introduce the futuristic technology

chipset and AI features. AI is definitely a

possibilities of having an AI-powered

of AI in our smartphones.

watershed technology, changing the way

smartphone? Huawei is committed to

AI will drive mobile connectivity into

the smartphones are perceived. It is a

evolving smart devices into intelligent

a new age of intelligent connectivity.

best friend to today’s millennials, who are

devices by building end-to-end capabilities

Smartphones will be able to listen, read

spontaneous and multi-tasking. AI enabled

that support coordinated development

and even understand how humans think,

phones will aid in day-to-day life activities,

of chipsets, devices and the cloud. The

providing us with relevant information when

helping them deliver on-the-go, both at work

ultimate goal is to provide a significantly

we need it. Based on Mobile AI architectures,

or home. Understanding this very aspect,

better user experience. On-device AI needs

this new generation of smartphones will

Honor took the plunge of incorporating the

to fully leverage the capabilities and value

transform human-to-machine interactions.

AI technology and launched View 10. With

of devices while making the most of the

AI- powered smartphones will have the

an advanced AI-powered user interface

massive amount of information, services

ability to understand users and provide

EMUI 8.0, the new range of Honor phones

and strong computing capabilities brought

personalized services.

is not just pocket-friendly or a complete

about by big data and the cloud. By

multimedia package but also very much

integrating smart devices with the cloud

What do feel about the competition in the Indian

technologically advanced.

and big data, On-device AI will continue

market with too many global and indigenous

to advance the intelligent evolution of

players? The year 2017 saw a plethora

devices.

of smartphones being launched, from

With the world’s most powerful mobile AI processor and architecture, Honor View 10 marks the beginning of a new AI era,

We have our own Research and

both domestic and international players,

surprising and delighting you in everything

Development unit, which develops the

especially in the mid-range category and

“We continue to focus on providing consumers with premium quality technological devices at compelling price points. We are already amongst the top three smartphone players globally and plan to replicate the success in India as well”

50 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

budget of 20-30K. Such a competition is

share of vicissitudes- there is now an onset

always welcome as it propels in the forward

of new advancements in the tech sector,

direction. It serves as an inspiration to

with Artificial Intelligence to start with.

perform better and deliver an even better

Whether it is decoding the user behavior

product- be it smarter tech features, R&D,

or assigning space and resources- AI

Exclusive

chief speak

manufacturing, after sales, online/ offline presence etc. Ultimately, we aim to provide a quality experience to all using cutting-edge technology. As mentioned earlier, despite the competition, we have registered strong growth and have emerged as one of the fastest smartphone brands in India. Online has been the main source of traction for a brand like Honor. Will it continue to do so in 2018 or would you also plan to shift your focus to offline stores as well? We are a

â&#x20AC;&#x153;As per the recent report, Huawei is among the fastest growing brands with 165% growth, whereas Honor has registered a strong growth of 300% in Q4 2017, compared to last year same quarterâ&#x20AC;?

young brand with a target audience which

and updates, Huawei exclusive service centers will also provide appointment

is primarily the millennial generation. Even when looked at demographically,

leverages neural-processing technique

more than half of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population will be

which facilitates language- translation,

between 28-32 by the year 2020, who are

image-recognition, and stimulates the

a go-getter and multi-tasking individuals.

handset for quick sensory responses.

Honor brand caters to the needs of these

For this, Honor has leveraged its own

youth who live and work on-the-go. Adding

homegrown R&D and incorporated cutting-

to this is the digitalization revolution which

edge features which over the years have

has been instrumental in popularizing the

dedicatedly delivered multimedia budget

online platform.

superstar phones. Be it the robust Kirin

However, we also understand market

970 processor, quad-camera, EMUI 8.0

dynamics and importance of offline market

user interface etc. all are backed by this AI

owing to a complex market nature in a

technology- giving us a realistic estimate of

country like India. As a brand, we want to

what more we can expect.

make sure that our products are accessible to everyone and hence we are also focused

Could you please tell our readers about the

on strengthening our offline footprint.

number of service centers in the country and

Honor has established few offline centers

the minimum response time do they take to

and has plans to open more service centers,

address an issue? We recently announced

especially in the Tier II and III cities of the

the opening of four new exclusive service

nation.

centers 4 major cities of India - Kolkata, Hyderabad, Lucknow, and Guwahati. With

How would the technology shape the year

this launch, Huawei Honor now has 21

2018 with respect to smartphones and where

exclusive service centers pan India. These

does Huawei and Honor fit into it? We have

new exclusive service centers provide

seen the bezel-less display, bigger battery,

first-class support and repairs for Huawei/

etc., last year? Technological innovations

honor devices exclusively and are equipped

have revamped the smartphone industry,

with the best in class amenities providing

making it more vibrant and competitive

professional, dedicated one-stop service

with every year. 2018 too will bring its own

for customers. Other than handsets repair,

www.mymobileindia.com

replacement, hardware and software check

booking, free recycling of your waste electronics products (mobiles and others) and VIP Services (for select models). We have revamped our after sales services with over 250 service centers across the country. The company is also expanding its distribution network by partnering with more than 50,000 retail outlets. This retail network will add to the existing 350+ distributors in India to create a comprehensive, nationwide distribution system. We are currently running a pilot for global experience centers and India features in the list of countries which will feature in the pilot and will soon have an honor sales and experience center. We will soon be launching the Honor experience center in the Delhi NCR region where consumers can experience and purchase their devices. n

haider@mymobile.co.in

march 2018 | 51

Innovation

tech trendz

Virtual assistants are coming but brand apps are losing their charm! Gartner says 25 percent of customer service operations will use virtual customer assistants by 2020 but among other trends it also predicts brands saying goodbye to their apps!

wenty-five percent of customer

Gartner said more than half of organizations

and social networks,” Alvarez said. “This is

service and support operations

have already invested in VCAs for customer

underpinned by improvements in natural-

will integrate virtual customer

service, as they realize the advantages of

language processing, machine learning and intent-matching capabilities.”

assistant (VCA) or chatbot

automated self-service, together with the

technology across engagement channels

ability to escalate to a human agent in

by 2020, up from less than two percent in

complex situations.

2017, according to Gartner, Inc.

Organizations report a reduction of up to 70 percent in call, chat and/or email

“As more customers engage on digital

inquiries after implementing a VCA,

Speaking at the Gartner Customer

channels, VCAs are being implemented for

according to Gartner research. They also

Experience Summit in Tokyo recently,

handling customer requests on websites,

report increased customer satisfaction

Gene Alvarez, Managing Vice President at

mobile apps, consumer messaging apps

and a 33 percent saving per voice

52 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

to increase investments in customer

By 2020, more than 40 percent of all data

experience (CX) technology in the year

analytics projects will relate to an aspect of

ahead. Other Gartner predictions for

customer experience: Data and analytics

CX leaders to know when developing a

is already prominent across marketing,

customer strategy include:

sales, digital commerce, customer service,

By 2019, 20 percent of brands will

social media management and field service

abandon their mobile apps: Many brands

departments. However, an understanding

are finding that mobile applications are not delivering the level of adoption and

“Many brands Original return-on-investment are finding that mobile (ROI) calculations are missing applications are not delivering the the mark due to the cost level of adoption and customer of support, maintenance, upgrades, customer care engagement they expected. Original and marketing to drive ROI calculations are missing the downloads. Brands are now mark due to the cost of support, investing to build presence in consumer messaging apps, maintenance, upgrades, customer such as Facebook Messenger care and marketing to and WeChat, to reach customers where they spend a high percentage drive downloads” customer engagement they expected.

“As more customers engage on digital channels, VCAs are being implemented for handling customer requests on websites, mobile apps, consumer messaging apps and social networks. This is underpinned by improvements in naturallanguage processing, machine learning and intent-matching capabilities” – Gene Alvarez, Managing Vice President at Gartner engagement.

of their time. By 2022, two-thirds of all customer experience projects will make use of IT, up from

of the overall condition of the customer’s

50 percent in 2017: As the number of digital

attitude toward the enterprise is lacking

channels expands, self-service or digital

for the majority. What matters is not

commerce interactions are increasing, as

the customer’s attitude about a store,

well as the move away from human face-

department, process or product, but the

to-face or voice-based interactions. The

level of trust they have in the organization

proportion of projects using IT to improve

as a whole and their likely intent to remain

the customer experience will steadily

loyal.

rise. Those not using technology tend to

Gartner points out that by 2020,

be projects related to recruiting, training,

augmented reality, virtual reality and

governing and managing customer-facing

mixed reality immersive solutions will be

employees.

evaluated and adopted in 20 percent of

By 2020, 30 percent of all B2B companies will employ artificial intelligence (AI) to

large enterprises as part of their digital transformation strategy.

augment at least one of their primary sales

Organizations will have the ability

processes: AI in sales allows for more

to provide employees, customers and

efficiency and effectiveness in business

suppliers with a means to obtain real-

processes, often with up to 30 percent

time information, experience virtual

“A great VCA offers more than just

higher conversion rates when engaging

environments and engage in social

information,” said Alvarez. “It should

prospects or leads, according to Gartner.

collaboration without a small, limited

enrich the customer experience, help

It is becoming an attractive alternative

display and a limited point of view.

the customer throughout the interaction

for sales organizations with high volumes

Consumers already experience some form

and process transactions on behalf of the

of lead processing, opportunities and

of immersive technology, such as Snapchat

customer.”

forecasting processes because it provides

filters and 360-degree video and photos on

fast and accurate support when performing

Facebook.n

A 2017 Gartner survey found that 84 percent of organizations expected

www.mymobileindia.com

Innovation

tech trendz

the different sales stages.

team@mymobile.co.in

march 2018 | 53

Industry Speaks

BudgetReactions

What Industry felt about Union Budget 2018-19? The key highlight for mobile and electronics sector in this year’s budget was the hike in customs duty on mobile phones from 15% to 20%, in a bid to incentivize domestic value addition and boost the government’s ‘Make in India’ programme. Customs duty on smart watches and wearables has also been doubled to 20%, while duty on specified parts and accessories of mobile phones stand at 15%. And here is how the top voices from the industry reacted to this budget…. “HMD Global continues its strong emphasis on PM Modi’s Make in India campaign. While the import duties for mobile phones increased to 20%, along with a 15% duty on key components, this will have a minimum impact on our business, as all of our current portfolio of Nokia phones are manufactured in India” — Ajey Mehta, Vice President & Country Head - India, HMD Global

“The current move will provide stimulus to the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and further enhance the manufacturing sector leading to job creation. Our journey of Make in India began three years ago and we have been manufacturing and assembling at our manufacturing unit through our global contract manufacturing partner Flextronics. We have doubled up our production capacity this financial year and will continue to scale up our manufacturing capacities to meet the growing customer demand” — Sudhin Mathur, Managing Director, Motorola Mobility India

54 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

Industry Speaks

Budgetreactions “Since the announcement of Make in India program three years back, over 85% of smartphones sold in the country are now produced locally. So, this is opportune time to introduce next set of regulations to attract investment in the manufacturing sector and establish India as a global hub for electronics. At OnePlus, we are fully committed to the Indian market and welcome the proposed regulations. Currently, all OnePlus smartphones are produced locally and we are already exploring ways to further increase the share of local manufacturing to ensure there is minimal cost impact of any new regulations to the end customer” — Vikas Agarwal, General Manager, OnePlus India

“Huawei Honor is with the law of the land and in line with the government’s vision of furthering local manufacturing. With our India first strategy, our aim is to build local capacity for indigenous production in India to meet the growing demand for our smartphones in the market in the long run… We have begun production of our latest bestseller, the Honor 7X, and will continue to add to our production portfolio” — P Sanjeev, Vice President, Sales, Huawei Consumer Business Group

“The Union Budget has upheld the macroeconomic reforms and initiatives through the inclusive welfare agenda. We are bullish on the ‘Make in India’ initiative and expect the budget propositions to provide an impetus to the manufacturing sector. The revision of import custom duties on smartphones from 15% to 20% will significantly strengthen the manufacturing ecosystem within the country and increase domestic value addition. However, there is an immediate need to provide similar manufacturing incentives to the PC sector and accelerate the vision of Digital India. Furthermore, increased allocation for improving the IT infrastructure by providing 5 lakh WiFi hotspots and broadband access to 5 crore rural citizens will supplement the IT penetration in the country. This will in turn help the young demographic population to reap the benefits of technology in education” — Rahul Agarwal, CEO & MD Lenovo, India

www.mymobileindia.com

march 2018 | 55

Industry Speaks

BudgetReactions

“ACE industry welcomes the budget, particularly the push for local manufacturing of mobile phones and consumer electronics by increasing customs duty on imported products and components, a move that is consistent with the government’s Make in India initiative. The focus on improving rural electrification and well-being through the National Livelihood Mission will stimulate rural demand for electronics and appliances in the short to medium term, meanwhile, a sustained development can be ensured through the focus on smart cities. The MSME sector, which forms the backbone of the electronics industry, will benefit from reduction in corporate tax from 30% to 25% and the allocation of ~Rs 3,800 crore for the development of the sector will translate to strengthening the electronics ecosystem at large. Further, doubling of allocation towards future technologies such as IoT, robotics, etc. are encouraging as these rapidly growing technologies are likely to impact our industry as well” — Manish Sharma, President and CEO, Panasonic India & SouthAsia; President, CEAMA

56 | march 2018

“The increase in customs duty on mobiles will encourage local manufacturing. As India is becoming the global hub for manufacturing, the measures taken by the government will surely grow confidence amongst the manufacturers and I strongly believe that this will further create business and human resource opportunities as well. Also, the government’s move to invest in over 5 lakh WiFi hotspots, will enable rural India to have broadband access which in turn will be a significant stepping stone in the Digital India movement” — Rajesh Aggarwal, Co-Founder, Micromax

“With the increase in basic custom duty from 15 to 20 per cent, the government has shown the encouragement to major smartphone players in setting up their manufacturing units in India. This step, apart from supporting the Make in India movement, will also create job opportunities. The emergence of artificial intelligence will prepare the country for future and novel technologies. Providing optical fibre connectivity through Bharat Net Program to 2.5 Lakh villagers is a commendable addition to this year’s budget that will indeed make life easier for Indians” — Sachin Batra, National Head, Marketing and Sales, ZTE Corporation

Industry Speaks

Budgetreactions “The announcement of increase in basic customs duty on mobile phones to 20% is a concrete step towards fostering local manufacturing in India which would further fuel indigenous innovation. This will allow us to build an innovation engine pipeline of several global brands in the country. As India’s first global OEM and IoT brand with a vision of putting India on the global innovation map, the Union Budget would prove to be the necessary catalyst for our continued growth towards becoming a multi-billion dollar company globally. India needs an investment (VC) ecosystem that can pump in US$15-US$20 billion every year to support and sustain a 5000+ startup ecosystem. Union Budget 2018 has taken the needs of the ecosystem into consideration by taking policy decisions to build a robust alternative investment regime in the country along with a taxation model designed for the special nature of VC funds and angel investors” — Mahesh Lingareddy, Founder & Chairman, Smartron

“I welcome the government’s move to walk the talk on Make in India by increasing customs duty (to 20%) on the imported mobile phones and in PCBAs of accessories like batteries and chargers (15%), which will prove to be the big boost for localisation and setting up of a domestic component ecosystem. This is a big thumbs up to domestic players like Intex, which have been developing domestic capacities since long in electronics manufacturing”

“The Union Budget 2018 is a growth oriented budget with enormous push for health, agriculture, education and infrastructure, which we believe will usher in healthy economic growth in the years to come. Speaking specifically of mobile phone industry, we are glad that our demand of increasing customs duty on mobile phone CBU (completely built units) imports to 20 % from the existing 15 % has been met. This will prevent dumping of phones in the Indian market, boost domestic manufacturing and provide a level playing field to home grown brands. The announcement is in line with the objectives of the Make in India initiative” — Vivek Agarwal, Co-founder, M-tech Informatics Ltd.

— Rajeev Jain, Chief Financial Officer, Intex Technologies

www.mymobileindia.com

march 2018 | 57

Industry Speaks

BudgetReactions “The government has executed path-breaking reforms like GST and the bankruptcy bill in the recent years. The budget’s objective was to build on the evolving economic scenario with enablers for private sector investments. Announced MSME benefits augur well for the industry. Stated ESDM / electronics sector focus is good with various measures taken to make it easier to do business across sectors. With this, the industry hopes for appropriate kick-start packages to enable Make in India in this sector, we hope to see this in the fine print” — Ashwini Aggarwal, Chairman, India Electronics & Semiconductors Association

“The increase in the customs duty on imported mobile phones is a great move which will boost the Make in India campaign by promoting local manufacturing. The government’s focus on the new digital technologies will help lead to an empowered digital society and a knowledge economy” — Neeraj Sharma, Country Head, Spreadtrum India

“The budget does not generate excitement to the extent that was anticipated. Though the extension of rural WiFi hotspots along with investments in telecom can enable rural economy and drive much better financial inclusion and drive technology enabled growth for the subset of our rural population, we need a better connect between strategy and execution especially in terms of Digital India so that we are able to fully leverage the enhanced allocation. Looking at the overall picture, I feel that the approach is more fragmented at the moment and outcome and objectives of Digital India need to be better connected with the investments which are being made” — D.D. Mishra, Research Director, Gartner

“I believe this will contribute to the holistic growth of India. The reduced corporate tax rate to the MSME sector is welcome, but I hope it is in the books to extend this benefit to all companies soon. The continued focus on digital growth by the government including a special focus on cyber security with the launch of Centers of Excellence is a huge necessity for India and I am happy to see it in this budget. The finance minister has tried to keep the fiscal deficit within the target limits. Overall it is a prudent and growth-oriented budget” — Padmanabha Krishnamurthy, CFO, Paladion Networks

58 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

“This year’s budget not only takes significant steps towards the Digital India vision but also towards inculcating the latest technologies like artificial intelligence for the national development. With NITI Aayog set to establish a national programme for artificial intelligence, we look forward to supporting the nation with R&D and more programmes like ABHED which is already assisting the police forces with AI capabilities. With the advent of new technologies and the Indian government being equally eager to adopt them, we strongly foresee the nation to be on the road to transformation and emerge as one of the leading Digital Nations on the world map” — Atul Rai, CEO and Co-founder, Staqu

“Allocation of significant fund and announcing efforts to enhance research in disruptive technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and Robotics implies that the importance of adoption of such technologies has finally been taken into consideration by the government. With NITI Aayog to establish a national programme for artificial intelligence, this will not only significantly aid job creation but will also assist the government to move towards its Digital India vision” — Aakrit Vaish, Founder & CEO, Haptik

“Emphasizing Digital India powered over AI and by allocating substantial fund, this government has seriously understood the need and capability of technology. It’s great to see that the government is recognising future technology for building the nation’s future. Not only this helps in job creation but also advances the nation in competitive global space”

Industry Speaks

Budgetreactions

— Prabhakar Chaudhary, MD, HAL Robotics

“The finance minister has doubled the budget for the Digital India scheme, emerging as a major move towards assisting the nation to progress further. The second development of investment of Rs 10,000 crore for rural WiFi hotspots, giving 5 crore citizens access to broadband speed internet by the deployment of 5 lakh WiFi hotspots should help bring more consumers online, increasing digital consumption of services like OTT, entertainment, banking, and e-commerce. We at nexGTv feel that all these steps are a definite plus for the significant growth of the digital businesses in the country.” — Abhesh Verma, COO nexGTv

www.mymobileindia.com

march 2018 | 59

In Conversation

face to face

“Infinix wants to give a great value proposition at an aggressive price” Transsion Holdings-backed premium smartphone brand Infinix, which caters to the online space consumers, has started the year 2018 with a selfie centric smartphone Hot S3, reaffirming its commitment of garnering much eyeballs and securing itself among the top five smartphone sellers in the country. Anish Kapoor, CEO of Infinix India, shared his plans with Haider Ali Khan on how he will guide the brand to the zenith of success in India. Please elaborate on your ‘India First’ strategy? How necessary has it become to launch a product in India before unveiling it to the world? For us ‘India First’ means is that we have launched this new S-series - Hot S3 in India before global launch. We have not launched S series in India before and we wanted to make it easier for people understand. S-series is the Selfie series of Infinix and we are starting the journey of 2018 with Hot S3. We operate in 36 countries but, this time we are starting in India with S3. Globally, it will be launched later. We wanted to show that how important India is for us. What will be the focus of the S-series smartphones in India? Which will be the key focus areas of Hot S3? S-series is selfie focused smartphones and the Hot S3 features a 20MP selfie lens with low light capabilities, dual LED and four in one pixel technology where small pixels are made into bigger pixels along with 13MP rear camera with f2.0 and 5P lens. Selfie will be the core proposition of this series which will be very critical for Infinix. The young generation express themselves with photographs rather than writing texts. We wanted to give them a great value proposition at very aggressive price. What are the major pain points of a consumer while taking selfies and how you wish to address this issue? The low light photography features in a very lesser price was one of the pain points

60 | march 2018

This will be the first time that Infinix is moving

to the actual price of smartphones post

towards Snapdragon, why is it so? We have got

the Union Budget 2018 which has

everything; from Qualcomm to MediaTek.

categories; we are trying to address the

the provision to hike customs duty by 5

In a smartphone chipset is being used to

need of every segment. We have Note which

percent.

increase the efficiency of the phone and

is a performer device than we also have

even when we were using MediaTek most

Zero5 as a flagship device, Hot is at entry

Where do you see Infinix two years down

of the people and the reviewer gave us a

level, we are addressing specific needs

the line? We want to be in top 5 mobile

good rating of almost 4.2 on average basis.

with these brands. Indian consumers are

selling brands within two years and we are

It’s all about the perception that if a device

very value conscious especially the online

very upbeat about it. Before entering into

has MediaTek then it’s not that good and

consumers. We are here to provide them

any market Transsion Holdings do a deep

if it uses a Qualcomm chipset then that

the good value proposition.

analysis of that and has been successful

becomes too good.A smartphone is not

in being among the top 3 brands wherever

limited to just chipset, it depends on how

Transsion Holdings already has brands such

it had entered. We also wish to replicate

we create the whole ecosystem in that

as itel, Spice and TECNO in India. How is

the same here in India with Infinix and we

particular device.

Infinix different from the rest? At Transsion

have the technology to believe it.We also

Holdings we are very channel specific; it

have the new launches coming later this

Infinix is operational in more than 36 countries;

helps us to have a different strategy for

year with more than 900+ service centers

so how do you see India as a market for it? We

each one of its brands. TECNO is premium

have different phones under various sub

smartphones at Offline space; Infinix will

across the country. n haider@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

In Conversation

“We have different play the same thing on the online space. with a product like Hot S3 which can We have very clear defined space for phones under various sub yield good output without hurting too each Transsion brands. itel and Spice categories; we are trying to address much on the pocket. It’s available at Mobile cater to feature phones and Rs 8,990 for a 20MP front camera. the need of every segment. We have sub-8K category. The Hot S3 is much more than just Note which is a performer device selfies, it also has full view display What would be the impact of Union than we also have Zero5 as a flagship with 18:9 ratio, 4,000mAh battery Budget 2018 where it has proposed and Snapdragon octa-core to go with to hike 5 percent customs duty on device, Hot is at entry level, we are it. We are also bringing Oreo 8.0 out the imported electronics items? As we addressing specific needs with of the box with InfinixHot S3. already have our manufacturing in India, these brands” we do not see any major change happening of the users. We wanted to fill that gap

march 2018 | 61

Tried & Tested

burntest

Oppo F5 A Selfie Delight

ppo, the

of the users. One such addition

look beautiful in hands. The

fast unlocking of the device.

Guangdong-

in the F series smartphones

curvy edges and light weight

It also has the primary camera

based company

is Oppo F5, which is here to

of the phone makes it easy

which is assisted by the LED

has established

further filter the cons and to

to hold, operate and to carry

flash. The volume rockers are

its root deeper in the Indian

provide a new experience for

around. At the right side of the

placed at the left side of the

smartphone market because

the selfie lovers. So in this

phone one can spot the power

phone. At the top side of the

of its powerful camera and

review we will highlight what

button and the dual SIM tray.

phone lies mic pinhole and at

other interesting features. In

all it has to offer.

The front side of the phone

the bottom of the device lies

sports the selfie camera along

the 3.5mm headphone jack,

with the front LED flash. Going

speaker grille and USB port.

the past we have witnessed smartphones like Oppo

Design

F1,F1s, F1 Plus, F3 andF3

The body of the Oppo F5 is

to the back of the phone lies

Plus from the company which

made up of metal and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slim

the fingerprint sensor which is

Display

all stood up to the expectations

which makes the device to

well within the reach allowing

The Oppo F5 has huge screen

62 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

matter which environment and place you pick to click image. There is no instance of camera disappointing from what is expected from it. If you love to have images to preserve for and cherish later than Oppo F5 will meet the expectations of yours easily. There are other whereas other companies are offering more ROM in size of 6 inches which almost

their latest smartphones of the

looks like borderless display.

price range similar to that of

The aspect ratio of the phone

F5. The internal storage can

is that of 18:9 and the screen

further be expanded thanks

resolution is of 1080x2160

to the microSD card slot

verdict

feature adhered as well like face recognition, filters etc.

Looks

09 /10

Battery

Cameras

10 /10

The battery power of Oppo F5

Performance

08 /10

Battery

08 /10

throughout the day with just

08 /10

of fast charging seems to

Sleek and Big Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s USP Swift

is of 3,200mAh which allows the device to be functional

pixels. The display size is

allotted. The new Oppo F5 has

Goes for a day

big enough to provide you

MediaTek MT6763T processor

Value For Money

satisfactory HD display. The

with eight ARM Cortex A53

colour detailing is sharp as well

cores, four of which run at

which keeps the real natural

2.3GHz while the other four

cause the device to take

colour intact of anything being

run at 1.6GHz and to add to

little long to fill up its tank.

displayed on the screen. The

the advantage it also has an

One can enjoy long hour of

comforting screen size also

integrated Mali-G71 MP2

provides a comfortable and

GPU and improved image

satisfactory experience of

procesoor. The RAM and the

playing games as the screen

processor works perfectly

provides extra space for you to

together and can handle any

take the complete feel of the

task assigned and there is no

screen. The screen is protected

pause while switching between

by Gorilla Glass which ensures

the apps. The touch has also

front camera is amazing as it

it from getting any damage

been improved thanks to the

delivers images to make you

Conclusion

through minor falls.

powerful processor. The phone

fall in love with the phone as

The Oppo F5 banks on the

has operating system 3.2

it takes all minute details and

most trusted factor of Oppo

running on top of Android 7.1.

produce images which are

which is its selfie cameras

for sure possess great colour

and it does not disappoint

Performance The Oppo F5 has 4 GB of RAM

For Selfie shots

OVERALL

PROS Selfie Camera

one single charge. The option be missing which is like a

86%

disappointment and might

entertainment and gaming

Cons Lacks Fast Charging

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

without getting worried about. The phone also has face recognition mode of unlocking the device which takes quite long to work when installing the face security on the phone.

which is what you most likely

Cameras

texture. The camera also has

you either. The huge 6 inches

find in the smartphones of the

The most strong and the

AI beautification enhancement

screen with sleek design

price range in which the F5

renowned quality which Oppo

mode. The rear camera is of

and matte finish makes it

has been clubbed. The RAM is

possess is the camera and

16 megapixel but, being four

look flamboyant in the race

no doubt enough to handle any

the Oppo F5 is no less than a

less than the front camera

below 20K. The battery is

multitasking process providing

masterpiece when it comes

doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make you feel at any

manageable for a day and for

smooth switching between

about delivering great quality

point of time that the rear

the images you have microSD

various apps. But when it

of images. The front camera

camera is not matching up

support as well. Oppo F5 has

comes about the ROM size the

is the main subject which is

with the front camera. The

the competitors like Vivo V7

new Oppo F5 is somewhere at

driving all the attention of the

rear camera is powerful as well

and Honor 9i in the market. n

the back foot with just 32GB

selfie lovers. The 20 megapixel

and delivers sharp images no

www.mymobileindia.com

Tried & Tested

burntest

haider@mymobile.co.in

march 2018 | 63

Tried & Tested

burntest

Honor 9 Lite Irresistible at the Moment

lowly and steadily

range which acts as a catalyst

smartphones, Honor Holly 4

button is at the right side of

picking up the pace

to attract the smartphone

and the most recent was Honor

the phone while at the left

and becoming one

buyers. In recent past the

9i.In this review we will talk

side lies the hybrid SIM tray

of the most loved

company has delivered

about the latest offering from

which cam support two SIM

smartphone brands packed

some brilliant smartphones

Honor which is 9 Lite.

cards at a time or one SIM

of interesting features is

which were having powerful

Honor. The main highlight of

RAM, processor, camera

Design

their smartphones are that

etc. We have reviewed

Honor 9 Lite is a beautifully

has the fingerprint sensor

they provide all the latest

various smartphones of the

carved smartphone which has

which is placed exactly at a

features in reasonable price

company such as the 8 series

a compactible body size with

comfortable place and at a

curved body shape making

place where by default your

it perfect to fit into the hand

finger touches the rear side

giving a comfortable operating

of the phone which makes

experience. The placement of

the accessibility easier. The

volume rockers and the power

rear camera is placed at the

64 | march 2018

card and one microSD card. The rear side of the phone

MYMOBILE

verdict

curved glasses are protecting

The phone has altogether 4

the screen from obtaining any

cameras to give you images in a clear crystal quality. Both the

Looks

09 /10

damage.

Cameras

09 /10

Performance

09 /10

Battery

07 /10

Premium Never Disappoint Clutter-free

Could have been more

Value For Money Has it all

OVERALL

10 /10

88%

Cons

PROS OS and Design

Could be the Battery

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

Tried & Tested

burntest

primary and secondary camera has 13 megapixel sensors with

Honor 9 Lite has something

additional 2 megapixel sensors

unique which is not

for calculating depth and

usually seen in the budget

applying Bokeh effects when

smartphones. The new Honor

you are using the Portrait and

9 Lite is offering RAM size

Wide aperture modes in the

of 4 GB and ROM size of 64

camera app. The selfies taken

GB which is one of the main

are clear in every condition

attractant aspects of the

and if you are like clicking

device. The RAM performs

selfies on regular occasions

well but on some occasions

with sharp details then the new

you might find issues in

Honor 9Lite can fulfil that wish

switching between apps. The

of yours in an affordable price.

but if you

processor which is available in

The rear camera also adjusts

choose

the phone is Huwaeiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s custom

according to the needs of

to indulge

house octa-core processor

yours and captures every detail

in long

Kirin 659. Heavy usage of big

possible and in reach of the

hour gaming

applications and big games

range of camera lens. There

mode then

results in heating of device

is wide aperture mode which

you have to

top left side of the back which

as well but the processor to

lets you to adjust the aperture

put the charger

is assisted by LED flash. The

some extent deals with it and

value before and after shooting

in action. The

front side of the device has the

with passage of time it restores

a photo. There are additional

phone lacks

selfie camera. At the bottom

the device back to normal

filters and other features which

the fast charging

of the device lies the 3.5mm

working mode. The internal

allow you to apply shades and

capability which will

headphone socket, micro USB

storage is immense as well as

edit your pictures according to

make you to wait just

port, and speaker grille.

you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find 64GB storage

your needs. Overall the camera

some minutes more

being offered in any budget

performs decently and one

until the phone fully

smartphone and to add to it, it

can hardly get better camera

restores it battery life.

The new Honor Lite offers

can further be expanded with

in any smartphone of the price

an amazing display which

the help of microSD card.

range similar to that of Honor

Conclusion

9 Lite. You can also enable

The Honor 9 Lite is a perfect

Display measures 5.65 inch. The

The operating system in

display has full HD IPS

the new Honor 9 Lite is also

Touch Capture or have the app

example of how to carry the

panel with an aspect ratio

not lagging behind in terms

automatically take a picture

legacy made by 9i. The four

of 18:9. The display offers

of having recent operating

when it detects a smile.

lens setup is something unique

good brightness and colour

system. The phone ships with

reproduction which provides

Android 8 Oreo out of the box.

Battery

in a price bracket starting at Rs 10,999 only of the 32GB

The battery capacity of Honor

variant. The shinier glass finish

9 Lite is of 3,000mAh which

at the back makes it look like a

Being a budget smartphone

is a decent battery in terms of

flagship device of above 50K.

the new Honor 9 Lite is anall-

delivering hours of indulgence

The Android experience is

you are involved in whether you

rounder in terms of providing

with the phone, the daily tasks

quite rich with Oreo 8.0 which

are playing games or watching

high power and great features

like use of social media and

makes it irresistible at the

any image or video as it covers

which is usually not seen in

other normal applications can

moment. n

almost every detail. The 2.5D

such price range smartphones.

make it last throughout the day

beautiful view of any object portrayed on the screen. The

Cameras

screen size is compact and gives satisfaction in every task

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march 2018 | 65

Tried & Tested

burntest

Samsung Galaxy On7 Prime Improves Shopping Experience

e have

mentioned J7 Prime, in this

witnessed

review we will be discussing

some

about the new evolved

amazing

form of J7 Prime which is

power packed smartphones

On7 Prime. The new On7

from Samsung throughout

has upgraded RAM, ROM,

in 2017 like C9 Pro, C7 Pro

processor, operating system

which possessed brilliant

and many more which we will

camera, storage, processor

be discussing in this review to

etc. There were other

provide the insight about the

smartphones as well like

latest entrant from Samsung

OnMax, J5 Prime and

in the mid ranged smartphone

J7 Prime. Since we have

category.

66 | march 2018

Design The looks of the new On7 Prime is almost similar to that of its previous version Galaxy J7 Prime. The phone is featuring the metal unibody quite comfortable to hold. You might feel little bit of weight but it is not that heavy to cause any trouble for your hands. The weight experienced might be because of all metal body which has its

own pros and cons. The metal body allows the device to be protected and but, feelsslight heavy. At the front of the device below the display one can spot physical home button with a capacitive key on either side, one for multitasking and other for navigating back. Unlike the latest trend of putting the fingerprint sensor at the back of the phone it is embedded in the physical

MYMOBILE

home button. The fingerprint sensor responds quickly to the touch. The front of device is also sporting 13 megapixel sensor. The back of the smartphone has the primary

verdict 07 /10

Looks

Pretty Basic

08 /10

Cameras

Good Show

you to use any apps or

on exactly what you are aiming

any games without getting

for in your pictures. There are

closed in between performing

various features adhered with

any task. The device has

the camera to let you adjust to

impressive internal storage

the colour shades and filters which you want to pick. Overall

Performance

camera which is accompanied

Goes on Smoothly

08 /10

as well which is of 64 GB and allows you to store media

the camera is satisfactory

by the LED flash. At the right

Battery

08 /10

or apps on your phone. To

but somewhere the lack of

add to the benefit of internal

front LED flash might cause

storage it can be further

the device to be not the first

expanded with the microSD

preference when someone

side of the phone there is the loudspeaker and power button. On the left is a volume rocker, a compartment for SIM1 and a

Lives a Day

Value For Money

A Good Purchase

OVERALL

08 /10

78%

card, and to carry the SD card

is opting for camera in a

second compartment for SIM2

the phone has a dedicated

smartphone.

as well as a microSD card.

card slot as well.

Battery

The bottom of the device has

The new Samsung On7

a micro USB port, a 3.5mm

Prime runs on Android 7.1.1

The battery on Samsung On7

Cons

Nougat with the Samsung

Prime is of 3,300mAh which

Lacks Dual Lens. Infinity Display

Experience 8.5 UI on top.

lasts throughout a day and has

headphone jack, and the

PROS

primary microphone.

Cameras, Processor

Display In terms of display size the On7 Prime has similar size to that of J7 Prime which

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

is 5.5 inch full HD screen.

Cameras

something back in store for you to make calls even when

Samsung has always provided

you drain up the battery after

good cameras in its phone

continuous use.

which delivered beautiful images. Carrying on the legacy

Conclusion

The screen has aspect ratio

model which was J7 Prime.

of powerful cameras the new

The new Samsung On7 Prime

of 16:9 and a resolution

The new Galaxy On7 Prime

On7 Prime,it is sporting 13

has Samsung Mall which

of 1080x1920 pixels. The

has 64 bit octa-core Samsung

megapixel camera on both

helps in finding products

portrayal on the device of any

Exynos 7870 SoC processor

sides. The selfie camera

across multiple e-commerce

observable thing is in full HD.

with all eight cores clocked

though lacks the front LED

websites via photo and the app

You can enjoy full HD view and

at 1.6GHz. The processor is

flash but to compensate this

will use image recognition to

the screen size provides a wide

powerful and highly resistive

it has feature like screen

try to identify it using AI.The

range of angles for you to look

from any work load being

flash which performs just

price of On7 Prime starts at

at. The display size is neither

exerted while performing any

like the LED flash when you

Rs 12,990 of the 3GB/32GB

too big nor too small which

task. The processor easily

click the selfies. The front

which makes it a suitable

makes it lie in the average

enables to handle various

camera when tested stood up

choice in the budget below

value in terms of display size.

apps at a time. Boosting the

to what one can expect from

15K. Cameras are in sync with

To shield the screen there is

performance and pairing

the selfie camera and mostly

the price it carries apart from

2.5D curved Gorilla Glass.

up with the processor is the

delivering clear and beautiful

sufficient battery though it

powerful RAM of the device

pictures as compared to other

misses on the Infinity Display.

Platform

which is 4GB. The 4GB RAM

smartphones of the same price

It has to battle it out with

The new On7 Prime has

works absolutely fine in

range. The rear camera gives

Honor 9 Lite and Xiaomi Mi

powerful processor as

synced with the processor.

you clear images with features

A1. n

compared to its descendent

The RAM size easily allows

like autofocus which focuses

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march 2018 | 67

Tried & Tested

burntest

TECNO Camon i

A Good Beginning For Camon In India

ECNO has

earpiece alongside the selfie

is impressive as it offers an

games then there you might

previously

camera and the LED flash.

aspect ratio of 18:9 which

feel tangled up. Otherwise

launched

The addition of front LED

makes it to look narrower

multitasking and app sunning

its i-series

flash is an advantage for

and slightly taller. The

processes are smooth. The

smartphones in India

the phone as because many

colour reproduction of the

phone is packed with 3GB

which were able to attract

budget smartphones does not

screen is very good and the

of RAM which in fusion with

decent amount of users with

possess this feature. At the

colours emitted are very

the processor tends to keep

smartphones such as i7 and

right side of the phone lies the

well saturated. The display

the processing of the device

i3. This time around the

volume rockers and the power

size provides comforting

smooth and efficient. The

Transsion Holdings-backed

button and at the left lies

experience even when you

RAM size is satisfactory for a

company has come up with

the hybrid SIM tray. The rear

are playing any games. The

budget smartphone as it takes

its new sub-brand launch

side is sporting the primary

screen is guarded with Gorilla

all the load of the processes

in the budget smartphone

camera alongside LED flash.

glass to protect the screen

with ease. The ROM size is

section under TECNO called

There is fingerprint sensor as

from any damage and minor

of 32 GB which is quite a

the Camon i(i represents

well at the back side of the

scratches.

decent amount of storage and

India) focusing mainly on

phone which works smooth

camera. In this review we

and fast and provides easy

Platform

will talk about this new

accessibility for unlocking

The new Camon i is powered

experience is good as well

smartphone and check out

the device. At the top of the

by MediaTek MT6737 quad

when you are playing light

what unique it has to offer to

device there lies the 3.5 mm

core processor clocked at

games which requires less

the Indian buyers.

headphone jack and bottom

1.3 GHz which is an average

RAM and graphics demand

of the device is sporting

processor and found mostly in

but big games does not run

micro USB port along with

the budget smartphones. The

very smoothly. The storage

The new Camon i is a

a microphone and a speaker

processor handles the day to

can further be expanded with

beautiful looking smartphone

grille.

day task easily and mild apps

the help of microSD card.

Design apart from beinglight weight

pose no issues but when it

you can keep various files and multimedia. The gaming

The new Camon i runs on

which does not even feel

Display

in hands while holding the

TECNO Camon i comes with

custom UI called HiOS on

phone. The curvy body shape

a 5.65 inch IPS display with

top. The launcher has app

is adding to the beauty of the

HD+ resolution.The

drawer and suggests adding

phone as well. The phone

display size of the

new apps to specific folders

has compact size and it is

smartphone

easy to carry around as well all thanks to its lighter weight. The front of the device has a metallic grille which is houses the

64 | march 2018

comes about heavy apps and

Android Nougat with TECNOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

after installation. HiOS also supports gestures, allowing you to do a three finger swipe to take a screenshot or draw

MYMOBILE

Tried & Tested

burntest verdict Looks

08 /10

Cameras

08 /10

Performance

08 /10

Battery

07 /10

Value For Money

08 /10

Sleek and Light Justified Results No Complaints Could have been more A Good Buy

OVERALL

78%

Cons

PROS Cameras

Could be the battery

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

alphabets to launch specific apps when the screen is off.

Cameras The main attractive feature of the new Camon i is its rear and selfie camera. The cameras are undoubtedly powerful and are no less than the camera of its previous launch TECNO i7 which had 16MP front and

to adjust the face brightness

Battery

Conclusion

13 MP rear camera. The plus

according to your needs. The

The new Camon i has a battery

The new TECNO Camon i

point of the Camon i is that it

rear camera is of 13 megapixel

power of 3,050mAh which

is being sold at Rs 8,990

is providing flash at the front

as well and the shots taken

is a decent amount of

with full view display, decent

side of the phone to enhance

from it are very detailed and

battery power to last for the

camera performance and

your selfies clicked during the

the colour gradient of the

long and can take you through

ample RAM and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good

dim lighting conditions which

images are well preserved.

12-15 hours ina day. The

choice in the budget

is not to be found in many of

The images taken during the

phone charging process is

category of below 10K.The

the budget smartphones. The

day are very clear and crisp

supported by 6W charger

users experience is good

selfies taken are very clear

and even the shots captured

which charges the device

with Nougat along with its

during the day time but at

at night are also very clear.

quite fast but it lacks the

own custom UI, HiOS on

night there is little difference

Overall in the budget range the

fast charging. There is very

top of it. But, it has to compete

in its clarity. There are various

cameras of TECNO Camon i

less heating noticed during

with the Redmi Y1, InFocus

modes as well and filters to

are very good and doing justice

charging and playing heavy

Vision 3 and Canvas

enhance your selfies. The

with its tag of being camera

games but the processor takes

beautification mode allows you

centric smartphone.

care of it very shortly.

Infinity. n haider@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

march 2018 | 69

Tried & Tested

burntest

Oppo A83

AI-backed Selfies at Lesser Cost

ppo has been

top five smartphones seller

of F5 including AI powered

body shapes combined with

aggressively

in the country. The company

selfie beautification and a big

the 18:9 screen is almost

pushing itself

has recently launched its

screen. So, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s check it out

making the device look

among the

mid-ranged smartphone,Oppo

how it fared on our parameters.

borderless but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the case because it has some

smartphones vendors with

A83, aimed at delivering

numerous smartphones be

high performance at lesser

Design

it Oppo F5, A83 or the latest

cost. The new Oppo A83 has

The Oppo A83 has a plastic

device possesses lighter body

A71 to remain among the

many features similar to that

body design and the curvy

as well to make it comfortable

border quite visible. The

to carry around. The front panel of the phone has the selfie camera and the earpiece grille but there is no front flash which does not match up to the selfie centric phone of Oppo. The back side of the device is sporting the rear camera along with the LED flash. The phone completely lacks the fingerprint sensor which is quite disappointing to see in a smartphone. To overcome the lack of fingerprint sensor, Oppo has added the face recognition feature to unlock the device which works quite accurately but sometimes it is quite hectic to use as because it refuses to recognize face and even gets unlocked with the face not correctly aligned with the lens. The volume rockers are on the left and the power button is lying at the right side of the phone. The SIM tray for two Nano SIMs and one microSD card lies at the left side as well. The bottom of the device has 3.5mm audio socket, micro USB port and the speaker grille.

Display The display size of the new

70 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

Oppo A83 is of 5.7 inch which is just the perfect size to fit your palm. The display is full HD with the screen

verdict 08 /10

Looks

Huge and sleek

Cameras

08 /10

Performance

is provided by the Corning

Clutter-free

08 /10

Gorilla Glass which delivers

Battery

08 /10

resolution of 720x1440 pixels. The protection of the screen

high resistivity to the screen against any scratch. The colour of production of the display is good as well and there is no

AI works fine

Sustains a day

Value For Money Can be a good option

08 /10

OVERALL

80%

directly into an app of your

seem to be very attracting

choice. There’s also a unique

and fails to stand up to the

filter to protect against fake

company tag of selfie centric

cellular base stations used by

smartphones.

scammers, and an option to try to identify unknown callers.

Battery

You can use two instances

The battery power of Oppo

of social media apps with

A83 is of 3,180mAh which is

different accounts, and run

good enough for a full day of

two apps in split-screen mode.

casual usage involving a little

Cameras

gaming and video streaming, and we had a little bit of power

Oppo A83 is sporting a front

left over at the end of each

from the display. The screen

camera of 8 Megapixel with

day. The phone lacks the fast

size is perfect for carrying out

f/2.2 aperture. The AI powered

charging as well which is

any operation whether it is

beautification feature seems to

disappointing to see.

fading of colors being recorded

Cons

be able to reduce blemishes.

No Fingerprint Sensor

The selfies taken during

Conclusion

daytime are good but the lack

Overall,Oppo A83 does not

of front flash will disappoint

seem to excite too much.

you on many occasions when

In terms front camera the

of its hardware to that similar

the lighting conditions are not

phone is good but when it

of Oppo F5. The processor

preferable. The phone in terms

to face unlock in dark and

reading any content or playing games.

Platform The new Oppo A83 shares a lot

PROS Front Camera

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

of the device is similar to

malfunctioning. The ROM size

of selfie does not stand up to

fast charging the phone

that of F5 as well which is

is quite decent as well with

the expectations of users. The

disappoints.At Rs 13,990,

like a bonus. The phone has

32GB which can store decent

rear camera is of 13 Megapixel

Oppo A83 is a viable option

MediaTek MT6763T processor

amount of files and can further

with an aperture of f/2.2. The

to have if you love selfie to

which has eight ARM Cortex

be expanded with the help of

shots captured from the rear

the great extent which uses

A-53 cores, four running at

microSD card. The phone is

camera are very well detailed,

AI to enhance your beauty.

2.3GHz and four running at

also lacking the NFC as well.

clear and crisp. Unlike the

The huge size adds advantage

1.65GHz. The processor is

The phone has Android 7.1.1

front camera the rear camera

to it and those who couldn’t

powerful enough to handle

operating system with Oppo’s

delivers great quality of images

have afforded F3 Plus may

any multitasking and good

custom ColorOS skin.

in every condition. There are

consider it as their new selfie

various filters and features

smartphone from Oppo. There

for playing any game. The

The Settings app has also

processor with the help of

been rearranged as well.

embedded to enhance the

are options available in this

3GB RAM of the device keeps

There are a few gesture and

images taken and to adjust

price bracket such as Redmi

the device working fluently

motion shortcuts that let you

according to your preference.

and prevents it from any

unlock the phone and launch

Overall the camera does not

Mi A1 and Moto G5s Plus.n haider@mymobile.co.in

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march 2018 | 71

Tried & Tested

burntest

Panasonic P100 Entry Level Without Any Fizz

anasonic is one

smartphone buyers. In this

flash which is an attractive

satisfactory as you get 5 inch

of the oldest and

review we will focus on the

feature of this device. The

display size in such a low

largest electronics

latest launch of the company,

lower side of the display has

price range. The display is HD

manufacturers

Panasonic P100, which is an

the capacitive keys on both

compatible and the colours

entry level smartphone.

the sides with the home key

emitted from the display

placed in between them.

are satisfactory as well. The

The rear side is sporting the

display possesses 2.5D curved

which provide various electronic gadgets and appliances, smartphone

Design

manufacturing being one of

Looking at the phone one

primary camera and below

glass design and Gorilla Glass

them. The company already

could say that it is a basic

the camera lies the LED flash.

for protection against any

has a trustful brand image in

smartphone which we mostly

There is fingerprint sensor as

sudden fall or scratches. One

the market and it undoubtedly

witness from entry level

well placed at the rear side of

could have a nice experience

helps its smartphones to

smartphones. The P100 has

the phone which is another

of display portrayal as the

be able to reach more users

curvy edges so it becomes

luring feature of the new

new P100 has its all which

because of the accountability

easy to hold and operate.

P100. The speaker grille is

any phone display should

and trust established. In

The phone is not too heavy

at the rear side as well. The

possess to provide the users

one of our previous reviews

which provides the comfort of

rear panel can be removed

HD experience in detailed

we looked into details of

carrying it around. The front

and when removed it takes

manner within a satisfactory

Eluga Ray 700 which was a

panel of the phone is carrying

you to the dual SIM slots and

screen size.

budget smartphone and had

the selfie camera which is

dedicated microSD card slot.

desired attributes to attract

accompanied by front LED

The power button and the

Platform

volume keys are at the right

The new Panasonic P100

side of the device. The 3.5mm

is offering RAM size of 2GB

headphone jack lies at the top

which is a decent RAM size to

of the device and the micro

handle multi-tasking. One can

USB port lies at the bottom

also play regular games like

side of the device.

Candy crush, Subway Surfer

Display The new Panasonic P100

without the device getting too worked up. There is decent amount of internal storage

has a 5 inch HD display with screen resolution of 720x1280 pixels. The display size is

72 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

Tried & Tested

burntest as well which is of 16 GB and it is very rare to get such amount of internal storage in a level entry smartphone. The internal storage can further be expanded with the help of microSD card upto 128GB. The RAM of the device is in sync with the 1.25GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6737 processor. The heavy apps runs with little bit of congestion and also to some extent heats up the device but the processor takes care of it immediately.

verdict 07 /10

Looks

Compact and sturdy

07 /10

Cameras

Justified in price point

07 /10

Performance Goes in sync

06 /10

Battery

Should have been more

decent in terms of delivering

possible. The phone also has

will help to save some battery.

beautiful selfies but there is

multi-modes for image editing,

The new Panasonic P100 also

something unusual in the new

On Body Detection Mode,

has Bluetooth Unlock Mode,

P100 which is front LED flash.

trusted faces and various other

Trusted Places and Trusted

The front LED flash is for sure

filters.

Voice Modes.

device. The selfie camera is of

Battery

Conclusion

5 Megapixel and in daylight

The battery of the Panasonic

Overall, the new Panasonic

Cons

the selfies are well detailed

P100 is removable in nature

P100 is well equipped

Battery

and the colours are restored

and one has to fit the battery

with desirable features and

in the image. The selfies

when taking the phone out of

proves its worth in the entry

taken at night are not that

the box for the first time. The

segment. It banks upon the

much appealing but decent

battery capacity of the new

decent storage space, price

enough to give you something

P100 is of 2,200mAh and it

justified camera performance

to cherish for. On the back

can last throughout the day

and decent chipset output.

of the Panasonic P100 is

if you carry our normal usual

Available at Rs 5,999 in the

an 8 Megapixel camera that

process with little bit of game

market, Panasonic P100 is

too with LED flash. The rear

playing and video streaming.

could be an option if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not

camera is decent performer

The charging of the device is

interested in Redmi 5A and

in terms of delivering images.

normal as well with very mild

Comio C1. Being an entry

The images taken are quite

or no evidence of heating.

level device, the battery output

clear in daylight and at night

There is no fast charging

is kind of a drawback for

the LED flash helps to keep

facility but the device has

P100. n

the nice images as clear as

duraspeed technology which

07 /10

Value For Money

Could be an option

OVERALL

68%

adding to the advantage of the

PROS Storage

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

The new P100 is running on operating system Android 7.0 Nougat.

Cameras Though being not tagged as camera centric smartphone the new P100 has some great deal in terms of having cameras. The selfie camera is

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march 2018 | 73

Tried & Tested

burntest

OPPO A71 (2018)

A Daily Driver But Not A Beauty Expert

o a long list of

side, accompanied by LED

attached to it. Therefore, it

selfie-focused

flash on the side. The back

scores decent marks in the

smartphones,

also contains the ‘OPPO’ logo

design department.

Chinese company

beneath the camera module,

OPPO has added yet another

in the middle. Painted in

Display

smartphone in it’s A series,

pseudo-Gold hue (looking

The OPPO A71 (2018) comes

dubbed the OPPO A71

more like Rose Gold), the

with a display rated at 5.2-

(2018). The smartphone

smartphone at the front

inch and is full HD in nature

recently reached the Indian

has a selfie snapper, with

with a screen resolution of

shores and has the AI Beauty

an assortment of regular

1,280 x 720 pixels. The

Recognition Technology as its

sensors. Coming down, there

screen size of the smartphone

main highlight. Bringing out

is the usual set of capacitive

is a comfortable one, ensuring

the selfie queen in me, I got

buttons. At the bottom end

ease of usage. The display

the smartphone for review, and

lies the micro-USB port,

is adequately bright and the

here is what the AI-based tech

sandwiched between speaker

displayed app icons are aptly

got me like:

grilles on either sides, while

lit. The viewing angles among

at the top end rests a 3.5mm

all are also fine.

Design

audio jack. On the left-hand

Additionally, the display of

The OPPO A71 (2018) is

side are the two volume

the smartphone comes with

much like any smartphone

buttons, while on the right

Night Shield feature which

with a comfortable design,

side, there is a dedicated SIM

when enabled adjusts the blue

making it easy to use. Starting

card tray and a power on/off

light and prevents eye strain,

with the aesthetics, the

button.

and comes with the ability

smartphone, with a metal

In totality, the OPPO A71 is

build comes with a single-

a regularly made smartphone

camera setup on the rear

with no extraordinary factor

74 | march 2018

to adjust the screen colour temperature.

Cameras The main area of attention in the OPPO A71 (2018) is the camera department which has elements of Artificial Intelligence in the form of AI Beauty Recognition technology. The new AI-driven beauty feature helps suggests you the right beauty filter suitable for you. With the touted ability, my hopes were high and I was certainly intrigued as to what the tech is capable of doing. However, on enabling the beauty mode, there was nothing so amazing happening. The beauty mode has an Auto option as well as various levels of beauty filters. On selecting the Auto option the AI Beauty Recognition does its job, with the added option to choose from the

MYMOBILE

various levels in accordance with your choice.

the dark areas well.

5-megapixel front-facing

Performance and Hardware Specifications

camera, the camera performed

The OPPO A71 (2018)

averagely. The resultant selfies

is powered by octa-core

were not that clear, and the

Qualcomm Snapdragon 450

details could not be adequately

processor with Adreno 506

highlighted. On applying the

GPU ticking at 1.8GHz. The

Beauty mode, the images

smartphone, obtaining its

appeared clearer, but were way

multi-tasking abilities from

too exposed.

3GB of RAM, comes equipped

Talking about the performance of the

Additionally, the front camera supports the Bokeh

Tried & Tested

burntest

with 16GB of internal storage (as the original OPPO A71), which comes with the option

verdict Looks

08 /10

Cameras

07 /10

Performance

07 /10

Battery

07 /10

Decent Design Above Average Above Average Lasted a day on single Charge

with the help of a memory card. During my review period, the smartphoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance was smooth. Performing the regular tasks was pretty easy and smooth. Using the social media apps such Facebook,

08 /10

Value For Money

Can be considered an option

Instagram, Snapchat, among many was convenient with the

OVERALL

PROS

to further expand up to 256GB

74%

Cons

Performance Lacks a fingerprint sensor

smartphone mostly sustaining

notification

the stammer-free nature.

channel, the

Playing games or simply

Settings Menu),

checking out the smartphone

and has been a

was fine and can become a

clean one during

daily driver with ease.

my usage with no

The smartphone sources its fuel from a 3,000mAh battery

bloatware. While the

and the battery backup has

smartphone has been

been above average throughout

a decent performer all

my usage. The smartphone,

this while, I strongly missed

while performing the day-to-

the presence of a fingerprint

Effect and the selfies taken

day usual tasks and various

scanner, given the fact many

with the mode enabled, were

apps in the background was

budget smartphones come

relatively impressive.

able to run through a day.

with one.

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

Coming to the rear shooter, the camera rated at 13-

Additionally, the audio quality has been fine too.

Conclusion

megapixel captured details

The smartphone runs the

The OPPO A71 (2018), for Rs

and produced above average

companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ColorOS 3.2 based

9,990, is a smartphone, which

output. The High Dynamic

on Android 7.1.1 Nougat. The

can become a daily driver.

Range (HDR) mode too,

UI has been much like the one

However, with a percentage

worked fine and highlighted

found on Apple (the swipe-up

of pros, it has cons too. The

www.mymobileindia.com

Beauty Recognition tech sounds pretty enticing, but lacks enough intelligence to be fully-loved. Furthermore, the OPPO A71 (2018) is in the ring against the likes of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 with a bigger battery and a fingerprint scanner, and the Lenovo K8 Plus with dual cameras and a bigger battery. n vanshika@mymobile.co.in

march 2018 | 75

Tried & Tested

burntest

KARA S5

Value for Money Smartphone

ara, the

high priced smartphones

Design

button with the fingerprint

smartphone

due to the budget constraint.

The new Kara S5 is a beautiful

sensor embedded in it. To

maker that

Priced at Rs 3,900, Kara S5

looking smartphone in the

the right of the phone lies the

derives its name

gives a good impression of the

shades of Champagne gold.

volume rockers and the power

from the Chairman of the

first sight. In this review we will

The body of the phone

knob. At the top of the device

company, Karan Thukral,

be highlighting all the other

has curvy edges which are

lies the 3.5mm headphone

has launched a new budget

features of the new Kara S5

designed to provide easier

jack and at the bottom of the

smartphone named as Kara

and what all it has to offer to

grip. The phone has the selfie

device the micro USB port.

S5. The smartphone is

be able to stand out of

camera at the front side and

The rear side of the phone is

targeted for the Tier 2 and 3

the crowded smartphone

going towards the end of

sporting two camera sensors

buyers who cannot afford

market.

display lies the physical home

and LED flash. The speaker is

76 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

placed at the rear side as well

the size is such which provides

use like calling and listening

and the SIM slots and microSD

you wider viewing angles in a

music it is ok but you cannot

card slot is located beneath

compact size.

ask more from the device.

removed takes you the SIM

Platform

Cameras

slots and microSD card slot.

The new Kara S5 has RAM

The new Kara S5 in its

size of 1GB which is not so

camera section is offering two

powerful RAM and it cannot

megapixel front camera and

The new Kara S5 has a display

take multi tasking workload

5 megapixel rear camera. The

size 12.7 cm which is 5 inch

that effectively. The RAM size

front camera of 2 megapixel

OHD LCD and has screen

is disappointing and you can

of the new Kara S5 allows you

resolution of 720x1280 pixels

enjoy only limited games which

to take average selfies. The

which is quite good and the

might be compatible with such

images taken from the front

resolution size of the device

low RAM. The ROM size is

camera at day time are average

gives you clear clarity while you

also average with 8GB to offer

not that much exciting. It

which will allow you to store

manages to capture some good

only limited applications and

images when you are using it

multimedia files. The storage

keeping yourself still without

can further be expanded with

disturbing the phone but with little bit of movement the

the rear panel which when

Display

verdict Looks

Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Ask For More

08 /10

Tried & Tested

burntest

Cameras

06 /10

the help of microSD card. The

Performance

07 /10

new Kara S5 has quad-core

front camera loses its focus

battery

processor which tries to ease

and takes time to adjust the

left but

the workload and helps to do

frame. There are some filters

if you opt

multi tasking but on many

and features attributed with

for playing

occasions it fails to keep the

the front camera. At night one

games or

device running smoothly. The

might difficult to take a decent

indulging in

device do get heated up while

selfies as there is no front flash

some multimedia

performing tasks or using

but the screen to some extent

viewing activity then

various applications at the

produces its own flash to allow

you might have to put

same time. The processor is

you to manage to capture your

it on charge to restore

average with the RAM size

face. The rear camera is of

back some battery life. The

below what is to be expected

5 megapixel which delivers

charger provided helps to

from the smartphones of the

good images at daytime and

charge the device with good

present time. The new Kara

at night the LED flash allows

pace.

S5 is running on the operating

you take decent quality of

system of Android 6.0 Nougat

image. There are other features

Conclusion

which offers varieties of new

embedded in the camera

Kara S5 is not here to surprise

updates but the RAM size of

to take images according to

you but gives an option to

the phone might come into

your accordance. Overall, the

have a feeling of smartphone

the way of updating every app

camera performance of Kara

without worrying too much

so you need to be specific

S5 is not something to be

about the budget at Rs 3,900.

in terms of updating any

excited about.

The target audiences of Kara

Manageable Matches Price Quotient

Battery

Should Have Been More

Value For Money Justified

OVERALL

06 /10 08 /10

70%

Cons

PROS Design

Battery

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

watch anything to some extent but there are occasions when you will not get the HD feel from the display. The display is protected by 2.5D curved glass which shields your phoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s display and prevent any scratch or crack by sudden fall of the device. The display size will give you good gaming experience also as because

application. In my personal

S5 will be satisfied with the

opinion the processor and the

Battery

RAM of the new Kara S5 are

The battery is of 2,200mAh

Android 6.0 OS is a surprise

not impressive at all and might

which is removable in nature.

package in Kara S5 along with

lead to the negligence of this

If you stick to general uses

attractive colour options, dual

new device in the smartphone

then the battery can last

market. For casual and general

throughout the day with some

SIM and 4G VoLTE support. n team@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

smartphone performance. The

march 2018 | 77

Tried & Tested

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Aqua S1 Jazz A Good Budget Option

mong the

dubbed the Aqua S1 Jazz at

got the smartphone, dyed in

of the box but let’s not forget

many budget

our disposal. At a price of Rs

black for review, and this what

that it’s after all a budget

smartphones,

5,999 the smartphone has

the smartphone scored:

smartphone. At the back.

we have a new

what is the new trend in the

one from the home-grown company Aqua Mobiles,

tech world - dual cameras. We

Design

S1Jazz has a camera module containing two cameras

In terms of the design, the

with LED flash. The module

Aqua S1 Jazz is nothing out

has a fingerprint scanner beneath it followed by the company’s logo. The top and bottom edges have antenna bands resting. Coming to the front of the smartphone, the S1 Jazz has a

78 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

Tried & Tested

burntest selfie camera with the usual sensors while the bottom part has three regular capacitive buttons present. At the top lies a 3.5mm audio jack with the micro-USB port situated at the bottom. While the left-hand side is left bare, the right side of the smartphone comprises a volume rocker and a power on/ off button. Overall, the smartphone is an modest-looking device with a comfortable grip.

Display The S1 Jazz spans 5-inch

Conclusively,

which has comes with an IPS

the cameras of

HD screen resolution and a pixel density rated at 293ppi. The smartphone has an averagely lit display with all the icons on it appearing decently. The viewing angles were fine too. In totality, the usage was convenient and good.

verdict Looks

07 /10

Cameras

07 /10

Performance

07 /10

Average looking Just average Above average

Battery

Lasted a day on single charge

Value For Money

Can be considered an option

OVERALL

PROS

07 /10 08 /10

72%

Cons

Performance Cameras (For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

the smartphone did

Cameras

fine for the price tag

The camera department is the main USP of the

it comes with.

throughout the day, however, wasn’t really able to handle much heavy usage. Additionally, the smartphone runs Android 7.0 Nougat which ensured

cameras at the back. In terms

Performance and Specifications

of the camera configuration,

The Aqua A1 Jazz is powered

Furthermore, the fingerprint

the dual cameras are rated

by a quad-core MediaTek

scanner worked fine, however,

at 13-megapixel each with

MTK6737 processor ticking

took long to unlock the

LED flash and supports HDR.

at 1.25GHz and gets it multi-

smartphone.

Talking about the performance,

tasking capabilities from a

the dual rear cameras did

1GB of RAM. The smartphone

Conclusion

perform well for a smartphone

comes equipped with 16GB

The Aqua S1 Jazz, during

priced at just Rs 5,999,

of internal storage which

the review period proved to

however, lacks details. Even

comes with no option to further

be an average smartphone

though the smartphone has the

expand.

with a combination of pros

smartphone, sporting two

power of two, the power wasn’t

In terms of the

convenient usability and also came bloatware-free.

and cons. While the USP of

enough to capture intricate

performance, the smartphone

the smartphone still needs

details of the subject. The

was able to perform the regular

improvements, the overall

depth effect feature did work,

tasks such as

usage, being fine made it

however, looked more like blur

internet browsing, clicking

an option to be considered.

surrounding the object.

pictures, going through the

However, the Aqua S1 Jazz

Coming to the front

smartphone and much more

stands against the likes of

camera, the selfie shooter

with ease and did not stutter

other contenders such as

stands at 5-megapixel and is

much. The smartphone was

the Xiaomi Redmi 5A with a

also supported by LED flash.

easy to use and did not give a

better processor and a bigger

The resultant image was just

tough time during the review

battery, the XOLO Era 2V

average and failed to bring

period.

with an increased RAM and

out the details. The image

The S1 Jazz gets its fuel

appeared blurred and wasn’t

from a 2,800mAh battery

really impressive.

which was able to run

www.mymobileindia.com

battery capacity, among many others. n vanshika@mymobile.co.in

march 2018 | 79

Tried & Tested

burntest

ASUS ROG STRIX GL503VM The Gaming Beast

xpanding its

dedicated to creating the

cannot be used for anything

hand side. Also, four USB 3.1

Republic of

world’s best gaming hardware

other than gaming. But it’s

Gen 1 ports are enough for VR

Gamers line-up of

and software. Formed in

not applicable to ASUS ROG

setup, mouse, and controllers.

gaming laptops,

2006, ROG offers a complete

Strix GL503VM. The laptop

Along with HDMI 2.0 and

Taiwanese electronics major

line of innovative products

appears to have qualities in

Mini DisplayPort 1.2 ports,

ASUS has come up with its

known for performance

addition to gaming that people

connecting the latest, greatest

latest dedicated E-sports

and quality, including

normally expect from a daily

gaming peripherals with Strix

gaming notebook, the ROG

motherboards, graphics cards,

driver. The laptop weighs

GL503 is a cinch. The laptop

Strix GL503VM made for

laptops, desktops, monitors,

2.5kg (approx), which is

also offers a faster and wider

those on the go, with a 15.6-

audio equipment, routers, and

absolutely standard in order to

range WiFi, as it is engineered

inch display, as-thin-as 2.3cm

peripherals.

carry around.

with 867Mbps 802.11ac

lightweight as 2.5kg (approx).

Design

intelligently designed for

that are up to 6X faster than

It has a bright, vivid display

In terms of the design, the

connection, as it offers full

802.11n. With two antennas

and an RGB keyboard with

ASUS ROG Strix GL503VM

connectivity for all your

supporting two simultaneous

customizable backlighting,

is reasonably portable.

gaming needs. Frequently-

data streams, one can enjoy

which is often reserved for

Carrying it around is not a

used input ports are installed

more of the high-speed

more expensive machines.

problem. Generally, such

where one will have fast

bandwidth more of the time,

high-end gaming laptops are

access and the minimum

for smoother gaming and

perceived as something that

interference — on the left-

streaming.

profile and a frame that is as

Republic of Gamers (ROG) is an ASUS sub-brand

80 | march 2018

The Strix GL503VM is

2x2 Wi-Fi for wireless speeds

MYMOBILE

Tried & Tested

burntest

Display

games ran exceptionally

fans to maximize CPU and

over-stroke distance — for

The Strix GL503VM sports

well. Interestingly, no lag was

GPU performance. This allows

fast, accurate and effortless

a brilliant wide-view panel

observed. Audio experience

you to run the CPU and GPU

keystrokes that increase

that is up to 50% brighter

was quite impressive, as

at full speed without thermal-

actions per minute. Specially

than competing models,

built-in smart amplifier

throttling, and it means you’ll

highlighted WASD keys and

and it offers a 100% sRGB

technology delivers louder

enjoy total stability during the

N-key rollover further boost

colour range — so it’s perfect

in-game audio — up to

most intense battles.

precision, and with the action

for all game genres. The

200% higher volume — and

laptop also comes with ROG GameVisual, an easy-to-use

Interestingly, the battery

guaranteed for 20-million

minimizes distortion to ensure

backup is not up to the mark.

key presses the kill count

smooth operation. The system

However, it’s not a new thing,

will just keep on rising. The

tool that contains six presets

automatically monitors and

as gaming laptops were never

keyboard offers a rubberised

that apply your preferences

reduces intensity of output to

known for their battery backup.

feel and enjoyable gaming

for a variety of game genres,

prevent potential damage from

It offers just 3-4 hours of

experience. There is a good

enhancing sharpness and

overheating or overloading.

backup on regular use.

amount of travel and the

colour performance. You’ll

The Strix GL503VM also

keyboard is clutter-free, so one

enjoy sharp, clear imagery

includes ROG Sonic Studio

Keyboard

with accurate, consistent

software with in-game noise

The ROG Strix GL503VM

making typos. You can easily

colour from all viewing

cancellation and voice-volume

puts decisive control at the

customise the back lighting

angles — for gaming

stabilization technology, to

fingertips, with a brand-new

to suit your mood during the

experiences that bring you

deliver clearer, louder and

keyboard layout inspired by

game.

closer to reality.

more enjoyable audio and

desktop designs, featuring four

chat. Sonic Radar helps

hotkeys and four customizable

Conclusion

gamers detect opponents

RGB-backlit zones. It offers

Although the ASUS ROG Strix

Talking about the performance,

through an on-screen overlay

a full-fledged keyboard with

GL503VM appears to have

gaming is what the ASUS

that shows the relative position

wide spaces for the palm

enough potential as a gaming

ROG Strix GL503VM is

of gunshots, footsteps and

rest. There is ample distance

laptop, the question remains

primarily all about, and it

other in-game sound effects.

between the keys and they

how well it compares with the

cannot go unnoticed – thanks

With Sonic Studio and Sonic

are slightly curved for a more

competition at this price point

to Intel Core i7 clocked up to

Radar, gamers enjoy high-

comfortable typing experience.

(starting at Rs1,49,990). The

3.8GHz processor and Nvidia

quality in-game audio that

An ergonomic 0.25mm-deep

makers must think of price

GTX 1060 6GB graphics.

provides a strategic advantage.

keycap curve is comfortable to

segment taking into account

Since I played a couple of

It also features an intelligent

the touch; and ROG-exclusive

the general Indian audience in

high-end games, it was an

thermal design that employs

Overstroke technology enables

awesome experience as the

multiple heat pipes and dual

earlier actuation and a longer

mind. n ramesh@mymobile.co.in

Performance

www.mymobileindia.com

can easily type faster without

march 2018 | 81

Tried & Tested

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BOSE Quiet Comfort 35 II Astonishingly Quiet and Comfortable to Caress into Music

“L

e Bose

with sheer elegance to provide

company as one of the best in

cancellation and wireless

QC 35

thrilling sound quality like

terms of providing astonishing

connectivity which is for sure

IIest un

experienced never before.

sound quality. One might

to buy some attention of those

beau

Bose has solely dedicated

find the products expensive

who prefers no disturbance

casque de musique” in French

itself in the field of sound

from the Bose but, there is

when it comes to listening

means the new “Bose QC 35

which has in return made the

no denying that it represents

music or watching video.

II is a beautiful headphone”,

top quality when it comes to

brilliantly designed

technology such as wireless and noise cancellation. This review of ours will shed some light on the new launch of the headphone from the company which is Bose QC 35 II.The Bose QC 35 II is the first headset to

Design Bose QC 35 II has the same design language which we saw in its one of the previous headphone QC25 from Bosewhich includes big ear cups lined with thin and soft padding and a slim headband. There is slight change as well, which is differentiating the new headset from the previous

feature both

one, is that it has metal ear

active noise

casings and a beautiful look which is giving the headset a premium look.

82 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

The company has kept in

manufactured from synthetic

mind the ease of access for the

protein leather which provides

users in terms of placement

a lighter feel.

of buttons. The new QC 35 II

The battery embedded in

has the power switch in the

the headset is undoubtedly

right ear casing which can be

powerful and lasts almost

pushed all the way to right

19-20 hours which we

to enable pairing mode with

found out while testing the

your devices. The headset also

pro-longevity of the battery.

makes you aware of the battery

The long battery life ensures

status as you turn on the

that you can enjoy long and

headset every time. The right

continuous hours of non-

ear casing is also sporting the

stop music which we really

volume controls, play/pause

appreciate and liked.

button, micro USB port for

The Acoustic Noise

charging, indicator lights for

Cancelling of the company

Bluetooth and battery, and the

continuously measures,

NFC chip. Moving on to the left

compares and reacts to outside

ear casing it has a socket for

noise, then cancels with the

a 2.5mm mini jack, and the

reverse frequency. The noise

cable provide with the headset

cancellation works perfectly as

is a 2.5mm to 3.5mm stereo

when tested in hustle bustle of

cable which can be connected

the daily metro crowd and even

to most smartphones and

when you are on road taking

audio players. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also

ride in auto the headset makes

a hardy carry case, airline

sure that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get to hear

adapter and a micro USB to

honks of other vehicles around.

USB-A cable included for

You can adjust your level of

charging.

noise cancelling between

Performance The new QC 35 II is made with

Tried & Tested

burntest

three levels to better fit your environment.

impact resistant materials,

Connectivity

glass filled nylon and corrosion

The new QC 35 II have the

The company has also

resistant stainless steel which

Google Assistant built right

designed free app that makes

than at the present time

provides the durability to the

into the headphones which

connecting and switching

there are only a few other

headset to last for long time.

means you have the benefit of

between devices easier than

headphones which can deliver

The rigid composition of the

playing music, receive texts,

ever. The app also provides the

the performance similar to that

body causes no feeling of

manage your daily tasks, and

feature of controlling the levels

of QC 35 II. The performance

discomfort as the headset is

get answers all with your voice.

of noise cancelling and with

is undoubtedly great in every

extra soft in case of ear casing

The driver in the headset also

every update of the app you get

aspect whether its battery life,

and head band and wrapped

features volume optimized EQ

new features, better integration

noise cancellation, volume

in Alcantara- the soft covering

which allows having fullness

and product updates.

optimized EQ, clear calls and,

material used in yachts and

and clarity for the music

high end automobiles which

regardless of how loud it gets.

Conclusion

provide comfort design for all

This feature helps in delivering

Overall the new QC 35 II

latest ANC wireless headphone

day listening without causing

consistent sound quality

is a bit costly at around Rs

WH-1000XM2 available at Rs

any stress on your ears. The

according to the demand if the

29,000 deal but, if you like

29,990. n

ear case covering cushions are

situation.

to enjoy great sound quality

www.mymobileindia.com

with noise free experience

many more. It directly fits into the competition with Sonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

haider@mymobile.co.in

march 2018 | 83

In Conversation

face to face

“We offer a unique all-inclusive solution for smartphone users to get proactive control over online privacy and security” India is poised to have the second highest number of smartphone users by 2018, in excess of 530 million users, resulting in a mobile first economy. The proliferation of apps and websites for our everyday needs also enables unknown third party vendors to track users and steal data weakening personal privacy and security. US-based tech firm Redmorph which entered India recently with the launch of a privacy and security app allows users to clearly visualize what is happening in the background behind apps, OS and websites in real time. Ramesh Kumar Raja talked to Abhay Edlabadkar, Founder and CEO, Redmorph, to know more about the solution it is offering, its marketing strategy for India and the security trends that will dominate 2018. Excerpts: Security of data is a matter of concern

in Hyderabad is constantly working on

as snooping over other apps, anti-phishing

in today’s app world. How is Redmorph

creating superior solutions and enhancing

prevention, GeoIP detection, etc.

helping in dealing with this challenge that is

features to counter data security threats.

The Redmorph Ultimate Privacy

looming large across the world? No doubt,

With ongoing R&D efforts and offering

Solution allows users to control and protect

the security of data challenge is huge.

solutions not only to the consumer but

their privacy and security online. The app

Redmorph has spent over four years on

also the enterprises, Redmorph is trying to

allows users to clearly visualize what is

research and developed a comprehensive

help deal with the challenge of data theft

happening in the background behind apps,

and robust solution to protect user’s data

and misuse. Our partnership with Carnegie

OS & websites in real time. The product

and privacy. Our development centre

Mellon University CyLab brings to the table

is equipped with algorithms to audit all

the preeminent university focused on cyber

system, OEM and user apps to determine

security research as well as US CERT and

and minimize risks. With behavioral and

its understanding of the mobile privacy &

predictive analysis, it uses contextual

security domain.

logic to identify and block suspicious or malicious apps. The solution, monitors

What is the USP of your recently-launched

background behavior and proactively

cyber security solution in India? How does

identifies and prevents Trojans or infected

it work in making a smartphone secure

apps from spying on banking, email,

from malicious apps? The Redmorph app

social and other critical apps. Equipped

offers a unique all-inclusive solution for

with daily tracker and app definitions

smartphone users to get proactive control

updates, the app ensures full protection

over online privacy and security. It is the

from threatening behavior from apps on

only available End Point solution i.e.,

the customer’s phone.

solution that resides on the mobile

48 | february 2018

and contains a preconfigured firewall

How has been the initial response? How many

for all network activity, behavioral

installs your security app has seen till date

algorithms to prevent suspicious

and what are your expectations from Indian

behavior by apps in the

smartphone users? The initial response

background such

has been very encouraging. Downloads

MYMOBILE

are seeing traction and we also have some

about it is an opportunity that Redmorph

large enterprises showing great interest in

recognises. Redmorph aspires to be not just

our mission and our technology. India is

a new entrant but offer the absolute and

Are you looking for collaborations/ partnerships

poised to have the second highest number

most secure offering.

with any company or government agency in

is complex and so is the issue.

of smartphone users by 2018, in excess of

We believe that our solution is very

India? Yes, we are in talks currently and

530million consumers, resulting in a mobile

comprehensive and tackles the problem

are optimistic about the responses we are

first economy. The proliferation of apps

receiving. We have tied up with ICICI Bank

and websites for our everyday needs also

and they are offering our solution to their

customers on discounted offers. “While anti-virus solutions look for known malware, personal privacy and security. We Being a cybersecurity expert, can you Redmorph solution due to its advanced believe that very soon, this issue please tell us what security trends will of privacy and security will dominate the market in 2018? The algorithms and behavioral understanding gain traction and smartphone year 2017 had the largest recorded of various apps can control unknown apps users will recognise this incidents of cybersecurity threats and thus secure the user. Redmorph is using threat as something that and exploits (CTE) globally. concerns them. Adoption of Within this Android remains the AI/ML to crawl behind app and security and privacy solutions most targeted platform by far as it web ecosystems to analyze and create will become important. is the global leader in devices sold Redmorph’s consumer solution (over 75%). 2018 is shaping up to rules and definitions that are then was recognized by The New York break the 2017 CTE records. updated daily on the user’s Times as the most effective at blocking Cyberespionage and threats incidents device” trackers and was awarded as a finalist in will increase and targeting enterprises, enables unknown third party vendors to track users and steal data weakening

the 2017 SXSW Innovation Awards.

In Conversation

face to face

employees and defence forces. From a mobile device perspective, ransomware

Since you offer solutions for android

of both security and privacy. While anti-

& other malware will remain prevalent in

smartphones only, when can we see your

virus solutions look for known malware,

2018. With the growth of IoT, hackers will

products coming on the iOS platform? Our

Redmorph solution due to its advanced

be targeting these systems even more due

iOS solution is already available on the App

algorithms and behavioral understanding

to their weak security. It has become easier

Store. We are in the process of releasing our

of various apps can control unknown apps

to launch coordinated botnets and create

solution for Win, Mac and IoT hubs. We are

and thus secure the user. Redmorph is

Dyn DDoS attacks such as the one in 2016

constantly engaged in R&D to better our

using AI/ML to crawl behind app and web

that shut down the internet in major parts

solutions so that we remain up to date with

ecosystems to analyze and create rules and

of the US.

the ever changing dynamics of the world of

definitions that are then updated daily on

security and privacy threats.

the user’s device.

Users will also be subject to more spam, phishing and the use of social engineering with inconsistent pricing or misleading news

What is your strategy to market your products

Although India is on the cusp of becoming a

content micro-targeting and reinforcing the

in India which is already dominated by cyber

mobile-first economy, most of the people are

bias confirmation of each user uniquely.

security majors such as Quick Heal, McAfee,

unaware of the cyber threats. Do you think

Finally, targeting of specific financial,

Norton etc? Smartphone users nowadays

the Government of India is doing enough to

shopping, social media or bitcoin apps will

are increasingly becoming aware of cyber

spread its awareness? Yes, there is a lack

also see increasing incidents in 2018.On

security, which will further be amplified with

of awareness on this issue. But we cannot

the positive side, 2018 is shaping up to be

the presence of security players. People

ignore the fact that a change is happening

the year where people are finally becoming

are concerned about their personal and

for sure. The landmark announcement by

aware of internet privacy and security issues

family’s privacy and security online. They

the Supreme Court in mid-2017 upholding

and personal implications to them. The

want to be careful when they engage in an

the right to privacy comes at a time when

media is also putting a spotlight on this

e-commerce transaction, or operate their

there are debates and discussions regarding

issue along with industry and government

bank account/ transact online, or give their

issues on privacy. And this is a good thing.

organizations such as NASSCOM, leading

devices to their children. The appetite to

The government too is recognizing this and is

the way. n

recognise this problem and do something

working towards it. But yes, the environment

www.mymobileindia.com

ramesh@mymobile.co.in

march 2018 | 85

Trendz

industry insight

Real AI Deployment in Organizations Set to Gather Pace A Gartner study reveals nearly half of CIOs are planning to deploy artificial intelligence

eaningful artificial

target as low as possible,” says Mr Andrews.

to be at risk. In pursuing this way of

intelligence

(AI)

“Think of targets in the thousands or tens

thinking, organizations can miss out on

deployments are just

of thousands of dollars, understand what

real opportunities to use the technology

beginning to take place,

you’re trying to accomplish on a small

effectively. “We advise our clients that

according to Gartner, Inc. Gartner’s ‘2018

scale, and only then pursue more-dramatic

the most transformational benefits of AI

CIO Agenda Survey’ shows that four

benefits.”

in the near term will arise from using it to

percent of CIOs have implemented AI, while a further 46 percent have developed plans to do so.

enable employees to pursue higher-value 2. Focus on Augmenting People, Not Replacing Them:

activities,” adds Mr Andrews.

Big technological

Gartner predicts that by 2020, 20

“Despite huge levels of interest in AI

advances are often historically associated

percent of organizations will dedicate

technologies, current implementations

with a reduction in staff head count.

workers to monitoring and guiding neural

remain at quite low levels,” said Whit

While reducing labor costs is attractive to

networks.

Andrews, Research Vice President

business executives, it is likely to create

“Leave behind notions of vast teams of

and Distinguished Analyst at Gartner.

resistance from those whose jobs appear

infinitely duplicable ‘smart agents’ able to

“However, there is potential for strong growth as CIOs begin piloting AI programs through a combination of buy, build and outsource efforts.” As with most emerging or unfamiliar technologies, early adopters are facing many obstacles to the progress of AI in their organizations. Gartner analysts have identified the following four lessons that have emerged from these early AI projects. 1: Aim Low at First: “Don’t fall into the trap of primarily seeking hard outcomes, such as direct financial gains, with AI projects,” advises Mr Andrews. “In general, it’s best to start AI projects with a small scope and aim for ‘soft’ outcomes, such as process improvements, customer satisfaction or financial benchmarking.” Expect AI projects to produce, at best, lessons that will help with subsequent, larger experiments, pilots and implementations. In some organizations, a financial target will be a requirement to start the project. “In this situation, set the

86 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

execute tasks just like humans,” points out

how decisions are reached is built into

Mr Andrews. “It will be far more productive

any service agreement. “Whether an AI

to engage with workers on the front line.

system produces the right answer is not

Get them excited and engaged with the

the only concern,” observes Mr Andrews.

idea that AI-powered decision support can

“Executives need to understand why it

enhance and elevate the work they do every

is effective, and offer insights into its

day.”

reasoning when it’s not.”

3. Plan for Knowledge Transfer:

Although it may not always be possible

Conversations with Gartner clients reveal

to explain all the details of an advanced

that most organizations aren’t well-

analytical model, such as a deep neural

prepared for implementing AI. Specifically, they lack internal skills in data science and plan to rely to a high degree on external providers to fill the gap. Fifty-three percent of organizations in the CIO survey rated their own ability to mine and exploit data as “limited” - the lowest level. Gartner predicts that through 2022, 85 percent of AI projects will deliver erroneous outcomes due to bias in data, algorithms or the teams responsible for managing them. “Data is the fuel for AI, so organizations need to prepare now to store and manage

“Despite huge levels of interest in AI technologies, current implementations remain at quite low levels. However, there is potential for strong growth as CIOs begin piloting AI programs through a combination of buy, build and outsource efforts” – Whit Andrews, Research Vice President and Distinguished Analyst at Gartner even larger amounts of data for AI initiatives,” says Jim Hare, Research Vice President at Gartner. “Relying mostly on external suppliers for these skills is not

Trendz

industry insight

“Ensure that early AI projects help transfer knowledge from external experts to your employees, and build up your organization’s inhouse capabilities before moving on to large-scale projects” – Jim Hare, Research Vice President at Gartner

an ideal long-term solution. Therefore, ensure that early AI projects help transfer knowledge from external experts to your

network, it’s important to at least

employees, and build up your organization’s

offer some kind of visualization of

in-house capabilities before moving on to

the potential choices. In fact, in

large-scale projects.”

situations where decisions are subject

4. Choose Transparent AI Solutions:

to regulation and auditing, it may be a

AI projects will often involve software or

legal requirement to provide this kind of

systems from external service providers.

transparency. n

It’s important that some insight into

www.mymobileindia.com

team@mymobile.co.in

march 2018 | 87

Forecast

market insight

Mobile phones to drive global device market in 2018! But other devices to witness flat growth amid modest device growth forecast

orldwide shipments of

premium ultramobile market, where thin

Director at Gartner. “We will see more

devices - PCs, tablets

and light Apple and Microsoft Windows

buyers focusing on value, rather than just

and mobile phones are

10 devices are stimulating higher demand

price, and therefore considering higher-

on course to reach 2.32

points out the report.

priced devices.”

billion units in 2018, an increase of 2.1

“Consumers have many technologies

percent over 2017 when total shipments

to choose from, which poses two main

PC market to be flat in 2018

totaled 2.28 billion units in 2017,

challenges for vendors. The first is to

Gartner forecasts that shipments of

according to Gartner, Inc.

compete for wallet share, given how many

traditional PCs will decline by 5.4 percent

Two markets will drive overall growth

devices consumers own. The second is

in 2018 (see Table), with notebooks

in device shipments in 2018. First is the

to deliver value and maintain relevance

showing the steepest decline (6.8 percent).

mobile phone market, led by the high-

— to offer the right device to the right

The premium ultramobile market will be

end smartphone segment. Second is the

audience,” says Ranjit Atwal, Research

the only PC segment to achieve growth in

88 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

Forecast

marketinsight Worldwide Device Shipments by Device Type, 2016-2019 (Millions of Units) Device Type

2016

2017

2018

2019

220

204

193

187

Total PC Market

270

262

264

267

Ultramobiles (Basic and Utility)

169

160

159

156

Computing Device Market

439

423

Mobile Phones

1,893

1,855

1,903

1,924

Total Device Market

2,332

2,278

2,326

2,347

Traditional PCs (Desk- Based and Notebook) Ultramobiles (Premium)

Source : Gartner (January 2018)

2018, without which the overall PC market

than the market average in 2018, with

would decline.

the launch of new models fueling stronger

“DRAM costs have doubled since June 2016, and PC providers have increased PC

replacement cycles,” says Roberta Cozza, Research Director at Gartner.

prices since the first half of 2017,” adds

In 2018, smartphone vendors will

Atwal. “This trend is likely to continue into

focus on delivering more compelling

2018, until DRAM cost trends reverse.”

personalized experiences, via on-device

By 2021, 9 percent of smartphones sold will support 5G Gartner forecasts that mobile phone shipments will increase by 2.6 percent in 2018, with the total amounting to 1.9 billion units. In 2018, smartphone sales will grow by 6.2 percent, to represent 87 percent of mobile phone sales. “We expect Apple smartphone sales to grow by more

(AI), virtual personal assistants and more natural user interfaces, but also through biometrics and further enhancements to display and camera features. We expect to see some of these unveiled at Mobile World

“In 2018, smartphone vendors will focus on delivering more compelling personalized experiences, via ondevice (AI), virtual personal assistants and more natural user interfaces” – Roberta Cozza, Research Director at Gartner Congress 2018 in Barcelona. 5G phones will reach the market in 2019, when rollouts of 5G networks will start in select countries, such as the U.S. and South Korea. “We predict that, by 2021, 9 percent of smartphones sold will support 5G,” says Cozza. “Overall, 5G will be a significant driver of video and streaming services, as it will bring faster uplinks and support new AI applications.” n team@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

march 2018 | 89

In Conversation

face to face

“With Instappy, the entire process of building an app can be completed in just four easy steps”

Apps are becoming an integral part of business and services these days, so much so that they are said to be the new business offices of 2018. Thanks to cloud-based platform like Instappy which allows users to build intuitive, stunning and fully native applications for iOS and Android instantly. Interestingly, there is neither heavy investment of time nor money that put you off whenever you thought of building an app. Ramesh Kumar Raja caught up with Ambika Sharma, Founder & MD, Instappy, to understand how easy it is to build an app and what is the monetization model of Instappy to be a leader in the market. Excerpts: Instappy has brought a sort of revolution by providing a platform

What-You-Get) editor. The WSIWYG editor gives anyone with no

in building apps. But how is it different from others engaged in the

knowledge of coding and mobile app development processes the

app-building business? Instappy has been able to do what it did

ability to build an application exactly how they want it with quick

because it was different. The biggest differentiator of the platform

and easy drags, drops, and customizations. The entire process of

is that it provides state-of-the-art, business-centric features such

building an app can be completed in four easy steps.

as Augmented Reality, 360 degree videos, and real-time chats,

Instappy also enables its users to add unlimited screens, do

as these features help meet an application’s original purpose by

unlimited customization, leverage marketing tools, feature rich

increasing the overall engagement. They, moreover, add a certain

content, integrate a range of APIs, and get access to real-time data

degree of quality to the platform’s WSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-

analytics and stats such as customer locations, and demographics,

90 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

amongst others. Cutting the long story short, Instappy offers a comprehensive package for app building to its customers with prices that are as low as Rs 3,200 per month. Starting a business has its own set of challenges in getting a product noticed. What were the pain points in dealing with the people to make them understand the whole concept of app building? We launched the platform back in 2015 when digital awareness was relatively much lower. Our primary pain point was to make businesses understand the need to develop a smartphone application as well as its direct and indirect impact on the business. This was still just the tip of the iceberg. Our constant and most

and services that Instappy offers to its

our target audience. We offer an array of

customers, anyone with specific needs,

solutions based on shopping, content,

for instance gaming applications, can even

and enterprise purposes covered by wide-

hire our multi award-winning professional

ranging categories such as shopping and

experts for greater customization. Instappy

m-store, business and service, creative

also leverages the reselling route as part of

and arts, hotels and cafes, and blog and

its monetization strategy.

publishing. The customer response has been quite

painstaking endeavor was to build as many use cases as we could in

“Our primary pain order to meet comprehensive point was to make businesses set of requirements that businesses often have. understand the need to develop a We also increased the smartphone application as well as its number of supported direct and indirect impact on the business. languages to more than one hundred, This was still just the tip of the iceberg. Our which includes constant and most painstaking endeavor several regional was to build as many use cases as we languages as well, enabling businesses of could in order to meet comprehensive all shapes and sizes and set of requirements that geographical locations to businesses often have” join the digital bandwagon. Our hardwork was eventually rewarded ‘Best App Award’ by IDMA, and ECHO

fascinating and we constantly feature our customer’s testimonials on our website. You have already forayed into some other continents? Do you wish to make it even more global? If yes, what are your plans to extend Instappy’s reach? The best thing about digital domain is that it is not restricted by the geographical boundaries that otherwise separate us. So, whether it is a bakery in England’s Portsmouth or a café in New Mexico, an artist in Canada or a local marketing firm in the US that needs MIS reporting, everyone that needs to meet their specific requirement through an application is already our prospective customer. n

with multiple awards including Maddy’s, Awards.

In Conversation

face to face

Who are your target customers/subscribers and what have been their responses? Anyone looking to develop applications that are both

What is your monetization model? We are

visually stunning and easy to build, that

driven by a subscription-based model

aren’t entangled in the developer’s jargons

that enables our users to subscribe to

to demand more money or time, and most

our app-building and hosting services

importantly, anyone looking to develop an

on a monthly or yearly basis. Despite

application that is highly functional despite

the comprehensive set of features

being easy on the pocket – that’s precisely

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ramesh@mymobile.co.in

march 2018 | 91

In Conversation

face to face

“Oath is redefining the future of video programming and advertising” Yahoo and AOL are now combined under Verizon to form Oath and Gurmit Singh, VP & MD, Yahoo India is overseeing and providing the new direction to Oath’s business in India. Oath also happens to be an umbrella brand for some well known digital brands such as HuffPost, Netscape, TechCrunch, Yahoo!, Flickr, Tumblr, Flurry and many more. Nonetheless, it’s a challenging environment in which Oath has to make a mark. Vanshika Malhotra talked to Gurmit Singh to find out about the digital major’s challenges, opportunities and its strategy! How do you see the digital advertising trend

tech built specifically for mobile.

on mobile and video and continue to grow

in India and where would you place Oath and

The biggest change with Yahoo

its various brands within this canvas? Digital

becoming a part of Oath is that the portfolio

With killer mobile content across

has gained huge ground with marketers

has now become a larger footprint. With

categories like news, finance, sports, and

in India, and is expected to grow by 12.5

AOL integrated within Oath, the combined

lifestyle and with one of largest mobile

per cent in 2018, according to Industry

brands reach one billion people around the

companies in the world, Verizon, as our

reports. With the increasing demand for

world.

parent company, we’re aiming to put our

our partnerships.

cross-screen experiences from Internet

Our portfolio now comprises of

users and availability of high-speed

dynamic media and technology brands

networks at a lower cost, mobile marketing

including HuffPost, RYOT Studio,

What are the service/product offerings

is a huge opportunity in India.

Yahoo Cricket, Tumblr, Yahoo Finance,

you have which could be especially useful

At Oath, we’re building the best mobile

Brightroll, Flurry, and Gemini to name a

for Indian companies/brands or general

experiences for consumers and clients

few. Together our focus is to build deep

consumers? Oath is a house of 50+ media

across the globe with mobile content,

consumer experiences with our existing

and technology brands. We have brands

trusted mobile data that performs and ad

brands, launch new products and services

that tell real stories (HuffPost, Yahoo

92 | march 2018

brands on every mobile screen.

MYMOBILE

face to face

In Conversation

News, and Yahoo Cricket) and brands that deliver them (BrightRoll, RYOT Studio). We believe that the platform shift to mobile in India is a very strong opportunity for us, and we are invested in making the Oath brand more deeply engaged with the younger audience. We understand our users and build products which they would love. Our focus is to get mobile-first products and deliver not just apps, but inspiring mobile experiences for our users. In India, we refreshed the Yahoo Cricket app in Q4 last year to deliver the best consumer experience. With a refreshed design, lightning fast scores, rich content and unique ‘Moments you missed’ and ‘Ball in Play’ features, the app is the one-stop destination for cricket lovers to not just follow but enjoy the game. In less than four months of the refresh, the app has touched 1 million downloads on android, with an

“With killer mobile content across categories like news, finance, sports, and lifestyle and with one of largest mobile companies in the world, Verizon, as our parent company, we’re aiming to put our brands on every mobile screen”

average rating of 4.9 on play store. As of last week, the cricket app is now available in six other markets namely South Africa, UAE, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and Bangladesh. We have also introduced Native Ads on both android & iOS. Our powerful news brand, HuffPost has a local edition in India. From gender to politics and lifestyle to entertainment, HuffPost India focuses on the range of issues that audiences in India care about most. Globally, HuffPost engages with an average of 170 million monthly readers – nearly 60%of HuffPost’s audience is outside the United States. Huffpost was

ranked as the No 1 publisher on Facebook

format consumption rise to the next level

in 2017.

— whether it’s VR, AR, MR, AI, vertical

With regular updates we offer

video or any other premium content.

personalization across our core properties,

Keeping that in mind, we recently

offering a better way to consume, engage

launched RYOT Studio, a next-generation

and discover the quality of content that

creative studio offering a premium end-

people come to expect. Our recent

to-end content marketing solution that

revamp of Yahoo India homepage along

brings brands’ stories to life. It is fueled

with updates to Yahoo Finance and Yahoo

by rich customer data, scaled distribution,

Lifestyle for India market was our way of

premium publishing and award-winning

offering a refreshed and unified experience

creative expertise.

to our users.

Our mobile brands are trusted brands,

And as we launch new experiences and

from breaking news on HuffPost to the

products on mobile, we’re also reinventing

latest scores on Yahoo Cricket. We’re

the ad experiences with a mobile-

committed to creating trusted content

first ethos. If 2016 was

for our users, along with brand-safe

the year of VR and

environments for our partners.

360-video, and 2017 was the

What is OATH’s strategy to compete with

year of AR,

competitors like Facebook and Google? Oath

then 2018

is a digital and mobile company driving the

will truly

global consumer brand space. We combine

be the year

powerful technology, trusted content and

see

differentiated data like no other - this is our

immersive

differentiator from key competitors. We

march 2018 | 93

In Conversation

face to face

“Our strategy is to put our amazing brands on every screen in the world. And to get there, we’ll build deep consumer experiences, keep launching new products and services, and continue to grow our partnerships in ways that consumers see and feel” now have the scale we need to compete. Our strategy is to put our amazing brands on every screen in the world. And

advertisers, differentiated through mobile-

as RYOT, we are building deep consumer

first investments and first-party data

experiences in this space – for instance,

activation.

RYOT offers editorial partnerships that tap

to get there, we’ll build deep consumer

into the world of immersive video to keep

experiences, keep launching new products

What are the opportunities that you seek in

people informed, and have even landed

and services, and continue to grow our

the video space? Worldwide, mobile video

major award nominations while doing so.

partnerships in ways that consumers see

has witnessed the biggest growth in digital

We believe in creating compelling

and feel.

advertising this year and this shows no sign

content that attracts premium advertisers

of abating. The explosive growth of digital

and providing access to programmatic

What is your growth strategy for Oath? What

video is of no surprise to us in India, as the

video advertising. Our focus is therefore on

does the road ahead look like for 2018?

medium spreads seamlessly across screens

building our existing foundation of video

Oath’s strategy is to build brands one billion

and devices but what no one fathomed was

delivery such as Gemini Video which allows

users around the world love, and India is

how quickly mobile has challenged desktop

advertisers to exploit video advertising on

one of our key markets. One of our goals

as the primary choice for video viewing.

native while improving reliability and

is to reach 2 billion users by 2020 and

A global research study which states

performance and launching new products

with over 450 million Internet users and

consumers making digital video a habit

to deliver high quality, personalized video

counting, we foresee many of our new users

– 92% watch videos online every day and

experiences online. Our focus will continue

coming from India.

88% watch more video now than they did

to remain in this space. n

There is an infinite amount of potential

a year ago.

for our products, members and partners.

Oath is redefining the future of video

We’re engineering a unified ad tech stack

programming and advertising. With video

that’s built for mobile to maximize results

at the forefront of internet consumption

for our partners across screens and formats

we are ensuring that consumers are able

including native, display, search, video and

to access video – through superior tech

more.

stacks, innovative and emerging new

In 2018, we will roll out our new

ways to experience video and engaging,

platform globally as well as for the Indian

profitable content. With our brands such

94 | march 2018

vanshika@mymobile.co.in

MYMOBILE

Trendz

Consumer insight

Video Ads Are The New Favourite 40% of Indians prefer video ads on mobile phones, reveals an extensive survey by MoMagic Technologies

significant 40% of the 35,000

In an extensive survey based research

than abrupt banner ads. This trend

people surveyed in a report

conducted by leading mobile ad tech

creates deep lasting impact (i.e. a

by MoMagic Technologies

and data analytics company, MoMagic,

purchase) and is set to continue through 2018-2019.

said that they prefer to watch

the survey indicated image-based text

videos as form of advertisement on mobile

ads were at 24% followed by diminishing

phones over other mediums as falling

text messages at 11%.

4G data prices are pushing Indians to consume more video content.

96 | march 2018

The consumer trends in the mobile ad tech segment showed exciting and

Consumers have displayed increased

surprising trends. The survey also

interest in content rich storytelling rather

indicated that 60% of the respondents

MYMOBILE

Trendz

Consumer insight

Video content remains the most favoured among respondents indicating the rising popularity of videos across marketing domains

owned more than one mobile phone

expensive than text ads as they generally

suggesting different phones for home and

lead to better storytelling and effectively

office use.

delivering a much better lead conversion

“Mobile ad spend is growing at a rapid

rates for advertisers.

pace in India as it grew at staggering rate of

Most of the mobile advertisements are

over 80% in 2017. What we are witnessing

viewed while playing mobile games and

is an increasing migration of video

watching videos on platforms such as

consumption including video ads by users

YouTube. Over 28% of the respondents

in tier 1-2 cities because of economical 4G

watch mobile ads for winning credits in

data plans in a highly competitive mobile

games, followed by ads while shopping

operators market which is pushing costs

online at 25.5%.

and inversely offering higher data limit

As mobile has become an eternal

packages,” points out Arun Gupta, CEO

part of today’s tech savvy generation,

and Founder, MoMagic Technologies.

from teenagers to septuagenarian and

Mobile video advertisements are more

octogenarians, survey showed an unusual

“What we are witnessing is an increasing migration of video consumption including video ads by users in tier 1-2 cities because of economical 4G data plans in a highly competitive mobile operators market which is pushing costs and inversely offering higher data limit packages” – Arun Gupta, CEO & Founder, MoMagic Technologies trend that 37% of the people view their mobile phones over 6 times in an hour due to high level of addiction fuelled by internet related activities such as social media and online videos etc. This has led to rapid consumption of mobile ads as 56% of the respondents see these ads at least 2-3 times in a day. This is already leading to over 60% digital ad spend to come from mobile platform. n team@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

march 2018 | 97

In Conversation

face to face

“Xploree does all the text analysis on any device and ensures user’s privacy” KeyPoint Technologies has emerged as a global leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI), natural language processing, machine learning and building human-machine interfaces. Its products - Xploree +Adaptxt - have been installed on over 100 million devices and are helping users to type in 140 plus languages that includes 28 Indic languages. Nijhum Rudra spoke to Nutan ChokkaReddy, CEO, KeyPoint Technologies, about the various challenges in implementing a successful AI, ML and NLP solutions and how it is making a progress in emerging economies like India. Please give an overview of KeyPoint

comes from these offerings.

Technologies. What is your key value proposition and what is the business model?

What are some of the biggest challenges

The latest feather in the hat for us is their

in implementing a successful AI, ML and

product, Xploree AI Keyboard, the first

NLP solution to predict what humans want

mobile keyboard in the world that doubles

and how is KeyPoint addressing the same?

up as a discovery platform. Powered by AI,

The main challenges that one faces, with

the keyboard allows users to receive relevant

regards to context, while applying AI, ML

suggestions and content (discoveries) while

& NLP are accuracy, speed, and nature

they chat, browse apps, etc.

of predictions. What also comes as a

XploreeAI Keyboard is currently on

challenge here is usage of such complex

more than 17 million devices and the

technologies which involves stretching

revenue is driven from the engagement

the limits of the device resources. This

on the discoveries presented,

results in the app becoming slow and

when the user expresses the

not responsive to the user’s liking, which

need. Our Language SDK

will ultimately lead to quick uninstalls. In

(with intent detection

addition, privacy these days has become

capability) is being used

a major concern since people perform

by partners across the

personal activities mostly on their mobile

globe in their products,

phones. People are very sensitive to the

with great success.

data that is being put on the network,

We are one of the

particularly when they do not know what it

biggest providers of

is being used for.

localization services

For Xploree, we rely heavily on machine

and offer other high

learning and sentiment modeling to churn

quality services in the

different intents and expressions among

language technology

zillions of text strings. To make the task

space. A significant

simpler, we built lightweight NLP/NLU

portion of our revenue

(natural language processing and natural language understanding) that sits on the user device and does the analysis within the device, ensuring user privacy.

48 | february 2018

MYMOBILE

How do you see AI/ML/NLP making a progress in a developing country like India? What is the current market size / potential? Compared to AI leaders in the Silicon Valley and China, India is a laggard but gradually things are changing and the last couple of years have seen waves of start-ups and MNC’s taking up the challenge of building AI/

“Overall, AI virtually any industry. Some of the key market is expected to be that it will impact in the worth USD 16.06 Billion by 2022, verticals next 5 years can be transportation, growing at a CAGR of 62.9% from retail, IoT and healthcare. All these technologies will require 2016 to 2022. AI/NLP will not just to understand the human bring benefits for the B2B industry, language to provide the best possible experience to the but will also bring exponential users. benefits and enhanced user What are the biggest differentiators experiences for of KeyPoint? With Xploree, KeyPoint Technologies has taken a step further consumers” NLP products. According to the latest market research report, the overall artificial intelligence market is expected to be worth USD 16.06 Billion by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 62.9% from 2016 to 2022. AI/ NLP will not just bring benefits for the B2B industry, but will also bring exponential benefits and enhanced user experiences for consumers. What are the current trends in this space? How will you leverage this in the next five years? Internet companies are tapping machine learning techniques for a range of uses—to recommend products and services, give real time updates and recommendations; healthcare uses AI to help hospitals make speedy and accurate reports and medical diagnoses, saving lives; fin-tech to improvise business models, processes, optimise costs, risks, and enhance user experience; retail to build recommendation engines, so on and so forth. Basically, AI is everywhere! Artificial intelligence and machine learning have the potential to disrupt

www.mymobileindia.com

setting new benchmarks in consumer engagement and experience. What is the core business strategy for your products? With Xploree AI Keyboard, the strategy involves finding the most appropriate content for user when the need

In Conversation

face to face

is expressed, (through the partnerships we have with brands and content players) so that the user engages with the content and in turn contributes to the revenue. The language technology that we have built

to augment predictions: not just that of

over the years is offered as an SDK and we

words but intent. The keyboard works with

have structured various licensing models to

all devices, (across all apps, in virtually

suit the needs of our partners. Our products

any language, based on unique individual

can be customized to meet the needs of

history, personality, interests and behaviour),

any application or platform that requires

connecting people to content, products,

language technology support. Some of the

services and solutions, almost faster than

examples that could leverage our technology

ideas can actually lead to words, that too in

would be virtual assistants, domain specific

their moment of need!

chatbots, custom keyboards, etc.

Apart from intent prediction and discoveries, Xploree is one of the very few

What is your roadmap for 2018? Given

products that does all the text analysis on

our expertise in linguistics and machine

the device and thus ensures user’s privacy,

learning, we are indeed looking at an

adhering to the EULA (end-user license

attractive opportunity ahead of us. We

agreement) rules.

plan to take Xploree platform, including the Xploree AI Keyboard and ‘Search &

What has been the response for Xploree so

Discovery’ platform, to the global audience

far - consumers and businesses? Xploree is

by the end of 2018. n

currently delighting users on 17 million devices with over 30 OEMs and brand partners. Both consumers and businesses alike haven’t yet seen such a unique product in the industry which is why the acceptance is challenging as well as rewarding. By creating serendipitous discovery experiences for users in the mobile moment, Xploree is

nijhum@mymobile.co.in

march 2018 | 99

In Conversation

face to face

“We are focusing on having our own inhouse PCBA manufacturing unit” HGD or Hong Guang De Technology India Private Limited is a major supplier of chargers to various OEMs like Intex, Lava, Micromax, itel, Swipe and many more and are trusted world over for their stringent quality tests and checks at the same time mulling options to start making adaptors for laptop, LCD TVs, set-top boxes and car chargers. Fu Zanchen, Director of HGD Group, the parent company, shared the company’s future plan with My Mobile. Excerpts:

What would be the HGD future lineups and

contacts with more and more smartphone

in India, prices will be much lower than

the association with the OEMs in 2018?

companies.

the current price. Team H.G.D is always

H.G.D future lineups, we will be providing

committed to provide competitive price

adaptors for laptop, LCD TVs, set-top boxes

What would be the effects of proposed hike in

and car chargers. In association with the

Import Duty of 20% on the components for HGD

OEMs we are looking to join hands with

and its overall effectiveness on the cost to the

What all are the stages through which your

Panasonic, LYF, Comio and Xiaomi. Our

consumers? Temporarily we are increasing

products undergo testing before going

marketing team is always keen to grow our

our price but after our own PCBA factory

commercial? Our management and quality

100 | march 2018

and best quality chargers in the market.

MYMOBILE

face to face

In Conversation

team is committed to provide best quality chargers to our customers , the chargers which we provide passes through many quality checks like IQC Test , PQC Test ,BURN Test , HI POT Test ,FUNCTION Test , OQC Test . Not a single dysfunctional charger can pass through the eagle eye of our management team. Our well efficient skilled, workforce, Quality department and motivated marketing team always keepa check on the products reaching our customers. That is the main reason we are becoming the first preference of more and more top smartphone companies. HGD India has not come up with the wireless chargers/pads till now. Is that because your vendors do not want them or something else? We already have wireless charger segment being produced in China, as we produce chargers in large quantity there is not that level of demand among our customers in India for wireless charger as of now. But our marketing team is already analyzing the market needs and we are planning for further requirments. Could you brief us about the major OEMs for which HGD does manufacturing? We don’t categorize our customers as big or small for us all our customers are of top priority for

“Very soon we will be knocking the market with our new product lines. In our next phase, we will be providing adaptors for laptop, LCD TVs, set-top boxes and car chargers”

us , but as you asked our major production goes for our major clients like Intex, Lava

knocking the market with our new product

How will this industry behave in 2018 and what would be the new technological

, Micromax, Celkon, iVOOMi , Blapunkt,

lines. In our next phase, we will be providing

Lemon, i-Smart, Swipe, InFocus, and

adaptors for laptop, LCD TVs, set-top boxes

advancements to meet the needs of it? A

many more . All our clients are equally

and car chargers. We already have CCTV

huge demand of wireless chargers is

important to us.

adaptors in China, which we will bring into

emerging in market and we are looking

The electric supply in India varies a lot

the Indian market in the second half of

for 2018 to capture a biggest market

from place to place and the chargers are not

2018. We will increase the width and also

segment of wireless chargers by providing

able to withstand the fluctuation in voltage.

the depth of our product portfolio in 2018

wireless chargers to mobile companies

How will you address this issue?

and 2019.

which are already manufacturing wireless

All our chargers pass through charging

mobiles and for the new mobile companies

test for multiple hours on different electric

How will the Investment flows into India

which are manufacturing wireless

conditions. We are committed to provide

in 2018 and which are the key areas

charge enabled phones.We lay special

durable products to our clients, this is the

HGD needs to focus on? After the new

emphasis on motivating and improving

reason we are growing & gaining trust of

tax policies of the government, we are

our human resources, so that the

existing and new customers day by day.

mainly focusing in having our own in

individual goals as well as corporate

house PCBA manufacturing unit. All our

goals are achieved simultaneously in a

Would you wish to start few more verticals

customers will have huge benefits from this

other than chargers? Very soon we will be

decision.

harmonious manner. n team@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

march 2018 | 101

In Conversation

face to face

“We are a complete technology package for hotels” Founded back in 2011 by the trio of Anil Kumar Prassanna, Ravi Taneja and Leema Rosali – all hospitality industry professionals – AxisRooms has been a pioneer in providing digital solutions to hospitality industry for more effective and real-time deployment of its inventory through its proprietary and customized solutions. The acclaimed solution provider is now at the next stage of vertical and horizontal expansion. MyMobile interacted with Anil Kumar Prassanna, Founder and CEO of AxisRooms to deliberate on its future plans and growth strategy! What was the inspiration and reasons for

allocations to make real time booking. We

hotels, they do not have look at multiple

starting AxisRooms? How would you evaluate

know this would not be a scalable method

systems to manage their business.

your journey till date? Most of the cofounders

and hotels had a very limited and minute

• Channel Manager - It handles

are from OTA / Travel background, we

contribution from online travel which was

the inventory and pricing to OTA

were all good at contracting & Hotel

less than 5% of total occupancy. There

distribution.

relationships, when we actually went

were GDS systems but focus was not in

• Booking Engine - Ecommerce app

out for contracting we used come across

Hotel Distribution and a very complex and

for managing direct hotel bookings

with common complexity was allocation,

obsolete systems. We decided to create

on hotels own website. Now we have

though it was early beginning of hotel

a layer of application between hotels and

expanded this offer to OTA’s too, very

business on OTA, everyone was looking for

OTA which we formalized to name is as

scalable and instant booking platform

AxisRooms.

for OTA for setting up a hotel online

There were two inspirations, one is to make

platform.

something really big in hotel tech space

• CRS - Central Repository to manage all

and second thing was fear of missing out

reservations it has also the capability

an opportunity to create a product we

to manage front office functions like

created in AxisRooms.

check in / out, invoices, payment &

I would rate it well, except few hiccups

reporting.

as most of the large investors /

• Alternative Distribution - One of the

VC’s shied away on SAAS / B2B

USP’s of AxisRooms, we have an

investments and on the other hand we

ability to distribute and automate the

also got an opportunity and confidence

reservations for offline travel agents

from seedfund. We are market leaders

or corporate too.

today in India and we would replicate the same business success soon in Asia.

• Rate Shopper - Competition Hotel Pricing Analysis & Data • Revenue Management System: Hotel

What is AxisRooms’s USPs which

Price optimization based on demand,

places it above competition –

occupancy, competition, events &

the key differentiators?

festivals.

We are a complete

All in one package none of our competition

technology

has it, and all our platforms are well

package for

integrated, usually a fully functional

MYMOBILE

hotel need to go with various companies tech solutions to make this a complete bundle. We have everything one Single Platform. Could you enlighten us about your funding and revenue model? We have raised two rounds of funding till now; we have hybrid revenue a mix of transactions & monthly

“We are market leaders today in India and we would replicate the same business success soon in Asia”

expansion to the long tail market like home stays, villas, bed & breakfast as the next level of expansion. We are also completing our integration with Opera which will also bring an opportunity to get branded 5 star hotels distribution on AxisRooms. Despite the enthusiasm and high

subscription fees. We are witnessing very high decibel and capital intensive promotions by some platforms similar to yours? How do you plan to respond to such aggressive promotional strategies? What all is going to be part of your future strategy to gain further mindshare and business pie? We are not affected entrepreneurial spirits, the India start-up “Our AI enabled story is still not a very satisfying one. In Revenue Management we do not contribute directly. Only this scenario, how confident are you of System has lot of capability to one suggestion I have to my hotel making a success? Entrepreneurs partners is to have a distribution still do not have a good backing crunch the numbers and take an mix, they should not depend on a of investors, it was ecommerce informed decision on pricing, yield single OTA for business. Do not put years back, followed by food etc. We also have come up with all eggs in one basket. tech and now it is AI & Machine These promotions are for Learning, Fintech etc. It is mostly Vacation Rental System and we short term and hope it will end a herd mentality by investors. And are looking at expansion to some day, but hotels have to make a business are valued still on the basis the long tail market” direct business strategy on website and of education viz IIM / IIT’s, not the from capital intensive promotions, as we are enabler to hotel bookings and

consider this time for developing their

actual revenue & profits. We do not

strategies and effectiveness to achieve this.

have enough investors backing growth dynamic with the number of hotels

stage. I had seen years back of 10K

80% of customers who book visit

we cover we can minimize their time

crores for start up from our Government

their website at least once before their

for bringing this online. And it is good

and I still do not see that being helpful

bookings, so are you holding them to do

for hotels to have another potential

to our entrepreneurs like Singapore

the transaction or letting them do it on

distribution channel, we have partnered

Governments fund for start ups.

OTA is hotels strategy.

quite a few from beginning usually only

Coming to AxisRooms, we will continue

handful number of this new players

to grow and we have done mistakes in

sustain in long run.

past and we have corrected our path.

Many established air-travel sites have now expanded their bouquet to offering

Learning for us is a continuous process.

accommodation/hospitality solutions?

What kind of service or business vertical

Success is a moving target, what we have

And they have deep pockets. Does it in

expansion can we expect from your stable?

achieved till today is also a success. We

any way challenges your standing

Our AI enabled Revenue Management

have gone through many pitfalls and we

or comfort level. Your comments/

System is new from us and it has lot of

have made a strong comeback. I can only

observations on this scenario please?

capability to crunch the numbers and take

say we are not content of the growth we

For us everything is an opportunity, we

an informed decision on pricing, yield

have achieved and still on the path to the

look at it as potential business partnership.

etc. We also have come up with Vacation

success. n

We have content, both static and

Rental System and we are looking at

www.mymobileindia.com

In Conversation

face to face

team@mymobile.co.in

march 2018 | 103

Great Deals

mobilesensex

bazaar bargain Blackberry KeyONE The Blackberry KeyONE comes with a 4.5-inch scratch resistant full HD display with 1080x1620 pixels resolution. Running Android 7.1 Nougat operating system, the smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor. It comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage which is expandable through a microSD card. The smartphone offers 12MP Sony IMX378 sensor, which is said to be the same as that in Google Pixel smartphones. The front of the device houses an 8MP shooter with 84-degree wide-angle lens and f/2.2 aperture. It is backed by a 3,505mAh nonremovable battery. n

Launched at: Rs 51,990 Current Price: Rs 45,999

HTC U11

Launched at: Rs 39,999 Current Price: Rs 35,999

104 | march 2018

The USP of HTC U11 is ‘squeezable’ side bezels. The flagship device features a 5.5-inch QHD display with 2560x1440 pixels resolution. The HTC U11 is also the first smartphone to come with support for three digital assistants. It comes with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and HTC’s own Sense Companion. It has octa-core Snapdragon 835 processor and is paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB onboard storage. It houses a 12MP UltraPixel rear camera and a 16MP front-shooter. It supports HTC’s trademark “Edge Sense” squeeze gesture. The device also incorporates HTC Boomsound-powered speaker and is backed by a 3,000mAh battery. n

MYMOBILE

Great Deals

mobilesensex

Nokia 8 Unveiled in September last year, the Nokiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flagship device sports an aluminum body and has a curved metal design with a front-mounted fingerprint scanner. It gets a 5.3-inch 2K display and is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core processor. The processor is further coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal memory which is expandable up to 256GB. Launched with Android 7.1.1 Nougat, the phone has now received Android 8.0 Oreo update in India. The smartphone houses 13MP dual rear cameras with a 13MP front camera. It packs a 3,090mAh battery and supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging technology. n

Launched at: Rs 29,999 Current Price: Rs 25,999

Huawei Honor 8 Pro The Honor 8 Pro comes with a 5.7-inch QHD IPS LCD multi touch display with a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels at a pixel density of 515 pixels per inch. The phone is powered by a 2.4 GHz Octa core Kirin 960 processor and it comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage which can be further expanded via a microSD card. It runs Android 7.0 OS and is powered by a 4,000mAh battery. The main camera is a 12 + 12MP shooter with Auto Focus, Face Detection, HDR, Panorama Mode, Geo-tagging, Touch Focus, Digital Zoom, and Video Recording. It also has a front camera capable of shooting 8MP selfies. n team@mymobile.co.in Launched at: Rs 36,999 Current Price: Rs 28,999

www.mymobileindia.com

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

march 2018 | 105

Offbeat

Event

Convergence India 2018 This year’s edition of the big tech show promises to be bigger and better exhibitors and 200+

MSO’s, D2h players, digital marketers,

speakers participating

content producers, telco’s, middleware

in 40 technical

and many more at one single platform.

sessions will make it

The co-located 2nd Internet of Things

India’s leading event

India expo 2018 will encompass IoT

on communications,

innovations in the field of smart cities,

broadcast, IT and

wearables, design applications, enablers,

industrial IoT, data analytics and many other disruptive technologies for enterprises. Since, IoT is the next wave of the

revolution, the he 26th edition of Convergence

event will attract

India 2018 expo will take place at the Pragati Maidan,

dignitaries from technologies.

Government, businesses and consumers,

New Delhi during 07 – 09

The concurrent conference on all three

industry sectors including automation,

March 2018. The expo will highlight

days will deliberate on Government’s vision

manufacturing, agriculture, automotive,

cutting edge converging technologies of

of Digital India where dignitaries from the

consumer electronics, energy and

Telecom, Broadcast & Digital Media.

Government & Industry representatives

utilities, healthcare, home automation,

The three-day international exhibition

throw light on development, case studies

infrastructure, etc.

and conference provides an excellent

and issues faced in order to achieve last

The IoT related conference will

networking opportunity for exhibitors,

mile Internet connectivity. The upcoming

deliberate on vast opportunities

visitors, speakers and delegates. This

5G technology in Telecom will also be

in the IoT ecosystem including starting

platform attracts high quality exhibitors

discussed during the event.

and integrating IoT in the business,

to showcase their products to advance

Whilst Video on Demand (VoD),

bridging gap between strategy and

their business opportunities at the thriving

Multiscreen, TV everywhere, Cloud TV etc.

execution, monetization and policies, ROI

market in India.

are gaining momentum rapidly, the display

and funding of IoT startups and many

With over 25,000 expected attendees

technologies and sessions on OTT will

more. n

from 30 countries, more than 700

attract large gathering from broadcasters,

106 | march 2018

team@mymobile.co.in

MYMOBILE

International

Event

Glimpses

ERD Technology Road Show 2018

rom a modest beginning in 1997 to becoming one of the largest home grown components,

accessories and electronics manufacturers, ERD Group has

come a really long way. And largely thanks to the vision of its founder and CMD, the indefatigable Sanjeev Bhardwaj! Today the products manufactured by this company include mobile phone batteries, travel chargers, car chargers, powerbanks, USB cables, universal battery charger etc. To proliferate his larger vision of ‘India First’ and now to contribute to PM Modi’s ‘Make in India’ vision, the company has been organizing ‘Technology Road Show’ for many years, also called ERD Josh Show because all attendees really come out full of josh and new vigor after attending the motivational session by Mr Bhardwaj. Here are the glimpses from this year’s Technology Road Show held on 21st January at Taj Vivanta, Surajkund, Delhi NCR. n team@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

Sanjeev Bhardwaj CMD ERD Technology

march 2018 | 107

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

(Last updated on February 22, 2018)

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

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

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

Spreadtrum—ST Intel Atom—IA Qualcomm Snapdragon—QS MediaTek—MT MediaTek Helio—MTH MARCH 2018 I 109

MYGUIDE UP TO RS. 2,499

UP TO RS. 2,499

MODELS

UP TO RS. 2,499

PARAMETERS

HITECH

I-SMART

ITEL

LEPHONE

Pride 350

103

102 Cute

204 Flip

Smart Selfie it5231

2.8

1.8

2.4

2.4/ 240 x 320

1.8

2.4

131 x 58 x 10.2

112x46.5x13.5

100x50x15

124.5 x 54 x 11.4

112x46.5x13.9

Weight (grams)

Processor/RAM

Spreadtrum 6531DA/NA

Speadtrum 6531da

Speadtrum6533

Speadtrum 6531da

360MHz/64Mb

312MHz /32MB

Operating system

Nucleus

Storage/Expandable

32+32MB

64MB/32GB

32MB / 32GB

Rear/Front Camera

1.3 MP/NA

0.8/NA

0.08MP/0.3MP

Digital Camera

0.3 MP

1,800

1,000

850

580

1900

1000

1450

2G/3G/4G

Yes/No/No

Dual SIM

Yes

YES

Yes/Yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

YES

Launched

May, 2016

August, 2016

1,549

650

684

1,190

1,335

674

950

Model Display (inches/res) Dimension (mm)

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

UP TO RS. 2,499

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

MODELS

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

LEPHONE

PARAMETERS

HONOR

HITECH

IN-FOCUS

Model

Sleek 9

Honor Bee

Amaze S9

Air A8

Bingo 10 (M415)

Display (inches/res)

2.4

4.5/ 854 x 480

5.0/ 540 x 960

4.5/ 480 x 854

Dimension (mm)

123x51.8x14.9

100 x 42 x 13.4

134.3 x 66.7 X 10

140 x 66.88 x 9.65

140.2 x 72.4 x 8.8

135.65 x 67.38 x 10.43

Weight (grams)

102

170

150

152

140

Processor/RAM

312MHz /32MB

ST SC 7732/1GB

ST 7731/512MB

ST 7731/1GB

MT 6580A/1GB

Android OS, v4.4

5.1 Lollipop

5.2 Lollipop

Android OS, 6.0

Storage/Expandable

32MB / 32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera

Digital Camera/ Digital Camera

0.1 MP

8MP/2MP

5MP/2MP

8MP/2MP

5MP/5MP

2,500

800

1,730

1,400

2,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Dual SIM

YES

Yes

Music Player/FM

YES

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

October, 2016

May, 2015

April, 2016

999

1,325

4,999

2,999

4,999

4,399

Operating system

Battery (mAh)

Launch Price Rs.

110 I MARCH 2018

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

MODELS

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

PARAMETERS

IN-FOCUS

INTEX

I-SMART

Bingo 21 (M 430)

Aqua Fish

Cloud Glory 4G

Cloud String HD

Aqua Classic 2

is-59

i1-Mini

4.5/ 854 x 480

5/720x1280

4.5/ 480 x 854

5/ 720 x 1280

5/480/854

5/854x480

4.5/854x480

Dimension (mm)

136.8 x 67 x 10.95

142.4x72x9.6

134.2 x 68 x 9

144.5 x 72.5 x 8.7

145.2x72.6x10.9

143.5x73.6x9.5

135.2x66x10.8

Weight (grams)

152

150

120

150

Model Display (inches/res)

120

109

ST Shark/2GB

Quad core/2GB

MT 6735M/ 1GB

SC 9832A/ 1GB

qcta-core/1GB

1.2GHz, quad-core/1GB

1.3Ghz quadcore/512MB

Operating system

Android 5.1

Sailfish 2.0

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 6.2

Storage/Expandable

8GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

8GB/ 32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera

8MP/5MP

8MP/2MP

5MP/2MP

8MP/2MP

5MP/2MP

2,300

2500

1,800

2,200

2200

2,200

2,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes

March, 2016

February,2016

June, 2016

May, 2016

Launched

5,499

3,999

5,599

2,999

3,199

Processor/RAM

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

MODELS

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

4,600

ITEL

PARAMETERS

Model

MICROMAX

Power Pro it1410 Canvas Juice 3 Q393

M-TECH

Canvas Spark 3

Canvas Bolt Selfie

EROS PLUS

TURBO 4G

TEZ 4G

4/ 800 x 480

5.0/720 x 1280

5.5/720x1280

4.5/854x480

5 FWVGA TN

5 FWVGA IPS

Dimension (mm)

124x64.7x12.2

144.9x73.3x9.5

146.6x73.6x11.5

144x72.5x8.8

Weight (grams)

142

171

Processor/RAM

Dual core, 1.3 GHz/512MB

MT6580/2GB

quad-core/1GB

MTK6735/1GB

Operating system

Android4.4

Android 5.1

Android Nougat

Storage/Expandable

8GB/32GB

1GB/8GB/64GB

2.0MP/0.3MP

8MP/2MP

8MP/5MP

5MP/5MP

0.3MP/5MP

2MP/5MP

2,800

4,000

2,500

1,750

2,000

2,400

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

May, 2016

March, 2016

May, 2016

November, 2017

August, 2017

3,339

4,171

4,848

4,849

4,299

4,699

4,799

Display (inches/res)

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

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

MARCH 2018 I 111

MYGUIDE Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

MODELS

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

M-TECH

VIDEOCON

EROS 4G

Delite11

Astra Metal 4G

Astra Colors 4G

Astra NXT+

Zi-34

Astra Prism

Display (inches/res)

5 FWVGA IPS

5/1280x720

5/480X854

5/720X1280

4 inch

3.5 inch

5 inch

Dimension (mm)

72.4x142.7x9.3

146.66X74.3X10.52

143.8X73.3X10.4

142.9X71.65X11

125.4X64.2X13

116.2X61.4X11.3

134.4X67X10.1

Weight (grams)

136

151

171

182

130

108

119

1.3GHz Quad Core

Quad-core/1GB

1.5Ghz Quadcore ARM

Spreadtrum

Operating system

Android Nougat

Android 6.0

Android 4.4.2

Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable

1GB/8GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

1GB/8GB

256 MB/512 MB

512 MB/4GB

0.3MP/5MP

5MP/2MP

5MP/5MP

2MP/0.3MP

0.3MP/ 0.3MP

0.3MP/2MP

2,000

3,000

4,000

2,000

1,200

1,700

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

October, 2017

Launched

4,999

5,840

5,553

6,499

3,703

2,993

3,813

PARAMETERS

Model

Processor/RAM

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

ZIOX

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

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

1.2 GHz Quadcore

ZIOX

PARAMETERS

ASUS

CELKON

CENTRIC

Zenfone Max

Q550

5.5/720 x 1280

5.5/ 720 x 1280

5.0/720 x 1280

5 HD IPS

135x68x10.2

152.5 x 77.2 x 3.9

156 x 77.5 x 10.55

145.6 x 71.8 x 8

141x70.5x8.6

130

170

202

149

143

QS 410/2GB

QS 615/ 2GB, 3GB

Broadcom/2GB

1.3GHz Quad Core

Astra Zing

Astra NXT Pro

Astra Blaze

4 inch

4.5/480x854

Dimension (mm)

124X64X10.1

123.5x64.2x10.5

Weight (grams)

105

111

Processor/RAM

1.2 GHz Quadcore

Model Display (inches/res)

Quad-core A7MP 1.3GHz Quad-Core

Zenfone 2 Laser ZE550KL

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 7

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Android Kitkat 4.4.2

Android Nougat

Storage/Expandable

512MB/4GB

1GB/8GB

16GB/128GB

16GB/32GB, 64GB

16GB/32GB

2GB/16GB/256GB

Rear/Front Camera

0.3MP/2MP

2MP/0.3MP

0.3MP/2MP

13MP/5MP

8MP/2MP

13MP/5MP

1,400

1,900

2,000

3,000

5,000

2,500

3,050

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Music Player/FM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Launched

August, 2015

May, 2016

2,014

January, 2018

3,653

3,899

4,499

9,299

9,325/ 12,999

7,499

6,749

Battery (mAh)

Launch Price Rs.

112 I MARCH 2018

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

COMIO

PARAMETERS

COOLPAD

Note 3

Note 3s

Note 5 Lite

5 HD IPS

5.2 HD IPS

5.5 HD IPS

5.5/720 x 1280

5.5/1920x1080

5/1280X970

Dimension (mm)

143.5X71.3X9.35

144X71.6X9.9

149X72.6X7.9

152.85X76.14X9.2

152 x 77 x 9

154.5x77x8.6

145.3X72.3X8.7

Weight (grams)

175

165

159

178

150

167

148

MT6753/3GB

octa-core/3GB

MT6735/3GB

Model Display (inches/res)

Processor/RAM

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

Android Nougat

Android 5.1

Android6.0

Storage/Expandable

1GB/32GB

2GB/16GB

2GB/32GB

3GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

32GB/32GB

16GB

Rear/Front Camera

8MP/5MP

8MP/8MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

2,200

4,000

2,700

5,000

3,000

2,500

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

August, 2017

September, 2017

August, 2017

October, 2015

November,2016

March, 2017

5,999

7,199

8,999

9,999

8,999

9,999

8,199

Operating system

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

PARAMETERS

GIONEE

HONOR

HITECH

IN-FOCUS

Honor Holly 3

Honor Holly 2 Plus

Air A9

M 350 (16GB)

M680

M810

5.0/720x1280

5.5/1920x1080

4.8/720 x 1280

5.0-inch, 720 x 1280

5.0/720 x 1280

5.5/720x1280

5.5/1080x1920

Dimension (mm)

143.1 x 71.8 x 9.7

140.2 x 72.4 x 8.8

151 x 71.5 x 10.6

156 x 76.8 x 7.25

153.70 x 76.20 x 6.99

Weight (grams)

160

152

146

158

155

Processor/RAM

Quad-core/2GB

Kirin 620/2GB

MT6735P /2GB

MT 3735M/2GB

MT6732/2GB

MT 6753/2GB

QS 801/ 2GB

Android 6.0

Android 5.1.1

Android 5.1

Android 4.4.2

Android 5.1

Android 5.0

16GB

16GB/128GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

8MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

8MP/8MP

13MP/13MP

13MP/5MP

2,300

3,100

4,000

3,500

2,500

2,600

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/-

Yes/Yes

December,2016

October, 2016

February, 2016

June, 2015

December, 2015

July, 2015

9,999

8,499

6,999

8,999

9,999

Model Display (inches/res)

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

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

MARCH 2018 I 113

MYGUIDE RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

INTEX

PARAMETERS

Aqua S7

Model

Aqua Secure

I-SMART Aqua View

IS-57i

IS-56i HD Mercury V6

ITEL Ultra 50

Wish it1512

5/720x1280

4.5/ 480 x 854

5/ 720 x 1280

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

Dimension (mm)

142.5x72.5x8.7

133.5 x 66.5 x 9.4

124 x 64 x 10.3

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

143x72x8.65

Weight (grams)

150

130

146

155

170

186

Processor/RAM

Quad core/3GB

MTK6735M/ 1GB

MTK6735P/ 1GB

Quad Core/1 GB

1.3GHz Quad Core

Quad core/1GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Android 4.4.2

Marshmallow 6.0

Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable

16GB/64GB

8GB/ 32GB

16GB/ 32GB

8GB/64GB

3GB/32GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera

13MP/5MP

5MP/ 2MP

8MP/5MP

8.0MP/3.2MP

13MP/5MP

5.0MP/2.0MP

3,200

1,900

2,200

2,100

2,500

3,000

2,500

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/ Yes/ Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

Music Player/FM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

September, 2016

May, 2016

June, 2016

September, 2016

September, 2015

Launched

June, 2016

9,499

6,499

8,999

6,499

6,999

9,990

6,000

Display (inches/res)

Battery (mAh)

Launch Price Rs.

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

5/FWVGA/TN

PARAMETERS

ITEL

KARA

LAVA

Power Pro it1553

Mega 1

Mega 4

Mega 2

X10

Pixel V2

X50+

5.5)

5.5, Full HD

5.0-inch, HD IPS,

5.0/ 720 x 1280

5.5/1280x720

Dimension (mm)

138.5x69.5x9.8

152.4x77.1x9.5

152.4X77.1X9.5

142 x 70.8 x 7.9

141.6 x 70.8 x 7.6

155x71.8x8.85

Weight (grams)

184

133

128

155

Processor/RAM

Quad core/1GB

1.2 GHz,Quad Core

1.3GHz Quad Core(64bit)

Quad core /3GB

Quad Core/ 2GB

quad-core/2GB

Operating system

Android 5.1

Marshmallow 6.0

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable

16GB/32GB

3GB/32GB/64GB

1GB/16GB

2GB/16GB

16GB/32GB

32GB/32GB

8.0MP/2.0MP

13MP/5MP

8MP/2MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

8MP/5MP

5,050

4,000

2,000

3,000

2,900

2,500

2,800

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

152.4X77.1X9.5

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

June, 2016

June, 2017

Launched

November, 2015

September, 2015

7,290

7,950

4,500

6,500

9,999

8,499

Model Display (inches/res)

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

114 I MARCH 2018

9,199

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

LEPHONE

PARAMETERS

W7+

W12

W15

W21

W11

4.5/854X480

5/854X480

5/1280X720 IPS

5 inch/1280X720

5/1280X720

5.5/1280X720

5 inch/1280X720

Dimension (mm)

134.5X68X10.2

143.6x72.5x10

143.6x72.5x9.1

145.2X72.4X10

144.2x72x8.8

152.8x76.9x8.6

144X72.4X9.5

Weight (grams)

126

177

151

148

142

164

161

Model Display (inches/res)

Processor/RAM

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

Android 6.0, Marshmallow

Android 6.0

1GB/8GB/32GB

1 GB/8 GB

1GB/16GB/32GB

2GB/16GB/32GB

1GB/16GB/32GB

2MP/VGA

5MP/2MP

5MP/5MP

8MP/2MP

8MP/5MP

8MP/2MP

1,500

2,000

1,800

2,000

2,500

2,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

"Yes "

Yes

Music Player/FM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

Launched

4,499

4,999

5,999

6,399

6,499

6,799

6,999

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

Launch Price Rs.

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

PARAMETERS

Model Display (inches/res)

LENOVO

LYF

K6 Power

Wind 5

Canvas Unite 4

Canvas Amaze 2

Canvas XP 4G

Canvas 5

5/1920x1080

5/ 720 x 1280

5/ 480 x 854

5.0/ 1280 x 720

5/ 720 x 1280

5.0/720 x 1280

5.2/1080 x 1920

Dimension (mm)

141.9x70.3x9.3

Weight (grams)

145

144.6 x 72.8 x 8.45 143.6 x 72.5 x 8.95 137

MICROMAX

MTK 6735P/1GB

QS415/ 2GB

MT6735P/3GB

MT6753/3GB

Processor/RAM

QS 430/3GB

MT6735P/ 1GB

1.1GHz Quad Core/ 1.5GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Android 5.0.2

Android 5.1

Storage/Expandable

32GB/128GB

8GB/ 32GB

8GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

8GB/ 32GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

13MP/8MP

8MP/ 5MP

5MP/5MP

8MP/5MP

13MP/ 5MP

8MP/2MP

13MP/5MP

4,000

2,000

2,125

2,500

2,000

2,900

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/ Yes/ Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/ Yes/ Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/-

Yes/Yes

November,2016

June, 2016

January, 2016

June, 2016

May, 2016

November, 2015

9,999

6,599

8,690

6,999

7,499

9,999

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

MARCH 2018 I 115

MYGUIDE RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MICROMAX

PARAMETERS

Model Display (inches/res)

MOTOROLA

NOKIA

NUU

PANASONIC

Canvas Unite 4 Pro

Canvas Sliver 5

Moto G4 Play

Moto E4/Plus

Nokia 3

Q626

P55 Max

5.0/ 1280 x 720

4.8/720 x 1280

5/720x1280

5/5.5/1280x720

5/1280X720

5/1280 x 720

5.5/1280x720

143.4x71.4x8.4

141.2x70.3x7.3

152 x 72.6 x 8.7

Dimension (mm)

5.1mm thick

144.4x72x9.9

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

Weight (grams)

137

150,/181

148

180

Processor/RAM

Quad core/ 2GB

QS 410 /2GB

QS 410/2GB

MTK6737

MT 6737

1.3GHz Quad Core

MTK6737

Operating system

Android 5.1

Android 5.0.2

Android 6.0

Android 7.1.1

Android 7.0

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Storage/Expandable

16GB/32GB

16GB/No

16GB/128GB

2/16/3/32GB

16GB/128GB

2GB/32GB/64GB

3GB/16GB

8MP/5MP

8MP/5MP/13MP/5MP

8MP/8MP

8MP/5MP

13MP/5MP

3,900

2,000

2,800

28,00/5,000

2,650

2,000

5,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

June, 2016

2,015

September, 2016

August, 2017

July, 2017

August, 2017

7,499

8,387

8,999

8,450 onwards

8,635

9,625

7,499

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

PARAMETERS

PANASONIC

SAMSUNG

TCL

XIAOMI

TCL 560

TCL 562

Redmi 2 Prime

5/720x1280

5.5/ 1280x720

5.5/1920x1080

4.7/720 x 1280

142.4 x 71.1 x 8.0

142.4x71.1x8

152x77x8

134.00 x 67.20 x 9.4

149

138

156

150

133

MT6737/MT6753

Quad core/ 2GB

Quad core/ 1.5GB

Quad core/2GB

QS 210/2GB

MT6755M/3GB

QS 410/2GB

Operating system

Android 7.0

Android 6.0

Android 4.4

Storage/Expandable

3GB/32GB

16GB/128GB

8GB/128GB

16GB/128GB

16GB/32GB

32GB/64GB

16GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera

5/13/13/13

8MP/5MP

13MP/5MP

8MP/2MP

Battery (mAh)

4,000/5,000

2,600

2,500

2,960

2,200

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

September, 2017

July, 2016

July,2016

July, 2016

July,2016

August, 2015

8,999/9,999

6,490

6,990

9,090

6,999

9,999

6,999

Eluga Ray 500/700

Galaxy On 5 Pro 5.0/ 1280 x 720

5.0/ 1280 x 720

Dimension (mm)

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

142.3 x 72.1 x 8.5

Weight (grams)

163/182

Processor/RAM

Model Display (inches/res)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

116 I MARCH 2018

Galaxy J2 (2016) Galaxy J2 Pro (2016)

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

XIAOMI

PARAMETERS

Redmi 3S/ 3s Prime Redmi Note Prime

Model

VIDEOCON

Redmi Note 3

Redmi 3s Plus

Redmi Note 4

Redmi Note 5

NEW

Graphite1

5/ 1280X720

5.5/720 x 1280

5.5/1080 x 1920

5/1280x720

5.5/1080X1920

5.9/1080x2160

4.5/1280x720

Dimension (mm)

139.4 X 69.7 X 8.5

154 x 78.7 x 9.45

150 x 76 x 8.65

139.3x69.6x8.5

151X76X8.3

158.50x75.45x8.05

136.76X69X10

Weight (grams)

144

185

164

144

165

180

127

Processor/RAM

QS 430/ 2GB, 3GB

QS 410/2GB

QS 650/2GB,3GB

QS 430/2GB

QS625/2GB,3GB,4GB

QS625/3GB/4GB

Quad-core/1GB

Android 6.0

Android 4.4

Android 5.0.2

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Android 6.0

16GB, 32GB/128GB

16GB/32GB

16GB,32GB/32GB

32GB/128GB

32GB/64GB

8GB/64GB

13MP/5MP

16MP/5MP

13MP/5MP

12MP/5MP

5MP/2MP

4,100

3,100

4,000

4000/4100

4,100

4,000

2,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes (Hybrid)

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/-

Yes/Yes

Yes/Yees

Yes/Yes

Launch

August, 2016

December, 2015

March, 2016

October,2016

January, 2017

February, 2018

Price Rs.

6,999/ 8,999

7,999

9,999/ 11,999

9,499

9,999

6,499

Display (inches/res)

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

Music Player/FM

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

VIDEOCON

PARAMETERS

ZEN

Delite21

Krypton3

Ultra30

Ultra50

Yunique

Yuphoria

Cinemax 3

5/1280x720

5/1920X1080

4.7/720x1280

5.0/720x1280

5.5/720x1280

Dimension (mm)

146.66X74.3X10.52

144.5X73.14X9.74

144.31X73X10

Weight (grams)

151

153

186

128

143

August,2016

Processor/RAM

Quad-core/2GB

Quad-core/3GB

QS 410 / 1GB

Quad core / 2GB

Quad core/2GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.1.

Android 5.1.1

Android 5.1

Storage/Expandable

16GB/32GB

32GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

8MP/2MP

13MP/5MP

8MP/2MP

8MP/5MP

5MP/3.2MP

3,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

2,230

2,900

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

September, 2015

May, 2015

August, 2016

7,200

7,999

9,990

6,300

6,499

6,999

Model Display (inches/res)

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

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

MARCH 2018 I 117

MYGUIDE RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MODELS

RS. 6,000 – RS. 9,999

ZIOX

PARAMETERS

ZOPO

ZTE

ASUS

Model

Astra Star

Astra Curve 4G

Duopix F1

ZP331

Blade V6

ZenFone 2 (2GB/4GB)

Display (inches/res)

5/480x854

5/1280x720

4.5/ 854 x 480

5/ 1280 x 720

5.5/ 1080 x 1920

5.5/1080 x 1920

Dimension (mm)

145.6x72.7x10.2

146.5x73.1x10.3

145.2x71.7x9.1

133 x 65.7 x 8.5

142X69.5X6.8

152.5 x 77.2 x 10.9

156.5 x 77.2 x 10.8

Weight (grams)

150

160

148

113

122

170

Quad core/1GB

MTK 6735/2GB

IA Z3560 /2GB

QS615 /2GB,3GB

Android 5.0

Processor/RAM

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

Zenfone Selfie

Operating system

Android 7.0

Android 5.1

Storage/Expandable

1GB/16GB

2GB/16GB

8 GB/64 GB

16GB/128GB

Rear/Front Camera

5MP/2MP

8MP/8MP+2MP

5 MP/2 MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/13MP

2,350

2,200

2,400

1,700

2,500

3,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/-

Launched

July, 2016

March, 2015

August, 2015

5,899

7,299

7,499

7,500

9,999

13,999, 18,999

10,999/ 16,999

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MODELS

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

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

ASUS

PARAMETERS

CENTRIC

COOLPAD

GIONEE

Model

Zenfone 3 lazer

Zenfone 3 Max(ZC520TL)

Coolpad Note 5

Cool 1

F 103 Pro

Marathon M5 Lite

Display (inches/res)

5.5/1920x1080

5.2/1280x720

5.5/1920x1080

5.50/1080x1920

5.0/ 1280 x 720

5.0/720 x 1280

149x76x7.9

149x73.7x8.55

152 x 76 x 7.8

152.00 x 74.80 x 8.20

145.3 x 70.5 x 8.5

143 x 69.9 x 8.5

148

160

173

142

182

Dimension (mm) Weight (grams) Processor/RAM

QS 430.4GB

Quad-core/3GB

QS 430

QS 617/4GB

1.4GHz octa-core

Quad core/ 3GB

Quad Core/3GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 7.1.1

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Storage/Expandable

32GB/128GB

32GB/32GB

3GB/32GB/256GB

32GB/64GB

32GB

16GB/128GB

32GB/128GB

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

8MP/5MP

3,000

4,100

3,000

4,010

4,000

2,400

4,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Music Player/FM

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Launch

October,2016

November,2016

November, 2017

October, 2016

January, 2017

July, 2016

December, 2015

18,999

12,999

10,999

13,999

11,999

13,000

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Price Rs.

118 I MARCH 2018

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MODELS

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

HONOR

PARAMETERS

HTC

INFOCUS

LAVA

Honor 5C

Honor 5X

Honor 6X

Desire 630

Epic 1

Snap 4

Display (inches/res)

5.2/ 1920 x 1080

5.5/ 1080 x 1920

5.5/1080X1920

5.0/ 1280 x 720

5.5/1920x1080

5.2/720x1280

5.5/720x1280

Dimension (mm)

147.1 x 73.8 x 8.3

151.3 x 76.3 x 8.15

150.9X76.2X8.2

146.9 x 70.9 x 8.3

153x76x8.4

147.1 x 73.8 x 8.3

151.9 x 94.7 x 8.3

Weight (grams)

156

158

162

140

162

153

Processor/RAM

Kirin 650/ 2GB

QS 616 /2GB

Kirin 655

QS 400/2GB

Decca-core/3GB

Octa-core/4GB

Quad core/3GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.1.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Android 5.1

Storage/Expandable

16GB/128GB

32GB/64GB

16GB/2TB

32GB/128GB

64GB/128GB

16GB/32GB

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

12 and 2MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

16MP/8MP

13MP/8MP

3,000

3,340

2,200

3,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/-

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes

June, 2016

January, 2016

Jnauray 2017

February, 2016

November,2016

September, 2017

January, 2016

10,999

12,999

11,999

10,890

12,999

11,590

11,299

Model

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MODELS

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

LENOVO

PARAMETERS

Phab 2

Vibe K4 Note

Vibe S1

Phab Plus

Vibe K5 Note

Phab 2 Plus

K8 Note

Display (inches/res)

6.4/1920x1080

5.5/1080x1920

5.0/1080x1920

6.8/1080 x 1920

5.5/1920x1080

6.4/1920x1080

5.5/1080 x 1920

Dimension (mm)

175x89.5x6.89

186.6 x 96.6 x 7.6

152x75.7x8.49

174x88x5.5

154.5 x 75.9 x 8.5

Weight (grams)

225

158

132

229

165

218

180

Processor/RAM

MTK8735/3GB

MT 6753/3GB

MT6752/3GB

QS 615 /2GB

Helio P10/4GB

MT/3GB

MT Decacore/3GB/4GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.1.

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Android 7.1.1

Storage/Expandable

32GB/128GB

16GB/128GB

32GB/128GB

32GB/64GB

32GB/128GB

32GB/64GB/256GB

13MP/5MP

13MP/8 MP + 2 MP

13MP/5MP

13MP.8MP

13MP,13MP/8MP

13+5MP/13MP

4,050

3,300

2,420

3,500

4,050

4,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/-

Yes/Yes

Yes

December,2016

January, 2016

November, 2015

October, 2015

Jaunuary,2016

November,2016

August, 2017

11,999

12,999

14,999

13,499

14,999

12,999

Model

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

153.67 X 76.45 X 9.14 143.3 x 70.8 x 7.8

MARCH 2018 I 119

MYGUIDE RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MODELS

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

PARAMETERS

LYF

MICROMAX

MOTOROLA

K 10

X Screen

G4 Stylus

Canvas 6

Canvas 6 Pro

Moto G Turbo Edition

Display (inches/res)

5.5/1920x1080

5.3/ 1280 x 720

4.93/ 1280x720

5.7/ 720 x 1280

5.5/1920 x 1080

5.0/720 x 1280

Dimension (mm)

155.5x77.6x7.9

146.6x74.8x8.8

142.6 x 71.8 x 7.1

154.4 x 79.2 x 9.4

142.1 x 72.4 x 11.6

Weight (grams)

153

140

120

163

155

Processor/RAM

QS 617/3GB

QS 410/2GB

QS 400 /1GB

MT6753/3GB

Helio x10/4GB

QS 615 /2GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Android 5.0

Android 5.1

Android 5.1.1

Storage/Expandable

32GB/128GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/128GB

16GB/32GB

32GB/128GB

Yes/Yes

16GB/32GB

16MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

3,200

2,300

3,000

2,470

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/-

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

October,2016

January, 2016

July, 2016

May, 2015

May, 2016

2,015

13,099

12,999

12,990

13,869

10,999

Model

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MODELS

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MOTOROLA

PARAMETERS

NOKIA

NUBIA

Moto G4

Moto G4 Plus

G5 Plus

Nokia 5

Nokia 6

Z11 Mini

5.5/ 1920 x 1080

5.5/ 1920X1080

5.2/1980X1080

5.2/ 720x1280

5.5/1920X1080

5/1920x1080

5.5/1920x1080

Dimension (mm)

153 x 76.6 x 7.9

153X76.6X9.8

153X76X9.6

149.7 x 72.5 x 8.05

154 x 75.8 x 7.85

141.4x70x8

150.9x79x8.9

Weight (grams)

155

138

190

Processor/RAM

QS 617/2GB

QS 617/2GB,3GB

QS 625 Octa-core

QS 430

QS/3GB

MTK P10/3GB

Operating system

Android 6.0.1

Android 6.1

Android 7.0

Android 7.1.1

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable

16GB/128GB

16GB, 32GB/128GB

16GB/32GB

2GB/16GB

3BG/32GB

32GB/200GB

32GB/128GB

13MP/5MP

16MP/5MP

12MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

8MP/16MP

16MP/8MP

13MP/13MP

3,000

2,800

5,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/yes

Dual SIM

Yes

yes

Yes/No

Yes

Yes/Yes

May, 2016

May,2016

March, 2017

July, 2017

October,2016

December,2016

10,499

13,499/ 14,999

12,999

12,499

14,299

12,999

11,999

Model Display (inches/res)

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

120 I MARCH 2018

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MODELS

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

NUU

PARAMETERS

PANASONIC

SAMSUNG

Eluga Note

Eluga Arc

Eluga Pulse X

Eluga A3/A3 Pro

Galaxy On7

Galaxy J5

5.5/1920 x 1080

5.5/ 1920 x 1080

4.7/720x1280

5.5/1280X720

5.2/720 x 1280

5.5/1280 x 720

5.0/1280 x 720

Dimension (mm)

153x76.5x7.8

146.00x74.50x8.10

139 x 67 x 8.10

148.7 x 72.4 x 9.1

77.5x151.8x8.2

142.1 x 71.8 x 7.9

Weight (grams)

170

142

130

152

161

171

146

Processor/RAM

1.5GHz Octa Core

Octa Core/3GB

QS 410/2GB

Quad-core/3GB

Quad-core/1.5GB

Android 7.0

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Android 5.1

3GB/32GB/128 GB

32GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/128GB

16GB/32GB/128GB

8GB/128GB

13MP/5MP

16MP/5MP

8MP/5MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

2,950

3,000

1,800

3,000

4,000

3,000

2,600

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

August,2017

July, 2016

April,2016

March, 2017

August, 2017

October, 2015

June, 2015

12,100

10,290

10,190

10,990

11,290/12,790

10,990

10,390

Model Display (inches/res)

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

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MODELS

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS

XIAOMI

Galaxy J Max

Galaxy J5 (2016)

Galaxy J7

J5 Prime

Galaxy On7 Pro

Mi 4i

Mi Max

7.0/ 1280 x 800

5.2/1280x720

5.5/720 x 1280

5/1080x720

5.5/1280 x 720

5.0/1080 x 1920

6.44/1920x1080

Dimension (mm)

186.9 x 108.8 x 8.7

145.7 x 72.3 x 8.1

152.2 x 78.6 x 7.5

142.8x69.5x8.1

151.8 x 77.5 x 8.2

138.1 x 69.6 x 7.8

173.1x88.3x7.5

Weight (grams)

158

171

143

171

130

203

Processor/RAM

Quad core/1.5GB

QS 410/2GB

Octa Core/1.5GB

Quad-core/2GB

Quad core/ 2GB

QS 615/2GB

QS 650,652/3GB,4GB

Operating system

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable

8GB/200GB

16GB/128GB

16GB/256GB

16GB/128GB

16GB,32GB/No

32GB,128GB/128GB

8MP/2MP

13MP/5MP

8MP/5MP

13MP/5MP

16MP/5MP

4,000

3,100

3,000

2,400

3,000

3,120

4,850

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

July, 2016

May, 2016

2,015

September,2016

July, 2016

April, 2015

June,2016

11,400

13,990

11,890

12,990

10,900

11,999/ 14,999

10,999

Model Display (inches/res)

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

MARCH 2018 I 121

MYGUIDE RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

MODELS

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

PARAMETERS

XIAOMI

VIVO

Redmi Note 5 Pro NEW

Y51L

Y55L

Y55S

Yureka Plus (YU5510A,YU5510 )

Display (inches/res)

5.9/1080x2160

5.0/ 540x960

5.2/1280x720

5.5/1080x1920

5.5/(1080X1920)

6.0/1080 x 1920

Dimension (mm)

158.6x75.4x8.1

143.80 x 71.70 x 7.52

147.9x72.9x7.5

155 x 78 x 9

153.3X75.4X8.5

Weight (grams)

180

157

142

154

172

Processor/RAM

QS636/4GB

QS 410/2GB

QS 430/2GB

QS 425/3GB

QS 615/2GB

MT Helio P10/4GB

MTK6753T/3GB

Operating system

Android 7.1.2

Android 5.0.2

Android 6.0

Android 4.4.4

Androis 5.1.1

Android 5.1.1

Storage/Expandable

64GB/256GB

16GB/128GB

16GB/256GB

16GB/32GB

32GB/128GB

16GB/Yes

12MP+5MP/20MP

8MP/5MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

4,000

2,350

2,650

2,730

2,500

4,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

yes/yes/yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

yes

Yes

Yes/yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

yes

Yes/Yes

February, 2018

January, 2016

October,2016

March, 2017

July, 2015

May,2016

April, 2016

13,999

10,700

11,980

12,490

8,999

12,999

13,499

Model

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 10,000 – RS. 14,999

Yunicorn

Yureka Note

MODELS

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

ZOPO

PARAMETERS

ASUS

CREO

ZP350

ZP370

Hero 1

Zenfone 2 Laser ZE601KL

Display (inches/res)

5.0 / 1280 x 720

5.5/ 1280 x 720

5.0/1280 x 720

5.5/1920 x 1080

6.0/ 1080 x 1920

5.5/1920x1080

5.5/ 1440x2560

Dimension (mm)

145.9 x 71.4 x 8.5

153.8 x 77.1 x 9

146.1 x 70.6 x 8.65

155.7 x 77.3 x 8.9

164.6 x 84 x 10.6

151.4x76.24x8.3

155.4 x 76.1 x 8.7

Weight (grams)

137

167

136

175

190

175

190

Processor/RAM

Quad-core/1GB

Ouad-core/1GB

Quad-core/2GB

QS 801/3GB

QS 616/3GB

QS 430/3GB

Helio X10 /3GB

Operating system

Android 5.1

Android 5.1.1

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Android 5.1.1

Storage/Expandable

8GB/64GB

16 GB/64 GB

64GB/No

32GB/128GB

32GB/-

8.0MP/2.0MP

13.2 MP/5.0MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

16MP/8MP

21MP/8MP

2,100

3,000

2,500

4,100

3,000

4,100

3,100

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/-

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Model

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

122 I MARCH 2018

ZENFONE 3 MAX(ZC553KL)

Mark 1

May, 2016

December, 2015

November,2016

April,2016

10,000

11,000

14,500

13,499

16,499

17,999

19,999

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

MODELS

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

GIONEE

PARAMETERS

HTC

Model

Marathon M5

S6s

Desire 728 LTE

Desire 828

Desire 825

HTC 10 Lifestyle

Display (inches/res)

5.5/ 720 x 1280

5.5/1920x1080

5.5/ 720 x 1280

5.5/720 x 1280

5.5/ 1280 x 720

5.5/1920x1080

Dimension (mm)

152 x 76 x 8.6

151.9 x 74.6 x 6.9

154.5x75.6x8.15

157.9 x 77.8 x 7.8

157.9 x 77.8 x 7.89

156.9 x 76.9 x 7.4

156.9x76.9x7.7

Weight (grams)

211

147

166

153

148

155

1.3GHZ OCTA CORE/3GB

MT6753/2GB

MT6753/1.5GB

QS 400/2GB

QS 400/3GB

MT6735/3GB

MT6753T /3GB

Android 5.1

Android 5.1.1

Android 6.0

Android 5.1.1

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

32GB/128GB

32gb/128gb

16GB/200GB

16GB/2TB

32GB/2TB

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

6,020

3,150

3,159

2,800

2,700

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

November,2015

November, 2015

August,2016

November, 2015

February, 2016

September,2016

17,500

19,999

17, 999

12,999

15,300

12,550

15,990

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

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

MODELS

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

LENOVO

PARAMETERS

LYF

MOTOROLA

Vibe P1

Vibe Shot

Vibe X3

Z2 Plus

Earth 1

Earth 2

Moto X Play

5.5/1080x1920

5.0/1080 x 1920

5.5/1080x1920

5/1920x1080

5.5/1080x1920

5/1920x1080

5.5/1080 x 1920

Dimension (mm)

152.9 x 75.6 x 9.9

142.7 x 70 x 7.6

154 x 76.5 x 9.3

140.2x60x6.2

154 x 76.6 x 7.25

142x76x7.9

148 x 75 x 10.9

Weight (grams)

187

145

175

150

162.5.

140

169

Processor/RAM

QS615 /2GB

QS 615/3GB

QS 808 /3GB

QS 820/3GB,4GB

QS 615/3GB

QS615 /2GB

Operating system

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 5.1.1

Android 5.1

Android 5.1.1

Storage/Expandable

32GB/128GB

32GB,64GB/128GB

32GB/32GB

32GB/64GB

16GB,32GB/128GB

13MP/5MP

16MP/8MP

21MP/8MP

13MP/8MP

13MP + 2MP/5MP

13MP/13MP

21MP/5MP

5,000

3,000

3,500

2500

3,630

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/-

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

October, 2015

June, 2015

December, 2015

September,2016

January, 2016

15,499

18,500

19,999

19,499

Model Display (inches/res)

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

Sept, 2015 19,999

15,999

MARCH 2018 I 123

MYGUIDE RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

MODELS

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

NEXTBIT

OPPO

Robin

F1 S

Galaxy J7 (2016)

Galaxy On8

On Nxt

J7 Prime

J7 Max

5.2/ 1080 x 1920

5.5/1280x720

5.5/1920x1080

5.7/1920x1080

Dimension (mm)

149 x 72 x 7

154 x 76 x 7.38

76 x 151 x 7.8

151.7x76x7.8

151.7x75x8

151.7x75x8.1

Weight (grams)

160

169

167

PARAMETERS

Model Display (inches/res)

SAMSUNG

QS 808/3GB

MTK 6750/3GB

Exynos 7870/2GB

Octa-core/3GB

OCTA-CORE MEDIATEK

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.1.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Storage/Expandable

32GB/ 100GB (ONLINE)

32GB/128GB

16GB/128GB

32GB/256GB

16MP/256GB

4GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera

13MP/5MP

13MP/16MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/13MP

2,680

3,075

3,300

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/yes

Yes/Yes

May, 2016

August, 2016

May, 2016

September,2016

October,2016

September,2016

July, 2017

19,999

16,444

14,900

12,090

14,900

17,290

Processor/RAM

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

MODELS

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

VIVO

PARAMETERS

XIAOMI

ZOPO

APPLE

ASUS

MIMax 2

ZOPO SPEED 7 PLUS

iPhone 5S

Zenfone 3

Zenfone 3 Ultra

5.0/1280×720

5.5/1280x720

6.44/1080 x 1920

5.5/ 1920 x 1080

4.0/640 x 1136

5.2,5.5/(1920x1080)

6.8/(1920x1080)

Dimension (mm)

143.6 x 71 x 7.5

153.8x75.5x7.55

174.1 x 88.7 x 7.6

153.6 x 76.5 x 8.8

Weight (grams)

138

154

211

164

112

144

233

Processor/RAM

QS 616/3GB

octa-core/4GB

QS 625/4GB

Octa-core /3GB

Dual-core/1GB

QS 625/3GB,4GB

QS 652/4GB

Operating system

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.1.1

Android 5.1

iOS 9.2.1

Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable

32GB/128GB

64/128GB

16 GB/64 GB

16GB,32GB,64GB/No

32GB,64GB/2TB

64GB/128GB

13MP/8MP

13MP/20MP

12/5MP

13 MP/5.0MP

8MP/1.2MP

16MP/8MP

23MP/8MP

2,550

3,000

5,300

3,000

1,560

4,600

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/-

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes

May, 2016

November,2016

August, 2017

September, 2013

August,2016

August, 2016

15,250

16,990

16,999

17,500

19,280 onwards

21,999/ 27,999

29,999

Model Display (inches/res)

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

124 I MARCH 2018

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

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

MODELS

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

BLACKBERRY

COOLPAD

DTEK 50

Max

M5 Plus

S6 Pro

Honor 8

Honor 7

5.2/1920x1080

5.5/1920x1080

6.0/1920 x 1080

5.5/1920x1080

5.2/1920x1080

5.2/1080 x 1920

5.5/ 1080 x 1920

Dimension (mm)

147x72.5x7.4

152x75.5x7.6

153x75.3x7.6

145.5x71x7.45

143.2 x 71.9 x 8.5

153.9 x 75.9 x 7.99

Weight (grams)

135

170

210.8g

170

153

157

170

Processor/RAM

QS 617/3GB

QS 617/4GB

Octa Core/3GB

octa-core/4GB

Kirin 950/4GB

HS Kirin 935/3GB

MT H X10/ 3GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable

16GB/2TB

64GB/128GB

64GB/256GB

32GB/128GB

16GB/128GB

32GB/2TB

Rear/Front Camera

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

12MP,12MP/8MP

20MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

3000

2,800

5,020

3,130

2,900

3,100

3,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

yes/yes/yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

November,2016

May, 2016

October,2016

October, 2016

July, 2015

May, 2016

21,000

24,999

27,000

21,130

29,000

22,999

25,990

PARAMETERS

Model Display (inches/res)

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

GIONEE

HONOR

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

MODELS

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

HTC

PARAMETERS

MOTOROLA

Model

Desire 10 Pro

Stylus 2

Stylus 2 Plus

Nexus 5X

Moto Z Play

Z 2 Play

Display (inches/res)

5.5/1920x1080

5.7/1280X720

5.7/ 1920 x 1080

5.2/ 1080 x 1920

5.5/1920x1080

5.2/1080x1920

5.5/1920X1080

Dimension (mm)

156.5x76x7.86

155 x 79.6 x 7.4

155 X 79.6 X 7.4

147 x 72.6 x 7.9

156.4x76.4x6.99

148.4x73.4x8

156.2X76.2X5.99

Weight (grams)

165

145

146

136

165

163

145

Processor/RAM

Helio P10/4GB

Quad Core /2GB

Octa Core/3GB

QS 808/2GB

QS 625/3GB

QS630/3GB

QS 626/4GB

Android 6.0

Android 7.1

Android 7.1.1

64GB/2TB

16GB/2TB

32GB/2TB

16GB,32GB/No

32GB/2TB

32GB/64GB/256GB

64GB/2TB

20MP/13MP

13MP/8MP

16MP/8MP

12.3MP/5MP

16MP/5MP

12+8MP/16MP

12MP/5MP

3000

3,000

2,700

3,510

3,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

November,2016

May,2016

July, 2016

October, 2015

October,2016

October, 2017

July, 2017

26,490

20,500

24,000

24,490/30,645

20,490

20,990

24,999

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

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

MARCH 2018 I 125

MYGUIDE RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

MODELS

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

MOTOROLA

NUBIA

Moto X Style

Z11

OnePlus 5

Galaxy A7

5.7/ 1440 x 2560

5.5/1920z1080

5.5/1080p

5.5/1920x1080

5.5/1080 x 1920

6.01/1080x2160

5.5/1080 x 1920

Dimension (mm)

153.9 x 76.2 x 11.06

151.8x72.3x7.5

151.8x74.9x9.85

152.7x74.5x7.35

154.2 x 74.1 x 7.3

156.1x75x7.3

151 x 76.2 x 6.3

Weight (grams)

179

162

175

158

153

162

141

Processor/RAM

QS 808/3GB

QS 820/6GB

QS 810/3GB&4GB

QS 821/6GB

QS 835/8GB

QS835/6GB

Octa Core/2GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.1.1

Android 5.0.2

16GB,32GB/128GB

64GB/2TB

64GB

64GB/128GB

16GB/64GB

21MP/5MP

16MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

16MP/16MP

16+20MP/16MP

13MP/5MP

3,000

3000

3,300

3400

3,300

3300

2,600

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

September, 2015

December,2016

July, 2015

December.2016

June, 2017

November, 2017

February, 2015

26,999/ 28,999

29,999

22,999

22,000

32,999

22,900

PARAMETERS

Model Display (inches/res)

Storage/Expandable Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

ONEPLUS

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

MODELS

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS

Model

Galaxy A5 (2016)

SMARTRON

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

SONY

J7 Pro

t phone

Xperia C4

Xperia XA

Display (inches/res)

5.2/1080 x 1920

5.5/ 1080 x 1920

5.2/5.5/1080X1920

5.5/1920X1080

5.5/1920x1080

5.5/1080 x 1920

5.0/1280 x 720

Dimension (mm)

144.8 x 71 x 7.3

151.5 x 74.1 x 7.3

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

150.3 x 77.4 x 7.8

158.2x78.2x6.98

150.3 x 77.4 x 7.9

143.6 x 66.8 x 7.9

Weight (grams)

153

169

157/I86

157

149

147

137

QS 810/4GB

MT6752/2GB

MTK H P10/2GB

Octa Core/2GB

Octa Core/3GB

Octa Core/2GB/3GB

Octa core Exynos/3GB

Operating system

Android 5.1.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Android 6.0

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable

16GB/128GB

32GB/256GB

64GB

64GB/128GB

16GB/200GB

13MP/5MP

16MP/16MP/16MP/ 16MP

13MP/13MP

13MP/4MP

13MP/5MP

2,900

3,300

3000/3600

3,600

3,000

2,600

2,300

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/yYes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

April, 2016

December, 2015

March, 2017

July, 2017

July,2016

June, 2015

May, 2016

21,900

25,900

28,990/33,490

20,900

22,999

20,800

20,990

Processor/RAM

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

126 I MARCH 2018

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

MODELS

RS. 20,000 – RS. 29,999

SONY

PARAMETERS

XIAOMI

VIVO

Xperia Z3+

Xperia C5 Ultra Dual

Mi 5

X5 Pro

V3 Max

VIVO V5 Plus

V7 Plus

Display (inches/res)

5.2/ 1080 x 1920

6.0/1080 x 1920

5.15/1080 x 1920

5.2/ 1080 x 1920

5.5/1080 x 1920

5.5/1080X1920

5.99/720x1440

Dimension (mm)

146.3 x 71.9 x 6.9

164.2 x 79.6 x 8.2

144.5 x 69.2 x 7.25

147.9 x 73.5 x 6.4

153.9x77.1x7.58

152.6 x 74 x 7.3

155.9x75.8x7.7

Weight (grams)

144

187

129

151

168

159

160

Processor/RAM

QS 810 /3GB

MTK6752/2GB

QS 820/3GB

QS 615/2GB

QS 652/4GB

QS450/4GB

Operating system

Android 5.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 5.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.1.2

Storage/Expandable

32GB/128GB

16GB/200GB

32GB/No

16GB/128GB

32GB/128GB

64GB

64GB/256GB 16MP/24MP

Model

20.7MP/5MP

13MP/13MP

16MP/4MP

13MP/8MP

12MP and 8MP/ 16 MP

2,930

3,000

2,450

3,000

3,160

3,225

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

June, 2015

August, 2015

April, 2016

June, 2015

April, 2016

42,736

September, 2017

26,990

27,799

24,999

21,400

23,980

22,990

21,990

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

MODELS

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

APPLE

PARAMETERS

iPhone 6

iPhone 6Plus

iPhone SE

iPhone 6S

iPhone 6S Plus

iPhone 7

iPhone 7 Plus

Display (inches/res)

4.7/750 x 1334

5.5/1080 x 1920

4.0/640 x 1136

4.7/750 x 1334

5.5/1080 x 1920

4.7/1334x750

5.5/1920x1080

Dimension (mm)

138.1 x 67 x 6.9

158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1

123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6

138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1

158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3

138.3x67.1x7.1

158.2x77.9x7.3

Weight (grams)

129

172

113

143

192

138

188

Processor/RAM

A8,M8/1GB

A9,M9/2GB

A10 Fusion, M10/2GB

A10Fusion, M10/3GB

iOS 9

iOS 9.3

iOS 9

iOS 10

16GB,64GB/No

8MP/1.2MP

12MP/1.2MP

12MP/5MP

12MP/7MP

12MP,12MP/7MP

1,810

2,915

1,614

1,715

2,750

1,960

2,900

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes/No

September,2014

March, 2016

September,2015

October,2016

0ctober,2016

23,999

24,999 onwards

24,000 onwards

39,990 onwards

48,998 onwards

45,775 omwards

59,999 onwards

Model

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

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

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

MARCH 2018 I 127

MYGUIDE RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

MODELS

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

APPLE

PARAMETERS

ASUS

BLACKBERRY

8 Plus

Zenfone Zoom

Zenfone 3 Deluxe

ZenFone AR

DTEK 60

KEYone

4.7/750 x 1334

5.5/1080x1920

5.5/1080 x 1920

5.7/(1920x1080)

5.7/1440x2560

5.5/2560x1440

4.5/1080 x 1620

Dimension (mm)

138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3

158.4 x 78.1 x 7.5

158.9 x 78.8 x 11.95

156.4x74.4x7.5

158.7 x 77.7 x 9

153.9x75.4x7

149.1 x 72.4 x 9.4

Weight (grams)

148

200

185

172

170

165

180

Processor/RAM

A11 Bionic

IA Z3590/4GB

QS 820,821/6GB

QS 821/8GB

QS 820/4GB

QS625/3GB/4GB

iOS 11

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Android 6.0

Android 7.1

2GB/64GB/256GB

3GB/64GB/256GB

128GB/ 128GB

256GB/128GB

64/256GB

32GB/2TB

32GB/64GB/256GB

12MP/7MP

12MP/12MP/7MP

13MP/5MP

23MP/8MP

21MP/8MP

12MP/8MP

1,821

2,691

3,000

3,300

2,610

3,505

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/No

Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

September, 2017

January, 2016

September,2016

August, 2017

November,2016

August, 2017

61,990

70,800

26,999

25,999

49,990

29,999

39,990

Model Display (inches/res)

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

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

MODELS

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

GOOGLE

PARAMETERS

HUAWEI

HTC

Pixel 2

Pixel 2 XL

Nexus 6P

One A9

HTC U Play/Ultra

5/1920x1080

6/1440X2880

5.7/1440 x 2560

5.2/1920x1080

5.0/1080 x 1920

5.2/ 2560X1440

5.2/1080X1920/ 5.7/2560X1440

Dimension (mm)

145.7x69.7x7.8

157.9x76.7x7.9

159.3 x 77.8 x 7.3

145x70.9x6.95

145.75 x 70.8 x 7.26

145.9 x 71.9x 9.0

162.41X79.79X7.99

Weight (grams)

143

175

178

144

143

161

145/175

Processor/RAM

QS835/4GB

QS810 /3GB

Kirin 955/3GB,4GB

QS 617/3GB

QS 820/4GB

MediaTek/QS821

Operating system

Android 8.0

Android 6.0

android 6.0

Android 6/Android 7

Storage/Expandable

64GB/128GB

32GB,64GB/No

32GB,64GB,/128GB

32GB/2TB

Rear/Front Camera

12.2MP/8MP

12.3MP/8MP

12MP,12MP/8MP

13MP/4MP

12MP/5MP

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

2,700

3,450

3,000

2,150

3,000

2500/3000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

October, 2017

October, 2015

August,2016

December, 2015

May,2016

February, 2017

61,000

81,000

34,999/ 39,999

39,999

25,990

34,999

29,999/53,999

Model Display (inches/res)

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

128 I MARCH 2018

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

MODELS

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

HTC

PARAMETERS

MOTOROLA

ONEPLUS

HTC U11

G4 Dual SIM

V20

Moto X Force

Moto Z

5.5/2560X1440

5.5/1440 x 2560

5.3/ 2560x1440

5.7/2560x1440

5.4/1440 x 2560

5.5/2560x1440

5.5/1920x1080

Dimension (mm)

153.9 x 75.9 x 7.9

148.9 x 76.1 x 8.9

149.4x73.9x7.3

159.5x77.9x7.6

149.8 x 78 x 9.2

153.3x75.3x5.19

152.7x74.5x7.35

Weight (grams)

169

155

159

174

169

136

158

Processor/RAM

QS 835

QS 808 /3GB

QS 820/4GB

QS 810 /3GB

QS 820/4GB

QS 821/6GB

Operating system

Android 7.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Android 5.1.1

Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable

64GB/128GB

32GB/2TB

32GB/100GB

64GB/2TB

32GB,64GB/2TB

64GB/2TB

128GB

Rear/Front Camera

16MO/12MP

16MP/8MP

16MP,8MP/5MP

21MP/5MP

13MP/5MP

16MP/16MP

3,000

2,800

3,200

3,760

2,600

3,400

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

July, 2017

May, 2015

April,2016

December,2016

November, 2015

October,2016

December.2016

47,999

34,800

25,999 onwards

54,999

25,990

39,999

25,990

Model Display (inches/res)

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

MODELS

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS

Galaxy S6

Galaxy S6 Edge

Galaxy A9 Pro

Galaxy Note 5

Display (inches/res)

5.1/ 1440 x 2560

6/1920x1080

5.7/1440 x 2560

5.1/2560 X 1440

5.5/2560 X 1440

5.8/6.2/2960X1440

Dimension (mm)

143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8

142.1 x 70.1 x 7

161.7x80.9x7.9

153.2 x 76.1 x 7.6

69.6x142.4x7.9

72.6 x 150.9 x 7.7

148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0/159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1

Weight (grams)

138

132

210

171

152

157

155/173

Processor/RAM

Octa core /3GB

octa-core/4GB

Quad core /4GB

Exynos 8890/4GB

Exynos 8896

Android 5.0.2

Android 6.0

Android 5.1.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Storage/Expandable

32GB,/No

32GB/No

32GB/256GB

32GB/No

32GB/200GB

64/256GB

Rear/Front Camera

16MP/5MP

16MP/8MP

16MP/5MP

12MP/5MP

12MP/8MP

2,550

2,600

5,000

3,000

3,600

3000/3500

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/-

Yes

March, 2015

April, 2015

September,2016

August, 2015

March, 2016

April, 2017

26,990

34,900

32,490

40,900/43,900

32,900

38,900

53,00/58,900

Model

Operating system

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

Galaxy S7

Galaxy S7 Edge

Galaxy S8/Plus

MARCH 2018 I 129

MYGUIDE RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

TABLETS

MODELS

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

PARAMETERS

SAMSUNG

SONY

APPLE

Note 8

Xperia Z5 Dual

Xperia X

Xperia Z5 Premium

Xperia XZ

iPad Mini 2

iPad Mini 4

Display (inches/res)

6.3/1440 x 2960

5.2/1080 x 1920

5/1920x1080

5.5/ 2160 x 3840

5.2/1920x1080

7.9/1536 x 2048

Dimension (mm)

162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6

146 x 72 x 7.3

143 x 69 x 7.7

154.4 x 76 x 7.8

146x72x8.1

200 x 134.7 x 7.5

203.2 x 134.8 x 6.1

Weight (grams)

195

156.5g

152

181

161

331

298.8/304

Processor/RAM

Exynos 8895/6GB

QS 810/3GB

QS 650/ 3GB

QS 810/3GB

QS 820/3GB

A7,M7/1GB

A8,M8/2GB

Android 7.1.1

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

iOS 8

iOS 9

64GB/128GB/256GB

32GB/200GB

64GB/ 200GB

32GB/200GB

64GB/256GB

16,32GB/No

16GB,64GB,128GB/No

12MP/12MP/8MP

23MP/5MP

23MP/13MP

23MP/5MP

23MP/13MP

5MP/1.2MP

8MP/1.2MP

3,300

2,900

2,620

3,430

2,900

23.8w

19.1W

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/No

Yes/-

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

September, 2017

November, 2015

July, 2016

November, 2015

October,2016

November, 2015

Spetember, 2015

67,900

37,000

38,990

47,990

49,990

28,460 onwards

44,500

Model

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

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

TABLETS

MODELS

TABLETS

APPLE

ASUS

MICROMAX

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

ZenPad 8

LapTab

Galaxy Tab S3 9.7

Tab A

PARAMETERS

Model

SAMSUNG

9.7/2048x1536

9.7/1536 x 2048

12.9/2732 x 2048

8.0/1280 x 800

10.1/1280X800

9.7/ 1536 x 2048

8/800 x 1280

Dimension (mm)

240 x 169.5 x 6.1

305.7 x 220.6 x 6.9

209 x 123 x 8.5

259.2 x 175.4 x 9.2

237.3 x 169 x 6

212.1 x 124.1 x 8.9

Weight (grams)

437

713/ 723

350

1.1kg

429

364

Processor/RAM

A8X,M8/1GB

A9X,M9/2GB

"A9X,M9 /4GB"

QS MSM8929/2GB

Intel 4 Gen/2GB

QS 820/3GB

QS425/2GB

iOS 9

iOS 9.3

iOS 9

Android 5.0

Windows 10

Android 7.0

Android 7.1

16GB, 64GB/No

32GB,128GB,256GB/ No

32GB/No

16GB/-

32GB/64GB

32GB/256GB

16GB/256GB

8MP/1.2MP

12MP/5MP

8MP/1.2MP

8MP/2MP

2MP/2MP

13MP/5MP

8MP/5MP

27.3W

27.9 W

38.5W

4,000

7,700

6,000

5,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes/No

October, 2014

March, 2016

November, 2015

July, 2015

2,015

June, 2017

October, 2017

38,000

49,900 Onwards/ 61,900 onwards

65,900 nwards/ 85,900 onwards

12,496

10,999

47,990

17,990

Display (inches/res)

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

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

130 I MARCH 2018

MYMOBILE

“We are one stop platform for every mobility managed and security services” Providing solutions for security and mobility under one roof is the MobiOcean app, which goes by the motto - ‘Mobility- Managed-Regulated-Secured’. The company aims to provide mobile device management solutions and empowers the users to stay secure. Vanshika Malhotra interacted with Kamal Rana, Managing Director, MobiOcean to know more about the recent startup, its ambitions and its roadmap. Please explain the working of the MobiOcean

Specific Handheld terminals used in various

which is indispensable for the growth of

app. Working on MobiOcean is an easy task

applications, Biometric Attendance(AEBAS/

any business. Mobiocean Platform offers

all you have to do is go to the website www.

and Non-AEBAS), and eKYC solutions

basic business operations in a highly

mobiocean.com and register. As a registered

integrated with Aadhaar System for small,

efficient and easy way which is required in

user, visit the link http://mobiocean.com/

medium, and large size businesses. The

all business functions on day to day basis

cloud-management.php and you can buy

solutions can be integrated with existing

like attendance of Field staff, Movement

whatever you want. As per your subscription,

ERP systems seamlessly.

management, Security of data, regulation,

you will be given a centralized dashboard to

What is MobiOcean’s roadmap in India? Does

and management of company-owned

enroll and manage entire business’ users and

MobiOcean plan to serve global clients too?

devices, etc. We see as next era for B2B

operations. All your successful enrolled user

We intend to reach to market primarily

space enabling smallest players may be the

will get an SMS request of app download,

through digital means, media and strong

small taxi company or even the dhabawala

all they have to do is accept and install the

channel partners. We are establishing

to enable themselves technically and can

APP, also enrolled user can download the

ourselves nationally and globally.

offer same experiences like bigger players

respective APP from the play store.

like OLA, UBER or Foodpanda and similar Your observations about the app market and

How is MobiOcean different in its arena,

In Conversation

face to face

companies offers.

potential in India? Mobility is something

providing solutions and safeguarding a user’s

And finally, how do you plan to monetize the

device? Mobiocean as an app is different

app? We have two ways of revenue: one is

because we are the only that offers all

app based including some customisation

the solutions at one platform. Any other

if required by client and the other is the

company has only one or two solutions and

devices that we offer. MobiOcean provides

for the others you have to go to some other

integrated Mobility solutions with POS

platform. We are one stop platform for every

devices, handhelds, Biometric Tablets,

mobility managed and security services.

Fingerprint Devices etc. Devices named as biometric tablets, PoS terminals having

How many monthly active users you currently

different values ranging from 5,000 to

have? At present we are having 5000+ active

40,000. n

app users. We are growing day by day and

vanshika@mymobile.co.in

we will soon reach out to masses. What all MobiOcean has at its disposal apart from the app? Does MobiOcean plan to get into more apps? The company provides solutions like Solutions on Digital payments,

www.mymobileindia.com

march 2018 | 131

Apptastic

Special feature

Roposo-TV by the People,

an app that reflects a true social democracy

Tailor made platform for the Indian millennials amplifies every desi story into a true experience!

hat is that? Snapchat?

variety of content that stays true to its desi

The ‘app’ experience

Instagram? No…..It’s

core Indian-ness while bringing superlative

A zero button interface, Roposo just shoots

Roposo. India’s answer

global quality content to its audiences.

content at you as soon as you fire up the

to all the major social

Driven by the tagline- TV by the People,

app. This makes for a highly engaging

platforms out there, Roposo is a unique,

Roposo has already acquired a loyal user

experience, and users can sit back and

India-oriented app that offers a seamless

base of 7 million and counting, thanks to

enjoy as content just keeps streaming.

browsing experience, with an unmatched

its multiple features. Let’s explore further-

Each video or image is shown for a certain duration during which a user can react to it through a plethora of unique, funny emoticons. For iPhone users, it also offers a pack of 48 funny and witty stickers to add to your posts to make them all the more hilarious, thanks due to their desi context. Roposo also makes it extremely easy for a user to follow content creators, influencers or pages that they like, as entire clusters of related accounts are displayed at once. Roposo’s interface has been created in such a manner that allows users to easily discover their preferred content without having to go through a world of information. Every control and option is featured within the screen of the app, and is extremely easy to understand and navigate. No wonder then that the app has received an overwhelming positive response from its target audience, with a 4.5 rating on the App Store, and a rating of 4.2 on the Play Store.

Unity in ‘content’ diversity Roposo offers 25 curated channels, each offering a specific kind of content to meet the entertainment demands of every kind of user. Some of these include-

132 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

Apptastic

Specialfeature

influencers from various industries, this

Easy accessibility and sharing

channel offers users a chance to grasp the

One of the most beneficial factors of using

a variety of disciplines such as singing,

latest and most exclusive trends, insights

Roposo is its truly simple content sharing

dancing, music, acting, fashion,

and knowledge from various domain

mechanism. Already equipped with a

photography, fitness, cooking, comedy

leaders to improve upon their own skills.

full screen, hands-free TV like viewing

and travel among others. Users just have to

Top Notch- Dedicated to leading

interactive events. The #RoposoTalentHunt is a very popular contest that encompasses

Rangoli- A home maker’s guide to DIY

experience that features scrollable content,

hacks and tips in the field of fashion, home

it has the camera app at the bottom of the

the #RoposoTalentHunt and attract votes.

décor, kitchen to initiating new businesses

screen that can be used to share photos

What’s more, even if your talent is so unique

etc.

or videos instantly. The expressiveness of

that it cannot be compartmentalized in any

Musafir- Feeding the travel bug in

the shared content can be heightened by

of these categories, Roposo has a catch all bucket known as “Other Talent”!

you, Musafir transports you to known and

using a vast array of filters, adding music

unknown destinations, providing travel

or through the desi catchphrase stickers

Roposo is undoubtedly a suited

enthusiasts with all the necessary know-

and emoticons unique to this app. On top

platform for the Indian millennial,

how to make their upcoming travel plans

of that, the Roposo app is available in eight

bringing no-nonsense, highly expressive,

pitch perfect.

Indian languages- Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati,

and a constantly filtered stream of

Other offerings include a dedicated

Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and

entertainment ensuring users get the best

comedy channel Haha TV, Hungry TV- a

Kannada- thus enhancing its mass reach

out of their data packs without having

channel for the foodies, Captured- a

and popularity manifold. The presence of

to sort through hundreds of posts which

vast gallery of candid pictures shot

these factors has been a significant reason

are of no interest to them. Working on

by professional photographers as well

for the Roposo app to have already garnered

the guiding principle of its tagline ‘TV by

as enthusiasts, discussing the art of

a user base of 7 million and counting,

the People’, Roposo scores big on its

photography in great detail, and so on.

within a year of its inception.

ideal of being a platform where the lines

Additionally, Roposo gives an opportunity

between consumers and creators of

for its users to voice their concerns on

Engagement, a constant

various social issues through the Nation

A noticeable feature that distinguishes

strides towards its goalof giving big global

Speaks channel, thus optimally utilizing

Roposo from the rest of the social media

social media giants a run for their money,

the societal transformation potential of a

platforms is its constant effort to keep

the desi way! n

social media platform.

the users engaged via various contests and

www.mymobileindia.com

content blur, and has already taken giant

team@mymobile.co.in

march 2018 | 133

Gadget Corner

add-ons

Price: INR 34,990

Harman JBL Boombox Bluetooth Speaker Brings a new meaning to “party around the clock”

amsung Electronics-owned Harman International

lovers won’t have to worry about missing a beat, as their

recently launched the JBL Boombox portable Bluetooth

smart devices can be simultaneously charged while the

speaker in India. Delivering exceptional sound and hard hitting bass, the JBL Boombox keeps the music experience going for up to 24 hours, thanks to its powerful battery.

music plays. The portable speaker also features an IPX7 rated waterproof design. Whether stopping by a legendary pool

The newest member of the JBL portable speaker family

party, shooting hoops with friends, or hitting the beach,

packs a serious punch, enhancing the overall sound quality

the Boombox is rugged enough to withstand any weather

and Bluetooth streaming experience. It’s also the biggest

conditions. For those looking to make the party even

portable speaker available, weighing in at over 11 pounds

bigger, the Boombox can connect to more than 100 JBL

(5.25 kg) and nearly 20 inches (50 cm) long. The speaker’s

Connect+ enabled speakers within Bluetooth range, taking

large frame is equipped with four active transducers and

the sound experience to an entirely new level with the

two bass radiators, providing powerful sound and bass in

touch of a button.

a substantial, but portable, package. It features a massive

One can purchase it at Harman’s ecommerce platform

20,000mAh battery that provides 24 hours of continued

– www.harmanaudio.in, various online and retail channels

playtime. With the addition of a dual charge out, music

and at 350 key Samsung brand stores across in India. n

134 | march 2018

Xiaomi Mi LED Smart TV 4 World’s thinnest television with high-end features arrives in India

fter gaining strong foothold in the Indian

than 15 different content partners, across 12

smartphone market, Chinese tech major Xiaomi

Indic languages, resulting in the most diverse

recently forayed into televisions with the launch of

and rich library of video content ever integrated

Mi LED Smart TV 4. This is for the first time Xiaomi

on a smart TV in India — over 500,000 hours of

has launched its TV in a global market outside of

content to watch, across the largest library of Video-

China. Interestingly, TV is another popular consumer

On-Demand providers, with over 80 per cent free

electronics sphere in India.

content. PatchWall is also the first Smart TV OS in

Mi LED Smart TV 4 138.8 cm (55) is the thinnest

the world to intelligently connect to set-top boxes,

LED TV in the world, boasting an extremely slim

allowing users to switch to any channel, or specific

design that measures only 4.9mm, with a frameless

TV show with just one click.

display design for a more immersive viewing

With all this content available, the universal

experience. Featuring a large, 138.8cm (55 inch)

search makes it easy to find content to watch, along

4K LED display with support for HDR10 content,

with personalized recommendations that get better

the Mi LED TV 4 provides more detail and richer

the more users watch their Mi LED TV 4. There’s

colours. Along with this, the Mi TV 4 also has a dual-

also support for 13 system languages including 12

speaker set-up boasting Dolby and DTS audio for a

Indic languages out of the box. Along with this,

truly cinematic experience. To create the almost-

Mi Remote is incredibly easy to use, with just 11

zero gap display of the Mi TV 4, Xiaomi used Corning

buttons which is a stark contrast to traditional

Iris Glass light guide plate, which is three times

remotes full of buttons. Mi Remote can also replace

more expensive and five times harder than plastic

your STB controller and control any HDMI device

light guide plates usually found in most other TVs.

that supports CEC. Powering Mi LED TV 4 is an

An amazing display deserves great content, and

Amlogic 64-bit quad-core processor with a Mali-

the Mi LED TV 4 is set to revolutionize the viewing

T830 GPU, which keeps PatchWall quick and fluid.

experience with its PatchWall system, which

Easily accessible at the back, the Mi TV 4 has 3

redefines what a smart TV OS means. Completely

HDMI ports (including 1 ARC port), and 2 USB

redesigned from the ground up for India,

ports (3.0+2.0), as well as an Ethernet port along

the Mi LED TV 4 brings together more

with Dual-Band Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0 to connect

Gadget Corner

add-ons

wireless headphones or other Bluetooth devices. One can purchase the Mi LED TV 4 via Mi.com and Flipkart. n

Price: INR 39,999

www.mymobileindia.com

january 2018 | 137

Gadget Corner

add-ons

Bose SoundLink Micro Bluetooth Speaker & SoundPort Free Wireless Headphones Made for people on the go

merican sound pioneer Bose has rolled out its

battery life of 6 hours and the Bluetooth range of 30

two new audio series in India- SoundLink Micro

feet or 9 meters. It also allows you to take calls and

Bluetooth speaker and SoundSport Free wireless earphones. Both the devices can be connected via Android and iOS.

follows voice commands of Siri and Google. SoundPort Free Wireless Headphones: The earbuds are more of activity on-the-go headphones as they do

SoundLink Micro Bluetooth Speaker: The speaker

not have any wired connection. They come with IPX4

is available in three different colours. It’s easily

rating which makes them moisture and splash proof.

portable as it is small but waterproof and features a

They come with the standby time of 5 hours and their

tear-resistant silicone strap used for attaching it to

case is used as charger. The wireless headphones come

anything you want. It comes with an IPX7 rating and

in three colours of ‘Triple Black’, ‘Midnight Blue’ with

can withstand immersion up to one meter. It has a

‘Yellow Citron’, and a bright orange. n

Price: INR 8,990 (SoundLink Micro Bluetooth speaker); INR 18,990 (SoundSport Free wireless earphones)

136 | march 2018

Gadget Corner

add-ons Panasonic Lumix GH5S Camera Designed specifically for low light scenarios

oving a step further in the video recording space,

Panasonic India recently introduced Lumix GH5S, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first high precision cinema 4K recording camera designed specifically for low light scenarios. As a camera that excels in low-light shooting, the Lumix GH5S features 5EV luminance detection performance with Low Light AF that aids in higher sensitivity and optimized tuning of the sensor. It is further powered with a LiveView Boost feature that makes it possible to check the composition even in total darkness by boosting the sensitivity just for Live view. The camera has been designed specifically for professional filmmakers such as cinematographers, documentary makers, wedding users and YouTubers. Packed with astounding features to satisfy the evolving needs of videographers, the newly developed 10.2-megapixel Digital MOS Sensor with Dual Native ISO Technology and Venus Engine 10 faithfully reproduces even dark parts of the image, allowing ISO 51200 high sensitivity recording when the use of supplemental lighting may not be possible as well as an extended ISO of up to 204,800. To further elevate the video expression, the flagship camera also comes with a Variable Frame Rate Effect (VFR) which allows users to record slow motions and time lapse videos seamlessly in 60 FPS and 240 FPS format, alike. The camera also comes pre-installed with a V logL feature, so users donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to purchase

a magnesium alloy full die-cast front, rear and top frame that is not only splash-proof and dust-proof but also freezeproof down to -10 degrees Celsius which is tough enough to withstand heavy field use. With these immense capabilities complimented by a sturdy body, the GH5S is an extremely imperative tool for videography professionals who demand high end low light video quality. You can buy it at all Panasonic stores across the country. n

Price: INR 1,84,990

a software upgrade key separately. Keeping in mind the outdoor needs of consumers, the GH5S has been composed of

www.mymobileindia.com

march 2018 | 137

Gadget Corner

add-ons Beyerdynamic DT 240 Headphones Ideal for musicians, podcasters and filmmakers

xpanding its product portfolio, German audio accessories brand

Price: INR 7,500

Beyerdynamic recently launched professional monitor headphones DT 240 in India. The DT 240 is specially designed for filmmakers, musicians and podcasters. The

The device features a compact over-ear design and come

headphones claim to offer deep bass, lively mids and

with detachable coiled cable and replaceable ear pads.

defined highs. They work on the same studio mixers as on

The headphones weigh 196 grams and its SPL ranges from

the laptop because of its low-ohm acoustic transducers (34

99 dB Nominal to 119 dB max SPL. The device comes in

ohms). They come with the frequency response of 5Hz to

Matte Black colour option and the customers can purchase

35,000 Hz and rated at 32 ohms impedance.

it from the company’s online store. n

Trak N Tell Intelli1 Makes losing items a thing of past

oT startup Trak N Tell has launched Intelli1, a new

with your smartphone via Bluetooth.

product to help users find their oft-misplaced everyday

The Intelli1 is a small, lightweight gadget that is lighter

essentials. The product is a device that can help you track

than an INR 5 coin, and can be located via a smartphone

your wallet, home and car keys, handbag, or any other

app within the range of 30 metres. It is loaded with a

frequently lost item with unparalleled ease, by interfacing

variety of features – a separation alert to indicate that you’ve left your key behind, playing a loud tune when you’re finding your wallet in a pile of laundry, and a location-mapping option for the gadget. The device also has an antiloss mode for items you need to carry with you every day, keeping track of whether the items are in your vicinity or not. The tracker relies upon Bluetooth to connect to your smartphone, and is powered by a built-to-last battery which is also user-replaceable, if and when required. n

Price: INR 999

138 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

Truvison TV-555BT Bluetooth Tower Speaker Having pitch-perfect balance of loudness and crystal clarity

xtending its audio category

effect, Digital Signal Processing turns

portfolio, Europe-based Truvison

your living area into a Cinema Zone by

has come up with its newest TV-

perfectly fishing the technologies and

555BT 2.0 Tower Speaker that boasts

blending with an audio recorder and

amazing sound with the pitch-perfect

a speaker.

balance of loudness and crystal clarity.

Enabling suitable audio inputs

Encased in wooden housing, with

and output connectivity options,

polished aesthetics, the Tower Speaker

the speaker gets easily connected to

makes a striking visual statement with

PC, TV, MP3 player or any musical

its vintage inspired looks that is every

instrument. It also includes a USB

bit as elegant and passionate as the

port and an SD card slot which allows

sound. The heavy-duty is jam-packed

you to enjoy your favourite songs saved

with 4 powerful speakers 200 Watt

on other USB-enabled devices and SD

RMS with the best in audio technology

cards. Housed with Karaoke function

for room-filling, audiophile-worthy

and wireless Mic for pitch perfect

sound. The speaker with its bass driver

singing skills, along with FM, the

for subwoofer and full range driver,

speaker comes with 1 year of warranty,

pumps out balanced audio full of bass,

and is available at leading retail stores

layered with non-twisting mids and

across India. n

highs, without any distortion. The DSP

Gadget Corner

add-ons

Price: INR 14,990

Intex H-50 & H-60 Headphones Your perfect travelling partner for enjoying long hour musical journeys

eeping the requirements of music lovers in mind,

on-ear pads. Both the models come with call answering

Intex Technologies recently launched two new

feature via in-built mic and digital controls so that you

wired headphones â&#x20AC;&#x201C; H-50 & H-60. Designed for on-

donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss out on those important calls whenever and

the-go generation who love to

wherever.

experience music, the two

The H-50 & H-60 headphones are equipped with AUX

headphone models come

facility that gives excellent compatibility with multiple

with adjustable headband

devices like PC/Tablet/Mobile/Laptop/TV and the 40mm

having flexible and

& 30mm speaker drivers have enhanced Noise

comfortable cushioning

Cancellation feature allowing consumers to enjoy their favourite music on the go. The H-50 model is available in Radiant Red colour and the H-60 model in the sophisticated Silver colour. n

Price: INR 840 (H-50); INR 1,099 (H-60) www.mymobileindia.com

march 2018 | 139

Gadget Corner

add-ons Zoook ZBSolar Muse Speaker The first ever solar powered speaker in India

Price: INR 4,999

rench company Zoook has introduced India’s first

of exceptional quality. With detachable velcro straps,

ever solar powered waterproof speaker, the ZB-Solar

cyclists can easily strap the speakers on to their bikes

Muse. A speaker like no other, this is a next generation,

to enjoy music on their excursions. Easy operation with

one of a kind innovation in India with an all-weather

a hybrid power, you can wirelessly stream music from

portable device designed to give you the best ever 3D

any Bluetooth device. This handy speaker needs only

surround sound. The speaker is shockproof, dustproof

10 min of sunshine to give you 30 min of uninterrupted

and waterproof. Not only does it have a 30 hour battery

music. A built in flashlight to help the nomad in your

backup, but an integrated solar panel charges the

search in the dark and a microphone feature lets you

lithium battery that keeps your music going when you

answer calls when you don’t have your phone around. A

are out.

powerful LED display with a 5v/2A quick charge comes

Shaped like a box, the speaker uses APT-X high definition technology that provides the original sound

in a single colour. The ZB- Solar Muse is available at all leading online platforms and offline stores. n

Razer Cynosa Chroma Multicolor Membrane Gaming Keyboard Crafted for gaming enthusiasts

T distribution house Kaira Global Technologies has

the Cynosa Chroma is customizable and individually backlit

announced the availability of newly launched Razer

with 16.8 million colour options. Officially integrated

Cynosa Chroma in India. Cynosa Chroma line of products

lighting profiles that change dynamically during gameplay

are feature-packed but value-priced family of gaming

can be activated upon installation for “Overwatch,” “Quake

keyboards complete with

Champions,” “Diablo” and other popular games. The Razer

immersion factors that Unlike other value

the personalization and gamers need. keyboards, each key on

Cynosa Chroma is the first Razer keyboard interfacing with Razer Synapse 3 (Beta) software. Synapse allows users to choose lighting and performance parameters, including their own macros and key binds, and it can be accessed from any computer. The newest version of the cloudbased configurator allows more customization than ever before, with new lighting effects, settings and more. n

Price: INR 4,999

140 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

add-ons Riversong Fusion & Aqueous Bluetooth Speakers Something to cheer for music lovers

mart accessories manufacturer Riversong has come

speaker offers you a stunning sound with 10W output and

up with two Bluetooth speakers in the Indian market,

built quality which will be loved by any kind of music lover.

named Fusion Bluetooth Speaker and Aqueous Bluetooth

The latest addition of the Bluetooth speaker easily stand

Speaker. These are the latest additions to the smart

toe-to-toe against competitors costing twice as much. With

devices which the company has designed for fitness, safety,

its effective Bluetooth version of V4.2, auxiliary cable,

adventure and music needs.

waterproof feature and handsfree

Fusion: Riversong brings all-in-one clock, radio &

calling output makes it the most

Bluetooth speaker with 8W output for just about every

compatible and user-friendly

person, from those who want only the best sound to outdoor

speaker. n

adventurers and bass heads. With its latest Bluetooth technology (4.2) that assures omni-directional connection, you prop up your phone 33ft away from the speaker and blast music all day through. And you also tune into

Price: INR 2,299 (Fusion); INR 1,999 (Aqueous)

the radios once in a while, hoping to listen to some timeless song which used to be your favourites. Fusion also comprises OLED display and handsfree calling functionality which will never bother you to take out your smart phone. Aqueous: The perfect mid-range Bluetooth

SoundBot SB571PRO Bluetooth Speaker Apt for both outdoor and indoor parties

alifornia-based company SoundBot has launched

come with a 10W output power thus giving an enriched

SB571PRO, a surround sound Bluetooth speaker with

full spectrum surround sound. The SB571PRO speakers

intututive QUADIO technology. This product is a unique

are compatible with all types of devices.

combination of two speakers, which are enabled with

This unique combo comes with a water-resistant and

master/slave simultaneous Bluetooth connectivity. This

shock resistant case so that you can carry it the way

master/slave arrangement allows both speakers to pair

you want. The dual 5W+5w high performing dynamic

up with each other and also your Bluetooth smart device

loudspeaker reproduces potent bass.

to give you a wireless surround sound. Both speakers

It has a range of 33 feet remote distance playing capability, with up to 10 hours of playtime, large 50mm loud drivers for the dynamic listening experience. The speaker comes in a unique black colour and is available on all online stores. n

Price: INR 6,990

march 2018 | 141

Gadget Corner

add-ons Brainwavz HM5 Studio Monitor Headphones For precise and accurate sound production

Price: INR 7,444

he Brainwavz HM5 Studio monitor headphones are designed to deliver precise and accurate sound

production replicating audio as it is intended to be heard in a neutral sound signature. Featuring an overthe-ear design, the HM5 sit comfortably on ones’ ear whilst sealing in the sound. The headphones come with 24 months warranty. The closed dynamic monitor are adaptable and customisable, as well as being a perfect pair of headphones for daily use. Included in the package are two detachable cables,

longer 3 meter cable for convenient home and studio listening. n

a short 1.3 meter cable for practical outdoor use, and a

Specifications: Compatibility: • Home Theater & Professional Audio Systems • iPods, iPhones & iPads • MP3 Players • Computers & Laptops • Other Audio Devices

• Transducers/Drivers: Closed dynamic, 42 mm • Rated Impedance: 64 Ω • Sensitivity: 105 dB at 1 mW • Frequency range: 10 Hz ~ 26.5KHz • Rated input power: 100 mW • Plug(s): 3.5 mm gold plated • Warranty: 24 Months

Evidson B3 In-Ear Headphones Good value for money

vidson Audio, the Indian audio electronics startup,

trouser or jacket pocket. The B3 headset comes with easy

has introduced their latest offering in the form of B3

to replace silicone ear tips in three sizes ensuring a perfect

priced at Rs1,299. The new model is part of Evidson’s

fit and ensure enhanced listening comfort also over longer

‘Make in India’ initiative. The Evidson B3 in-ear headphones

periods of time. n

offer an exceptionally detailed music experience. Strong, consistent sound with rich bass ensures absolute listening enjoyment. Neodymium HD acoustic drivers deliver truly impressive sound. In-line high sensitivity microphone ensures switching to an incoming call is easy. The remote control helps to pause the music as required or skip forward to the next title. The highgrade Thermoplastic Elastomers cables prevent cable clutter and ensure optimum signal processing. The thin smooth cable does not get tangled up even when the earphones are stored in a

142 | march 2018

Specifications: • Driver Size : 9.2 mm • Rated Impedance: 16 Ω • Frequency Range: 20 Hz ~ 20 kHZ • Sensitivity: 108 dB at 1mW • Noise isolation : 24 Db • Platform supported: Android, RIM, Windows, iOS • Cable: 1.2 m • Plug: 3.5 mm • Weight : 12 gm • Colors: Blue, Red & Black

MYMOBILE

BenQ Zowie XL2411P PC e-Sports Monitor For hardcore gamers

owie, BenQ’s e-Sports brand, recently announced the launch of Zowie XL2411P

monitor in India, further strengthening the trusted XL series monitors for PC competitors. XL2411P provides the features of the classic XL2411 monitor and adds the Display Port connector for enhanced connectivity. Colour Vibrance has also been added allowing colour to be fine-tuned to personal preference. The Display Port allows the XL2411P to be used with graphic cards without a DVI connection. Color Vibrance provides more precise colour grading and also allows colour tone to be easily adjusted to personal preference. n

Price: INR 27,500

www.mymobileindia.com

Key Features • 1ms monitor with144Hz refresh rate delivers a very smooth gaming experience in FPS and MOBA games • Black eQualizer for visual clarity in dark scenes, Display Mode and Smart Scaling for quick screen size adjustment • Colour Vibrance gives you the flexibility to easily tune preferred colour tone and makes colour grading more defined • Variety of input connectors, including Display Port, DVI-DL, HDMI and headphone jack • Specially-designed frame minimizes visual distractions, low blue light and flicker free technology for reduced eye strain, height adjustment stand for improved ergonomics

Gadget Corner

add-ons

march 2018 | 143

Gadget Corner

add-ons ASUS VivoBook S14 (S410UA) Laptop Designed for boundless productivity on the go

aiwanese electronics major ASUS has come up

In addition, the VivoBook S14 (S410UA) features

with the VivoBook S14 (SS410UA), a 14-inch

exclusive ASUS Splendid and ASUS Tru2Life Video

laptop with 13-inch compact form factor designed for

technology. It also features a USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C

boundless productivity on the go. The lightweight and

(USB-C) port for any-way-up connections and superfast

extremely portable VivoBook S14 features an 18.8mm

data transfers that are up to 10X faster than standard

thin profile weighing just 1.4 kg. The VivoBook S14

USB 2.0. Additional USB 3.1 Gen 1 and USB 2.0 ports,

comes loaded with up to 8th Generation Intel Core i7

along with a micro HDMI port and a microSD card slot,

Processor with 8GB DDR4 RAM that translates into

provide hassle-free compatibility with a wide range of

remarkable multi-tasking performance. The VivoBook

peripherals, displays and projectors. It has the latest

S14 features a NanoEdge display with 7.8mm ultrathin

dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi for speeds of up to 867Mbps

bezel to provide a larger display area for better immersive

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6X faster than 802.11n.

view. It also features up to a 256GB SATA M.2 SSD for

The lithium-polymer battery used in VivoBook S14

superfast data access speeds. It has a tough, scratch-

provides up to eight hours of battery life, and offers a

resistant metallic spun-metal finish in Metal Grey.

lifespan thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up to 3X longer than standard lithium-

Along with the stylish design, the notebook features

ion cylinder batteries.

a backlit keyboard with 1.4mm of travel that ensures

It is available in India exclusively at Fliplart, in three

comfortable typing experience. The touchpad supports

variants that are 7th Generation Intel Core i3 model,

Windows Precision Touchpad (PTP) standards, so it

8th Generation Intel Core i5 and 8th Generation Intel

delivers smooth tracking, writing and multiple gesture

Core i7 model. n team@mymobile.co.in

recognition.

Price: Starting INR 54,990

144 | march 2018

MYMOBILE

Exclusive

Vantage Point

The Road to Achieving Pervasive Digitization

here is no doubt that digital

transaction will be instrumental

transactions are on an upswing

in driving the cashless economy.

in the country. However,

Demonetization,

strategic

despite the rising popularity

Digital India campaign, reduction

of digital transactions, the segment is still

of MDR and subsidy on debit card,

grappling with numerous challenges. Some

UPI BHIM and Aadhaar enabled

of these key challenges along with possible

transaction below INR 2000 will

solutions necessary to achieve a successful

push the cashless economy cause

and large scale digitization are discussed

further. However, policy interventions

herewith:

that incentivize digitization at

Accessibility: For a successful cashless

the grass root level are vital for

economy, financial inclusion is imperative.

successful implementation of the

The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana

cashless economy. These include:

is one such successful step which has

(a) Tax incentives to payer and

created 18.15 crore bank accounts in

receiver for using cashless payments

rural/semi-urban areas and 12.7 crore

(b) Discounted/ incentivized MDR

in urban geographies, adding 23.27 crore RuPay debit cards to the cashless

By Jose Thattil

rates (c) Shift to digital documentation of banking transactions, KYC and

ecosystem. Further, UPI and Bharat QR scan & pay instruments

other financial services records.

have simplified cashless transactions and made it accessible for the

Infrastructure: Limited access to high speed data networks, unreliable

rural and marginalized income groups with lower literacy rates. But

and weak connectivity, proliferation of sub-standard hardware like

there still remains a large divide in the cashless instruments and the

counterfeit mobile phones and pirated software are some of the

available infrastructure to use them. For e.g. there are currently over

challenges plaguing digital infrastructure in India. In line with

830 million debit card users in the country with only 2.9 million POS

the ambitious Digital India initiative, a large-scale development

terminals, where these can be swiped. Matching the rise in digital

of infrastructure is underway and is set to adequately address

payments instruments with accessible payment infrastructure is a

these issues. The key pillars for the digital transformation include:

vital challenge that needs immediate attention.

(a) Broadband Highways (b) Public Internet access programs (c)

Digital literacy: With the second largest population of internet

Universal access to mobile connectivity (d) Electronic delivery of

users in the world, India is an active digital player when it comes

services (e) E-governance

to entertainment, social networking, communication, online

Reconstructing mind-sets: India has always been a cash friendly

shopping etc.

country and major digitization is largely driven by millennial and

However, the use of internet as a significant medium for cashless

globe-trotting urban population. The average Indian continues to

transactions is yet to be actively realized. As per a recent report, it is

remains speculative about using the digital platform when it comes

estimated that out of the 460 million mobile only internet users in the

to money. Demonetization was an effective wake-up call that helped

country, only 125 million are fluent in English â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the language largely

break the heavy cash dependent mindset, albeit temporarily. A strong

used for instructions in majority of digital transaction platforms. Apart

campaign directed to address the strong pro-cash mind-set is vital

from the language, a most of rural and low-income group population

to drive digitization. These efforts need to address: (a) Lack of trust

find the available digital platforms either too complicated or simply

in the digital framework (b) Extensive dependence on hard cash and

not compatible for their current expenditure patterns.

hard copy documents (c) Peer pressure

While government partnerships with international leaders like

Conclusion: Factors listed above offer a sneak peek into current

Google for essential skill training, proliferation of Indic language

status of digital transactions in India, chronicling the challenges,

on the web and digital infrastructure development for public

government efforts and shortfalls. It also offers a holistic view of

environments are all steps in the right direction, a comprehensive

the macro and micro environments and the possible multi-pronged, customized and agile solutions to drive digitization. n

digital literacy campaign among defined target groups like women, youth, micro merchants and illiterate group is vital for a successful cashless economy. Financial policy structure: Thoughtful policy decisions taking into account interest of consumers and all stakeholders in a payments

146 | march 2018

The author is CEO of Phi Commerce. Phi Commerce is a leading digital payment solution provider. Its solutions are deployed in over 25 countries.

MYMOBILE

RNI REG NO. DELENG/2005/15033 DL (ND) - 11/6100/2018-19-20 (Posting Date 26-27 of every month) Publishing Date- 22-02-18

REDEFINE THE PERFORMANCE GAME

SC9832E

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64-Bit Quad Core

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13MP Camera

18:9 Display

Mali T820 GPU

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