My Mobile December by My Mobile

www.mymobileindia.com

december 2018  Rs 100

Your gateway to the world of mobility

Face to Face P. Sanjeev

A No tch Year!

The A to Z of

2018

Vice President, Sales, Huawei, Consumer Business Group &

Rajesh Uttamchandani Director, Syska Group

Industry Insight Mobile Manufacturing under Make in India – The Myth and Reality!

Tested

Google Pixel 3 XL, Lenovo K9, BlackBerry KEY2 LE, Honor 8X, Asus ZenFone Max M1 & L1, Intex Pulse BS10 and many more…

phone of the month

OnePlus 6t

Editorpage

firstcall

here had been some motivated skepticism about the success of ‘Make in India’ in mobile and components manufacturing. It was expected as the number of such factories had increased

EDITORI A L

dramatically - from less than 10 just four years back

Pankaj Mohindroo |

to more than 100 by the beginning 2018 - which

Shelley Vishwajeet | Editor

made India the second largest manufacturer of mobile phones in the world, overtaking Vietnam. As a result, our humungous import dependency in mobile has also come down significantly. This again is a remarkable turnaround

Editor-in-Chief

Haider Ali Khan | Deputy Editor Ramesh Kumar Raja | Assistant Editor Nijhum Rudra | Correspondent

of a situation which appeared despondent and just few years back. Nonetheless, every success story creates its own skeptics and critics. The skepticism had become more vocal after Prime Minister Narendra

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

Modi repeatedly invoked the success of PMP in mobile and components at various public forums. To put the issue at rest, once and for all, India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) commissioned a fact finding

M A R K ETIN G

study to physically verify the numbers of factories. The reality came as a

Puja Mohindroo | Manager - Business

pleasant surprise to us all. As against estimated 120 factories, the actual

Sandeep Kumar | Sr. Manager – Marketing

number of factories involved in mobile handset and components turned out to be more than double – 268 stand-alone factories - to be precise. In all, these factories employ more than 6.7 lakh people as against

O P ER A TION S

4.5 lakh earlier estimated. The growing mobile manufacturing activity

K. Rajagopalan | Advisor-Legal, Accounts & Administration

has saved the country INR 3 lakh crore in foreign exchange in lieu of

Deepak Kohli | Sr. Manager – Accounts

import substitution and created domestic value addition of 60k plus. Never ever in the history of India or anywhere in the world the mobile handset or electronics manufacturing eco-system had witnessed such an unparalleled growth as seen in India in the current phase. But it is still not the time for celebration as new milestones have to

Varun Lama | Sr. Manager – Human Resources

CIRC U L A TION B. G. Mathur | Manager- Production & Circulation

be crossed swiftly. We have a vision of creating over 50 lakhs jobs and 1800 new factories over the coming 6-7 years’ time which will require a whole new set of facilitations from both Central and State governments. The industry faces serious challenges in terms of lack of a competitive corporate tax regime, lack of ready to move infrastructural facilities to start production activity from the word ‘GO’ etc. The Government must undertake expeditious measures to address these pressing challenges through suitable regulatory and incentivization interventions. And finally, we have come to the end of another glorious year for mobile ecosystem as the dawn of New Year is approaching us. There has been some serious Research and Development that has gone into making India a mobile hub and thus making the users more safe, secure

A D V I S OR Y B O A RD Bejon Misra Rajan Mathews S.D. Saxena Subhash Chandra Sunil Dutt Sonu Bhasin Uvaraj Natarajan

G ET IN TO U CH

and empowered.

Editorial : haider@mymobile.co.in

Happy Reading! n

Circulation : bgmathur@mymobile.co.in

Marketing : sandeep@mymobile.co.in Phone : 011—46206161 Fax : 011—41520637

Edited, published, printed and owned by Pankaj Mohindroo, Published from Flat No. 25, First Floor, Shankar Market, Connaught Place, New Delhi – 110001. Printed at HT Media Ltd. Plot No. 8, Udyog Vihar, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh - 201306

Pankaj Mohindroo editor-in-chief

04 | DECEMBER 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 XI, DECEMBER 2018

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contents

80 40 Style Notes 10 letters

Business Group

Hardeep Singh Johar – VP

Market Insight 48 An Interesting Time For Global

Sales, North and East,

Smartphone Market!

12 Cell Speak

Mobiistar India

14 Rumor Mill

Out For!

16 Newsbits 20 big NEWS 89 My Guide 29 Just In Get a close look at new mobile devices now in the market

36 Lead Story A Notch Year – The A to Z

Rajesh Uttamchandani –

Director, Syska Group

Johnny Wu – Regional Director,

India & Europe, LiveMe

Brian Walsh – Director

International Sales, Skullcandy

Rahul Gupta – Co-Founder &

CEO, BlackNGreen

Charlie Lee – Founder & CEO,

True Balance

Sales, Huawei Consumer

06 | DECEMBER 2018

Consumer Insight 50 Entertainment Goes Online in India

The Perils of Pirated Software

The Burntest 54 OnePlus 6T 56 Lenovo K9 58 Asus ZenFone Max M1

of 2018!

Face to Face 40 P. Sanjeev – Vice President,

Smartwatches to Watch

44 Industry Insight Mobile Manufacturing under

60 Honor 8X

Make in India – The Myth

62 BlackBerry KEY2 LE

and Reality!

64 Asus ZenFone Lite L1

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What's Inside

contents 66 Pixel 3 XL 69 Intex Pulse BS10

82 By Invitation Home Broadband and Its Relevance to Digital India – Abhinandan Sharma, Senior Vice President, Citadel Intelligent Systems Limited

84 Feature Live Gaming Apps Conquering India’s Internet Space

of gadgets and accessories, Apptastic from earphones and 86 McXtra - Your personal assistant for insurance needs! Bluetooth speakers to Smart TVs 87 HuffPost – Stay informed with real-time updates! 122 Vantage Point Things to consider before 111 Add Ons buying a TV – Arjuun Bajaj, The latest and the best

Founder & CEO, Daiwa

87 Total number of pages = 124

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FACE TO FACE Nipun Marya Director, Brand Strategy, Vivo India &

An Ensemble for Buyers and Sellers

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SPOTLIGHT The New Pixels

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OPPO Find X, Motorola One Power, POCO F1, Realme C1, TECNO Camon i2X, Xiaomi Mi A2, Skullcandy Venue and many more…

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—Zubin,

What I like the most as a

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associated with me since I

gives an overall comparison

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The November issue was

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this year. The burn tests and

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which you have been

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and their prices is My

the last issue of November

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(The Diwali Decider)was

knows everything in my

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PHONE OF THE MONTH

APPLE iPHONE XS

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on which we could get the

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ecosystem which you guys deliver through the magazine and it’s simply brilliant. I really likedreview of iPhone Xs in your burn tests. Majority of readers or the users might not be aware of the whole insight about any latest mobile or technology but what we get from it, which is very helpful and deep. It is a must have

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Quotes

cellspeak “We are in an age of historic transition brought about by technology. From desktop to cloud, from Internet to social media, from IT services to Internet of Things, we have come a long way in a short time” —Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, in his keynote address at the Singapore Fintech Summit

“Regulations in the past were made for the world where voice was the dominant output of this particular (telecom) network. Those will have to be changed. For instance, you measured tariffs in minutes, but now you measure it in bytes”

—RS Sharma, Chairman, TRAI, talking to a business daily

“The users should be more important than the technology itself. You should not be a victim of the technology and what it can do. You should get to live your human life in the most human way possible” — Steve Wozniak, Co-Founder, Apple, in an interview with a news channel

“Netflix has three price tiers in India: 500 rupees ($6.90) for a basic plan, 650 ($9.00) for a standard plan and 800 rupees ($11) for premium. Those prices are only modestly lower than what the company charges in the United States”

— Reed Hastings, Chief Executive, Netflix, talking to a news agency

12 | december 2018

“All mobile companies have done a tremendous job in transforming India. The biggest thing is even the poor of our country have mobile connections. More than 60 million people are now able to use e-hospital services, e-commerce services, e-visa etc without any hassle” —Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister, MeitY, speaking at IMC 2018

MYMOBILE

Rumour Mill

Talk

Samsung’s much-awaited foldable smartphone may launch at MWC 2019 Samsung reportedly plans to unveil its first foldable smartphone in March next year, along with a 5G network-powered Galaxy S10. According to reports, the tech giant may unveil the flagship Galaxy S10 smartphone in February, followed by the presumed foldable Galaxy F and another edition of the Galaxy S10 that runs on the 5G network in March. The outlook came after Koh Dong-jin, who heads the Samsung mobile business, said recently that the company will release a foldable smartphone within the first half of 2019. The shipment volume of the foldable smartphone will be at least 1 million. If the industry watchers are to be believed, Samsung may showcase the upcoming foldable smartphone at the MWC 2019 in February, ahead of the official launch. The foldable device is said to fold inward and will feature a 7.4-inch screen when unfolded and have

14 | DECEMBER 2018

in Tech Corners

a 4.6-inch display like a regular smartphone when folded.

Moto G7 likely to get wireless charging support

Huawei’s next ‘Kirin 990’ chipset likely to debut early next year

Although it is expected to be unveiled next year, the details regarding Lenovoowned Motorola’s upcoming flagship Moto G7 are already cropping in bit by bit. After detailed renders of the Moto G7, surfaced recently, showed off a waterdrop notch and a shiny back, it is now being said that the smartphone will come with wireless charging support. If true, the Moto G7 will be the first device from the Motorola smartphone portfolio to sport Qi standard wireless charging. Wireless Power Consortium has listed a new Moto Qi wireless charging pad, and the round-shaped device was first spotted by tipster Roland Quandt. This charging pad has an LED charging indicator, a non-slip base, and a soft nonslip surface as well. It is listed to be a 10W charging pad, and this listing hints that future devices may support wireless charging. Interestingly, the Moto G7 is tipped to arrive in four models. n

China’s Huawei is said to be working on its next “Kirin 990” chipset with the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) which is likely to be unveiled in the first quarter of 2019. The processor reportedly will feature the second-generation 7nm process and is likely to debut as the first 5G-ready chip from the company. Industry observers claim that Huawei has already started working on the Kirin 990 SoC. The cost of testing the Kirin 990 chipset is said to be very expensive. Each test requires an investment of around 200 million Yuan, as per reports. The processor is expected to arrive with “Balong 5000 5G” modem. Interestingly, the Chinese tech giant launched its Kirin 980 chip at IFA in Berlin in August that powers its flagship devices.

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What’s Up

newsbits Panasonic expects Rs 140 cr sales from Bluetooth trackers biz

Japanese electronics major Panasonic eyes to clock sales to the tune of Rs 140 crore in the next one year from its Bluetoothbased trackers that have been conceptualised and designed by its team in India. The company recently launched two versions of its tracker ‘Seekit’ priced Rs 1,299 onwards. Panasonic India and South Asia President and CEO Manish Sharma said, “We are starting with a small device and this will be built up into a larger ecosystem. While the market is still at a nascent stage, there is a strong potential not only in the consumer segment but also enterprise...we expect sales of Rs 140 crore in the first year.” He added that using their mobile phones, users can find out the location of keys and other items to which the tracker can be attached to. Since the device has bi-directional tracking feature, it also allows users to find their phone by double pressing the button on the tracker. Google rolling out feature on Pixel phones for low-light photography

Google is launching a new feature to the front and rear cameras of all the three generations of their Pixel devices called — “Night Sight” — to produce better images when clicked in low-lighting. “We developed Night Sight — a new feature for the Pixel camera that helps you capture vibrant and detailed low-light photos without a flash or tripod,” Alexander Schiffhauer, Product Manager,

16 | december 2018

Computational Photography, Pixel, Google wrote in a blog-post recently. The Night Sight is designed to use machine learning to adapt to night-lighting conditions and balance the colour of the photos so that objects show their natural colour at night — whether the device is kept still or it experiences the natural hand shaking. “If you’re taking a photo in low light, Pixel will suggest using ‘Night Sight’. You can enter ‘Night Sight’ by tapping this suggestion or manually navigating to the mode. After you tap the shutter button, try to hold still until ‘Night Sight’ finishes capturing the photo,” Schiffhauer added. Samsung unveils Exynos 9820 SoC with integrated NPU, 8K video recording

Samsung has announced the next generation of its flagship Exynos Systemon-Chip (SoC), the Exynos 9820. This SoC is likely to power the upcoming flagship smartphones from Samsung including Samsung Galaxy S10, S10 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10. It is possible that this SoC will also power the upcoming foldable smartphone from the company. Exynos 9820 is the successor to the current generation Exynos 9810 that is currently powering the Galaxy S9, S9 Plus and the Galaxy Note 9. For context, Exynos is the in-house SoC by Samsung and acts as a direct competitor to Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 800 series. The newly-launched Exynos 9820 is made with an 8nm LPP FinFET manufacturing process in comparison to the 10nm LPP FinFET manufacturing process used to make its predecessor. The SoC comes with an octa-core CPU with two, fourth generation custom CPUs, two Cortex-A75 cores and four Cortex-A55 cores. Apple buys AI startup Silk Labs Apple has purchased a startup called Silk Labs that works on Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based personal assistant technology

for smartphones and smart home devices. According to a report in The Registrar, the quietly-done acquisition for an undisclosed sum is aimed at strengthening Apple’s AI capabilities towards smart home devices. Silk Labs had about a dozen employees and raised approximately $4 million in funding, said the report. According to TechCrunch, Silk Labs is the brainchild of Andreas Gal, the former CTO of Mozilla, who had also created the mobile platform Firefox OS and Michael Vines from Qualcomm. Apple is working hard towards improving its AI-enabled products, including HomePod smart speaker which is behind Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Amazon and Google accounted for 70 per cent share of the global smart speaker shipments in the first quarter of 2018, with Apple selling 600,000 HomePods in the period. Opera browser for Android gets new version

Opera, which was once one of the most popular browsers in the world, especially on phones, is back with another update for its platform in order to claim its position with big players such as Google Chrome and Apple’s Safari. This new update brings a host of major changes in the Opera browser for Android. The new Opera browser is available from the Google Play Store and users will be able to use features such as a built-in cookie dialog blocker which removes the cookie alert dialogs that may appear when browsing a website. The

MYMOBILE

be part of a 26-member GSMA board, which includes 25 operator representatives from the world’s largest operator groups as well as smaller, independent operators with global representation. The organisation represents more than 750 of the world’s mobile operators. GSMA also represents over 350 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA board also elected Stéphane Richard, chairman of Orange Group as chair, and Chua Sock Koong, group chief executive officer of Singtel Group as deputy chair.

daily browsing of people using the feature will become cleaner and neater with this feature, allowing them to focus on the content they are interested in. When enabled by the user, the cookie alert blocker will hide dialogs, but will not block websites from setting any cookies. To control cookie behavior, the Opera browser has a dedicated setting, that allows users to choose between accepting all or none cookies or blocking third-party cookies. Nokia 106 (2018) with classic Snake game launched

HMD Global has launched a new Nokia feature phone, dubbed Nokia 106 (2018) for the global market. The new phone succeeds the Nokia 106 which was launched in year 2013. The new Nokia 106 has several updates in terms of design and its innards. The phone is built out of polycarbonate with a more ergonomic design than its predecessor. The key highlight of the Nokia 106 (2018) is its long battery life. The company promises 21 days of standby time and 15 hours of talk time with the phone. It is a dual-SIM feature phone sporting a 1.8-inch QQVGA TFT display. It is powered by a MediaTek MT6261D processor with 4MB of RAM and 4MB of inbuilt storage. It is backed by an 800mAh battery. The phone comes preloaded with games like the classic Snake Xenzia and Danger Dash among others. Lava launches Prime Z feature phone with 2.4-inch QVGA display Domestic company Lava has launched the Prime Z feature phone in India. The new

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phone, priced at Rs 1,900, will be available for purchase at more than 72,000 retail outlets across the country in Piano Black colour. The new Lava Prime Z features a 2.4-inch QVGA display with a 3D glass layered on top. The phone sports glossy piano-finish back panel. The single 1.3MP primary camera is stacked vertically along with a LED flash module on the top left corner of the rear panel. The Lava Prime Z comes with dual-SIM support. It packs a 1,200mAh battery which is claimed to deliver up to five days of battery backup. The 2G compatible Lava Prime Z comes with expandable storage support of up to 32GB. The phone includes smartphone like speaker and amplifier to deliver decent audio quality. It comes with 22 Indian languages read support as well. Airtel’s Gopal Vittal, Jio’s Mathew Oommen appointed GSMA Board members

Bharti Airtel’s chief executive for India and South Asia Gopal Vittal and Reliance Jio’s president Mathew Oommen have been elected to the board of industry body GSMA for 2019-2020. Vittal and Oommen will

What’s Up

newsbits

Abhijit Bose appointed WhatsApp India head

Popular messaging platform WhatsApp has appointed Abhijit Bose, co-founder and CEO of payment device maker Ezetap, as the head India operations. Bose will join WhataApp in early 2019. He will play an instrumental role in building WhatsApp’s first full country team outside of California, which will be based in Gurgaon. Bose’s appointment comes around two months after the company appointed Komal Lahiri as its first Grievance Officer for India. The government has been building pressure on the company over its compliance with the Centre’s directives to curb spreading of fake news and misinformation in India. Bose and his team will focus on helping businesses, both large and small connect with their customers, said the company. In a statement, WhatsApp added that it is “deeply committed to India and is excited to keep building products that help people connect and support India’s fast-growing digital economy”. Google goes Neighbourly across India Tech major Google is extending its neighbourhood community app

december 2018 | 17

What’s Up

newsbits Neighbourly across India, nearly six months after its global beta debut in Mumbai. The Android app is a part of the US-based

company’s ‘Next Billion Users’ initiative. “Delhi and Bengaluru were two cities where we saw the highest wait list numbers. It was also where we did a lot of early research about Neighbourly, due to which we got a lot of feedback about the local information needs that people have in these cities,” said Ben Fohner, senior product manager, Next Billion Users at Google. Neighbourly allows users to ask questions and share their recommendations in a question and answer format through text or voice in eight Indian languages. Users can also keep up with relevant information in their neighbourhood by browsing through relevant conversations on the app. The information is limited to the specific neighbourhood, unlike on other social platforms, in order to make it more relevant and personalised to users. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey meets PM Modi during his India visit

Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey, who was on his maiden trip to India recently, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and discussed the importance of global conversations on social media platforms. Dorsey also met Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, Congress President Rahul Gandhi and filmstar Shah Rukh Khan. Twitter, which counts India among its priority markets, has a large number of politicians in the country on its platform who engage with residents and extensively use it around elections. The company has

18 | december 2018

also launched its ‘#PowerOf18’ initiative aimed at encouraging Indian youth to contribute to public debate and participate in civic engagement. Addressing a townhall at IIT-Delhi, Dorsey vowed to check spread of fake news but said there is no “one fix” solution for the “multi-variable” problem. Social media firms have been facing the menace of rumours and fake news floating on their platforms. Organisations like Facebook and WhatsApp have taken a number of steps, including sensitisation programmes among users across the country. Facebook rolls out short form video app Lasso to take on TikTok

In what may be called a version of the TikTok app that has become quite popular in the past year, Facebook has launched a video app called Lasso that enables users to make and share short-format videos with filters and special effects. Bowen Pan, a product manager at Facebook, tweeted the launch recently, and added it was available only in the US for now. Equipped with video-editing tools, the app allows users to add text as well as music to their videos. It is available for both Android and iOS. All profiles and videos on the app would be public. Lasso has been made available to US users first as Facebook tries to compete with the likes of other similar platforms like Snapchat and YouTube. The app requires users to log-in using their Facebook or Instagram accounts and share their videos from Lasso to their Facebook Stories. Amazon Prime Video brings Hindi user interface for India Amazon Prime Video has added a Hindi language user interface to its search, navigation and customer support, with an aim to bring next 100 million users to its Prime Membership from India. The Hindi language support will be available on the Amazon Prime Video app and on

PrimeVideo.com. “As Prime Video’s customer base expands across India, we

believe it becomes important to not just offer content in local languages, but to also give customers the option to access the Prime Video app and website in their language of choice,” said Gaurav Gandhi, Director and Head, Business, Amazon Prime Video India. Members who choose to switch to Hindi experience on Prime Video can select Hindi language option from the settings menu of their Prime Video app for iOS and Android devices or personal computers via PrimeVideo.com. 250 mobile apps launched at IMC 2018 Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha launched 250 mobile apps at the India Mobile Congress 2018, which concluded on October 27. These apps are related to artificial intelligence, integrated services, health, pharma, security, safety, food, sports, social networking, travel, education, and disaster management, among others. As the smartphone industry continues to grow, the adoption of apps has also grown

over the past few years. The second edition of IMC, a three-day event which began on October 25, provided a platform for these startups to launch their ventures in front of a global audience that constituted the who’s who of the telecom and technology industry. Rajan S Mathews, Director General, COAI, said, “The flourishing smartphone industry has opened new windows of opportunities and the app industry is definitely a frontrunner where new opportunities are concerned. With people increasingly becoming dependent

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on mobile apps, the prospect of innovative and relevant apps being launched becomes more real.” Smartphone online sales witness 100% growth this festive season

Technology products and accessories registered the highest quotient of growth compared to 2017, along with home appliances, groceries and beauty products, during the recent festival season sale, says a trend survey of online buyer behaviour conducted by online savings platform GoPaisa. As compared to the online sale period in 2017, smartphone sales saw 100% growth during the corresponding period this year. With a high number of brands entering the segment with quality budget smartphones, many first time smartphone buyers have entered the market, expanding the consumer base substantially. Even other tech products, such as laptops have witnessed healthy growth, registering an upsurge of 150% as against the amount of sales during the same time last year. HP, Dell and Lenovo have been the most sought-after brands under the Rs 30k price range. Asus eyes 30% gaming market share in India

Taiwanese company Asus is confident of increasing its share in the growing Indian gaming PC market to 30 per cent by next year, as it expands its product portfolio and brings in more affordable devices. The company, which competes against the likes of Dell and HP in the gaming category, has about 20 per cent share currently. Globally, it is the leader in the gaming category with about 32-33 per cent share.

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Arnold Su, Asus India Head of Consumer Notebooks and ROG Business, said, “We have seen strong growth in our business here. India is a key market for us. We will continue to ramp up our efforts and we expect to increase our market share to 30 per cent by mid next year from over 20 per cent now.” Asus is said to be working on bringing in new devices that could be available at lower price points. Burdy app launches on-demand cab services in Delhi-NCR

Tech solutions provider Burdy has launched a platform aimed to streamline the ondemand transport sector in India. Beginning with integrating commuters with cab drivers, the platform will be extended to support other medium of transport as well. With its best in class transparent approach to revolutionize the end to end cab journey, Burdy intends to emerge as the platform of choice for the fast expanding commuterdriver community. Burdy is initially available in Delhi-NCR and will be rolled out to other cities in a phased manner, the company said. Closely knitting together the commuter-driver community into a cohesive entity rather than separate units, Burdy has innovative features to accommodate the long standing demands of the community, it added. Alia Bhatt becomes Uber Eats India brand ambassador Taking its presence in India a notch higher, Uber Eats, a food delivery platform, has appointed Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt as its brand ambassador. India will be the first country for Uber Eats globally, to have appointed a brand ambassador. Uber Eats is gaining popularity among consumers across 37 cities in India to order food of their choice at the click a button. Similarly, Alia Bhatt’s effortless performances in bringing out the essence of every character

she plays, has positioned her as one of India’s most loved youth icons. “We are excited to have Alia on board, as we stay focused on building and strengthening our presence in India,” said Bhavik Rathod, Head of Uber Eats India and South Asia. Alia Bhatt said, “I’m delighted to be associated with a young, innovative and energetic brand like Uber Eats and I look forward to all the excitement that’s in store with this partnership.” Smart Packaging comes to India, thanks to Tetra Pak

Packaging and processing solutions provider Tetra Pak is now taking packaging to a new level by introducing Smart Packaging in India. According to the company, the Indian brand owners will now have access to a complete smart packaging ecosystem built around Dynamic QR codes which allows each package to be tracked, monitored and interacted with throughout the supply chain, creating new opportunities for efficient stock management, distribution and automation. It creates new and exciting opportunities for consumer interaction too. Tetra Pak’s digital package offer for brand owners therefore includes three components: code generation and printing on packages, a secure cloud solution for managing the data collected, and a consumer-facing front-end in the form of an app or a microsite on the internet, or both. n team@mymobile.co.in

december 2018 | 19

What’s Up

bignews

Time To Shift Focus To “Make in India For The World”: ICEA - McKinsey Report 2018 I

ndia Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), the apex industry body for mobile and electronics sector, along with McKinsey have undertaken a commendable impact analysis study “Making India the Global Manufacturing Powerhouse for Mobile Handsets and Components”. The Report, which was released in New Delhi recently, has made an important and pertinent attempt focusing on identifying the gaps/ challenges and coming up with important recommendations about how to rejuvenate and transform the resurgent mobile manufacturing eco-system in India and make it achieve the Global Powerhouse status. The mobile handset and its components

manufacturing eco-system in India has undoubtedly become the shining star under the flagship “Make in India” program of the Government with over 127 new factories been set up and employment to the tune of 4.5 lakhs been generated already during the past 3-4 years. India has overtaken Vietnam in 2017-18 to become the No. 2 mobile handset manufacturing destination globally with approx. 225 mn handsets got produced in India during this period. The successes achieved in this sector during the past 3-4 years has been quite appreciable in terms of the number of new factories being set up, new employment generated and the overall socioeconomic benefits that this sector has been producing for the country and the economy. As per the ICEA – McKinsey Impact Analysis Report, the country has the greatest ever opportunity to grow to substantial heights with possibility for coming closer to

20 | december 2018

fulfillment of the vision of becoming the Global Manufacturing Powerhouse for mobile handsets and components during the next decade. The Report majorly focuses on analyzing the preparedness of India to undertake large scale exports in terms of whether a sound regulatory and incentivization policy framework exists or not vis-à-vis competing geographies such as China and Vietnam. The ICEA – McKinsey Report has also come up with pertinent and forward-looking recommendations for policy and strategy point of view. “We are confident that the ICEA - McKinsey impact analysis study and the Report findings/ recommendations will definitely go a long way to accentuate India’s historic opportunity to establish itself as the Global manufacturing Powerhouse for mobile handsets and components. Needless to say, one of the major focuses of this study was to understand how to enhance the country’s prospects for fueling growth of exports in the contemporary trade and regulatory environment. This is especially when initial green shoots have already started appearing in the mobile manufacturing landscape of the nation and this needs to be further accelerated with a major focus on exports,” said Mr Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman, ICEA. Mr Mohindroo, further added, “I would like to personally thank PMO, MeitY, DIPP, Department of Commerce, Niti Aayog and DoT for their continual support and guidance to enable us to complete this important impact analysis study and arriving at major recommendations to translate our objectives into reality. I would also like to thank the Mckinsey team members and ICEA Secretariat for their strenuous efforts and support during the entire duration of this study. I am very confident and sure that this report would definitely enlighten the relevant stakeholders and add to their knowledge base and outlook regarding where the land lies currently and all important and newer interventions are required to be undertaken to ensure that India reaches out to meet its goal in becoming the Global manufacturing Powerhouse sooner rather than later.” n

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What’s Up

bignews Xiaomi plans to tap rural market with 5,000 exclusive stores

ith an aim to drive sales for its products across categories by reaching a new customer base even in rural areas, including remote villages, Xiaomi is preparing for a bigger offline push by opening over 5,000 small format exclusive stores, the Mi Stores, across the country by the end of 2019. It has already opened around 500 stores across 14 states, especially in tier 3 and rural areas. With this expansion, the Chinese handset maker now expects its offline sales to contribute 50% towards overall sales by the end of 2019, up from around 35-40% in the third quarter, said reports quoting Manu Jain, Vice President, Xiaomi and Managing Director, Xiaomi India, as saying. The company’s offline smartphone market share jumped to 20.6% in the July-September quarter, from under 1% for the same period last year, as per Gfk. “We are now doing 40 times the volume of sales that we were doing at the beginning of this year through the offline channel. Our market share in the offline channel is increased tremendously over the past few quarters,” Jain was quoted as saying. He added that the latest round of offline expansion will generate 15,000 new jobs across the country. Jain said that the new stores will have the leanest distribution possible in the country to cut down on

costs and provide the same price as the rest of the stores. Xiaomi already has 50 bigger Mi Home stores till now that includes 5 experience stores and will open 50 more stores. It also has more than 4,000 Mi Preferred stores across 50 cities and is now planning to expand its reach to 100 cites. In the 12 cities out of the 50, Xiaomi’s offline market share has gone up to more than 30 per cent. n

Nokia veteran Ashish Chowdhary to lead Apple India operations

pple has appointed Ashish Chowdhary, Chief Customer Operations Officer at Nokia Networks, as its India operation head, in a stimulus to the iPhone maker’s big future plans for the India market. Chowdhary, a veteran at Nokia, will take over as Apple India head from January next year. The decision to hire Chowdhary is a testament to the fact that Apple is aiming for a really long-term growth in a price-sensitive market where Apple is an aspirational brand and usually bought by those who have high spending power or can go for older generation phones for

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affordability. Meanwhile, Nokia recently announced changes in the composition of its group leadership team, declaring that Chowdhary will “leave Nokia at the end of 2018 after 15 successful years. Apple has roped in Chowdhary, who has a sound global as well as local knowledge of the industry, to get a bigger slice of a market that has nearly 450 million users and is one of the fastest growing after China and the US. Apple India is currently under Michel Coulomb who took over from Sanjay Kaul in December last year. Chowdhary has 25 years of international experience in the enterprise and telecom sectors. As Chief Business Officer, he was responsible for Nokia Networks’ sales and operations globally. He has held various leadership positions, including Head of Asia Middle East and Africa and prior to that, Head of Global Services Business Unit. Both these units contributed nearly half of the company’s revenues and were key to the successful transformation of Nokia. The appointment comes at a time when the iPhone maker is seeking tax relief and other incentives from the government to begin assembling more handsets in the country and its proposal to set up a manufacturing unit is also being evaluated. n

december 2018 | 21

What’s Up

bignews Lava aims sub-Rs 14,000 price segment to regain market share in India

omegrown Lava International is reportedly focusing on the sub-$200 (about Rs 14,000) price segment to regain a foothold in the Indian market, which is dominated by aggressive Chinese players such as Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo, and South Korea’s Samsung. According to reports, Lava Chairman Hari Om Rai recently said that the likes of smartphone market leader Xiaomi have benefited from heavy discounting in the online space, a strategy which is not sustainable. Besides, Chinese companies have also benefitted from the scale their fourtimes-larger-than-India home market offers them, in terms of supply chain. The Indian handset maker though sees huge potential in the sub-$200 price segment. Rai said the company can “emerge as a global leader. This segment today stands at $113 billion with a CAGR of 15% over the last five years.” He added that the handset maker is operating in 22 countries and by

March 2019, it plans to expand its footprint to 27 countries. As per reports quoting Prabhu Ram, head at industry intelligence group CMR, if one were to look at the original MILK (Micromax, Intex, Lava, Karbonn) brands, Lava is the one that has been steady. In the third quarter ended September, Lava had 94% year-on-year growth. In the July-September quarter, Lava’s share in the Indian handset market stood at 6%, according to Counterpoint Research. “We are consistently increasing our vendor and supply chain base from India, thus bringing efficiencies and advantage of Indian cost. Today, about 25% parts of our low-end phones are procured within India,” he was quoted as saying. Lava, which has facilities in both India and China, sees 30% higher productivity in India as compared with China, with one-third to even one-fourth cost, said Rai. n

Samsung opens Bixby voice assistant to developers

lectronics giant Samsung has opened up its Bixby platform, allowing third party developers to build functionalities for the Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistant. Bixby started as a practical way to use voice to interact with the phone. Now, it is evolving into a scalable, open AI platform to support many devices, including fridge and TVs. At Samsung Developer Conference 2018 in San Francisco recently, the tech major announced the opening of Bixby Developer Studio, an Integrated Development

22 | december 2018

Environment (IDE), to developers. It offers access to the same development tools Samsung’s internal developers use to create Bixby Capsules, which is what developers build to add features to Bixby. The move is in line with the company’s goal of building a scalable, open Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform where developers and service providers can access tools to bring Bixby to more people and devices around the world. “As Samsung’s ecosystem of devices continues to grow, it creates more points of contact not just for Bixby, but for a growing number of third-party services as well. Developers have more ways to reach users, and users get more opportunities to make the most of them,” said Kyunghak Hyun, Product Manager of the AI Product Management Group at Samsung. As part of its efforts to scale Bixby services, Samsung said it would expand support to five new languages in the coming months, including British English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. n

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China’s Voto Mobiles eyes Rs 1,000 cr revenue

oto Mobiles, the Chinese handset brand which entered India about a year ago is planning to invest Rs 500 crores in the Indian market while eyeing revenue of Rs 1,000 crores by March 2020. According to reports, the company has plans of making this investment over a period of one and a half years. It clocked revenue of about Rs 250 crores as of March 2018 and sold 5-6 lakh handsets in this period. It is targeting to sell 1.5 lakh handsets in a month in a bid to capture about 2% market share in the overall smartphone market by March 2019. The Chinese handset maker has four smartphone models currently in its portfolio in the sub-Rs 10,000 price segment. The company is planning to further introduce three to four smartphones in the coming months. One of these smartphones would be put online, whereas the rest of the smartphones would be distributed offline,

said reports. The handset maker has its own assembling plant in China and has plans to put its own manufacturing plant in India in Noida, Ghaziabad or Faridabad. In the sub-Rs 10,000 segment, Voto faces competition from the likes of Xiaomi and Indian players that are operating in this price-range. However, the company is bullish with its targets and expectations. Voto’s upcoming handsets will be segmented in the price range of Rs 5,000-Rs 8,000, Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 and Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000. Reports say the company is currently in talks with telecom operators Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio for its handset bundling deal. Furthermore, Voto is planning to aggressively push its products in areas where tele-density is high such as UP, Maharashtra.n

What’s Up

bignews

Gaming smartphones penetration to hit 6.5% by 2021 in India

ccording to CyberMedia Research (CMR), gamingspecific smartphones are expected to reach 1.8% of the total smartphone shipments in India by end-2018, and possibly reach 6.5% by 2021, driven by the popularity of highly advanced mobile games such as PUBG and Fortnite. Reports quoting Prabhu Ram, Head, Industry Intelligence Group, CMR, said, “Given the technological advances, smartphone companies are now in a better position to bet on improving the mobile gaming experience, through features like HDR and high refresh rate screens that render more smoother on-screen visuals. While a majority of the smartphones in the market support mobile gaming, the rise of graphically intensive games like Fortnite and PUBG Mobile is making smartphone manufacturers to take note and cater to the demand.” Of late, a number of handset companies like Asus, Xiaomi, Huawei and Nubia have come up with their gaming specific handsets to differentiate themselves from Apple and Samsung with enhanced specs, bigger batteries, and better cooling

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mechanisms. A recent CMR consumer survey pointed to smartphone emerging as the primary device for gaming, preferred by more than 90% of millennials and Gen-Z, overshadowing gaming PCs and other device forms. Internal estimates by CMR reportedly points to a significant rise in mobile gaming users with expectations that they will cross 748 million by 2021. Interestingly, as mobile vendors look to offer new gaming smartphones, chipset vendors such as Qualcomm and MediaTek are also offering new chipsets such as Qualcomm Snapdragon 675, or the Helio P70, to offer enhanced mobile gaming experience. n

december 2018 | 23

What’s Up

bignews Whatsapp, Skype, Google Duo likely to come under Trai’s regulation

he Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has issued a long-awaited consultation paper to debate whether Over-TheTop (OTT) services, including Whatsapp, Skype and Google Duo, should be brought under the regulatory regime. The discussion paper titled ‘Regulatory Framework for Over The Top Communications Services’ is aimed at analysing and discussing “changes that may be required in the current regulatory framework to govern these entities; and the manner in which such changes should be effected,” a Trai statement said. OTT services refer to applications and services that are accessible over the Internet and ride on an operator’s network. Trai has asserted that the scope of its current consultation would be regulatory issues and economic concerns pertaining to those OTT services that are “same or similar” to the services provided by telecom service providers (TSPs). The telecom regulator has sought the industry’s views on which OTT services should be regarded as the same or similar to those offered by telecom operators, and if “substitutability” should be the main criteria for comparison of regulatory or licensing rules applicable to TSPs and OTT service providers. Trai has also asked if there are issues surrounding lawful interception of OTT communication that need to be resolved in the interest of national security and whether responsibilities of OTT service providers and TSPs should be distinct. It has asked if there is an issue of “non-

level playing field” between OTT providers and TSPs giving same or similar services and sought suggestions on whether regulatory or licensing norms should be imposed on OTT service providers to fix such regulatory imbalance. The regulator has asked the industry to give its views on various issues raised in the consultation paper by December 10, and counter comments by December 24, this year. n

Govt sets up facility for security testing of telecom products

he Centre has started a facility for testing telecom products and equipment to ensure security in digital communications at the national level. This facility will work for security from the national perspective and also facilitate the development of testing and certification ecosystem in the country. The Department

24 | december 2018

of Telecom has set the deadline of April 2019 for mandatory testing of some telecom products including mobile phones and equipment. This will be applicable on all equipment that are imported to India or are sold in the country. However, there are some other telecom gears that would go through the mandatory testing starting January 1, 2019. These equipment include modem, audio conferencing, fax machines, satellite equipments etc. Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha recently said that there has been huge growth in uptake of telecom services in the country since 2014 and is the right of our consumers to be provided quality services efficiently and in secured manner. “Due to success of our efforts, broadband subscribers have grown seven times from 61 million in 2014 to 447 million in 2018. Average data consumption has grown 51 times from 62 MB per month in 2014 to 3.2 GB in June 2018. As a result, India today has the highest mobile data consumption in the world at the most competitive rates seen anywhere in the world,” Sinha said. He said that as per the industry reports, India is also one of the fastest growing mobile phone markets. India’s dream of a pioneering position in the rollout of 5G has already started taking wings, he added. n

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What’s Up

bignews News, Games and Social Apps emerge as Top 3 App Categories in India

ews, Social Media and Gaming apps are the top three categories installed by Indian mobile users, according to a recent study conducted by MoMagic Technologies, a fastpaced, innovative, AI and Big data driven mobile tech firm. The report titled, “Lifestyle Insight of App Users in India”, gives an overview on the lifestyle choices a particular set of app user profile may have or follow, predictably. The report is drawn upon from “TrueInsight”- MoMagic’s DMP (Data Management Platform). According to the report, on an average, an Indian smartphone user usually has 50 apps, including pre-installed apps; equally distributed among men and women (men have 50.5 apps and female has 49.8 apps). News related app installs saw a jump of 94% in Q12018 vs Q42017 followed by a jump of 80% for social media related apps and lastly gaming apps at 52% respectively, the report said. News App users are seen to install apps related to Food & Drink, Health & Fitness and Automobiles. This segment

values their diet, health and drive more on a daily basis, it added. Social App users, is one of the key users of dating apps, other than automobiles and weather. Game App user segment mainly consists of parents, who share their devices with their children and hence are found to have more of parenting apps, followed by comics and beauty. “India creates one of the largest news content across tens of languages which are consumed by users across age groups. News related apps continue to outperform other segments and is expected to grow further, thereby making it clear that in the near future content is going to be a clear winner in the Ad tech sector,” said Arun Gupta, Founder & CEO, MoMagic Technologies. n

Xiaomi launches in Britain with Mi 8 Pro flagship device

orld’s fourth ranked smartphone maker Xiaomi entered Britain recently with the international debut of its flagship Mi 8 Pro, which it hopes will win fans in a market dominated by Samsung and Apple. Senior Vice President Xiang Wang said Britain had a “cool” factor that aligned with the company’s appeal to its customers. “The UK is one of the important global centres for technology,” he said in an interview ahead of the company’s London launch, as per reports. “It is a young energetic

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place, so pretty much fits to our culture - we want to be the coolest company in our fans’ minds.” Xiaomi, which listed in July and has a market value of about $44 billion, initially targeted other Asian markets for overseas expansion, notably India, where it toppled Samsung as the top smartphone seller earlier this year. The handset company, founded in 2010, made its European debut in Spain a year ago - where according to research firm Canalys it already ranks third - followed by France and Italy this year. It said in August that overseas revenue for the quarter ending June 30 had more than doubled year-on-year. Xiaomi’s UK product line-up is led by the Mi 8 Pro, which has a dual camera powered by artificial intelligence, a 6.21 inch high-definition AMOLED display, a pressure-sensitive in-display fingerprint sensor and a transparent glass back cover. It is also bringing its entry-level Redmi 6A device, priced from 99 pounds ($130), Wang said, and some of the other products in the “Mi” range, including its Xiaomi Band 3 fitness band and an electric scooter. The company’s products will be sold both online and in store. n

december 2018 | 25

What’s Up

bignews World’s first ‘AI’ news Anchor debuts in China

hina’s state-controlled news media Xinhua launched world’s first artificial intelligence (AI) anchors at the recent World Internet Conference in east China’s Zhejiang province. Based on the appearances of two flesh-and-blood Chinese news presenters, the computerised avatars read out text that is fed into their system, their mouths moving in tandem with the reports. Xinhua said the “AI Synthetic Anchors”, one for Chinese and one for English news, were developed along with Sogou, a Beijing-based creator of search engines and voice-recognition technology. China last year unveiled plans to become a world leader in AI and other high-tech fields, though it has since toned down the rhetoric amid a trade war with the United States, which has included accusations by President Donald Trump that China steals US technologies. The digital anchors offer certain advantages over humans, Xinhua said, such as being able to work 24 hours a day and to quickly disseminate breaking news. “The AI Synthetic Anchor has officially become part of the Xinhua reporting team. He will work

together with other anchors to bring you authoritative, timely and accurate news and information in Chinese and English,” the Chinese news agency said. The anchors have appeared on some Xinhua online and social media products, but it was not immediately clear how extensively they would be used by the agency. Rather than true AI, however, the Xinhua presenters merely react to text that is fed into their systems, the agency said. True AI involves machines that can think, make decisions and take action on their own. n

WhatsApp selects 20 teams to fight fake news globally

opular messaging platform WhatsApp has selected 20 research teams from all over the world, including India, as the recipients of the WhatsApp Misinformation and Social Science Research Awards, in order to curb the menace of fake news. The research teams would study how the misinformation spreads and what could be done to stop it. The Facebook-owned company has committed $1 million to conduct research on the distribution of fake news. It received total of 600 proposals from all over the

world and it chose 20 research projects from 11 countries. Each team will get a research grant of $50,000. The goal of the WhatsApp grant is to aid the academics and experts to undertake high quality research in the countries where WhatApp has emerged as the biggest social messaging platform and also the spreader of fake news. WhatApp has acceded to the fact that the problem of fake news has increased due to the technology driven communication platforms. According to WhatsApp, the menace of fake news can only be tackled by taking it head on and by understanding the human psychology and its impact on the behavior of the civil society. “These studies will examine how do social, cognitive, and information processing variables relate to the content’s credibility, and the decision to share that content with others,” WhatsApp said. In the last few years, India has witnessed biggest growth in fake news owing to dirt cheap data charges. Government of India has recognized the threat and has asked the messaging platform to take steps to prevent proliferation of fake news. The study will help WhatsApp to fully understand the problem at the local level and will give it a clear understanding into the social and cultural variation in how people use its platform. n team@mymobile.co.in

26 | december 2018

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Redmi Note 6 Pro

iaomi has launched the Redmi Note 6 Pro, which is said to be the successor to the Redmi

Note 5 Pro, the Chinese smartphone makerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bestseller. The USP of the smartphone is its four cameras and a notched display. In terms of technical specs, the dual-SIM smartphone runs MIUI 10 on top of Android 8.1

First Look

justin

Oreo, and sports a 6.26-inch full-HD+ (1080x2280 pixels) IPS LCD panel with a 19:9 aspect ratio, 2.5D curved glass, Corning Gorilla Glass protection, and a maximum brightness of 500 nits. The handset is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC, coupled with an Adreno 509 GPU, 4GB/ 6GB of RAM, and 64GB of onboard storage which is expandable up to 256GB via microSD card. There is a 4,000mAh battery under the hood, with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0. For photography, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro sports a vertically aligned dual rear camera setup with a 12-megapixel primary sensor coupled with f/1.9 aperture and 1.4-micron pixel size - and a 5-megapixel depth sensing secondary sensor. On the front, the Redmi Note 6 Pro features yet another dual camera setup. There is a 20-megapixel primary sensor (with 1.8-micron pixels) and a 2-megapixel secondary sensor, with support for 4-in-1 Super Pixel, AI Face Unlock, and AI Portrait Selfie (with real-time potrait preview), AI Beautify, as well as AI Scene Detection. On the connectivity front, the newly-launched device has the support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS, a Micro-USB port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Sensors onboard the Redmi Note 6 Pro include accelerometer, ambient light sensor, electronic compass, gyroscope, IR blaster, proximity sensor, and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. As for prices, the Redmi Note 6 Pro price in India starts at Rs 13,999 for the 4GB RAM variant. The 6GB RAM model costs Rs 15,999. It is available via Mi.com, Flipkart and Mi Home retail stores. n

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december 2018 | 27

First Look

justin

Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018)

outh Korean electronics major Samsung has come up

the fourth one is the depth camera with 5-megapixel resolution

with the 2018 iteration of the Galaxy A9 smartphone in

and f/2.2 aperture.

India. The premium smartphone stands out for its quad-

With a quad-camera setup, the Galaxy A9 aims to deliver

camera setup at the rear. Samsung had first launched this

photos with more real estate, clarity, sharpness and depth.

device at an event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Galaxy A9

For selfies, the smartphone houses a 24-megapixel camera.

along with the Galaxy A7, which features a triple-camera

In terms of specs, the smartphone runs Qualcomm’s

setup at the rear, is Samsung’s new innovations with

Snapdragon 660 processor. It features a 6.28-inch full HD+

smartphone optics.

Super AMOLED display. On the software front, it runs Android

Talking about its highlight, the Galaxy A9 has four cameras

Oreo, and is fuelled by a 3,800mAh battery that powers the

stacked vertically at the top-corner of the rear panel. The first

phone. The smartphone offers Face Unlock and a rear

sensor is an ultra wide sensor with 120-degree field of view,

fingerprint sensor for security.

f/2.4 aperture, and 8-megapixel resolution. The second

The newly-launched smartphone is priced at Rs 36,999

sensor is a telephoto lens with 2X optical zoom, f/2.4 aperture

for the base model and Rs 39,999 for the 8GB variant. It is

and 10-megapixel resolution. The third sensor is the main

available via Amazon India, Flipkart, Airtel’s online store and

camera with 24-megapixel resolution and f/1.7 aperture. And

Samsung’s e-store. n

28 | december 2018

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First Look

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Micromax Spark Go

xpanding its Spark series, homegrown brand Micromax has launched a new

smartphone, dubbed the Spark Go in India. Priced at Rs 3,999, the Spark Go is a new entrant in the budget smartphone segment. In terms of the technical specs, the dualSIM smartphone sports a 5.0-inch FWVGA

(480x854 pixels) display panel and runs Android Oreo (Go edition). The handset is powered by a Spreadtrum SC9832E SoC, coupled with Mali-T720 GPU, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of inbuilt storage, which is expandable up to 32GB via microSD card. On the camera front, the Micromax Spark Go features a 5-megapixel fixed-focus rear camera and a 2-megapixel selfie camera, both with flash. The rear camera on the Spark Go supports full-HD (1080p) video recording at 30fps and 2x digital zoom. There is a 2,000mAh battery under the hood. Connectivity options on the board include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.0, GPS, a Micro-USB port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Micromax Spark Go is available for purchase exclusively via Flipkart. The smartphone comes in Silver and Rose colour variants. Micromax has partnered with Reliance Jio to offer up to 25GB of additional 4G data to customers. Buyers will be able to avail 5GB additional data benefits on prepaid recharges of Rs 198/ Rs 299 for a maximum of 5 recharges.n

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december 2018 | 29

First Look

justin

Panasonic P85 NXT

xtending its powerful P series, Panasonic recently launched a budget smartphone, dubbed the P85 NXT in India. The

device features Arbo Hub, an AI powered hub which provides the users of Panasonic smartphones an access to multiple apps and services on a single platform. Another important feature of the Panasonic P85 NXT is its massive 4,000mAh battery that is optimized with the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Charging

Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; feature, which lets the device to be a power source to charge other devices. The dual SIM smartphone sports a 12.7cm (5) HD screen with 2.5D curved display. The new P85 NXT is protected by the tough and damage resistant Corning Gorilla Glass protection. The smartphone runs Android 7.1.2 Nougat. Powering the handset is a 1.3 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and a 2GB RAM. It comes with 16GB of internal storage which can be further expanded up to 128GB via microSD card. The OTG support enhances your storage

30 | december 2018

options. For photography, the P85 NXT is integrated with an 8MP AF rear camera and a 5MP front camera with flash which offers numerous photography options for different scenarios. It also comes equipped with the Face Unlock feature which provides utmost security to the users. The user may also choose to use the fingerprint sensor or other conventional ways to lock/unlock the device. For connectivity, the device has a dual SIM configuration, direct Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It provides support for VoLTE and ViLTE (Airtel, Jio and Vodafone), LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. The P85 NXT also has a split screen feature which lets the user multitask at the same time. Priced at Rs 6,999, the device comes in three colour variants - Blue, Black and Gold. n

MYMOBILE

Ziox Duotel D1

omestic handset maker Ziox Mobiles, a part of Sun Air

battery and includes smart connectivity options which

voice Pvt. Ltd., has introduced a budget smartphone,

include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, G-sensor etc. With a support

known as the Duotel D1 in the Indian market. Speaking of technical specifications, the Ziox Duotel D1

for 22 languages, the dual-SIM phone is equipped with the SOS feature and mobile tracker for emergencies.

comes with a 4.9-inch full wide VGA along with Full View

Priced at Rs 5,399, the Duotel D1 smartphone is

display and 2.5D curved glass. Powered by a 1.4Ghz quad-

available in shades of Stunning Blue and Gold at leading

core processor, the Duotel D1 smartphone comes with 1GB

retail stores across India.

RAM and 8GB ROM. The device is equipped with a

Deepak Kabu, CEO, Ziox Mobiles, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are thrilled

5MP+VGA dual camera with flash, paired with 2.0MP selfie

to launch the Duotel series of smartphones. The budget

camera. The smartphone comes with the latest Android Go

smartphone is everything what the millennial generation

operating system.

would look for, without burning a hole in their pocket.â&#x20AC;? n

First Look

justin

The Duotel D1 smartphone packs in a 2,000mAh Li-ion

www.mymobileindia.com

december 2018 | 31

International

justin

Honor 10 Lite

uaweiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sub-brand Honor has launched a stripped down version of its flagship Honor 10,

dubbed Honor 10 Lite in China. In terms of specs, the dual-SIM (Nano) Honor 10 Lite runs

Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box with EMUI 9.0.1 on top. The smartphone sports a 6.21-inch full-HD+ (1080x2340 pixels)

display with a pixel density of 415ppi. The handset is powered by an octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 710 processor, clocked at 2.2GHz. It comes with 4GB and 6GB RAM options. On the camera front, the Honor 10 Lite features a dual camera setup with a 13-megapixel primary sensor with f/1.8 aperture and a 2-megapixel secondary sensor. At the front, there is a 24-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture. Also, the smartphone comes with 64GB and 128GB storage options, both of which are expandable via microSD card (up to 512GB). Connectivity options on board include dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, 3.5mm audio jack, GPS/ AGPS, and GLONASS. Sensors on board the handset include ambient light sensor, compass, gravity sensor, gyroscope, and a proximity sensor. It is powered by a 3,400mAh battery. The Honor 10 Lite is priced at Yuan 1,399 which is nearly Rs 14,000 plus for the 4GB RAM/64GB internal storage variant. The 6GB RAM and 64GB variant is priced at Yuan 1,699 or nearly Rs 17,400 plus. The most expensive variant has 6GB RAM/128GB internal storage for a price of CNY 1,899 which comes to Rs 19,500 plus on conversion. n

32 | december 2018

MYMOBILE

Oppo RX17 Pro & RX17 Neo

ppo has launched the RX17 Pro and RX17 Neo

rear camera with an f/1.6 aperture, and a third Time of Flight

smartphones for the European markets. The smartphones,

(TOF) 3D sensing camera that essentially takes in depth

RX17 Pro and RX17 Neo, were earlier launched in China as

information for 3D-effect photos. At the front, it comes with a

R17 Pro and R17 Neo respectively. While the Oppo RX17 Pro

25-megapixel front-facing Sony IMX576 sensor with an f/2.0

is a premium-segment smartphone, the RX17 Neo is a mid-

aperture and AI features.

range device. In terms of specs, the Oppo RX17 Pro runs on ColorOS 5.2

On the other hand, the dual-SIM Oppo RX17 Neo is powered by Snapdragon 660 octa-core (four 2.2GHzKyro 260

based on Android 8.1 Oreo, and supports dual-SIM slots. It

and four 1.8GHz Kyro 260 CPUs) processor paired with

features a 6.4-inch full HD+ display with 19:9 aspect ratio

Adreno 512 GPI and 4GB of RAM. The horizontally stacked

and Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protection. It is powered by

dual camera setup comes with one 16-megapixel rear camera

Snapdragon 710 octa-core (two 2.2GHz Kryo 360 and six

with an f/1.75 aperture and another 2-megapixel secondary

1.7GHz Kryo 360 CPUs) paired with Adreno 616 GPU and

rear camera with an f/2.4 aperture. The setup is accompanied

6GB RAM. Internal storage is at 128GB. The handset comes

by a LED flash. The Oppo RX17 Neo packs a 3,600mAh

with a 3,700mAh battery with SuperVOOC Flash Charge

battery, and connectivity options include Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi

support. Connectivity options include a Bluetooth v5, Wi-Fi

802.11ac, Bluetooth v5, GPS, Micro USB port, and more.

802.11 ac, GPS, USB OTG, USB Type-C, NFC, and more.

As for prices, the RX17 Pro costs 599 Euros for the base

Camera-wise, the Oppo RX17 Pro includes a triple camera

6 GB RAM + 128 GB model, whereas the RX17 Neo is priced

setup at the back - one 12-megapixel rear camera with an

at 349 Euros for the base 4 GB RAM + 128 GB storage

f/1.5-2.4 variable aperture and OIS, a 20-megapixel secondary

model.n

www.mymobileindia.com

International

justin

november 2018 | 33

International

justin

Lenovo Z5 Pro

dopting a slider design to get rid of the traditional

claims that the sliding mechanism can been tested to last

display notch, Lenovo has launched the Z5 Pro

3,00,000 times. This is the first smartphone from Lenovo

smartphone in China. The Lenovo Z5 Pro sports a 6.39-inch

to come with an in-display fingerprint sensor.

Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with 1080x2340 pixel

For photography, the Lenovo Z5 Pro comes with a dual

resolution. It offers an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and is made

front and rear cameras. The rear of the smartphone sports

scratch resistant with a coating of Corning Gorilla Glass on

a 24MP primary sensor and 16MP secondary sensor with

top.

f/1.8 aperture and LED flash. On the front, you will find

The dual-SIM Z5 Pro runs Android 8.1 Oreo operating system, topped with a companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own layer of UI. The

another dual camera setup with 16MP + 8MP module. The front camera also supports a beauty mode for selfies.

smartphone is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm

The Lenovo Z5 Pro is backed by a 3,350 mAh battery

Snapdragon 710 processor clubbed with 6GB of RAM. The

and offers WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, USB Type C and NFC as

Lenovo Z5 Pro comes in two storage variants- 64GB and

connectivity options.

128GB, which is further expandable via a microSD card. The slider design in Lenovo Z5 Pro hides the dual front camera, IR face unlock and the earpiece. The company

34 | december 2018

The smartphone has been priced at 1,998 yuan for the 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage and 2,298 yuan for 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage variant. n

MYMOBILE

International

justin

Sharp Aquos R2 Compact

harp Aquos R2 Compact, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first smartphone with two notches on the display, has been launched in

Japan. While a small circular notch on top of the screen features front camera, the notch at the bottom is wider and includes a fingerprint sensor. Talking about technical specs, the Sharp Aquos R2 Compact houses a 5.2-inch full-HD+ (1080x2280 pixels) display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and 2.5D tempered glass protection. It is powered by the Snapdragon 845 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM. Internal storage is at 64GB with microSD slot support for further expansion of up to 512GB. The smartphone packs a 2,500mAh battery. It sports an aluminium frame, and power and volume buttons are situated on the right edge. In terms of optics, the trend-setting smartphone sports a 22.6-megapixel rear sensor with high speed autofocus, f/1.9 aperture, OIS, and electronic hand shake correction as well. At the front, there is an 8-megapixel sensor with f/2.2 aperture. Connectivity options include 4G VoLTE, GPS, GLONASS, Bluetooth v5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, and USB Type-C port. The smartphone supports both face unlock and fingerprint scanning. Although Sharp hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t revealed the pricing detail of the Aquos R2 Compact, the smartphone is going to be available through SoftBank from mid-January. It is unclear if the phone will be announced for global markets as well.n team@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

december 2018 | 35

Limelight

lead story

A Notch Year!

The A to Z of 2018 The year has come to an end and having spent 12 months are quite difficult to recall as how it went, event by event, to summarize it for us. Mobile industry has had a roller coaster ride too in which we witnessed some new technologies while quite a few becoming redundant. The year 2018 can be summarized as the notch year for the mobile industry where the notch became a mass thing. We will summarize the 365 days for you to revisit the developments which changed the mobile landscape and shown a new path to improve and work on it in the upcoming year. By Haider Ali Khan Apple The launch of new iPhone created quite a buzz among the buyers and copiers around the world. The Cupertino-based tech giant crossed the rupees one lakh mark with the new launches. It is for the first time that Apple has sandwiched a six inches display on its new iPhone. The brand continued with notch from iPhone X but, there werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much of improvements in the new phones. While the optics remained the same, the processor used is one stage further.

Asus

36 | december 2018

the tech brand had ZenFone 5Z that came to challenge OnePlus 6. Now, Asus has

The Taiwanese brand had a mix year

geared itself for the gaming beast, The

with some good phone launches such as

ROG Phone, which is purely dedicated to

ZenFone Max Pro M1 and ZenFone 5Z. At

the hardcore gamers.The ROG Phone is

the start of the year Asus launched Max

an adaptation of its ROG Laptop series

Pro M1 which was quite successful among

which the company is trying to leverage in

budget buyers. For the premium buyers,

smartphone segment.

to say that it’s not yet quitting the task. Coolpad needs to stick to a game plan

Limelight

lead story Honor

to counter the competition and have a decent market share in the country. The brand was well received by the millennials but, it did not somehow able to deliver on their expectations.

Gionee This brand also had a mediocre year with very few noticeable

BlackBerry The year almost went unnoticed by the company with no major launches in the smartphone genre. By the end of 2018 it launched BlackBerry KEY2 LE taking cue from its predecessor KEYone, having said that, the new smartphone did not prove to beat its competitors because of the outdated performance and for being shy on the features. The brand did not show any kind of urgency to reclaim its dominance among the premium segment

events happening.In the mid of the year, the Chinese brand launched two new smartphones, F205 and S11 Lite. The budget and the mid segment smartphones were high on design. Apart from that Gionee did not launch any other smartphone. The competition from Xiaomi has forced many players on the edge and Gionee too is one of them. It has become impossible for many brands to sell enough inventories thus its reflecting on to their sales figure.

buyers.

Google

Coolpad

Google’s One Product a Year strategy has been respected by buyers. Google has launched the successor of its hugely successful Pixel 2 in the form of Google Pixel 3 and its XL variant. Without a doubt, Pixel 3 is for those who never compromise of photos and clean user interface along with security updates.If you can afford it then Google Pixel 3 is a must have for you.

The online brand of Huawei have had a good year. Honor launched numerous glossy and high end smartphones from budget to premium and had a considerable number of share among the Indian smartphone ecosystem. From Honor 10 to Honor 8X the Chinese brand enjoyed a good laugh. Honor has betted on the looks, cameras and processor to attract the buyers. Honor did follow the design statement of its parent firm, Huawei, to score more on looks.

Huawei The technology giant remained a decent performer this year. The most of the year it remained silent giving space and wings to its prodigy, Honor. The Huawei P20 Pro shined for the Chinese brand along with its new addition, Nova 3. The company has geared for

The sad news came from the Chinese

its new flagship, Huawei

mobile manufacturers that it’s closing

Mate 20 Pro. The offline only

down its India business but, the brand

brand remained an option for the

denied any such speculation. The

premium buyers among the likes of

company launched Mega 5A and Note 8

Apple, Google and Samsung.

www.mymobileindia.com

december 2018 | 37

Limelight

lead story JioPhone 2

keeps on trying hard and fast. The Motorola

above 29K quite comfortably and there are

One Power is a one such smartphone where

reasons for it. Since its inception OnePlus

the brand has tried to consolidate the

has delivered on the high end specifications

battery-driven buyers. The Moto G6 and

which are quite manageable under

G6 Play did try to shake the dominance of

the Indian circumstances latest being

Xiaomi but, they were not that successful

OnePlus 6T, the successor of OnePlus

as the company would have expected it

6. The OnePlus 6T shines brilliantly on

to be.

performance and ease of use with latest

Nokia

specs and appealing design too. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something unique to its smartphones

The trusted brand in its avatar is having a

which seems missing from its immediate

mixed bag of reaction from buyers. Nokia

competitors.

has launched a handful of smartphones and feature phones to compete with new

Oppo

entrants. Nokia 7.1 Plus and Nokia 8

The selfie-centric smartphone

Jio completed two years of operations in

brand on the

India and to commemorate it, the fastest

BBK family

growing telecom service provider in India,

remained steady

announced JiPhone 2 with advanced

throughout the

features.Like JioPhone, JioPhone 2 is also

year. Oppo did

a huge hit among buyers. The new JioPhone

bring a brilliant

2 came with WhatsApp, Facebook and

masterpiece

other VoLTE features.

crafted out of perfection

Lenovo

the form of Oppo

The Chinese brand had a quiet year too.

Find X with unique

The brand launched two smartphones in

features but, it

October to regain the audiences earned

was out of sight for

by its K8 Note. But, surprisingly, Lenovo

majority of the Oppo

did not announce any new successor to

fans due to its pricing.

its Note series. Lenovo has been handling

Similarly, Oppo F9 Pro

the Laptop division too with ĂŠlan but, the

Sirocco were quite successful in getting

boasted on design and

smartphone segment seems a bit awry at

much traction among the buyers. Then

Waterdrop display. Oppo

the moment.

the company introduced Nokia 6 and 5

has kept its formula

to the mid-segment buyers and finally the

simple of providing the

Motorola

newly launched Nokia 3 for the budget

best design and camera

The trusted brand of the masses is having

buyers. The Finnish brand also introduced

experience to the millennials.

a tough time too to attract the buyers yet it

Nokia 8110 for the feature phone users to

Oppo Find X was a great attempt

compete with JioPhone 2.

to bring something new and break

OnePlus

the stereotype of dying out on innovations.

The hot favorite among the premium buyers at the moment. OnePlus has been able to dominate and hold the segment

48 | October 2018

MYMOBILE

In Conversation

face to face

Quality, innovation and trend setting design ideology are the keys to Honor’s success in India Honor sold 2 million units in the first half of 2018 alone as compared to 0.6 million units in 2017. This means that the brand registered over 300% growth within the first 6 months of the year. This shows the magnitude of traction that Honor is getting in India and is quite successful in creating a niche for itself despite the presence of its parent company Huawei. Haider Ali Khan had a word with P. Sanjeev, Vice President, Sales, Huawei Consumer Business Group on brand’sperspective, future, competition and more. Honor has earned a name for itself among smartphone users. What are the key attributes to your success in India? Quality, innovation and trend setting design ideology are the key attributes to our success in India. Through all our devices, we are offering our customers the latest technology with highend features across different price points. India is a dynamic market with an ever-evolving untapped customer base across platforms. If we delve deep into the different segments of the customer base in India, we see a lot of opportunities when it comes to catering to these audiences whose demands are evolving and changing every day. This helps us cater to customers across segments and show them what we have to offer. Majority of India’s population are under the age of 35 who are techsavvy and are well aware of global developments. We try our best to match their expectation levels when it comes to innovation. Meanwhile, India is a country of vibrant colours and aesthetic sensibilities; so we equally pay attention to our design ideas. This is the core strategy behind Honor’s success and future development. During your presentation it was mentioned that Honor has been growing at 300% and 400%. How’s that possible or its just applying the marketing strategy of multiplying X by 100? What exactly is your present market share in India? We have been doing extremely well in the market both globally as well in India. Honor has just created a milestone with record

MYMOBILE

In Conversation

face to face sales across the globe. Honor was the top Singles’ Day performer in terms of sales volume and revenue under smartphone category on both Tmall.com and JD.com, the two biggest e-commerce platforms in China. With its India-first-approach, as per the IDC report, the brand has registered an unprecedented growth of 281% in 2018 H1 and it is among the top 2 brands in the online segment in Q2, 2018 on the back of several new launches across price segments. Furthermore, Honor sold 2 Million units in the first half of 2018 alone as compared to 0.6 Million units in 2017. This means that the brand has registered over 300% growth within the first 6 months of the year. The brand sold 6 million units of the recently launched Honor 8X globally. 2018 has been an essential year for Honor. Based on our dual brand strategy over the years, we committed ourselves to listening to our users, and directing our R&D to meet those needs.

“We wish to smartphones but what’s the target segment launch devices which because if we move beyond 20K, Huawei are a blend of stellar aesthetics comes into play? Huawei represents and technology at different price the premium category and Honor the younger generation with the similar points. Honor will continue to innovation and R&D capability. Both create differentiated products the brands target different market and create a diverse portfolio categories and our endeavour is to change the perception through the with different price points supreme quality of Honor and reinforce for the customers” the technology leadership of Huawei in Honor has a range of budget to premium

India. Huawei has been doing business in

strategic control points: quality, innovation, and services. This is the core strategy behind Honor’s success and future development. Honor aims to create a premium smartphone experience for its users at great value and this will always remain at the core of what we do. We focus on bringing the most relevant features to our customers; features that are innovative and future-ready. We wish to launch devices which are a blend of stellar aesthetics and technology at different price points. Honor will continue to create differentiated

India in different segments like telecom,

at different price points. Catering to a

products and create a diverse portfolio with

home devices (Wi-Fi router, CPE, data

different set of target audience, both the

different price points for the customers.

cards), devices (gears, tablets, STB) and

brands enjoy great privilege in their set of

with the recently launched Huawei P20

areas.

The competition is super aggressive with the revamp of Nokia in India. How is Honor

Pro and P20 Lite, it has become the best telecom company in the world known for

Your recent launches suggest that Honor

preparing itself to counter both Xiaomi and

offering cutting-edge technology. Whereas

is following the style and design statement

Nokia? While we would not like to comment

Honor is a brand for the millennials of

of Huawei. Is that a feasible option to hold

on competition, at Honor we believe

the country who are always in search of

buyers without pinching too much on to their

that being a part of a super competitive

something more. In a short span, we have

pockets? Like I mentioned earlier, Honor

market, one must evolve as per the market

established Honor as a brand that is for the

has focused on users and created value

needs. Swiftness and nimbleness are two

youth by offering them top-notch devices

for consumers by adhering to its three core

elements that make a brand standout.

www.mymobileindia.com

december 2018 | 41

In Conversation

face to face The real challenge is to create a unique

Honor 10 and View10, which offer AI

because of our aggressive online strategy.

identity from the competition and make

photography, AI assistant and AI UI for a

Our main objectives are building a better

a mark in the market. In a competitive

better user experience.

mobile relationship for the users, healthy

smartphone market like India, I believe

As per the IDC report we registered an

growth of offline channel and focus of

companies need to be more committed

unprecedented growth of 281% in 2018

online vendors on expanding their footprint

to self- improvement as an opportunity,

H1 and it is among the top 2 brands in

in retail channel.

to better themselves in the process of

online segment in Q2, 2018 in India. Honor

winning the competition.

recently created a milestone by selling

What would be the new advancements

India is a dynamic market with an ever-

more than 1 Million Honor Smartphones

in mobile technology in 2019 and what

evolving untapped customer base across

during the Diwali festive season sale

will be the contribution of Honor to it?

platforms. With so many brands battling

which accounted for a whopping 300%

Mobile technology is evolving and new

to make a mark in a cluttered smartphone

Y-o-Y growth as compared to 2017. This

advancements are imperative to sustain in

market like India, it becomes imperative

reaffirms our strong position in the Indian

a cluttered market. Artificial Intelligence

to study the prospects and use these

is the buzzword from the last two decades

opportunities to make your presence felt.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;With bold, innovative and futurehas decided not to increase the prices of its smartphones during this ongoing ready intelligent products added tough phase of the smartphone to our portfolio, we will continue to market globally. Honor stands deliver the best user experience to tall during this tough time and is focused to keep its customer every consumer. We will build core satisfaction above the rest. In competencies to lead future trends India, we believe that we are and strive to become a culturally launching the right innovations at the right time at different price vibrant tech brand loved by points which is helping us to counter global consumersâ&#x20AC;? our competitors.

in the technology space. AI has developed

Unlike other smartphone brands, Honor

many folds in the past few years due to

How do you summarize the year 2018 for

intelligent products added to our portfolio,

powerful machine learning and deep learning algorithms. We can expect smartphone companies to thrive more on AI with upcoming smartphones having more and more of AI capabilities especially in the camera setup and become a common feature across all smartphone segments. We can expect companies to focus and harness the power of AI as this is the only medium to be cutting-edge in the near future. With bold, innovative and future-ready

Honor? 2018 has been an essential year for

market and gives us the confidence to stay

we will continue to deliver the best user

Honor. Based on our dual brand strategy

committed to our strategy and offer top-

experience to every consumer. We will build

over the years, we committed ourselves

notch devices to our India customers at

core competencies to lead future trends

to listening to our users, and directing our

different price points. We are delighted to

and strive to become a culturally vibrant

R&D to meet those needs. Honor sold 2

see our diligent efforts finally translating

tech brand loved by global consumers.

Million units in the first half of 2018 alone

into success.

as compared to 0.6 Million units in 2017.

Do we wish to see Honor going brick and

Does Honor India need a face for the brand in

This means that the brand registered over

mortar soon as the brand is getting lots of

India? We believe that our products speak

300% growth within the first 6 months

traction among buyers? We have been doing

for itself. However, we have engaged with a

of the year. Our devices have received

well with our online distribution strategy.

lot of celebrities in the past to promote our

phenomenal response from the Indian

Honor was envisioned as a young, energetic

devices. We try to rope in celebrities whose

customers.

e-brand for digital natives, aiming to create

persona and public image are synonymous

We have created records on platforms

better and accessible mobile internet

to our campaigns which really help us

like Flipkart for maximum number of

experience for young generations. Having

bring the message across really well. This

phones sold. Our best-seller smartphones

also diversified into the offline space, we

does not mean that we are completely

like Honor 9 Lite, Honor 7X and Honor

are focusing on bolstering our presence

refusing to bring in a face for the brand

10 have been widely appreciated by our

across cities, introducing innovative value

in India. Once the time deems fit and we

Indian customers. We have raised the bar

for money devices and better after sales

feel the need to bring a face to the brand,

by introducing AI chipset with independent

centres. Our potential customer living in

we surely will. n

NPU in our flagship smartphones like

Andaman also can purchase our products

42 | december 2018

haider@mymobile.co.in

MYMOBILE

In Focus

Industry Insight Mobile Manufacturing under Make in India

The Startling Truth! The myth and reality of 120 factories! By Shelley Vishwajeet

here has been lot of speculation,

situation? Has the government been

The India Cellular & Electronics

cynicism and even criticism of

inflating a figure to draw undeserved cudos?

Association (ICEA) has put to rest any

the numbers claimed by the

Recently ICEA, the apex body of mobile and

speculation whatsoever about the factory

government about the number

electronics manufacturer in the country

count on ground in the mobile handset and

of mobile and components factories that

which led the entire mobile and components

components manufacturing eco-system in

have been set up in the last three years under

manufacturing revolution, busted the myth

India.

the Phased Manufacturing Program!

– which is based on painstaking physical

A detailed Physical Verification was

The government has often claimed in

survey of all mobile and components

undertaken by the ICEA during the past

public domain and even on the floor of

factories set up in the country since the

2-3 months, whereby ICEA commissioned

Parliament that from less than 10 such

launch of ‘Make in India’ program.

surveyors who actually visited these

factories in 2014, the factory count has gone

factories/ manufacturing units pan-India.

rise in manufacturing count has also made

The Truth is Startling to Say the Least!

India the second largest manufacturer of

“Growth in “Mobile Handset Manufacturing

which was usually reported by the Govt. The

mobiles in the world just behind China

Eco-system” continues to surprise - Total count

physical survey vindicated this belief and

while overtaking Vietnam. The humungous

of new factories on ground is actually 268 and

the total no. of new factories reported as per

success has been subject of extreme

not 120,” announced Mr. Pankaj Mohindroo,

this report stands at “268” and not 120.

reactions– from loud international applause

Chairman, ICEA at a press meet adding:

The corresponding employment nos. is 6.7

and to severe domestic cynicism!

“All speculations about number of plants finally set at rest!”

lakhs and not 4.5.

to 120 by the mid of 2018. The dramatic

So what’s the reality – the ground

44 | December 2018

ICEA and the industry was always clear that the no of units exceeded the number 120

“The results of this survey which is

MYMOBILE

In Focus

Industry Insight

268 unique no. of factories is considered

had shut down almost completely during

to be a major achievement under the

2014-15 after shut down of the Nokia

flagship “Make In India” program of the

manufacturing unit in Chennai.

Government, under which mobile handset

“We have already reported that the

growing mobile manufacturing activity has saved the country INR 3 lakh crs. in foreign

eco-system is already considered to be

exchange in lieu of import substitution and

a Champion category. The fact that we

created domestic value addition of 60k

have already reported that the growing

plus. Never ever in the history of India or

mobile manufacturing activity has saved

anywhere in the world the mobile handset or

the country INR 3 lakh crs. in foreign

electronics manufacturing eco-system had

exchange in lieu of import substitution and

witnessed such an unparalleled growth as

created domestic value addition of 60k

seen in India in the current phase. Though

plus large number of these plants are not

India had missed the bus in the electronics

large-scale global players but also represent

manufacturing revolution during 1990’s to

the burgeoning medium scale home grown industry is another feather in the cap for the nation and the industry. The GOI policies and specific interventions along with the hard work of Global and indigenous entrepreneurs have helped India attain the No. 2 Mobile Handset manufacturing destination tag,” said ICEA Chairman Mr. Pankaj Mohindroo. “The Hon’ble Prime Minister has recently announced that India will be the No. 1 Global mobile manufacturing destination. This is a very ambitious and almost audacious vision. It is a humongous task which the industry will have to undertake. We stand resolutely behind the Prime Minister’s vision”, Mr. Mohindroo further added. It may be noted here that in the year 2014 a mere 3 no. of manufacturing units were left functioning in India with the mobile handset manufacturing activity started plummeting down to reach 58 mn units in 2014 compared to 130 mn units in the previous year 2013. Subsequently the components manufacturing eco-system

www.mymobileindia.com

“The growing mobile manufacturing activity has saved the country INR 3 lakh crs. in foreign exchange in lieu of import substitution and created domestic value addition of 60k plus. Never ever in the history of India or anywhere in the world the mobile handset or electronics manufacturing eco-system had witnessed such an unparalleled growth as seen in India in the current phase” – Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman, ICEA

China and then partially to Vietnam, this dramatic comeback witnessed in this sector can only reiterate and rejuvenate the country’s actual potential and ability to reach any heights of success, if given the appropriate opportunity and level playing field”, said Mr. Pankaj Mohindroo. Mr. Mohindroo further highlighted that, “this is just the beginning of a gigantic journey and opportunity ahead of us and in partnership with the Governments both at the Centre as well as States the industry in this important nation building task, which has a grand vision to create over 50 lakhs jobs and 1800 such new factories over the coming 6-7 years’ time. The industry faces serious challenges in terms of lack of a competitive corporate tax regime, lack of ready to move infrastructural facilities to start production activity from the word ‘GO’ etc., the Government must undertake expeditious measures to address these pressing challenges through suitable regulatory/ incentivization interventions.” n shelley@mymobile.co.in

december 2018 | 45

In Conversation

face to face

“Mobiistar’s job is to provide the best product experience at affordable prices” Vietnamese smartphone brand Mobiistar has established itself with a vision to ‘Enjoy More’ by bringing uncompromised user experience. The mission of Mobiistar is to expand the horizons of mobile technology adoption by providing affordable and uncompromised user experience to consumers. Mobiistar plans to develop the smartphone segment in India by understanding the consumer need for a selfie smartphone and their desire to gain more enjoyment at great value. It has invested efforts on mobile technology adoption and expanding selfie experience for Indians. Nijhum Rudra spoke to Hardeep Singh Johar, VP Sales, North and East, Mobiistar India about the company’s expansion plans and how it intends to become a game-changer in the Indian market within few years. What is the business model and mission

smartphone companies? When it comes

of Mobiistar? Currently, 55-60% of

to technology, people look for upgraded

smartphones in the Indian market are in

technologies at lower costs. Coping with

the 4-12Ksegment. Mobiistar entered

such expectations becomes difficult

the Indian market with smartphones

for handset manufacturers. The kind of

within this range. The reason for this was

specifications, quality and pricing that

that with the data consumption going up

Mobiistar has, gives customers a lot of

primarily because of Jio’s entrance into

confidence and the response received

the market, the entire data market was

from consumers and our channel

disrupted, data consumption increased,

partners makes us doubly sure of what

and handsets were even available at Rs

we are doing.

500-1500 which essentially made it a higher feature phone market and not a

What are the challenges that smartphone

smartphone. The consumer on the other

manufacturing companies are facing in

hand was taking the data but was not

India? How is Mobiistar as a company

being able to use it properly. It is these

tackling all those challenges? Our

consumers, who make the move from

industry is now one of the most

feature to smartphones and it is

competitive industries in the country

these new users who usually go for

with too many players, including a

phones in the price range we offer.

number of players that are not present

Our job is then to provide the

on a national footprint, but are playing at

best product experience with

the regional level. This clutter has given

specifications at affordable

rise to confusion among consumers and

prices to these users.

channel partners. We are mostly offline players with a presence in the online

86 | october 2018

Don’t you think having so many

space. Primarily around 70% of the

choices is becoming a barrier for

Indian market is offline. There are a lot

MYMOBILE

of players who have entered and exited the

biggest festivals in Kerala;

market, leading to several uncertainties in

we conducted a lot of

investments by the channels in the market.

activities in Kolkata during

Customers, retailers and distributors get

Durga Puja from where we

confused, and the distributorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; money

got good results. Mobiistar

gets stuck in the market. It then becomes

aims to target festivals

very difficult for any brand to position itself

and celebrate with our

in the market. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to be a part of

consumers.

In Conversation

face to face

this clutter; we are very systematic in our approach. Our brand was first launched

What is your current market

in 2009 in Vietnam and we came to India

share in the Indian market

in 2018. India is a huge market where

and how much are you

consumers have different preferences and

trying to achieve in the

belong to different cultures. We began

next 2 years? Are there any

our offline launch systematically with one

marketing strategies you

state at a time so that the response from

are focusing on? At this

the consumers and the channel could be

point of time we are on a

tested. This gradual approach gave us

launch spree across the

tremendous insights into the preferences

country. Market share at

of each state. You seem to be expanding in the North and the East? What are your expansion plans? When we entered India, we planned to get onboard 300 distributors and close to 11-12k retailers by the end of this year. But in fact, within this month itself, we will cross 300 distributors and have already crossed the number of retailers we were supposed to partner with. We also planned to have 600 distributors

What are your ideas for customer service

We are slowly spreading all over the country and are expecting to be among the top 5 affordable smartphone brands in the sub 10k category by the end of this year.

on board and have already managed to get

centres? And how many service centres have you planned for? We are taking the utmost care about the service that we provide to our consumers. Our approach and the way we communicate with the consumers has to be polite, a lot of training is imparted to the people at our service centers who are at the front end and consumer facing. We already have 1000 service centers across the country. These centers are spread across every nook and corner of the country, but despite this if we find that we

500 and have met these numbers at such

this point would be difficult to calculate;

are falling short of the number of service

great speed primarily because of the great

currently it is more of an investment while

centers required. Therefore, we will open

response we received. A retailer looks for

we continue to spread. Our goal, however,

more in the coming year.

a good product with a decent margin. Our

is to reach a 5% market share by the end

products are good in terms of pricing and

of this year.

features. All these reasons have added to

Please highlight your road map, any exciting product that you are going to launch or any

our success and whatever numbers we are

Please elaborate on your plans for offline

new technology? We have good products

projecting for the end of this year will be

presence? While we will continue to have

today and have a few exciting products

achieved by the end of this month.

an online presence, our focus is more on

that are in the pipeline which are being

our offline business. Online shopping

developed according to the needs of the

What are your investment plans for the Indian

comes with convenience, but offline allows

customers which will definitely fulfill their

market for marketing and promotions? We

the consumers to know the product better,

requirements. We are slowly spreading all

have been launching state by state and

get a touch and feel of the product and

over the country and are expecting to be

have been focusing on below the line

make a more informed decision. While our

among the top 5 affordable smartphone

(BTL) activities in these places to create

online business is critical and we are not

brands in the sub 10k category by the end

awareness. Our company did a lot of

going to neglect it, our focus is going to

of this year. n

promotions during Onam, one of the

remain on our offline business.

www.mymobileindia.com

nijhum@mymobile.co.in

december 2018 | 47

Trendz

market insight

Indeed An Interesting Time For Global Smartphone Market! While Chinese brands continue to gain volume and geographies amid global slowdown, Apple strengthens its cheery picking convention with record revenue!

ccording to the latest research

be attributed to a weakening demand in

Although some emerging markets, like

from Counterpoint’s Market

developed markets like China, USA and

India, showed double digit growth, it was

Monitor service, global

Western Europe which account for almost

not enough to compensate for the volume

smartphone shipments

half of smartphone sales globally. The lack

decline in developed markets. Since

declined 3% annually, recording 386.8

of meaningful innovation and improvement

emerging markets are under-penetrated,

million units in 3Q 2018. The top 10 players

in smartphone build quality is leading to

they have a smaller smartphone base and

now capture 78% of the market leaving

lengthening replacement cycles.”

are not able to offset the global decline.

600+ brands to compete for the remaining

Mr Pathak commenting on the strong

However, this also presents long-term

21% of the market. Samsung continued

performance of the Chinese brands

growth opportunities for OEMs with many

to lead the smartphone market with 19%

added, “Despite the decline in its home

entering such markets to grow their sales.

market share in the quarter. Smartphone

market, Chinese brands OPPO, vivo and

Commenting on this market trend,

shipments for Samsung declined for the

Xiaomi reached new highs in smartphone

Research Analyst Shobhit Srivastava noted,

fourth consecutive quarter, even though the

shipments in a quarter. Huawei was also

“The growth in the emerging markets is

company recorded its highest smartphone

able to maintain its 50+ million smartphone

led by Chinese smartphone players that

shipments ever in India. Chinese players

shipments and retain its 2nd position in 3Q

are venturing out of China to capture

continue their growth trajectory with strong

2018. This suggests that the companies

sales. The offerings from these OEMs have

performances in markets outside China.

are reducing their dependence on their

intensified competition and many features

While Apple iPhone shipments remained

home country. The brands will further

and capabilities common among flagship

flat annually, revenues for the devices grew

expand outside China as they push into

models are now progressively diffusing

29% with a record average selling price of

Asia Pacific countries and Europe.”

through to the lower price bands. This is

US$793. Commenting on the decline in smartphone market, Tarun Pathak,

also affecting local smartphone players in the emerging economies, which are struggling to maintain a foothold.”

Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, said, “This is the first time that the global smartphone market has declined for three consecutive quarters. It can

48 | DECEMBER 2018

MYMOBILE

Global Smartphone Shipments Ranking and Market Share – Q3 2018 Global Smartphone Shipments (Millions Units) 2017Q3

The top 10 players now capture

2018Q3

YoY% Growth

Samsung

83.3

72.3

-13%

Huawei

39.1

52.0

33%

Apple

46.7

46.9

Xiaomi

28.5

35.7

25%

Oppo

32.5

33.9

Vivo

28.6

30.5

Lenovo*

15.3

11.3

-26%

13.9

10.4

-25%

HMD

2.8

4.8

71%

Tecono

3.8

4.2

11%

Others

104.4

84.9

-19%

Total

398.8

386.8

-3%

Global Smartphone Shipments (% Share)

2017Q3

2018Q3

Samsung

21%

19%

Huawei

10%

13%

Apple

12%

Xiaomi

Oppo

Vivo

Lenovo*

HMD

Tecno

Others

26%

22%

100%

Total

78% of the market leaving 600+ brands to compete for the remaining 21% of the market. Oppo, Xiaomi and Vivo reached their highest ever shipments in a single quarter, despite a global slowdown.

iPhone helps Apple achieve record 3rd quarter revenue even as shipments remain flat YoY.

Trendz

market insight

Huawei holds on to 2nd position for the second consecutive quarter.

Emerging market growth could not offset the decline in China & other developed markets.

Source : Counterpoint Research: Quarterly Market Monitor Q3 2018

Mr Srivastava added, “Chinese OEMs

macro economic factors in many of these

are driving up the ASP in the low to mid-

emerging markets, many challenges still lie

tier price segments in emerging markets

ahead. It will take more than an affordable

by offering competitive specifications

smartphone offering to make users switch

at affordable prices. These OEMs have

from their feature phone to a smartphone

also carved out an “affordable premium”

in the short-term.”

segment targeting users that cannot afford

By offering additional features like

flagship devices. However, considering the

AI, dual camera, full-screen display and

India Smartphone Market Share – Q3 2018 80%

83%

n China n Rest of World

60%

40%

OEMs are subtly increasing the average

20%

Huawei -20%

Oppo

selling price of devices. This is helping the

14%

12% 1%

– Tarun Pathak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research higher memory configurations, smartphone

Average 11%

13%

“The lack of meaningful innovation and improvement in smartphone build quality is leading to lengthening replacement cycles”

brands maintain revenue despite declining

Vivo

shipments. The next growth cycle in Xiaomi -16%

developed markets will likely be driven by the emergence of commercially available 5G, which is still some quarters away. n team@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

DECEMBER 2018 | 49

Trendz

consumer insight

Entertainment Goes Online in India

Video streaming market in India is poised to reach $5 billion by 2023, says a BCG report

By Ramesh Kumar Raja

ver-the-top (OTT) content

to reach $5bn in size by 2023. This growth

market in India is at an

is being driven by rising affluence, increase

inflection point, as per

in penetration of data into rural markets and

the latest report by global

adoption across demographic segments

management consulting firm The Boston Consulting Group, titled ‘Entertainment Goes Online’. The report pegs the Indian OTT market

including women and older generations. The ‘Entertainment Goes Online’ report is based on a first -of-its-kind consumer survey that seeks to understand

“Affordable data has created an alternate medium where consumers, for the first time, can tap into content basis individual preference at a time and space convenient for them. Whilst the current market operates with a largely advertising paid content paradigm, consumers are not averse to paying for convenient content access that OTT unlocks” – Kanchan Samtani, Partner & Director, BCG 50 | december 2018

MYMOBILE

consumers’ motivations in adopting OTT

Trendz

Consumer insight With development of regional content by various players, the rural market is poised to become a significantly large opportunity for players. OTT is riding the wave of increased data consumption and internet access in rural India, has opened a new distribution channel that is viable for regional and niche content

content over other conventional modes of content delivery. The survey results showed that there is a room for many types of OTT models such as SVOD (subscription-based platforms), AVOD (advertising-based platforms) and TVOD (transaction-based platforms) to succeed in the market. “Majority of India has a single TV per household. Affordable data has created an alternate medium where consumers, for the first time, can tap into content basis individual preference at a time and space convenient for them. Whilst the current market operates with a largely advertising paid content paradigm, consumers are not averse to paying for convenient content access that OTT unlocks,” said Kanchan

OTT platforms 3) Early Adopter – whose

a new distribution channel that is viable for regional and niche content.

Samtani, Partner & Director, The Boston

primary consumption occurs on OTT

Consulting Group. Affluence and wide

platforms. While early adopters are still a

Indian content including music,

variety of content being developed for OTT

more urban phenomenon, going forward it

Bollywood content and cricket have large

market including diversity in genres and

will be more equally distributed.

following in the Indian diaspora also. OTT

language gives OTT market a favourable edge over its traditional counterparts.

48% of India’s internet users (~650 million by 2023) are expected to be from

players with Indian content have potential to tap into this market too.

The study identified three archetypes

rural areas. With development of regional

“While the NRI content market is huge

of customers in the Indian market, 1)

content by various players, the rural market

and demonstrates willingness to pay, it is

traditionalists – who primarily consume

is poised to become a significantly large

not only dominated by cricket – Bollywood

on other than OTT platforms, 2) OTT

opportunity for players. OTT is riding the

music and films are very significant. With

Experimenter – who has significant

wave of increased data consumption and

their large content libraries, Indian OTT

consumption on both conventional and

internet access in rural India, has opened

players are sitting on a metaphorical gold

Netflix, Amazon steal the show in India US-based online streaming platforms Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video have invested far more in creating original content in India than their domestic counterparts, says the BCG study. Netflix and Amazon spent about Rs 600 crore and Rs 500 crore respectively for India originals in 2017, while players like Sony Liv, Eros Now and Alt Balaji together invested under Rs 1,000 crore, the study found. Netflix’s Sacred Games and Amazon’s Mirzapur are some of the India originals that these players have spent significant marketing bucks on. According to the report, online video streaming apps constitute the only segment seeing higher amounts of time being spent by Indians in a day. Interestingly, most other categories, including social media and chat, are seeing a downfall. The investments in local originals are expected to go up. This has led to homegrown players too bringing original contents. BCG says the number of players in the space has risen by over 3.5 times to 32 in the last six years. Star India’s Hotstar too has invested heavily in India, but a lot of that has gone into a single live sporting event – the digital rights for IPL for five years, where it is estimated to have spent Rs 4,000 crore. The industry typically sees multiseason productions of local content as originals.

www.mymobileindia.com

mine to serve this increasingly important customer base,” said Gaurav Jindal, Principal, The Boston Consulting Group. “One of the key insights of our consumer work was that, while OTTs rely on top-notch hero content to attract consumers to the platform, the stickiness of these consumers is not very high unless accompanied by ways in which they engage more deeply with the platform and is associated with strong marketing efforts,” said Kanchan Samtani when discussing the subscriber acquisition and retention strategy of various OTT platforms. While Indian OTT players have taken many steps to capture the market, there is a lot that needs to be done before Indian OTT market achieves the same penetration and maturity as its western counterparts. n ramesh@mymobile.co.in

december 2018 | 51

Exclusive

face to face

“Syska Smart Home Solutions Aim to Enter Two Million Homes in Next One Year” Recently, Syska ventured into Smart Home Solutions believing it as the future where the homegrown company can explore a lot. Rajesh Uttamchandani, Director, Syska Group had a chit chat with Haider Ali Khan on this new venture and the possibilities attached with it. Syska has ventured into Smart Home

we strive to bring products in the market

future to convert a simple home into a

solutions. Does it come naturally to Syska

that benefits the consumers. Syska has

smart home.

or was it necessary to stay ahead of the

always had the first mover advantage

curve? Syska believes in innovation first.

and we aim to serve consumers by

How big is this market in India and how

With more than 40 patent products and

providing innovative product solutions.

much share does Syska aim to get by the

20 International JVs, the phenomenal

We understand that ‘Smart homes’ is the

end quarter of 2018? The Indian smart

growth of Syska can be attributed to the

future and there’s a lot we can explore in

home devices market continues to show

dynamism of the core team members of

this segment. We have launched a range

an impressive growth with the evolving

the company. We at Syska understand

of smart home products in the market and

technology. As per IDC’s Worldwide

the needs and wants of consumers and

will be launching many more in the near

Quarterly Smart Home Device Tracker, Indian smart home devices market which consists of connected lights, smart speakers, connected thermostats, smart TVs, home monitoring/security products, digital media adapters, amongst other connected devices for homes, saw a healthy year over year growth of 107% to reach at 1.4 million shipments in Q2 in 2018.Syska aims to enter two million homes in the next 1 year and plans to grow steadily year on year. The company is targeting revenue of 200 crores in next financial year. Syska Group will be investing 25 crores in Marketing and R&D in the upcoming year to build the smart home category in India. What are the solutions Syska have in this portfolio and what is the price range? We aim to provide at par solutions to our consumers. To transform every Indian household into a smart home, Syska has introduced wide range of smart home products that include ‘Smart Door Bells, Smart Switches, Smart IR, Smart Down Light/ Ceiling Light, Smart IP Camera, Smart Wall-Light, Smart Door Sensors, Smart Plug, Smart Spike Buster, Smart

64 | november 2018

MYMOBILE

Exclusive Weighing Scale and Bluetooth Bulb Array’. All the products will be launched in December 2018 at very competitive prices points. AI has opened new horizons for Syska like any other company in this domain. Is that true? How inclusive do you wish to make it in your range of solutions? AI has eliminated human’s efforts and hence consumers have started using smart devices in their daily schedule as it has made work easy. AI is something that we can’t ignore today. I bet you’re already experiencing the benefits of AI every day. It is improving our quality of life. We already have Amazon Alexa and

adding equity to both the partnering brands

Google Assistant in our range of smart

in the according segment.

pertaining to evolved brand experiences. You have got Alexa and Google to make

products. Smart Home remains a niche concept limited

tasks simpler for you. Is this a dawn of a new

to urban population. Do you have

age in Lighting and Smart Home? Definitely

plans to massify it as data is

yes! These virtual assistants have our

anytime soon? We are

going cheap and readily “The strategy available to over is to launch the smart 250 million users in India? The home portfolio in the urban strategy here is segment to develop a deeper to launch the customer insight and then smart home portfolio in the accordingly address the urban segment to requirements beyond those develop a deeper geographies” customer insight

made life easy and simple. Designed

already associated

primarily for those interested in automating

and then accordingly

smart home devices needs. Smart

address the requirements

assistant devices like Amazon Alexa

mobile accessories but what are your plans

beyond those geographies. Affordable

and Google Assistant are going to

of launching your own smartphone? Being

data plans have definitely opened the

transform the way we live in the next few

distributor of Samsung smartphones,

exposure possibilities of tier-2 and tier-3

years. n

Syska is already playing a pivotal role in

cities towards awareness and education

What are your thoughts on launching a Syska LED or OLED TVs

with Samsung as their distribution partner from last more than 20 years and henceenjoys an impressive market share in the TV segment.

Syska does manufacture

www.mymobileindia.com

their smart home with simpler commands, routines will allow Alexa users the ability to trigger multiple actions at the same time – like turning off the lights, locking the door, and turning on or off the television. They are getting familiar to control appliances. Users are getting acquainted with the voice assistants and opting for it as a single platform to control all their

haider@mymobile.co.in

december 2018 | 53

Tried & Tested

burntest

OnePlus 6T

Still Dominates the Competition with its Awesome Performance

iving true to its

smartphone market OnePlus

classy when held in phone

one frame and just below the

brand name

has launched its latest power

and its skim and sleek body

frame lies the rear LED flash.

OnePlus with

performing beast known by

design makes it very easy to

OnePlus 6T has moved and

its every new

the name OnePlus 6T which

hold and operate easily. The

adapted the current trend of

launch adds something new

is for sure to raise some

front fascia of the phone is

placing the fingerprint sensor

to its products. OnePlus over

serious concerns for other

dominated by the huge 6.41

on the screen which is just as

the time has evolved to be

smartphone companies. Does

inch screen with a tiny notch

smooth as physical fingerprint

a better brand with its step

this new OnePlus 6T has the X

sporting the selfie camera.

sensor and equivalently fast.

taken and has provided some

factor to make it a successful

The body is built with glass

To the left lies the volume

exciting products giving tough

and a true competitor? Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

and has an aluminum frame

rockers and the dual SIM tray

competition to other players.

find out.

which is giving the rear side

and moving to the right side

of the phone a glossy look

of the phone lies the power

but this glass body has its

button and Alert slider button

The plus point of OnePlus is that it provides all the updated

Design

and recent features within

OnePlus 6T in terms of

own cons because it attracts

which gives you option to put

a reasonable price range

its looks resembles its

lots of smudges. The new

the phone on silent, vibration

which you may find in some

predecessor OnePlus 6

OnePlus 6T has placed the

and general mode. The top of

of the costliest smartphones.

sporting a solid look. The

dual rear camera sensors in

the phone is blank whereas at

Breezing in the Indian

new OnePlus 6T looks very

the middle of the body within

the bottom of the phone lies the two speaker grilles and separating the two speaker grilles is the Type-C USB port. The box carries a 3.5mm headphone jack adaptor because there is no presence of 3.5mm jack on the body of the phone.

Display The new OnePlus 6T has the same screen type which was there in OnePlus6 which is Optic AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with 16M colors but if the new model will have all the things similar to previous one then whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the deal about launching a new model. So, the new OnePlus 6T has display size comparatively bigger which is 6.41 inch and also the difference lies in the aspect ratio of the phone where the new 6T has opted for 19:5:9 giving the display

76 | december 2018

MYMOBILE

a complete full view display

6T carries. There was no

expandable in nature as there

Battery

and wide viewing angles.

lag in the processing of the

is no microSD card slot.

The new OnePlus is packed

The screen resolution of 6T

device when we tested it; all

is of 1080x2340 pixels and

apps ran smoothly without

Cameras

402ppi density. The display of

any lag. The device does not

OnePlus 6T in its testing

the processes throughout the

6T gives full view display and

know how to get worked up

period showcased brilliance in

day. During the test period

you get full HD experience of

and get heated easily by any

its every field and the cameras

the battery easily lasted more

watching any video on such

process be it playing games

of the phone are also no less

than a day with a single charge

big display. The display is well

like PUBG, TEKKEN, NFS

than any of its other powerful

even after playing games and

visible under every condition

etc. It runs flawlessly without

features. The new OnePlus

watching two to three movies.

which is also one of the plus

decreasing the graphic level.

6T sports a dual rear camera

The charging speed of the

points. The new OnePlus

Gaming experience is on top

sensor of 16MP and 20MP

phone is impressive as well

6T has upgraded the screen

and you can enjoy any game

respectively. The aperture of

with the fast charger available

protection as well with the new

without any issues. One of

both the sensors is of f/1.7.

with the phone. The phone

Gorilla Glass 6.

the main reasons for such

The rear camera is quick to

stands very normal even when

powerful performance of the

focus and adapt to the external

charging without any heating

Platform

with impressive battery of 3,700mAhwhich powers all

device is the RAM size which

surroundings very quickly

which clearly shows the power

OnePlus 6T comes with the

is of 8GB. The internal storage

delivering images of great

of the processor and the RAM

latest oxygen OS which is

of the phone is of 128GB

quality. The daylight shots

size of the phone.

Android 9.0 Pie which you

which is more than sufficient

are impressive and the zoom

usually find in the latest high

to store anything on a phone.

in capability of the phone is

Conclusion

price ranged smartphones and

The internal storage is non

on point without adding too

OnePlus 6T has few tweaks

much graining effect to it. The

and improvements when

night shots are brilliant as well

compared to its predecessor,

where the dual tone LED flash

OnePlus 6, such as bigger

lights up the area surrounding

battery and much improved

sensor to deliver a desirable

Oxygen OS. The latest prodigy has stunning user experience,

you can also put it like this

verdict

that the new 6T is a perfect combo of desirable features. The latest OS offers exciting features which you can explore by going to settings to initiate

Looks

09 /10

Cameras

09 /10

Sleek and Appealing Impressive

Performance

them.In the processor section

Outstanding

10 /10

night shot. The selfie camera is of 16MP with an aperture

fluidic performance, light

the new OnePlus 6T is running

Battery

09 /10

of f/2.0, with auto-HDR,

weight, sleek, attractive glass

Value For Money

10 /10

gyro EIS. The selfie camera

design and Dash charger.

holds the power to surprise

The cameraoptics remainsthe

you with its accuracy. The

samebut; the biggest

on the same processor which was there in OnePlus 6 which is Qualcomm Snapdragon

Enough For a Day Truly Justified

OVERALL

94%

selfies captured are brilliant

improvement is the addition of

with eight cores where four

with the great details but the

in-display fingerprint scanner

cores are clocked at 2.5GHz

selfie camera does not excite

which is fast and accurate

Kryo 385 Gold and other four

me too much like the rear

with very rare failure chances.

camera. OnePlus could have

The price of OnePlus 6T

improved the selfie camera a

begins at Rs 37,999 and is

bit. There are of course various

surely remains the king in its

modes available like portrait,

segment. n

845 SoCocta-core processor

cores are clocked at 1.6GHz Kryo 385 Silver and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the most powerful processor till now and especially in the price range which the new

PROS

Cons

Performance, No Headphone Jack Battery (For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

www.mymobileindia.com

panorama, night mode etc.

Tried & Tested

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haider@mymobile.co.in

december 2018 | 55

Tried & Tested

burntest

Lenovo K9

Quad Cameras under Budget comes with Type C

he highly targeted area

budget ranged smartphones.

front LED flash as well. The

wide offering comfortable

bottom side of the phone is

experience of performing any

sporting Type-C USB port

task be it watching movies or

by all the

Design

smartphone

Lenovo K9 sports an eye

which is hard to find even

playing games. The adaptive

companies is budget

catchy look with its glossy

in mid ranged smartphones

brightness feature of the

ranged section and the real

mirror coated rear side. The

and it is obviously first of its

phone allows the display to

competition could be seen

glossy look absolutely looks

kind to sport Type-C USB

be visible under sunlight

in the section clearly. Various

pretty and amongst budget

port making K9 to stand way

by increasing its brightness

companies have bombarded

range Lenovo K9 is one of

ahead than other budget

level and even decreases the

wide range of phones in their

the beautiful looking phones.

ranged smartphones. At the

brightness level at night to

budget range and to some

The mirror coated rear side

bottom you can see 3.5mm

keep your eye away from any

extent all companies seems

has some cons as well which

headphone jack and a

stress. The protection of the

to follow a similar trend in its

is it highly prone to smudges.

speaker grille whereas the top

screen is trusted with 2.5D

budget ranged smartphones.

At the rear side of the

of the phone is completely

curved glass.

Lenovo has understood that

phone lies the dual camera

blank. At the left side of the

to shine differently it has to

sensors placed horizontally

phone lies the hybrid SIM

Platform

do something new to excite

followed by a LED flash.

slot and at the right side lies

The new Lenovo K9 is

the users and this constant

The fingerprint sensor

the power button and volume

not just beautiful rather it

search to stand different

could also be sported at the

rockers which are placed at

can surprise you with its

has led to the launch of new

rear side which is quick in

right positions and easy reach

performance. Lenovo K9

Lenovo K9 which is the latest

response. The phone is quite

of your fingers.

is powered by MediaTek

entrant in the budget range

comfortable to hold as well

smartphones. Our review

due to its curvy edges and

Display

will provide an insight that

has reasonable body weight.

Lenovo K9 has 5.7 inch

Cortex A53. The processor

what this new Lenovo K9 has

The front fascia of the phone

IPS LCD display with 16M

smoothly runs all the

which is making it to stand

has screen size of 14.5cm

colors. The screen resolution

applications and we did not

different from rest of the

and above the screen lies

is of 720x1440 pixels

find any issue while multi-

the dual selfie sensor and

and has an aspect ratio of

tasking or playing normal

18:9. The screen is tall and

sized game. The mention

MT6762 Helio P22 SoCoctacore clocked at 2.0 GHz

of normal sized game is

56 | december 2018

MYMOBILE

highlighted because the 3GB

will be some graining effect

RAM of the phone might not

as well. The front camera

suit the requirement of high

of the phone is equivalently

games and can put lot of

powerful like the rear camera

stress on the processor which

with 13MP primary sensor

will heat and slow the device.

with an aperture of f/2.2 and

The internal storage of the

PDAF and the secondary

phone is of 32GB and it can

front camera is of 5MP with

be expanded if you choose

an aperture of f/2.4. The

to sacrifice one of the SIM

selfie camera of Lenovo K9

slot. The working capability

is one of the best selfie

of the new Lenovo K9 is far

cameras which I have

better than most of the budget

ever tested in budget

ranged smartphones. The

range smartphones. The

device only heats up when we

selfies are very clear

used big apps like Snapchat or

and crisp and if you are

played game for hours.Lenovo

selfie lover and want

K9 runs on operating system

to have good deal

Android 8.1 Oreo.

in affordable range

Cameras

Tried Tried& &Tested Tested

burntest

than Lenovo K9 is the perfect answer

smartphones because of its

The cameras of the Lenovo K9

to meet your search.

are one of the best cameras

The selfie flash allows you to

which you will find in any

take clear selfies even when

lure huge amount of attention

budget range smartphones

the lighting conditions are

towards itself because of its

in present smartphone

not favorable. The camera of

camera. The only change in

market. The new Lenovo K9

Lenovo K9 is one of the main

quality is noticed when you

has dual rear camera sensor

attractant and it will surely

compare daylight and night

where the primary sensor is

verdict

of 13MP, f/2.2 aperture and PDAF whereas the secondary sensor is of 5MPand has an aperture of f/2.4 and acts as depth sensor. The shots

Looks

09 /10

Cameras

08 /10

Performance

08 /10

Appealing Good For Daylight

captured by the rear camera

Doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Lag

maintain all the details, color

Battery

concentration in a proper

Could Have Been More

manner and delivers images

Value For Money

to cherish for. The daylight shots did not break in quality

Killer by Looks

OVERALL

07 /10

Type-C port which enables

shots because night shots do losses some quality but to me it is something which you can

84%

Lenovo K9 has non removable battery of 3,000mAh. The impressive as well because it is not easy to drain the complete battery within quick to literally use it for hours

of the rear camera is strong

to put some impact on its

as well and the night shots

battery life. The battery lasts

in quality. You have to keep your hands steady when you zoom in at nights because the focus shifts quickly and there

Type-C Port, Design

Battery

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

www.mymobileindia.com

but to me it is very normal for any device to gain some heat when put to charge.

The Lenovo K9 has some

when we zoomed in. The flash

Cons

bit of heating while charging

Battery

successions and you have

PROS

port. The phone do acquires a

Conclusion

like reducing graining effect

are well detailed and clear

smartphones withmicroUSB

ignore.

battery power of the K9 is

08 /10

it to charge faster than any other budget ranged

almost throughout the day with a single charge giving you non-stop enjoyment and fun. The phone has advantage over other budget ranged

good features such as vivid display, quad cameras and the most striking is the addition of USB Type-C port. Havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seen any smartphone maker giving it under 10K. The back panel looks appealing too. The MediaTekHelio P22 does well with K9. The battery is on lesser side but, can go upto a day of moderate usage. The cameras did well under the price of Rs 8,999.The Lenovo K9 has to battle it out with Honor 9 Lite and Redmi 6. n team@mymobile.co.in

december 2018 | 57

Tried & Tested

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Asus ZenFone Max M1 Boasts on Battery

sus set the

of the beautiful looking

microUSB card at the same

trend and

smartphone which you will

time. The power button and

announced itself

find under this range. We got

the volume rockers are on the

Cameras

in the Indian

rose gold variant to test and

right side.

Asus in its camera section

the brightness.

has made a bold move

smartphone market with

it is surely pretty enough to

the ZenFone series some

catch the sight of users. The

Display

four years back. Since

phone has reasonable body

ZenFone Max M1 is having

camera sensor which is of

then the company has

weight and curvy body edges

a compact body size and

13 Megapixel and has an

expanded its reach within

to allow proper grip and easy

sue to this the screen space

aperture of f/2.0. The rear

the market because of its

handling. The front fascia

of the phone is compact as

camera when tested stood

reliable smartphones. Asus

of the phone is sporting the

well which is of 5.45 inch.

mostly positive to our test

has divided its smartphone

display and above the display

The screen space offered

and is quite good for the price

launches generation wise

lies the selfie camera and the

by ZenFone Max M1 could

tag which it is carrying. The

and the recent launch of the

front Led flash. The rear side

be termed as the mean size

rear camera though finds

ZenFone Max M1 finds its

of the phone has vertically

of all the screen sizes. The

little difficult to quickly focus

genealogical place in the fifth

placed camera sensor and

screen type is IPS LCD with

yet the quality of the images

generation by Asus. In this

assisting the camera sensor

16M colors and has screen

are good with tincture of

review we will look into the

lies the rear LED flash. The

resolution of 720x1440

crisp in them. The daylight

specifications of the ZenFone

fingerprint sensor is at the

pixels with an aspect ratio

shots are well detailed and

Max M1 and will also see that

rear side as well and it is

of 16:10. The phone offers

clear but there is difference

does this phone has that X

quick in response. The top

comfortable screen space to

in night shots because the

factor to attract the users in

side of the phone is sporting

perform any task. The color

quality seems to go down a

the range in which it comes

3.5mm headphone jack

reproduction is good and

bit and some graining and

under.

whereas at the bottom of the

colors produced are vivid

noise effects comes into play

phone lies the micro USB

and punchy. The screen

when you click images with

port and two speaker grilles.

might not able to reflect the

rear camera. The flash works

The new ZenFone Max M1

At the left side of the phone

sunlight that effectively but

fine and has enough flash to

falls into the budget range

lies the SIM tray capable of

the adaptive brightness mode

light up the surroundings to

section and it is surely one

holding tow SIM cards and a

takes care of it by adjusting

have a clear shot a night. The

Design

58 | december 2018

by just keeping on rear

MYMOBILE

Tried Tried& &Tested Tested

burntest selfie camera is of 8 Megapixel and has an aperture of f/2.2 and additionally it has an advantage of front flash to allow you to have bright selfies when the lighting conditions are not favorable. The selfies captured maintains all the details and color level as well without tampering the quality and originality. The phone provides you with the option of adding effects in your images as well which you can opt according to your preference. Overall the camera section of ZenFone Max M1 is to some extent doing justice with its price tag.

Platform The Asus ZenFone Max M1 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC octacore processor. The processor is supported by 3GB RAM and together they keep the functioning of the phone at an optimum state. Multi-tasking

verdict

on phone was smooth and there is no lag in functioning of any apps when we tested but the phone does acquire some amount of heat when you use

Looks

08 /10

Cameras

07 /10

Decent Okay

Performance

heavy applications. The phone

Good

offers good gaming experience

Battery

as well where you can play normal games quite easily but

Great

Value For Money Nice Option

08 /10 09 /10 07 /10

expanded with the help of

hours of playing music and

microSD card. Asus ZenFone

playing games.

Max M1 is running on Android 8.1 Oreo with ZenUI 3.5. The

Conclusion

OS of the phone offers various

The Asus ZenFone Max

smart modes lies Game genie,

M1 is an attempt by the

different modes for kids, one

Taiwanese brand to disrupt the

hand mode, glove mode etc.

budget segment and Xiaomi

Battery

dominance. The Max M1 boasts on huge battery life and

A phone with high battery

well equipped 430 SoC.The

power is always an easy pick

camera performances were as

plus it gets warmed up as well.

and first priority of the users

expected; good during daylight

The 3GB RAM of the phone

especially when it falls under

but struggles at night. This is

and the processor for normal

budget range. ZenFone Max

true for the Selfie lens as well.

usage is perfect and the

M1 has impressive battery

The smartphone is currently

power of 4,000mAh which

available at Rs 7,999 via

is surely made to last long.

Flipkart and makes a good

The battery lasted for long

option. It will have to compete

time when the phone was put

with Redmi 6. n

the phone seems to slow down when you switch to big games

consumers which the phone is targeting will be satisfied

OVERALL

PROS Battery

78%

Cons Competition

with the phone. The internal storage is decent as well which is of 32GB and can be further

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

www.mymobileindia.com

to moderate use with some

team@mymobile.co.in

december 2018 | 59

Tried & Tested

burntest

Honor 8X

A Worthy Smartphone to Beat its Competition

f we add consistency and innovation and to initiate this reaction adding as a catalyst

power and beauty which gives Honor 8X as its main product. Yes you heard the name right the latest launch from one of the leading smartphone company Honor is presenting its latest masterpiece Honor 8X which is its latest addition to its mid-range price section. Honorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s previous launches like Honor Play, Honor 9n were fantastic in their every required fields and here in this review we will see the power of Honor 8X.

Design Honor with its latest launch of Honor 8X is going to take on the likes of Redmi Note 6 Pro. The new Honor 8X is a thing of beauty to look at with its glossy dual tone design giving a distinct look to the phone which looks very attractive giving premium feel when you hold it. The glossy design has its own cons that it is prone to smudges and requires regular cleaning. Honor 8X has tall and wide screen dominating front fascia of the phone with a notch on top sporting the selfie camera and the LED notification light. The device

is easy to hold and operate

settings. The display offers

and the credit goes to its

vivid and punchy colors and

reasonable body weight and

has resolution of 1080x2340

curvy body edges. The rear

pixels which ensures high

side looks stunning with dual

pixel density of 396ppi. The

tone design and it has placed

screen ratio is of 19:5:9

the dual rear camera sensors

which is providing tall and

in a beautiful manner as well

wide looks giving wide

and below the camera sensor

viewing angles. The screen

lies the rear LED flash. At the

is quite visible even under

rear side you can also sport

sunlight and you can even

fingerprint sensor which is

allow the phone to set the

quick in response. At the left

brightness with its automatic

side of the phone lies the SIM

setting. The screen space

tray which can hold two SIM

is really enormous and

cards at the same time and

impressive you can enjoy any

microSD card as well which

game or movie with complete

is one of the plus factor of

satisfaction in HD quality.

Honor 8X. The power button

The screen size of new Honor

and the volume rockers are

8X is surely acting as bait for

placed within easy reach of

those who likes to have big

your fingers at the right side

screen in an affordable price

of the phone. The top side of

range.

the phone is left blank while at the bottom lies the 3.5mm

Platform

headphone jack, microUSB

Honor 8X is bringing with

port and a speaker grille.

itself a new gift this Diwali

Display

76 | december 2018

which is, it is introducing for the first time a new processor

The new Honor 8X has an

HiSilicon Kirin 710(12nm)

impressive IPS display size

packed with power. This will

of 6.5 inch including the

be very first processor within

notch where you can hide the

such affordable price range.

notch by going to the display

The processor has eight octa-

MYMOBILE

clocked at 2.2GHz Cortex A73 and other four are clocked at 1.7GHz Cortex A53. The task which we performed ran smoothly without any lag be it multi-tasking, working on Microsoft office, playing games like Asphalt 9, PUBG, or any other game of high requirement. The processor does not disappoint us during our review period and this efficacy was achieved thanks to its supportive RAM size which is of 4GB assisting the processor to take on any

Cameras Honor does not have any specific tag line to boast its camera but to be true Honor provides camera power of brilliant qualities and the new Honor 8X in the mid-range section possess camera power to thrill you and surely to get your attention away from the likes of Redmi Note 5 Pro, and phones from Vivo and Oppo within same range. Honor 8X has dual rear camera senor with the primary sensor being of 20MP with an aperture

verdict

task. Heating was observed only when we extended the gaming period otherwise the phone remains at dormant

of f/1.8, and PDAF whereas

by the camera is AI driven

the secondary sensor acts

which automatically adjusts

as depth sensor which is of

and allows you to choose the

2MP plus the camera is AI

best image captured and you

driven. The images captured

can also disable AI when you

by the rear camera were well

want to.

detailed with crisp quality. The camera is quick to focus and

Battery

to take clear shot maintaining

Honor 8X has 3,750mAh non

all the natural colors of the

removable battery which is an

image. The shots captured at

impressive battery power to

night were equivalently clear

have in a phone. The battery

and crisp. The focusing was

during our test period lasted

not that much quick at night

throughout the day with

but it managed to capture

moderate use like some hours

brilliant images even when

of playing music, movies and

the surrounding was light

games. The phone does not

deficient.The rear camera of

have fast charging ability but

Honor 8X is surely going to

the charger holds sufficient

drive attention towards itself

input power to charge the

Looks

10 /10

Cameras

08 /10

similarly the selfie camera

phone just normal charging

is of prime quality as well.

speed.

The selfie camera is of 16

Impressive

phase only. The graphics

Good Show

offered is brilliant as well

Performance

09 /10

Battery

09 /10

Value For Money

10 /10

In Sync

Megapixel with an aperture of

Conclusion

f/2.0. The qualities of selfie

Honor 8X is an all-rounder

were superb not just during

with an affordable price

daytime but at night as well.

range, new and powerful

If you are selfie lover and

processor, impressive RAM

dedicated microSD card slot to

want to stand different from

and ROM size and similarly

give you advantage to expand

the crowd of similar carrying

a power packed battery life.

your storage. The new Honor

smartphones then the new

The smartphone priced at

8X is running on EMUI 8.2.0

Honor 8X is your deal. The

Rs 14,999 with attractive

camera app offers various

design andhuge display. When

modes as well like Portrait,

compared with Motorola One

Photo, Aperture, Night,

Power it seems a better option

Slow-mo, Panorama, AR lens,

at less cost. n haider@mymobile.co.in

with some adjustment by going a bit down to meet the requirements of big games. The internal storage is of 64GB and Honor 8X has

on top of android 8.1 Oreo. The EMUI offers interesting features which you choose to play with according to your

Good for a Day Worth It

OVERALL

PROS Design, Processor

92%

Cons Huge Size

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

preference.

www.mymobileindia.com

HDR etc. The images captured

Tried & Tested

cores where four cores are

december 2018 | 61

Tried & Tested

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BlackBerry KEY2 LE If You Still Loves the Keypad

nce upon a

we will be reviewing here to

occupies the space of screen.

camera sensor clubbed in

time the most

give an insight about this new

The front fascia of the phone

one frame and besides the

desirable phone

phone.

has 4.5 inch screen display

frame lies the LED flash. At

and rest of the front body is

the top of the phone lies the

occupied by the Keypad. The

3.5mm headphone jack while

even before

iPhone or any other phone

Design

which ruled the market and

Unlike other smartphones

phone in terms of its front

at the bottom lies the Type-C

even the heart of people was

the phones from BlackBerry

design and display resembles

USB port and dual speaker

BlackBerry. Over the period of

doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t require a close look

the old trend which might not

grille. On the left side lies the

time the company has lost its

to differentiate because

do the trick for the company.

hybrid SIM slot which offers

spark and in more scientific

BlackBerry has its own

The top of the display is

you dual SIM space or you

term we can put it as it is now

signature design which makes

sporting the selfie camera.

have to sacrifice one SIM

in the category of endangered.

it to appear totally different

In terms of look the phone

slot to insert the SDcard. At

The last smartphone from

from rest of the smartphones.

sports a premium look which

the right side you can sport

BlackBerry which we

The trademark of BlackBerry

is giving aesthetic appeal to

volume rockers, power button

reviewed about a year ago was

phones are their Keypad and

the phone when you hold it.

and an additional button to

BlackBerry KEYone and after

the new BlackBerry KEY2

The weight is light as well

initiate the Google Assistant.

a gap of one year the company

also sports a keypad which is

and easy to hold and operate.

The fingerprint sensor to

has launched the successor

very unique and also a brave

The body has aluminum

which people are accustomed

of BlackBerry KEYone which

move from the company

frame and plastic back. The

and have the notion that it

is BlackBerry KEY2 LE which

because the Keypad obviously

rear side is sporting the dual

will be either on rear side or

76 | december 2018

MYMOBILE

dual pixel PDAF whereas the

been removed in the new

secondary sensor is of 12MP

BlackBerry KEY2 LE and the

as well with an aperture of

phone features the fingerprint

f/2.6, and PDAF. The rear

sensor in the Space bar of

camera of the phone is very

the keypad and it is quick in

strong and has capability of

response as well.

delivering great images at

Display

every situation. The focus of the rear camera is accurate

The display of the phone is

and every detail seems to

very simple with a screen size

be incorporated and finally

of 4.5 inch with no notch

portrayed when you capture

no curvy screen edges. The

the image. The flashlight of

screen has been compromised

course gives you advantage

because of the capacitive

of having clear shots at night

touch 4 row BlackBerry

as well and the night shots

keyboard. The display type

are well clear and detailed as

is IPS LCD with 16M colors.

well. There are various modes

The screen resolution of the

and effects to opt for. The

phone is of 1080x1620

colors the images are well

pixels with an aspect ratio of

preserved and the quality is

3:2. The screen is visibility

great but if we talk about the

is good thanks to the auto

selfie camera it is not as good

brightness mode which makes

as the rear camera and it did

the screen visible under

not excite me that much. The

sunlight as well. The screen is

selfie camera is of 8MP with

protected by Corning Gorilla

an aperture of f/2.0 and the

Glass 3. The Keyboard on the

quality of the images of the

front no doubt is the unique

selfie camera is normal not

identity of all the BlackBerry used for various shortcuts and opening of apps. If you are switching phones and picking BlackBerry then the

Looks

Typical BlackBerry

Cameras

Did Not Impress

Performance

screen space might be one of

Manageable

the drawbacks of the phone

Battery

because now the market has accustomed people with big and wide screen space.

Goes a Day

Value For Money Doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Fit

OVERALL

Keypad

with an aperture of f/1.8, and

some extent gets the attention of the users but BlackBerry

Battery

KEY2 LE has to really struggle

The phone is packed with

to attract users on the basis of

non-removable battery of

its camera power.

3,500mAh. The battery power of the phone easily allows

Platform

you to enjoy any activity on the phone without worrying

easily lasted throughout the

core processor with eight cores

day with a single full charge.

where four cores are clocked

The charging of the phone is

08 /10

at 2.2GHz Kryo 260 and

also quick thanks to the quick

other four cores are clocked

charger which quickly fills the

07 /10

at 1.8GHz Kryo 260. The

battery tank.

08 /10

processor works very fine; be it multi-tasking or playing

Conclusion

08 /10

games the processor seems

Overall, to conclude it

to maintain the phone at

could be said that the new

07 /10

equilibrium state. The gaming

BlackBerry KEY2 LE will

experience might not be

only be attractive to the true

that much satisfactory due

BlackBerry fans otherwise

to screen space but there is

it is very hard forit to get

no issue with the processor

reasonable amount of users

handling big games. The

who will be attracted towards

phone rarely heated up when

this new launch. When you

big games were played for long

look at the competition it

times. The RAM size of the

stands nowhere amongst them

phone is of 4GB which is must

at Rs 29,990. n

78%

Cons Camera

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

www.mymobileindia.com

help of microSD.

Snapdragon 660SoC octa-

dual camera sensors with the primary sensor of 12MP

be further expanded with the

powerful cameras which to

testing period the battery

while testing did not amused camera of the phone sports

phone is of 64GB and it can

phones of similar range offers

of quick drainage. While our

The camera of the phone

PROS

the selfie lovers about it. The

LE is powered by Qualcomm

Cameras me too much. The rear

processor. The ROM size of the

The new BlackBerry KEY2

verdict

phones plus the keys can be

that much capable of drooling

Tried Tried& &Tested Tested

on front side has completely

requirement to support such

haider@mymobile.co.in

december 2018 | 63

Tried & Tested

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Asus ZenFone Lite L1 Lighter on Pocket, Nice on Features

sus has recently

will be reviewing ZenFone Lite

light body composition of

at the top side of the phone

been a game

L1 and looking into all the

the phone. The phone has

and at the bottom of the

changer in

basics of this phone and its

compact body size and is

lies micro USB port and two

the field of

capabilities.

easy to hold and operate.

speaker grilles. At the left side

As mentioned earlier about

of the phone lies the SIM slot

the looks the rear side of the

capable of holding two SIM

smartphone market since its entry and now the company

Design

is aiming to get a good

ZenFone Lite L1 has basic

phone has plain basic look

cards and microSD card. The

hold by strengthening its

looks not something glossy

with just a rear sensor and a

power button and the volume

budget range section. The

or very catchy. The company

LED flash with no fingerprint

rockers lies at the right side

company has launched back

has chosen plastic body for

sensor. The front side of the

of the phone. The missing of

to back to budget range

the phone and the absence

phone is sporting the 5.45

fingerprint sensor is mainly

smartphones ZenFone Max

of metal body has led to

inch display and above the

because of difference in price

M1 and ZenFone Lite L1

display lies the selfie camera

range between Lite L1 and

which clearly suggest that the

and front LED flash. A

Max M1 where ZenFone Max

budget range section is the

3.5mm headphone jack lies

M1 sports a fingerprint sensor

hot pot of competition. We

and ZenFone Lite L1 lacks it.ZenFone Lite L1 allows to set face unlock feature to add to the advantage of the phone and the face unlock feature works decently but on many occasions it fumbles and takes time to detect the face.

76 | december 2018

MYMOBILE

Tried & Tested

Display The new ZenFone Lite L1 has a HD display of 5.45 inch with 16M colors with the resolution size of 720x1440 pixels and aspect ratio of 18:9. The screen available is sufficient enough to give you satisfactory experience of performing any task on the screen. The colors are good and punchy as well and the screen might not be that much light repulsive but the adaptive brightness mode

easily but switching to latest

allows you to watch it even

trend of PUBG you might

when you take the phone out

wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get desirable graphics

in light. The viewing angles

and game functioning and

are decent as well. The screen

additionally it heats the phone

Cameras

is guarded by 2.5D curved

up when we tried playing

ZenFone Lite L1 has single

used moderately was able

glass.

PUBG. The internal storage

rear camera sensor of 13MP

to last almost throughout

is of 16GB which is decent

identical to ZenFone Max

the day but if you indulge in

enough to only install selected

M1 and has an aperture of

some hours of playing games,

The processor of both ZenFone

apps and to store selected

f/2.0, and PDAF. The shots

watching movie and listening

Lite L1 and ZenFone Lite

files. The internal storage can

captured by the rear camera

music then you have to plug

Max M1 are same which is

further be expanded with the

are decent and the originality

in charger once again to

Qualcomm Snapdragon 430

help of microSD card. The new

of the images is maintained.

make it last for rest of the day.

octa-core SoC with the cores

ZenFone Lite L1 has Android

The daylight shots are clear

The charging speed of the

clocked at 1.4Ghz which

Oreo as its operating system

and detailed but if you zoom

phone is normal and it takes

in then you will sport graining

some hours to fully charge

effect and hard to focus.

the device.The phone even

The night shots degrade in

supports face unlock feature

quality and could be termed

as well which works fine but

Platform

is mostly not the updated

verdict

processor which you find in other recent phones of same range. The processor is decent but the working efficiency of

and ZenUI on top.

Lite L1 is of 3,000mAh and the battery is non removable in nature. The phone when

Looks

07 /10

Cameras

08 /10

just below the line of average

does not have a very quick

images. The shots captured by

response time and accuracy.

rear camera of ZenFone Max

Neat and Simple

the phone is affected by the

Enough

RAM size of the phone which

Performance

08 /10

Battery

07 /10

Value For Money

Good

M1 were comparatively better

Conclusion

which we have reviewed than

The Asus ZenFone Lite L1

08 /10

ZenFone Lite L1. The selfies

is an entry level smartphone

76%

captured by ZenFone Lite L1

having basics of the day.

are clear and crisp especially

The company has put in

to be patience to allow the

at daylight but the night selfies

ingredients which majority

phone to open the app for you.

are not that much exceptional.

will appreciate such as

The phone do acquires some

The selfie camera is of 5MP

processor which is efficient

heat signatures when put to

and has an aperture of f/2.4.

enough at this price point.

and is doing justice with its

The Lite L1 is available at

price tag.

Rs 5,999 across channels

is 2GB whereas ZenFone Max M1 offers 3GB. Apps with normal size works fine but take some seconds to load and while multi-tasking you have

rigorous use by using apps like Facebook messenger, Snapchat etc. The gaming experience is normal, you can

On Lesser Side Can Be Considered

OVERALL

PROS Processor

Cons Plastic Body

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

play candy crush, subway surf

www.mymobileindia.com

Battery The battery power of ZenFone

and can be compared with Redmi 5A. n team@mymobile.co.in

december 2018 | 65

Tried & Tested

burntest

Pixel3XL

Flaunts Amazing Camera, Fluidic OS and Googleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Assurance

f you love the glamour,

Google Pixel phones or even

time of last year and those

body. The rear side of the

power and performance

you can put it like this that

phones when we reviewed

phone has very simplistic

of iPhone but you

Google Pixel phones are true

were truly fantastic and now

look with a metal frame on top sporting single rear

donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to have an

competitor of iPhone and

after a gap of one year Pixel is

iOS functioning phone then

in reasonably lesser price.

again in discussion amongst

camera sensor and a LED

the best alternative phone

Google launched Pixel 2

users because of the launch

flash. Fingerprint sensor is at

which you can opt for are

and Pixel 2 XL around this

of its latest model and the

the rear side as well and it is

successor of Pixel 2 which are

one of the faster fingerprint

Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. So, I

sensors which you will come

will be highlighting what all

across. Coming to the front

pros and cons the new Pixel 3

side of the phone you will

XL has.

notice an impressive display

Design

screen of 6.3 inch which is bigger than its predecessor

Google has heated the

which was 6 inches tall.

smartphone market with

At the top of display you

its latest launch of Pixel 3

can sport a notch which

XL and it is quite obvious

encompasses the dual front

because the Pixel phones

selfie cameras. The top of

in every arena fit the criteria

the phone is completely blank

which any smartphone lover

whereas at the bottom lies the

seeks. The new Pixel 3 XL just

SIM tray which can just sport

like Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

a single SIM and a Type-C

is sporting a basic look with

USB port. The company has

no glossy dual tone rear side

provided 3.5mm headphone

just like the current trend of

jack adapter to allow you to

smartphones and sometimes

use your wired headsets. At

simplicity is the best beauty

the right side lies the power

which you can get. The phone

button and the volume

has basic looks with uni color

rockers and to make power button distinct pixel has used neon color on it whereas

76 | december 2018

MYMOBILE

the multi task bar. Other exciting

the left side

feature of new OS is the

remains plain.

introduction of Dark mode for good

Display

as we did

The new Pixel 3 XL has 6.3

not see much

inches P-OLED capacitive

core

touchscreen with 16M colors.

processor

The phone has screen ratio

with eight cores

of 18:5:9 which is more than

where four cores are clocked

the Pixel 2 XL and the screen

at 2.5GHz Kryo 385 Gold and

resolution is of 1440x2960

other four cores are clocked at

pixels. The screen is truly

1.6GHz Kryo 385 Silver. There

impressive and is upgraded

is no doubt in the functioning

version of its predecessor

of the phone, it runs as smooth

which you would like to see

as you like and it can be felt

in an upgraded model. The

even when you touch the

display size of the phone offers

display to carry out any task as

spacious screen to let you

it gives soft and smooth feel of

enjoy according to your heart

the screen. The device hardly

content. One striking feature

heats up during any process

while testing the display

be it playing games of big size.

was noticed that you have

The gaming experience is very

to increase the brightness to

adaptive brightness mode is on the phone reaches the maximum brightness level to make it visible under the sunlight. The brightness ability

Looks

Huge and Premium

Cameras

Amazingly Brilliant

Performance Fluidic

Battery

of the phone is not justifying

Lasts a Day

the trademark which Pixel

Value For Money

carries. Google has used

Worth, If You Can Afford

Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for

OVERALL

the Pixel 3 XL and the phone

graphics level while playing

Powering the Pixel 3 XL is powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC octa-

Similarly you can discover

PUBG etc. While testing for

various new features which

heating of the device we found

come with the package of

that using Playground mode

Pixel3 and Android 9.0 Pie.

of the camera leads to the

heating to take notice of and

XL set a benchmark for the

is shortly being returned to

cameras with their stunning

its normal state when you

capturing quality and images

exit the Playground mode.

of truly brilliant quality. So,

The 4GB RAM of the Pixel 3

automatically the expectations

XL assisted the processor to

were very high whether Pixel

function smoothly without any

3 and its XL model will sport

lag. The internal storage of

such powerful camera or not

the phone is of 64GB which

and Pixel 3 stood up to all

can’t be expanded further

the expectations. The new

which I feel is enough to keep

Pixel 3 XL has the same rear

any files with ease but on

camera which was there in

the other hand smartphones

Pixel 2 XL which is of 12.2MP

10 /10

of similar price range are

and an aperture of f/1.8. The

offering much more internal

camera and LED flash has

08 /10

storage as compared to Pixel

spectral sensor in between to

3 XL. Overall the pixel in its

assist the camera to deliver

processor segments holds

perfect pictures with great

immense power to make any

details and accurate color

heavy work seems so light and

capturing of the subject being

easy. Google Pixel 3 is one of

captured. The images taken

the first smartphones to have

by the rear camera of Pixel 3

the latest Android OS which is

XL are the best which you can

Android 9.0 (Pie). The new OS

get in terms of quality and

has some new features like the

clearance and the images are

upgrade of 3 button navigation

no less than that of captured

system which now has been

by DSLR. The zooming in of

reduced to 2 and you have to

images also does not affects

make a long slide to summit

the quality too much as there

09 /10 10 /10

09 /10

92%

Cons Not Expandable

(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)

www.mymobileindia.com

browser on your computer.

games like NFS, Asphalt,

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2

water resistant. Camera, OS

messages directly within the

Cameras

phone to some extent dust and

Platform

you can receive incoming

is not that much of extensive

has IP68 ratings making the

PROS

the ‘Message for web’ feature;

heating of the device but it

verdict

maximum to make it visible under sunlight and even when

degradation in the

the messages app and with

Tried Tried& &Tested Tested

burntest

december 2018 | 67

Tried & Tested

burntest were minimum graining effect and noise cancellation is on top as well. Google has played the trick and surprised everyone by introducing dual selfie camera sensor which is a kind of highlighting the upgrade and difference between Pixel 2 and Pixel 3. The selfie camera has dual 8MP sensor with an aperture of f/1.8 and f/2.2 respectively. Pixel 3 XL offers best selfies which you can get and if you had loved Pixel 2 then Pixel 3 is one step ahead in surprising you. The selfies captured at both night and day are of magnificent quality and I personally feel it’s the

best selfie camera and has

phone comes with wireless

ability to stand in comparison

charging facility as well.

with iPhone Xs. Overall the cameras are the main

Conclusion

attractant of Pixel 3 and if you

Google Pixel 3 XL is the

loved Pixel 2 then Pixel 3 will

king of Android smartphones.

surely amaze you.

The best camera smartphone

Battery

Rs 83,000 anyone would

Pixel 3 XL in terms of

expect it to be the best. It

battery power lacks behind

has all the charm of top level

its predecessor Pixel 2 XL

performer with latest OS

where Pixel 2 XL possessed

and a simple user interface

3,520mAh battery power and

as well. The images produced

the new Pixel 3 XL possess

are too real in its essence as

3,430mAh battery power.

if we are seeing it with naked

While testing the battery

eyes. The battery power has

longevity, I observed that

been reduced in Pixel 3 XL

the battery drains out within

as compared to Pixel 2 XL

some hours of continuous

which was a surprise for

usage and it last throughout

me. Google could have

the day only when you use

retained it as the size of

it moderately for restricted

Pixel 3 XL is huge. It offers

hours of playing games or

unlimited storage and regular

indulging in any activity.

updates from Google. If you

The phone has fast charger

can afford but doesn’t want

to boost the charging speed

an iPhone than Google Pixel 3

and charging speed is only

XL is a priced possession for

possible when you plug in the

you. n

phone’s original charger. The

68 | december 2018

you will ever find and at

haider@mymobile.co.in

MYMOBILE

burntest

Tried & Tested

Intex Pulse BS10 Speaker Decent for the Price

e have seen quite a range of affordable smartphones

by the indigenous company Intex and recently its radar reached the audio accessories as well. Among some new audio pieces, it also launched the new Pulse BS10 Bluetooth

Speaker in the country. I got to use the device for a while and find out whether or not itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a worthy companion:

Design The device seems like a miniature version of a UFO, landed specially for the music enthusiasts. The portable and small speaker is extremely easy to carry and can fit in just anywhere. The round-shaped

is pretty lightweight in nature

backed by a 400mAh battery

genres such as EDM,

and comes with a plastic base

and weighs 101.8 grams.

Bollywood, Slow songs and

for a better grip.

Additionally, the Intex Pulse

the audio quality was above

BS10 Speaker comes with

average. The bass and

in three colours (Blue, Green

Bluetooth support (version

treble seemed balanced too.

and Orange) to know about the

4.2), TF card support and

Everything seemed just fine till

charging status.

supports FM radio. In addition

the time I held it in my hand;

to this, there is also wireless

as soon as I put it somewhere

speaker is compact and is a

calling allowing for a hands-

the audio output went from

perfect example of portable.

free calling experience.

above average to just average.

Furthermore, there lies LED

In totality, the Pulse BS10

The speaker appeared to

Tech Specs and Features

Performance

be more of a romantic song

The Intex Pulse BS10

person than EDM or Bollywood

It comes with a power output

Bluetooth speaker acts as

person as the audio quality

of 5W X 1 and impedance

a pretty good option in the

differed way too much; the

rated at 4Ohms. It has a

portable speaker range. The

former sounded much better.

Bluetooth range of 7 to 10

speaker, with ease connects

meters and FM range of

to the desired device via

calling and FM radio worked

87.5MHz - 108MHz. It is

Bluetooth and upon turning

fine, and the speaker worked

on lets you know when a guy

a couple of days on a single

speaks up.

charge.

speaker has the speaker grilles situated on its top portion. Following this, there is a grey rim surrounding the speaker, comprising the on/off button, the FM button, the Forward button, the Back button, the TF port, the AUX port, the charging port, and a small handle in the middle for ease of carrying. Additionally, the speaker

www.mymobileindia.com

I used the speaker to listen a couple of

Additionally, the wireless

Conclusion The Intex Pulse BS10 speaker, for Rs 1,499 is decent enough option for its portable design and various connectivity options. However, the audio quality isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t amazingly impressive. Nonetheless, the speaker is quite affordable to be considered an option. n vanshika@mymobile.co.in

december 2018 | 69

Caution

consumer insight

The Perils of Pirated Software! More than 80% of Pirated Software-Loaded New PCs in Asia are infected with Malware, finds out a recent Microsoft study!

Microsoft sweep of PC test

risks that they can pose to individuals and

purchasing revealed that more

businesses.

than four in five (83%) brand

“Cybercriminals are constantly

new PCs in targeted countries

evolving their techniques to evade security

in Asia are loaded with pirated software.

measures, and embedding their malware

The PC samples selected were purchased

into pirated software is one of their tactics

from retailers that offered PCs at much

as it allows them to compromise large

lower cost and free software bundles to lure

numbers of PCs and access vast amount

customers. In many cases, these retailers

of stolen credentials with ease,” said Mary

also sold pirated software at their store.

Jo Schrade, Assistant General Counsel

Aimed to educate consumers and owners of small and

& Regional Director, Digital Crimes Unit, Microsoft Asia.

medium enterprises

“When vendors

(SMEs) in the

sell pirated software

region, Microsoft’s

containing malware

Asia PC Test Purchase Sweep provides

in their PCs, they are not only fueling the

insights on the extensive prevalence of new

spread of malware in the region but are

PCs loaded with pirated software and the

also putting their customers’ personal

“Pirated software will likely cost users more than they bargain for, while offering a fertile ground for cybercriminals to exploit compromised devices!”

70 | december 2018

“When vendors sell pirated software containing malware in their PCs, they are not only fueling the spread of malware in the region but are also putting their customers’ personal information and digital identity at the mercy of cyber-criminals” – Mary Jo Schrade, Assistant General Counsel & Regional Director, Digital Crimes Unit, Microsoft Asia

MYMOBILE

information and digital identity at the mercy of cyber-criminals,â&#x20AC;? added Mary Jo.

The Risks of Using Pirated Software The sweep found that one of the most common practices for vendors installing pirated software on new PCs is to turn off the

Caution

Consumer insight

security features, such as anti-virus software and Windows Defender as doing thisallows them to run the hack-tools needed to activate the pirated software. However, this leaves PCs vulnerable to malware and other cyberthreats, and the buyers of these PCs may not even realize that their PC is not being protected.

84% of the new PCs

loaded with pirated software were infected with some type of malware, with the most common malware being Trojans and viruses. These findings are particularly concerning as customers buy PCs that offer special deals which are cheap and come with free software, not realizing the risks they may be exposing themselves to.

84% of the new PCs loaded with pirated software were infected with some type of malware, with the most common malware being Trojans and viruses. These findings are particularly concerning as customers buy PCs that offer special deals which are cheap and come with free software, not realizing the risks they may be exposing themselves to, the report warns! n team@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

december 2018 | 71

In Conversation

face to face

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are receiving 80 percent users from Tier 2 and Tier 3 citiesâ&#x20AC;? Gone were the days of text messages when we all relied upon to convey. Now, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the turn of a new age technology called Live Streaming where users can share real time messages in video format. With growing internet penetration it has the potential to be a game changer. LiveMe, a live broadcasting app and streaming platform by Cheetah Mobile, is trying its fate with the same in India. Johnny Wu, Regional Director for the Indian and European market at LiveMe interacted with My Mobile on this venture.

The real-time content sharing can also be

What are the precautionary measures LiveMe

sensitive Indian keywords in both English

done over Facebook and Twitter which have

incorporate to stop nudity, fake content and

and Hindi that would block and report

much larger base. What makes people be

pornography? For apps like LiveMe that

users posting unsavory content. We keep

active on LiveMe? How is it different from the

is open for user based content, has a

on doing campaigns on our social media,

major live streaming players? LiveMe is a

huge responsibility regarding the kind of

where our registered hosts block the users

live entertainment platform. What makes

content on the app. We are focusing on

using app for incorrect trading by creating

us different from other major players in

the sensitive issue of cyber-security and

their video.

live streaming is our approach towards

to ensure the safety we use algorithms

providing platform to talented artists to

to screen profile names and photos and

Has India emerged as the potential market

perform. Our top most rated artist also

manual screening of content posted to

for LiveMe and what are the reasons for it?

gets opportunity to host our live shows

the app. With a help of a big team based

India is the second biggest market for

and earn a good amount. We encourage

out of Delhi, that is dedicated to monitor

LiveMe after the US. We are quite popular

our artists to set up their career with us or

the content uploaded and control quality

among millennials from metros and non-

in their field.

of content on the app. We identify the

metros receiving 80% of users from tier 2

72 | december 2018

MYMOBILE

and tier 3 cities. The increased per capita

promising supply

spending on digital entertainment in the

side ecosystem is

Indian market signifies enormous potential

evolving for streaming

for the development of the live-streaming

with multiple players

industry. The top most cities from where we

launching their

receive traction are Delhi, Mumbai, Pune,

digital streaming

Hyderabad, Surat, Lucknow and Jaipur.

platforms. Therefore,

We are excited about the possibilities that

with the faster

the Indian market holds. Primarily we are

growing internet

targeting the demography of active online

penetration and

users between 16-34 years.

access to multimedia

In Conversation

face to face

devices, more and The network bandwidth could be a problem for LiveMe in India. How will you address it? The average internet speed in India is much lower than that in most developed countries but, in recent past with easy availability of smart phones, Wi-Fiand technology this is expected to improve. A linear relationship between the internet speeds and video consumption is observed across the countries. In India, an increase in the internet speed is bound to increase

“We identify the sensitive Indian keywords in both English and Hindi that would block and report users posting unsavory content”

second option, men are mostly inclined towards sports and games. Some of the niche video content

the video traffic in India. We are also

categories within infotainment were

focusing on building our technology team

more time is being spent on consuming

found to be preferred across age,

to improve the quality of videos.

digital videos.

gender, and regions in India. Being a

Why people are shifting from text messaging

What are the reasons which attract millennial

demographics and languages, India has

to gif and now live streaming? With growing

to live streaming platforms? In line with

specific regional demand for localized

digital age and easy availability of smart

global trends, the Indian consumer is

content. A few content categories like

phones people have shifted from text

increasingly consuming the content on

Hindi TV programs, Reality TV, Travel,

messages to gif and now live streaming.

live streaming platforms. This trend is

Fashion, and Cookery are preferred more

Text messages on provides information

observed for all type of content including

by women as compared to men.

but the expression or content is lost. Live

news (text), music (audio), or video.

streaming allows one to watch the news,

Increasing internet penetration and mobile

Cash is also an attractant in case of LiveMe

shows or talk to a person ‘live’. One can

device proliferation and convenience of

and few more platforms like this. Is it a

comment or response ‘live’ and thus there

consuming the content anytime, anywhere

viable option to go for the long run or its just

is less chances of the message and content

are the key drivers for this trend.

promotional and for the time being? Users

large and diversified country in terms of

being distorted. The internet has also been

have shown willingness to pay for premium

made available at a reasonable cost thus

What type of content do Indian masses prefer

services / content and convenience to use

making live streaming a better option of

and how is it different from other countries?

that make better value proposition for

communication.

Indian consumer prefers both long form

them. Players are coming up with hybrid

as well as short form videos online. Within

models that provide access to large content

How do you see the growth and popularity of

content categories movie is the most

catalogue for free and some of the premium

Live streaming apps in India? On-demand

preferred, irrespective of age, gender, and

content and services are provided only to

entertainment services led by audio and

region and enjoys a high willingness to pay

subscription users. The traction generated

video content are at the cusp of inflection

even subscription fees. Moreover, fresh

by free content is monetized through ad

point in India. Though the traction towards

video content especially, recent movies

supported models while subscription fees

both on-demand download and streaming

enjoy a premium over other content. While

of the content has just started, a very

Indian women prefer music videos as their

are levied for premium services. n team@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobileindia.com

december 2018 | 73

In Conversation

face to face

“Skullcandy has positioned itself to adapt quickly to industry trends” Listening to music through headphones has its own charm. It not only personalizes your music experience but also allows you to pick a call while on the move, which in fact is a boon for today’s lifestyle driven by mobile phones. So, better the headphone better is the sound quality! The trend is catching up in such a way that with the growth of mobile phone market, the market for headphones too is growing like never before. Skullcandy, a US-based lifestyle audio brand, is among the top names audiophiles go for in India. The audio maker is vying for larger space in India and recently introduced noise canceling technology as part of premium headphone line with Venue at an event in New Delhi. Ramesh Kumar Raja caught up with Brian Walsh, Director International Sales, Skullcandy, to discuss more about the brand, trend, technology and marketing strategy. Excerpts: In a hyper-competitive market like India which is already dominated by Chinese, Korean and Taiwanese products apart from the domestic ones, how’s the brand Skullcandy positioned itself? Skullcandy has a proven history of being the original lifestyle audio company. We continue to leverage our brand heritage and authenticity in the face of increasing competition and it is what sets us apart from other brands in the eyes of the consumer. Our products are designed, engineered and tested at our headquarters in Park City, Utah and it is because of this process that we are able to build amazing products with the consumer in mind. How good is the market for headphones and other audio products being offered by you in India? India is one of our largest markets internationally and we see a lot of opportunity for growth in the future. Our range of products that we offer cater to consumers at all price-

101 | november 2018

MYMOBILE

points from entry level wired earbuds all the way up to premium noise-cancelling wireless headphones. The research and development is an ongoing process in the electronics sector. How headphone industry is forced to adapt to the changing forces? And how is the Skullcandy leveraging this trend? The headphone industry is changing constantly and Skullcandy has positioned itself to adapt quickly to industry trends by developing all of our products in-house. We own

“Our local team in India, Brand Eyes, has leveraged their expertise from the past 9 years of working with Skullcandy in order to provide a bestin-class customer service experience”

experience. We couldn’t be happier with their dedication to serving the local consumers in India. The Government of India is encouraging foreign companies to do manufacturing in India and it’s yielding good results. Is Skullcandy taking advantage of Make in India program? At this time Skullcandy is not working with any manufacturers in India, but we are always exploring opportunities.

every step of the process from concept to industrial design, engineering, prototyping

the Skullcandy’s approach to it? Our local

What are your outreach and investment plans

and testing.

team in India, Brand Eyes, has leveraged

for India? We are going to continue to invest

their expertise from the past 9 years

in the market in India, working closely with

After sales service remains an issue for

of working with Skullcandy in order to

the Brand Eyes team. n

majority of electronics companies. What is

provide a best-in-class customer service

www.mymobileindia.com

ramesh@mymobile.co.in

In Conversation

face to face

december 2018 | 75

In Conversation

face to face

“Localization is the key to cracking any market for VAS players” With mobile phones becoming an integral part of our lives and data showing us the way to move ahead, it is the value-added services (VAS) that keep us engaged wherever we go irrespective of the telecom network one enjoys. BlackNGreen is one of the leading innovators and providers of VAS products and solutions to the top telecom operators across the world. Having headquarters in Dubai and regional offices in India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nigeria, Kenya, Brazil, etc., BlackNGreen spans across over 90 countries. The company’s recent offering, Magic Call, which enables users to change their voice during calls with a tinge of fun and drama, has gone viral with over 3 million downloads and 4-star rating on Google Play Store. Rahul Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO of BlackNGreen, shares with Ramesh Kumar Raja about how VAS market has evolved over the years in India and how telecom companies are driving this trend. Excerpts: How do you look at the VAS market in India as

10-15 years back erred and faced many

created by the changing mobile landscape

well as the world? What are the differences

challenges at the hands of stringent

and regulations both in India and abroad.

you feel between both the markets? India is

regulatory guidelines and failed to retain

Clearly, the move towards 3G/4G, location

a big market with a humongous telecom

loyalty from evolved customers on their old

based services, m-commerce, growth of

subscriber base and has registered

fashioned services. In the current scenario,

mobile data and application marketplaces

consistent growth in the past couple of

although the opportunities for innovative

are offering great scopes for innovation

years. Ever rising mobile phone penetration

players are abundant, the internet speed

and success.

and decline in data costs have further

still continues to limit the growth of value

We, at BlackNGreen, have always

fuelled the internet penetration leading to

added services in India. And it’s the same

worked on products that have a global

unprecedented growth in the country that

story in markets worldwide.

appeal. So, we have not faced any

has brought about significant changes in

Having said that, there is no denying

unexpected challenge in catering to

lives of people across all sections of the

the fact that the mobile environment

any market. But yes, there are different

society, creating more and more business

is changing rapidly, not just in India

people from diverse cultures who are very

opportunities for MVAS players. However,

but globally, and the successful MVAS

particular in their interest and prefer the

MVAS players quite at their peak some

companies are leveraging the opportunity

services in their first language. Therefore,

76 | december 2018

MYMOBILE

companies must customize products to

and Myanmar (15.56 Mbps) stand better

Do you think the upcoming 5G is going to

suit each local market and we’ve done

on this metric.

be a game changer for VAS services and

that.

One possible reason I see behind

consumers alike?

India’s slower mobile internet speed is the

Yes, it can be a game changer, but not

India happens to be a multi-lingual market.

challenge of serving an extremely dense

very soon. The 5G penetration would take

Does it cause any problem to the VAS

population and the continuous price wars

a lot of time in terms of implementation

players? As I said, ‘localization’ is the

among the telcos. The current pricing and

and capable handsets to reach a mass

key to cracking any market. Taking care

generous amount of data on packs offered

segment. It would take at least 5-8 years

of the linguistic aspect is imperative,

before 5G starts reaching masses to make

if you want to reach the masses, and it

any significant impact on the market. And,

once it does, it would open up a whole new “One possible world for MVAS players and industries, reason I see behind India’s market - executing deployment, like smart cities, healthcare, slower mobile internet speed is the regular testing, strategizing entertainment, and virtual reality marketing and communication to offer innovative products and challenge of serving an extremely plans - but all those have been services. dense population and the continuous made relatively seamless price wars among the telcos. The current with years of experience of There are lots of talks about working closely with global Magic Call app. What makes it pricing and generous amount of data on partners and their smooth unique? Magic Call is unique in packs offered by telcos are probably a lot and agile support throughout its concept, quality and overall more than what present networks the journey. delivery that transformed the entire entertainment segment. are designed to handle, which Regulators have reined in telcos It enables users to change their spoils a customer’s especially after a rise in complaints voice during calls with a tinge of fun 4G experience” against VAS players. Where do you see and drama. Built with voice morphing does pose some level of challenge while customizing your product to suit the

this market went wrong in India? The MVAS

technology, Magic Call allows both the

players went wrong in responding to the

prepaid and postpaid users to modify their

market dynamics. Over a period of time,

voice – speak like a kid or woman or an

the interest of the customers and the way

old age person with an interactive range of

they consume services change. In order

background effects. The concept attracted

to keep up with the changing market

many telecom operators to partner with us,

landscape, the MVAS has to evolve

in order to retain their customers and give

accordingly. We have to constantly assess

them a fun experience.

In Conversation

face to face

our user evolution and consumption behavior and accordingly deliver them a

What are the other services being offered by

valuable experience.

you and what are your future plans? Our focus is to expand our gaming portfolio rapidly in

The data network is still not up to the mark

by telcos are probably a lot more than what

coming months, with interesting games on

even after the mass adoption of 3G and 4G

present networks are designed to handle,

all three platforms (IVR, WAP, and APP).

services in India. What’s your view? It’s true

which spoils a customer’s 4G experience.

We recently launched the app version

that the average 4G LTE data speed in

Having said that, the costs of accessing

of Magic Voice called Magic Call. It has

India has remained static for more than a

the internet is amongst the lowest in the

already gone viral in India with 3 million

year at around 6.1 Mbps, which is much

world, which brings in much more digital

downloads. We are going to launch it in

lower than developed markets such as

inclusion to the lowest rungs of society.

other 50 countries in next three months.

the US (16.31 Mbps), UK (23.11 Mbps)

For India to progress rapidly, bridging this

We’re also looking forward to expanding

and Japan (25.39 Mbps). In fact, our

digital divide is most important as this

our presence in at least 20 more countries

own neighboring countries like Sri Lanka

will narrow the knowledge divide and help

in 2019. n

(13.95 Mbps), Pakistan (13.56 Mbps)

reduce the economic divide.

www.mymobileindia.com

ramesh@mymobile.co.in

december 2018 | 77

In Conversation

face to face

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to provide small finance for Indiaâ&#x20AC;? True Balance, a mobile application launched in September 2014 by Charlie Lee, covers bill management and payment of prepaid (10 networks across 22 circles) and postpaid (Idea, Airtel and Vodafone) services in India. Adding to these services, True Balance has also launched its Mobile Wallet and looks to foray into overall Utility payments. You have worked in various segments such

It is then that I decided to start my own

employees and now we have a team of

as DAAS, smartphone apps. What are the

venture which is Access Mobile in 2006

140 employees, both in Korea & India.

various things you have learned over these

which provided value added services to

years? How has been your journey as an

various Telcos.

True Balance has successfully completed Series A and Series B funding

entrepreneur so far? I have been working for

With the change in the market and

rounds from Softbank ventures Korea

Asian businesses for over 20 years, where

the rise of the application business, I

($17 million in series B), Naver Corp and

I was the head of the Asian business in

decided to start a new journey which is

Line Corp, which showcases its growth

the Widerthan, which offers Hello Tunes.

Balance Hero, the company which owns

potential. True Balance has raised USD

I came to India in 2003 when I was invited

True Balance. The Indian market was our

50 million in funding so far, including the

by the Airtel for the Hello Tunes project.

first choice to set up our business because

latest tranche.

We finally got the project and then we set

there is no doubt that India is one of the

up the branch and offices and provided

growing markets with a lot of potential.

How do you find the fintech industry being

various products to various telcos in India.

We started the True balance in 2014;

shifting in India? What are the challenges

While working at Wider than, I realized that

where I set up the company and went on

of this concerned sector in India? There is

there is a lot of scope in the VAS market.

to build my own team. We started with 5

a definite potential of the fintech domain

78 | december 2018

MYMOBILE

in India. There are a lot of global players

to provide such alternate scoring to the

loan business for our users.

coming into the industry in various

financial sector. I strongly believe that data

What will be your road map in the coming

components including Paytm. But there

for such smartphone application business

years? Last year, we were focused on the

are two big challenges from my point

is the key to resolve one of the most

user base and then usability. Then, we

of view. The first one is the government

important issues of Indian market which

were able to get an impressive 60 million

regulations. Everybody knows that mobile

is data based. Data is very critical, and we

downloads. We have a good user base;

fintech is a new domain; many things are

are proud that we have been focused on

few million active users and our users also

happening over online mobile, KYC and

data collection from day one.

love the app features. Our company got

the prevalent policies. So, still many things

the license last year and then we launched

are not clear and needs to be regularized.

our wallet last year in December 2017.

“Everybody knows And this year we are now in the transition it, so that’s the one issue, but I believe period from being a utility provider that mobile fintech is a new that will be sorted soon because the to the financial provider. So, for domain; many things are government is working on it. next 2-3 years we want to be happening over online mobile, KYC The second challenge is that the financial platform in India. India has a huge population Payment, transfer and loan are and the prevalent policies. So, still many who are using fintech service, the three major areas we are things are not clear and needs to be but realistically, I feel the focused on. We want to provide regularized. Even we applied for KYC major population out there small finance for India, which cannot enjoy this mobile will be our core focus area for but did not get it, so that’s the one fintech because they don’t have the coming 2-3 years. n issue, but I believe that will be nijhum@mymobile.co.in smartphones for online payment, recharges etc. There is a billion sorted soon because the population who cannot get the benefit government is working of the easeof the mobile fintech service. on it” So, the real challenge is that how can you Even we applied for KYC but did not get

cover the major population of India. It is important to have a proper agenda to reach

What are your various expansion plans for

out to this part of the population and we

True Balance? We are expanding over to the

are focused on them right now.

fintech space which includes pay, transfer and loan. Our focus before was only on

How data analytics is related to fintech

mobile recharges especially prepaid.

industry and what are its benefits and why is

This year, we introduced electricity & gas

it playing a crucial role for this industry? The

payments, gift cards, DTH and also, we

most important thing is that the Indian

are in the process of adding more payment

market lacks data especially creative

services like IRCTC as well.

related data out of these one billion major people. CIBIL barely covers around

So, you are also trying to expand

hundred million people. Most of Indian

it to IRCTC portal? Yes, because

people don’t have any CIBIL data and then,

IRCTC is one of the major

it’s very hard to score them. What can be

spending areas of the

done through mobile business is that we

users. Along with that we

can get valuable data that can be stored.

are gradually expanding

Especially for a firm like ours, even though

our merchant partners

our users don’t use banks actively or they

to meet our users need.

don’t have any CIBIL, but from the mobile

Also, we are introducing

balance usagewe can collect data on their

the transfer feature, so

data consumption, the kind of apps they

our users can transfer

are using, calling and SMS pattern etc.

the money and we are

There are various such examples globally

going to soon have the

www.mymobileindia.com

In Conversation

face to face

Trendz

market insight

Smartwatches to Watch Out For! Apple’s revenue from smartwatch has been envious as it accounts for nearly 50 per cent of entire smartwatch value worldwide but other super growth stories are rolling out too!

By Shelley Vishwajeet

or the most valuable company

had clocked overall revenue in excess of

in the world, the revenue from

USD229 billion and had become only the

Watch and other products

second company in history to have crossed

may not count for much, less

valuation of one trillion dollar!

than 8% of its total revenue, but it is still

Apple’s growing share from other

smartwatch market with a lion’s share of

big enough to overtake a Fortune 400

products is good news for the company

30% of the smartwatches shipped. The

company. In dollar terms, the sales from

as this would offset the static and even

introduction of the Series 4 this fall was the

‘other products’ which include Apple

declining trend in sales of iPads. As per

biggest update from a design and features

Watch, Apple TV, Air Pods and accessories

a recent Counterpoint report, global

standpoint, and has quickly resonated with

amongst other, totaled USD 17.4 billion,

smartwatch shipment grew 53% YoY

Apple’s loyal user base. Apple’s Series 3

enough to give a run for money to America’s

while Apple continued to dominate the

saw an uptick later in the quarter with

Fortune 300 company. Apple doesn’t

smartwatch market with 30% share in

discounted pricing, while Apple’s Series 1

disclose revenue from individual products

volume terms but has a much higher share

continued to be the single biggest selling

within the ‘other products’ category but it

in revenue terms – as it has been doing in

SKU contributing to almost half of all Apple

is well estimated by market watchers and

the smartwatch category!

Watch shipments. This could change in

experts that revenue from Apple Watch

Discussing Apple’s performance,

holiday season quarter as our channel

overwhelmingly dominates the revenue

Research Director, Jeff Fieldhack,

checks showed pent-up demand for the

share in this category. For 2018, Apple

noted, “Apple continues to dominate the

Series 4.”

Global smartwatch shipments market share Q3 2017 vs. Q3 2018

Source : Counterpoint Research Q3 2018 Global Smartwatch Tracker

80 | december 2018

MYMOBILE

However, in terms of pure growth, another American smartwatch maker – Fitbit - has stolen a march with record 348% YoY growth in Q3 2018, which has come in for praise from market watchers. Counterpoint Research analyst, Satyajit Sinha, noted, “Fitbit continues to shift its focus from predominantly SmartBand/

Snapshot

trackers to smartwatches and has now evolved as the next best player to Apple in

The Smartwatch market is

terms of experience and scale. The launch

dominated by the top five brands, which account for 69% of the shipments by volume:

of the Versa smartwatch was the turning point for Fitbit’s smartwatch segment growth. The health/fitness factor is playing

• Apple’s quarterly shipments grew by 24% sequentially and 31% YoY in Q3 2018 due to the enthusiastic response to the launch of its Watch Series 4.

a key role in driving consumer decision making for the adoption of smartwatches and Fitbit has entirely focused on this core use case.”

• Fitbit’s share in smartwatch shipments grew sharply to 16%, primarily due to the continued success of its Versa, which was released in April 2018.

So what makes Apple the favorite hands gear? Counterpoint study finds that among US consumers, the LTE communications capability in the Apple Watch is its most desirable feature. Cellular connectivity enables watches to work independently of smartphones – a capability that it believes will drive the market. The study also notes that by end of this year, cellular-capable watches will likely contribute to 20% of global smartwatch shipments. This will be a challenge for Fitbit to solve and range LTE SKUs in their portfolio. Counterpoint’s Senior Analyst, Hanish Bhatia, added, “The children’s or kids’ smartwatch segment is growing rapidly, especially in Asia. The market is being driven by Chinese brands such as Imoo, Kido, Kurio, TCL and Vtechin US. The segment is attractive for operators as well; there are significant net adds to be gained by Chinese operators and bigger operators such as Vodafone with their V IoT portfolio, AIS Thailand and Maxis in Malaysia, all of which have added kids’ smartwatches to their portfolios to boost new connections

“Fitbit continues to shift its focus from predominantly SmartBand/trackers to smartwatches and has now evolved as the next best player to Apple in terms of experience and scale. The launch of the Versa smartwatch was the turning point for Fitbit’s smartwatch segment growth” – Satyajit Sinha, Analyst, Counterpoint Research

and additional revenue streams. However, a few countries in Europe have been scrutinizing kids’ smartwatches

• Samsung smartwatch shipments grew 7% QoQ and 22% YoY due to a better performance of both its Gear S3 and the new Galaxy Watch launched in August 2018. • Amazfit, a sub-brand of a Chinese OEM Huami, which is also a manufacturer of wearable products for Xiaomi, currently holds 3% market share and grew 41% QoQ in Q3 2018. continues to accelerate innovation in the smartwatch market with its recent launch of the Snapdragon Wear 3100 building on healthy adoption of Snapdragon Wear 2100/2500 platforms in LTE capable kids watches. Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon wear platform is not only enabling LTE connectivity but also bringing a muchneeded ultra-low power architecture to

and user experience will be key to success

the smartwatches. It remains to be seen if

for this segment.”

the new platform can boost Android-wear

with tracking features (GPS) over security

Commenting on the market development

concerns. This is especially the case in the

from a components perspective, Research

new GDPR environment. So, robust security

Director, Neil Shah, noted, “Qualcomm

www.mymobileindia.com

• Imoo, a sub-brand of a Chinese OEM BBK Group (which owns OPPO, Vivo and OnePlus), held a healthy 10% global market share in Q3 2018.

smartwatch sales and market share, which have been stagnant at 17%.” n shelley@mymobile.co.in

december 2018 | 81

Guest Column

by Invitation

Home Broadband and Its Relevance to Digital India By Abhinandan Sharma

igital India campaign was

on the upswing, the main enabler is a reliable

there’s major ground to be covered. India

launched by our Prime

Internet connection or broadband. Internet

still ranks 107 in e-governance index, Fixed

Minister on 1st July 2015

speed decides how fast we can access

broadband still counts for paltry 4-5% of total

with the aim of connecting

online data, transfer files, stream videos,

broadband subscribers, still more than 60%

India (especially rural) through high-speed

get connected. As per TRAI broadband is a

of Indian public are still un-connected.

Internet networks. This initiative ensures that

data connection that can support interactive

the Government services are made available

services including internet access and has the

Broadband Technologies

to citizens electronically by improved online

capability of the minimum download speed

Broadband technologies can be segregated

infrastructure and by increasing Internet

of 512Kbps to an individual subscriber from

into wired and wireless. While the wired

connectivity or by making the country digitally

the Point of Presence (POP) of the service

technologies involve Copper wires, Co-axial

empowered in the field of technology.

provider intending to provide the Broadband

Cables, Broadband over power line, Optical

service. Below 512Kbps it’s considered

fibers, Wired broadband generally takes one

narrowband.

of the following technologies: Antenna sites

The Digital India’s vision a) Digital Infrastructure as a core utility to every citizen b) Governance and services on demand and c) Digital empowerment of citizens

Steps Undertaken by the Government to drive Digital Connectivity in India The government has taken lots of steps to improve digital connectivity. BharatNet project is the most important of those. It involves fiber connectivity to 2,50,000 gram Panchayats. Additionally, target of connecting

The total number of Internet subscribers

for wireless connections (WiMAX, Wi-Fi, LTE

as per TRAI was approx. 460million as

etc.), Satellite broadband, Internet Baloons,

of July2018. Out of this roughly 80% are

Light Fidelity(Lifi). If we take a pie for

broadband users, including both wired as

broadband penetration, around 5% is wired

well as wireless. The number of broadband

while 95% is wireless which mainly involves

subscribers is approx. 35%. So, there is still

LTE, Wi-Fi etc.

65% of Indian population left untapped and untouched. The same is denoted by below

Right now, LTE in Wireless and copper

figure. It also shows the potential of Indian

in wired are the major drivers in broadband

market once major portion of the Indian

technologies. Although copper takes major

population is digitally connected.

share in wired connectivity right now, fiberhas

Although lots of work is being done, still

gained a lot of prominence over the past 4-5 years.

been an imperative for the government to

How Fiber Deployment is being considered game changer for Digital India

move all public process online, including

The importance of Fiber lies in the advantages

e-tenders, e-procurement, BHIM app-based

it offers as compared to traditional copper

payments, e-governance, etc. Projects have

cabling

been launched under the Digital Campus

1) Fiber optic transmission is faster

scheme for providing free WIFI to more than

2) Fiber optic transmission results in less

the remaining 42,300 villages by FY18 by mobile telephony. Apart from this there has

50000 campuses across India. While the drive and need for Digital India is

82 | december 2018

attenuation 3) Distance covered with fiber is far greater

MYMOBILE

than copper 4) Fiber optic cables are impervious to electromagnetic interference 5) Fiber optic diameter is far less as compared to the copper cable. Roughly 6-24nos of fiber can be put in diameter of a single CAT6 cable 6) Fiber optic cables do not break as

public, fibermust play a major part. That’s

financial tools, economy and ways to

the reason that now all telecom players as

improve lives.

well as government are working together

A Global Village: Now we can truly

to connect every village and every home

imbibe in “VasudevKutumbakam” or that

through fiber.

the world is a family. No distance is long as

Changing Indian broadband landscape

we can communicate with anybody across the globe. Online Shopping: Online connectivity

easily

If we see how Indian connectivity changed

has opened doors for e-commerce. Now

Since data hunger is increasing on

over years, present can be termed as the

we can order a Pashmina shawl made in

an exponential basis, attenuation and

golden era of communication. Until 2008

Jammu, through a distributor in new Delhi

distance carrying capacity take priority

we had 2G for wireless while mainly copper

sitting in our homes in Mumbai.

in the selection criteria of transmission

connectivity was option for broadband

Online Banking: No worries if a person

media. Hence fiber is being considered

connectivity. We were lagging far behind as

doesn’t have a bank branch in his village.

the base of home broadband.

compared to all major developing nations

All banking transactions can be performed

The visible part of fiber deployment is

in terms of connectivity and inclusion.

online with minimal contact requirement

FTTx. FTTx denotes the location till which

The last decade has brought about major

from a physical banking outlet

fiber is extended. So even if we might get

transformation in terms of data-speeds.

Work from Home: The internet has

copper cable in our homes, the backbone

While we were satisfied with 256Kbps

made it possible for millions of people to

is mainly fiber. ISP’s were the ones who

data-speeds earlier, now 20Mbps and

work from home. This has brought a new

were carrying the baton of FTTx for the last

beyond is becoming a norm. Also major

opportunity for housewives who had to

decade, but now all the major operators

shift has taken with advent of LTE in the

leave their jobs for family reasons to again

are either deploying or have aggressive

past two years I remember that earlier I

be part of mainstream workforce.

deployment plans for near future. If we

used to recharge my mother’s mobile with

consider triple play services like IPTV,

1 GB data and at the

Telephony, Web browsing long with CCTV

end of the month

over the same channel, the importance of

even that that was

fiber is clearly highlighted.

unused. Now after

The major reason why telecom players

just a span of 1year

were not invested in fiber was due to lack

even 1 GB per day

of ROI and need of huge investments. Now

seems insufficient as

with the huge fiber deployment of fiber

constantly devotional

through BharatNet project, this problem

videos are streamed

looks solved. Now anybody can lease fiber

online.

from government and piggyback their last mile FTTx deployment and offer digital services.

While Digital India initiative started in

India behind other emerging economies in terms of internet usage: Pew survey % of adults (age 18+) who use the internet at least occasionally or own a smartphone

Russia China Brazil

Indonesia 2017 30

2013

South Africa Indonesia India

2014

How connectivity (Home Broadband) transforms life

2015

2016

2017

2016, the wagon had already started rolling. Internet connectivity and its access to all is considered a game changer for Indian

If we look at wireless broadband, the

Home broadband opens plethora of

society as a whole. We could just imagine

backbone of both outdoor Wi-Fi and LTE

opportunities as defined below. It creates

how much Indian society could change and

networks need to be on fiber to cater to

financial inclusion for those who didn’t

benefit once we get to global connectivity

customer bandwidth requirements. Now

imagine earlier; quality education if not

averages in terms of Internet penetration.

even RF cables in telecom sites are being

a forte only of privileged, brings global

And above all we need to remember how

replaced with fiber for benefits related to

markets near. In fact it has initiated the

we can realize the digital India dream. It’s

attenuation

next industrial revolution where each home

only possible through large reliable and low

becomes a potential industry.

loss physical connectivity mainly driven by

So, although fiber is a hidden commodity, it’s going to be the backbone

Access to Information:For a country like

of Digital India dream. If we dream to bring

India where 60 to 70% of population lives

India to global connectivity levels and make

in Rural India, connectivity brings access

all the digital services available to mass

to government policies, development,

www.mymobileindia.com

Guest Column

by invitation

fiber. n The author is Senior Vice President, Citadel Intelligent Systems Limited

december 2018 | 83

Applause

Feature

Live Gaming Apps Conquering India’s Internet Space Although video gaming has always been a popular pastime activity for youngsters in India, livestreaming platforms have made it more exciting. Gamers and netizens are drawn in by the quality of the games and the skill and personality of the presenters, or both. There are many apps that host live quiz shows and allow one to participate in the games. These platforms allow professional gamers to earn through their skills, newbie to learn by watching games of professional gamers and students to learn and earn by answering some questions through live quiz. Since youngsters are mostly associated in setting trends, live streaming games and videos are getting popular in one stroke. The gaming platforms combine high-level play and entertaining commentary and earn income from subscriptions and donations. Here is a list of top 5 live game and video streaming apps that have conquered India’s internet space-

Loco

he format of Loco is simple: It invites users to play a quiz in real time and lets them earn “real cash”

if they answer all 10 questions correctly. The quiz takes place twice (1:30 pm and 10 pm) on weekdays, and once (10 pm) on weekends. The amount you win is credited to your Paytm account on a weekly basis. n

Applause

Feature Swoo

ounded by Algorythma, a tech platform based out of Abu Dhabi, Swoo is the first and the only

live streaming platform to emerge from the Middle East. Swoo has been able to get 9.8 million installs globally and 5.5 millions in India. It has now grown to become a oneof-its-kind platform for users to become broadcasters and showcase their talents, building a fan following in the process along with earning money through virtual gifts and gamified content. n

Bigo Live

igo Live, a Singaporebased popular live video

streaming application, and UC News, a news and content aggregation platform by the Alibaba Mobile Business Group, collaborated to launch OMG Quiz in India for the first time. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;OMG Quizâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; takes place every day on Bigo Live app from 9 pm on weekdays and from 1 pm and 9 pm on weekends. n

LiveMe

he live streaming app by Cheetah Mobile has become

Twitch

witch is a live streaming video platform owned by

Twitch Interactive, a subsidiary

popular among Indians through

of Amazon. Introduced in June

their live Quiz app Quizbiz. The show

2011 as a spin-off the general-

is hosted by popular celebrities.

interest streaming platform,

People can join the show and

Justin.tv, the site delivers user

answers simple questions related

interface and allows for easier

to Bollywood, sports, politics, etc.

searching ad-free viewing,

The prize money is distributed

discounts on new releases and

among all the participants who

users access to free games.

answer all the questions correctly.

Odd pondering, but Twitch has

India is the second biggest platform

an India presence and supports

for LiveMe after the US, mainly in

local streamers as well. n

the metros and is highly popular among the youth. n

www.mymobileindia.com

team@mymobile.co.in

december 2018 | 85

Review

Apptastic

McXtra

Your personal assistant for insurance needs

nsurance has always been a

policies in one vault. After downloading

and within 2 minutes, a McXtra official

confusing topic and most of

the app, one can upload the policy

called me back. They had tracked my

the times, we don’t know which

either by emailing it to McXtra or by

location through GPS and inquired what

insurance policy best suits us. And

taking a picture of the policy and

my emergency was. In a real emergency

because of this ambiguity, we rely on

uploading it on the app.

situation, depending on the emergency,

our insurer, broker or bank to choose the

Policy digitization and demystification–

the app can geo-locate you and do the

best policy. Through various nifty and

An individual can upload a policy,

following:

useful features and end-to-end support,

across health, motor, travel, life with

• If it’s a medical emergency, McXtra

McXtra aims to be a good Samaritan by

a single click from any device. Once

can quickly assess the situation

providing real time assistance, world

uploaded, each policy is digitized and

through a doctor on phone and can

class service and data driven advisory.

demystified within 72 hours, and the

send an ambulance if required.

This app is India’s first personal

policy-holder gets a clear dashboard

McXtra coordinates with its

assistant for all kinds of insurance needs

view of policy status, coverage,

ambulance provider to send the

spanning motor, health, travel and life.

exclusions and shortfall. I uploaded

nearest ambulance to your location.

The McXtra mobile application was

my health insurance policy by taking a

• In a motor emergency, McXtra can

conceptualized by A S Narayanan, an

picture through the app and within 72

send a towing van to your location

insurance industry veteran, in 2016

hours, it was presented to me in simple

and gets in touch with a garage

and went live in January 2018 (on

dashboard

nearest to your location for your

Android and iOS) for corporates through

Personalized servicing – Customers

vehicle to be transported there.

subscription model.

on McXtra can also schedule virtual

How does McXtra help?

meetings with an expert. This can be

• McXtra can also inform your emergency contacts if required or

done via Skype and Google hangouts

requested by you

Policy Vault – McXtra uses an SSL,

within the app. Customers can also

Currently, McXtra follows a B2B2C

256-bit encrypted Safe, which helps

directly get in touch with the 24x7 call

model, and if you want to avail its

its users to store their policies securely

centre.

services, you’d have to get a corporate

so that they can have access anytime,

“Red Button” feature helping users in an

subscription. However, the app plans

anywhere. The platform enables

emergency

to launch its B2C services by the first

corporate employees and their families

Another unique feature in the app is its

to consolidate all their insurance

24x7 assistive “Red Button.” I tested it

quarter of CY2019. n team@mymobile.co.in

86 | december 2018

Apptastic

Feature

HuffPost Stay informed with real-time updates

uffPost is known internationally for its strong voice and acclaimed Pulitzer-

prize winning reportage. Over the last

Features you love • Choose and reorder your favourite sections to access them with a swipe from the Front Page

few months, HuffPost India has been

• Bookmark articles to save them

cutting through the noise with bigimpact stories on issues that matter to

for later and read when it is

most Indians. HuffPost India cracked a major investigative story that reported hacking of the Aadhaar software. More recently, it reported one of the earliest stories that fuelled the #MeToo India movement, which named Queen director Vikas Bahl. Stories like these have drawn huge reactions on social media, gone viral and have put HuffPost India on the news radar in India, making it popular and relevant for Indians online.

App on the go The HuffPost app, which is available for download on Google Play Store and App Store in India, gives you access to all HuffPost’s international editions. You can make India your default, but switch anytime to any of the other 15 international editions (which includes US, UK and Australia), in the same app. The app is highly rated by users, with a rating of 4.2 on Google Play Store and 4.6 on the App Store.

Overview You can stay informed with real-time updates from HuffPost’s newsroom across all of its 16 international editions, in one app. The HuffPost app is quick to load and easy to navigate.

download content and read even “Enable ‘Offline without an Internet/mobile data Reading’ mode to download connection. This is especially useful for India, where many content and read even without an users grapple with poor Internet/mobile data connection. Internet connections, or connectivity and data This is especially useful for India, limitations. where many users grapple with History poor Internet connections, or HuffPost was founded in 2005 and became the first connectivity and data commercial digital media enterprise to win a Pulitzer Prize in limitations” the United States in 2012. HuffPost launched its India Edition in 2014.

You can tailor the app and be a part of the conversation on the topics that matter to you most, including politics, technology, business, entertainment and lifestyle.

convenient for you • See your reading history in the Recently Viewed section (iOS only) • Enable ‘Offline Reading’ mode to

Thereafter, HuffPost was ranked as the #1 publisher on Facebook in 2017 with almost 35 million engagements. n team@mymobile.co.in

december 2018 | 87

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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 Nov 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

MYGUIDE UP TO RS. 2,499

UP TO RS. 2,499

MODELS

UP TO RS. 2,499

FOX MOBILES

PARAMETERS

HITECH

BigDaddy V2

Bolt FX241

Champ FX240

F2 Sultan

24 Karat

Gama

Pride 350

2.8-inch QVGA

2.4-inch QVGA

2.8 inch

Dimension (mm)

137x58x13.3

127x52x12

125.4x52.5x12.2

125x53.50x14.3

123.7x51.9x12.2

116.5x50.5x15.3

131 x 58 x 10.2

Weight (grams)

137

117

Model Display (inches/res)

Processor/RAM Operating system Storage/Expandable

312MHz

Spreadtrum 6531DA/NA

Nucleus RTOS

Nucleus

32MB/32MB/32GB 32MB/32MB/32GB 32MB/32MB/32GB 32MB/32MB/32GB 32MB/32MB/32GB 32MB/32MB/32GB

32+32MB

Rear/Front Camera

VGA

1.3 MP/NA

Battery (mAh)

3,600

1,800

2,500

1,500

2,500

1,800

2G/3G/4G

Yes/No/No

Dual SIM

Yes/Yes

Yes

Music Player/FM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Launch

Launched

1,799

1,549

1,299

1,799

1,299

1,549

Price Rs.

UP TO RS. 2,499

MODELS

UP TO RS. 2,499

I-SMART

PARAMETERS

LEPHONE

Model

103

102 Cute

K15

K10

K11

Display (inches/res)

1.8

2.4

1.8

2.4

1.8

Dimension (mm)

112x46.5x13.5

121x51.5x13.3

123.5x52x15

112x46.5x13.9

121x51.5x13.3

Weight (grams)

Processor/RAM

Speadtrum 6531da

Speadtrum6533

312MHz /32MB

32+32MB

32MB / 32GB

0.8/NA

Digital Camera

1,000

850

1000

1800

1000

1450

1,850

2G/3G/4G

Yes/No/No

Dual SIM

Yes

YES

Music Player/FM

Yes

YES

Launched

650

684

1,099

1,050

1,099

999

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

Launch Price Rs.

90 I DECEMBER 2018

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE UP TO RS. 2,499

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

MODELS

Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999

LEPHONE

PARAMETERS

HITECH

INTEX

I-SMART

Model

Sleek 9

Amaze S9

Air A8

Aqua Classic 2

is-59

i1-Mini

Display (inches/res)

2.4

5.0/ 540 x 960

5/480/854

5/854x480

4.5/854x480

Dimension (mm)

100 x 42 x 13.4

140 x 66.88 x 9.65

140.2 x 72.4 x 8.8

145.2x72.6x10.9

143.5x73.6x9.5

135.2x66x10.8

Weight (grams)

112

150

152

120

109

312MHz /32MB

ST 7731/512MB

ST 7731/1GB

qcta-core/1GB

1.2GHz, quad-core/1GB

1.3Ghz quadcore/512MB

5.1 Lollipop

5.2 Lollipop

Android 6.0

Android 6.2

32MB / 32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Digital Camera

5MP/2MP

8MP/2MP

5MP/2MP

2,500

800

1,400

2,000

2200

2,200

2,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

YES

Yes

Music Player/FM

YES

Yes/Yes

Yes

Launched

1,199

1,499

2,999

4,999

2,999

3,199

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

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

DECEMBER 2018 I 91

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.

92 I DECEMBER 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

DAZEN

HONOR

HITECH

IN-FOCUS

Honor Holly 3

Honor Holly 2 Plus

Air A9

M 350 (16GB)

M680

M810

Display (inches/res)

5.7/1440x720

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)

156.9x72.9x8.2

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)

170

160

152

146

158

155

Processor/RAM

1.3GHz Quad Core

Kirin 620/2GB

MT6735P /2GB

MT 3735M/2GB

MT6732/2GB

MT 6753/2GB

QS 801/ 2GB

Android 7.0

Android 6.0

Android 5.1.1

Android 5.1

Android 4.4.2

Android 5.1

Android 5.0

Storage/Expandable

3GB/32GB/128GB

16GB/128GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

Rear/Front Camera

13MP+0.3MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

8MP/8MP

13MP/13MP

13MP/5MP

3,000

3,100

4,000

3,500

2,500

2,600

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Music Player/FM

Yes

Yes/-

Yes/Yes

Launched

October, 2016

February, 2016

June, 2015

December, 2015

July, 2015

7,999

9,999

8,499

6,999

8,999

9,999

Model

Operating system

Battery (mAh)

Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

DECEMBER 2018 I 93

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.

94 I DECEMBER 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

Display (inches/res)

5-inch/1280x720

5/854X480

Dimension (mm)

145.5x72.9x10.35

143.6x72.5x10

143.2x69x9.1

Weight (grams)

150

177

136

Model

Processor/RAM

W15

W21

W7R

5/1280X720

5.5/1280X720

5/ FWVGA/854x480

154.9x79.1x9.4

144.2x72x8.8

152.8x76.9x8.6

145x72x9.6

164

142

164

142

4.7 inch/1280x720 5.5 inch/1280x720

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 7.0

Android 6.0

1GB/8GB/128GB

1GB/8GB/32GB

2GB/16GB/32GB

1GB/8GB/32GB

2GB/16GB/32GB

5MP/2MP

8MP/5MP

5MP/2MP

8MP/5MP

5MP/2MP

2,500

2,000

2,500

2,000

2,500

2,000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

"Yes "

Music Player/FM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Launched

4,599

4,999

5,749

4,999

6,499

6,799

5,499

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

LEPHONE

LYF

W10

Wind 5

Canvas Unite 4

Canvas Amaze 2

Canvas XP 4G

Canvas 5

5 inch/854X480

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

Model Display (inches/res) Dimension (mm)

145x72x9.6

Weight (grams)

164

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

1.3GHz Quad Core

MT6735P/ 1GB

1.1GHz Quad Core/ 1.5GB

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Android 5.0.2

Android 5.1

1GB/8GB/32GB

8GB/ 32GB

8GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

8GB/ 32GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

5MP/2MP

8MP/ 5MP

5MP/5MP

8MP/5MP

13MP/ 5MP

8MP/2MP

13MP/5MP

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

Music Player/FM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/-

Yes/Yes

Launched

June, 2016

January, 2016

June, 2016

May, 2016

November, 2015

4,499

6,599

8,690

6,999

7,499

9,999

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

Launch Price Rs.

www.mymobileindia.com

DECEMBER 2018 I 95

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.

96 I DECEMBER 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

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

DECEMBER 2018 I 97

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 Max Pro M1

Coolpad Note 5

Cool 1

F 103 Pro

Marathon M5 Lite

Display (inches/res)

5.5/1920x1080

5.9/1080x2160

5.5/1920x1080

5.50/1080x1920

5.0/ 1280 x 720

5.0/720 x 1280

149x76x7.9

159 x 76 x 8.5

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

180

160

173

142

182

Dimension (mm) Weight (grams) Processor/RAM

QS 430.4GB

QS635/3GB

QS 430

QS 617/4GB

1.4GHz octa-core

Quad core/ 3GB

Quad Core/3GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 8.1

Android 7.1.1

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Storage/Expandable

32GB/128GB

32GB/64GB

3GB/32GB/256GB

32GB/64GB

32GB

16GB/128GB

32GB/128GB

13MP/8MP

13+5MP/8MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

8MP/5MP

3,000

5,000

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/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Launch

October,2016

May, 2018

November, 2017

October, 2016

January, 2017

July, 2016

December, 2015

18,999

10,999

13,999

11,999

13,000

Rear/Front Camera Battery (mAh)

Price Rs.

98 I DECEMBER 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

DECEMBER 2018 I 99

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.

100 I DECEMBER 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

DECEMBER 2018 I 101

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

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.

102 I DECEMBER 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

HUAWEI

Model

Marathon M5

S11 Lite

Desire 728 LTE

Desire 828

Desire 825

P20 Lite

Display (inches/res)

5.5/ 720 x 1280

5.7/720x1440

5.5/ 720 x 1280

5.5/720 x 1280

5.5/ 1280 x 720

5.8/1080x2280

Dimension (mm)

152 x 76 x 8.6

151.9 x 74.6 x 6.9

153.8 x 72.6 x 7.9

157.9 x 77.8 x 7.8

157.9 x 77.8 x 7.89

156.9 x 76.9 x 7.4

148.6 x 71.2 x 7.4

Weight (grams)

211

147

141

153

148

155

145

Processor/RAM

MT6735/3GB

MT6753T /3GB

QS8937/3GB

MT6753/2GB

MT6753/1.5GB

QS 400/2GB

Kirin 659/4GB

Android 5.1

Android 5.1.1

Android 7.1

Android 5.1.1

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 8.0

32GB/128GB

32GB/256GB

16GB/200GB

16GB/2TB

32GB/64GB/128GB

13MP/5MP

13+2MP/16MP

13MP/5MP

16+2MP/24MP

6,020

3,150

3,030

2,800

2,700

3,000

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

May, 2018

November, 2015

February, 2016

April, 2018

17,500

19,999

13,999

12,999

15,300

12,550

19,999

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

DECEMBER 2018 I 103

MYGUIDE RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

MODELS

RS. 15,000 – RS. 19,999

MOTOROLA

OPPO

One Power

F1 S

Galaxy J7 (2016)

Galaxy On8

On Nxt

J7 Prime

J7 Max

6.2/1080x2246

5.5/1280x720

5.5/1920x1080

5.7/1920x1080

Dimension (mm)

156x76x8.4

154 x 76 x 7.38

76 x 151 x 7.8

151.7x76x7.8

151.7x75x8

151.7x75x8.1

Weight (grams)

205

160

169

167

PARAMETERS

Model Display (inches/res)

SAMSUNG

Processor/RAM

QS636/3GB

MTK 6750/3GB

Exynos 7870/2GB

Octa-core/3GB

OCTA-CORE MEDIATEK

Operating system

Android 8.1

Android 5.1.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Storage/Expandable

32GB/64GB/256GB

32GB/128GB

16GB/128GB

32GB/256GB

16MP/256GB

4GB/32GB

Rear/Front Camera

16MP+5MP/12MP

13MP/16MP

13MP/5MP

13MP/8MP

13MP/13MP

5,000

3,075

3,300

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/yes

Yes/Yes

October, 2018

August, 2016

May, 2016

September,2016

October,2016

September,2016

July, 2017

15,999

16,444

14,900

12,090

14,900

17,290

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.

104 I DECEMBER 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

DECEMBER 2018 I 105

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

5.7/ 1440 x 2560

5.5/1920z1080

5.5/1080p

5.5/1920x1080

5.5/1080 x 1920

6.01/1080x2160

6.28/1080x2280

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

155.7x75.4x7.8

Weight (grams)

179

162

175

158

153

162

177

Processor/RAM

QS 808/3GB

QS 820/6GB

QS 810/3GB&4GB

QS 821/6GB

QS 835/8GB

QS835/6GB

QS845/6GB

Operating system

Android 6.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.1.1

Android 8.1

16GB,32GB/128GB

64GB/2TB

64GB

64GB/128GB

64GB/128GB/256GB

21MP/5MP

16MP/8MP

13MP/5MP

16MP/16MP

16+20MP/16MP

3,000

3000

3,300

3400

3,300

3300

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

September, 2015

December,2016

July, 2015

December.2016

June, 2017

November, 2017

May, 2018

26,999/ 28,999

29,999

22,999

22,000

32,999

34,999

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

PARAMETERS

Model

PANASONIC Eluga X1 Pro

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

SMARTRON

SONY

J7 Pro

t phone

Xperia C4

Xperia XA

6.18/1080x2246

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)

155x75.5x7.9

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)

195

169

157/I86

157

149

147

137

QS 810/4GB

MT6752/2GB

MTK H P10/2GB

Display (inches/res)

MT6771/4GB

Octa Core/3GB

Octa Core/2GB/3GB

Octa core Exynos/3GB

Operating system

Android 8.1 (Oreo)

Android 5.1.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Android 6.0

Android 5.0

Android 6.0

Storage/Expandable

6GB/64GB/128GB

16GB/128GB

32GB/256GB

64GB

64GB/128GB

16GB/200GB

Rear/Front Camera

16MP+5MP/16MP

13MP/5MP

16MP/16MP/16MP/ 16MP

13MP/13MP

13MP/4MP

13MP/5MP

3,000

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

October, 2018

December, 2015

March, 2017

July, 2017

July,2016

June, 2015

May, 2016

26,990

25,900

28,990/33,490

20,900

22,999

20,800

20,990

Processor/RAM

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

106 I DECEMBER 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

DECEMBER 2018 I 107

MYGUIDE RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

MODELS

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

APPLE

PARAMETERS

ASUS

BLACKBERRY

8 Plus

iPhone XS

Zenfone 3 Deluxe

ZenFone AR

DTEK 60

KEYone

4.7/750 x 1334

5.5/1080x1920

5.8/1125 x 2436

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

143.6x70.9x7.7

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

177

172

170

165

180

Processor/RAM

A11 Bionic

A12 Bionic

QS 820,821/6GB

QS 821/8GB

QS 820/4GB

QS625/3GB/4GB

iOS 11

iOS 12

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Android 6.0

Android 7.1

256GB/128GB

64/256GB

32GB/2TB

32GB/64GB/256GB

Model Display (inches/res)

Operating system Storage/Expandable

2GB/64GB/256GB

3GB/64GB/256GB 4GB/64GB/256BG/512GB

12MP/7MP

12MP/12MP/7MP

12MP+12MP/7MP

23MP/8MP

21MP/8MP

12MP/8MP

1,821

2,691

2,658

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

September, 2018

September,2016

August, 2017

November,2016

August, 2017

61,990

70,800

99,990

25,999

49,990

29,999

39,990

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

P20 Pro

HTC U Play/Ultra

6.3/1440x2960

6.1/1080x2240

5.2/ 2560X1440

5.2/1080X1920/ 5.7/2560X1440

145.6x68.2x7.9

158x76.7x7.9

155 x 73.9 x 7.8

145.9 x 71.9x 9.0

162.41X79.79X7.99

175

148

184

180

161

145/175

QS835/4GB

Kirin 970/6GB

QS 820/4GB

MediaTek/QS821

Operating system

Android 8.0

Android 9.0

Android 8.1

Android 6.0

Android 6/Android 7

Storage/Expandable

64GB/128GB

32GB/128GB

32GB/2TB

Rear/Front Camera

12.2MP/8MP

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

2,700

2,915

4,000

3,000

2500/3000

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

October, 2017

November, 2018

April, 2018

May,2016

February, 2017

43,880

65,000

68,550

83,000

64,990

34,999

29,999/53,999

Pixel 2

Pixel 2 XL

5/1920x1080

6/1440X2880

5.5/1080x2160

Dimension (mm)

145.7x69.7x7.8

157.9x76.7x7.9

Weight (grams)

143

Processor/RAM

Model Display (inches/res)

Battery (mAh)

Music Player/FM Launch Price Rs.

108 I DECEMBER 2018

Pixel 3

NEW

Pixel 3 XL

NEW

12.2MP/8MP+8MP 12.2MP/8MP+8MP 40+20+8MP/24MP

12MP/5MP

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

MODELS

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

HTC

PARAMETERS

MOTOROLA

OPPO

HTC U11

G4 Dual SIM

V20

Moto X Force

Moto Z

Find X

5.5/2560X1440

5.5/1440 x 2560

5.3/ 2560x1440

5.7/2560x1440

5.4/1440 x 2560

5.5/2560x1440

6.42/1080X2340

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

156.7x74.2x 9.4

Weight (grams)

169

155

159

174

169

136

186

Processor/RAM

QS 835

QS 808 /3GB

QS 820/4GB

QS 810 /3GB

QS 820/4GB

QS845/8GB

Operating system

Android 7.0

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 7.0

Android 5.1.1

Android 6.0

Android 8.1

Storage/Expandable

64GB/128GB

32GB/2TB

32GB/100GB

64GB/2TB

32GB,64GB/2TB

64GB/2TB

128GB/256GB

Rear/Front Camera

16MO/12MP

16MP/8MP

16MP,8MP/5MP

21MP/5MP

13MP/5MP

16MP+20MP/25MP

3,000

2,800

3,200

3,760

2,600

3,730

2G/3G/4G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Dual SIM

Yes

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

July, 2017

May, 2015

April,2016

December,2016

November, 2015

October,2016

July, 2017

47,999

34,800

25,999 onwards

54,999

25,990

39,999

59,990

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

DECEMBER 2018 I 109

MYGUIDE RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

TABLETS

MODELS

RS. 30,000 AND ABOVE

PARAMETERS

SAMSUNG

SONY

VIVO

APPLE

Note 8

Xperia Z5 Dual

Xperia X

Xperia Z5 Premium

NEX

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

6.59/1080x2316

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

162x77x8

200 x 134.7 x 7.5

203.2 x 134.8 x 6.1

Weight (grams)

195

156.5g

152

181

199

331

298.8/304

Processor/RAM

Exynos 8895/6GB

QS 810/3GB

QS 650/ 3GB

QS 810/3GB

QS845/8GB

A7,M7/1GB

A8,M8/2GB

Android 7.1.1

Android 5.1

Android 6.0

Android 8.1

iOS 8

iOS 9

64GB/128GB/256GB

32GB/200GB

64GB/ 200GB

32GB/200GB

8GB/128GB/256GB

16,32GB/No

16GB,64GB,128GB/No

12MP/12MP/8MP

23MP/5MP

23MP/13MP

23MP/5MP

12MP+5MP/8MP

5MP/1.2MP

8MP/1.2MP

3,300

2,900

2,620

3,430

4,000

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

July, 2018

November, 2015

Spetember, 2015

67,900

37,000

38,990

47,990

44,990

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.

110 I DECEMBER 2018

MYMOBILE

add-ons

xpanding its portfolio, homegrown computer peripherals brand and powerbank maker Ambrane

has launched ‘Smart Band AFB - 20’ in India. The smartband comes with a wide rectangular OLED display and a silicone strap. The Smart Band AFB- 20 tracks calories burned, distance walked, floors climbed etc. with the Step Pedometer. It gives you a sedentary

Price: IN R 1,999

Gadget Corner

Ambrane Smart Band AFB - 20 The right motivation to keep you going longer on ground

reminder, pushing you to achieve your daily targets. Additionally, the Smart Band AFB- 20 monitors your sleep quality along with the silent vibration alarm letting you create your own sleep patterns in sync with your fitness goals. Equipped with a 45mAh battery, the Ambrane smartband comes with a claimed battery standby time of up to 7 days. The fitness tracker

situation. Users will also get an emergency SOS feature

provides notifications on messages, emails, WhatsApp

through which calls will take place immediately. Users

and calls received on your smartphone.

can download the ‘Flag Fit’ app available on Google

The smartband comes with ‘Anti-lost alert’ and ‘Find Phone’ features which, according to the company, allow the user to trace their mobile or tablet in an emergency

Play Store and Apple App Store, to get started. The product is available with leading retail and online stores across India.n

EBTL Amour 3.0 Home automation simplified

BTL, one of the leading companies in home

Made in India, the Amour 3.0 is a mobile-assisted smart

automation in the global market, has launched

switching solution for the homes. It has been developed

Amour 3.0, a simplified home automation system in

keeping in mind the sentiments and desires of people who

India.

love their homes and has amazing features in the mobile app to make it user friendly. The product is exclusively available at Amazon. Talking about its USPs, the Amour 3.0 is quick and easy to install. It is said to be cost effective and has three years of replacement guarantee and two years of repair warranty. The all-new home automation system is shock proof, has two inbuilt USB chargers, Logi Touch, inbuilt WiFi and Sleep Mode.n

Price: INR 1.5 lakhs (for 2-3 BHK) www.mymobileindia.com

december 2018 | 111

Gadget Corner

add-ons Breathe-M Another addition to Alexa-enabled iBall headset

omegrown electronics major iBall has extended its Alexa portfolio with the launch of Breathe-M

headset, which comes enabled with the Amazonowned virtual assistant. The iBall Breathe-M is elegant,

Price : INR 2,225

with high-quality sound and greatly versatile offering Bluetooth, FM Radio, AUX, MicroSD- all in one device, the company said. Whether you are on the move or in the gym, simply tap the MFB button and your voice assistant Alexa will do just as you instruct her – Play music online, get you updated with cricket scores and the breaking news or find out any information that you need- all with

design comes with soft leatherette cushions fitted on its

just your voice. Alexa is now portable and you can take

ear cups and head-band assuring users of comfort even

her everywhere you go. Download the “Hubble Connect

when used for a prolonged duration. The Breathe-M will

for Verve Life” App on both Android and iOS devices to

beat to every kind of beats. The 3.5mm jack lets you

unlock more features and access future updates, the

use it even as a wired headset. Fitted with easy control

company said.

buttons, the Breathe-M headphone lets you handle your

The iBall Breath-M smart LED headset breaths on

calls, music and radio with utmost ease. Owing to the

your mood list. It is engineered with insane LED circular

rechargeable battery, the headphone will make you dance

ring lights on the ear cups that play playfully. Foldable

to its tunes till its last breath. The iBall Breathe-M is

and multi-functional, the headset in an over-the-head

available across e-commerce platforms. n

Truvison 5.1 BT5075 Speakers Designed to enhance your décor

ruvison, one of the leading consumer electronics

95W RMS output that aid in bringing a cinematic sound

brands in India, recently launched its latest 5.1

quality to your home.

channel speaker system in India – BT5075 which is

On the connectivity front, it has the support for

said to be the perfect confluence of power and

Bluetooth that lets you play your music wirelessly.

good looks. According to the company, these

The speakers also support USB and SD or MMC

speakers are designed to match the home’s

cards, so users can simply plug-in and play music

décor and its unique LED display indicates

from any media device. The speaker also supports

volume and settings control along with

MP3/WMA formats. Also, these speakers come

details of the track that is being played.

with FM support that allows you to store up to

As for features, the Truvison

50 channels. Its full-function remote

BT5075 comes with Dolby Digital and

brings added comfort to the music

DTS encoding technology that offers

experience. The product is available

detailed surround sound effect, making

with leading retail and e-commerce

every little sound loud and clear. These

stores in India.n

speakers feature a 13,000W PMPO and

112 | december 2018

Price : INR 5,999

MYMOBILE

add-ons

Gadget Corner

Portronics Muffs R Earphones

Made for the audiophiles

xpanding its Muffs series, audio products maker Portronics has launched ‘Muffs R’ Bluetooth

headphones with mic in India. According to the company, it is lightweight, compact and comfortable enough to wear for prolonged hours. The company also claims that the headphones charge quickly giving the users battery backup for one full day. Muffs R headphones come with ergonomic eartips

and neckband design. With the headphones, users can connect and listen to music and take calls wirelessly. One can also use the additional option of 3.5 mm auxiliary cable and a built-in mic and controls for calls and playback. These Bluetooth-enabled earphones have got inbuilt drivers of 40 mm to assist in controlling the audio within a range of 10 metres. The earphones claim to deliver 10-15 hours of talk time and continuous audio playback of 15 hours on

Price : INR 3,999

a single charge. The headphones are available both online and offline. n

Detel Power Banks & Car Chargers Devices to keep you going

andset maker Detel recently

iOS, Android and other USB-powered

launched two ‘true-capacity’

devices. The power banks come with

power banks and two car chargers

three USB 2.0 ports each, quick charge

in India. The power banks – Detel

support, 9-layer circuit chip protection

Style and Detel Swag – come with

and 1-year manufacturer warranty. The

10,000mAh capacity and are

two devices also feature LED indicators

priced at Rs 799 each. On the

and torch.

other hand, the car chargers,

According to the company, the

DC24 and DC34, are priced at

car chargers have been designed for

Rs 299 and Rs 399 respectively.

universal usage and compatibility

The four new devices are available

with most cars. The chargers are fitted

for purchase on Detel’s website,

with smart safety systems for protecting

B2BAdda and major offline

the gadgets from over current,

distributors.

overcharging and overheating. They

The Detel Swag comes with a

come with 3 USB ports each, enabling

leather look and a digital display.

one to charge multiple devices at a

Both power banks support a sleek

time. The USB output current of the

and compact exterior. The two

DC24 and DC34, as per the specifications,

power banks are compatible with all

is 2.4A and 3.4A respectively. n

www.mymobileindia.com

december 2018 | 113

Gadget Corner

add-ons REV iPhone 7 Case The back cover by Element Case is as rugged as it gets

he REV iPhone 7 back cover by Element Case is designed to allow seamless access to all buttons,

ports, mics, and speakers of the Apple smartphone. The REV back case comes with dropshock corners. The exclusive impact absorbing four-corner design dissipates energy to withstand extreme bumps and drops. The back cover features X-frame chassis. The proprietary structural Truss frame is engineered to be exceptionally lightweight and to resist twisting and bending. This incredibly lightweight case is as rugged as it gets. It has 10/65 high impact protection and has been drop-tested from 10 feet and from a moving vehicle at 65 mph. This sturdy back cover meets all military specification drop-test requirements. The REV back cover is also available for iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 and

iPhone 8 Plus. Widely recognized as the longtime leader of the ultrapremium market, Element Case is continually redefining and innovating phone protection the way the brand attained its reputation. n

PTron InTunes Sweat-proof magnetic Bluetooth earphones

obile accessories brand PTron has launched sweat-

Bluetooth connectivity range of up to 10m. The earphones

proof magnetic Bluetooth earphones, dubbed

offer driver size of 14.2nm and a speaker impedance of

InTunes in India. The earphones come equipped with

32ÎŠ.

Bluetooth v4.2+ EDR for wireless connectivity. It can

The InTunes is said to come with in-the-ear secure fit

connect two smartphones at the same time. It has a

design to ensure maximum noise reduction. Its sweatproof earbuds ensure comfort, convenience and extend the longevity of the device, according to the company. The InTunes has metallic earbuds with embedded magnetic

Price : INR 749

that can help wrap the earphone round the neck, making it comfortable to carry. It is backed by a 100mAh battery that claims to deliver 2.5 hours working time and 100 hours of standby. The PTron InTunes comes in three colour options â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Gold-Black, Grey-Black and Red-Black. It is compatible with all smartphones - Android, iOS and Bluetooth-enabled tablets, laptops and computers. The new earphones are available online on Amazon, Flipkart, LatestOne.com and PTron.in website. It can also be purchased from offline retail stores as well.n

114 | december 2018

MYMOBILE

Gadget Corner

add-ons Google-certified Android TV by Micromax

Discover sharp and smart viewing experience

trengthening its smart TV line up in India, homegrown Micromax Informatics recently

introduced its first Google-certified Android TV which is available in two variants, 49-inch and 55-inch. The newly-launched smart television, which does not have a name yet, is said to be bigger and better than the company’s previous launches. While the smaller 49-inch variant is priced at Rs 51,990, the bigger 55-inch variant is priced at Rs

61,990. Micromax had launched Yu Yuphoria LED TV in India for Rs 18,499. The two Google-certified smart TV features High-Dynamic Range technology and it comes with

company’s Pure Sound Technology. Micromax says that

Google Play Store which gives users unlimited access to

its audio technology is certified by Dolby and DTS-HD.

games, movies and music.

Furthermore, the Indian electronics giant is also boasting

In terms of the specs, the television is powered by a quad-core Cortex-A53 processor and it runs on Android Oreo. It comes with 2.5GB DDR3 RAM and 16GB EMMC

of Eco Energy certification for power efficiency in its smart TV. The most notable feature of the newly-launched smart

internal memory and it has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for

TV is that it comes with built-in Chromecast and Mobile

connectivity.

High-Definition Link (MHL) connectivity, which will

In addition to this, Micromax’s Google certified Android TV comes with two 12W speakers that feature the

enable users to connect their smartphones, tablets, and other devices with the Andriod TV. n

Riversong Ray Series Power Banks Power on the go

mart gadget brand Riversong has launched ‘Ray Series’ power banks for mobile devices in India. The ultra-lightweight, power-

packed, slim and pocket-fit power banks from Riversong with multiple safety protection come in three variants-- Ray 5, Ray 10, and Ray 20. The ‘Ray Series’ power banks can be recharged using both USB

Type-C cable and Micro USB cable, helping the user to conveniently use the same cable to charge the phone and the external power bank. They are more than just power banks with its over-voltage, over-current, and short circuit protection systems. While Ray 5 serves as a pocket-sized elegantly designed power bank that adds to the battery power of your smartphone, the colossal 10,000mAh Ray 10 and Ray 20 can charge devices simultaneously serving as an ideal travel companion with its enormous capacity. n

december 2018 | 115

Gadget Corner

add-ons Asus VivoBook S15 & S14 Bold, colorful and lightweight laptops

aiwanese tech giant Asus has come up with two

for Wi-Fi 802.11ac, USB Type-C (v3.1), USB Type-A

new lightweight laptops – VivoBook S15 (S530)

(v3.1), HDMI and a microSD card slot. They come with

and VivoBook S14 (S430) in India. These are the first

fast charge technology, which allows the laptops to gain

laptops from the company to come with its three-sided

up to 60 per cent charge within 49 minutes, which

NanoEdge design, which has much smaller top and side

is paired with the company’s Battery Health Charging

bezels. VivoBook S15 (S530) and VivoBook S14 (S430)

technology to provide users with a safer charging

come with 86 per cent and 84 per cent screen-to-body

experience.

ratio respectively.

Both the laptops are available in five colour options

The display panels of both the laptops come with

– Icicle Gold, Firmament Green, Silver Blue, Star Grey

wide-view technology, which makes the display visible

and Gun Metal. While the S14 is a Flipkart exclusive

even when viewed from extreme angles.

and comes with a starting price of Rs 54,990, one can

Both the devices are powered by up to 8th-Generation Intel Core i7 processors paired with Nvidia GeForce MX150

purchase the S15 from Asus exclusive stores at a price starting at Rs 69,990. n

discrete graphics card. They come with a dual-storage design, which the company claims will offer users easy multitasking, multimedia editing and a casual gaming experience. On the connectivity front, both the laptops have the support

Price: INR 29,990

116 | december 2018

MYMOBILE

Gadget Corner

add-ons

Toshiba Audio Products Music to the ears

eknoDome, a leading distributor of consumer electronics in Middle East and CIS market,

has launched Toshiba’s audio products for north India market. In addition, TeknoDome has also been appointed as authorized importer and distributor of these products in India. The newly-launched range of audio products includes wireless and wired earphones, gaming headset, portable speakers, sound bars, portable CD players, CD/USB radios, pocket radios and micro component system. The RZE series of headphones and earphones

The price range of the following audio products are as follows• Wireless headphones would start from Rs 1,736 to Rs 3,329 • Wireless earphones from Rs 1,977 to Rs 2,999 • Wired headphones from Rs 853 to Rs 1,499 • True wireless headphones from Rs 3,088 to Rs 5,999 • BT wireless earphones from Rs 1,005 to Rs 1,499 • BT headset with mic from Rs 1,076 to Rs 1,999

launched by the company includes gaming headset

• CD Radio from Rs 5,599 to Rs 1,4699

(with virtual surround software), foldable wireless

• Toshiba Soundbar from Rs 6,366 to Rs 14,899

and wired headset, true wireless Bluetooth earphone,

Moreover, its portable sound systems range includes

wireless magnetic and wired earphone. Whereas, the

12-inch conversion turntable with speakers and CD

Bluetooth speakers TY- WSP21 which is extremely light

radios equipped with Bluetooth and recording feature.

in weight and water and splash proof resistant and

The range of micro component systems includes DVD

the other two portable speakers - TY-ASC60 and TY-

Micro Compo - TY-ASW86 and CD Micro Compo - TY-

ASC400 with 60W and 400W output respectively.

ASW81with USB port and Bluetooth in each. n

december 2018 | 117

Gadget Corner

add-ons JBL PartyBox 200 & PartyBox 300 Speakers Set the stage for an epic event

amsung subsidiary Harman International has launched

make the things more interesting, the two speakers come

two new premium party speakers under the JBL brand

with built-in light shows which can be customised using

– PartyBox 200 and PartyBox 300 – in India. While the

three lighting modes – meter, pulse, and party.

JBL PartyBox 200 is smaller in size, the JBL PartyBox 300

In addition, users can also connect the two PartyBox

is comparatively larger. The two speakers are available

speakers wirelessly using the True Wireless Stereo

for sale via JBL India’s e-shop and other online and retail

technology using Bluetooth connection for amplifying

channels, including 350 Samsung brand stores across

the sound. For even larger sound, connect two PartyBox

the country.

speakers to create a crowd friendly, amplified listening

Talking about features, both PartyBox 300 and PartyBox

experience.

200 come equipped with two 6.5-inch woofers and three

For battery purposes, the bigger JBL PartyBox 300

2.5-inch tweeters and they feature Bluetooth technology,

has a claimed life of up to 18 hours of playtime once

which allows users to stream high-quality music from

fully charged. It can be powered up by plugging in to a

their smartphones or tablets wirelessly. Besides, both the

12V DC source or using the built-in 10,000mAh battery.

speakers come with a USB port, a 3.5mm Aux-in port for

The company, however didn’t specify the claimed battery

connectivity and they come with a special feature which

life of the PartyBox 200. Interestingly, the launch of the

allows users to pre-program them ahead of a party or event

company’s two new party speakers follows the launch of its

with a favourite playlist from a USB thumb drive.

portable speaker- JBL Xtreme 2-- in August this year. n

The two newly-launched speakers also come with a mic or a guitar port which enables users to connect their guitars or microphones for hosting a karaoke night at home. To

Price: INR 32,499 (PartyBox 200); INR 35,999 (PartyBox 300)

Gadget Corner

add-ons

Daiwa D43QUHD-N53 TV Stay glued to your screen with seamless access to apps

Price: INR 26,990

aiwa has expanded its Quantum smart LED TV

technology, 1GB RAM and storage space up to 8GB.

portfolio with the launch of its new 109cm (43

With Android 7.0 Nougat, the TV gives users access to

inches) ‘Quantum Luminit smart LED TV - ‘D43QUHDN53’.

apps like Netflix, Hotstar and YouTube. Bringing smarter controls for smarter viewing, the

The Quantum Luminit 4K LED smart TV sports

TV comes with AI-powered Sensy technology (with

metal on the frame and features a screen resolution of

voice command), that works when downloaded on the

3840x2160. Other features of the TV include Daiwa’s

smartphone. The technology creates a TV Guide App

4K HDR Technology, A+ Grade Panel and a contrast

that creates a wall of moments that can be directly

ratio of 500000:1 for clearer and smoother picture with

accessed from the set-top box. The technology also

more real-life details.

allows users to access set-top box with TV remote. The

The smart TV is powered by HDRX, and brings

smart TV also comes with a Web Play Remote, which

dramatic contrast and extended colour range. It comes

works as an air mouse and also has a QWERTY keypad

fused with wide colour gamut NTSC 95% that enhances

for convenience.

the Reds, Greens and Blues The TV has got a built-in 20W Soundbar audio

www.mymobileindia.com

The all-new smart TV is available with leading retail and e-commerce stores in India. n

december 2018 | 119

Gadget Corner

add-ons Lloyd L55U2F0IU & L65U2G0IU TVs Equipped with micro dimming technology

ith plethora of new technologies in the television

accurately for a soothing effect on eyes. The smart ULED

universe, such as OLED and QLED, the landscape

television comes with pure metal frame which enriches

has gone through a significant change in the recent

the living space with a modern metallic design that

times. With all the advancements in technology and

seamlessly blends with the home’s décor.

breakthrough innovations, TV viewing experience too is undergoing a seismic shift.

Also, its super slim design eliminates the space between the screen and bezel that blends together beautifully and

In order to tap the growth potential in the smart TV

fits to the home environment. The television comes in two

market and further consolidate its positioning in the

models- L55U2F0IU and L65U2G0IU with screen size

television ecosystem, Lloyd, one of India’s leading

of 55 and 65 inches that are priced at Rs 1,69,990 and

consumer durable company, has unveiled next-generation

Rs 2,39,990 respectively.

4K ULED range of televisions to deliver a matchless

The new range also comes with white colour gamut and

and more intuitive television viewing experience for the

colour space transformation technology which enables

customers. The new range of televisions is based on

rich and natural colour displaying and 360-degree design

unique ULED technology that enhances image quality

which showcase sophisticated workmanship from every

to the next level.

angle. The television also has Ultra Fluid Linux-based

The new range of smart ULED televisions is equipped

operating system platform with one-touch-access, 200+

with micro dimming technology, which enables fine

global apps, fast boot, and customizable launcher for

contrast control. Similarly, the HDRi and backlight

smart viewing. n

control technology enables white and black colours more

120 | december 2018

team@mymobile.co.in

MYMOBILE

OK BO UR YOACE SP OW N

MOBILE DEVICES & ACCESSORIES PAVILION

@ Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India 29-31 January 2019

PREVIOUS EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

20,386 Visitors

685

Exhibitors

180

Speakers

Conference Sessions

1,233 Delegates

TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE • Smart phones / Tablets • Smart watches • Mobile power banks • Wearable electronics • Bluetooth speakers

• Headphones • Screen protectors • USB chargers • Cases and covers • Sport & Health wearables

Supports

Media Partner

• USB cables • Card readers • USB storage devices • Wireless chargers • and many more… Co-Organiser

Organiser

Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry of Science & Technology Government of India

For Further Details, Please Contact

Mr. Rameez | Email: rameezm@eigroup.in | Mob: +91 99585 04913 | Tel: +91 11 4279 5038 C-103, Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III, New Delhi 110 020, India

www.convergenceindia.org

Exclusive

Vantage Point

Things to consider before buying a TV

By Arjuun Bajaj V technology has made exemplary advances in the

a screen size that will fit comfortably into that space.

last decade which has resulted in a wide range of

Connectivity - More the Merrier: We often have the tendency

options to choose from. 4K, HDR, Full HD, Smart

to treat this feature with nonchalance but it is necessary to pay

TVs, LED, OLED – the list is eternal! The perplexity

attention to the number of HDMI inputs a set has. Hook up a

of choosing a TV could often cloud our decision and drive us

sound bar, your laptop and a gaming console and you’ve used

to merely settle for a mediocre TV. We’ve compiled a list of

up 3 ports already. To make things simpler, before you buy one,

prerequisites before you dive in to buy a TV.

count the number of gadgets you will ideally link with your TV and

Size does Matter: There is an immense variety of TVs available,

make sure you have room for more. Make sure they have at least

right from 14 inches to 100 inches. We say bigger is better but

2 HDMi ports. Another thing to keep in mind is the placement

there are a few other things you’ve to consider. Distance, if you can

of these ports. Ideally, opt for a set that has the ports on the side

see the individual pixels on the screen, your TV is too big for your

or bottom.

home. We have a simple formula, you should divide the diagonal

Sounds Good: Even the finest, sleekest, dazzling TV has its

width of your screen by 0.84, and the result is the

hamartia: poor sound quality. While buying a TV, you may be

number of inches you’ll ideally put between you

given the number of Watts that power your speaker, but

“One of the and the screen. Using this method, if you that’s pretty much useless as it doesn’t determine fundamental features that get a 65-inch TV you should sit around how your TV will sound. In fact, you should make a Smart TV better than other 6.5 feet from it. So accordingly, pick consider the number of speakers, the placing TVs is its inbuilt ability to browse the of these speakers and its configuration. internet. You can flip through web Given that the TV has a thinner body, audio is definitely impacted. Modern TVs usually pages, do your homework, have their speakers fitted at the bottom and check the weather forecast or which blares out a more clean, rich, in depth trade Bitcoins while being sound. seated comfortably on Smart TV: A break away from the lineage of your sofa” traditional TVs, the Smart TV has now laid siege to every home and electronic store. One of the fundamental features that make a Smart TV better than other TVs, is its inbuilt ability to browse the internet. You can flip through web pages, do your homework, and check the weather forecast or trade Bitcoins while being seated comfortably on your sofa. Probably, the most used feature on a smart TV is the Video on Demand services. Several Smart TVs integrate preloaded social media apps, one of which is Skype. Some higher-end TVs, with the help of an optional webcam, extends to full screen for better video calling with your friends and family. Resolution: The resolution defines the sharpness of the TV picture, usually in terms of horizontal lines of pixels. There are a sizable number of TVs available with the tag ‘HD ready’, which offer high or Full HD resolution. Ultra HD or 4K offers more resolution which is almost four times the pixel found in your HD TV. The biggest benefit of 4K TVs is that small objects on the screen have more detail. n

The author is CEO & Founder, Daiwa

MYMOBILE

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