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Will Dominance Shift in 2020? Realme, Xiaomi March to Lead
Tested vivo V17, LG G8s ThinQ, Infinix S5 Lite, Nubia Red Magic 3S, Garmin Forerunner 245 Music, HiFuture Olymbuds and many more...
Spotlight CES 2020 phone of the month realme X2 Pro
Apptastic Most Downloaded Apps of 2019 and their Controversies @MyMobileMag
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Editorpage
firstcall
C
ompetition is the need of the hour. Competition is good for the buyers. Competition is equally good as an opportunity for the competitors to give
EDITORIA L
their best. Competition will remain so in the
Pankaj Mohindroo |
year 2020. This phrase suits the best for two
Haider Ali Khan | Deputy Editor
smartphone brands like many others competing with each other to win the buyers and the market dominance. One being a well-established brand since last five years, and another just twenty months young and disruptive smartphone company. It’s Xiaomi and Realme! The disruptor (Realme) and the market king (Xiaomi) competition will drive market sentiments and growth in 2020 out of which consumers will be the ultimate winner. We present to you a glimpse of this friendly war between
Editor-in-Chief
Ramesh Kumar Raja | Assistant Editor Vivek Singh Chauhan | Correspondent Pahi Mehra | Correspondent
DE S I G N Ajit Kumar Parashar | Sr. Graphic Designer
Realme and Xiaomi as how would it unfold in this New Year. Xiaomi and Realme were the brands that fought for market dominance in 2019 and will continue to do so in 2020. Each one of them launched smartphones simultaneously on the same lines, in the same price bracket and almost having the same sets of specifications. Many experts, industry
M AR K ETIN G Puja Mohindroo | Manager - Business Sandeep Kumar | Sr. Manager – Marketing
veterans and even the people feel that Realme is walking the same path as once travelled by Xiaomi which is provide best value for money smartphone or any other product for that matter. The fight now is not just limited to smartphone only, but has shifted to other
O P ERATION S Deepak Kohli | Sr. Manager – Accounts
areas such as IoT, connected devices and digital financial support. Technology is not merely tech now, it has become lifestyle, and both Realme and Xiaomi are striving hard to gain an upper hand. Xiaomi has built a network of online plus offline, penetrated deep inside the arteries of this country, provided door step
CIRCU L ATION B. G. Mathur | Manager- Production & Circulation
delivery of products and services and with equally functional and responsive after-sales services, it has emerged as the top selling smartphone company. Mi Store and Mi Home have been the backbone for Xiaomi in offline markets
AD V I S ORY B OARD
which Realme is now replicating. For Xiaomi it would be much easy to retain
Bejon Misra
its top spot in 2020 as Samsung lags behind in budget, mid and mid-premium
Rajan Mathews
segment and Realme has a long road to travel. It will not be merely these two
S.D. Saxena
brands to compete for dominance but, there are vivo, Oppo, Samsung and
Subhash Chandra
OnePlus to make the fight even more interesting.
Sunil Dutt
This New Year opens a new era of opportunities for both Realme and Xiaomi. Both are now well-versed, understand the market and its aspirations, threats; global and local, have dedicated R&D team to meet the demands, and last but not the least, the control over offline and online channels coupled with good after sales servicing is going to decide the new market leader. Realme is pegged to cross over vivo, Oppo and might reach at number three in market share by the Q3 of 2020. Collectively, BBK (vivo, Oppo, OnePlus and Realme) is going to be the sole dominator in 2020 while Xiaomi has to
Sonu Bhasin Uvaraj Natarajan
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battle it out alone. Edited, published, printed and owned by Pankaj Mohindroo, Published from 203, Kanchenjunga Building | 18, Barakhamba Road | Connaught Place | New Delhi-110001. Printed at HT Media Ltd. Plot No. 8, Udyog Vihar, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh - 201306
Happy Reading! n
Pankaj Mohindroo editor-in-chief
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04 | january 2020
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 XIV, Issue XII, january 2020
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HR Monitoring
Smart EŽƟĮĐĂƟŽŶ
BP Monitoring
DƵůƟƉůĞ ^ƉŽƌƚƐ DŽĚĞ
contents
20
34
26 Style Notes 10 letters 11 Newsbits 16 Just In Get a close look at new smartphones now in the market
into Different Industries
failing to maintain market
104
momentum?
Most Downloaded Apps of
2019 and their Controversies
76
India Fares Better in Spam
Call Ranking
Face to Face 28 Arun Menon – Country
77
Business Head, Philips
Roadmap
MediaTek to Focus on 5G
Experiences, Robust Product
Branded Television and Audio, TPV Technology India Private Limited
66
Rohit Sahni – Director, WK Life
Realme and Xiaomi Strive
68
Anurag Prasad – Co-founder
for Dominance
and Product Head, Visit
20 Lead Story
104
40 Spotlight Trends to look for at CES 2020
Market Insight 44
Do Mobile Ads Influence You
Feature 26 5G wireless revolution, what
In Focus 36 #THISHAPPENED: Biggest
in Your Buying Decisions?
we know so far!
Moments on Twitter in 2019
Hearables Market
30
72
Most Anticipated Smartphones
Telecom Sector Outlook
to Look out for in 2020
Negative on AGR dues
34
74
06 | january 2020
AI-led Advancements Seeping
Why offline retail stores are
45
Better Days Ahead for
103 India to sell Connected Consumer Devices worth Rs 3.25 Lakh Crore in 2020
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C
TM
What's Inside
contents Burn Test 46 realme X2 Pro
Consumer 108 Add Ons The latest and the best of Insight 64 Showing Robots “Tough Love” gadgets and accessories, from Helps them Succeed, Finds
earphones and Bluetooth
Study
speakers to mobile chargers
50 vivo V17
78
and power banks
52 LG G8s ThinQ
Women
49 Garmin Forerunner 245 Music
Internet Emerging as an
Empowering Force for Indian
Trends driving Audio Market
54 Infinix S5 Lite 56 Red Magic 3S 59 Philips BASS+ SHB3075 60 Infinix Band 5 62 HiFuture OlymBuds 63 HiFuture NeckLace
81
122 Vantage Point
70 By Invitation mCommerce Shaping Lifestyle
in 2020 – Achin Gupta,
Country Head-India, Zoook
36
Industry in India – Mayank Jain, Managing Partner – Greenways
81 My Guide The most comprehensive
2019
feature and price list of mobile devices
40
74
70
64
76
Total number of pages = 124
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Mobile phone industry seeks tax rationalisation, clarity on export scheme
Mobile phone industry recently sought clarity over recent reduction in export incentives and demanded rationalisation of tax structure, including GST on handsets, during a pre-budget meet with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. According to India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), reduction in export incentives will lead to massive job losses. On the meeting, ICEA Chairman Pankaj Mohindroo said the government has strong intention to support Indian companies as well as attract global brands to make the country a hub of mobile manufacturing. “Regarding export benefits... we have requested that the air be cleared. There is an incentive package being worked out for global value chain and Indian companies to meet mobile export target of USD 110 billion as per National Policy on Electronics. We have put forward a request (on this) strongly,” Mohindroo said. The meeting was attended by technology sector industry bodies ICEA, MAIT, NASSCOM, Telecom Equipment Manufacturers Association, Indian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association besides representatives from Apple, Lava International, Reliance Jio etc. On December 7, the DGFT reduced export incentive on mobile handsets from 4 per cent to 2 per cent. “We have requested that basic customs duty on high phones be capped at Rs 4,000. We are witnessing lot of grey market being developed which should be stopped,” Mohindroo said. The mobile phone industry has also requested the finance minister to rationalise GST on mobile handset priced below Rs 1,200 to 5 per cent from 12 per cent at present as it will benefit 15 crore people who buy feature phones, Mohindroo said. Apple acquires UK-based startup to enhance iPhone photography In an endeavour to further improve iPhone photography, Apple has acquired a UK-
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based startup Spectral Edge for an undisclosed sum. The startup is known for technology that can be used to improve photos taken on iPhones, according to reports, citing filings made public recently. Spectral Edge “has developed computational photography tech that could blend data from a standard lens and an infrared lens to enhance photo quality”. The startup raised $5.3 million in a funding round in 2018. Created in 2014 from academic research at the University of East Anglia, Spectral Edge’s algorithm is able to enhance low-light smartphone images which could improve Night Mode in iPhones. The iPhone 11 Pro has introduced a transformative triple-camera system with
all-new Ultra Wide, Wide and Telephoto cameras, deeply integrated into iOS to create a pro-level camera experience designed for everyone. Xiaomi patent shows Motorola Razr-like foldable phone with pop-up camera
Chinese handset brand Xiaomi has patented a new large-display smartphone which folds in half in the middle like Moto Razr, protecting the screen as a result. China’s National Intellectual Property Administration website shows it’s granted Xiaomi’s new foldable design patent, which was filed in August. Unlike the Moto Razr, Xiaomi’s new foldable smartphone patent shows a pop-up selfie camera, according to reports. It is not Xiaomi’s first foldable design. Recently, the company patented a foldable smartphone with a five pop-up
camera setup. As per the patent, this foldable phone has an outward-folding screen and depending on how a user holds it, the five cameras can either be rear cameras or front-facing cameras. The sketches of the device suggest that it will have a really thin bezels and no display notch. Oppo looking to set up R&D centre in Bengaluru
What’s Up
newsbits
With its plan to invest $7 billion in research and development globally in the next three years, Oppo is looking to expand R&D centres to cities like Bengaluru, according to reports. The company currently has one R&D centre in Hyderabad and the second centre may come up in Bengaluru. “We have 6 global institutes and 4 research centres and one of them is in Hyderabad in India. So definitely we are going to be expanding our processes in Hyderabad or possibly in Bangalore to actually invest more in R&D,” Alen Wu, Oppo’s Vice President and President of Global Sales, was quoted as saying. “In terms of revenue, we are doing good in India. So far in 2019, we have witnessed a growth of over 60 per cent in India and the number will go up by the year end. I’m happy with the performance,” Wu said recently. Vivo in the race to launch Snapdragon 865-powered 5G smartphone
Vivo will be one of the first handset players to launch a smartphone based on
january 2020 | 11
What’s Up
newsbits Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 5G mobile platform, it said recently. Previously, Oppo also claimed to launch its 5G smartphone powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset in the first quarter of 2020. Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 with the X55 5G Modem-RF System supports 5G speeds of up to 7.5 Gbps. With the new upgrade, the AI computing rate can achieve a strong performing rate of 15 trillion operations per second. In addition, the faster ISP of the chipset can achieve a processing speed of 2 gigapixel per second. The platform also supports 200 MP camera and 8K video recording, the company further said. “We believe that through this meaningful collaboration, we would be able to provide even better performance to consumers worldwide. This work also strengthens our commitment to be at the forefront in bringing the latest technology to our fans,” said Jerome Chen, CEO, Vivo India. Realme brings Paysa for digital financial inclusion
Oppo spin-off brand Realme has initiated its new financial lending service called the Realme Paysa to disburse loans. It will be available for both Realme and non-Realme users across iOS and Android platforms. This comes right after its immediate rival, Xiaomi, recently introduced Mi Credit under the same ambit. Realme Paysa is available on Google Play Store in beta version in two languages, Hindi and English. Soon it will come pre-installed on all Realme smartphones. Realme is targeting three areas; lending, savings and protection, payments and tools for businesses. Regarding data, the company has assured that it will be stored locally. Realme Paysa has features such as Free Credit Report, Personal Loan, Business Loan and Screen Insurance. With the Realme Paysa app, you can now take personal loans from Rs 8,000 to Rs 100,000 with very limited paperwork, a
12 | january 2020
fully digital process and a repayment option from 3 to 12 months. Meanwhile, small or medium-sized businesses can take a pure digital loan up to Rs 5 lakhs and a flexible repayment tenure from 12 to 60 months. Sundar Pichai to take home whopping $242 mn stock package in new role
Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai will take home $240 million stock package ($90 million of it tied to Alphabet’s performance) on top of a $2 million annual salary in 2020. Alphabet said in a Securities Exchange Commission filing recently that Pichai will also start receiving a substantial raise from January 1 to $2 million a year, reports say. The compensation package is being given in recognition of Pichai’s “expanded role as CEO of Alphabet and Google”. Pichai, meanwhile, received $90 million in stock awards that will vest by the end of 2022 “depending on Alphabet’s shareholder returns compared to the S&P 100”, the filing said. “Pichai also received two other stock grants, of $120 million and $30 million, neither tied to performance but subject to his continued employment,” the report said, citing the filing. Signalling the end of an era, Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin decided to relinquish their current positions in the parent company Alphabet earlier in December, making India-born Pichai the CEO of both Google and Alphabet. LG Electronics appoints TV and mobile chief as its new CEO
South Korean electronics major LG has appointed Brian Kwon, head of the firm’s
TV and mobile business, as its new chief executive officer. The board of directors at the LG Electronics picked Kwon to replace incumbent CEO Jo Seong-jin, who took the top post in 2016. Jo, nicknamed “Legend of the Washing Machine,” has worked for LG Electronics for over 40 years and took credit for successfully launching new lifestyle appliances, such as clothes dryers and the steam clothing care system Stylus, under his leadership. Kwon, 56, is known for his expertise in the home entertainment business, taking charge of launching LG’s premium OLED lineup that improved profitability in the TV business. LG Electronics posted strong performance in its home appliance division with its premium lineup and new lifestyle gadgets last year, but it has been grappling with operating losses in the smartphone business. As part of cost-cutting efforts, the company moved its Korean smartphone factory to Vietnam in October and released dual screen smartphones with 5G network connectivity to target the high-end segment. Huawei endeavours to build Google services alternative in India; Oppo brings global fund
Handset majors Huawei and Oppo have started engaging with Indian developers with lucrative incentives under their global funds to build localized mobile services that can be offered with their smartphones in the country. Both handset companies are incentivizing developers in India through their global funds to develop these services. Huawei’s move is more about building an alternative to Google’s service suite, called Google Media Services (GMS) since there is uncertainty on the use of GMS on Huawei and Honor mobile phones following restrictions announced by the US government earlier last year. GMS includes Gmail, YouTube, Navigation, Google Drive and Maps. Huawei’s subbrand Honor is in talks with 150 top apps
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in India to get them on its HMS or Huawei Media Services, Charles Peng, CEO, Huawei and Honor India, Consumer Business Group, said recently. Oppo, on the other hand, is allocating $143 million in 2020 for supporting developers across the globe, including India to develop a “new intelligent service ecosystem” with developers and partners around its ColorOS operating system.
of Anita Praveen, additional secretary and finance advisor, Department of Posts (DoP) as an additional secretary, Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the notification read. Praveen is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1989 batch Tamil Nadu cadre. She has also previously served in the Department of Commerce as a joint secretary. Praveen will report to the telecom secretary Anshu Prakash.
Infinix to foray into smart TV market
267 million Facebook users’ data leaked with IDs and phone numbers
Following the footsteps of Xiaomi, OnePlus and Motorola-Lenovo, Transsion Holdings smartphone brand Infinix is planning to foray into the smart TV market, besides increasing its focus on smart accessories with the launch of smartwatches and portable audio products. “Our smart TV plans are under works for India. Globally, we have done some work around it,” Anish Kapoor, CEO, Infinix India, was quoted as saying by some reports. Meanwhile, sector watchers say these firms are strategically placed to capitalize on the brand recall among consumers and to leverage their distribution and online channels, along with their existing manufacturing facilities. Infinix will also enter the new handset segments in the first half of this year to broaden the addressable market. The company considers India as its most strategic market, and will continue to have India-first smartphone launches besides having some offline footprint this year. Anita Praveen appointed as additional secretary in telecom department
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) recently appointed Anita Praveen as an additional secretary in the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). “The ACC has approved the appointment
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A database containing personal details of more than 267 million Facebook users was allegedly left exposed on the web, according to a report from Britain-based tech research firm Comparitech and security researcher Bob Diachenko. Diachenko believes the trove of data -- including Facebook user IDs, phone numbers and names -- is most likely the result of an illegal scraping operation or Facebook API abuse by criminals in Vietnam. “Scraping” is a term used to describe a process in which automated bots quickly sift through large numbers of web pages, copying data from each one into a database. The information contained in the database could be used to conduct large-scale SMS spam and phishing campaigns, among other threats to end users, said the report recently, adding that most of the affected users were from the US. The revelations come at a time when Facebook is trying to regain the trust of its users with protection of their data following the Cambridge Analytica scandal that badly hit its reputation. Likee refreshes iconic in-app functions, introduces new capabilities BIGO Technology-owned short video platform Likee has refreshed its popular in-app functions - ‘Superme’ and the newly-introduced feature of ‘FaceMagic’. The development comes into effect after the introduction of new features using advanced AI technology, to highlight the
current capabilities of the tools better. Likee’s FaceMagic is an innovative one-tap tool that allows users to morph celebrity face in the famous dance/movie scene into their own face. By doing so, users can create highly engaging and realistic videos for entertainment purpose. The FaceMagic function can be applied to any video available in the app’s video library. The Superme function, on the other hand, has a wide range of tools such as Face change, Morph, and more to enable users with advanced editing tools in one tap. With the aim to enhance the user experience, Likee is said to be continuously working towards simplification of the tools as well as introducing new capabilities to empower its users.
What’s Up
newsbits
Kaspersky’s 2020 security solutions for home users launched
Russian cybersecurity major Kaspersky recently launched their latest version of security solutions for home users with their 2020 range in India in association with their sole national distributor Supertron Electronics. The company rolls out major updates in their products once a year to keep the solutions up to date with the threat landscape globally. Kaspersky and Supertron Electronics together feel bullish about aiming at consumers from developing cities in India with this update. This year Kaspersky has focused on strengthening their defences against threats targeting the individual systems like PCs, laptop, Mac and mobile phones. Internet security solution or Total security solution on the system will help consumers fight against attacks like banking fraud, phishing emails,
january 2020 | 13
What’s Up
newsbits e-commerce fraud, and will also help parents keep their child digitally safe. TikTok owner testing music app ‘Resso’ in India, Indonesia
TikTok owner ByteDance is testing a new music app in emerging markets as it tries to pull off another global sensation akin to its viral video-sharing service. Called Resso, the new app is now available in India and Indonesia, two of Asia’s most populous countries and places already keenly familiar with TikTok. Since its initial launch six months ago, Resso has been installed by about 27,000 users across the iOS App Store and Google Play, according to data compiled by Sensor Tower, which said the numbers indicate promotion of the app began in earnest at the end of November. ByteDance, the world’s most valuable startup, has been quietly developing the app to challenge the likes of Spotify and Apple Music in countries where paid music services have yet to garner large audiences. Airtel VoWiFi service goes live in 5 states after Delhi-NCR
After rolling out its voice over WiFi service in Delhi-NCR recently, Bharti Airtel has expanded the service to Mumbai, Kolkata, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. ‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’ allows Airtel customers using WiFi calling capable handsets to make calls using a WiFi network without costing any extra data
14 | january 2020
cost. ‘Airtel Wi-Fi Calling’ leverages cutting edge technology to enhance the indoor voice calling experience for Airtel smartphone customers. The innovative service uses WiFi networks to create a dedicated channel for voice calls and allows customers to make telco grade calls to any network. This dramatically improves customer experience as one can seamlessly switch to Airtel Wi-Fi Calling. The service does not require any app and can be configured on the smartphone by simply checking smartphone compatibility on airtel.in/wifi-calling, upgrading device software to support WiFi calling, and switching on WiFi calling on the device with VoLTE enabled for seamless experience. Club Factory’s seller base grows four-fold to scale 20,000
Ecommerce platform Club Factory has over 20,000 registered sellers as of December 2019, registering a four-fold increase in the second half of the year. The company has quadrupled its registered seller base and over-achieved its set target of 10K sellers for this year. Club Factory is also strengthening its India leadership team and will appoint local leaders for key functions in the next quarter. The Indian leadership team will further lead the strong momentum gained by Club Factory in 2019. Club Factory also witnessed over 600% YoY growth with over 200 sellers clocking in over 15K orders per day, in the recently-concluded Black Friday Sale in November. Most of the sellers were onboarded after June and have grown from zero since then. Club Factory is currently the biggest portal for the SMEs. Netrika Consulting acquires Anti Piracy Solutions Risk management and corporate frauds investigation firm Netrika Consulting has acquired Hyderabad-based company Anti Piracy Solutions (APS). With this acquisition, Netrika will now be better
positioned to effectively lead the fight against unauthorised leaks and peddling of
copyrighted intellectual properties such as movies, music albums and even educational contents online. This synergy will also boost Netrika’s capability in the fight against the online sale of counterfeit goods which is a serious issue facing the growing popularity of online shopping. APS founder and CEO Chaitanya N will function as a Director at Netrika Consulting. Sanjay Kaushik, Managing Director, Netrika Consulting, said, “Piracy is a universal concern which besides being an IPR concern is causing huge losses to both corporates as well as governments globally. We are happy to welcome Anti Piracy Solutions into our fold and we are confident to protect our clientele from piracy both online and offline.” Helo further strengthens safety features, content moderation policies
Social media platform Helo has further strengthened its existing safety features and content moderation policies, making them available in 14 Indian regional languages. This is as part of their growing commitment to provide a safe in-app experience for its community, including a recent partnership with an internationallyacclaimed fact checker to counter misinformation and fake news. Shyamanga Barooah, Head of Content Operations, Helo, said, “Maintaining a safe and positive in-app environment is paramount to us, which is why we continuously enhance and
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update our policies, safety tools, and online resources. Taking a step ahead in this direction, we are delighted to collaborate with an independent, third-party fact checker to reduce the prevalence of fake news on our platform.” Helo has partnered with third-party fact-checkers like the Jagran Group, certified by International Fact Check Network and Poynter Institute to further intensify its efforts in minimising misinformation and fake news in the online community. AchhaGo makes it big at IEAE 2019
make an informed decision,” Pandey added. Average Indian spends one-third of their waking hours on phone
comedy film Dabangg 3. UC Browser, as the digital partner for SKF, has access to exclusive trailers, bloopers, fun videos and more from Dabangg 3, bringing a wide array of entertaining digital content for its vast user base of 130 million (MAUs). UC has also run a unique campaign to amplify the frenzy that surrounds every Salman Khan-release in the country. UC recently arranged for 60 cab drivers who dressed up as Salman Khan’s most loved character - Chulbul Pandey from the Dabangg series. Housing.com redefines virtual reality in proptech with DigiTour 2.O
Ecommerce platform AchhaCart’s retail wing AchhaGo launched its concept of smart living and showcased new products and categories at the recently-concluded India International Electronics & Smart Appliances Expo in New Delhi. The brand claims to have received warm responses from the visitors attending the three-day B2B and B2C exhibition. AchhaGo aims to cater to the market, ranging from Tier 1 to Tier 4 cities through its digital app, becoming India’s very own Costco, the company said in a statement. The homegrown company unveiled the whole catalog of products, ranging from home solutions, daily life, travel solutions, office and health and personal care that will enable the end consumer to live smart. The target audience for this setup was the age group from 18 to 40, especially the middle class and gadget enthusiasts. UC Browser ties up with Salman Khan Films as Dabangg 3 digital partner In yet another endeavor to promote digital entertainment content in India, UC Browser, the world’s No.1 third-party mobile browser and a content platform, has tied up with Salman Khan Films (SKF) to promote the recently-released action
www.mymobileindia.com
Realty platform Housing.com, which also owns PropTiger.com and Makaan.com, has launched its new feature DigiTour 2.O, which enables a super virtual walkthrough and varied allied features to refine consumer’s search to the extent that they may do away with a first level physical recce of property. With an enhanced user-friendly design and improved features like ease of sharing and personalization, the new version of DigiTour is all set to smudge the line between what’s real and what’s virtual and thereby provide a completely new experience to the customers. “With DigiTour 2.0, we have ensured a far superior user experience in terms of access, visibility, features and navigation,” said Pallav Pandey, Group CTO, Elara Technologies. “Our constant endeavour has been to innovate and bring the best of technology for our homebuyers. Given that our major chunk of traffic is on mobile, our improved version will definitely help them
What’s Up
newsbits
An average Indian spends one-third of their waking hours on phone translating to 1800 hours a year, says a joint study by Cybermedia Research (CMR) and smartphone brand Vivo. The study titled ‘Smartphone and their impact on human relationships’ in its report mentioned that 75% of the respondents agreed to have owned a smartphone in their teens and of them, 41% were hooked to phones even before graduating from high school. Additionally, the study brought out that 1 in 3 people feel that they can’t even have a 5 minute conversation with friends and family without checking their phones. Also, 73% respondents agreed that if smartphone usage continues at the current rate or grows, that it is likely to impact mental or physical health. The study further mentioned that 3 out of 5 people believed in having a life separate from mobile phone and that could help them lead to happier lives. The report is based on a survey conducted online as well as face to face across top 8 cities in India. The report cuts across age-groups and demographics: youth, working professionals, housewives spanning the age groups of 18 to 45. The study had 2000 respondents out of which 36% were females and 64% were males. Honor plans to enter India PC market this year Honor has plans of entering India’s PC market with planned launch of two Windows-based laptops in the initial quarters of 2020. The laptops will be based on Intel and AMD chipsets. The company also has plans of foraying into television space in India as part of its product portfolio expansion. n team@mymobile.co.in
january 2020 | 15
First Look
justin LG G8X ThinQ
L
G Electronics unveiled a new smartphone LG G8X ThinQ — its newest G series smartphone and a
more advanced LG Dual Screen — in India that is designed to help users find a whole new way to multitask while being creative in its design and outlook. Taking its consumer experience to the next level, LG G8X ThinQ with LG Dual Screen will be available across all retail outlets at Rs 49,999. LG G8X ThinQ with LG Dual Screen offer consumers an entirely new way to interact with a mobile device and usher in new possibilities for mobile gaming, content creation and consumption, productivity and much more. LG G8X ThinQ Dual Screen lets consumers be as productive as they can be, quickly and easily. Whether texting a friend while watching a video, updating fantasy football while
researching stats, sharing and comparing while online shopping, or writing an email while referencing a presentation, consumers can navigate, research, communicate and more across two screens simply and efficiently. What’s more, LG G8X ThinQ Dual Screen features unique experiences that provide more control for scenarios where two identical OLED displays simply work better than one, saving precious screen real estate. LG gives consumers the option to have the power and flexibility of two screens, but the freedom to choose one based on the situation. By detaching LG Dual Screen from LG G8X ThinQ, going minimal is as simple as a snap. LG Dual Screen boasts a convenient cover display, with the essentials like notifications, date, time, battery life available at a glance. With a 360-degree Freestop Hinge, LG Dual Screen is able to lock into at any angle, making it practical for use as a game controller at 120-degree, a mini-laptop at 140-degree, flat at 180-degree, a stand or tent at 270-degree, or to take a call flipped back on itself at 360°. LG Game Pad is an immersive dual-screen experience designed to level-up mobile gaming and deliver an edge in the competitive moment. It gives gamers a complete view of a game on one screen and a full controller on the other, giving the options to choose from multiple virtual controllers or build a custom layout to match specific gameplay needs and styles. LG Game Pad mimics touch input on the main display, making it compatible with most games. The LG Smart Keyboard converts LG G8X ThinQ Dual Screen into a mini-laptop for on-the-go use. The bottom display transforms into a full-screen virtual keyboard making it easier to write emails, edit presentations, text, or search the web in fullscreen on the top display. n
16 | january 2020
MYMOBILE
First Look
justin
Nokia 2.3
H
MD Global, the home of Nokia phones, has launched the
In case there are software issues, Nokia Mobile Care is
Nokia 2.3 for consumers in India with a replacement
equipped to resolve the issue by flashing your Nokia 2.3 with
guarantee for a 1-year period at Rs 8,199.
the latest software update. If you have a hardware issue with
Delivering a feature-packed camera fuelled by AI, helping
your Nokia 2.3 charger or USB cable, then Nokia Mobile Care
you get the best shot, the Nokia 2.3 features a large 6.2 inches
will replace the accessories under their 6-month warranty
HD+ screen (15.74 cm) and two-day battery life for long-lasting
terms. n
and immersive entertainment. Plus, being Android 10 ready, the new Nokia 2.3 will receive guaranteed monthly security updates for three years and OS updates for two years, ensuring this smartphone gets better over time. The Nokia 2.3 features a dual-camera and comes with ‘Recommended Shot’, a brand-new Nokia phones feature helping you choose the best picture. Whether it’s the mid-air backflip, the family portrait where everyone is actually smiling or the winning goal, ‘Recommended Shot’ automatically captures alternate images before and after the shutter button is pressed and suggests the best one. Alongside even more AI-powered features such as ‘Portrait Mode’ and low-light imaging, fans can capture creative images in a variety of settings. Nokia 2.3 comes with a one-year replacement guarantee. If you’ve purchased the Nokia 2.3 in India on or before 31st March 2020 and have found a hardware failure or a manufacturing defect at any time during the 1-year warranty period of your ownership, just carry your device to the nearest Nokia Mobile Care center along with the original invoice to receive a replacement, in accordance with the terms and conditions.
www.mymobileindia.com
International
justin
Motorola One Hyper
M
otorola One Hyper has finally been launched after a flurry
and Fresh Orchid colour options.
of last-minute leaks. It is the first Motorola-branded Android
Motorola One Hyper is also the first phone from the company
phone to come equipped with a pop-up selfie camera module
to pack a 64MP main camera and a full-screen display devoid
that houses a 32MP sensor at $399.99.
of a notch or hole-punch. It is powered by the ageing octa-core
The phone is already up for grabs in the US, Latin America
Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 SoC and is protected by a layer of
and some European markets in Deep Sea Blue, Dark Amber,
p2i nano-coating. The dual-SIM (Nano) Motorola One Hyper runs vanilla Android 10 with a few in-houses features such as Moto Actions and Moto Display thrown into the mix. It features a 6.5-inch full-HD+ LCD display with 19:9 aspect ratio and a pixel density of 395ppi. Motorola One Hyper offers 128GB of inbuilt storage that can further be expanded via a microSD card (up to 1TB). Connectivity options on the phone include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, A-GPS, LTEPP, SUPL, GLONASS, and Galileo. The phone packs a 4,000mAh battery that supports 45W Hyper Charge technology. However, the retail package will come equipped with a 15W TurboPower charger, while the 45W charger will be sold separately in some regions. Sensors onboard the Motorola One Hyper include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, compass, fingerprint sensor, gyroscope, proximity sensor, and a SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) sensor. Dimensions of the phone are 161.8 x 76.6 x 8.9mm and it tips the scales at around 200 grams. The phone has a plastic build with a water repellent design, and has a USB Type-C port and 3.5mm headphone jack. n
18 | january 2020
MYMOBILE
Redmi K30
C
hinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has launched the much-
4G variant is powered by the Snapdragon 730G processor.
awaited successor to Redmi K20 -- Redmi K30 -- at a press
Internal storage is said to be offered in 64GB, 128GB and 256B
event in China. Xiaomi will be offering the Redmi K30 in 4G and 5G variants.
options.Both the phones support a hybrid microSD card slot (up to 256GB) for further storage expansion.
It features a hole-punch display that houses dual selfie cameras,
As for the cameras, the Redmi K30 sports a quad rear camera
and a quad rear camera setup that is placed vertically and situated
setup placed in a vertical manner and situated in the top-centre
in the top centre.
of the back panel with an intriguing circular-shaped ring
The rear camera setup houses a 64MP Sony IMX686 sensor,
surrounding it. The quad rear camera setup includes a 64MP
and the phone integrates a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.
Sony IMX686 sensor as the main rear camera with f/1.89
Other key features include 4,500mAh battery, 20MP selfie
aperture, 1/1.7-inch sensor and 6P lens.
camera and MIUI 11 based on Android 10. The 4G and 5G variants sport different processors, different cameras, and other subtle variances as well. Redmi K30 5G is priced at CNY 1,999 (roughly Rs 20,100) for the 6GB RAM + 64GB storage option, CNY 2,299 (roughly
The main camera is assisted by a 5MP macro lens, a 2MP depth sensor and an 8MP 120 degree wide-angle sensor as well. Features include Mimoji, Super Night Scene Mode, RAW format support, and other AI-backed features. On the 4G variant, the 5MP macro camera is replaced by the 2-megapixel camera.
Rs 23,100) for the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage option, CNY
Up front, the Redmi K30 and Redmi K30 5G packs a dual
2,599 (roughly Rs 26,100 ) for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage
selfie camera setup with the cutouts placed on the top right edge
option, and CNY 2,899 (roughly Rs 29,100) for the 8GB RAM
of the screen and the cutout is just 4.38mm thin. There’s a 20MP
+ 256GB storage option in China.
main front sensor and a 2MP depth sensor for better portraits.
The Redmi K30 5G will be available in Deep Sea Light, Time Monologue, Flower Shadow, Purple Jade Fantasy colour options. Xiaomi has listed the phone on Mi.com and JD.com, and pre-sale is set to begin today. The Redmi K30 4G variant, on the other hand, is priced in China at CNY 1,599 (roughly Rs 16,100) for the 6GB RAM + 64GB storage option, CNY 1,699 (roughly Rs 17,100) for the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage options, CNY 1,899 (roughly Rs 19,100) for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage option, and goes all the way up to CNY 2,199 (roughly Rs 22,100) for the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage option. The 4G variant is listed only in Deep Sea Light, Flower Shadow, Purple Jade Fantasy colour options. Redmi K30 supports dual-SIM (Nano + Nano) slots, and runs on MIUI 11 based on Android 10. The phone has a 6.67-inch full-HD+ (1080x2400 pixels) hole-punch display with 20:9 aspect ratio, 91 percent screen-to-body ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection, and 120Hz refresh rate. The 5G variant is powered by the 7nm Snapdragon 765G SoC, whereas the
The phone was joined by the new RedmiBook 13, Redmi AI Speaker Play, and Redmi Router AC2100. n team@mymobile.co.in
International
justin
lead story
Realme and Xiaomi Strive for Dominance The competition between the disruptor and the market king will drive market sentiments and growth in 2020 out of which consumers will be the ultimate winner. We present to you a glimpse of this friendly war between Realme and Xiaomi as how would it unfold in this New Year. By Haider Ali Khan
C
ompetition is the need of the
months young and disruptive smartphone
simultaneously on the same lines, in
hour. Competition is good for
company and I’m quite sure that you must
the same price bracket and almost
the buyers. Competition is
have guessed it what we are talking about.
having the same set of specifications.
equally good as an opportunity
Yes, it’s Xiaomi and Realme!
Their smartphones were so similar that
for the competitors to give their best.
consumers were left in dilemma that finally
2020. This phrase suits the best for two
Is Realme becoming Xiaomi?
smartphone brands competing with each
Xiaomi and Realme were the brands that
purchase. Many experts, industry veterans
other to win the buyers and the dominance.
fought for market dominance in 2019
and even the people feel that Realme is
One being a well-established brand since
and will continue to do so in 2020. Each
walking the same path as once travelled
last five years and another just twenty
one of them launched smartphones
by Xiaomi which is provide best value for
Competition will remain so in the year
20 | january 2020
the cashback and credit/debit card options were chosen as the way of deciding the
MYMOBILE
money smartphone or any other product for that matter. I asked Faisal Kawoosa,
level, as per IDC’s Q3 2019 report.”
commitment Manu has made Xiaomi a household name in India now which
founder and Chief Analyst at techARC
Man vs Man
whether Realme becoming second
The success of Xiaomi in India cannot
as any other Korean or Japanese brand.
Xiaomi? To which he says, “Yes and no.
be complete without mentioning the role
Manu Jain is now a brand himself and
Yes, because it’s using the same route,
of Manu Kumar Jain, Vice President,
doesn’t really even need a celebrity to
offering best of specs at the cheapest
Xiaomi and Managing Director, Xiaomi
endorse it. He got into the hearts of young
price. However, the difference I see is the
India. He has been the ‘Star’ for the
buyers fed up with erstwhile Nokia and
quality of Realme products. Barring a few
Chinese smartphone brand in India.
costly Samsung five years ago and rest
products, its quality has only improved.
Since the beginning, Manu is associated
is history. Once established, he created
That answers the No part.”
with Xiaomi and built company’s profile
a community called Mi Fans, interacted
among Indians, even though a negative
with them on regular intervals and the
sense has always prevailed against any
end result is known to us all. Manu Jain is
Chinese brand of being untrustworthy
equally active on platforms such as Twitter
and unreliable. With his efforts and
and YouTube to disseminate information
The fight now is not just limited to
can be trusted and is equally reliable
Limelight
lead story
smartphone only, but has shifted to other areas such as IoT and connected devices or digital financial support. Technology is not merely tech now, it has become lifestyle, and both Realme and Xiaomi are striving hard to gain the upper hand. Upasana Joshi, Associate Research Manager, Client Devices, IDC India, also feels, “Realme forayed into India market as a direct competition to Xiaomi with similar strategies in terms of device specifications, aggressive pricing, online first strategy and promotional activities through fan base communities, social media engagements etc. In a very less span of time it has become the second most shipped brand in the online space after Xiaomi and 4th largest at an overall
and leaks about products and services. This is why; Xiaomi is now the undisputed smartphone king in India. Similarly, Madhav Sheth, CEO of Realme India, took lessons from the Mr. Jain and followed his footsteps, which isn’t wrong at all, re-enacted all these marketing aspects with Realme and because of these efforts now it has emerged as the fastest growing smartphone brand in the country. Now he has built Realme Fans and holds #AskMadhav conversation on Twitter to engage with fans. So I believe it’s the pure replica going on for what we saw with Manu
www.mymobileindia.com
january 2020 | 21
Limelight
lead story
Jain. Madhav has been quite successful
in premium segment, Realme has
has the potential to beat Xiaomi. In
in getting connect with the audiences.
been assiduously building brand loyalty
order to do so, it would need to ensure
Realme now has its own identity in India
amongst teens and youth, through events
that is current breathtaking growth is
and is not being asked to carry the weight
and music festivals,” said Prabhu Ram,
sustainable. In particular, Realme should
of Oppo or BBK. Madhav also knows
Head-Industry Intelligence Group, CMR.
tailor its future market strategy in ensuring
the tricks of the trade and plays it well.
In summary, going forward in 2020,
optimal inventory, and avoid excessive
Associate with youths and fests when
these two men will be responsible for
shipments. Alongside, it would need to
needed, conducts photo walk sessions
taking their respective brands to new
ensure its product quality does not slip as
for the fans and even allow pre-access to
heights. Their friendly competition would
it grows bigger and bigger.”
smartphones and ideas to its community
definitely fuel the aspirations of market
to get it going.
and the industry.
“Xiaomi and Realme have been
I would say that it may happen but for that Xiaomi had to act really stupid and Realme otherwise, which isn’t going
caught-up in an intense battle for India
Potential to Lead
market. As an agile startup, Realme has
I pose another question to the experts,
online plus offline, penetrated deep inside
focused on aggressively and directly
would Realme has the potential to beat
the arteries of this country, provided door
competing with Xiaomi on online
Xiaomi in its own game? I got mixed
step delivery of products and services and
platforms, offering the latest technological
responses from them saying it’s premature
with equally functional and responsive
specs at affordable points. Just like its
to predict that. Although, Prabhu made
after-sales services, it has emerged as the
popular sister, OnePlus that operates
his point clear saying,”Realme definitely
top selling smartphone company here.
to happen. Xiaomi has built a network of
Mi Store and Mi Home have been the
can go for brands and products which are
products and services to the consumers,”
backbone for Xiaomi in offline markets
cheap and offer best value for money.
said Faisal. Xiaomi sells smartphones, IoT
which Realme is now replicating. “Xiaomi
We always think is Xiaomi doing too
which essentially started as an online
many things at the same time? Logic
brand soon realized the importance of
says that it is merely doing as per the
And to remain the boss of the market,
offline channel and started expanding
demand. Why would any company invest
it is expected for a company like Xiaomi
footprints to cater demand arousing
in inventories and keep them in waiting?
to have a diverse product range, different
outside of the online pie with dedicated
“At the end of the day what matters is
pricings, and availability across platforms.
channel efforts in terms of width of
how much revenue a company is clocking.
Upasana says, “In a hyper competitive
distribution, maintaining price parity
There is no harm in my mind in Xiaomi’s
and dynamic market like India, until a
and investing in marketing initiatives to
approach. It’s trying to offer solutions to
brand has a wider product portfolio across
increase visibility. Realme which still is
existing customers for any product that
price segments, is available across all
brands by United States such as Huawei,
could be of millennial’s interest. A basic
channels (online/offline), maintains price
there ought to be some complications
rule of business, it’s always cheap to sell to
parity and channel support (to liquidate
for the growth in 2020. When India’s
an existing user than to acquire a new one.
old stocks) and still continues to build
economy is at 4 per cent, people tend
I wish telcos in India would have used this
trust amongst its customers by giving
to shy away in making new purchases or
approach, selling as many as possible
good quality products and ample service
devices, air purifier, powerbank, organic T-shirt, earbuds and TV to mention.
Limelight
lead story
an online heavy brand, however trying to build offline presence will still take some time to step up to the levels of matching the leader in terms of visibility, brand awareness and reach/width of distribution,” said Upasana. For Xiaomi it would be much easy to retain its top spot in 2020 as Samsung lags behind in budget, mid and midpremium segment and Realme has a long road to travel. It would not be merely these two brands to compete for dominance but, there are vivo, Oppo and OnePlus to make the fight even more interesting. As Faisal points out, “Question is not about the potential, it’s about does the market has space to absorb another player? Probably no, unless something really disruptive happens. He elaborates, “For Xiaomi it was relatively easy to build its empire as there was no strong player to resist. There could have been Samsung, but they misjudged Xiaomi’s potential. For Realme there are enough of players to fight out. Especially Xiaomi, which is still in its vigour.”
Complications The market dynamics isn’t that simple to argue in an article rather it’s much more complex and with the economic uncertainty and pressure/ban on Chinese
www.mymobileindia.com
january 2020 | 23
Limelight
lead story
centers, longer sustainability for any brand
To get things going under its belt,
them losing a few points in the market
will be at risk if all the above mentioned is
Realme, was also being accused by
share and could even lose the No 1 spot
not ensured.”
consumers of launching half-baked
as there are too many players after its
Recently, Xiaomi started a new digital
products in haste. Faisal echoes and says,
territory. For Realme, its offline has also
financial initiative called Mi Credit to
“As answered, yes initially, it did appear
picked up well. The channel response has
have a holistic ecosystem under its roof
so, but for the past 5 or 6 products, I never
been positive and that could be a major
of IoT, connected devices, smartphones
felt so. Also we have to remember; Realme
gain for the brand. For now, it appears
and smart apparel. So the voices of
is leveraging on R&D and manufacturing
the brand is on the growth trajectory, but
dissent may question, would Xiaomi get
competencies of OPPO. So a lot of things
eventually can it cross 20% market share?
caught up in its own web? “I don’t think
are automatically inherited. Just like
That’s unlikely.
any such web exists. On a lighter note,
MVNOs in case of mobile operators,
Upasana concludes, “Fact remains
its leadership, especially Manu Jain is as
Realme has emerged as a MVHO (Mobile
that 80% of smartphone market is
dynamic as Spiderman; he should be able
Virtual Handset Operator).” Realme
consolidated within top 5 vendors, and
to maneuver out of any such web,” said
has grown its reach from smartphone to
the rankings within them will be subject
Faisal. Going with competition, Realme
powerbanks, earbuds. It still has to launch
to change. It all depends on the kind
has also announced Realme Paysa to
TV, air purifier and lots of other IoT devices
of offline play these online brands like
support both Realme and non-Realme
to complete its own ecosystem.
Xiaomi and Realme undertake and on
users to get digital loans; personal, business, etc.
Future
offline heavy brands like Samsung, vivo,
“Both Xiaomi and Realme would continue
Oppo. Also important will be the kind of
their fierce battle in the year ahead, and we
technological advancement the brands
would witness increased consolidation in
offer keeping in mind aggressive pricing
the market,” said Prabhu Ram. This New
and first mover advantage.”
Year opens a new era of opportunities for
Going by the rate, Realme is pegged
both Realme and Xiaomi. Both are now
to cross over vivo, Oppo and might reach
well-versed, understand the market and
at number three in market share by the
its aspirations, threats; global and local,
Q3 of 2020. Collectively, BBK (vivo,
have dedicated R&D team to meet the
Oppo, OnePlus and Realme) is going
demands, and last but not the least, the
to be the sole dominator in 2020 while
control over offline and online channels
Xiaomi has to battle it out alone. Overall,
coupled with good after sales servicing is
as I said in the beginning, competition is
going to decide the new market leader.
good for buyers, market and companies.
Both of them have good face value as
So be prepared to get your hands on new
well in the form of Bollywood actors and
innovations by Realme and Xiaomi in a
sportsmen for advertisement.
cut-throat competition with wafer-thin
Xiaomi has to fight for its position, and will be more in defensive mode. I do see
38 | december 2019
the other side, the online growth path for
margin. n haider@mymobile.co.in
MYMOBILE
ADVT.
INDIA INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONICS & SMART APPLIANCES EXPO (IEAE - 2019) Tracking the Trends & enabling Indian Industry Association to expand their product & business range
C
o-organized by Ikonic Exhibition &
significant to China-India economic &
during the 3 days of the expo wherein
Conferences Pvt. Ltd. from India,
trade corporation.
All India Electronics Association (AIEA)
alongside Chaoyu Exposition from
The two day conference was focused
had a dedicated Make In India pavilion
China who is also the organisers of IEAE
on the roadmap, challenges and
promoting the manufacturing in India. Shri.
Series of Exhibitions in Indonesia, the
opportunities for the electronics industry
Sangam Lal Gupta, Member of Parliament
event was Powered By the most reputed
under the Make In India – Vision 2025.
– Pratapgarh, Shri. Gulshan Gugnani,
media house from India - The Economic
Conference on the first day was organized
Business Cell – BJP, Shri. Yogesh Kumar,
Times.
by CMAI, led by the association president
Deputy Mayor, MCD Delhi were among
Scheduled from 12 – 14 December, 2019
Prof. N. K. Goyal concentrating on
the government dignitaries who attended
at Hall 12 & 12A, Pragati Maidan, New
changing trends of consumer electronics,
the event with a special delegation of
Delhi, the event was in line with the theme
smart homes & appliances along with the
Indo-African Chamber of Commerce and
of Make In India – Vision 2025 and was
National Electronics Summit & Awards and
Industry led & represented by its Secretary
inaugurated by Shri S. K. Marwaha from
a media round table on smart equipment
General, Mrs. Sunanda Rajendran.
Ministry of Electronics & IT, Government
manufacturing.
IEAE 2019 also witnessed the industry
of India; Shri. Kamendra Kumar from Telecommunication Consultants of India; Mr. HE. Li Baijun, Economic & Commercial Minister , Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in India; Mr. Miao Huawei, Ministry of Commerce, People’s Republic of China and Mrs. Sunanda Rajendran, Secretary General, Indo-African Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The event was an initiative supported by leading industry association National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), Govt. of India, All India Electronics Association (AIEA), CMAI Association of India, Federation of All India IT Association from India & China Electronics Chambers of Commerce (CECC), Guangdong Electronics Chambers of Commerce (GECC), Dongguan Electronics Chambers
Day 2 of conference was led by Shri
representation by Mr. Manish Jain from
of Commerce (DECC) and various other
Sanjay Nagpal, President - All India
Xiaomi India, Mr. Shyam Khemnai from
partners from both the countries which
Electronics Association (AIEA) focussing
Lava International, Mr. Sunil Jatta from
also highlighted China International
on manufacturing challenges within the
Haeir India, Mr. Sandeep Sawhney from
Consumer Electronics (India) brand expo
framework of Make in India and exploring
Intex Technologies, Mr. Manu Seth from
theme from China.
the possibilities of joint venture with
Speaking Mindz Inc., Sunil Vachani from
Speaking in the occasion HE. Li Baijun
international trade partners & technology
Dixon Technologies to name a few.
said, “China & India’s relationship have
transfer and conference on Indo-China
Consumer Electronics & Appliances
yielded fruits under the respective
collaboration by All Delhi Computer
Manufactures Association (CEAMA),
leadership and the bilateral trade between
Traders Association (ADCTA), led by
Federation of All India IT Association
the two countries in 2018 was $95.5 billion.
the President, Shri Mahinder Aggarwal
(FAIITA), India Cellular & Electronics
China’s cumulative investment in India is
followed with the product launch by
Association (ICEA), PHD Chamber of
pegged at $8.23 billion and both nations
Accha Go on home appliances and mobile
Commerce & Industry (PHDCCI), Invest
are focused on Industrial Corporation
accessories.
India were the other association and
and have made progress in Consumer
More than 200+ exhibiting companies
Electronics segment which is very
showcased 500+ innovative products
government bodies who participated and attended the show. n
HotSpot
Feature
5G wireless revolution, what we know so far! By Pahi Mehra
A
fter years of hype and
becoming a reality. Looking at the
what exactly 5G is, let’s talk about how it
speculations, network providers
success of 4G networks in India a lot of
works.
and carriers around the globe
companies invested in the Indian market
5G networks will operate on the super-
have spent the last few months turning
including the ones here. But with the
high-frequency spectrum, between 30
on their 5G networks. It has become a
high spectrum prices, India’s 5G timeline
GHz and 300 GHz, which said to have a
race that is aimed to supposedly change
seems to be a little distant.
shorter range but the higher capacity to
how life works with the revolutionary
Before asking when the 5G will arrive
speed. But for now, the deployments
we have to know what exactly is 5G. Why
remain limited. Don’t be surprised if
are people so excited? The following is
known as the millimeter wave spectrum.
you’re nowhere near the service, give it
a breakdown of why the next generation
These millimeter waves can transfer
some time!
of wireless technology is more than just
heaps of data at very high speeds, but
a boost in speed, and why you should be
they don’t travel as far as the lower-
excited.
frequency waves used in 4G networks.
Before 5G we have to look back at the impact of 4G, and 2018 will be known as the year of 4G in India. An extensive
deliver a massive pipe for online access. The high-frequency spectrum is also
High-frequency millimeter waves also
4G network expansion undertaken by
What is 5G?
the telecom operators in the country led
It is the next Fifth generation of cellular
buildings, and other obstacles. So it is
to the remarkable growth of the mobile
technology, and it promises to greatly
still very limited.
internet subscribers and consumption.
enhance the speed, coverage, and
This coupled with a significant rise in
responsiveness of the wireless networks.
the sale of affordable smartphones and
The conducted tests around the world
Is it just about the speed?
intense tariff war between the telcos. This
showed the 5G speed surging past 1
Speed is supposed to one of the major
evolution fuelled the mobile broadband
gigabit per second, which is a lot!
benefits of 5G but there’s another key
market in the country.
That’s almost 100 times faster than
have difficulty getting around walls,
Think of it as a giant Hotspot medium!
benefit called “Low Latency”, you might
Between the end of 2018 through the
the typical cellular connection we have
have heard this term before. Latency is
first few months of 2019, several network
right now and even faster than anything
the response time between when you
providers around the globe conducted
you can get with a physical fiber-optic
click on a link or start streaming a video
5G trials in order to become the first in
cable going into your house. With this
on your phone, which sends the request
the field. Right now only a few parts of
high speed, you can download high
up to the network, and when the network
the world have access to 5G, and India is
definition videos and movies in seconds.
responds, delivering you the website or
absolutely not one of them. All of this means that 5G is slowly inching from years of promises and
How does it work? Now that you have a rough idea about
playing your video. The lag time with current networks is around 20 millisecond and more. It doesn’t seem like much, but with 5G, that latency gets reduced to as little as 1 millisecond, or about the time it takes for a flash on a normal camera. And now the question is why this is important? Well to answer the question, this responsiveness is critical for things like playing an intense video game in virtual reality or for a surgeon in New
32 | january 2020
MYMOBILE
York to control a pair of robotic arms
And with India still in talks for 5G, it
performing a procedure, though latency
is quite clear that there is no rush to buy
will still be affected by the ultimate range
your 5G phones. Also, while some see 5G
of the connection. The virtually lag-free
helping to improve coverage for everyone,
connection means self-driving cars have
rural areas will likely miss out for a while,
a way to communicate with each other in
since they lack the infrastructure to
real-time -- assuming there’s enough 5G
support all those cell radios.
coverage to connect those vehicles.
Will it replace 4G?
Can we pick up 5G with our existing smartphones?
adequate. The World Health Organization
a 5G network, it doesn’t mean you need
Absolutely not 5G technology requires a
lists cellular signals as a potential
one to reap some of its speed benefits. In
specific set of antennas to tap into specific
carcinogen. But it also notes pickled
fact, as the next-gen network rolls out, you
bands. And the first generation of 5G
vegetables and coffee as carcinogens too.
may experience faster speeds on 4G as
phones will be expensive because their antennas and modems typically work only with particular 5G networks by specific mobile carriers.
While you will need a 5G phone to access
Still, it’s something people are worried about.
Will it cost more?
well (more on that below). In addition, 5G is not replacing 4G altogether. Rather, it’s building on top of existing 4G networks. All major carriers in
There is still no certain answer to this as
the US and around the world are a ways
but the initial times would be like this. We
5G is still a work-in-progress for India, but
away from a solid network-wide rollout.
can expect more 5G phones to come out in
what we know for certain till now is that 5G
Even if 5G is available in your area, your
mass in 2020.
plans will definitely cost more than 4G.
phone isn’t obsolete just yet. It will still
That could definitely limit our options,
Anything you should worry about?
Maybe because of the high prices of spectrums that will be used to deploy 5G
work perfectly fine on 4G.
or simply because it is a new and premium
Conclusion
The high-frequency spectrum is the key
technology and initially the accessibility
The next-generation of high-speed mobile
to that massive pickup in capacity and
will only be available to fewer areas.
data is certainly the talk of the town from
speed, but there are drawbacks. The range
According to some media reports, 5G
quite some time and for some countries, it
isn’t great, especially when you have
was supposed to roll out in India in 2020
is still in ideas and for others, it is live in a
obstructions such as trees or buildings. As
but due to the rising prices of spectrums
handful of areas. But as this network rolls
a result, carriers will have to deploy a lot
and economically failing telcos giants the
out, many misconceptions and confusion
smaller cellular radios, creatively named
deployment of 5G has been pushed to 5
around the new technology remain.
small cells, around any areas that get a 5G
years.
signal.
What about the health risks?
When does 5G get here?
5G will surely have a huge impact on many people’s lives all around the world, so there are understandably still a lot
Before jumping to the timeline, here’s
of questions being asked, but very few
There have been some speculations
another concern - 5G might still be only a
answered. It is predicted that there will
and concerns that the cellular signals
theoretical possibility for a lot of people.
be 1 Billion 5G customers by 2023, not
of 5G may cause cancer, unfortunately,
Global Network providers like Sprint,
only will these 5G networks connect users
there haven’t been a lot of studies to
AT&T, and T-Mobile have already launched
to a superfast mobile network, but many
conclusively prove or disprove a
5G in some parts of United Kingdom and
other industries will benefit from the faster
health risk.
the US, and with their roll-out, it is seen
connectivity of 5G as well, like self-driving
that it’s still very unclear how wide the
cars, drones and the internet of things, to
coverage will be.
name a few.
Some of the researchers have argued that the 5G network will run at super-high frequencies, which could be harmful to our cells.
In the race of 5G technology, China,
But one thing is for sure whenever this
Japan, and South Korea are building out
new technology comes on-board, it will not
their 5G networks, with Europe turning on
at all how anyone would’ve imagined it to
research into this issue and that the
its own 5G networks now. But it is still not
be like!
studies that have been conducted weren’t
a huge amount of area.
Still, critics say there isn’t enough
www.mymobileindia.com
HotSpot
Feature
pahi@mymobile.co.in
january 2020 | 27
In Conversation
face to face
“We will continue to do our best to provide quality products along with reliable services” Philips, a renowned electronics brand, recently became more vocal in India with its new range of audio products targeting youths across price segment. It aims to build on the legacy of its trusted name by offering competitive yet attractive and price conscious products led by TPV Technology. We had a conversation with Arun Menon, Country Business Head, Philips Branded Television and Audio, TPV Technology India Private Limited to understand company’s vision and lineup for 2020. How did you establish your brand in an
products, Bluetooth and true wireless
extremely competitive market in India? Tell
enabled devices and offer consumers the
In case of the headphones, consumers
us how your journey has been so far. TPV
right set of solutions that will enhance
have appreciated the features of our new
Technology has been a trusted partner for
their lifestyle. From wireless Bluetooth
offerings in 2019. Features such as Active
brand Philips globally. We had the rights
headphones such as TAPN505 to
Noise Cancellation, Google Assistant and
for Philips in key global markets such as
HTL3320 Dolby Digital soundbars, we
Hi-Res Audio have helped us touch the
Europe and China from 2010 and also
have a huge portfolio to meet the needs
right chord with them.
got the brand license rights for Philips
of the end consumers.
benchmarks.
Television and Audio in the Indian market
With constant efforts and newer
What are some of the key new features that
in June 2018. TPV is one of the largest
technology, we will continue to do our
have been added to the product line up?
manufacturers of monitors and LCD/LED
best to provide quality products along with
2019 has been exciting year for us. Philips
TVs globally, with its own brands like AOC
reliable services.
Audio showcased a whole new range of
and as an OEM for large global brands.
smart enabled devices which includes the
Under the partnership with Philips, we are
What has been the response on the key
Philips Performance Wireless Bluetooth
bringing-in the new feature packed global
launches that have happened in 2019? With
headphones. These are equipped with
range of Philips Television products to
an aim to create new personalized user
features like one touch Active Noise
India the critically acclaimed Philips
experiences through an array of products
Cancellation and Google Assistant. One
Ambilight technology being one of them.
and technologies, Philips Television &
can control the Active Noise Cancelling
We have also seen a rising demand for
Audio range has received a great response.
function on Philips TAPN505 wireless
our audio segment which is attributed to
From our new soundbars that can be easily
in-ear neckband to match the situation.
trends like increased music consumption
connected with the television and gaming
With 14 hours play time plus flexible quick
due to ease of access to music and
consoles to the flagship Ambilight TV
charging, one is always covered for the
increased penetration of smartphones.
which is a breakthrough product with its
whole trip. With Google Assistant, along
We aim to anticipate and keep up with
intelligent LED’s color cast on the wall,
with listening to music, one can ask it
the consumer aspirations for smarter
our offerings are innovative and set new
to open your calendar, read notifications
28 | january 2020
MYMOBILE
from your phone, call or send messages to
and headphones.
presence across 35000+ stores with more than 200 distributors. Also, we currently
friends, manage playlists, and much more What are your sales strategy for online and
have 200+ service centers and plan to
Another stylish offering in the audio
offline channels? Both the channels are
double this number to be able to reach out
segment are the soundbars HTL3320 and
equally important for us. While Headphones
to our customers more effectively.
HTL3310 with wireless subwoofer which
and BT speakers are significantly skewed
are equipped with tweeters and virtual
towards online sales, major contribution
Ambilight TV has been a breakthrough
surround sound technology, perfect for the
for TV and Home Audio still comes from
innovation in the television industry, what is
millennials who want an immersive movie
offline channel.
new in terms of technology? With an aim of
without taking out the phone.
making television viewing more immersive,
experience. We will also be adding the step up three dimensional Dolby Atmos
Philips recently did a lot of activations in
TPV technology launched the flagship 65”
Soundbar to the existing portfolio which
the regional markets, could you tell us
television from the Ambilight 6700 Series.
makes you feel like you are inside the
more about it. In 2019, we have actively
With the Philips patented Ambilight
action. In the TV segment, we launched the
showcased our range of television and
technology, the Ultra Slim 4K UHD LED
Philips Ambilight TV. Philips Ambilight is a
audio products across states in India.
Smart TV, with Ambilight 3-sided and Saphi system and Pixel Precise Ultra HD
patented Philips technology that enables
makes the viewing experience look smooth “TPV will be and sharp. launching 14-16 Philips global TV The 65-inch 65PUT6703S/94 the room, in real time. The screen models in India in the coming year is the largest screen in the range seems bigger, every moment and comes fully equipped with feels closer, and music gets a with focus on large screens. We will strive to 3-sided Amblight, which light show. bring the latest global range of products to makes movies and games India, along with specially designed products feel more immersive. Festive season is one of the Intelligent LEDs around most important times when specifically targeted to meet the technological the edges of the TV cast consumer durable brands needs of the Indian consumers. We are onscreen colours onto the are actively marketing their also looking at a reasonable growth in our walls, and into the room, in products, how have the sales audio business next year, led real time. You get perfectly been for you so far? While tuned ambient lighting which we saw a slowdown across primarily by wireless home audio makes TV viewing a more industries this year, the festive Bluetooth speakers and relaxing experience as it is easy on season see some positive shift in the headphones” eyes and reduces eye strain. With the demand for consumer electronics. The TV intelligent LEDs behind the TV to cast onscreen colours onto the walls, and into
‘Ambilight music mode’ on, the Ambilight
segment did not pick up as expected, but the audio product category did relatively
With reference to this festive season, we
output will sync with the music converting
well with festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi
announced offers specific to each market
your living room into a virtual sound and
and Diwali.
starting August which included Onam
light show. Further, when you’re not
offers in the Southern market, Ganesh
watching TV, there’s even an indirect light
What are your plans/expectations from
Chaturthi offers in the Western region and
mode to turn your set into a sophisticated
2020? TPV will be launching 14-16
Durga Puja offers in the Eastern part of
mood-setting lamp — with any colour you
Philips global TV models in India in the
India. Also, around Diwali, we rolled out
choose.
coming year with focus on large screens.
festive offers across our product portfolio
We will strive to bring the latest global
in the Northern region. Considering the
What is the market share that you are aiming
range of products to India, along with
diverse demographics of India, we feel that
to capture? India will be a key focus market
specially designed products specifically
regional focus and customized campaigns
for us and we want to be amongst the top
targeted to meet the technological needs
will help us create a personal connect with
players in the industry. We will continue
of the Indian consumers. We are also
our consumers.
to expand our presence in terms of retail network and will look at providing the best
looking at a reasonable growth in our audio business next year, led primarily by
What are your expansion plans in terms of your
wireless home audio Bluetooth speakers
service centers? We have an overall retail
www.mymobileindia.com
In Conversation
face to face
customers experience. n team@mymobile.co.in
december january 2020 2019 | 61 29
Glimpse
Feature
Most Anticipated Smartphones to Look out for in 2020 Now, 2019 is over and 2020 is here with a bang, and if you are due a phone upgrade you might want to hold off just a little longer. Some great phones are coming from the big brands and from the long lost brands in the next 12 months, and we’d hate for you to get tied into a two-year contract and immediately regret it. Two of the hot new trends are 5G connectivity and foldable designs, but neither is something you need to worry about right now, with 5G still exclusively available to small part of the world, it is not expected to make an entry in India this year. And foldable phones are still very few and far with the price they come with. Saying that if you intend to hang on to your new phone for a few years and also want some element of future-proofing, this list is worth considering.
By Pahi Mehra Apple iPhone X Fold
foldable display and body.
A
renders and rumors about the upcoming foldable
mid all the rumors and speculations, Apple made it very clear that it wouldn’t be launching any
foldable phone in 2019, but we all know that the iPhone company never let go of any challenge. In February last year the company once again updated its patent application for a clamshell phone with a
The market is filled with patent images, fan-made iPhone, while all these images indicates exactly how this device is going to be, but nothing much is officially confirmed. In terms of specifications, we can expect that Apple will use its top-notch hardware to make it look good from inside and outside. So, we can also expect the pricing to be really high this time as Samsung’s foldable smartphone comes around a lakh, so, it is quite clear that Apple iPhone X Fold will be of similar price. Meanwhile there are strong chances that Apple will launch its first foldable iPhone in 2020, but there is no timeline out yet.
108 | october 2019
MYMOBILE
Xiaomi Mi Flex
C
hinese smartphone maker, Xiaomi, has won a lot of hearts in India, with its affordable range of smartphones as well as its
premium smartphone segment. And once again the company is all set to steal some thunder with its upcoming “Xiaomi Mi Flex” a foldable smartphone with dual display. According to the rumors and media reports, the foldable phone will feature a one-3rd camera outback with a pop-up selfie camera. And the revealed powerful specs and novel design suggests a premium price tag which is not known yet, just like its official release date, but we can hope this smartphone to come out in 2020. Furthermore, a bunch of speculations suggests that the foldable phone will include a 6.2 inches display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Chipset – partnered with 6GB/8GB RAM and Adreno 630 GPU. It is also expected to make its debut in three different colors – Silver, Black, and White. It’ll run on Android 9.0 Pie operating system and will have 4200mAh battery to power it.
One Plus 8 and 8T
O
nePlus’s whole smartphone-making mantra has been manufacturing
high-end phones that could compete against premium phones but with affordable prices. And so far the company has gained a massive momentum in the market and 2019 has been proven to be the best year so far, with the launch of its
Glimpse
Feature
7 Series. The company was yet to be done with all the phones of 2019, but the design of its upcoming OnePlus smartphone has taken over the internet like a storm. However there is nothing extraordinary about the device that we could anticipate from the leaks and rumors. The leaks indicate that the device will feature a punch-hole camera on the front, which will make it look a lot like Samsung. However, as compared to OnePlus 7, OnePlus 8 will have quite a
Microsoft Anderomeda Foldable Phone
S
o far, only Huawei and Samsung are the leaders in the world of foldable smartphones with their Huawei Mate X and Galaxy
Fold smartphones. And just like any other tech giant, Microsoft is also not planning to step down. It has been rumored that Microsoft is currently working on a foldable smartphone which is named Andromeda, and it’s expected to be available in stores to buy sometimes in 2020. According to the leaks and media reports, it’ll be a button-less smartphone with a clamshell design and may arrive with a stylus like
few differences, like a depth-sensing 3D
a Microsoft Surface Laptop. This foldable smartphone will have the
Time-of-Flight sensor (something that
functionality to become a tablet by folding it out like Huawei’s Mate
only comes with premium smartphones),
X and a smartphone when folding into half.
and a slightly smaller display with a size
Furthermore, we have heard Microsoft is also looking to modify its Windows platform for foldable devices and is planning some useful in-built apps to work on dual-screen and foldable devices.
of 6.65-inches, OnePlus might also add “OnePlus Pay” for contactless payments. The phone is most likely to hold its position on shelves sometimes in 2020 (as expected), and as far as OnePlus 8 price is concerned, the company is likely to roll out three variants to satisfy premium and mid range.
www.mymobileindia.com
january 2020 | 31
Glimpse
Feature Apple iPhone 12 and 5G phone
T
he 2020 iPhones are one of the most
anticipated phones and also said to be the biggest upgrades ever for the iPhone family. We all know that Apple’s latest smartphone iPhone XR featured an LCD display got a lukewarm response.
Nokia 10
A
mid speculations of 5G coming in India, tech giants are already gearing up to launch 5G phones beforehand. And it may sound
unrealistic but, Nokia is expected to launch a 5G Nokia 10 in 2020. According to the leaks the phone is said to be loaded with a combination of dual 48MP (wide-angle and telephoto) camera sensors on its rear with 4-axis Optical Image Stabilization. And on the front, it may feature a 16MP selfie snapper, for selfies and videos calls and importantly, it’ll be capable enough to record 1080p videos. Rumors suggested that it’s going to have a 6.5-inches display and other features include a dust-resistant, water-resistant and quick charge 4+.
So in the next iPhone 12, we may see a total shift to OLED screens. It will also be Apple’s first and foremost iPhone to support 5G networking. According to the rumors,
LG G9 ThinQ
T
here’s not much revealed about this upcoming LG phone but according to the rumors the LG G9 ThinQ is likely to be launched at
the Mobile World Congress 2020. But we are not sure by when it will hit
the Apple iPhone 12 will also be the first to kill a notch and flaunt in-display Touch ID functionality. Apart from this AI will have a big role to play as Apple is working on a new series of chips called the bionic chips. These chips are meant for accelerating AI-powered processes. As for the pricing, the 2020 iPhones are expected
the Indian market. According to LG itself, V-series wouldn’t have 5G connectivity whereas G-series will be stuck on 4G. So, it doesn’t promise well for a phone which was already looking for a little dated with its bumpy notched screen, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, and a dual-lens camera. The LG G8 ThinQ is expected to lack a 3.5mm headphone jack which has been dropped by Samsung in its newly released Samsung Galaxy Note 10. The price of the phone is also not out yet, but it wouldn’t come as a surprise for sure. We all have been waiting for an LG phone that really “wows” us; well we can surely expect this one to make that mark.
not to stay widely in line with 2019’s iPhone devices – thanks to its significant upgrades. The pricing range might go up – maybe even higher than we think.
32 | january 2020
MYMOBILE
TCL Foldable Phone
Google Pixel 5
M
G
ostly known for its affordable televisions, Chinese tech company TCL is working on a foldable phone prototype that
bends not once but twice. The upcoming device will have flexble AMOLED display that can bend because of what TCL calls a DragonHinge. Patented by
oogle launched its Pixel 4 series in 2019, but unfortunately it didn’t
hit the Indian market but we can hope for the best with the upcoming Pixel 5 in 2020.
the company, the hinge enables the screens to fold both inward
Technology keeps on upgrading each
and outward. TCL estimates that its first foldable phone will be
year and we see futuristic smartphones
available in 2020 and that it could cost less than $1,000 -- making
every year making entry and Pixel 5
it significantly cheaper than the Galaxy Fold.
is also going to be one of it, because
According to some media reports, the phone—is strictly a
Glimpse
Feature
Android is owned by Google and they
concept and does not have an official name, price or release date. But unlike its competitors like the Huawei Mate X and the Samsung Galaxy Fold, both of which open along a single hinge to offer a larger screen, the TCL phone has a single screen that splits into three. Apart from the unique design the smartphone will also come with four rear cameras, one front-facing camera and a USB-C charger port, but there appears to be no headphone jack. The concept certainly is inventive, but as with other offerings in the foldable market, we have our reservations.
Sony Xperia 2
T
here were many smartphone manufacturers who are now almost wiped out from the Indian market and Sony is also has a name
in it. Smartphone sales are declining day by day it was one of the companies that used to rule the smartphone market. So it looks that with their upcoming smartphone Sony is looking to have a huge comeback. According to the leaks, the Xperia 2 (with unconfirmed name) will be the first smartphone to have a 5K display with the resolutions of 5,040 x 2,160 pixels. It will have a pixel density of up to 899ppi which is great, and a 5k screen on a smartphone will be out of the world feeling. Rest other things are still unclear about the device but we know that cameras on Sony smartphones are always awesome, so we can expect awesome rear and front cameras. The images are already leaked you can look above and the device looks very stunning however there is no notch type design like most of the smartphones have these days. In terms of the launch date, it is expected to hit in the last quarter of 2019 but some strong rumors also suggest that the Xperia 2 will be launch on MWC 2020.
always introduce some exclusive out of the box features for their devices. In terms of specs there is cutting edge project Soli that will enable you to use gestures to dismiss calls or swipe photos and a lot more. And another big update will be the IR face camera like the iPhone Xs Face ID for secure unlocking. Lastly, the phone will run on the latest Android Q, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor and 6 GB of Ram. Apart from these, there is no info in the market about Pixel 5 but we might witness a foldable device next year from the company and a regular variant, solely because the demand of foldable phones will surely be high this year. pahi@mymobile.co.in
www.mymobileindia.com
january 2020 | 33
Feature
AI-led Advancements Seeping into Different Industries By Vivek Singh Chauhan
C
utting-edge automation, smart
offerings. From home entertainment
we are only getting a hang of voice-
features and productivity
to education, police operations and
based commands, TCL, the global
hacks; the advent of Artificial
more, AI is helping companies turn a
Top-2 TV Corporation, has launched its
Intelligence (AI) is here to disrupt
new leaf over. Without further ado, let’s
full-fledged range of AI-powered TVs in
conventional norms. While users may
take a closer look at how top brands
India.
remain oblivious to the sheer extent and
are transforming different industries
scale of automation seeping into our
through AI.
daily lives, we can all take a whiff of the
In addition to voice-based control, TCL has commissioned an AI algorithm that enhances the sound and picture
AI is here to make our everyday lived
AI algorithms offering smart and immersive home entertainment
experiences smarter and more efficient.
Fighting for the remote control of TV is
game or a thriller, enjoy a dynamic
To the same end, some of the leading
now a passé! In fact, the idiot box has
experience as the AI Android TVs by TCL
and fast-growing companies of today
smartened up to listen to one’s voice
would enhance the brightness, contrast,
have made AI an integral part of their
commands and do as told. And while
sound quality etc. in real-time.
changing times. The writing on the wall is clear!
34 | january 2020
quality in real-time, thus offering an immersive home entertainment experience. While watching a live-action
MYMOBILE
The cutting-edge range of AI Android
like Doon School have deployed the
Assistance Solutions for enterprises
Pie (9.0) TVs by TCL also offers easy
AI-driven teacher training solution
across industries and geographies.
interconnectedness with other smart
‘Lessonvu’ by ONVU Learning. The
In fact, it has led the evolution of
home devices, letting you control robot
teacher training program is based on
conversational AI, reimaging what
sweepers etc. seamlessly through voice-
Video Analytics and AI and helps in
chatbots could do through continuous
based commands.
identifying different ways in which
innovation and capability building that
a teacher can improve the overall
has culminated with the development
Enhancing policing operations with AI
classroom engagement, thereby
of IVAs, an AI-driven solution that has
enhancing the students’ learning
enabled enterprises across industries
JARVIS has been Iron Man’s faithful
curve. Leveraging AI, it non-intrusively
to achieve massive growth in ROI,
assistant; RoboCop is part human, part
empowers teachers to reflect on their
enhanced customer satisfaction,
machine; Knight Rider found his best
classroom training while also assessing
greater operational efficiency and more
accomplice in KITT. However, our police
the individual engagement of different
transparency.
forces have, for long, been working
students.
without any aid of superior technology.
The tech-driven solution further
Perspective
Feature
With over 3 billion interactions processed and more than 135 live
However, a Gurgaon-based start-up is
comes loaded with a 360-degree
implementations, Haptik’s prowess
bringing in a wave of change, unravelling
camera which ensures that there are
in the virtual assistance space was
one leaf after another when it comes to
no blind spots and the end-to-end
further underlined when it was acquired
classroom activity is effectively covered.
by Reliance Industries through its
It, moreover, has a voice recorder so
subsidiary Reliance Jio Digital Services
that the lesson videos can be extended
Ltd. at a transaction size of Rs 700
to students who couldn’t attend the
crores. Haptik has developed IVA
respective classes. Above all, this tech-
solutions for companies such as HDFC,
driven approach ensures comprehensive
OYO, Coca Cola, Dream 11, Dr Lal Path
development of both students and
Labs, Viacom 18 among many others.
teachers and ultimately makes them
Recently, Haptik acquired LA-based AI
eager to learn, rather than getting
start-up Convrg to make a strong entry
optimising policing operations with AI. Staqu commenced on its crusade with ABHED (AI-based Human Efface Detection) to digitise criminal and missing people records. The app has been adopted by different statelevel police departments, including Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. The AI software is also integrated with smart glasses to help police personnel scan crowds during election rallies or other events and spot criminals hiding in the crowd. With JARVIS, the brand’s latest offering, Staqu has come up with an AI-powered video analytics tool to monitor CCTV footage and provide alerts in real-time. In UP, JARVIS is covering 70 strategic locations, spanning a stretch of 900 KM, managing nearly 3,000 security cameras. With all the advancements combined, Staqu is ramping up the nation’s homeland security with artificial intelligence.
‘Teching’ education and learning a notch above with AI Thankfully, AI is also finding its good use in the field of education. For instance, forward-looking educational institutes
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education or training forced onto them!
Talking your way to the bank via AI
into the US IVA market, the largest in the world. The importance of AI is going to more prominent with each passing time. The final goal of AI is one of
A six-year-old enterprise, Haptik is
the most ambitious ever proposed by
India’s biggest success story when it
science. n
comes to developing Intelligent Virtual
vivek@mymobile.co.in
january 2020 | 35
Trending
in focus
Biggest Moments on Twitter in 2019
T
witter, the most sought after social
Golden Tweet of 2019
media platform, has released top
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s (@narendramodi) Tweet celebrating BJP’s re-election victory in #loksabhaelections2019 was the most Retweeted and Liked Tweet of the year, making it the Golden Tweet in India.
trending #hashtags for the year 2019 in which many important
political, sporting and entertainment trends dominated. It’s interesting to see what Indians collectively talked about breaking news, entertainment and sports to politics, social causes and so much more. Right from the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 to Chandrayaan 2 and CWC 2019, this year, Twitter in India was abuzz with conversation and participation. One of the most exciting and momentous events for India this year was ISRO’s Chandrayaan 2 mission. The event represented a technological leap and highlighted India’s contribution to space exploration, as the world took to Twitter to respond to every development. Not before long, Chandrayaan 2 had developed into a
The most Retweeted Tweet in Sports in India In sports, Vikat Kohli (@imVkohli) wished M.S Dhoni (@msdhoni) on his birthday, which became the most Retweeted Tweet in the world of sports. This heartfelt Tweet by Kohli on Mahi’s birthday with a picture of the duo together made for an epic moment for Indian cricket fans.
phenomenon of sorts, and NASA as well as people on Twitter applauded ISRO’s work with this iconic Tweet. As 2019 has ended, here are some of the most interesting and talked about topics that emerged on Twitter.
2019 36 | january 2020
The Most Retweeted Tweet in Entertainment in India The Tamil entertainment industry continued to rule hearts as well as the Twitter charts. Vijay’s (@ actorvijay) Tweet sharing the poster of his film #bigil became the Tweet to receive the most Retweets in the entertainment sector, as well as became the Tweet to achieve the most Retweets with comments overall, indicating South-entertainment fans’ active engagement on the platform to discuss their favourite movies and stars.
MYMOBILE
Top 10 most Tweeted about Hashtags in 2019 in India
Trending
in focus
Hashtags are what tie ideas together around a topic of conversation. They take conversations across timelines, increase engagement and discoverability of a topic. In 2019, these were the most Tweeted about Hashtags. 1. #loksabhaelections2019: The world’s largest democracy
6. #bigil: Like every year, the Tamil and Telugu entertainment
voted to determine its political future this year, and Indians
industries dominated entertainment conversations
took to Twitter to exchange their thoughts, resulting in
on Twitter. Fans of superstar Vijay (@actorvijay)
#loksabhaelections2019 at the top of the list of most
used the service to discuss and celebrate every
Tweeted about Hashtags.
update about the much-awaited Diwali blocker buster
2. #chandrayaan2: ISRO’s ground-breaking mission to land
#bigil.
the world’s first robotic rover on the moon’s south pole
7. #diwali: Like every year, this year the festival of lights
was followed closely, not only by millions of Indians but
sparked joy as the five days of celebration lit up people’s
people all across the world. A Tweet from NASA (@NASA)
timelines. People came to Twitter to talk about their
commending ISRO became one of the top ten most
celebrations, wish loved ones and Tweet about how and
Retweeted Tweets this year by Indians on the service.
why Deepavali was special to them.
3. #cwc19: Cricket fans had a busy summer of cricket in
8. #avengersendgame: Like much of the world, Indians
2019 with the Cricket World Cup. Despite India losing to
took to Twitter to discuss fan-theories and what to
New Zealand in the semi-finals, Indian cricket fans owned
expect in the anticipated finale of the franchise, making
Twitter, Tweeting about winning moments, shocking
#avengersendgame one of the most Tweeted about
upsets, classic catches, and who can forget all those
hashtags this year.
memes, making #cwc19 the third most Tweeted about hashtag this year.
9. #ayodhyaverdict: The Ayodhya dispute has been a political, historical, and socio-religious milestone in India. As the
4. #pulwama: The news of the death of 40 Central Reserve
final judgement in the Ayodhya dispute was declared
Police Force (CRPF) personnel in an attack on the Jammu-
by the Supreme Court of India, people Tweeted their
Srinagar National Highway in Pulwama district, resulted
reactions.
in Indians taking to Twitter to Tweet their reactions.
10. #eidmubarak: Audiences on Twitter celebrate
5. #article370: In August 2019, the Minister of Home Affairs
every festival with equal cheer and joy. The tenth most
revoked Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that gave
Tweeted about hashtag this year was the festival of Eid,
special status to Jammu & Kashmir, raising opposition
as people Tweeted and wished each other prosperity and
and support on Twitter.
goodwill.
www.mymobileindia.com
january 2020 | 37
Trending
in focus Top Most Mentioned Accounts The following Twitter accounts were the most mentioned on Twitter in the year 2019, across topics like entertainment, politics and sports.
ENTERTAINMENT
The Top 10 Most Mentioned Handles in Entertainment - Male
Top 10 Most Mentioned Handles in Sports - Female
1. Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan)
1. Sonakshi Sinha (@sonakshisinha)
2. Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar)
2. Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma)
3. Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan)
3. Lata Mangeshkar (@mangeshkarlata)
4. Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk)
4. Archana Kalpathi (@archanakalpathi)
5. Vijay (@actorvijay)
5. Priyanka Chopra Jonas (@priyankachopra)
6. A. R. Rahman (@arrahman)
6. Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08)
7. Ranveer Singh (@RanveerOfficial)
7. Kajal Aggarwal (@MsKajalAggarwal)
8. Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn)
8. Sunny Leone (@SunnyLeone)
9. Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh)
9. Madhuri Dixit Nene (@MadhuriDixit)
10. Atlee (@Atlee_dir)
10. Rakul Singh (@Rakulpreet)
SPORTS Top 10 Most Mentioned Handles in Sports - Male 1. Virat Kohli (@imVkohli)
6. Harbhajan Singh (@harbhajan_singh)
2. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (@msdhoni)
7. Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12)
3. Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45)
8. Hardik Pandya (@hardikpandya7)
4. Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt)
9. Ravindrasinh Jadeja (@imjadeja)
5. Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag)
10. JaspritBumrah (@Jaspritbumrah93)
2019 38 | january 2020
MYMOBILE
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT Top 10 Most Mentioned Handles in politics - Male
Top 10 Most Mentioned Handles in politics – Female
1. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi)
1. Smriti Irani (@smritiirani)
2. Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi)
2. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi)
3. Amit Shah (@AmitShah)
3. Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj)
4. Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal)
4. Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman)
5. Yogi Adityanath (@myyogiadityanath)
5. Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial)
6. Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal)
6. Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19)
7. Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh)
7. Alka Lamba (@LambaAlka)
8. Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh)
8. Mayawati (@Mayawati)
9. Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir)
9. Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti)
10. Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari)
10. Atishi (@AtishiAAP)
Trending
in focus
And finally, Twitter is nothing if not fun - and what says fun more than expressing oneself through emojis? Below is the list of Most Tweeted emojis on Twitter in India this year. n
Top 10 Most Mentioned Handles in Sports - Female 1. P.V. Sindhu (@Pvsindhu1)
6. Mary Kom (@MangteC)
2. Hima Das (@HimaDas8)
7. Smriti Mandhana (@mandhana_smriti)
3. Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania)
8. Dutee Chand (@DuteeChand)
4. Saina Nehwal (@NSaina)
9. Manasi Joshi (@joshimanasi11)
5. Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03)
10. Rani Rampal (@imranirampal)
team@mymobile.co.in
www.mymobileindia.com
january 2020 | 39
In Focus
Spotlight
Trends to look for at CES 2020
C
onsumer Electronics Show
but the fun won’t start until the household
the phone-shaped silhouette in a photo
(CES) 2020, an annual trade
manufacturers take to the stage to showcase
promoting the reveal, we’re expecting a
show to be held in Las Vegas
their latest hardware during invite-only
handset - but all the fuss has us wondering
in January, revolving around
media keynotes on January 6. Then, on
if OnePlus is going to enter the foldable
the latest innovations in the consumer
January 7, the exhibition floor will open for
phone rodeo.
electronics space, is almost here and once
all attendees to get hands-on with the goods
we see everything revealed at the show, the
(the best bit) through January 10.
Of course, as a concept, it may never hit retail shelves. But given the other rumour
tech world will never be the same. CES
As per reports, this year’s show will
about OnePlus potentially releasing true
helps define the upcoming year in tech,
have a greater focus on travel and tourism,
wireless headphones to rival the AirPods, we
and with a new decade on the horizon, CES
data analytics and improving customer
might see a lot more OnePlus at the show
2020 could help set the tone for the tech
experiences. Of course, there will still be the
than ever before.
trends that will define the next ten years.
usual slew of TVs, speakers, headphones,
Another rumour suggests new Sony WH-
Being a trade show, CES isn’t open to the
laptops and phones - many of which will be
1000XM4 over-ear headphones are on the
public, with attendees having to submit
optimized for the 5G/8K revolution.
way, a follow-up to the wildly successful WH-
credentials in advance to score an invitation to the Las Vegas Convention Center, where it’s hosted.
When is CES 2020?
What’s in store from tech giants at CES 2020?
1000XM3 noise-cancelling cans released in October 2018. While the rumour doesn’t link the launch to CES, the timing could
Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus stated
be ripe for a January 2020 launch - which
that it will unveil a new mystery device at
makes CES the logical stage to unleash
CES 2020 will kick off with a handful of
its event during CES, which the company
them.
introductory conferences on January 5,
is dubbing ‘OnePlus Concept One.’ Given
74 | january 2020
Intel has long used CES to announce its
MYMOBILE
In Focus
Spotlight latest chipsets, notably taking the wraps off the first 10nm Ice Lake CPU at CES 2019. Pundits expect it to follow suit for CES 2020, using the trade show as a platform to announce some new, more advanced 10nm CPUs. We could even see some fresh low-end and midrange CPUs were thrown into the mix and the launch of its Intel Xe GPUs, too. South Korean company LG has a long history of announcing everything from smart washing machines and homebrewing systems to mirrored doors with built-in touchscreens at the tech bonanza, as well as new OLED TVs, envelopepushing developments, like rollable and transparent screens, and mid-range Android smartphones. But that’s just speculation. What do we know? Well, LG announced on December 11 that it will unveil three new LG Gram laptops — a refreshed LG Gram 14, LG Gram 15, and LG Gram 17, each of which will feature the latest 10th-generation Intel Core (Ice Lake) CPU and a maximum of 24GB of DDR4 32000MHz RAM — and one 2-in-1 at its press conference on January 6. The company has also confirmed that it will be showcasing a range of 8K TVs at CES 2020, which the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) says are the first to have received 8K Ultra HD certification.
have become part of our daily lives, and
several that claim to use brain waves to
This has resulted in LG branding them the
these subscriptions are expected to take
improve learning.
first “real 8K TVs’ — a dig at arch-rival
centre stage this year among the tech
One company to watch is Owlet
Samsung’s current 8K TVs, which lack the
companies showcasing their innovations
-- maker of the popular Smart Sock to
accreditation.
at CES 2020. We’ve seen a rise in interest
monitor newborns. It’s an Innovation
With Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Tech
in services among all of the major tech
Award honoree for its new personalized
Summit only just in the rear-view, it’s
players in the past year (hello, Apple TV
video sleep training program, Owlet Dream
unlikely we’ll see any new hardware
Plus, Disney Plus, Google Stadia and
Lab. A few smart bassinets will also be on
at CES 2020. Instead, the American
Apple Arcade) and more are likely to follow
display, including the Innovation Award
company will probably use the event
suit, particularly in the health and wellness
honoree mamaRoo sleep bassinet, which
to showcase developments in 5G in
and family and kids spaces.
moves to mimic motions that are calming
consumer technology from both itself and
Services for families and kids are
to babies, like a car ride, a tree swing and
its partners, including new milestones in
another trending area for CES 2020,
rock-a-bye, along with built-in noises that
self-driving cars and home appliances.
where we’ll see a lot of gadgets, some
parents can control via an app.
Services
of which will be connected to apps and services. In the education space, hundreds
Focus on Privacy
Services ranging from TV streaming to
of digital education apps and services will
Privacy has been a major topic in the smart
clothing boxes to meal kits to toothbrushes
be on display on the show floor, including
home, but home security companies could
www.mymobileindia.com
january 2020 | 41
In Focus
Spotlight be doing more -- and CES would be a great opportunity for brands to address it. Moving more of your interactions with smart home products to local control is one good option. Local MicroSD card storage for security cameras (versus cloud storage) is a good place to start. With cloud storage, your footage goes to a remote server to be saved for however long your cloud subscription allows. With
build privacy at scale, the role regulation
executives will present another keynote
local storage, your clips get saved on a
could play in furthering privacy, and
likely discussing the short-form mobile
microSD card that you can then transfer
what consumers want when it comes to
video platform, also expected in April.
to your computer to view -- without having
privacy.
Executives from WarnerMedia will also
to enlist a remote server. Some security
speak at a CES event, discussing HBO
cameras -- like the Wyze Cam and the Arlo
Streaming Services
Ultra hub -- offer a local storage option,
Consumer spending on software and
All of these new platforms will enter
but it isn’t as common as you’d think.
services -- including music, video and
an increasingly crowded field, and go to
gaming services -- was projected to hit
bat against Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus,
We also know that Apple is attending
Max, which is planned to roll out in May.
Netflix, Hulu and a bevvy of others.
Health and Wellness subscriptions Services have also infiltrated the health and wellness space, including fitness clothing subscription boxes, and smart gym equipment with workout subscription classes. At CES 2020, we’ll see hundreds of digital health companies exhibiting current and potential future products and services. A panel discussion called the Peloton Factor -- referring to the company behind the $2,245 exercise bike with a $39 monthly subscription fee to access exercise classes, and, yes, that disastrous commercial -- will discuss how the fitness industry is partnering with music, video CES 2020. The last time Apple officially
nearly $76 billion in 2019, 14 percent
and live streaming device companies
appeared at the CES was back in 1992.
growth over the year before, according to
along with wearable tech producers to
That’s changing in 2020, as an Apple
the CTA. TV streaming services spending
take advantage of new fitness trends.
executive is scheduled to speak at CES
alone grew by 25 percent, it found.
on a roundtable discussion about digital
Outside of services, you can also
CES and the various companies
expect to see a good amount of sex tech
attending and presenting there are well
and sleep tech at CES 2020. We’ll also
Jane Horvath, Apple’s senior director
aware of this trend. Linda Yaccarino,
see innovations in areas like blood sugar
of global privacy, will be participating
NBCUniversal’s chairman of advertising
monitoring -- company AerBetic is a CES
in the discussion alongside executives
and partnerships, will be a keynote speaker
2020 Innovation Award honoree for its
from Facebook, Procter & Gamble, and
at the show, and we expect that she will
noninvasive, wearable diabetes alert
the Federal Trade Commission. The
discuss its upcoming Peacock streaming
device that pairs with an app. n
panel will focus on how companies could
service, set to launch in April 2020. Quibi
privacy.
42 | january 2020
team@mymobile.co.in
MYMOBILE
ADVT.
INDIA INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONICS & SMART APPLIANCES EXPO (IEAE - 2019) Tracking the Trends & enabling Indian Industry Association to expand their product & business range
C
o-organized by Ikonic Exhibition &
significant to China-India economic &
during the 3 days of the expo wherein
Conferences Pvt. Ltd. from India,
trade corporation.
All India Electronics Association (AIEA)
alongside Chaoyu Exposition from
The two day conference was focused
had a dedicated Make In India pavilion
China who is also the organisers of IEAE
on the roadmap, challenges and
promoting the manufacturing in India. Shri.
Series of Exhibitions in Indonesia, the
opportunities for the electronics industry
Sangam Lal Gupta, Member of Parliament
event was Powered By the most reputed
under the Make In India – Vision 2025.
– Pratapgarh, Shri. Gulshan Gugnani,
media house from India - The Economic
Conference on the first day was organized
Business Cell – BJP, Shri. Yogesh Kumar,
Times.
by CMAI, led by the association president
Deputy Mayor, MCD Delhi were among
Scheduled from 12 – 14 December, 2019
Prof. N. K. Goyal concentrating on
the government dignitaries who attended
at Hall 12 & 12A, Pragati Maidan, New
changing trends of consumer electronics,
the event with a special delegation of
Delhi, the event was in line with the theme
smart homes & appliances along with the
Indo-African Chamber of Commerce and
of Make In India – Vision 2025 and was
National Electronics Summit & Awards and
Industry led & represented by its Secretary
inaugurated by Shri S. K. Marwaha from
a media round table on smart equipment
General, Mrs. Sunanda Rajendran.
Ministry of Electronics & IT, Government
manufacturing.
IEAE 2019 also witnessed the industry
of India; Shri. Kamendra Kumar from Telecommunication Consultants of India; Mr. HE. Li Baijun, Economic & Commercial Minister , Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in India; Mr. Miao Huawei, Ministry of Commerce, People’s Republic of China and Mrs. Sunanda Rajendran, Secretary General, Indo-African Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The event was an initiative supported by leading industry association National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), Govt. of India, All India Electronics Association (AIEA), CMAI Association of India, Federation of All India IT Association from India & China Electronics Chambers of Commerce (CECC), Guangdong Electronics Chambers of Commerce (GECC), Dongguan Electronics Chambers
Day 2 of conference was led by Shri
representation by Mr. Manish Jain from
of Commerce (DECC) and various other
Sanjay Nagpal, President - All India
Xiaomi India, Mr. Shyam Khemnai from
partners from both the countries which
Electronics Association (AIEA) focussing
Lava International, Mr. Sunil Jatta from
also highlighted China International
on manufacturing challenges within the
Haeir India, Mr. Sandeep Sawhney from
Consumer Electronics (India) brand expo
framework of Make in India and exploring
Intex Technologies, Mr. Manu Seth from
theme from China.
the possibilities of joint venture with
Speaking Mindz Inc., Sunil Vachani from
Speaking in the occasion HE. Li Baijun
international trade partners & technology
Dixon Technologies to name a few.
said, “China & India’s relationship have
transfer and conference on Indo-China
Consumer Electronics & Appliances
yielded fruits under the respective
collaboration by All Delhi Computer
Manufactures Association (CEAMA),
leadership and the bilateral trade between
Traders Association (ADCTA), led by
Federation of All India IT Association
the two countries in 2018 was $95.5 billion.
the President, Shri Mahinder Aggarwal
(FAIITA), India Cellular & Electronics
China’s cumulative investment in India is
followed with the product launch by
Association (ICEA), PHD Chamber of
pegged at $8.23 billion and both nations
Accha Go on home appliances and mobile
Commerce & Industry (PHDCCI), Invest
are focused on Industrial Corporation
accessories.
India were the other association and
and have made progress in Consumer
More than 200+ exhibiting companies
Electronics segment which is very
showcased 500+ innovative products
government bodies who participated and attended the show. n
Trendz
Market insight
Do Mobile Ads Influence You in Your Buying Decisions? Majority of Indians feel so that they were persuaded by advertisements on their mobile phones, finds a study
M
obile advertising in India
and Founder, MoMAGIC Technologies.
has been making major
The survey further showed that 24%
inroads in the past couple
of Indians have seen maximum ads, text/
of years and 70% of
video, on their mobile phones on popular
mobile phone users agree that they were
social media sites followed by mobile
influenced in their buying decisions after
games and e-commerce apps/sites at
seeing a video or a text ad, according to
14%.
a survey.
With video consumption on mobile
The survey by tech firm MoMAGIC-
phones at an all-time high and still
invested platform mChamp on Mobile
growing at a breathtaking pace, 10% of
Advertising Trends in India was conducted
the respondents also saw ads on video
for over a period of 2 months (October
aggregator/creators apps and website on
10 - December 10, 2019) with around
their mobile phones.
and exciting ways of user experience will
Indian language Punjabi has seen
be the deciding factor for the success of
maximum traction among major Indian
any mobile advertising campaign, other
regional languages with 17% of the
“We believe new and exciting ways of user experience will be the deciding factor for the success of any mobile advertising campaign, other than the content and localization. Video ads, with regionalised approach would gain more traction, ensuring better engagement right call to action”
than the content and localization. Video
respondents stating to see ads in Punjabi
– Arun Gupta,
ads, with regionalised approach would gain
language the most, as per the survey
CEO and Founder, MoMAGIC
more traction, ensuring better engagement
conducted among mobile phone users.
right call to action,” said Arun Gupta, CEO
Bengali came at second position with
Technologies
4,749 respondents (unique numbers) participating across India. The survey also showed that 89% of the respondents stated seeing an ad on mobile phones in the recent past indicating the reach of mobile advertising in India.
A new trend among video content is the vertical format. 35% of the respondents agreed that they prefer to watch video ads in a vertical format. However, most of the respondents surveyed, were not happy with the user
“Mobile advertising is becoming more
experience of mobile ads currently they
and more mainstream with significant
see. 72% of the respondents are looking
number of Indian consumers viewing ads
for a better user experience for mobile
on their mobile phones. We believe new
ads.
9% followed by Telgu and Marathi at 7%. Mobile ads in Urdu was at just 2%. The survey question was intended for major vernacular language mobile ads sans English and Hindi. Due to plethora of other regional languages in India, 51% of the respondents chose others as their answer. In the scope of this survey, only 6 languages were chosen. n team@mymobile.co.in
44 | january 2020
MYMOBILE
Market insight
Better Days Ahead for Hearables Market The global true wireless hearables market is expected to grow by 90% to 230 million units in 2020, finds a study
T
he size of the global market
Chinese players are expected to pick-up
for true wireless hearables
further in 2020. Not only global brands but
is expected to reach 230
the emerging Chinese local brands in low-
million units in 2020, growing
end products will also command attention.
90% YoY, according to the findings of
Now new models are ceaselessly
Counterpoint Research’s Hearables Market
released with various features and
Forecast.
functions, including noise cancellation,
Even though Apple’s market share fell
bio-sensing, waterproofing and integrated
to 45% in Q3 2019, it will likely take
AI voice assistants in broader price ranges
more than 50% of the market share on an
from low-cost entry to high-end premium.
annual basis. Apple is expected to show a significant turnaround in Q4 fueled by its new model, AirPods Pro, which has gained huge popularity since the launch in late October. In 2020, Apple will maintain a strong market leadership based on its loyal customer base, with advanced product and marketing strategies. In 2020, the market will be more dynamic as tech giants such as Amazon, Google and Microsoft are entering the true wireless hearables industry, and existing smartphone makers such as Samsung, Xiaomi and Huawei will expand their business aggressively. While the rapid growth of the Chinese market is prominent,
“The true wireless hearables market will have a similar growth momentum as the early smartphone market a decade ago. The CAGR of the smartphone market from 2009 to 2012 was 80%, and the true wireless hearables market is expected to grow at 80% CAGR from 2019 to 2022 as well” – Liz Lee, Senior Analyst, Counterpoint Research
In addition, demand for replacements from consumers who purchased first generation products two or three years ago, will likely soar, as well as first time purchasers who are now entering the market in large numbers. Liz Lee, Senior Analyst at Counterpoint Research, said, “The true wireless hearables market will have a similar growth momentum as the early smartphone market a decade ago. The CAGR of the smartphone market from 2009 to 2012 was 80%, and the true wireless hearables market is expected to grow at 80% CAGR from 2019 to 2022 as well. Based on future product strategies focused on voice communications from global tech companies and their efforts to create high-added value, the true wireless hearables are just becoming one of the daily necessities among consumers.” n team@mymobile.co.in
january 2020 | 45
Tried & Tested
burntest
realme X2 Pro
Super Display, Fast Processor, with a Super 50W Charger
R
ealme , the
7 and OnePlus 7T then the
most disruptive
new realme X2 Pro looks very
smartphone brand
similar in terms of its body
at the moment,
shape and body composition
has got another first under
which is the presence of
its belt, i.e, a 50W Super
Corning Gorilla Glass 5 at
VOOC Charger, being shipped
the back. The phone feels
within the box of its latest
premium as well and due to
flagship smartphone X2 Pro. A
its metal body, it feels slightly
smartphone with quad-camera
heavy. The body color of the
set-up at the back and fastest
phone is very pretty and it
processor available till now
surely attracts a lot of eyes.
in a smartphone from the
The color finish of the phone
house of Qualcomm known
has a finish of pearl white
as Snapdragon 855+ has
and Neptune blue with prism
a lot more to talk about. In
effect making the phone look
this review of ours, we will
very attractive. The top side of
provide a deep insight into the
the phone has just secondary
new realme X2 Pro and will
mic whereas at the bottom lies
see whether the company’s
Type-C USB port, speakers
entry into a new price range
having DOLBY Atmos sound
can make users go for
quality, and a 3.5 mm
realme rather than the other
headphone jack which is a
competitors falling within the
good addition to its features
same flagship range.
because it the presence of
Design If you have seen OnePlus
headphone jack is giving upper edge over OnePlus 7T. to the left side of the phone
MYMOBILE
lies the volume rockers and
level adjusted to the optimum
at the right side lies power
level. The colour reproduction
button and dual SIM tray with
is very good as the colour
no extra slot for microSD card.
which you will get on screen is
The front fascia of the phone
very vivid, bright and punchy.
is dominated by 6.5 inches
The screen of the new realme
screen and on the screen, you
X2 Pro is doing justice with its
can get the fingerprint sensor
price tag.
which is very quick to respond.
verdict
it. The internal storage of the phone is 128GB which is non-
Looks
09 /10
expandable in nature.
Cameras
09 /10
Cameras
Performance
10 /10
The cameras of the new
Battery
09 /10
Value For Money
09 /10
Refracting Refreshing Revelation Reliable
realme X2 Pro are amazing. The camera capability of the phone will make you fall for
At the rear side lies the quad-
Platform
camera sensors bulged a bit
The new realme X2 Pro ships
out in a frame. The brand logo
with ColorOS 6.1, based on
of the phone is placed quite
Android 9. This version has
OnePlus 7T. The new realme
uniquely as well just below
some new features such as
X2 Pro has quad-camera
the camera frame which is
a dark mode and Google’s
distinguishing it from the rest
Digital Wellbeing app. Our unit
of its family members.
had the November security
Display
patch preinstalled, which is good. With the announcement
The new realme X2 Pro is very
of ColorOS 7, we might hope
head to head with OnePlus 7T
it to get better with more
as it also has the same screen
Indianised-customisation.
type which is Super AMOLED
Can Be Considered
OVERALL
PROS Charger, Display
92%
Cons ColorOS
it and to be very genuine the cameras of realme X2 Pro are on at the same level as
sensors with the primary being of 64 MP which is the wide lens of the phone with an
(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)
aperture of f/1.8, and PDAF.
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The secondary sensor is a
realme X2 Pro has entered
capacitive touchscreen and
the market with full homework
the screen size of 6.55 inches.
and the processor of the phone
The phone offers widescreen
is the proof of that as it has a
space thanks to its 20:9
top processor which we have
aspect ratio. The screen
seen in OnePlus 7T and Asus
size is something which you
ROG 2 and both the phones
will find very good plus the
are priced higher than realme
HD+ viewing experience of
X2 Pro. The presence of
watching movies or playing
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+
games infusion with a very
is something which is adding
smooth touch interface
more value and reason to
which is backed by 90Hz and
realme X2 Pro to make it one
HDR10+ support is giving a
of the approachable phones.
super smooth experience. At
The processor handles any
the top of the phone despite
task with super fluency and
the notch, there are very sleek
smoothly no matter which
bezels and on the bottom and
application you are using. The
at the sides lies very sleek
phone does not heat up to an
their level and adding more
telephoto lens of 13 MP with
bezels as well which just adds
alarming level while playing
to the gaming experience the
an aperture of f/2.5, PDAF
more space. The phone has a
heavy games for hours. Since
refreshing rate of the display
and 2x optical zoom. The third
screen resolution of 1080 x
we mentioned gaming so
is like cherry on top of the
sensor is an ultra-wide lens
2400 pixels and has 402 PPI
let me tell you that you will
cake. The power driven by the
with 8MP. The fourth sensor
density. The phone has 1000
have one of the best gaming
processor to handles the task
is a depth sensor of 2MP. The
nits max brightness which
experience with this phone as
comes from the 8GB RAM of
images captured were brilliant
is making the screen visible
graphics of even big games
the phone which just boosts
with proper detailing in every
quite easily under bright
like PUBG, Asphalt runs in
up the ability of the processor
aspect like saturation, natural
sunlight even with brightness
top level with no downfall in
to take on anything thrown at
color preservation, etc. We
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january 2020 | 47
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compared the images taken
The images captured at night
good. There might be some
test impressively and truly
by OnePlus 7T and realme
were equivalently amazing
softening effects in selfies
justify its worth. The 50W
X2 Pro and the images
and the nightscape mode of
which you will find deviating
Super VOOC Charger is the
captured by both were almost
the phone adds more value to
from original quality but still, I
most astonishing factor we
similar except in realme X2
the images captured at night
will say it is good.
have seen. Starting at Rs
Pro the images had more
as they are very well detailed
lighting whereas OnePlus 7T
and crispy with proper lighting
Battery
maintained good saturation
effects. In low light with the
realme X2 Pro has a battery
which is vibrant and huge, a
and original lighting. The
help of rear LED flash the rear
power of 4,000mAh which
much required 90Hz refresh
advantage which the new
cameras capture very good
when tested lasted a day
rate, fast and agile processor,
realme X2 Pro has over
quality of images which you
quite easily. The discharging
diverse quad-camera set-up
OnePlus 7T is the optical
will love to see. At night also
process of the phone is
that takes 20X closer and a
zoom of the phone which is
there were very less amount of
very slow and thanks to the
day long battery. Selfie lens
20X as compared to 10X of
noise effects and the graining
advanced processor of the
compliments also it. In short,
OnePlus 7T. The stability,
effect was observed when
phone the battery feels very
all boxes are ticked. Back
edge detection of the rear
we used the optical zoom
less strain on it. The new
design is prone to smudges
sensors are so good allowing
beyond 2X. The selfie camera,
realme X2 Pro with its Super
and finger imprints, so better
you to capture images in
on the other hand, is 16MP
VOOC charger capable of
use a cover. ColorOS 6.1
superb quality. The wide lens
with an aperture of f/2.0.
giving a power output of 50W
requires refinement a bit for a
of the phone also performs
The selfie camera is also very
is making it one of the fastest
lag-free experience which we
very well taking into account
good as it manages to capture
chargers in India and to check
might see later with ColorOS
more areas without losing any
brilliant selfies with proper
this claim we tested it as and
7.0. Phone does generate
content and context of the
refinements and details. At
the phone in just half an hour
heat if used for long. To
image captured. There were
daytime, the selfies were
got fully charged.
summarise, if you’re looking
no noise effects observed in
amazing with proper color
the daylight shots plus the
saturation and sharpness
Conclusion
full 20X zoom also brings very
whereas at night even in
Overall, the newly launched
less amount of graining effect.
low light the selfie was very
realme X2 Pro did pass every
48 | january 2020
29,999, realme X2 Pro offers Super AMOLED display
for a flagship smartphone under 30K then realme X2 Pro can be a good option. n haider@mymobile.co.in
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Garmin Forerunner 245 Music
Durable, Feature-istic, Lasting Battery with Music
G
armin, a
resolution pixels. It’s bright
to listening of music, calls,
say. I have used it extensively
renowned name
and easily visible even without
notifications, heart rate
in my home network and in
in the field of
the lights on. You won’t face
monitoring, stress counter,
roaming too when the antenna
aviation, marine,
any difficulty in reading texts,
to tracking of daily activities
changes position every few
automotive, outdoor, and
notifications or even the
and steps. Not all, it can even
hours. In a single full charge,
fitness markets, has been
watch face. The Forerunner
track your sleeping pattern,
it can goes upto 4 days with
quite focused in India with
245 Music has a Silicone
if you allows it do and for
ease. Garmin claims it to be
its range of fitness and luxury
strap which is very light and
that you have to wear it while
the highest battery life among
smartwatches. The US-based
convenient to wear. There’s
sleeping. You can answer/
other competitors and it
company is known for its
not a single moment of stress
reject calls, read/discard
turned out so as well. It never
quality and durable products
that you may feel around your
notifications, control music,
lets you with desperation of
worldwide that’s because of
wrist. The circular dial holds
check distance travelled
charging even if used
its in-house design, R&D of
five heads; Start/Stop, Back
and calorie burnt. You can
prolong. A good smartwatch
its products. In this review,
on the right half and Light, UP
also transfer your favorite
must have an equally good
we will talk about Garmin
and Down on the other side.
music from your computer to
battery life and hence 245
Forerunner 245 Music and get
Beneath the smartwatch sits
Forerunner 245 Music with
Music justifies it. Being a
to know the intrinsic hardware,
the sensor that tracks motion
the help of an app called
Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi
design and functionalities
and activities at large. As one
Garmin Express.
enabled smartwatch the
about this smartwatch. As
would expect a smartwatch,
the name suggests, it targets
Forerunner 245 Music is
Compatibility
music enthusiasts who are
resistant to water as well.
Garmin Forerunner 245 Music
Conclusion
actively into fitness.
Without being noticed, it
is compatible with both iOS
Garmin presents a bouquet
just weighs around 38 grams
and Android smartphones.
of features with Forerunner
Design
battery life is awesome.
in total. Being a ‘Music’
You can download the Garmin
245 Music. You will get all the
Garmin Forerunner 245
smartwatch, Forerunner 245
Connect app and pair the
desired features needed in a
Music design is of a traditional
can hold upto 500 songs, and
watch with it. It’s free, simple
smartwatch such as
watch with round dial made of
comes pre-loaded with Spotify
and convenient to use even
heart rate monitor, steps
Corning Gorilla Glass 3 which
and Deezer as default music
if you’re a beginner in this
tracker, notifications and
is tough and durable and
streaming platforms.
domain. With GPS and Wi-Fi
calls, plus its water resistant,
support, it becomes an ideal
durable build, light weight,
tool for fitness enthusiasts.
easy to use and comfortable
till now no scratch is being noticed even tough i used it
Functions
for my daily commute in metro
Garmin Forerunner 245 Music
as well as travelled outside of
performs most of the tasks
Battery
the city to countryside with it.
of being a smartwatch. From
The Forerunner 245 Music
smartwatch that we have
The round bezel is reinforced
the very basic of timings,
has a good battery life, I must
today. At around Rs 32,000,
strap. The music library makes it even more desired
polymer, hard in nature, yet
Garmin Forerunner 245 Music
elegant. The display measures
competes with Apple iWatch
1.2 inches in size. The display
and FitBit. The touchscreen
of Garmin Forerunner 245
could have been an added
Music is a thing to mention.
advantage to it plus the
It doesn’t let you down even
barometer. n
under the sun with 240x240
www.mymobileindia.com
haider@mymobile.co.in
january 2020 | 49
Tried & Tested
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vivo V17
Clear in Design and Camera but Not in Objective
T
he V series of the
we have seen in
vivo has added
the iPhone 11 Pro. The
a new member
body size is very compact as
to its list which
it fits the palm quite easily.
is vivo V17. The launch of
The curvy edges around the
vivo V17 prompts the idea
corner are offering a better
of comparative analysis in
grip of the phone. The body
the mind of the users as the
composition is polycarbonate
company only a few months
which is giving reasonable
back launched vivo V17 Pro.
body weight. The front side is
We shall be clearing this
dominated by the screen with
dubious situation by reviewing
the world’s smallest punch
the new vivo V17 and will find
hole camera. The fingerprint
out what new V17 will
sensor is an inbuilt display
be offering.
fingerprint sensor that is very
Design
quick in response. The left side of the phone has the
Unlike vivo V17 Pro the new
triple slot SIM tray which can
vivo V17 sports a unique look
carry dual SIM cards and
both from front and backside.
microSD card. At the right
The shiny finish though has
side lies the power button and
been retained with the same
the volume rockers. At the top
color variants which are giving
side of the phone
an aesthetic appeal to the
lies the secondary mic for
phone. A unique camera
active noise cancellation
frame is chosen to put the
whereas at the bottom lies
rear camera lenses but it will
a 3.5mm headphone jack,
look familiar to you as it looks
Type-C USB port, and a
very similar to that of which
speaer grille.
50 | january 2020
Display One of the interesting and catchy aspects of the new Vivo V17 is that it offers almost the feel of full view display which we can say is if we take out the micro size of the space taken by the punch-hole display. The screen has almost bezels equivalent to none as they are very sleek and very hard to notice. vivo calls the display of vivo V17 as iView Display. The phone has a 20:9 E3 Super AMOLED screen with a screen size of 6.38 inches. You will love the experience which you will get by performing any task on the screen be it watching movies, playing
games or working with documents. The notch has been placed very smartly as it does not cause any hindrance while playing games. The colors reproduced are very bright, vivid and punchy. The visibility of the phone is very bright and it allows to make the screen visible even you are using it in bright daylight. The phone has a screen resolution of 1080x2400 pixels and has a screen rating of DCI-P3 100%.
Platform vivo V17 has the new Funtouch OS 9.2 running on top of Android 9.0 Pie which is an update from the previous V17 Pro. The
MYMOBILE
new Funtouch OS 9.2 has
the stereotype around its
significant upgrades over its
cameras which is that the
predecessor as it has a new
images taken from the phone
GUI for a high-tech, dynamic
over beautify the images.
vibe. The latest OS delivers
The new vivo V17 is sporting
smooth usage experience
the camera lenses which are
which further enables you
capable of capturing the real
to keep your interest while
portrayal of the world around
using the phone. vivo has
you. The cameras of vivo V17
verdict Looks
09 /10
Cameras
09 /10
Performance
08 /10
Battery
10 /10
Value For Money
08 /10
Mesmerising Impressive Sustainable Enough
version of vivo V17 Pro as one would imagine. The display is almost of same dimension and resolution, having same Snapdragon octa-core processor, same quad-lens set-up at the back but varies in resolution as compared to Pro. The selfie camera
not made any changes in the
are one of the best cameras in
Decent Buy
processor section of the new
vivo phones which offer super
OVERALL
Vivo V17 as it has the same
fine details with proper color
from 4,100mAh to now
old processor which we have
saturation and no unwanted
4,500mAh despite not being a
seen in the previous Vivo V17
beautification. The images
Pro version. The price of both
Pro which is Snapdragon
captured by the rear cameras
675 with octa-core where
both at day and night were of
two cores are clocked at 2.0
super quality with fine details.
GHz Kyro 460 Gold and six
Edge detection of the rear
cores clocked at 1.7GHz Kyro
camera is very good as well.
460 Silver. The processor
The main primary sensor of
can handle a plethora of
the phone is 48MP with an
applications without getting
aperture of f/1.8 which is
worked up or overheated. All
the wide lens of the phone.
the applications ran smoothly
The secondary sensor is the
when we tested the phone and
ultra-wide lens of 8MP with
games like PUBG, Asphalts,
an aperture of f/2.2. The third
COD. One good thing about
sensor is the dedicated macro
the Vivo V17 is that it offers
camera of 2MP with
high graphics modes with no
an aperture of f/2.4. The
significant fall in the graphic
fourth sensor is the depth
level. The Adreno 612 GPU of
sensor of 2MP with an
the phone keeps the graphics
aperture of f/2.4. The
level at the utmost level.
selfie camera of the vivo
But there might be some
V17 is brilliant as the selfies
minor level of heat felt while
captured by it were amazing
playing games continuously
and were in real shades of
for more than half an hour.
color with no over softening
day with a single charge.
come in design of rear camera
vivo V17 has 8GB RAM which
or beauty effects. The 32MP
The power consumption by
module which is now housed
boosts the working capability
selfie camera stands strong to
the applications was also
in a rectangular frame in
of the phone. The ROM of
the claim which the company
moderate as the processor
V17 and the dual rising or
the phone is 128GB which
has made about the camera
keeps it in check, making the
pop-up selfie camera now
could be further expanded
of the vivo V17. The selfie
battery to easily sustain the
shifts into a punch hole
with the help of a microSD
lovers will surely love the new
power. The charging speed of
design and is reduced to
card. Overall, the processor is
vivo V17.
the phone is also very
one. With Snapdragon 855+
fast as the phone supports
available at this price point in
fast charging thanks to the
smartphones such as realme
Type-C port.
X2 Pro, vivo needs to rethink
good but the company could have given a better and more
Battery
powerful processor to heat the
vivo V17 has a 4,500mAh
competition.
battery which powers the
Cameras The new vivo V17 is breaking
PROS Design, Display
88%
Cons Competition
(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)
phone throughout the day and
Conclusion
when we tested the longevity,
The newly introduced vivo
it stood out to last a whole
V17 is a not-so toned down
www.mymobileindia.com
also remains the same. The improvement came in battery,
the phones start at Rs 29,990 which we did not understand because what’s the point
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launching a new smartphone then? The noticeable changes
its pricing strategy very soon. Does this phone not kill its own predecessor? n haider@mymobile.co.in
january 2020 | 51
Tried & Tested
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LG G8s ThinQ
Offers much but, gets caught up in Competition
I
n the field of technology
has an aesthetic appeal to it.
frame followed by rear
of the screen is very good
and innovation, one
The positioning of the power
LED flash. Unlike all other
as well. The notch on top of
company whose name
button at the right side of the
companies, the fingerprint
the phone could be made
stands very firm and
phone feels very odd because
sensor is not on display rather
to hide by customizing the
strong is LG which has been
of its placement to the
there is a proper physical
display in the display setting.
making life good for people for
extreme top making you reach
fingerprint sensor at the rear
The space offered by the
long. LG has a very stronghold
for it but when you are used
side of the phone. At the
screen is quite good and you
in the Indian technological
to it becomes very normal to
bottom of the phone lies a
will enjoy performing any
market but, when it comes
use. Also at the right side of
3.5mm headphone jack,
task on screen. The phone
to smartphone it does not
the phone lies the SIM tray
Type-C USB port, and a
has a screen resolution of
enjoy that leverage. The
capable of carrying two SIM
speaker grille. There is also
1080x2248pixels with 401
company has launched
cards and a microSD card.
face unlock on this and that
PPI density. The screen
G8s ThinQ which is taking
Towards the left side lies the
works pretty well as well to
is protected from external
forward the lineage of the
volume rockers and Google
strengthen the security of the
damage by Corning Gorilla
LG ThinQ phones in India.
assistant button. The rear
device.
Glass 5.
Through this review of ours,
side of the phone has a mirror
we will try to provide an
finish which surely looks
Display
Platform
insight into whether this
beautiful but at the same
The screen of LG G8s ThinQ
Moving to the software
phone has the power to take
time, it is prone to smudges.
is a G-OLED capacitive
that LG G8s ThinQ runs is
on the top competitors under
The rear camera placement
touchscreen of 6.2 inches.
LG customs Skin on top
the flagship in which it is
does not follow any status
The display is bright and
of Android 9.0 Pie. This
launched.
quo meaning the sensors are
crisp. The phone comes
might be the one thing on
placed in a horizontal manner
with an HDR10 display and
this phone that I’m not a
also comes with DCI-P3
big fan of that UI doesn’t
Design At first glance from a distance the phone might look like
with a slight bulged
color space. The
feel very mature. There
refresh rate
are basic functions that
iPhone 8 due to its
take more time turning like
widescreen and a
turning on and off toggles.
broad notch. The
The kind of customization
phone feels very
that it provides is insane
premium and
from personalization using the most
52 | january 2020
MYMOBILE
burntest versatile always on display device comes with the Android PIL navigation method and
verdict Looks
08 /10
Clean
Cameras
it works pretty well. The
Good
09 /10
processor on the phone is
Performance
09 /10
Battery
08 /10
Value For Money
07 /10
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage which is the most powerful processor under the flagship in which the phone
Smooth
Manages Spoilt by Choices
OVERALL
Tried & Tested
options that I’ve seen. The
82%
falls. The 855 processor is very powerful and it clearly shows in the way that this phone functions. Compared to OnePlus 7T this does very well in benchmarks score even and scores 395K on Antutu which is a crazy number. The
PROS Processor, Gesture
Cons Dated Design
(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)
OnePlus 7T scores slightly lower and the ASUS ROG2
MP standard lens which is
phone again with the 855
the wide lens of the phone
Plus which supposedly was
with an aperture of f/1.8.
the highest scores, scores
The secondary sensor is a
only 393K which means that
12MP telephoto lens with an
this is higher benchmark
aperture of f/2.6. The third
scores. I actually love this
sensor is a 13MP ultra-wide
phone and if we talk about in
lens with an aperture of f/2.4.
setup of 8MP and AF TOF 3D
another smartphone having
gaming performance then I
The camera set up of the G8s
camera. The selfies were quite
Snapdragon 855 platform so
played Asphalt a lot on this,
ThinQ almost reminds me of
good, both at day and night
it’s natural for it to perform
I even played PUBG and
the iPhone 7 pro set up. The
but if compared to OnePlus
brilliantly which it does, tri rear
the experience was second
pictures that this phone takes
7T, I would say OnePlus 7T
camera matches expectations
to none I had a wonderful
are fabulous. I especially like
has the upper hand. Overall,
of being a good shooter and
experience the display is
the color signs used by the
the camera is quite especially
display is bright enough to say
very nice and the speaker
rear camera and the details
the manual control which the
the least. Selling around at Rs
performance is good and if you
and sharpness are also quite
phone provides.
35,990 for the 6GB version,
would listen to audio through
on point. The parity between
it is beautiful and you can turn
3 lenses is pretty good too and
Battery
on DDS 3D surround sound
there are barely any Android
The phone has the Quick
have but there are much better
and that does make the game
phones that provide it. You
Charge 3.0 to charge the
options available at same price
feel a lot more lively than it
have the option to choose
3,500mAh battery of the
point like OnePlus 7T and
would with any other phone.
between any of the cameras
phone. The battery power
ASUS ROG Phone 2. Battery
On daily use it is pretty nice
even for video. The manual
of the phone makes it last
is a bit of downer as it doesn’t
there were a few times when I
control of the camera for video
a day. We tested the lasting
support long sessions of PUBG
found instabilities but that was
recording and clicking photos
capability of the phone and it
and video playback but, can
mostly because of the UI.
is quite good as well. The
managed to last a whole day
last a day if used moderately.
images captured at night were
with some 20 per cent charge
Air Motion is a unique
slightly lower in the quality
left in it.
advantage/addition to it which
Cameras Now coming to the cameras
when compared to daylight
the G8s ThinQ comes with a
images. The new LG G8s
Conclusion
triple camera setup with 12
ThinQ has a dual selfie camera
The LG G8s ThinQ is yet
www.mymobileindia.com
G8s ThinQ completes the set of requirements you might
Google Pixel 4 skipped for India. n haider@mymobile.co.in
january 2020 | 53
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Infinix S5 Lite Good for Multimedia Junkie
E
ven as we were trying and testing the Infinix S5 to arrive at a
conclusion that it was the most affordable smartphone to offer a punch-hole display and 32MP selfie camera under Rs 10K, the Transsion Holdings online-focussed brand dropped yet another bombshell by launching the stripped-down variant of the smartphone. Called the Infinix S5 Lite, the smartphone costs Rs 7,999 which is Rs 1,000 cheaper than its elder sibling. Available in shades of Midnight Black, Quetzal Cyan and Violet, the S5 Lite too comes with a punch-hole display, which has been a feature on some flagship devices, and hasn’t even trickled down to a lot of midrange smartphones yet. Let’s put the all-new S5 Lite to the test to find out how worthy it is in today’s cut-throat competition.
54 | january 2020
Design The Infinix S5 Lite appears similar to its elder sibling and it’s hard to make a distinction between the two when looking from the front. Just like the S5, the S5 Lite is slightly taller than usual, and you need to shuffle it in your hand. A 6.6-inch display dominates the face of the device and it offers a 90.5 per cent screen-to-body ratio. The company has traded the spiralling lines seen on the S5 for a glittery metallic finish on the S5 Lite, and taken off one lens from the rear. The plastic-clad S5 Lite is as glossy as its predecessor. On the right, you’ll find the power and volume buttons, with the former sporting a textured pattern to make it easily distinguishable. These buttons are reachable when using this phone one-handed. The left side of the device is home
MYMOBILE
to the SIM tray, which can
The sad part is that handset
house two nano SIMs and
lacks an ambient light sensor,
verdict Looks
09 /10
Cameras
08 /10
The company has also downgraded the selfie camera
a microSD card at the
just like the Inifinix S5. You’ll
same time. At the bottom,
have to adjust brightness
there is a micro-USB port
manually all the time. The
Excellent in Daylight
accompanied by a 3.5mm
camera hole is on the top left
Performance
audio jack and speaker on
corner.
Good
08 /10
daylight photography is
Battery
Platform
Powerful
09 /10
good shots. The photos came
the S5 Lite flaunts a triple
The smartphone is powered
Value For Money Not Bad
07 /10
camera setup which is one big
by a MediaTek Helio P22
difference compared to the
chipset along with IMG
quad-sensor array on the S5.
GE8320 650MHz GPU. It
phone captures skin tone that
There is also a quad-LED flash
offers 4GB of RAM and 64GB
looks natural and it’s able to
which seems to be too much.
of internal storage, which
The fingerprint sensor is
is further expandable up to
positioned towards the centre
128GB via microSD card
and near the camera module.
slot. Performance-wise, it’s
Although the fingerprint sensor
satisfactory. The device can
is a bit high to reach, it is fast
handle most of the daily tasks
as well as accurate. Overall,
like browsing, watching video
talked about feature of
Battery
the smartphone looks decent
content and more with ease.
this smartphone, like its
The Infinix S5 Lite is fuelled
from design perspective.
However, if you are into heavy
predecessor. It consists of
by a 4,000mAh battery and
multitasking or playing high-
a triple camera setup at
the company ships a standard
either side. As for the rear panel,
Display
Premium
OVERALL
PROS
82%
Cons
from 32MP to 16MP on the Lite variant. Performance-wise, the outstanding as it took some out to be accurate and the colour reproduction was close to the source. Even the selfie performance is good, as the
handle overexposure in the
Design and Processor Display
backdrop. The performance,
(For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)
say average, in the low light
however, is not that good, or conditions.
end games, it’s definitely not
the back – a 16-megapixel
5V 2A charger. The phone
The all-new S5 Lite has got
good. You’ll experience long
primary camera with an f/1.8
can last up to 1.5 days of
a good display. It comes
load times when you use heavy
aperture, a 2-megapixel depth
normal usage. Even if you use
equipped with a 6.6-inch
apps. It supports Bluetooth 5,
sensor, and a low-light sensor
the smartphone at length,
HD+ Infinity-O display with a
Wi-Fi, 4G with VoLTE, GPS,
of unknown resolution. For
it’ll have one day of battery
screen resolution of 1600 x
FM radio and USB-OTG. While
selfies, it has a 16-megapixel
backup, which is not bad. It
720 pixels, 20:9 aspect ratio
the ambient light sensor is
shooter with an f/2.0 aperture.
takes around 2 hours to get
and 90.5 per cent screen-to-
missing on this device, it does
The camera app appears
fully charged.
body ratio. The display looks
have other basic sensors. The
very basic in terms of the
good and viewing angles are
fingerprint scanner as well as
shooting modes and it
Conclusion
decent as well. The notch does
face unlock are quick.
includes HDR, AI Cam,
Although it happens to be
Beauty mode, Portrait, and
the most affordable
wide selfies. There is no night
smartphone at the moment
not hamper the overall viewing experience of the screen. It’s
Cameras
pretty good for watching some
Cameras happen to another
Tried & Tested
burntest
mode, which is quite startling
to offer a punch-hole display
video content or
considering the fact that
with an interesting premium
playing some games.
it has a dedicated low-
design, the S5 Lite faces
light sensor onboard.
a tough competition in the market, particularly in terms of processor and better cameras. It’s good for a multimedia junkie, but definitely not for gamers. Having a massive battery goes in its favour. Anyway, it’s something quite enticing at the given price point. n ramesh@mymobile.co.in
www.mymobileindia.com
january 2020 | 55
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Nubia Red Magic 3S It’s all about Gaming
I
t not very long but
too long ago, a powerful
Magic 3 offered most of those
volume rocker and power
finally, gaming
processor was considered
and its successor Red Magic
button on the right edge of
smartphones have
to be the only important
3S is the latest gaming device
the phone, along with the
started creating a
factor for gaming. Things
from Nubia. The specs of
two touch-sensitive triggers
niche for themselves in the
have changed drastically
this device are impressive. It
that are great for gaming
Indian market as well. Not
now, and we have dedicated
uses the Snapdragon 855+,
(more on that later) and
gaming smartphones, each
has a 90Hz, 6.65-inch Full
the vent for the cooling fan.
HD display with Corning
On the left side, the game
one bringing something different to the table.
Gorilla Glass, and packs at
mode toggle is still there, as
Gaming smartphones
least 8GB of RAM (12GB
is the six-pin connector for
typically offer high
on some models). Plus there
the Magic Adapter. You’ll
performance, fast
is a 5,000mAh battery, 8K
also find the dual SIM card
displays, big batteries
video recording, a built-in fan,
slot here. Along the bottom
and some kind of
hardware gaming buttons,
edge, you’ll find the USB
advanced cooling
and a dedicated gaming
Type-C port capable of 18W
system. Nubia’s Red
launcher. As of December
charging, a microphone, and
23, 2019, Nubia Red Magic
a speaker grill. I assume this
3S’ (8GB+128GB) variant is
is so notifications are easier
priced at Rs 35,999 for the
to hear when the phone is in
Indian consumers. I spent a
your pocket when you might
week testing the Red Magic
have the front-facing speaker
3S (8GB+128GB) and now
muffled by your legs. At the
it’s time to find out can Red
top, there’s just a headphone
Magic 3S bring something
jack, which some users might
extra to the table?
still appreciate. On the back,
Design
camera, which we’ll get to
The Red Magic 3S is just
later, and an air intake vent
about identical to the Red
underneath, which has been
Magic 3. The phone is
redesigned for some reason.
the same shape and size,
Below that is the RGB light
something and it constantly
strip because that’s what
feels like it might tip over in
every gamer need. What’s still
my hand and it’s even prone
missing is an NFC touchpoint,
to sliding out of my pocket.
which I like to have for mobile
The biggest change in terms
payments. The whole design
of design is really in the
of the back is pretty unique,
colour schemes, with Mecha
and I like the all-metal build.
Silver replacing the red
On the front, there’s the 6.65-
variant of the (8GB+128GB)
inch display flanked by stereo
model and Cyber Shade
speakers and a 16MP front-
replacing the camo look
facing camera.
for the (12GB+256GB)
56 | january 2020
there’s still a single 48MP
model. Everything else is
Display
the same. You will find the
The display of Nubia Red
MYMOBILE
Tried & Tested
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Magic 3S is larger than that of the ROG Phone II, having a 6.65-inch Full HD screen (6.59 inches, in case of the ROG Phone II) with a
Camera
resolution of 2340 by 1080
The camera on
pixels, a density of 387.
the Red Magic 3 didn’t
5ppi and a 19.5:9 aspect
seem that great to me when I
ratio and a 90Hz refresh
reviewed it, so going into the
rate. There is an adaptive
3S, which has the same 48MP
I ended
brightness feature and we
Sony IMX586 sensor, I didn’t
up pleasantly
found the brightness to be
expect that much. However,
surprised. The camera delivers fairly punchy colours
optimum indoors and outdoors
verdict
both under full sunlight, though it has to be jacked to the maximum in bright sunlight. The AMOLED display is vivid and
Looks
08 /10
Cameras
09 /10
Good Okay
and reasonably sharp shots, and I managed to get some
the tree is
nice pictures out of it. One
contrasting
thing that’s new here is the
against the bright sky. The
night mode, which is similar
first few shots below are one-
Performance
08 /10
to what we saw on the Nubia
offs, but mostly you’ll see
choose from -- Colourful mode
Battery
09 /10
Z20. I’d say it works just as
comparisons between having
(wide colour gamut) makes
Value For Money
08 /10
well if not better than it did
night mode on or off, with
on that phone. It continues to
regular shots coming first.
do a great job of bringing out
Having a single lens does
the DCI-P3 gamut, and the
the colours and details in the
reduce the versatility of the
Natural mode uses sRGB. A
shadows, while also toning
camera, so you can’t get any
down harsh highlights so the
crazy zoomed-in pictures or
whole picture looks more
wide-angle shots since the
balanced and natural. Even in
lenses required for that aren’t
the daytime, certain shots can
here. The phone still comes
be improved by night mode,
with the array of options you’d
such as the picture you’ll
get before, like 8K video
see towards the end where
recording at 15 frames per
has three colour modes to
colours pop, while the Regular mode switches the panel to
Satisfactory Massive
Good option
OVERALL
84%
2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass covers the display and as such, the screen is susceptible to damage if it falls. Our review unit had a thin protective film preinstalled on the display.
PROS
Cons
Performance, Larger than most devices, 90Hz No NFC, display, (For detailed specifications, please refer to My Guide)
www.mymobileindia.com
january 2020 | 57
Tried & Tested
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second, shooting at either
which is cool. I don’t know
a 5,000 mAh battery which
feedback in supported games
48MP or 12MP and choosing
why there’s no 960fps option
should help it stay off the
such as PUBG Mobile and
aspect ratios, and so on. It
in between, though.
charger for long periods. In
Asphalt 9: Legends.
also includes a ton of extra modes like multi-exposure,
Sound
LightDraw, and slow-motion video. That last one is
terms of software, the Red Magic 3S runs Android 9 Pie
Conclusion
The stereo speakers on
with a custom UI on top. Our
The Red Magic 3S is a phone
the Red Magic 3S are also
unit was running the August
I’d love to recommend. The
interesting because, instead of
really great and they have a
security patch. We did not
performance of the phone
supporting the more standard
surprising range of volume. If
have any issues navigating
is fantastic. Added to that
960fps recording, Nubia
you set it to the lowest level,
through the UI. There are
a 90Hz refresh rate, loud
decided to have both 480fps
it’s barely audible even in
very few preinstalled apps,
stereo speakers, a pretty good
and a 1920fps option that’s
relatively quiet rooms.
including only a few Google
camera, long-lasting camera,
apps along with an LED
and unique gaming-oriented
Strip Editor tool that lets you
features, it’s an overall
labelled as beta. That last one extends a two-second clip into
Platform/ Battery
one minute and four seconds,
The Nubia Red Magic 3S is
customise the RGB strip at
fantastic package. It continues
an update to the Red Magic
the back. Game Space 2.1
to be one of the phones that
3 and gets the more powerful
is the gaming mode on the
tempts me the most to buy it.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
Red Magic 3S, and it can
The Red Magic 3S is a great
Plus SoC. The company has
be turned on by flicking the
gaming phone and represents
switched to UFS 3.0 storage
physical GameBoost switch on
amazing
with the Red Magic 3S, while
the side of the phone. Game
value for the money.
the model it replaces had UFS
Space has a different launcher
However, the company
2.0 storage. This puts it on the
that you can add games and
should work a little on the
same page as recent OnePlus
apps to it. There are quick
layout and the design of the
devices. To keep the processor
toggles for RGB lighting, the
icons in the UI of the phone
at an optimum temperature,
internal fan, and the screen
and try to make them look
the company says it has used
refresh rate. You can set the
different than what you
an active cooling fan, thermal
refresh rate to Auto, 60Hz,
usually see on other regular
gel, copper foil, multilayer
or 90Hz. The internal fan
smartphones, like having
graphite, and a liquid cooling
has an ‘Intelligent’ setting
sharper and punchier icons
tube. Connectivity options on
that adjusts fan speed based
that have been designed
the Red Magic 3S include
on the CPU temperature, or
keeping a gaming theme in
dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Rapid Cooling which keeps it
mind, though the default
5, four satellite positioning
turned up constantly. There
background looks fine for a
systems, and Dual VoLTE.
are also 4D Shock effects
gaming phone. n
The Nubia Red Magic 3S has
which claim to improve haptic
58 | january 2020
vivek@mymobile.co.in
MYMOBILE
Philips BASS+ SHB3075 Decent Device, Priced Accordingly
W
Functions
battery is indeed powerful and
and more
makes the headphone
The Philips headphone is
gives you a long run for sure
handset
resistant to sweat and
very easy to use and it offers
without interruption.
makers
light on the head. Overall,
all the functions on user’s
eliminating traditional wires
the headphone is quite
tips. There’s separate buttons
almost 3 hours to fully charge,
from their devices, the demand
comfortable. The only concern
to on and off and Bluetooth
which can be a problem in the
for Bluetooth handsets is
with the quality is the size of
connectivity on the right
world of fast chargers.
set to grow faster. The audio
the speaker drivers, which is
earmuff.
device segment is booming
just 32mm, and after a long
in India, and there are several
usage it can cause pain.
ith more
The plastic headband
Press holds the power
The headphones also take
Conclusion
button for 2 seconds to switch
The Philips BASS+ wireless
it on and 6 seconds to switch
headphone can be found
wireless to wire and premium
the ear so it hurts the upper
off. Since there is a separate
online with the price of Rs
to pocket-friendly. While some
ear after a continuous use, also
button for Bluetooth, press
1,899, which is a fair price
consumers prefer style others
the quality of the headband
hold of that for 2 seconds will
for wireless devices. But don’t
look for extra bass to ears.
could be made better by
automatically get ready to pair
expect way too much from the
adding pads, to make it more
with devices.
Philips headphones with this
options for consumers, from
Maybe this is why most of the consumers nowadays seem confused about which
They also don’t fully cover
comfortable.
device to go for, with so
Sound Quality
many offerings from multiple
To play and pause the music there is a center
price. The sound is clean and
button along with two volume
distortion free but the lack
The Philips wireless
buttons, but the same buttons
of noise cancelation is
companies. But if you are
headphone offers a good
are used to change the tracks,
a disappointment.
looking for a bass treat for
sound quality with nice bass
and for that you are supposed
And the quality of
your ears with multiple
and well balanced treble.
to press twice and for volume
the headphones
functioning’s on your tips, here
And a good point is that the
just press once. The controls
also suffers
is Philips offering for
sound does not distort on high
are very easy to use and you
with the
you the Philips BASS+
volume.
don’t have to reach out to your
But the only draw-back
SHB3075 wireless
phone every time you want to
headphone. But are
with the headphones is that
they perfect for you, let’s
it doesn’t support Noise
find out!
Cancellation, and while calling
to answer calls and activate
you really have to scream
your Google Assistant; it’s very
sometimes, still the person on
easy and convenient.
Design and Body The Philips over-the-wear
the other end of the call gets
headphone covers your ears
noisy sounds.
change the track. All these features also used
Battery
uncomfortable fitting. But the
perfectly; the headphone cups
No noise cancellation
The only thing that it clearly
battery gives you a long run
are soft and very easy to wear
with this price and brand is a
wins is its battery backup,
and it weighs much lighter,
for a long time. But the outer
disappointment, as the whole
the company claims that
which makes it easy to carry.
material of the headphone is
world around you gets to know
the Philips BASS+ wireless
plastic, that doesn’t seem to
what songs you are listening
headphones offers 12 hours
fair buy with fair performance
be there for a long run.
to.
of battery backup, and that’s
but there are certainly some
true.
points the company could
The headphone cups
Also it is very
After a continuous usage of
Overall, the headphone is a
connected to the headband
uncomfortable to wear for your
via hinge, which allow the ear-
gym sessions, as it will keep
3 to 4 hours the headphones
it much better. But it still is
cups to rotate right and left up
on slipping from ears and
were still alive, but it surely
fair good with this amount of
to a 90-degree angle, making
the cushions can surely get
becomes a little painful to
money. n
it easier to carry anywhere.
damage by sweat easily.
wear after an hour. But the
www.mymobileindia.com
Tried & Tested
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have worked upon to make
pahi@mymobile.co.in
january 2020 | 59
Tried & Tested
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Infinix Band 5
A Value for Money Fitness Tracker
A
fter back to back
IP67 certified build, which
Design and Build
colour IPS display and not
launches of its
makes it waterproof, and has
Akin to many fitness trackers
an OLED display, which is
budget-centric
a long battery life. Priced at
available in the market,
definitely unsatisfactory.
smartphones,
Rs 1,799, it comes in colours
the Infinix Band 5 follows
The company seems to have
Infinix has come up with
of Black, Blue and Red.
a generic design. It looks
chosen a more traditional
the Band 5 smart fitness
Although Infinix is the latest
decent and is not for the
watch grasp, which makes
tracker in India. The Infinix
brand eyeing the wearable
slim-wristed. There are silver
it easy to wear and even
Band 5 sports a colour IPS
segment, let’s find out
accents above and below
reduces the chances of it
display for displaying health
whether the Band 5 offers the
the band’s screen to give it a
coming off. Although its
metrics and notifications
best to take on a number of
unique look. It offers a 0.96-
straps are a bit hard, the
from connected apps. The
competitors already available
inch screen nestled into a
Band 5 is quite comfortable
wearable also comes with an
in the market.
plastic wristband. It sports a
to be worn all through the day and night. Overall, it’s a good looking device at the first glance. Infinix has improved its design and given it a much better look than its predecessor, XBand 3. The Infinix Band 5 comes with an IP67 waterproof rating, which means the wearable is rated for immersion in water as much as one meter deep
MYMOBILE
for about half an hour. It’s a
information, including, time,
“find Bracelet” feature if you
monitoring, and “Raise Hand
bit tedious task to remove the
weather, continuous heart
misplace it, and a “Shake to
to Activate Display” feature.
band for charging as you will
rate, battery percentage, day,
take picture” option. One can
The band can be fully charged
not be able to remove the strap
date and month on the band’s
even set on-screen time.
in about one-and-a-half hours.
in seconds. It needs a lot of
default screen. What makes
There are four sports
The device charges via a male
strength which is definitely a
you feel bad about this device
modes, including Skipping,
negative aspect of this device.
is that if you’re in a different
Running, Walking and Riding
menu, there’s no direct button
available on the band. The
Conclusion
that returns you to the home
screen works even when you
It’s a very basic fitness band,
The Infinix Band 5 doesn’t
screen. Overall, the response
have sweaty hands. These
and can track heart-rate,
offer a full touchscreen display
to the touch on this smart
are some basic modes and
steps and sleep data. Besides,
and there is a capacitive
band is fairly fast.
are quite useful. The band’s
it offers a decent battery
sleep analysis is quite useful.
life, a waterproof rating and
It gives insight into sleeping
notifications on your wrist.
User Interface
Home button right below the
USB connector.
actual display is pretty small
Functionalities and Software
patterns, including deep,
The bad part is that it doesn’t
compared to the tracker’s
First of all, use the Infinix
awake and light sleep. Similar
offer BP monitoring, OLED
overall length, which is not
Life2.0 app to pair the Band
to other trackers, this app
display, music control and full
bad for its price. However,
5 with your phone. The app
too gives you suggestions on
touchscreen. Besides, the IPS
the text on the display looks
is available on both Android
getting enough sleep, which
panel is not that great, as the
crisp. Even the colours appear
and iOS platforms and it will
could be helpful for some.
brightness and contrast ratio
good. Reading it under direct
let you setup smartphone
The band automatically tracks
takes a hit when viewing the
sunlight is definitely an issue
notifications. Interestingly,
your sleep. Although you never
display from an angle. Anyway,
with this fitness tracker.
the app lets you add as
really get completely accurate
what can you expect from a
many notifications as you
results with fitness wearables,
device, especially considering
button on either side of the
want in the “App Reminder”
the Band 5’s step tracking is
its price. It’s again a value for
band, you need to tap on the
section. There are a few
accurate enough to rely on.
money product from the house
home button or raise your wrist
ingenious features that the
to turn the display on. One can
company has added to its app.
Battery life
of Infinix. n ramesh@mymobile.co.in
jump to any particular screen
There are different settings
Its battery life is quite decent
by long-pressing the home
for Call Reminder, SMS
by 2019 standards. The
button. You can also long-
Reminder, App Reminder and
smart band lasted for over a
press the button to change the
Sedimentary Reminder. The
week on a single charge on
band’s face. Infinix has added
latter lets you set no-exercise
moderate use. You can save
only three faces, which look
reminder time. There are also
a lot of battery by turning off
decent. You can see a lot of
built-in vibration alarms, a
the continuous heart-rate
display for navigation. The
Since there is no physical
Tried & Tested
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january 2020 | 61
Tried & Tested
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HiFuture OlymBuds
High on Design, Performance
W
hile popular
charging case, is comfortable
audio
and compact. Priced at Rs
brands
3,999, the earbuds come
are busy
in White and Black colour
churning out premium wireless earbuds, the entry-
options.
level segment has also
Inside the box
bombarded with plenty of
You will get a charging case,
options to choose from. It’s
earbuds, user manual, data
now relatively easy to find
cable, earplug cap, ear
inexpensive true wireless
support. The USB cable is
earbuds that sound pretty
USB to TYPE C cable.
decent. Among the list, one
that supports Environmental
the latest Bluetooth 5.0
noise cancellation (ENC).
version ensures super-stable
The earbuds are comfortable
transmission speed, higher
to hold on your ears but you
compatibility, advanced
may need to fix it a little in
instant pairing and up to 35ft connecting distance. With
is HiFuture -- that is founded
Design
between.
by veterans and experts
The charging case body is
with cumulative experience
made of plastic and comes
Battery
of more than 50 years in
with a button and an LED
the audio or acoustic field
indicator. The earbuds are
with companies. The new
compact, they have ear
HiFuture OlymBuds is another
support attached, lightweight
true Bluetooth 5.0 wireless
and pretty comfortable.
earbuds that True Wireless
Each of the earbuds has soft
Stereo (TWS) which means
buttons that can be used
you can connect individual
to control the media. When
earbuds or use single earbuds
you remove the earbuds they
according to the need.
switch on automatically.
This product comes with a
There is a built-in microphone
earphones are waterproof and
The battery department of the
sweatproof and can survive
device is nice. As our review
all your indoor and outdoor
suggests that, the earbuds,
activities. One can use Siri
on a full charge, it can give up
and Google Assistant on the
to 6 hours of usage time and
HiFuture OlymBuds when
a fully charged charging case
connected to compatible
can power up the earbuds
smartphones and devices.
up to 3 to 4 times. Overall a good true Bluetooth wireless
Conclusion
earbuds, that is compact and
They’re extremely lightweight
gives a really good battery life.
and compact even with the
Performance
charging case, which makes it easy to carry around. As
The bass is pretty good, the
important as the sound
vocals are clear and have
quality, the earpieces must
good instrument separation.
fit well. HiFuture has made
The best part is that you will
use of high-quality silicone in
not find any leakage even
the earbuds to give the user
when the volume is full. The
the most comfortable and
HiFuture OlymBuds comes
secure fit. Its dynamic N42
with full touch control.
Neodymium magnet driver
The touch sensors on both
allows HiFi stereo sound
the earbuds give users full
performance and superior
control, letting them pause or
bass. If you’re looking at the
play music, control volume,
entry-level segment, then
skip tracks and answer or
these earbuds will surely not
reject calls. The built-in
disappoint you. n vivek@mymobile.co.in
global Realtek chipset with
54 | december 2019
an IP rating of IPX5, these
MYMOBILE
The neckband easily gets connected to smartphones, laptops and PCs. Overall, this device produces good bass and seems to be made for today’s millenials who enjoy music with high bass.
Battery The neckband style earphone boasts a 140 lithium ion
HiFuture NeckLace
A Perfect Choice for Bassheads
P
ersonal audio
around your neck when not
brand HiFuture
in use. The earphones come
recently launched
with three sets of earbuds
Qualcomm-
to ensure the snuggest fit. It
powered neckband style in-ear
has built-in microphone and
wireless earphones, called
dedicated control buttons to
HiFuture NeckLace, in India.
wirelessly answer or reject
The NeckLace comes with
calls. These buttons can also
some interesting features such
be used to control music
as Ultra Bass Technology and
playback. The earphones come
CVC 8.0 Wind Noise Cancelling
with an IPX5 rating and are
and has support for Bluetooth
waterproof, sweat proof and
5.0. The device is priced at Rs
dust proof.
2,999 and can be purchased
battery, which ensures 12 hours of music playback time/ talktime on a single charge that takes around one and a half hours. The NeckLace
as Amazon and Flipkart. Let’s
Performance and Connectivity
communication remains
features a micro USB port
find out how worthy it is with
The NeckLace comes with
crystal clear no matter which
for charging the device. The
this review.
the latest Bluetooth 5.0
environment you are in.
earphone stands tall in this
via ecommerce platforms such
Design
chip with Qualcomm audio
This is a perfect device
department, as even after
technology and SBC and AAC
to have a truly immersive
using it for 11 hours (including
The HiFuture NeckLace looks
hi-res transmission decoder
experience for calls as well
playback and talktime) on
good and has an ergonomic
for better sound reproduction,
as music for commuters,
mid level volume, I didn’t
neckband design, made of
faster pairing and seamless
bike-riders, joggers and gym
experience any deterioration in
100 per cent Silicone. It easily
connectivity up to 10 meters
enthusiasts. These earbuds
sound.
fits into the ears giving you a
for a balanced and unfettered
provide ultra-high performance
comfortable feel. With a little
music experience. It uses
for people who juggle with
Conclusion
push, it simply glides in the
10 mm dynamic Neodymium
work and play on the move.
The HiFuture NeckLace is a
ear and fits in the ear cavity to
magnet for immersive
The device is best suited for
decent product in its price
have high precision harmonics
sound experience. It
those who wish to own stylish
category. It’s high on ultra
and acoustic experience.
features the Environmental
yet comfortable earphones.
plus soft bass and gives you
The ends of the ear tips on
Noise Cancellation technology,
The device uses Digital Signal
a natural, ergonomic fit for
this neckband have magnets
thanks to Qualcomm CVC
Processing (DSP) algorithms
prolonged use. It’s something
that allow earphones to clock
8.0 that efficiently filters
to find the optimum voice-to-
quite special for bassheads. n
securely. They comfortably stay
out background noise so
noise ratio for perfect clarity.
www.mymobileindia.com
Tried & Tested
burntest
ramesh@mymobile.co.in
january 2020 | 63
Trendz
consumer insight
Showing Robots “Tough Love” Helps them Succeed Humans acting in an adversarial manner towards robotic systems can actually improve their robustness, says a team of USC computer scientists.
A
ccording to a new study
“learns” based on previous examples, in
by University of Southern
theory increasing the range of tasks it can
California (USC) computer
perform.
environments.
Human in the Loop
scientists, to help a robot
But creating general-purpose robots
One line of research that’s been quite
succeed, you might need to show it some
is notoriously challenging, due in part to
successful in overcoming this issue is
tough love. In a computer-simulated
the amount of training required. Robotic
having a “human in the loop.” In other
manipulation task, the researchers found
systems need to see a huge number of
words, the human provides feedback to the
that training a robot with a human adversary
examples to learn how to manipulate an
robotic system by demonstrating the ability
significantly improved its grasp of objects.
object in a human-like manner.
to complete the task.
“This is the first robot learning effort
For instance, OpenAI’s impressive
But, until now, these algorithms have
using adversarial human users,” said study
robotic system learned to solve a Rubik’s
made a strong assumption of a cooperating
co-author Stefanos Nikolaidis, an assistant
cube with a humanoid hand, but required
human supervisor assisting the robot.
professor of computer science.
the equivalent of 10,000 years of simulated
“Picture it like playing a sport: if you’re
training to learn to manipulate the cube.
playing tennis with someone who always
More importantly, the robot’s dexterity
lets you win, you won’t get better. Same
is very specific. Without extensive training,
with robots. If we want them to learn a
it can’t pick up an object, manipulate it
manipulation task, such as grasping, so
with another grip, or grasp and handle a
they can help people, we need to challenge
different object.
them.”
“As a human, even if I know the object’s
The study, “Robot Learning via Human
location, I don’t know exactly how much it
Adversarial Games,” was presented at the
weighs or how it will move or behave when
International Conference on Intelligent
I pick it up, yet we do this successfully
Robots and Systems. USC PhD students
almost all of the time,” said Nikolaidis.
Jiali Duan and Qian Wang are lead authors,
“That’s because people are very
advised by Professor C. C. Jay Kuo, with
intuitive about how the world behaves,
additional co-author Lerrel Pinto from
but the robot is like a newborn
Carnegie Mellon University.
baby.” In other words, robotic systems
Learning from Practice
find it hard to generalize, a skill
Nikolaidis, who joined the USC Viterbi
which humans take for granted.
School of Engineering in 2018, and his team
This may seem trivial, but it can
use reinforcement learning, a technique
have serious consequences. If
in which artificial intelligence programs
assistive robotic devices, such as
“learn” from repeated experimentation.
grasping robots, are to fulfill their
Instead of being limited to completing
promise of helping people with
a small range of repetitive tasks, such
disabilities, robotic systems must be
as industrial robots, the robotic system
able to operate reliably in real-world
64 | january 2020
“I’ve always worked on human-robot
collaboration, but in reality, people won’t always be collaborators with robots in the wild,” said Nikolaidis.
direction. Adding this element of challenge helps the robot learn the difference between
percent grasping success rate. So, robotic systems learn best from flesh-and-blood adversaries.
As an example, he points to a study by
a weak grasp (say, holding a bottle at the
“That’s because humans can understand
Japanese researchers, who set a robot loose
top), versus a firm grasp (holding it in the
stability and robustness better than learned
in a public shopping complex and observed
middle), which makes it much harder for
adversaries,” explained Nikolaidis.
children “acting violently” towards it on
the human adversary to snatch away.
several occasions. So, thought Nikolaidis, what if we
It was a bit of a crazy idea, admits Nikolaidis, but it worked.
“The robot tries to pick up stuff and, if the human tries to disrupt, it leads to more stable grasps. And because it has learned
leveraged our human inclination to make
The researchers found the system
a more stable grasp, it will succeed more
things harder for the robot instead? Rather
trained with the human adversary rejected
often, even if the object is in a different
than showing it how to better grasp an
unstable grasps, and quickly learned robust
position. In other words, it’s learned to
object, what if we tried to pull it away? By
grasps for these objects. In an experiment,
generalize. That’s a big deal.”
adding challenge, the thinking goes, the
the model achieved a 52 percent grasping
system would learn to be more robust to
success rate with a human adversary versus
Finding a Balance
real world complexity.
those with a human collaborator, which had
Nikolaidis hopes to have the system working
a 26.5 percent grasping success rate.
on a real robot arm within a year. This will
Element of Challenge
Trendz
Consumer insight
“The robot learned not only how to grasp
present a new challenge — in the real
The experiment went something like
objects more robustly, but also to succeed
world, the slightest bit of friction or noise
this: in a computer simulation, the robot
more often in with new objects in a different
in a robot’s joints can throw things off. But
attempts to grasp an object. The human,
orientation, because it has learned a more
Nikolaidis is hopeful about the future of
at the computer, observes the simulated
stable grasp,” said Nikolaidis.
adversarial learning for robotics.
robot’s grasp. If the grasp is successful, the
They also found that the model trained
“I think we’ve just scratched the
human tries to snatch the object from the
with a human adversary performed better
surface of potential applications of
robot’s grasp, using the keyboard to signal
than a simulated adversary, which had 28
learning via adversarial human games,” said Nikolaidis. “We are excited to explore human-inthe-loop adversarial learning in other tasks as well, such as obstacle avoidance for robotic arms and mobile robots, such as self-driving cars.” This begs the question: how far are we willing to take adversarial learning? Would we be willing to kick and beat robots into submission? The answer, said Nikolaidis, lies in finding a balance of tough love and encouragement with our robotics counterparts. “I feel that tough love – in the context of the algorithm that we propose – is again like a sport: it falls within specific rules and constraints,” said Nikolaidis. “If the human just breaks the robot’s gripper, the robot will continuously fail and never learn. In other words, the robot needs to be challenged but still be allowed to succeed in order to learn.” n team@mymobile.co.in
www.mymobileindia.com
january 2020 | 65
In Conversation
face to face
“WK Life takes special care to maintain the individuality and uniqueness of its merchandise” Hong Kong-based WK Life has created a niche for itself in the area of electronic gadgets and mobile accessories, kudos to their unique designs that add to your lifestyle. Since its inception in 2013, the company has gone on to become a global brand having 1,000+ stores, 18 factories and 75 patented designs in over 60 countries with more than 4,000 employees. Competing with some of the top-notch luxury players in the given space, WK Life takes pride in quality of its innovative product portfolio which it keeps expanding. It has some bigger plans for India to increase its market share, cashing in on the trend of smart digital devices. Rohit Sahni, Director, WK Life, speaks more about the brand, its product portfolio, trends, challenges and growth strategy in India, in a conversation with Ramesh Kumar Raja. Excerpts: How’s the brand WK Life positioned itself in
and marketing of innovative and stylish
with the growing consumer expectations.
a hyper-competitive market like India which
electronic products. We are one of the
We pay close attention to client perception
is already dominated by many small and
few businesses in the country to provide
and create unique products. Our current
big players? WK Life is a one-of-its-kind
holistic product profile in the electronic
trend is the Bluetooth products that are
company that specialises in manufacturing
segment. All our products can be availed
preferred by the customers. They require
under the same roof through our direct
hands-free merchandises to support their
outlets and website.
busy lifestyles, and Bluetooth items are the latest hype.
Since you offer a wide range of products, from portable speakers and earphones to handset
How are your products gaining traction in
accessories and chargers, which among
the market? Which are the areas from where
them is a dominant vertical for WK Life? Our
maximum demand is coming for the WK Life
dominant vertical keeps evolving to cope up
products in India? We create consumerspecific products to meet the particular demands of the clients. The products have gained considerable traction among female customers. Over 70% of the entire client base is women. Our products are trustworthy, unique and stylish. Our marketing team conducts extensive research on the demand to increase product visibility and allure. How is the India market different from other countries where you sell your products?
MYMOBILE
face to face
“We create consumer-specific products tad slower in adapting the technological advancements to meet the particular demands compared to their global of the clients. The products have counterparts. WK gained considerable traction among Life has undertaken the responsibility to female customers. Over 70% of the entire introduce new products client base is women. Our products are and also contribute to trustworthy, unique and stylish. Our the development of the technology industry. We marketing team conducts extensive do not just launch products research on the demand to but also facilitate the growth increase product visibility of the market. and allure” The Indian market has been a
Which platform yields maximum revenue
for WK Life – online or offline? WK Life is currently focussing on the offline stores with
big issue in the Indian electronics industry.
10 direct outlets and over 100 partners. We
They flood the market with counterfeit
are located at prominent places in major
accessories and tamper with the quality
cities. Every store is exquisitely designed
of the segment. The government has
to meet the consumer expectations of the
implemented various regulations in the
region and yet maintain the brand image of
import segment to combat this issue. The
designers who work exclusively to develop
WK Life. We are currently in the process of
digitalisation aspect would play a crucial
our merchandise. We have 18 factories
expansion to all cities across the country.
role in curbing the grey market.
that are operated with a stringent system
What is your approach to the “after-sales
What are your outreach and investment plans
the only brand in the country to maintain
service” which remains an issue for the
for India? WK Life currently operates from
the uniqueness of the merchandise.
majority of electronics brands? All our
10 direct outlets and also thorough other
products are designed and produced
partners in the country. We are planning
What are the trends that you foresee will
with utmost caution and dedication. Our
to expand our stores to 200 locations in
drive the consumer electronics market in
products have a high shelf life and do not
the next two years. We are currently in
the coming years? The technology industry
suffer from after-sales complications. They
the process of identifying the right places
keeps evolving continually. The current
are subjected to a stringent testing protocol
and analysing the consumer market. This
trend is focussed on smart home products
to avoid any problems in the future. All our
would help us to provide the ideal product
like Google Home, Alexa, etc. This
products are performing exceptionally well,
to satisfy the clients’ demands.
technology can monitor the performance
to ensure product quality and style. We are
and they do not have any issues currently.
of all other electronic devices. WK Life Please tell us something about R&D and
is currently in the process of innovating
There is a parallel grey market in India thriving
innovation at WK Life? WK Life takes special
creative and inspiring revolution in the
on counterfeit accessories and devices. How
care to maintain their individuality and
do you deal with them? The grey market is a
uniqueness. We have a team of 75 skilled
segment of smart home electronics. n ramesh@mymobile.co.in
www.mymobileindia.com
January 2020 | 67
In Conversation
face to face
“We are positioning Visit as a Super App for Health in India” Health is something that one cannot ignore, but what if you have to wait for hours, even days or months, for a doctor’s appointment for even minor issues, especially in today’s context when you hardly get time to spend with your family on weekdays. Although many patients use urgent care OPD for minor complications, it’s something that comes at a price and bothers one and all, one way or the other. Visit is one such platform that takes this problem head-on by providing round the clock access to healthcare anytime, anywhere. It’s said to be your personal healthcare assistant to help you with all your health queries and a tele-health platform to connect to healthcare specialists. Anurag Prasad, Co-founder & Head of Product, Visit, shares more about this platform, its functionalities and the vision to make it large, in an interaction with Ramesh Kumar Raja. Excerpts: How Visit app is offering its services and
We already have some of leading
healthcare - preventive as well as curative.
making its presence felt in India? We are
corporates as customers like IBM
The app is available for free on Android
aiming to capture a leadership position
India, Apollo Munich Health Insurance,
and iOS platforms.
in India’s burgeoning $2.2 billion primary
HDFC, Times of India, Wipro, Medi
The platform offers advisory on diet,
healthcare market. The company plans to
Assist Healthcare Private Limited, Avery
exercise and other healthcare regimens,
expand its offering by launching innovative
Dennison, Yes Bank, Tata Metaliks, Kohler
and also enables you to monitor your
insurance products and geographical
India, JCB India etc.
performance. Visit is hyper-local,
footprint across India. A concerted
We have a unique offering in the form
committed to providing local access to
outreach to increase retail subscriber base
of exclusive OPD Insurance (and wellness
quality primary healthcare to wherever you
is already underway. Visit is also increasing
subscription). This is not linked to any
are in India. It has an in-house network
penetration into the institution market
other health insurance plan, it is pure play
expansion and doctor empanelment team
where it already has a strong presence.
OPD insurance policy. We are aggressively
for both tele-consultations and in-person
With 460 million internet users in India,
promoting it through multiple channels-
consultation at clinics and hospitals. And
there is a huge potential for growth.
Corporates/Institutions; leveraging the
what’s more, you get financial incentives
insure-tech platforms; partnering with
to log in those details as FITcoins. These
leading digital and mobile platforms; and
can be redeemed at major ecommerce
in-house calling/medical team.
platforms like Bookmyshow, Amazon, Shoppers Stop, Starbucks and many
How user friendly is this mobile application
more. Visit gives you a live picture of your
and what are the features that make it different
health and enables you to monitor your
from other platforms? Visit brings together
progress across parameters.
the practitioners and the patients. Both these groups so far have struggled with a
How many downloads this app has
system that restricts access, makes it hard
accumulated till date and what are you doing
to control when and where care occurs,
to popularize it among masses? We have
and on whose terms. Using cutting edge
around half a million users (and counting).
AI technology, Visit facilitates timely,
These include both corporate and retail
accurate and cost effective primary
users. We are following a multipronged
MYMOBILE
face to face strategy to popularize our app amongst
those platforms. We are positioning Visit as
masses. We feel that the exclusive OPD
a Super App for Health in India that utilizes
insurance, offered on our platform, is a
AI-driven diagnosis, online tele-health and
game changer. Once the financial barrier is
offline hyper-local network of hospitals,
taken care of, more and more people would
clinics and labs to help all Indians tackle
be encouraged to seek expert primary
their health issues end to end.
medical help, nipping what can be a major health problem in future, in the bud.
Can you please tell us about your business
We are expanding the penetration by
partnership, if any? As I have mentioned
empanelling more and more doctors, to
earlier, we have tied up with insure-tech
provide our users with speedy, economical
platforms like Coverfox, among others. We
and nearby access to the desired medical
want to rapidly expand distribution and
expert, pharmacy and path labs. Apart How do you manage data and ensure “Using cutting its security from any sort of fraud? We have edge AI technology, Visit a robust data security infrastructure ups, collaborations with insure-tech facilitates timely, accurate and cost built on top of AWS. At the platforms like Coverfox and digital effective primary healthcare - preventive application level, we follow platforms like PhonePe, Reliance HIPAA compliance, which is Jio etc. All these have triggered a as well as curative. The app is available for the international standard for national conversation on access free on Android and iOS platforms… The health data security. to quality primary healthcare platform offers advisory on diet, exercise and anytime, anywhere. We are also other healthcare regimens, and also enables What’s your comment on the getting a lot of positive word-ofyou to monitor your performance. Visit is poor internet connectivity that mouth which is adding to our user hyper-local, committed to plays spoilsport in many parts base. of India? Do you think 5G will providing local access to quality What is your revenue model to keep be a game-changer in this regard? primary healthcare to wherever going? Visit is currently offering Corporate The Visit Health platform has been you are in India” Wellness Subscriptions and OPD designed for mobile, which is agile and from this, we are aggressively increasing our user base through corporate tie-
Insurance Policy. Under the Corporate Wellness Subscriptions, it offers a fully
can leverage multiple sources for internet reach via these digital platforms.
access. This to a large extent takes care of
scalable primary health insurance cover
To further expand our reach across the
the connectivity problem. With time, the
for various corporates. The user company
length and breadth of this vast and varied
internet access is going to get better and
pays a monthly, per-employee subscription
country, we have tied-up with leading
better, as not just business and commerce,
charge for providing wellness, health and
digital and mobile platforms like PhonePe,
but the governance is also dependent on
unlimited online consultation services.
Reliance Jio etc. This allows us access to a
it. This is one key infrastructure that is and
Whereas, the OPD Insurance Policy was
vast and ready customer base to promote
will be a high on the government radar,
launched recently for the retails segment,
our solutions/subscriptions.
and already lots of steps are being taken
in an association with Apollo Munich
to ensure national connectivity, even in the
Insurance, which covers unlimited online
Since Visit has an early-mover advantage to
and offline doctor consultations and
be a leader in this segment, what is your
I feel that 5G would be a big boon for
diagnostics, all insured throughout the year
growth/expansion plan to deal with
the whole app ecosystem, Visit Health
for a fixed premium, where Visit earns a part
competition, which is very common in
included! It would be a great enabler for
of the premium for its online consultations
today’s digital world? We are looking
the entire ecosystem, as 5G will make
portfolio and servicing the clients.
to build the largest available cashless
many things possible which are we are not
network of doctors, hospitals and labs,
able to do with 4G. With superior speeds
What do you do to ensure a better recall value
which are connected with the user’s health
and bandwidth, we would be able to offer
of this application? Super Apps such as
insurance. We are looking at on boarding
much more in form of value, deliver and
Gojek and Paytm have a high recall value
100K doctors in the next 6 months across
services to the consumer. n
due to the breadth of services available on
top metro cities.
www.mymobileindia.com
remotest parts of the country.
ramesh@mymobile.co.in
January 2020 | 69
Guest Column
by Invitation
mCommerce Shaping Lifestyle Industry in India By Mayank Jain
m
Commerce, as the name
specific offers, invites and discounts.
per cent) and health and beauty (54 per
suggests, stands for
For lifestyle brands, it is an exceptional
cent) are driving classifications in India,
mobile ecommerce and is
instrument to intersect customized
empowering about a part of the respondents
online and offline user experience.
to buy items and services two to five times
a result of growing interest
in ecommerce and its scope across various
C) Personalization: This is the place retailers
industries. mCommerce has helped traders
can take advantage of clients who have
A noteworthy 75 per cent of respondents
and customers to do business via mobile
downloaded their applications, and
accept that a terrible retail and shopping
devices and internet facilities.
make the most of the social web, by
application experience impacts a brand’s
each month.
Here’s a brief introduction on how
connecting with clients’ Facebook
recognition. Then again, around 98 per cent
companies are capturing consumers’ attention
accounts, to give them what items their
said that a decent application experience
on mCommerce:
friends have loved, or by monitoring
decidedly impacts their assessment of a
A) Push Notifications: These are the
what items they have surfed and offering
brand.
instant message style pop-ups that any
them extraordinary benefits. For lifestyle
As indicated by the ongoing overview led
individual who downloads an application
brands, there is no doubt that mobile is
by Criteo, about 80 per cent of customers
can pick in to get. With email open rates
going to keep on playing a crucial role.
reacted that they feel good and secure
consistently declining, the message
Researches have demonstrated that
utilizing a mobile for online shopping.
pop-up is an engaging showcasing
individuals who are 25-34-year old
More than 38 per cent of respondents
channel for fashion industry that
like to buy items by means of mobile
affirmed that accessibility of a wide scope of
draws in individuals! As a rule, buyers
application. Furthermore, a review by
items is the thing that they esteemed most
acknowledge pop-up messages: about
the Luxury Institute demonstrated that
in a retail and shopping application.
90% of downloaders will select in to get
67% of well-earned mobile phone users
these messages.
shop on their gadgets.
B) Geo-fencing: This is the point at which your mobile knows precisely where you
What do statistics suggest?
are, so that applications can send you
Fashion (88 per cent), electronics (78
These and many more surveys reveal the potential of mobile phones in the ecommerce and just as how they can benefit both retailers and wholesalers. What are the benefits of incorporating mCommerce in a fashion business?
1. Cost Reduction One of the most substantial benefits of online business is the benefit of reducing overall expenses. A piece of these expenses could be given to clients as discounts and offers. Here are ways in which these expenses can be decreased with mCommerce: Publicizing and promoting: Organic search engine traffic, pay-per-click, and social media traffic are a portion of the
80 | december 2019
MYMOBILE
publicizing sources that can be put to
that it empowers the loyalty of the clients.
practice.
When the clients download and signs in an
Faculty: By putting checkout,
application, he would consistently give first
billing, payments, stock administration,
6. Collaborations via Social Media is Easier Social media marketing and the mobile applications go hand in hand. What’s
and other operational procedures on
more, the lifestyle industry can’t be left out “For lifestyle either. Social media has demonstrated as brands, there is no doubt of representatives required to run an a great help as it enables the planners app-based business organization. that mobile is going to keep on to collaborate with each other and Land: This one is an easy become more acquainted with one playing a crucial role. Researches have decision. An online business another’s structure. demonstrated that individuals who are vendor needn’t bother with a You can likewise share the physical area. 25-34-year old like to buy items by means photos, recordings and posts of mobile application. Furthermore, to remain intact with the most 2. No Geographical recent happenings in the fashion a review by the Luxury Institute Limitations and style industry. demonstrated that 67% of well-earned If you have a physical store, you are restricted by the topographical mobile phone users shop on 7. Helps in Managing territory that you can offer goods Store their gadgets” and services to. With an online business autopilot, it brings down the quantity
Guest Column
by invitation
One of the greater focal points of having
application, the entire world is your play area. Moreover, the appearance of m-trade, i.e., web-based business on mobile phones, has broken up every single challenge related to geography.
3. Enabling Deals and Coupons Becomes Easy Although there are physical counterparts to bargains, deals, coupons and group purchasing, internet shopping makes it considerably more helpful. For example, if a client has a profound discount coupon for jeans at one physical store and jacket at another, she may think that its infeasible
attention to your application at whatever
a mobile application for a fashion store
to benefit of the two limits. However, the
point he needs to make a buy.
is that it proves to be valuable in
client could do that online with a couple of taps.
4. 24/7 or 365 Days Open
In addition, the applications will
dealing with your store and keeps it
recollect the past orders of every client and
fresh. It might be conceivable that the
send them customized data dependent on
clothing that client is requesting isn’t
that. The clients will feel happy to have
available in your stock. The application
Store timings are every minute of every
received customized administration as a
will in a split second send you the message
day/365 for online shopping business.
live sales representative.
that you have to stock up an item in your
mCommerce business sites can run
Applications additionally enable the
collection. This will surely help in better
constantly. From the brand’s perspective,
potential buyers to arrive at your online store
stock management as you will know what
this opens a window for more order requests.
at any point of the day and from anyplace.
should be added and which things should
From the client’s perspective, a “constantly
They can choose from the variety of things
be put on hold.
open” store is increasingly advantageous.
available only at a tap of their hand and pick
Hence, mCommerce and lifestyle
the ones to purchase within their budget.
industry have a long and a profitable way
The customers also give their feedback
ahead n
5. Generate Customer Loyalty One of the best impacts that the mobile
that urges others to peep in; in this way
applications have on the lifestyle world is
expanding the client base.
www.mymobileindia.com
The author is Managing Partner – Greenways.
january 2020 | 71
Spotlight
in focus
Telecom Sector Outlook Negative on AGR dues The Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues overweigh the green shoots in the form of deleveraging and restoration of pricing power, says ICRA
R
ating agency ICRA has
in revenues and profitability. Consistent
requirements. As per ICRA estimates, the
maintained a negative
downward revision in prices resulted in
debt as on March 31, 2019 stood at Rs 5.0
outlook for the Indian
one of the steepest falls in the industry
lakh crore. The private telecom operators
telecom industry, which is
average revenue per user (ARPU) levels
undertook deleveraging measures during
grappling with AGR dues, notwithstanding
with the estimated blended ARPU falling
FY2020, which included rights issue by
the green-shoots of recovery.
from Rs 169 in Q1 FY2017 to Rs 124 in
Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, IPO of
The telecom industry woes, according
Q1 FY2020; the industry adjusted gross
the African operations by Airtel and hiving
to ICRA, continue as the industry is
revenue (AGR) fell from Rs 44,570 crore
off of the tower and fibre assets by RJio.
required to pay a substantial amount to
to Rs 28,650 crore in the same period.
While these have been concluded, other
the Department of Telecom in the form
The overall high operating leverage of
plans like further equity infusion by Airtel,
of retrospective AGR related dues. These
the industry meant that the decline
monetisation of stake in tower companies
amounts, as per the Supreme Court order
in revenues percolated to pressure on
and fibre assets are on the anvil for some
dated October 24, 2019, are sizeable
profitability and cash flows.
operators. These are expected to result in
(including the interest and penalties)
Further, the industry is saddled with
decline in debt as on March 31, 2020 to
and in the event of an outflow towards
elevated debt levels and consistently high
around Rs 4.4 lakh crore (without taking
these payments, it will create additional
capital expenditure (capex) requirements.
any incremental debt due to AGR issue).
pressure on the balance sheet of the
The debt has consistently remained high
This financial year also witnessed
telecom operators, depending on the
owing to reduction in organic cash flow
funding mix. This comes at a time when
generation and consistently high capex
the industry’s health was on the recovery track, on the back of deleveraging initiatives, moderation in capex intensity and restoration of pricing power. The sector has passed through a phase of turbulence during the last few years, with intense competition and pricing pressures leading to a decline
in focus
Spotlight
steady improvement in ARPU levels driven by weaning of low ARPU subscribers with the introduction of minimum recharge plans. Further, the telecom operators announced a steep tariff hike, first of its kind in a long time, to the tune of 35-40%, which will manifest into improvement in ARPU levels and healthy improvement in organic cash flow generation. Since the subscriber base has largely saturated, the key drivers for growth in the telecom sector would be: a) pricing improvement, and b) identifying and implementing new use cases for the telecom services. The latter is a longer-term goal and would require more investments and thus, in
by the capex/sales ratio has been
“The sector significantly higher over 50% compared for higher realisation which is to international standards of 17-18%, has passed through a phase achievable and has been especially in the last few years. of turbulence during the last few attempted. However, with the telecom industry years, with intense competition and However, despite achieving a sizeable penetration the debt reduction and for 4G, the peak capex cycle for pricing pressures leading to a decline in EBITDA improvement Indian telcos is over and thus the revenues and profitability. Consistent attempts, the coverage capex intensity is expected to downward revision in prices resulted in one indicators are expected witness moderation till the time to continue to remain of the steepest falls in the industry average there is a technology upgrade weak, with estimated to 5G. The capital expenditure revenue per user (ARPU) levels with the debt/EBITDA likely to be incurred by the telecom operators estimated blended ARPU falling from more than 7x and interest has remained high on account Rs 169 in Q1 FY2017 to Rs 124 coverage less than 2x as on of expansion and upgradation of March 31, 2020. The impact of network towards 4G, amid increasing data in Q1 FY2020� the immediate term, it is the push
tariff hikes will be visible in FY2021,
requirements, changes in technology and
when the EBITDA is expected to improve
spectrum acquisition. The moderation in
by 21% over FY2020 levels. This, along
like dividend income, rental income,
the capex intensity is expected to improve
with reduction in debt levels, is expected
forex gains, etc while computing AGR on
the cash flow position, going forward.
to result in estimated debt/EBITDA of
a retrospective basis, which along with
Among other sources of revenues, ICRA
around 5x and interest coverage of 2.5x
interest and penalties on the same resulted
believes greater proliferation is expected in
as of March 31, 2021.
in sizeable dues for the operators. In case
the home broadband and Direct-to-Home
Amid these attempts by the telecom
these have to be funded through debt, it
(DTH) services. While these services
operators to reduce their debt levels, the
has the potential to derail the deleveraging
have been provided by many telecom
SC order on October 24, 2019 pertaining
attempts by the industry. However, clarity
players for many years, a new entrant
to the definition of AGR and inclusion of
is awaited on the final amounts and the
with plans for widespread penetration,
some non-core revenues while calculating
payout timelines as the operators have
is likely to provide greater fillip to these
the AGR from retrospective basis has
filed a review petition with the SC. The
segments. Another emerging trend is
added to the woes of the industry. The
government has announced deferral of
greater focus on content by the telecom
telecom operators are required to pay a
spectrum auction instalment payments
operators to increase customer stickiness.
revenue share to the DoT in the form of
for FY2021 and FY2022, providing a
These developments would mean greater
license fee and spectrum usage charges
minor financial succour to the industry.
convergence of various means of mobility
which are derived from the AGR. The
During FY2019, the industry incurred
SC ruling mandated the operators to
a capex of more than Rs 1 lakh crore
include some components of revenues
and the capex intensity, as measured
www.mymobileindia.com
and entertainment, with telecom networks serving as the foundation. n team@mymobile.co.in
january 2020 | 73
in focus
Why offline retail stores are failing to maintain market momentum? By Pahi Mehra
I
n a large country like India,
The market is changing fast with
retail sector so far has been the
organized retail ways, retailers are realizing
largest employer and the provider
that superior customer experience is
In India, demographically most of the
of goods and services. And offline
the key differentiator that will increase
buyers are youngsters, and they have the
retail stores have seen a steady expansion
conversions and bring the customer back
tendency to ‘touch and feel’ and then buy
over the years. With the increase in
for repeat purchases.
the product, also want all the information
the consumer relations is the skill and knowledge of the store staff.
customer’s choice of products and hunt
But ironically, established stores like
related to the products of their interest.
for affordable prices, offline retail stores
Croma, Vijay Sales, Reliance Digital and
Hence, customer experience and
have been creating history in the retail
Sargam are paying very little attention to
conversion at the store is highly important
industry.
enhance the skill and engagement levels of
and lack of this factor primarily impacted
But the scenario is changing fast, the
store staff. These brands seem to consider
by the skill and engagement levels of
performance of retail stores are slumping
the store staff as undifferentiated and low
frontline store staff. But who should be
now. Rising incomes, greater purchasing
skilled work force.
blamed for this?
powers and increased accessibility and
The adverse impact of these factors
With a slump in giving satisfaction
availability of products has sparked
have highly effected on customer
to the customers, most companies are
competition in the market and the offline
experience and productivity at the
stepping up efforts to woo consumers
retail industry is surely lagging behind.
stores. Another focus area that effects
with discounts and offers. However, such
74 | january 2020
MYMOBILE
Aradhna Patil is a customer of Croma in
massive failure of business in the market,
New Delhi; last month she bought a Philips
despite of giving so many exclusive offers
air purifier, and when asked for the reviews,
customers were seen nowhere. Apart from
she said, “Staff had no information about
the economical deprivation in the country
the product while they were showcasing it,
the lack of commitment and bad consumer
and couldn’t answer any query. I asked the
relation holds the big blame.
attendee to describe the procedure of the
But the question is how these brands
product, and he just knew how to on-off it,
save themselves from this downfall? is it
nothing else.”
just the economic situation of the country
This is another big factor why customers
or there is something else to blame
are not repeating their buys from offline
upon. According to some media reports
shops, almost every big retail shop lack in
this festive year has seen 60 percent of
informative staff. The staff wanders around
downfall in footfall and 40 percent in
you and pesters you to make a purchase
business. So is it because of the lack
1 Ton in July 2019, when he was asked to
but they will not be able to help you a lot
of interest or commitment of the offline
share his reviews over his purchase from
with any information. This can have big
retail chains that have given them such
Vijay Sales, he said, “I am very unsatisfied
repercussions so dealing with customers
outcome?
with the after sale service, in fact the
correctly and having all the information
behavior of the staff was not at all up to
about the products should be in top priority
Conclusion
the mark. They are not at all approachable
for the staff and retail chains.
All the findings states that customers
Offside
in focus
measures are seem to be doing nothing as there is a massive visible slowdown for the offline retail chains.
Consumer reviews The companies are often seen complaining about the downfall in customer footfall, but some of the reviews from customers show us otherwise: Kuldeep Sharma is a customer of Vijay Sales in New Delhi; he bought a Daikin AC
Mahir Kapoor, is a customer of Reliance
are not satisfied with the offline retail
Digital, he bought an LCD TV sometime
chains at all. The market is down and
This is not something new; a lot of
back and when asked for his reviews, he
there is a massive drop in footfall. As the
customers have the same issue from offline
said, “Horrible experience at Reliance
consumers are now choosing to invest
retailers. Many big offline retail chains lack
Digital, I bought an LCD TV and I was
in experiences rather than products,
in their after service, it’s like they almost
promised the delivery next day but I got my
retailers need to respond to meet
forgets after selling an appliance that
product in 3 days, after which I released
the needs of their customers. Customers
customers can need an after service. This
that it was not working properly and called
do not want to just walk into the shop,
complaint has been there in the market
the customer care and asked them to
buy the product and leave because they
from quite a sometime, which results in
replace it, which they denied and I had to
could do this in the comfort of their own
bad mouth publicity and degrading of the
spend 3000 to get it fixed, Pathetic!”
home. n
and they had no idea about their products and services.”
brand name.
www.mymobileindia.com
This festive season was seen to be a
pahi@mymobile.co.in
january 2020 | 75
Buzz
in focus
India Fares Better in Spam Call Ranking
I
ndia has dropped down to the fifth
Top Spammers in India
position in terms of number of spam 6%
calls received by users globally, while Brazil continues to stay on top, says
the latest Truecaller Insights report that
10% n OPERATOR
listed the top 20 countries affected by
n TELEMARKETING
spam calls in 2019. However, spam calls
n FINANCIAL SERVICES
received by users in India have continued to increase to 25.6 calls per user/month,
n SCAM
17%
which is a 15% upsurge from the previous year, the report adds. This is the third edition of the report wherein there has been a significant shift
67%
in the ranking of countries that received the most spam calls. One of the most interesting revelations that came from this
spammers.
in the world. The biggest increase of total
year’s report was that 10% of spam calls
Another pattern noted was that
spam calls comes from Indonesia. Last
came from financial service providers,
scam calls are on the rise globally, and
year Indonesia was ranked 16th, and this
a category that was not listed last year.
spam calls from financial services are
year the market jumped up to third place,
With regard to spam call categorization,
increasing. Spam calls in Latin America
which makes it the biggest jump we have
operators continue to be the top spammers
have been increasing dramatically
seen, says Truecaller.
in India with 67% user calls received for
over the years. This year, the trend is
The country that has witnessed
upselling of various offers and reminders.
even clearer. The countries that are
the biggest increase of spam calls in
However, with the rise of mobile
seeing the biggest increase of spam
percentage is Lebanon. Users in the
payment systems and a growing middle
calls are in Latin America. Five out of the
market have seen an increase of spam
economic class in the country, the study
top 10 most affected markets are in that
calls going from 2.8 average spam calls/
has witnessed banks and fintech-based
region.
user to 8.6 – that is a 208% increase in a
organizations and telemarketing services
Peru has seen a significant increase
emerging as big spammers recording 10%
of spam calls. Users are now getting on
Another devastating fact Truecaller
and 17% respectively.
average 30.9 spam calls a month, making
found during this year is that 1 out of 3
Peru the second most spammed country
women in India receive sexual harassment
Additionally, Truecaller also looked
year, the report says.
at the trends of spam SMS around the
or inappropriate calls and SMS on a regular
world and the report has indexed the top
basis.
20 countries that receive the most spam
The US continues to be in the top 10
SMS. The data shows that spam messages
list of the most spammed countries in the
are primarily received in emerging regions.
world. The market saw a 7% increase of
India ranked at 8th position wherein users
spam calls compared to last year,
received an average of 61 spam SMS every
where it actually was decreasing.
month. The top three markets that are
Earlier this year, Truecaller
affected by this form of spam were in the
conducted a study in the US and
African continent.
found that phone scams caused
Digging deeper into the bigger markets,
Americans to lose 10.5 billion
Truecaller found common categories that
dollars in 2018, and nearly 1
tie all these spam calls together. The
in every 6 American adults falls
most prominent pattern seen was that
victim to scam calls. n
operators across the world are the biggest
76 | january 2020
team@mymobile.co.in
MYMOBILE
in focus
MediaTek to Focus on 5G Experiences, Robust Product Roadmap
G
lobal fabless semiconductor major MediaTek reiterated its focus on 5G, AI and Rich IoT to create new age
experiences across mobile and non-mobile categories in the year 2020 at the second edition of the MediaTek Technology Diaries knowledge forum held in New Delhi recently. MediaTek’s efforts to create a balanced portfolio across smartphones, smart-homes and beyond resulted in nearly 32%-37% revenues coming from mobile computing (smartphones and tablets), 32-37% from AIoT/Analog/ASIC focusing on connectivity (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth) for various devices and 28-33% revenues from smart-home and other categories in 2019.
accessible across the mid-tier category.
• MediaTek S900, the industry’s first 8K
MediaTek powers more than 1.5
Tapping the potential of India’s fast-
digital TV SoC which helped MediaTek
billion devices a year across some of the
growing gaming market is also going to be
emerge as the world’s number one
world’s leading brands like Oppo, Realme,
a priority,” he added.
digital TV chipset provider, powering
Vivo, Samsung, Xiaomi, Lenovo, Sony,
The year 2019 was significant for
Microsoft, Paytm, Kent, Broadlink, LG,
MediaTek with a strong focus on R&D,
more than 90% of branded smart TVs globally.
Google, Amazon, Alibaba.com among
new launches, and partnerships. Some of
• MediaTek i700 platform that addresses
others across products categories such
the important announcements included
the need for new cutting-edge IoT
as smartphones, automobile and
the launch of:
applications required in smart-homes,
surveillance cameras, smart bulb sockets,
• MediaTek Helio G90 Series which sets
cities and manufacturing among
voice-assisted devices, audio systems,
the standard for superior smartphone
tablets, and portable biometric tablets
gaming experiences.
others. • New Rich IoT Program is MediaTek’s
among others. With its focus on technology
• MediaTek Helio P90 Series, the AI
effort to accelerate the Design of smart
innovation, the company globally invested
powerhouse for premium imaging and
connected devices based on Open
photography experiences.
Standards. The program delivers a
approx. $2 billion on R&D in 2019. Anku Jain, Managing Director,
• Dimensity 1000 SoC - MediaTek’s
series of AI-enabled chipset platforms
MediaTek India, said, “India has been a
first 5G mobile SoC in its 5G family of
to companies that want to innovate and
key growth market for us both in terms
chipsets representing a step towards
develop products across the intelligent
of business value proposition and talent
a new era of next-gen mobility - the
devices market.
pool. We have a strong R&D team in
5th dimension and has an impressive
The company also recently announced
India, and we plan to continue developing
AnTuTu score of over 511k, making it
its partnership with Intel to bring its new 5G
global and India-specific products around
currently the world’s fastest smartphone
modem to PCs. Through this partnership,
our key focus areas - mobile, home and,
chip. The single 5G chip solution, with
Intel has been working with MediaTek
auto.”
its integrated 5G modem, is a brilliant
on the 5G solution for deployment in
“Being a 5G leader with flagship 5G
combination of advanced technologies
key consumer and commercial laptop
chips in the market, we are also looking
packed into a 7nm chip and tuned for
segments.n
at making these premium experiences
5G performance.
www.mymobileindia.com
team@mymobile.co.in
january 2020 | 77
Trendz
consumer insight
Internet Emerging as an Empowering Force for Indian Women 44% of women in Indian metros access online content in English to stay ‘jobready’, reveals a new study by Verizon Media
A
s internet usage becomes more inclusive and genderbalanced in India, it is fast emerging as an ‘empowering
force’ for Indian women online. A new study, which surveyed the habits of women internet users across India, has found that education, career development, women’s empowerment, health and fitness are key areas of interest for online women users in India. The survey, ‘Spotlight on online habits of young Indian women’ was conducted by Nielsen for Verizon Media, which is home to internet brands like Yahoo, Yahoo Cricket, MAKERS, HuffPost India and AOL. Respondents in the survey, conducted in 12 cities across India in July 2019, included college students, young working women and women mentors between 18-35 years of age. Insights from the survey reveal that Indian women are honing their skills to get ahead professionally every time they go online. 44% of users across Tier 1 cities access online content only in English to improve their soft skills and become ‘job ready’. This focus is sharper among younger women between the age group of 18-23 years. Across locations, younger women were found to access more content related to education,
MYMOBILE
Trendz
Consumer insight career growth and skill development, while older women between 29-35 years of age accessed more online video content related to personal well-being. Verizon Media in partnership with YourStory, recently launched online women’s platform MAKERS India, aimed at the country’s growing audience of women online. MAKERS India is creating new opportunities online and on the ground for women to come together as a community, shaping a narrative that encourages more women to join the workforce. “As this survey showed us, the internet is empowering a new breed of Indian women who are coming online and preparing to take their place in the workforce. The right platform and support as a community will enable greater inclusion, boosting participation of Indian women at the workplace,” said Nikhil Rungta, Country Manager, India, Verizon Media. According to a recent study by IAMAI, women make up a sizeable audience in
Smartphones are the device of choice for women users in India, with 60% of women accessing the internet only on their handsets. This number spikes to over 75% of women in Tier 1 cities. According to the study, women in India spend an average time of 145 minutes on their smartphones, every day. Interestingly, women in Tier 1 cities spend about 25 minutes more on the internet, compared to women in metros
India. But beyond greater representation,
Top insights on usage patterns and trends from the survey:
women have an active presence online too.
• A nod to India’s language diversity, of
reading or watching. The majority share
The study found that 96% of the women,
the total women surveyed, ~80% of
videos or articles on social media and
who were surveyed across age groups and
women users access online content
messaging apps. The preference for
locations, use the internet daily.
in Indic languages (English + local
‘average video duration’ was less than
India’s rapidly growing internet user base, comprising 40% of the internet users in
the 35+ age group • ~70% women share videos/articles online when they like what they are
Not surprisingly, given the popularity
language-Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada,
of video and OTT content in the country,
Tamil, Marathi, Bengali). Only 1/5th of
• The propensity to subscribe to various
there is a clear preference towards watching
the women users access online content,
online platforms like social media, OTT
videos over reading content online. More
only in English
etc. is the highest in metros as ~60%
than 2/3rd of women surveyed had watched
• Women users spend time online
videos related to career development or
between 3 pm and 9 pm - a signal for
social causes or personal well-being in the
brands on when to reach and engage
last one month.
with women audiences
five minutes for each video
of the surveyed respondents followed by Tier 2 towns at ~46% • ~40% of surveyed women fear irrelevant comments, being trolled and
Also, in line with the larger trend,
• Women are not just building professional
smartphones are the device of choice
skills but prioritizing their personal
• Creating awareness, educating and
for women users in India, with 60% of
well-being as well. Health and fitness
helping others were among the top
women accessing the internet only on their
are priority areas. Women across India,
reasons cited for creating content both
handsets. This number spikes to over 75%
including metros and smaller towns,
offline and online
of women in Tier 1 cities. According to the
are becoming increasingly aware of
Environmental conservation and child
study, women in India spend an average
the importance of fitness and access
abuse related content were rated as high
time of 145 minutes on their smartphones,
fitness-related information on the
affinity content apart from education,
every day. Interestingly, women in Tier 1
internet for an average of 10 days in a
women empowerment and career
cities spend about 25 minutes more on the
month. The health and fitness category
development. n
internet, compared to women in metros.
are especially important for women in
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followed
team@mymobile.co.in
january 2020 | 79
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Devices featured in the My Guide have been segregated into different categories based on price and colour-coded as:
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Rs. 2,500 – Rs. 5,999
Rs. 6,000 – Rs. 9,999
Rs.10,000 – Rs. 14,999
Rs.15,000 – Rs. 19,999
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RS. 30,000 and above.
Tablets
India to sell Connected Consumer Devices worth Rs 3.25 Lakh Crore in 2020 While Samsung led the market with 21% share, Realme emerged as the fastest growing brand, jumping to seventh spot
A
nnouncing the 1st edition of India Connected Consumer
India Connected Consumer Devices Market - 2020 (Value)
Devices Report, techARC
Category
has said that Indians will buy
Smartphone
Value INR Crore (Rs)
Value (%)
Rs 2,57,400
79.21%
connected devices worth Rs 3,24,960
Laptops
Rs 36,750
11.31%
Lakh crore or US$ 45.7 Billion in 2020.
Smart TVs
Rs 20,000
6.15%
This would be 11% growth over 2019. Releasing the report, Faisal Kawoosa, Founder & Chief Analyst techARC said, “Users in India are moving beyond Smartphone connectivity and moving to other connected solutions which apart from making them ‘smart’ substantially increase the utility of such devices.”
Smart Wearables
Rs 2,800
0.86%
Smart Speakers
Rs 2,475
0.76%
Tablet PCs
Rs 2,420
0.74%
Smart Featurephones
Rs 1,250
0.38%
Streaming Devices
Rs 625
0.19%
Smart STBs
Rs 240
0.07%
Rs 1,000
0.31%
Rs 3,24,960
1000.00%
Others Total Market2020
“Fundamentally, this is being driven
US$
by two trends of creating a connected
45.7 Bn
Source : techARC’s India Connected Consumer Devices Report 2020
cluster around Smartphones, being the hub and adding connectivity in consumer
both devices as well as content being
homes. However, the penetration is still
electronics led by Smart TVs and Smart
made available through them is on the
very low. The other segment within these
Speakers,” added Faisal.
rise. There is a lot of work happening
includes of peripherals and accessories
Smartphones will continue to lead the
in enabling lot many use cases through
where the wireless connectivity is
sales of connected devices both in value
Smart Speakers. Enablers like Amazon’s
increasingly creating new use cases as
and volume. These are sold at individual
Alexa is expected to have a greater role in
well as adding to the digital lifestyle of
levels than household and have higher ASP
expanding the voice computing market
consumers in India.
(Average Selling Price) among such personal
opportunities.
The growth for Connected Consumers’
connectivity devices. However, with normal
Tablet PCs and Smart Feature phones
Devices in 2020 will be driven by
growth outlook for Smartphones, OEMs
are the two categories expected to show
Cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity to
will explore adjacent products with higher
continued decline in sales outlook for
Consumer Electronics for mass markets
growth prospects where there is still a lot
2020. These two device categories
making several ‘luxury’ products available
of headroom for growth.
have not been able to excite the market
to masses during the year. However,
The overall growth outlook for connected
beyond a point and there continue to be
government must intervene to ensure the
consumer devices for 2020 is of normal
very limited opportunities for them in the
standardisation and quality control of such
growth. techARC defines normal growth as
market.
devices and go beyond the present quality
a range between 10-25% of annual sales
Among ‘Other Connected Devices’,
checks and balances in the interests of
growth. Smart Wearables led by wireless
Smart Home solutions have started to pick
consumers. This will lead to consumers
buds (Earables) will see ultra-growth with
up. These include smart bulbs, fans and
getting maximum value out of the money
many brands likely to foray in the segment
other electric and electronics devices for
being spent on these connected devices.
after Apple’s success in the category.
The biggest concern will however continue
Realme has already launched its wireless
to be of security as there will be several
buds recently.
endpoints vulnerable for security exploits for hackers. n
Smart Speakers will see high growth in sales as
www.mymobileindia.com
Trendz
Market insight
team@mymobile.co.in
january 2020 | 103
Apptastic
Feature
Most Downloaded Apps of 2019 and their Controversies By Vivek Singh Chauhan
I
n the world of technology, the year, 2019, was a crazy one for instant and social media platforms. From data privacy scandals to anti-
market practices, players, including Facebook to short-video platform TikTok, made headlines for many controversies. However, still, those apps managed to rule the users and became the most downloaded apps. According to a report, the year also saw a steady rise of short-video apps like TikTok. Another short-video creation and sharing app Likee was the sole new entrant in 2019 to the top apps by downloads list, where Facebookowned companies dominated the list of most downloaded apps. According to App Annie’s year-end report on app trends published last year, mobile consumers worldwide will have downloaded a record 120 billion apps from Apple’s App Store and Google Play by the end of 2019.
#1 Facebook Messenger
O
riginally developed as Facebook Chat in 2008, Facebook Messenger was revamped in 2010, and later Facebook subsequently released standalone iOS and Android apps
in August 2011 and standalone Facebook Portal hardware for Messenger-based calling in Q4 2018. Over the years, Facebook has released new apps on a variety of different operating systems, launched a dedicated website interface (Messenger.com), and separated the messaging functionality from the main Facebook app, allowing users to use the web interface or download one of the standalone apps. According to NapoleonCat, there were
112,250,000 Messenger users in India in November 2019, which accounted for 8.1 per cent of its entire population.
104 | january 2020
MYMOBILE
Feature
F
Apptastic
#2 WhatsApp Messenger acebook-owned WhatsApp Messenger is a freeware, cross-platform messaging and Voice over IP (VoIP) that allows users to send text
messages and voice messages, make voice and video calls, and share images, documents, user locations, and other media. WhatsApp’s client application runs on mobile devices but is also accessible from desktop computers, as long as the user’s mobile device remains connected to the Internet while they use the desktop app. The service requires users to provide a standard cellular mobile number for registering with the service. In January 2018, WhatsApp released a standalone business app targeted at small business owners, called WhatsApp Business, to allow companies to communicate with customers who use the standard WhatsApp client. Recently in 2019, WhatsApp was informed by the Indian government that the instant messaging platform had
not informed government agencies about a privacy breach “Pegasus” targetting many Indian activists, lawyers and journalists. However, in response, the messaging platform said that it had alerted the government by attaching both the vulnerability notes it filed in May as well as the letter it sent to the government in September. The app has around 400 million users in India.
#3 Facebook
O
ne of the most popular
among the public, Facebook is an American online social media and social networking service based in Menlo Park, California and a flagship service of the namesake company Facebook, Inc. Facebook executives are facing mounting pressure, including from inside the company, to make sweeping changes to how the social media site runs political ads -- including reversing a controversial policy that allows politicians to run false ads and how voters are targeted on the platform. Not only this, the social media giant was among many other controversies including Cambridge Analytica, political ads and fake news etc. There were 325,900,000 Facebook users in India in November 2019, which accounted for 23.6 per cent of its entire population.
#4 TikTok
I
f you have heard of TikTok, then I am
sure you are aware of the popularity of the short video platform among the youngsters and celebrities. ByteDance-owned TikTok, last month, published their statistics for TikTok rewind, which showed that Jacqueline Fernandez was the highest followed celebrity in the app with 9.5 million followers. Over the past year and a half, TikTok, where under-60-second videos often feature bizarre memes, inside jokes, and bite-sized sketch comedy, has become the defining social media app of Gen Z, not only in the US but around the world in places like India and Europe. Though it originated as Musical.ly, a nearly identical app known mostly for lip-synching and popular with pre-teens, in 2017 the Chinese internet company ByteDance bought the app and re-launched it as TikTok, with all Musical.ly accounts migrating over to TikTok in August 2018. ByteDance is now the world’s largest startup, estimated to be valued at $78 billion. However, it could be threatening the comfortable positions of the established social media companies by scooping up that all-important younger user base – 41 per cent of TikTok users are under the age of 24.
www.mymobileindia.com
january 2020 | 105
Apptastic
Feature #5 Instagram
V
ideo-sharing social networking service Instagram was initially created by Kevin
Systrom and Mike Krieger and launched in October 2010. But Facebook purchased Instagram for $1 billion on April 9, 2012. Initially, it was launched for iOS but later on, a version for Android devices was released a year and a half later, in April 2012, followed by other updates till now. Instagram remains everyone’s favourite social media platform. It’s fun, interactive, and best of all, it allows bloggers and business owners to connect in totally different ways. On the whole, brands and users have steadily increased sharing. With the bonus of Instagram Stories you’re able to get a real, behind the scenes look at those you follow. However, Instagram’s controversial experiment of hiding public likes created a spark among the users. The experiment is only live in seven countries, but it’s already inspired some freakouts from influencers who claim the change is crippling their engagement and destroying their livelihood. The experiment began in May when Instagram made likes private for Canadian users only. Two months later, the social network expanded the trial to six more countries, adding Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Japan and New Zealand to the list. In a video posted to her Instagram account, Australian Instagram model
Mikaela Testa had a tearful “meltdown” about the response she received for criticizing the change on Facebook. The post, which has since been removed, claimed that Instagram was doing “real damage” with this change. However, Instagram was ranked number 5 in 2019 in the list of most downloaded apps.
#6 SHAREit
S
HAREit is a free file-sharing app that transfers files
across different platforms and operating systems, without an Internet or Bluetooth connection that was founded in April 2015. Users can use SHAREit to transfer files including photos, videos, music, contacts, apps and any other files. Currently, it is ranked at number 6 among the most downloaded apps of 2019. SHAREit application allows Windows, Windows Phone, Android, and iOS devices to transfer files directly. It is currently available in 45 languages including English, Hindi, Bangla, Indonesian, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Chinese. The SHAREit application uses a secure connection protocol and has transfer speeds faster than Bluetooth and NFC. The other methods for file transferring are either through Bluetooth, NFC, or USB drives. SHAREit also offers its users a range of digital entertainment from videos, music, films, GIF, meme, etc. within its app by collaborating
#7 Likee
L
ikee is a short video platform for creating and sharing contents established in August 2017.
As of the second quarter of 2019, Likee’s mobile monthly active users reached 100.2 million. Before June 2019, Likee was known as Like. Likee owns special effects ranging from Music Magic, 4D Magic to dynamic stickers. The application is available on the iOS and Android app marketplaces. In September 2019, it introduced parental controls feature, allowing parents and guardians of Likee’s users to remotely control or restrict access to the content in the app. It has won the Google Play Best Entertainment Application Award in 2017. Between 2018 and 2019, Likee, from YY Inc., becomes the number 1 “breakout” app of the year by App Annie as the largest absolute growth in downloads or consumer spending app. And now, it is among the top 10 most downloaded apps.
with partners such as Times Music. SHAREit has more than 1.8 billion users worldwide, with more than 600 million users in India and Indonesia. SHAREit’s Monthly Active Users (MAU) has exceeded 500 million users with presence in more than 200 countries and regions around the world. The owners of SHAREit also own various other utility apps such as SHAREit Lite, LOCKit, LISTENit, CLEANit, CLONEit and S-Player.
106 | january 2020
MYMOBILE
Review
Feature #8 Snapchat
S
napchat is a multimedia messaging app used globally, created by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie
Brown, former students at Stanford University, and developed by Snap Inc., originally Snapchat Inc. One of the principal features of Snapchat is that pictures and messages are usually only available for a short time before they become inaccessible to their recipients. The app has evolved from originally focusing on person-to-person photo sharing to presently featuring users’ “Stories” of 24 hours of chronological content, along with “Discover”, letting brands show ad-supported short-form content. It also allows users to keep photos in the “my eyes only” which lets them keep their photos in a password-protected space. Snapchat has become known for representing a new, mobile-first direction for social media, and places significant emphasis on users interacting with virtual stickers and augmented reality objects. As of October 2019, Snapchat has 210 million daily active users. Back in 2017, while Indians were increasingly downloading Snapchat on their smartphones, the company’s CEO felt India is “too poor” to seriously consider expanding its user base. According to media reports, the disparaging comment was made by the CEO of Snapchat, Evan Spiegel, allegedly during a meeting to discuss the growth of the app’s user base in 2015. When an employee raised a concern about the app’s slow growth in a market like India which has a growing mobile penetration, Spiegel cut the employee mid-sentence saying, “This app is only for rich people,” Spiegel said, Variety quoted the employee’s revelation. “I don’t want to expand into poor countries like India and Spain.”
#9 Netflix
#10 Spotify
H
S
eadquartered in Los Gatos, California, Netflix was founded in 1997 by Reed
Hastings and Marc Randolph. The company’s
potify Technology is an international media services provider of Swedish origin. It is legally domiciled in Luxembourg and is headquartered in
Stockholm, Sweden. Spotify has long avoided India but a couple of months
primary business is its subscription-based
ago, the service launched on our shores and the prices were on par with Apple
streaming service which offers online
Music and YouTube Music. That made Spotify among the most premium
streaming of a library of films and television
music streaming services in India. Also, as usual, the competition responded
programs, including those produced in-
with lower prices for annual plans and Spotify does not want to be left behind.
house. As of April 2019, Netflix had over
This platform is quite popular among the millennials and
148 million paid subscriptions worldwide,
is growing very fast in the country. According to PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2019-2023 report, music, radio and podcasts are an ‘emerging’ segment in India and projected to surpass US$1.5 billion by 2023. Monthly podcast listeners in India
including 60 million in the US, and over 154 million subscriptions total including free trials. It is available worldwide except in mainland China (due to local restrictions), Syria, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US sanctions). Netflix does not share countryspecific numbers, but third-party research reports estimate that its India subscriber base would have crossed 1.2 million in 2019. That is next to Amazon Prime Video’s two million-plus paid subs, and domestic OTT market leader Hotstar’s three million.
totalled 40 million at the end of 2018, a 57.6 per cent jump from 25.4 million the previous year. As per the report, this makes India the third-largest podcast-listening market, after the US and China, and listener numbers are set to rise at 34.5 per cent compound annual growth rate by 2023, to 176.1 million. Against this backdrop, Swedish audio-streaming service Spotify, which entered the Indian market about eight months ago, has announced original podcasts in India, as part of its localisation strategy. Among 1,000 of apps, only these made to the top 10 list of most downloaded apps of 2019. However, this year, it will be interesting to see if this Facebook dominated list will be replaced by other apps or will continue to be same.
vivek@mymobile.co.in
january 2020 | 107
Gadget Corner
add-ons Blurams Snowman and Home Lite Monitor your home and loved ones with these security cameras even when miles away
I
ntelligent imaging solutions provider Blurams has come up with the two new smart security cameras –
Snowman and Home Lite – in India. They are available for purchase on Amazon. The Blurams Snowman and Home Lite allow the user to monitor their loved ones with the help of a built-in Bluetooth chip. The users can view four
Price: INR 4,499 (Snowman); INR 2,499 (Home Lite)
cameras on one screen via their Android / iOS phones
audio, Built-in microphone and speaker, up to 128GB
and Web app even when miles away. The products also
microSD cards, 24 hours free cloud storage services for
provide optional 24/7 continuous video recording feature
the lifetime. For night vision, Blurams Snowman and
to its users, which helps in ensuring safety of their family
Home Lite security cameras come with 8-meter range
members. The Blurams Snowman and Home Lite come
with 8pcs IR-LEDs and 7-meter range with 6pcs IR-LEDs
with 1080P and 720P resolution respectively. Other features include distortion correction, 3D Noise Reduction, Motion / Sound and Facial Recognition, 2-way
respectively. The security cameras work with Alexa and Google Assistant and offer two-way audio, “listen and talk back” through the camera from a smartphone.n
Garmin Venu and Vivoactive 4 Give wings to your active lifestyle with these two smartwatches
W
earable major Garmin has launched two new
alerts, menstrual cycle tracking, stress tracking with
smartwatches – Venu and Vivoactive 4 – in India.
relax reminders, new hydration tracking, new breathwork
Both come with the broadest available range of all-day
activities and more. Garmin Venu is the company’s first
health monitoring features like advanced sleep with
ever smartwatch with an AMOLED screen. It features
Pulse Ox, new respiration tracking, abnormal heartrate
1.2-inch circular AMOLED display, which helps in saving battery life for longer period. The company claims up to five days of battery life in smartwatch mode and up to six hours in GPS + music mode. On the other hand, Garmin Vivoactive 4 GPS smartwatch comes with 1.1-inch display which is sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) type panel. It also comes in stainless steel dial with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection for the screen. The Garmin Venu comes in Granite Blue with Silver Hardware, Black with Slate Hardware, Light sand with Rose Gold Hardware and Black with Gold Hardware colour options. It’s available online at Amazon, Tata CLiQ, Myntra, Flipkart and Paytm Mall, and
Price: INR 37,490 (Venu); INR 32,590 (Vivoactive 4)
108 | january 2020
also at offline retail stores across India. Whereas, one can purchase the Vivoactive 4 at offline retail stores, besides Tata CLiQ, Myntra, Flipkart and Paytm Mall.n
MYMOBILE
Gadget Corner
add-ons Digitek DBE-021 Neckband Enjoy music on-the-move with smart power off feature
H
Price: INR 799
omegrown consumer tech firm Digitek has launched a new earphone, called DBE-021, which comes
built with A2DP/AVRCR technology to deliver high-quality stereo sound. The sturdy device supports Bluetooth V 5.0 and offers exceptional performance with a stable connection, sound frequency and long-distance control protocol. The Digitek DBE-021 sports a robust design for a comfortable fit, especially during high-intensity activities like gym exercises, running or other sports
comprehensive control panel, users can also receive or
activity. It comes with easy-to-use and comprehensive
reject calls, put calls on hold and perform auto-redial
control buttons for wireless operations. The built-in
with single button-press action. The other notable
microphone facility enables the users to manage hands-
features include echo cancellation as well as noise
free calling easily. When charged for 1 hour, users can
reduction technology to enjoy music seamlessly, smart
enjoy music up to 5 hours or 5 hours of calling. In case of
power off function to automatically turn off the device
low battery, the built-in Voice Prompt acts as a reminder
when not connected to any smartphone within 8 minutes.
to charge the device.
The Digitek DBE-021 has signal coverage of 10m. The
The neckband-built allows the earphones to safely
neckband comes in shade of Black and you can grab
remain around the user’s neck and avoid falling off,
it from nearby stores or via leading online ecommerce
when not being used for music or calling. Using the
platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart.n
HiFuture TidyBudsPro A battery-powerhouse which makes it stand out from the rest
P
ersonal audio brand HiFuture has come up with its battery-powerhouse true wireless earphones called
sweat and splash-proof. Another unique feature of the earphones is the intuitive
the TidyBudsPro in India. It has a very unique
touchpad technology built-in both earbuds
charging case that boasts of massive 3,000mAh
which enables you to control your music,
battery and can be used as a mini power bank to
calls and voice assistant with just one touch.
charge a mobile phone as well. In terms of the
They are devoid from physical buttons, so
battery life of the earpieces, they give an 8-hour
there is no hassle of pressing the earphones
playtime from a single charge and 100 extra hours
and you can play/pause, answer/end calls or
via the charging case. The
summon your virtual assistant with just one
TidyBudsPro adopts a global
tap. The device is compatible
high quality Realtek chipset with the latest Bluetooth 5.0
Price: INR 4,499
with both Android and iOS devices and supports Google
technology and graphene
voice and Siri. The earbuds
driver, ensuring an excellent
are chic, compact, lightweight
listening experience with deep
and super comfortable. The
bass sound and a more stable
TidyBudsPro comes in shades
connection up to 10 meters.
of White and Black and is
The earbuds come with an IPX4
available at Amazon and
rating which makes them dust,
Flipkart.n
110 | january 2020
MYMOBILE
add-ons Cadyce Wireless Charging USB-C Dock CA-WCHP Free yourself from hassle of cable chargers for your iPhone or Android
F
or high-speed and efficient charging without much use of space, Cadyce has
introduced a Qi Technology based Wireless Charging USB-C Dock CA-WCHP, which adds HDMI and USB ports to computers and charges your compatible smartphone wirelessly. What’s most convenient about the wireless charging dock is its cablefree functionality. Cables and wires, albeit highly useful, can become a nuisance from the cleanliness perspective. The Wireless Charging Dock saves you from the trouble of taking care to keep your wires organized. All you need to do is place your phone on top, without the use of any additional devices, and your phone shall begin charging immediately.
the case for charging your phone. Reasonably priced,
What’s more, you can charge your phone without even
highly convenient and freeing you from practically all
removing its case. The high-speed wireless charging
inconveniences that come with the traditional cable
dock, Cadyce CA-WCHP, can work with most cases,
charging systems, this product is really a great catch in
thereby sparing you the inconvenience of even removing
the market.n
Boat Stone 200A Voice control your world with the all new Alexa built-in speaker
P
opular audio brand Boat Lifestyle has expanded its
Boat Stone 200A is said to be robust, intricately made
product portfolio with the launch of a new Alexa
and yet absolutely idiot-proof making it hard to damage
built-in smart speaker called Stone 200A, which claims
externally. It is also IPX 6 water resistant, making it the
to be not only portable and powerful but smarter too. With
perfect poolside accessory. The 1.96” x 1 full range
this all-new speaker, you can ask to play music, hear the
drivers with 3W power output brings the sound of a
news, check the weather, control smart home devices
lifetime with HD clarity that integrates into pure audio
and access over 30,000 Alexa skills across genres. The
bliss. The Bluetooth V4.1 enhances wireless connectivity up to 10 meters. Users can simply download and install the Boat
Price: INR 1,499
Lifestyle app from the Play Store/iOS and voice control their world through Alexa. Further for full functionality, users can register using the Amazon Alexa app to make their experience even better. The Boat Stone 200A comes with a power-packed 1,500mAh battery that can give you up to 8 to10 hours of play time, courtesy with only a 3-hour charging time. The speaker can be wirelessly connected to smartphones, tablets and computers to playback any music collection stored on it. One can purchase it at Amazon.n
january 2020 | 111
Gadget Corner
add-ons Roav Dashcam C2 Pro Enhance your driving experience with this connected in-car device
A
nker sub-brand Roav has come up with the Dashcam C2 Pro in
India. The connected in-car device promises to enhance the Indian driving experience. It can be easily installed with the suction mount.
Price : INR 15,490
The camera supports the total night vision with the cutting-edge Sony Starvis sensor and NightHawk technology that provides incredible night time definition.
With built in GPS, the device automatically tracks and
The camera captures rich and clear video with every drive
indexes the route and speed of every journey. Equipped
in remarkably crisp 1080p high definition, thanks to
with G-Sensor (Gravity sensor), it automatically records
the Ambarella A12 chipset, 5 lens elements and Wide
incidents even when you are not in the car. You can
Dynamic Range image balancing. The wide-angle view
manage all this and much more via the Roav app that
aided by an f/1.9 wide-angle aperture lens captures
quickly downloads and manages videos for easy viewing
4 lanes of traffic at once that allows driver to see the
and sharing, even on Facebook or Instagram. The
whole road and not just the car. It also allows recording
dashcam is packaged with a 32GB microSD card that
speeding license plates up to 30 feet away in low-light
allows ample recording and storage. It is available with
conditions.
Amazon India.n
Stuffcool WB110 Power Bank Charging your device was never this easy
T
ech accessory brand Stuffcool has launched a
wireless charging having received the prestigious Qi
power bank, dubbed WB110, in India. The power
certification. While you recharge this power bank,
bank, having 10,000mAh battery, is equipped not only
you can also charge your devices simultaneously. The
with a Qi-certified 5W/7.5W/10W wireless fast charging
power bank offers intelligent protection – in terms
protocol, but is also equipped with the fastest wired
of Auto Cut-Off feature, Over voltage protection and
charging protocols, such as PD18W Type C port and
Over Current protection. The WB110 wireless power
a QC3 Compatible USB A Port. This power bank can
bank is unsurprisingly the lightest and most compact.
provide a total of 36W in terms of output which means
Its build quality and overall feel are really premium. The
you can use the wireless charging feature, the PD Type
textured body gives firm grip to hold the power bank.
C Port or the QC3 Compatible port to super-fast charge
There is an LED indicator to notify battery level and
two devices at the same time.
functionality of the device. The power bank is available
The Stuffcool WB110 wireless power bank delivers reliable and
112 | january 2020
safe
at stuffcool.com, Amazon and Flipkart. n
Price : INR 3,999
Gadget Corner
Tenda AC8 AC1200 The dual-band gigabit wireless router
N
etworking devices and equipment brand Tenda
Price: INR 4,900
has launched the AC8 AC1200 dual-band gigabit
wireless router in India. The AC8 claims to provide
secure, reliable and blazing fast Wi-Fi speed of 1167 Mbps, fully utilizing the gigabit fibre ensuring stable online gaming and 4K video streaming. The Wi-Fi router is designed in accordance to support broadband account automatic transfer. The Tenda AC8 comes with 28nm RealTek 1GHz Core CPU which improves the performance up to 40% perfectly handling all data stream smoothly and delivering an impressive internet experience. For delivering enhanced gaming and streaming
which prevents virus attacks and protects your online
experience, the AC8 comes with 4*6dBi External Dual
transactions simplifying data transmission and reducing
Band External Omni-Directional Antennas covering 90
processing time. The AC8 also comes equipped with
square meters and can penetrate two layers of Walls
“Smart Tenda Wi-Fi App” which helps in real-time
aggregating Wi-Fi signals directly to the users. The Tenda
management of your network. One of the unique features
AC8 is equipped with MU-MIMO and Beamforming+
that make Tenda AC8 stand apart from its competitors
Technology features which help you to get unrivalled
is its “Smart Traffic Prioritisation” feature. This wireless
coverage and stable performance. It supports IPv6
router is available exclusively on Amazon.n
SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Go USB Type-C Pendrive Empowering you to create, manage and preserve your digital content
H
ard disk drive maker Western Digital has expanded
the app helps organize content from different devices,
its product portfolio with the launch of SanDisk
whether it’s on your phone, a microSD card, or the
Ultra Dual Drive Go USB Type-C pendrive for mobile,
cloud, in one view and backs up photos, videos, contacts
available in storage options of 32GB, 64GB, 128GB a n d
and social media accounts. It also helps in finding files
256GB. The SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Go is
across your devices via geo-tagging or timeline. The
a 2-in-1 flash drive that lets consumers
SanDisk Memory Zone is a powerful app; it can free
nimbly move files between USB Type-C
up space on consumers’ phones by cleaning
smartphones, tablets and Mac
up downloads from other apps or by easily
computers as well as USB Type-A
offloading files to a SanDisk Dual Drive
computers. This high-performance USB 3.1 Gen 1 drive offers a read speed of up to 150MB/s. The all-new pendrive comes preloaded with the SanDisk Memory Zone app, a powerful content management tool. Once installed on the smartphone,
or microSD card. The pendrive is available with a retail price of Rs 1,050 for 32GB and goes up to Rs 5,300 for a 256GB capacity. It is available at select retailers and e-commerce websites across India.n january 2020 | 113
Gadget Corner
add-ons Pioneer TS-WX400DA A compact yet boisterous subwoofer with built-in Class-D amplifier
J
apanese car infotainment and DJ equipment brand
Price : INR 21,890
Pioneer has launched TS-WX400DA, a highly
compact active subwoofer with built-in 250 Watts output Class-D amplifier in India. From the dimensions of this active subwoofer, which are 300mm (W) x 200mm
While Deep mode is ideally suitable for classic, jazz,
(D) and 100mm (H), it can be easily understood how
country music, etc, the Dynamic mode stuns music
compact is this product and leaves enough room in the
lovers on EDM, hip-hop, rock music, etc. All the
boot for luggage and other important articles. Utilizing a
functions can be availed using a wired remote control.
“down fire” speaker design, the TS-WX400DA is able to
Some other remarkable features of TS-WX400DA are:
produce richer low-frequency reproduction that sounds
Phase control, Frequency and Gain control to adjust
incredible with such a compact sub-woofer.
the musical style, compatibility with CarSoundFit app
Users of this product can enjoy two selectable bass
which simulates in-car sound when Pioneer speakers
modes – Deep and Dynamic. On both modes, one can
are installed into vehicles, and CLASS-D amplifier
experience the rich sound even at the low volume level.
technology which ensures low power consumption. n
Pebble Urbane It goes beyond what you think earphones can do
L
ifestyle accessories brand Pebble has introduced a new member to its audio lineup called the Urbane
wireless neckband in India. The Pebble Urbane comes with soft and flexible silicone neckband that is skinfriendly. The neckband also comes with a magnetic
Price : INR 1,999
interlock feature, which is a good move. It comes with IPX5 certification making it water-resistant and sweatproof. The neckband comes with Deep Bass technology that the company claims to deliver crystal clear and balanced sound output. The earbuds also isolate background noise. The voice assist enabled wireless neckband works with Siri and Google Assistant. With this, one can ask the assistant to read the news, have a number dialled or ask a query and more. The neckband comes with 150 mAh battery that the brand claims to deliver 300 hours of standby time and 12 hours of playtime. The earphone allows hands-free calling and easy switch between music and calls. The device is available for purchase from leading online and offline stores.n
114 | january 2020
MYMOBILE
Gadget Corner
add-ons Toreto Remix A charger that can entertain with its in-built Bluetooth speaker
D
igital lifestyle brand Toreto has launched its all-new product portfolio – Remix chargers – that not only
charge your devices but entertain you too. It’s, in fact, a wall charger with an in-built Bluetooth speaker, which makes it a must-have accessory for all your travel plans. The Remix series comprises three products – Remix, Remix 2 and Remix Duo. All the three products come with a 2.4 fast charging USB output with a 3W wireless speaker offering a very good sound quality. It can also be paired with another Remix charger for a TWS format and also boasts of a 400mAh speaker battery to enjoy the music on the go. All these products come with the latest Bluetooth
Price : INR 1,799
V5.0 and are only available in white colour. The Toreto Remix comes with a multi-circuit protection and is loaded with a stereo sound feature to provide surround
price of Rs 1,299, Rs 1,499 and Rs 1,999 respectively
sound experience. The Toreto Remix, Remix 2 and Remix
at the leading ecommerce platforms and retail stores
Duo are available at an introductory, yet pocket-friendly
across India.n
Portronics Yogg Kronos Your fitness guide
E
xpanding its smartwatch portfolio range, portable
Kronos, a smartwatch cum fitness tracker that helps you
digital product maker Portronics has launched Yogg
set and achieve your daily fitness goals with swift tracking notifications. The Yogg Kronos has a touch-enabled 1.3-
Price : INR 3,999
inch colour screen that helps you track your heart rate, your daily activity goals for steps, calories, distance, sleep time and can set reminders too. It also helps you track your social apps, emails, and missed calls. You can synchronize your daily data with your smartphone using the VeryFit Pro app. The Yogg Kronos is water and dust resistant: its IP68 design ensures that you can wear it even in harsh weather conditions. The watch weighs only 40.8 grams and the material quality of the watch is very comfortable and skinfriendly. It goes well with every look, formal and casual. The watch has super easy charging, long playtime. Using its magnetic charging cable; one can easily charge its inbuilt 210mAh battery. Once fully charged, it can work up to 8-10 days. The all-new Yogg Kronos is available both online and offline. n
january 2020 | 115
Gadget Corner
add-ons Sony ICD-UX570F Digital Voice Recorder Your recording companion on the go
S
ony India has launched a sleek and portable digital voice
there’s a built-in
recorder, dubbed the ICD-UX570F, which is designed
USB-A port to
to offer high quality and reliable on-the-go recording
make it simpler for
features, especially to those looking to record lectures,
users to grab their
phone calls, interviews, and more. The ICD-UX570F digital
recordings. This
voice recorder measures 102.8 mm × 36.6 mm × 12.2 mm
voice recorder
and weighs just 48 grams. Sony offers long range skipping
comes equipped
on this recorder, allowing users to quickly scrub through
with a lithium
and listen to certain parts of the recording. The device
battery that offers
includes 4GB of built-in storage but is expandable using
up to 20 hours
compatible memory cards like microSDHC or microSDXC
of record and
card. There’s a high sensitivity S-microphone in tow here
playback time on
and can even record faint, distant, muffled voices without
a full charge – which is also the time it takes to fill the in-
capturing excessive background noise. It records the audio
built storage. Sony states that a ‘3-minute quick charge is
in MP3 and LPCM formats.
good for 1 hour of recording’ on the ICD-UX570F. One can
The company has optimized the ICD-UX570F to autodetect voice and music recordings. The best part is that
Price : INR 8,490
purchase it at e-commerce stores, Sony exclusive outlets, and retail stores across the country. n
BenQ GW2480T Monitor It takes care of your eyes
E
lectronics firm BenQ has expanded its product range
with 250 nits of brightness. It comes with built-in
in India with the launch of GW2480T monitor in
speakers and offers 178 degree wide viewing angle for
India, which is claimed to reduce eye fatigue and comes
clarity. The screen is aligned with an optical viewing
with the company’s own eye-care technology. The BenQ
distance of 60-70 cm.
GW2480T features a 24-inch full HD IPS panel display
The company says that the monitor has a built-in ambient light sensor which “detects the brightness levels in the environment, and automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen to deliver the most comfortable viewing experience”. Other notable features are flicker-free technology to remove screen flickers and low Blue light technology to filter Blue light. There is also a separate Colour Weakness mode that is said to offer natural by offering filters for red colour deficiency and green colour deficiency. It also offers adjustment function with an extensive range of height, tilt, pivot, and
Price : INR 11,990
116 | january 2020
swivel monitor adjustments. The product is available online at Amazon.in and at offline retail stores across the country.n
MYMOBILE
add-ons Soundcore Icon Speaker Designed for adventure
A
udio brand Soundcore by tech firm Anker has expanded its product portfolio in India with the
launch of an adventure speaker, called the Icon, which comes with IP67 rating and is claimed by the company to be water resistant. The Soundcore Icon is both shockproof and dustproof and offers ‘comprehensive protection with super tough proofing’. The speaker features a ‘hand anywhere design’ and comes with a detachable strap. “Strap to any tree, bike, bag, or rail and play the soundtrack to your outdoor adventure,” the company said. The speaker can deliver 12 hours of playback time on a single charge. You can connect two Icons via a single
phone or tablet for souped-up sound and cranked-up colour. Icon’s removable straps are a chance for you to get creative, link two Icons together in any way you can. The product comes in playful pop colours and is available with leading retail and ecommerce stores across India. n
Ziox Roar Take the party wherever you go with this trolley speaker
F
ollowing the launch of its TV segment in India, Ziox Electronics has now come up with a wireless Bluetooth
speaker called Roar, which has a trolley design. It is a compact, rugged and portable speaker system and comes with a 2,000mAh inbuilt battery which offers the back-up of 6-8 hours. With built-in amplifier and audio crossover, the speaker boasts a power output of 120W. It comes with RGB Lights that matches the on-board lighting effects with beat control. It also has wireless mic connectivity (with 10m range). The speaker apart from the manual control is fully functional via a remote. The Ziox Roar speaker can be connected to multiple
smartphones and tablets to play music via Bluetooth. It comes with an AUX input and cable which allows you to connect your headphones, smartphones and MP3 players to it. Additionally, it also comes with FM support letting you tune into your favourite radio station. The Roar trolley speaker sports the 3 way sound designs, along with 8” subwoofer for powerful bass. Outfitted with the powerful 120W total RMS power, the speaker delivers full range music experience with extra deep bass. It is available with leading retail and online stores across India.n
january 2020 | 117
Gadget Corner
add-ons Prana Air Cair and Cair+ Track the air anywhere, anytime with the all-new air quality monitors
P
urelogic Labs-owned brand Prana Air, which makes devices and products to protect people from pollution,
has launched a new series of air quality pocket monitors -- Cair and Cair+ -- in India. Both Cair and Cair+ measure the air quality and air pollution in any environment and show all collected data in real-time. With newly-added
where the data is also stored. With the mobile application,
functionality such as Wi-Fi connectivity and an SD-card
hourly, daily, weekly and monthly data can be accessed,
slot for storing data, they allow the user to track the air
and alerts can be set for different air quality levels to
anywhere, anytime. All data is stored in the cloud and
ensure safety when air pollution spikes. The monitors
accessible through the mobile application- AQI India.
come with a charging cable and adapter and are meant to
Both the monitors measure PM2.5, temperature and
be connected at all times for continuous measurements.
humidity along with PM1 and PM10 (equational) with
The display shows the values for each parameter together
high-quality sensors, to check the air quality. They come
with colours to analyse if the levels are safe or not, ranging
with an in-built 1,000mAh battery.
between green, yellow, and red.n
All data is seen on the monitor’s LCD screen in realtime and in graphs, or through the mobile application
Price: INR 4,990 (Cair); INR 7,490 (Cair+)
Honor AM115 Earphones A smart option to enjoy high fidelity music experience
H
uawei’s sub-brand Honor has launched its semi-in-ear earphones called the AM115 in India that is available on
Amazon. The Honor AM115 claims to deliver high fidelity music and call. The latest Honor earphones come with an ergonomic design for high comfort, efficiency and adaptability, making them a smarter option than others in the given segment. The diamond-cut sheen
Price: INR 399
and metallic finish on the earphones gives them a premium look. Moreover, Honor has also introduced an anti-oxidation coating over the earphones leading to an increased lifespan. The Honor AM115 offers numerous call and music control functions such as a feature to reject or mute the call through preprogrammed buttons, double-tap the button to change track and much more. Furthermore, the earphones also come bundled with strong bass and frequency, clear and resonant mid-range sounds which render textured timber to vocals and high-frequency response and balanced sound ecosystem. n
118 | january 2020
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Gadget Corner
add-ons Devialet Phantom Reactor Experience premium audio with the ultracompact speaker, which now comes in a brand new Black colour option
F
ollowing their international debut more recently,
listen your way.
France-based premium audio brand Devialet has
The Phantom Reactor, like the Phantom Premier
now come up with a new Matte Black colour variant of
series, is unique. “In addition to Devialet’s 160 existing
its Phantom Reactor speakers in India. Until now, the
patents in acoustic and mechanical engineering, a further
Devialet Phantom series has been available only in White
11 patents have contributed to the Phantom Reactor’s
colour.
disruptive design, allowing for powerful sound from an
The two new ultra-compact wireless speakers, the Phantom Reactor 600 and Phantom Reactor 900, have been introduced by Luxury Personified and will retail for Rs 1,09,000 and Rs 1,29,000, respectively. They will be available in New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai. The result of a year’s design efforts, the speaker’s sharp matte finish is achieved with an aqueous solution, creating a soft touch and a smooth finish capable of handling intense power and pressure, the company claimed. According to Devialet, the Phantom Reactor delivers unprecedented power with zero distortion, saturation or
impossibly compact package (it is less than 22cm long and under 17cm tall),” the company said. The breakthrough Devialet innovations, pushed even further for the Phantom Reactor, include: • Analog Digital Hybrid (ADH), Devialet’s core innovation in sound amplification, combining the sophistication of Class A analog amplification with the power and compactness of Class D digital technology • Speaker Active Matching (SAM), the mathematical model that ensures perfect control of the mechanics of the speakers and high acoustic fidelity of Phantom Reactor
background noise, fully immersing you in your favourite
• Heart Bass Implosion (HBI), the revolutionary acoustic
music, movies and games and letting you experience sound
process that emits bass sounds with phenomenal depth
as it should be heard. More than ever before, the Matte Black Phantom Reactor disappears into your surroundings - but it still promises a thrilling audio experience. Setting up in solo or stereo mode is simple using
and physical impact • Active Cospherical Engine (ACE), the spherical design and the perfect acoustic shape to reproduce a sound and diffuse its energy linearly in all directions
the Devialet app. Music can be enjoyed wirelessly from
• Software systems that improve every day, thanks to
your connected device (phone, TV etc.) through Airplay,
free or paid upgrades as Devialet is opposed to the
Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, UPnP or through analog or
obsolescence of systems. n
optical jack connection. Its open architecture lets you
120 | january 2020
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TechTalk
Vantage Point
Trends driving Audio Market in 2020 —By Achin Gupta
O
ver the years, India has
believes that quality and excellent
emerged as a promising
sound experience will still take
market for the audio industry
precedence over the price-point of a product.
to provide flawless sound experience to the
thereby compelling many
Trendy designs, all-weather usability, easy
users. On the same lines, exponential growth
leading global brands to set up operations
portability, sound quality, longer battery
of the mobile handset industry is expected
in the country. India’s unique demographic
backup will matter more than ever.
to trigger a race in wireless Bluetooth audio
positioning in respect of having the largest
brands for capturing consumer attention
youth population in the world and an ever-
through premium sound quality experience.
“Exponential growth Additionally, there is also a huge possibility of the mobile handset industry sector are two of the most critical factors of video speakers and Wi-Fi compatible that have buttressed the growth of this speakers being introduced in the is expected to trigger a race in wireless sector. coming time which will be an exciting Bluetooth audio brands for capturing 2019 was an exciting year for addition to the catalogues of major consumer attention through premium sound the audio industry. As the industry audio brands. quality experience. Additionally, there is also looks forward to welcoming a brand For the audio industry in new year –2020, fresh goals and India, 2020 could also be a a huge possibility of video speakers and a determination to build upon the watershed year if more brands Wi-Fi compatible speakers being introduced learnings of 2019 invoke excitement place emphasis on launching ecoin the coming time which will be an and hope. Against this backdrop, let friendly products. Given the rising exciting addition to the catalogues us dwell on trends that one foresees as awareness of global warming and of major audio brands” making an impact on the audio industry reducing plastic usage among consumers burgeoning Media and Entertainment (M&E)
in 2020. There is no denying the fact that
and organizations alike, one predicts audio
entertainment and broadcast sectors will
brands to simultaneously work on innovating
remain the audio market’s biggest consumer
A report by EY-FICCI in 2019 predicts
products manufactured using recyclable
drivers. Add to this, the rising popularity
the M&E sector in India to cross Rs 2.35
material without marring the overall sound/
of house parties or pool parties in young
trillion by 2021 at a CAGR of 11.6 per cent.
audio experience of the end-user. Although
millennials, have created a lucrative niche
It further expects stupendous growth of the
definitely a challenge, this proposition could
for waterproof, portable, Bluetooth speakers.
sector to come from digital, estimating how
make a marked difference in a brand’s overall
Going forward, one foresees huge growth
approximately 2.5 million consumers in India
positive perception.
potential in the party speakers segment as
are digital-only. This digital customer base is
Technology is one magic wand one
well.
expected to grow to 5 million by 2021, the
can rely upon to make this a reality. On
Similarly, headphones and speakers that
report adds. These findings present a very
the whole, 2020 would most likely be yet
are compatible with AI-based voice assistants
positive opportunity for the expansion of the
another growth fueled year for the industry
or AI-assisted devices, are also witnessing a
audio industry. Increase in growth of digital
with the spotlight being on products that are
huge surge in demand, therefore, one expects
infrastructure would mean a parallel rise in
not just technologically sound but also fare
that this category too, shall remain one of the
demand for best audio equipment.
well on overall consumer satisfaction and
prime-focus areas for audio brands in 2020.
Furthermore, the rising use of immersive
While customers would be concerned about
audio in M&E sector while creating content will
the cost-effectiveness of the products, one
create the need for quality audio equipment
122 | january 2020
environment-friendly aspects. n The author is Country Head-India at Zoook.
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