OnePlus 6 to have glass design, nanotech coating: Details here

The OnePlus 6 will depart from the present trend of an aluminium build in favour of a glass body but retain the horizontal lines and curved design, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has confirmed in a blog post.

Technology News : OnePlus is gearing up to unveil the fifth iteration of its flagship smartphone, called the OnePlus 6. The smartphone will make a departure from the current trend of an aluminium build in favour of a glass body, but it would retain horizontal lines and curved design, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has confirmed in a blog post.

Little has so far been officially said about the notch screen-based OnePlus 6, except that the phone will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip (SoC) and have a 256GB storage variant paired with 8GB of RAM. But OnePlus has been teasing the features of the smartphone in the form of tweets and as part of other social media promotion activities – ingress protection (IP) rating for water and dust resistance, for example.

Now, talking about the design of the OnePlus 6, Pete Lau wrote a long blog explaining OnePlus’ approach to adopting new industrial designs. In the post, the CEO explained the rationale for the company’s move from a sandstone design in the OnePlus 1 to an aluminium design in the OnePlus 3, and now the glass design for the upcoming OnePlus 6. Lau also shared that the new glass build would contain five printed layers of Nanotech coating, which would give the device a stronger impression of depth.

The smartphone is expected to sport a dual-camera set-up on the back, utilising 16-megapixel and 20MP sensors placed vertically at the upper centre, instead of the horizontal set-up found in the current generation. The cameras on the back are followed by a rectangular shaped fingerprint sensor placed just below the camera unit. As for the front, the selfie camera is reported to feature a 20MP sensor of f/2.0 aperture size.

Nothing much has been officially confirmed, except that the OnePlus 6 would be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip (SoC) and the top-end variant would get an 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. However, the recent wireless certification also hints at the 64GB and 128GB internal storage variants with 6GB and 8GB RAM configurations.

As for the price, the OnePlus 6 would be the costliest smartphone from the stable of the Chinese smartphone maker. The OnePlus 6 with 64GB internal storage is reportedly going to cost between Rs 33,999 and Rs 36,999, while the 128GB storage variant may cost between Rs 38,999 and Rs 42,999, and the premium variant with 256GB storage between Rs 44,999 and Rs 48,999.

→ Oneplus 6 Features ←

Vodafone cashback offer: How to recover Rs 2,200 for your Micromax 4G phone

The special offer would require customers do a recharge of at least Rs 150 per month for 36 months

 

Technology News : Vodafone India on Thursday said it has rolled out cashback offers on four more entry-level Micromax 4G smartphone models, expanding its ongoing association with the handset maker for bundled offerings.

In a statement, Vodafone said that its existing and new customers can purchase the new Micromax smartphones – Bharat 2 Plus, Bharat 3, Bharat 4 and Canvas -1 – and avail cashback offers.

The move is expected to accelerate the adoption of 4G smartphones at the entry level, the statement added.

The special offer would require customers do a recharge of at least Rs 150 per month for 36 months. The company said that users will receive a cash back of Rs 900 at the end of 18 months, and another tranche of Rs 1,300 cashback after another 18 months. This would the total cashback to Rs 2,200.

“The cash back will be credited to their Vodafone M-Pesa wallets,” he added.

Depending on the model, the cashback scheme would bring down the effective price of these models to Rs 1,549 (against price of Rs 3,749) to Rs 3,799 (against original price of Rs 5,999).

“Recently, through our partnership with Micromax we launched the most affordable smartphone in the country at a very attractive price of Rs 999. We are now…bringing four more entry level Micromax 4G smartphones within the special cash back offer,” Avneesh Khosla, Associate Director Consumer Business, Vodafone India said.

Click to Know → Vodafone 4G Smartphone Offer

Flipkart-exclusive Xiaomi’s ‘Desh ka smartphone’ to launch on Nov 30

The smartphone, a Flipkart-exclusive, is touted to be a battery-centric budget offering with smart multitasking capabilities.

Business News Today :  India’s leading smartphone maker Xiaomi is gearing up to launch on November 30 a new smartphone designed for the masses. The smartphone, a Flipkart-exclusive, is touted to be a battery-centric budget offering with smart multitasking capabilities.

The information around the upcoming smartphone is limited. But going by the tagline ‘Desh ka smartphone’, it seems the upcoming device is from the Redmi lineage.

Recently, the company launched Redmi 5A in China, a successor of trhe entry-level Redmi 4A, and houses a 3,000 mAh battery. The smartphone, the company claims, offers eight days of battery life. We believe the upcoming smartphone would be called the Redmi 5A.

The Redmi 5A would be a minor upgrade over predecessor Redmi 4A. It sports a 5-inch HD (1280×720) screen with three capacitive buttons below it. It is powered by a Snapdragon 425 SoC clocked at 1.4GHz, coupled with 16 GB of internal storage and a 2 GB RAM.

There is a microSD slot that can accommodate a chip of up to 128 GB storage to expand the device storage. The phone runs Android Nougat covered under Xiaomi’s proprietary MIUI 9 theme on the top.

The handset sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with f/2.2 aperture and a 5MP front facing selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture. Among other features, the primary camera supports burst mode, panorama mode and HDR mode.

Click to Know → Redmi 5A Features

Google Pixel 2 review: A compact smartphone challenging bigger flagships

Priced at Rs 61,000 for the base model with 64 GB storage and 4 GB RAM, the phone competes with the iPhone 8, iPhone 7, Samsung Galaxy S8 and HTC U11

 

Technology News : The Pixel 2, global technology major Google’s latest smartphone offering, is no masterpiece when it comes to design. But the smaller sibling of the duo in Pixel’s next-generation series exceeds expectations in terms of performance and imaging capabilities.

A powerful device with a compact body form, the Pixel 2 feels solid in hand and premium in aesthetics. The smartphone also boasts some clever algorithms from Google that learn the user’s usage pattern and improve the camera performance to match the results, or even exceed in some cases, of smartphones with dual cameras.

When compared with the Pixel 2 XL, this smartphone looks small and lets go of the 18:9 aspect ratio screen for a tradition 16:9 screen with fullHD resolution of 1920 x 1080. There are huge bezels on top and bottom – something reminiscent of HTC smartphones – that house powerful front-facing stereo speakers.

Just like the Pixel 2 XL, the back side of the Pixel 2 is also bland, with a higher top covered with glossy plastic and housing a 12-megapixel primary camera and LED flash. The rest of the area is covered with matte aluminium sheet which gives a premium feel.

The camera in the Pixel 2 is a delight to use. It is one the smartest cameras we have seen in a smartphone. Though a single unit, the camera takes clear pictures irrespective of lighting conditions.

The phone camera also features a portrait mode, something that so far was restricted only to dual-camera smartphones. This mode uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to create blurring effects (Bokeh) while keeping the subject in focus crisp and sharp. The addition of a live photo feature adds more substance to compete with the likes of the iPhone camera features.

Click to Know → Google Pixel 2 Price India

OnePlus 5T review: 18:9 screen adds 1+ to capable mid-range flagship device

Priced at Rs 37,999 for premium variant, the OnePlus 5T is a mixed bag of worthy and unnecessary upgrades

 

Technology News : China-based smartphone manufacturer OnePlus, after coming up with a few affordable flagship devices, has now set a new benchmark by launching two flagships in a year. The company recently launched the OnePlus 5T, a flagship smartphone that breaks away from OnePlus’ 5.5-inch display culture in favour of an ultra-wide 6-inch 18:9 aspect ratio screen.

In a way, OnePlus has indeed repeated itself in its upgrade experiement – the company had last year launched the upgraded flagship OnePlus 3T soon after coming up with the OnePlus 3. This time, the OnePlus 5T has come within five months of the OnePlus 5 launch.

But how worthy was the OnePlus 5 for an upgrade? And is the OnePlus 5T even a worthy upgrade of the predecessor? Business Standard reviewed the OnePlus 5T and compared its features with the OnePlus 5 to assess the upgrade quotient. Here are our observations:

OnePlus’ choice of the future-ready ultra-wide 18:9 aspect ratio screen in the OnePlus 5T is a welcome move. However, continuing with a fullHD resolution seems to limit the otherwise perfect display. Competitors have long been offering quadHD screens in their flagships. With the new ultra-wide format screen in the OnePlus 5T, the quadHD screen resolution might have been a real upgrade.

The OnePlus 5T display offers good sunlight legibility, contrast ratio and saturation. It covers almost the entire front with minimal top and bottom bezels. Also, the screen is no more prone to ‘Jelly effect’, which had been seen in some OnePlus 5 units.

Click to Know → Oneplus 5T Features

Gionee M7 Power : Battery-centric smartphone with 18:9 screen

Priced at Rs 16,999 and offering exceptional battery life and future-ready 18:9 aspect ratio screen, Gionee M7 Power competes with Nokia 6, Honor 9i, and LG Q6 Plus

 

Technology News : With ultra-wide screen being one of the key features dominating the smartphone industry this year, Chinese handset maker Gionee has also jumped on the bandwagon. Its latest offering, the M7 Power smartphone, has ditched the 16:9 aspect ratio screen in favour of an 18:9 ‘FullView display’.

The aluminium-clad Gionee M7 Power, true to its name, is primarily a powerful smartphone with a mammoth 5,000 mAh battery. The 3D photo is another key feature differentiating it with competitors.

Business Standard reviewed the Gionee M7 Power to test its display, battery and camera capabilities, besides the overall smartphone performance. Gionee M7 Power Price India

The M7 Power boasts a 6-inch IPS HD screen in the 18:9 aspect ratio, covered with a 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass. The display looks bright and covers almost the entire front, though the top and bottom bezels are still prominent.

For a 6-inch screen, the HD resolution panel looks pixelated at times, especially while watching multimedia content. The text also doesn’t look sharp and might make avid readers a little wary. But the addition of a software-based reading mode does help reduce the blue light glare that strains eyes while reading.

Overall, the screen offers good contrast and sunlight legibility. The ultra-wide screen means an 85 per cent screen-to-body ratio assuring high display area and limited bezels.

Click to Know → Gionee M7 Power Features

Airtel launches two new Karbonn-branded smartphones at feature phone price

Karbonn A41 Indian and Karbonn A41 Power smartphones, at an effective price of Rs 1,799 and Rs 1,849, respectively, come bundled with a cashback offer from Bharti Airtel.

Technology News : Bharti Airtel, in partnership with Karbonn Mobiles, has announced two smartphones – the A1 Indian and A41 power — at an effective price of Rs 1,799 and Rs 1,849, respectively.

This is a second time the telecom operator has partnered with Karbonn to launch smartphones under ‘Mera Pehla 4G smartphone’ initiative, aiming to provide affordable 4G smartphone to people seeking to move from feature phones to smartphones.

The Karbonn A41 Indian and Karbonn A41 Power smartphones, which have retail prices of Rs 4,390 and Rs 4,290, respectively, come bundled with a monthly pack of Rs 169 from Airtel, providing unlimited local and STD calls and 0.5GB of data per day, valid for 28 days.

To avail of the smartphone bundled with Airtel benefits, a customer needs to make a down payment of Rs 3,299 for A41 Indian and Rs 3,349 for A41 Power, respectively.The effective price of the smartphones is calculated after deducting the cashback from the principal amount.

Airtel is offering a total cashback of Rs 1,500 on both the smartphones, subject to certain terms and conditions. To avail of the cashback, Airtel customers need to make 36 continuous monthly recharges of Rs 169.

At the end of 18 months, the customer will get a cash refund of Rs 500 and another Rs 1,000 after 36 months, taking the total cash benefit to Rs 1,500.

Click to Read → Airtel Karbonn Smartphones

OnePlus 5T launched with 6-inch screen, face unlock feature from Rs 32,999

This is OnePlus’ first smartphone to feature an 18:9 aspect ratio display

 

Technology News : OnePlus on Thursday launched its next iteration of its flagship OnePlus 5T in New York. The smartphone, which uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC, can be purchased in 64GB and 128GB storage options at a price of Rs 32,999 and Rs 37,999 respectively.

OnePlus 5T will go on early-access sale on November 21 at 4.30 PM on Amazon India – for Prime member only — and OnePlus online store. The device will also be available through all sales channels starting November 28.

This is OnePlus’ first smartphone to feature an 18:9 aspect ratio display and Facial recognition features that could help to compete with Apple and Samsung.

As for launch offers, OnePlus 5T users will be eligible for a complimentary 12-month accidental damage insurance by Servify on downloading the Kotak 811 savings account and activating it with an initial deposit of Rs 1,000 in the introductory period.

Additionally, those who get the OnePlus 5T will get 100GB data from Idea. Moreover, HDFC Bank debit and credit cards users are eligible for a Rs 1,500 instant discount on purchase of OnePlus 5T through Amazon India till December 2017.

OnePlus 5T Features

The OnePlus 5T marks the introduction of a 6-inch “Full Optic AMOLED Display” with an 18:9 aspect ratio to deliver a more immersive viewing experience.

The device features a new “Sunlight Display” that adapts automatically to harsh light.OnePlus has moved its fingerprint sensor to the back of the device.

The OnePlus 5T comes with the same main camera as that of OnePlus 5 but also houses an improved secondary camera for superior low-light photography.

Click here to Know → OnePlus 5T Price India

Flipkart to launch its own smartphone brand Billion Capture+ today

Hyderabad-based homegrown technology OEM Smartron has worked on Flipkart’s maiden smart phone product.

A lot of market intelligence that was acquired over a period of time by India’s leading e-commerce company Flipkart is being put to test as the company’s own smartphone product is going on sale under Flipkart Billion Catpure+ brand in Rs 10,000 price bracket from November 15, 2017.

Hyderabad-based homegrown technology OEM Smartron has worked on Flipkart’s maiden smartphone product in terms of design and development besides getting it manufactured for the e-commerce company.

“Flipkart has a very good market intelligence. They have shared many important inputs in finalising the specifications and prototyping of the product besides the price point. We also brought in our own expertise into the design, engineering and specs of the product.

We expect a good response from the phone,” Smartron chairman Mahesh Lingareddy told Business Standard on Tuesday.

The partnership with Flipkart comes as a big breakthrough for Smartron as it has been looking for opportunities to build hardware devices for third party brands that work on its own software ecosystem called tronX. It is an AI-powered IoT platform that combines a range of services and applications, including IoT and cloud, according to the company.

Mahesh Lingareddy says their partnership with Flipkart will extend to other future devices of the e-commerce company as well. Between its own products such as t-phone and t-book and the third party brands, Smartron will be building a range of devices, including smartphones and wearables at 4-5 price points in the next 12 months, according to him.

Click to Know → Billion Capture+ Features

Now Vodafone to offer 4G smartphones for Rs 2,899

Vodafone has forged a partnership with Micromax, wherein customers can own a 4G smartphone for Rs 999

 

As the incumbent operators look to take on Reliance Jio and retain their customer base for feature phones, they are forging partnerships with handset makers so as to make smartphones affordable and within reach of a large section of society.

After Airtel, which has tied up with Karbonn to come out with a Karbonn A40 Indian smartphone for an effective price of Rs 1,399, Vodafone has also forged a partnership with Micromax, wherein customers can own a 4G smartphone for Rs 999.

According to the Vodafone offer, existing and new Vodafone customers will have to buy the Micromax Bharat-2 Ultra smartphone by paying Rs 2,899 and if they recharge at least Rs 150 per month for 36 months, Rs 1,900 will be returned as cashback.

At the end of 18 months, users will receive a cashback of Rs 900 and after another 18 months, a cashback of Rs 1,000, in their Vodafone M-Pesa wallets. Vodafone has not provided a specific plan for the Micromax offer and people buying the device can recharge with existing offers of the company.

As the company is targeting feature phone users, who usually recharge with amounts starting at Rs 10, Vodafone has allowed the flexibility for users to choose recharges of any denomination but to avail the offer, a minimum of Rs 150 should be spent in a month, or Rs 2,700 in 18 months.

Click here to know more → Vodafone 4G Phone