Panasonic launches 'Ray 530' smartphone under 'Eluga' series for Rs 8,999

Expanding its "Eluga" series with "Big View" display, Panasonic on Wednesday launched "Ray 530" smartphone for Rs 8,999 in India.

The dual-SIM smartphone comes with a 5.7-inch HD+ display, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage and face unlock feature.

The device also comes with Panasonic's trademark Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled assistant -- Arbo Hub.

"The 'Eluga Ray 530' is a performance powerhouse that offers exceptional features such as high definition display, stylish looks, and the AI - Arbo Hub - our one stop app to make life easier," said Pankaj Rana, Business Head, Mobility Division, Panasonic India.

Running on Android Oreo 8.0, powered by 1.3 GHz Quad-Core Processor and 3000 mAh battery, the device features a 13MP rear camera with auto focus (AF) and a 5MP selfie shooter with flash.

"Eluga Ray 530" is available for purchase in black and blue colour variants on various online platforms.

Apple engaging third party to make a few iPhone sets in Bengaluru: Govt

Technology major Apple has started making certain models of iPhone in Bengaluru through a contract manufacturer, Parliament was informed on Monday.

"While Apple has already started manufacturing of certain models of iPhone in Bengaluru through a contract manufacturer, details of private business decisions are not maintained by the Centre," Minister of State for Commerce and Industry C R Chaudhary said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.

The government has received representations seeking concessions including duty exemption on manufacturing and repair units, components, capital equipment and consumables for smartphone manufacturing, which have not been accepted, he said.

In a separate reply, the minister said as on July 15, 16,324 applications have been received of which 11,129 have been recognised as startups.

Flipkart ranking: These top smartphones got buyers drooling in 2017

The year 2017 was a great one for the smartphone industry, despite the overall consumer market being somewhat slow in India. While some of the revolutionary features like the 18:9 aspect ratio screens and dual-camera set-ups excited the tech geeks as well as common buyers alike, futuristic technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality and artificial intelligence became mainstream in smartphones.

Simultaneously, there was seen a major shift in users’ preference, too – while buyers earlier were more after devices carrying powerful innards, the year 2017 saw them drifting more towards exciting features – along with top-tier specifications adding value to capable smartphones.

Home-grown e-commerce major on Friday released its pick of best smartphones in various segments, based on the shopping trends seen across online shoppers on its platform. The company claimed to have arrived at its selection “after analysing the shopping carts of over 150 bn shoppers”.

“With the e-commerce landscape drastically growing in India, the smartphone category continues to be a frontrunner among online shoppers. Flipkart flagship sales events, exclusive partnerships and innovative schemes like ‘no-cost EMI’, ‘product exchange offers’ and ‘buy now, pay later’ has exponentially impacted the sales on the online smartphone category, specifically the budget and mid- range segment,” Flipkart said in a statement.

Here is a snapshot of Flipkart’s top picks in various segments:

Xiaomi Mi A1 gets a Rs 1,000 price cut, to cost Rs 13,999 now: Read review

Xiaomi has officially slashed the price of the Mi A1 smartphone by Rs 1,000. The Xiaomi Mi A1, an Android One smartphone, was launched in September with a price tag of Rs 14,999. Now, after the price reduction, the device is available on Flipkart and Mi Store at Rs 13,999.

The Mi A1 is the first Xiaomi smartphone to use stock Android version instead of company's heavily customised MIUI theme. It is also a first premium mobile phone to wear the Android One moniker, created with the promise of a pure Android experience and quicker software updates, and earlier limited to budget smartphones. That indeed is the device’s USP, but how does it fare on other parameters?

Business Standard took the Xiaomi Mi A1 for a spin and here are our observations:

Design
At first glance, the smartphone resembles the Google Pixel, with some minor tweaks. The metallic uni-body design feels premium in hand and the 2.5D curved glass on top of the screen accentuates the details. On the back, the dual camera set-up bulges out from the body, enclosed in a metallic frame, accentuating the camera unit. The fingerprint scanner is placed at the upper centre which makes it easier to reach and comfortable to use.

Overall, Xiaomi has not done any fancy design experiment with the Mi A1 and the result is no-frills, neat-looking smartphone.

Display
For a smartphone with a 5.5-inch screen, the Mi A1 is a big device with huge top and bottom bezels around the display. The side bezels are slim and the 2.5D curved glass on top makes it look almost bezel-less. The screen is of in-plane switch (IPS) breed, with fullHD resolution. It looks sharp and bright. There is no dearth of contrast, either, but the reflective nature of the glass deteriorates the screen’s sunlight legibility.

The touch feels smooth and there is no lag or touch latency of any sort. Instead, the curved glass makes it easier to operate the phone.

Vivo launches V7 with 24MP selfie camera in India at Rs 18,990

After a successful run of its selfie-focused flagship smartphone V7+ in India, Chinese smartphone maker Vivo on Monday launched VIVO V7 with the 24MP selfie and 16MP rear camera for Rs 18,990.

Available in Champagne Gold and Matte Black colours, Vivo V7 will reach retail stores from November 25. The device was available for pre-booking orders on Flipkart from Monday.

"With the launch of V7, we are offering consumers another compelling proposition featuring an excellent camera and powerful performance at a competitive price point," said Kent Cheng, chief executive, Vivo India.

The device with 4GB RAM and 32GB ROM has 5.7 HD "FullView" display and houses 3000mAh battery. The device comes with "Moonlight Glow" and "Face Access" features.

Coming to India in late 2014, Vivo has established itself as one of the top smartphone brands in India.

According to the International Data Corporation's (IDC) latest "Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, Q3 2017", Vivo is at the fourth position in the country after registering a healthy 153 per cent annual growth.

The company has a manufacturing unit in Greater Noida with a distribution network across the country, both online and offline.

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

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.

Google Pixel 2 smartphone now available in India for Rs 61,00

Taking Apple head on as it readied to release iPhone X in India on November 3, Google's flagship Pixel 2 smartphone went on sale in India on Wednesday at a starting price of Rs 61,000 for the 64GB variant.

The device comes with 4GB RAM coupled with 64GB and 128GB internal memory. The 128GB version is available at Rs 70,000.

Pixel 2 sports an aluminium unibody design with a hybrid coating and comes with IP67 water and dust resistance.

The smartphone is available on e-commerce sites such as Flipkart, Reliance Digital, Croma, Poorvika and Vijay Sales and retail stores and comes with a two-year warranty.

Pixel 2 runs the latest Android 8 Oreo operating system (OS) and sports 5-inch full HD (1920x1080) AMOLED display.

The smartphone is powered by top-notch Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa-core processor and 2,700mAh battery.

In terms of camera specs, there is 12MP f/1.8 primary camera with optical and electronic stabilisation and an 8MP f/2.4 selfie camera.

Pixel 2 comes pre-loaded with Google Assistant and a new feature called "Active Edge" that works when the phone is squeezed.

Other features include front-firing stereo speakers, Wi-Fi 2.4/5GHz 802.11 a/b/c/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC. The phone uses an aluminium unibody with a hybrid coating, and is IP67 water and dust resistant.

Both the variants are available in "Just Black", "Clearly White" and "Kinda Blue" coloured variants.

Jio effect: Airtel partners with Celkon, offers 4G smartphone at Rs 1349

India’s leading telecom operator Bharti Airtel on October 30 in partnership with Celkon launched a 4G Android smartphone for Rs 1,349. The phone comes bundled with Airtel's Rs 169 offer plan, which provides unlimited calls, and 500 MB data per day for 28 days.
The partnership is part of Airtel’s ‘Mera Pehla Smartphone’ initiative, under which Airtel plans to collaborate with device manufacturers to launch smartphones at the price of a feature phone.

In terms of specifications, the Celkon Smart 4G smartphone sports a 4-inch screen, dual-SIM slots and FM radio. The Android powered 4G smartphone offers access to several apps on Google Play Store, including YouTube, Facebook and WhatsApp. The device will also come preloaded with apps from Airtel -- MyAirtel app, Wynk music and Airtel TV.

The phone comes bundled with Airtel Rs 169 offer plan, which provides unlimited calls, and 500 MB data per day for 28 days. Also, there is a cashback offer that entails to terms and conditions.


To avail a cashback offer, ancustomer needs to make a down payment of Rs 2,849 for the 4G smartphone and make 36 continuous monthly recharges of Rs 169. The customer will get a cash refund of Rs 500 after 18 months and another Rs 1,000 after 36 months, taking the total cash benefit to Rs 1500.

In case the customer does not wish to opt for the Rs 169 bundled plan, she/he has the flexibility of doing recharges of any denomination and validity as per individual requirements. However, to claim the cash refund benefit, recharges worth Rs 3,000 must be done within the first 18 months (to claim the first refund installment of Rs 500) and another Rs 3,000 over the next 18 months (to claim the second refund installment of Rs 1000).     

Vodafone, Micromax offer 4G LTE Android smartphone at Rs 999: Details here

Telecom major Vodafone has inked a pact with Micromax to roll out a 4G smartphone at an effective price of Rs 999. Dubbed as Micromax Bharat-2 Ultra, the smartphone will go on sale in November.

As per the company's offer, one will have to buy the smartphone at Rs 2,899 and will have to recharge their new or existing Vodafone numbers with a minimum denomination of Rs 150 every month for three years.The buyer will get a cash back of Rs 900 at the end of 18 months and a cash back or Rs 1,000 after the next 18 months in Vodafone "M-Pesa" wallet, thereby making the effective price of the handset Rs 999.

The smartphone is powered by Spreadtrum SC9832 1.3 Ghz quad core processor coupled with 512 MB RAM and 4 GB internal storage. The device sports a 4-inch WVGA display, a 2 megapixel rear camera and a 0.3 MP front camera. The handset runs on Android Marshmallow operating system and houses a 1,300 mAh battery.

step 1: The customers can buy the Micromax Bharat-2 Ultra smartphone by making a down payment of Rs 2,899

Step 2: To avail the cashback, which is valid only for existing and new Vodafone subscribers, customers need to make a recharge of any denomination that sums up to minimum of Rs 150 per month for 36 months

Step 3: After 18 successful recharges per month for 18 months, users will receive a cashback amounting to Rs 900 in their Vodafone M-Pesa wallet, and another Rs 1,000 after completing 36 months
Other details of the offer

Asus Zenfone 4 Selfie: Perfect buy for click-ready selfie fanatics

Taiwanese smartphone maker Asus recently launched three models under its Zenfone 4 series – Zenfone 4 Selfie Pro, Zenfone 4 Selfie (dual camera version) and Zenfone 4 Selfie. The Zenfone 4 Selfie is the most affordable of the lot and is the only variant in Zenfone 4 Selfie series without dual selfie cameras.
Priced at Rs 10,999, the smartphone brings a host of camera-centric features in a form factor that looks premium. Business Standard reviewed the device and here are the observations:

Camera
The selfie-centric phone is serious in its efforts to appeal to the click-ready masses of our generation as it packs a host of features to provide its users the best photo/image experience in the give range. Among the most attractive ones is the portrait mode that allows users to click selfies with the bokeh effect, which means that camera blurs the background to increase focus on the person in frame.  Other selfie enhancement features include eight image filters or tints -- greyscale, warm, hipster, retro, faded, nostalgic, vibrant and blush – and a soft-light LED flash that is helpful in clicking selfies in low light conditions. The automatic light sensor installed in the front is also aimed at ensuring a great selfie-clicking experience to its users. Users can also take panorama snapshots, besides creating GIFs using the selfie camera.

The 13-megapixel rear camera is equally impressive. The use of advanced technology to ensure quick autofocus and stable and shake-free recording/clicks while using the HD mode or filter is indeed a huge bonus. Apart from this, there is another LED flash located next to the rear camera that comes handy during low light conditions.

SEE FULL FEATURES OF ASUS ZENFONE 4 SELFIE

Sony Xperia XZ1 with 19MP Motion Eye Camera launched in India at Rs 44,990

Sony India on Monday expanded its premium device portfolio with "Xperia XZ1" - the first smartphone with a 3D Creator for Rs 44,990.

The device boasts an industry-first 19MP "MotionEye" camera that has predictive "Hybrid AF" burst and predictive capture with face expression features.

The device features 5.2-inch full-HD HDR Sony's "Triluminous" display and "X-Reality" technology. The display is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

"Xperia XZ1" comes with 64GB inbuilt storage which can be expanded up to 256GB.

The smartphone has a fingerprint scanner embedded on the power button. It packs a 2,700mAh battery and is water and dust resistant with an IP68 certification.

The smartphone runs Android 8.0 Oreo operating system and houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC with 4GB RAM.
READ MORE

Now you can browse Google Chrome without internet on your phone. Here's how

If you struggle with patchy internet strength and find it difficult to load web pages on your smartphone, there is a piece of good news for you. Search giant Google has released a new update for its Chrome browser on Play Store to let you download full web pages and access them offline.

Earlier, you could download only web links, not web pages, on your Google Chrome browser for Android smartphones. Though such a feature has been available for a few years on some apps like Pocket and Instapaper, offline accessibility on Chrome is seen as a major step, given the browser’s reach and popularity. In a week of the release of the update, Google Chrome has seen a whopping 45 million web page downloads on Android smartphones, the company claims.

The process to download a web page is simple. Here’s how you can do it:

Step 1: Download the update from Google Play (a one-time step)

Step 2: Open a website on your phone using the Google Chrome browser

Step 3: Long-press on the URL at the top of the page. An option to "Download Page Later" appears.

Step 4: Download the page, and it becomes available for offline reading.

Step 5: After download, the article that you have saved appears on your recent download list. You just have to open a new tab to view it.

The company’s official blog says, “This feature is also available when you long-press an article suggestion on the new tab page.” Besides, you may find the "Download Page Later" option even when you have no or weak internet connection and see the Chrome’s offline dinosaur. Downloading the page when offline would schedule your download for a time when you will be online.
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Oppo launches front dual camera selfie-centric F3 smartphone for Rs 19,999

Oppo, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer, launched selfie-centric F3 smartphone at Rs 19,999 in India. The Oppo F3 is a trimmed down version of Oppo F3 Plus, which was launch in March with a staggering price tag of Rs 30,990.

The selfie-centric smartphone features dual-camera at the front and that is the major selling point of the device. The dual-camera set up at the front sports one 16-megapixel (MP), 1.3-inch sensor, f/2.0 aperture camera and wide-angle 8 MP camera. On the rear, the Oppo F3 Plus sports a 13-megapixel 1.3-inch sensor with phase detection autofocus (PDAF), and LED flash

OPPO Mobile India 

✔@oppomobileindia

The #OPPOF3 is a fitting #SelfieExpert with numerous features in its two front cameras- One for Selfie, One for Group Selfie.

1:24 PM - 4 May 2017

On the front, the 16 MP camera allows 76.4-degree scene capturing, which is ideal for normal selfies. However, to capture group selfies and to bring more objects in the frame, the 8 MP shooter at the front sports extra wide-angle 120-degree lens that allows 105-degree field-of-view (FoV).

OPPO Mobile India 

✔@oppomobileindia

#OPPOF3 Plus has a Dual Selfie Camera for an enhanced selfie experience. Amazing #SelfieExpert is here.

1:19 PM - 4 May 2017

Based on scene recognition, the Oppo F3 suggests the use of appropriate lens for better pictures. Manual control for lens selection is available so that user could change lens preference as and when required. For additional camera utilities, the Oppo F3 comes installed with the Beautify 4.0 app, Selfie Panorama, Screen Flash, and Palm Shutter.

READ MORE

Sachin Tendulkar branded smartphones are launching today

Smartron, an Indian information technology company, is set to launch Sachin Tendulkar-branded smartphone in India today.

The information related to hardware and software of the upcoming smartphone is scarce and the company has kept the lid tight on such information until the official launch, which is just a few hours away now.

The srt.phone will become the first-ever signature smartphone endorsed by Sachin Tendulkar and there are chances that we may see more in the series in future as well.

Last year, Smartron received an undisclosed amount of funding from cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who is also a brand ambassador of the company.

The company does not have a vast line of product range and is currently offering just a smartphone – t.phone – and high-end tablet – t.book. Both the products are promoted as ‘designed and engineered in India’ and are currently available through major online e-commerce platform and offline retail stores.
READ MORE

Flipkart continues lead over Amazon but sales are still smartphone heavy

India’s largest e-commerce marketplace Flipkart continues to hold a 25-30 per cent lead over rival Amazon in terms of the gross merchandise value sold on its platform, but could face headwinds as a large portion of its sales is still driven by smartphones.

Flipkart's sales during March clocked in at around Rs 3,200-3,300 crore, while rival Amazon managed to do just around Rs 2,400 crore in sales, according to a person with the knowledge who did not want to be named. The gap in terms of unit sales between the two companies was at around 15-20 per cent.

“Even though the gap in the number of units sold on both platforms isn’t that huge, Flipkart continues to hold a strong lead over Amazon in terms of GMV. This is because Flipkart continues to lead in the smartphone sector, which usually have a higher purchase value,” the person said.

Standalone sales for Flipkart’s platform clocked in at Rs 2,800 crore, slightly higher than Amazon, while the rest of the group companies Myntra, Jabong and eBay raked in around Rs 450 crore. From an annualised GMV run rate perspective Flipkart holds around a 25 per cent lead at $6 billion compared to Amazon’s $4.5 billion.

An Economic Times report on Thursday cited investors and analysts estimates who put Flipkart’s annualised GMV at $4 billion, but said that sources close to investor Tiger Global said that the company’s gross sales crosses $6 billion at the end of March 2017.

While Flipkart continues to have a strong lead over Amazon in India’s hotly contested $17 billion e-commerce market, it’s reliance on driving sales through high-cost smartphones could trip it. According to a Counterpoint report, Flipkart controls 57 per cent of the online smartphone market in the country, as opposed to Amazon’s 27 per cent.

“Amazon is building value in India by selling books, low value items to customers in tier two markets and through things like Prime. Flipkart continues to drive a large portion of its GMV from smartphones which can be disrupted very easily. It’s the same thing that happened to Snapdeal, look where they are now,” added the person.
READ MORE

Apple takes on Samsung, iPhone 8 to start at $850-900

Apple's pricing strategy for its iPhones to be released in 2017 is predicted to be lower than previous versions and the rumoured high-end iPhone 8 with an OLED display is expected to cost upwards of $1,000, but a base 64GB model could start at $850 to $900 in the US.

"This price point would be similar to Samsung's new Galaxy S8+, which starts at $840 to $850," macrumors.com quoted Steven Milunovich, Analyst, financial services firm UBS, as saying.

iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus will start at around $649 and $749, respectively.

In addition to an edge-to-edge OLED display with narrow bezels, the iPhone 8 is expected to come with wireless charging, no physical Home button, and potentially 3D facial recognition and/or iris scanning.

The upcoming phone are also rumoured to equip "True Color iPad Pro" screen technology for the first time.

The screen technology uses advanced four-channel ambient light sensors to automatically adapt the colour and intensity of the display to match the light in your environment. Which means reading anywhere is more natural and comfortable - almost like looking at a sheet of paper.

The full spectral sensing ambient light sensor will be added across the iPhone 7S, iPhone 7S Plus and iPhone 8. (READ MORE)

Samsung launches Galaxy C9 Pro, bets on subsequent buyers to drive sales

Latest business news - The country's largest smartphone maker, Samsung India, is betting big on second- and third-time smartphone buyers to drive sales of its newly launched Galaxy C9 Pro.

"We do innovations keeping consumers in mind. We are confident that the launch of Galaxy C9 Pro will revolutionalise the market. It is actually targeting second- and third-time buyers who are looking for new upgrades. We are confident that it will drive our market share up", said Aditya Babbar, deputy general manager, mobile business, Samsung India, at the national launch of Galaxy C9 Pro here.

"India is the second largest smartphone market. Definitely, will be new buyers coming in and (existing) consumer upgrading. The upgrader is the biggest market and we are targeting it," he added.

Priced at Rs 36,900, the Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro will be available in two colours -- black and gold.

Interested buyers can pre-book the device through select stores and online channels from January 27 and avail the pre-booking offer of one-time screen replacement for a period of 12 months.

The smartphone will be on sale at all retail channels in the latter half of February 2017.(Read More)

Maruti may inch closer to 50% market share with Ignis, new plant

Latest Business News - The country’s biggest car maker Maruti Suzuki, which now sits on a share of over 47 per cent in the expanding domestic passenger vehicle (cars, vans and utility vehicle) market, could see its pie inch towards the 50 per cent mark in FY18. The new triggers behind this will be the commencement of operations at Gujarat plant next month and today's launch of Ignis, expected to be another volume model.

Aimed to lure the young buyers in urban India, the premium compact car Ignis (petrol) has been priced attractively at Rs 4.59 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). It will compete with nearest rivals, Hyundai’s i10Grand and M&M’S KUV100, which begin at Rs 4.95 lakh and Rs 4.58 lakh, respectively. Ignis, like its two competitors, will be available in both petrol and diesel variants. The Ignis diesel will begin at a price of Rs 6.39 lakh. The top end models for petrol and diesel Ignis are priced at Rs 6.30 lakh and Rs 7.46 lakh, respectively.

Ignis, the company’s first new launch in the current financial year, has been developed with an investment of over Rs 950 crore and has a high local content of 98.5 per cent. The car will be manufactured at the company’s plant in Gurgaon. If the success of Maruti’s last two launches (Baleno in September 2015 and Brezza in March 2016) is any indication, Ignis also looks set to be another volume driver. The company has sold over 131,000 Balenos and about 80,000 units of SUV Brezza in domestic market. The company sold about 1.3 million vehicles in domestic market during FY16 and has set itself a target to reach two million vehicles (including exports) by 2020.  Commencement of Gujarat plant will ease capacity constraint that the company currently faces.(Read More)

Chinese brands takes 50% of India's smartphone market

Latest Business News - Chinese brands took their largest ever slice of the $10-billion Indian smartphone market in late 2016, accounting for more than one in every two phones sold - a growing market share that ate into sales from top-selling Samsung Electronics.

Samsung, the single most popular smartphone brand in India, commanded a roughly 30% market share just over a year ago. That slipped to 21% in November, according to tech research firm Counterpoint, the last month for which data is available.

Meanwhile - thanks to low cost, improved technology and an advertising blitz - Chinese brands like Oppo, Lenovo, OnePlus, Gionee and Xiaomi took a combined share of over 50%, compared to just 19% a year ago.

"Chinese brands are offering quality that is at par with Samsung, at a better price," said Manish Khatri, who owns two multi-brand smartphone outlets in Mumbai. "Of every 10 phones I sell, almost six to seven are now Chinese brands."(Read More)