Amazon, Flipkart festive season sale: Top five deals on premium smartphones

Both the e-commerce players have already unveiled the upcoming deals, which includes discounted prices, exchange offers, bank offers and no cost equal monthly instalments

Festive season is around the corner, and like every year, global e-commerce giant Amazon and home-grown e-commerce portal Flipkart are hosting their biggest sale ( Great Indian Festival and Big Billion Day sale, respectively) starting from October 10. Before the sale, however, both the e-commerce players have already unveiled the upcoming deals, which includes discounted prices, exchange offers, bank offers and no cost EMIs. While most of the deals are applicable on budget and midrange smartphones, premium devices such as OnePlus 6, Samsung Galaxy S9, Asus Zenfone 5Z, etc. would also be a part of sale deals.

Mobile Offer on Amazon

Here are deals on five premium smartphones to look out for during upcoming sale

OnePlus 6

This Amazon-exclusive smartphone was launched earlier this year in three RAM and storage configurations. Priced at Rs 34,999 for the base model with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, the OnePlus 6 would be available at a discounted price of Rs 29,999 – Rs 5,000 less than the original price. As a part of festive sale offer, Amazon would also be offering one-time screen replacement add-on worth Rs 12,000, along with several exchange offer and no cost EMI.

Samsung Galaxy S9

This flagship smartphone from the Galaxy S-series was also launched earlier this year at Rs 62,500. During the festive sale offer, Amazon would be offering flat Rs 19,510 discount, which brings down the effective cost of this smartphone to Rs 42,990. Amazon is also offering Rs 3,000 addition exchange value discount, along with nine months no cost EMI.

ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy S9+ review: King of low-light photos

Asus Zenfone 5Z

This Flipkart-exclusive smartphone was launched in three RAM and storage configurations – 6GB/64GB, 6GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB – at Rs 29,999, Rs 32,999 and Rs 36,999, respectively. In the festive sale, all three variants would get an upfront discount of Rs 5,000, which would bring down the effective cost of all three variants to to Rs 24,999, Rs 27,999 and Rs 31,999. Flipkart is also offering 10 per cent instant discount to HDFC card holders, along with no cost EMI, mobile protection at Rs 399 and assured buyback value of 50 per cent, if exchanged within eight months, at Rs 199. As a part of sale offers, the company is also offering additional exchange value of Rs 3,000 on OnePlus devices. (more)

Social media may be future of entertainment: Should it be regulated?

Social media entertainment is certainly part of the gig economy. It's inherently unstable, with huge growth over a ten year period

Until 2010, the pathway to success in the screen industry depended on convincing broadcasters and film producers to give to you airtime or production resources. These days, all you need is an internet connection and a laptop or smartphone.

A new creative industry has been born in the last decade called “ Social Media Entertainment ”. It’s peopled by young entertainers and activists who you may never have heard of: Hank Green, Casey Neistadt, PewDiePie and Tyler Oakley.

These creators started out as amateurs, but have evolved into media professionals who make money from the content they publish on social media platforms. They are incubating their own media brands, building global fan communities, and enhancing Australia’s profile among young people around the world.

The Australian government is currently conducting separate inquiries into the future of film and television content in this country, and the market effects of digital platforms. Any decisions we make in these domains could affect social media entertainment, so it’s critically important we understand the industry lest we inadvertently strangle it as it’s just getting started.

The Australian market is growing

Social media entertainment emerged soon after Google acquired YouTube in 2006 – around the same time as the launch of Twitter, and their counterparts in China, Youku and Weibo.

It can be a lucrative profession. More than three million YouTube creators globally make money from the content they upload. Then there’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Twitch, among others. The larger the audiences, the more money to be made. In 2016, content creators earned more than US$5.9 billion across nine digital and social media platforms in the United States alone.

ALSO READ: How borderless nature of internet makes social media regulation complicated

The majority of the highest paid creators are based in the US, but popular Australian creators include the Van Vuuren brothers, Wengie, and the SketchShe group. Estimates suggest the number of content creators in Australia has more than doubled in the last 15 years. That increase is almost entirely driven by an extra 230,000 creators of online video content entering the industry. (more)

BlackBerry Evolve sale on Amazon on October 10: Know price, specs, and more

The BlackBerry Evolve will carry a Rs 3,950 cashback offer from Reliance Jio and a 5 per cent instant cashback on ICICI bank credit cards

Canadian smartphone brand BlackBerry, licensed to India-based Optiemus Infracom, on August 2 launched the BlackBerry Evolve in the country. The Evolve features a touchscreen design with a 5.99-inch fullHD+ screen of an 18:9 aspect ratio on the front, and a soft-textured design on the back. Priced at Rs 24,990, the BlackBerry Evolve will go on sale on October 10, exclusively on Amazon India. The phone will carry a Rs 3,950 cashback offer from Reliance Jio and a 5 per cent instant cashback on ICICI bank credit cards.

The BlackBerry Evolve is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 system-on-chip (SoC), paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage – expandable using a microSD card. The phone boots the Android Oreo 8.1 operating system optimised by BlackBerry with security and productivity tools like DTEK security suite and workplace. The phone is powered by a 4,000 mAh battery and has a USB type-C charging and data transfer port supporting the Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology.

Imaging is managed by a dual rear-camera module and a single camera on the front with a soft LED flash. The rear camera sports dual 13-megapixel lenses, and an RGB sensor mated with a monochrome sensor. The phone has a 16MP fixed-focus selfie camera unit on the front.

Honor announces Flipkart Big Billion Day offers; aims to sell 1 mn units

Here is a look at some of the best offers on Honor smartphones during the Flipkart Big Billion Day sale:

In the Flipkart sale, the company would be offering discounts, along with bank offers, on Honor-branded smartphones like the Honor 9N, Honor 9 Lite, Honor 7S, Honor 9i, Honor 10 and Honor 7A

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei's sub-brand Honor on October 3 announced some exciting offers on its smartphones during the Flipkart Big Billion Day sale. The aim is to sell one million devices during the festive-season sale starting from October 11 on the e-commerce platform. In the sale, the company would be offering discounts, along with bank offers, on Honor-branded smartphones like the Honor 9N, Honor 9 Lite, Honor 7S, Honor 9i, Honor 10 and Honor 7A.

As part of its sale offers, the company has announced price reduction on the above-mentioned smartphones and their variants. The company also announced a 10 per cent instant discount to HDFC Bank debit and credit card customers and no-cost equated monthly instalments on Bajaj Finserv cards.

ALSO READ : Honor 9N review: Mid-range device with premium design, average performance

The sale offers are valid across Honor-branded smartphones and their variants, including the Honor 9N, Honor 7A, Honor 7S, Honor 9 Lite, Honor 9i and Honor 10. In the budget segment, the company would offer Honor 7A and Honor 7S at a discounted price of Rs 7,999 and 6,499.

In the premium budget segment, Honor is offering the Honor 9 Lite 3GB/32GB at a discounted rate of Rs 9,999. The phone’s 4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant would be available with a Rs 3,000 exchange offer which would bring down the effective cost to Rs 11,999.

In the midrange segment, the company is offering the Honor 9N with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage and 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage at discounted prices of Rs 9,999 and Rs 11,999, respectively. The quad-camera-based Honor 9i would be available at a discounted price of Rs 12,999 and the premium Honor 10 would come with a discounted price of Rs 24,999. These devices are also eligible for Flipkart's complete mobile protection plan at an additional cost of Rs 199.

No respite as fuel prices rise again, petrol crosses Rs 90-mark in Mumbai

In Mumbai, the petrol price has touched Rs 90.08 per litre, while diesel is being retailed at Rs 78.58 per litre

In no respite to the citizens, fuel prices in the country touched new heights on Monday morning, especially in Mumbai, as the petrol price in the metropolitan city crossed Rs 90-run mark.

In Mumbai, the petrol price has touched Rs 90.08 per litre, while diesel is being retailed at Rs 78.58 per litre.

Meanwhile, the prices of petrol and diesel in New Delhi are Rs.82.72 per litre and Rs.74.02 per litre respectively.

Keeping the people's suffering in mind, the West Bengal government on September 11 reduced the excise on petrol and diesel by Re 1 per litre each last week. Similarly, the Karnataka government had also announced that the Petrol and Diesel pricesacross the state would be cheaper by Rs 2 per litre each, following the reduction in cess on these fuels. As per India's pricing mechanism, the domestic fuel prices depend upon the international fuel prices on a 15-day average and the value of the Indian rupee.

Fuel prices have been witnessing a steep rise since the past few weeks. While the Opposition has blamed the Union government for not doing enough to keep a check on prices, the latter has maintained that global crude oil prices and other international factors are causing a hike in prices of petroleum products.

However, Department of Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg on Friday said that discussions are taking place with the United States regarding the reduction of oil imports from Iran.

Garg had also said that if needed, discussions will be held on trading of oil in terms of the Indian Rupee.

Article Source : Business Standard

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 review: Slate will impress multimedia enthusiasts

With a mammoth 10.5-inch screen, quad speakers with Dolby Atmos support, and a 7,700 mAh battery, the Galaxy Tab A 10.5 tablet is a multimedia powerhouse

South Korean electronics giant Samsung is among a few companies that continue to focus on tablets to fill the gap between smartphones and notebooks. Tablets provide a convenience of a smartphone in a big form factor with a huge screen estate. These devices, when connected with a keyboard and mouse, also double up as a trimmed-down version of notebooks. However, with Windows-based mobile notebooks and Chromebooks redefining the computing space, the use case for tablets has moved from productivity to entertainment or as a device at the centre of connected space, also known as internet of things (IoT). The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 seems to pack both of these.

The tablet is a fairly big device that puts it close to a notebook. It sports a mammoth 10.5-inch screen with huge bezels around. That is a plus, considering that you need some space to rest your thumbs while holding the device. The screen boasts a 1920 x 1200 resolution in a 16:10 aspect ratio which makes it compatible with most content and apps. The screen is bright and has ample contrast. However, it looks dull in comparison with OLED, which offers an impeccable colour rendition and deep blacks and is best suited for multimedia consumption. The screen also shows a shift in colours when looked at from angles, and that makes it less suitable for watching video content with a bunch of friends. The lack of S-Pen support also diminishes the overall utility of the otherwise large display panel.

The tablet's weight – more than 500 g – makes it difficult to operate using one hand. However, the weight is evenly distributed to helps in day-to-day operations. Thanks to a rubberised back, the tablet feels safe to hold and does not slip unnecessarily. However, a tiny bulging camera module on the back makes it uneven on flat surfaces like table.

Speaking of innards, the tablet is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 system-on-chip (SoC), mated with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The SoC is not a powerhouse. It is an entry-level octacore processor that barely manages to run power-intensive tasks. Surprisingly, it does not deter the tablet’s multimedia prowess and manages to run 1080p videos smoothly. The tablet runs smoothly and shows no lags in normal circumstances. However, things turn difficult when power-intensive or graphic-intensive apps like Asphalt 9 and PUBG are loaded. These games run on this device at the lowest possible graphics setting, and show stutters, becoming unplayable. This, however, does not come as a surprise, considering that the tablet makes no promise for gaming capabilities. It pitches its multimedia capability and that performs fairly.

Speaking of multimedia capabilities, the tablet features quad speakers (two on the bottom and two on the top) powered by Dolby Atmos for an immersive sound experience. The speakers are not loud but offer a good spatial output for a surround sound experience. Interestingly, these speakers automatically adjust left and right channels based on screen orientation, making them quite useful.

Article Source: Business Standard

Vivo V11 Pro review: Feature-rich smartphone with good camera, battery life

Priced at Rs 25,990, the Vivo V11 Pro is has rich features in the midrange smartphone segment. It is also among the first smartphone to have a tiny notch display

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo started its journey with devices tuned to deliver best-in-class audio capabilities. With fast-changing dynamics of the smartphone game, the company soon shifted its focus to imaging by integrating higher megapixel cameras in its devices. Now, at a time when the specification race has saturated and the mobile phone game has moved to features, Vivo is seemingly taking the lead in shaping the future of smartphones — the Vivo Nex, with a three-side all-screen front and motorised pop-up camera is an example.

While the Vivo Nex seems to be a concept phone setting the benchmark for future smartphones, a Business Standard review of the recently launched Vivo V11 Prorevealed that the new device fits just perfectly as a smartphone filling the gap during thr transition. The Vivo V11 Pro features a modern design with glass body, a tall stance due to its 19.5:9 aspect ratio screen with a tiny notch on top (called Halo FullView), and respectable specifications.

Vivo V11 Pro design, display and in-display fingerprint sensor

With almost every phone offering the same specifications in their respective segments, the industry focus has now shifted to design and display; these have become a key differentiating factor for new-age smartphones. In terms of design, the V11 Pro is a step forward, especially with its glass-metal-glass design that looks plush. The back of the smartphone is uniform with almost no obstructions, except for a vertical dual-camera module placed on the top-left corner. The glass on the back has a starry night design of a glittery blue hue at the bottom, and a glossy shade of black on the top. A caveat: The phone’s back looks like an enhanced version of the V9.

The front is dominated by a new format 6.41-inch superAMOLED screen of fullHD+ resolution, stretched in a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The screen boasts a new tiny notch screen area, accommodating just the front camera. Interestingly, the earpiece now sits under a thin bezel above the display, along with an infrared sensor on its right for the face-unlock mechanism. The new screen format gives the phone a tall look — that makes operating it using one hand somewhat difficult.

Being an AMOLED unit, the display is bright and looks vivid. It has a good saturation and contrast ratio. Sunlit legibility is satisfactory, but a fullHD+ resolution for such a big panel looks a bit pixelated, especially while reading text, playing games and watching videos. The lock screen supports the always-on mode to show notifications, time and date. However, unlike Samsung smartphones, there is no way you can interact or check notifications.

Article Source : Business Standard