Asus to launch Zenfone 5z with notch display, Qualcomm 845 SoC on July 4

Unveiled at the MWC 2018, Zenfone 5z was the first Android smartphone to sport an iPhone X-inspired notch and system-wide AI capabilities, along with a dual camera set-up on the rear

Asus, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, is gearing up to launch the Flipkart-exclusive Zenfone 5z in India on July 4. The e-commerce platform recently listed the teaser page, confirming the launch of premium smartphone in India.

Asus Zenfone 5z was first unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in February, alongside Zenfone 5. Both sport similar glass-metal-glass sandwich design and feature a dual camera set-up on the back. However, the processor, RAM and storage configurations set them apart.

In terms of features, the Zenfone 5z boasts 90 per cent screen-to-body ratio, thanks to its 6.2-inch fullHD+ screen covering almost the entire front. The 19:9 aspect ratio leaves just a small notch on top to accommodate an 8-megapixel camera, earpiece and sensors – just like in Apple iPhone X but smaller.

On the back, the smartphone sports a dual-camera set-up, which features 12MP and 8MP shooters.

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The primary 12MP sensor boasts f/1.8 aperture. and the 8MP sensor features 120-degree wide-angle lens. Both front and rear cameras are backed by AI for automatic scene selection and portrait photography, and machine learning to improve the output by learning usage patterns.

Zenfone 5z sports a 2.5D curved glass on the front and back, supported by a metal chassis. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip (SoC), paired with 6GB RAM and a host of storage options starting from 64GB.

When unveiled, Zenfone 5z and Zenfone 5 were the first smartphones in the Android realm to feature iPhone X-inspired notch-based screen. They were also among the first generation devices to offer system-wide artificial intelligence-based utilities such as automatic scene selection and setting optimisations in camera, auto ringtone adjustments and optimal battery utilisation etc. However, both the notch-based screen and the native support for artificial intelligence have become a common proposition in smartphones.

Xiaomi announces third Indian manufacturing facility in Noida

Xiaomi has become fastest growing smartphone brand in India with a growth rate of nearly 300 per cent year-on-year

Smartphone maker Xiaomi on Tuesday announced its third manufacturing plant in India and the first facility for power banks in partnership with Hipad Technology in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

Along with this, Xiaomi also announced the launch of two new power banks- 10000mAh Mi Power Bank 2i and 20000mAh Mi Power Bank 2i.

Extending its commitment to the Make in India initiative, Mi Power Bank 2i will be assembled at Hipad Technology's facility in Noida. Hipad Technology's manufacturing unit is a dedicated Power Bank facility for Xiaomi and is spread across 2.3 lakh square feet. The starting production capacity for the facility is nearly seven power banks per minute during its operational hours.

Xiaomi entered India in July 2014 and quickly announced plans to establish its first manufacturing plant for its smartphones. Today, the company has two smartphone manufacturing plants in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh and more than 95 per cent of its smartphones sold in India are assembled locally.

Earlier this year, Xiaomi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and spoke at length about delivering on Make in India initiative.

"Xiaomi India has seen exponential growth in India and today it enjoys market leadership in the smartphone segment. I believe a key reason for our success in the smartphone segment has been our commitment to India. We want our India Mi Fans to enjoy the best quality technology at an affordable rate, and manufacturing locally helps us achieve our vision. We are extending our commitment of building a truly localised company and hope to bring the ecosystem of world's best power banks to India with our partners Hipad Technology," said vice president Xiaomi and managing director Xiaomi India, Manu Jain.

10000mAh Mi Power Bank 2i features an elegant double anodised aluminium design that is lightweight and 14.2mm slim. Boasting up to 85 per cent conversion rate, it can charge a standard smartphone multiple times. For instance, 10000mAh Mi Power Bank 2i can charge Mi A1 up to 2.2 times or Redmi Note 4 up to 1.5 times. (more)

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

The 'Celkon Smart 4G' comes with a four inch touch screen, dual SIM slots and access to all popular apps like YouTube, WhatsApp and Facebook

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). (more)

Airtel takes on JioPhone with Rs 1,399 4G smartphone: All you need to know

The partnership between Airtel and Karbonn is part of Airtel's 'Mera Pehla 4G Smartphone' initiative

Bharti Airtel has collaborated with home-grown Karbonn Mobiles to offer a 4G smartphone at an effective price of Rs 1,399. Dubbed ‘Mera Pehla 4G smartphone’ by the telecom major, the initiative is aimed at providing affordable 4G smartphone to people seeking to move from feature phones to smartphones and experience high-speed internet on the go.

Under the partnership, the Karbonn A40 Indian smartphone, which has a retail price of Rs 3,499, will be offered at an effective price of Rs 1,399. The smartphone comes bundled with a monthly pack of Rs 169 from Airtel, which offers generous data and calling benefits.

To avail of the smartphone bundled with Airtel benefits, the customer needs to make a down payment of Rs 2899 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 1000 after 36 months, taking the total cash benefit to Rs 1500.

Karbon A40 India smartphone with Airtel bundle offer

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 3000 must be done within the first 18 months (to claim the first refund installment of Rs 500) and another Rs 3000 over the next 18 months (to claim the second refund installment of Rs 1000).

The ownership of the smartphone is completely with the customer and there is no need to return the device to Airtel/Karbonn at any point to claim the cash benefit.

Starting October 11, Karbon A40 India and other smartphones under the ‘Mera Pehla 4G Smartphone’ initiative will be available at leading mobile stores across the country. After sales support for the devices will be provided by the handset manufacturers through their service network. (more)

Vivo V5s: At Rs 18,990, it's a wallet-friendly smartphone for great selfies

The phone has neat looks and the Apple design influences are apparent

Vivo is one Chinese brand that has created a niche in the Indian smartphone market for its top-of-the-line camera and music experience.

With the smartphone penetration maturing and demand for high-end devices retailing at competitive prices continuing to grow in the country, Vivo, with its strong offline presence, has been investing substantially in the domestic market.

The company has differentiated itself by introducing the "Moonlight Glow" feature in its Vivo V5 and V5 Plus devices, raising the bar for closest Chinese rivals like Oppo and Gionee when it comes to selfie-focused smartphones.

Taking design cues from Apple, Vivo has now launched Vivo V5s at Rs 18,990.

Here is what works for the device.

The phone has neat looks and the Apple design influences are apparent. One of great features is the fingerprint sensor which is located on the front, below the display, and works just like Apple's Touch ID on iPhone, unlocking the device in a jiffy.

The device runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow, but it is a modified version called Funtouch OS.

During the review period, the phone was fast and responsive. Playing games like "Asphalt 8: AirBorne" was smooth and social media apps like Instagram and Snapchat worked without hiccups -- even while adding filters.

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Apple to start India manufacturing in coming months with iPhone SE: Report

Apple's move comes as it seeks to boost its share in the world's fastest growing major mobile market

Apple Inc will in the coming months start assembling its lower-priced iPhone SE models at a contract manufacturer's plant in the technology hub of Bengaluru, an industry source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Friday.

Apple's Taiwanese manufacturing partner Wistron Corp is setting up a plant in Bengaluru to focus solely on assembling iPhones, a separate source told Reuters earlier this month.

Apple's move comes as it seeks to boost its share in the world's fastest growing major mobile market, where handsets far cheaper than Apple's iPhones dominate. It also comes as smartphone sales growth is slowing in Asia's other massive market, China.

To lower prices, Apple has been seeking to set up local production and has been in talks with the Indian federal government regarding issues such as tax concessions.

The industry source told Reuters the initial manufacturing of the iPhone SE model was not contingent on those concessions.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Economic Times newspaper earlier on Friday reported Apple planned to initially assemble 300,000 to 400,000 iPhone SE handsets in India. The industry source told Reuters the numbers would be substantially lower to begin with.

The source also said it was too early to say what other phone models Apple would assemble at the Bengaluru plant. Read more

Over 5.7 million watched a Facebook live link, waiting for Samsung Note 7 to explode

Ever since Samsung Galaxy Note 7 burst into flames, the company has been struggling to restore confidence and trust in the firms products despite the unreleting attack from users who bought t'he smartphone. The blitzkrieg is even more severe on social media. On Monday, Dose, a viral content website, decided to test whether Note 7 catches fire or not by charging it for four hours and broadcasting it live on its Facebook page. Although many waited eagerly to see the premium phone explode, it did not burst into flames. The video has garnered more than 58k shares and 5.7 million views till now.

Watch this Video.

Problems started for Samsung when reports about Galaxy Note 7 catching fire trickled in. The company tried to address the issue by replacing it with new phones but with similar complaints about the new phones emerging, the company said it was stopping the production and killing the product.

According to a report in Reuters, Samsung India issued an apology to customers in India who pre-ordered the Galaxy Note7. To make it up to them, the company is now offering them an "exclusive"Samsung Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge, with a Samsung Gear VR and a Samsung Level U stereo wireless headset at no additional cost.

Research firm CMR had said Samsung's smartphone shipment to India may fall short by 4 million units in 2016, hit by global recall and halt in production of its flagship Note 7 smartphone. This translates to Rs 6,457 crore in terms of revenues for the company. According to projected growth,Samsung was expected to touch revenues of Rs 45,446 crore in CY 2016, an increase of 46 per cent compared to previous calendar year.Read more.

Samsung launches Z2 at Rs 4,590 to woo feature phone users to switch to smartphone

Samsung launches Z2 at Rs 4,590 to woo feature phone users to switch to smartphone

Samsung has launched a new 4G handset 'Z2', priced at Rs 4,590, to woo feature phone users to switch to smartphones.

The device, which is also aimed at first time smartphone buyers, is powered by Samsung's own Tizen operating system.

"About 55 crore people in the country are still using feature phones and about 10 million feature phones get sold each month. With Z2, we want to help people transition to smartphones," Samsung India Vice President Mobile Business Manu Sharma told PTI.

He added that the Z2 is the most affordable 4G-VoLTE device in Samsung's current portfolio.

The handset, which will go on sale offline and through Paytm (online) from August 29, will come bundled with Reliance Jio's free voice and data service for 90 days.

This is the third handset powered by Tizen OS. The first smartphone, Z1 in January last year, followed by Z3 in October.(more)

HTC One X9: Looks sturdy, works great

HTC One X9: Looks sturdy, works great

If there is one smartphone brand that has always been in the limelight for its looks, undoubtedly it is HTC. And the company has lived up to the benchmark it has set over the years with the launch of its new One X9. Available for Rs 25,990, the smartphone has the premium look to woo the audience along with the power-packed performance it delivers.

The latest launch from the Taiwan-based smartphone maker will take on the likes of the Xiaomi Mi 5, Google Nexus 5X, Moto X Style and Coolpad Max, which are priced under Rs 28,000. The price is a little on the higher side, but then, good things don't come cheap, do they?

The phone comes with a 5.5-inch liquid crystal display (LCD) along with a screen resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels. The screen is coated with scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass. To top it all, the phone has the ability to customise the display option. This includes the ability to manually adjust the colour tint of the display. Now your eyes wont hurt in the dark.

It weighs only 175 g despite having an all-metal exterior which also adds to the sturdiness of the phone. One very trivial yet important quality that the phone boasts of is the amazing grip quality it has because of its oblique edges and a non-slippery back cover. Read more

New technology in mobile phones.

Just like any other Chinese smartphone

The Chinese-manufactured Smartphone segment in India is a heavily crowded space with the likes of Xiaomi, LeEco, Oppo, Vivo and Gionee battling neck to neck to achieve the numero uno spot in terms of market share.

The latest International Data Corporation (IDC) report reveals a change, with Vivo and Oppo making it to the top five smartphone vendors for the first time, based on the number of units they shipped.

But for Gionee, the journey to the top is far from over. Its ambitious Gionee S6, priced at Rs 19,999, is pitted against the Oppo R7 Lite, but does it have what it takes to win the race? Let us find out.

Gionee, like any other Chinese model does not have a stand-out identity of its own like a Moto X Turbo edition or an Asus Zenfone as it has startling similarities to other Chinese models. Keeping that aside, it has done a pretty decent job with the unibody aluminium build and the rose gold colour adds to the phone's looks. It is comfortable to hold and the button placement enables you to use it with one hand easily.

The phone has been designed keeping in mind the aesthetic appeal of the present generation. In terms of hardware, the model weighs just 148 g and can easily slide into your pocket. It boasts of a 13-megapixel (MP) rear camera with LED flash and a 5MP front camera. A 5.5-inch 720p high-definition AMOLED display coupled with a Gorilla Glass 3 for protection is sure to give you a good movie watching experience.

The camera performance is impressive as pictures clicked in daylight show good clarity and colours. However, low-light shots aren't that great as certain amount of noise slithers into the picture, but overall quality is acceptable. A range of shooting features such as the professional mode, ultra-pixel mode and a barcode scanner adds on to the list of your options. The non-removable 3,150 mAh battery lasts for more than a day when put to real world usage.Read More.

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Leaves a mark

Creo, the newest smartphone-maker, claims to deliver a great experience with its Mark 1. With a promised update every month, Creo Mark 1 claims to deliver a better phone with each upgrade. Though, I was not able to test out the monthly update, I decided to see whether the Mark 1 could hold its own.

The phone looks very stylish but the first thing I noticed was how heavy it was. It is a bit uncomfortable to use and it would need some time to get used to it.

The Mark 1 comes with a 5.5-inch screen with a QHD display. The colours are vibrant and the display is crystal clear.

It houses an octa-core 

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MediaTek Helio X10 processor and 3GB of RAM, which is quite decent. I downloaded the usual RAM-heavy games and tested them out. The phone performed well though it did heat up a bit. But as for lag, there was none. I played Injustice, and the experience was pretty smooth.

It has a 21-megapixel (MP) primary and an 8 MP secondary camera. It also has four different camera modes: Panorama, live photos, 3D and normal mode. Live photo mode is basically a 3-second video. The 3D mode is an interesting one. You can focus on an object and then move the camera around it and the resultant picture will give you a 3D view of the object. I tried clicking a picture of a statue in my house in 3D mode and the output was great.

The Mark 1 runs its custom Fuel OS, which is based on Android Lollipop. The user interface is minimalistic and a delight to use. It has some great features such as Sense, Retriever and Echo. Sense is a search feature which searches keywords across the apps while Echo is a voicemail feature which transfers the call to voicemail if the phone is left unattended for 30 seconds. This can be done manually as well by swiping up to the mic symbol on the call screen. Retriever is a very helpful feature; if your phone is stolen or simply lost, with this feature you can locate it and even remotely erase personal data.Read More.

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