Xiaomi has announced that it wants to direct 50% of its sales to offline channels, i.e. physical stores or physical stores. While this has been talked about for some time now, it looks like Xiaomi is finally ready to take the big step in a few months. This is a big move by the company in a market where e-commerce sales are everything. Businesses go the online route to save on marketing costs and other charges that come with displaying their products in a store.
But it seems that Xiaomi is well aware of the fact that online sales alone will not be enough in a market like India. Many citizens are still not tech-savvy and don’t trust online retailers, and with good reason. So having a physical point of sale for these users makes perfect sense. While this could add to Xiaomi’s marketing costs, it could be a smart move a few years from now.
Lucky change for Xiaomi?
Given that Xiaomi is not having the best moment in the market, a move like this could have been made out of desperation. Regardless of their current status in the market, there is no doubt that Xiaomi devices are sure to reach many more customers this way. Opening up retail presence in rural areas of the country will certainly help with reach and exposure as well.
And the rivals?
This could be a particularly tricky time for Xiaomi’s industry rivals such as Huawei, Oppo, Gionee, Vivo and the rest. Not to mention Indian OEMs like Micromax, Lava, Intex etc. However, most Indian manufacturers have some retail presence in the country, so it looks like Xiaomi is just trying to stay ahead of its Chinese contemporaries. Almost all Chinese OEMs sell their products exclusively through e-commerce channels in the country, thus giving Xiaomi an edge. However, it may not take long for them to recover.
Naturally, Xiaomi’s timing here will be very crucial. Therefore, we can only hope that the company does not take too long to realize this idea. The company doesn’t have many products to showcase, but the few devices it sells are incredibly popular in the country.
We’ve established that the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s 100x spatial zoom is a photographic and technical marvel, but it has a trick up its sleeve that I didn’t notice until recently.
I’ve been using Samsung’s Note-in-disguise large screen Android 12 phone for five months now (mostly uneventfully), but not consistently. The 6.8-inch device is, at 228 grams, a bit heavy, especially compared to my 6.1-inch, 204-gram iPhone 13 Pro. Still, whenever I want the best in smartphone zoom photography, there is no other choice.
When I bought tickets to see Brian Wilson (opens in new tab) (by the Beach Boys) and Chicago (opens in new tab) (of 21 top 10 singles) in Jones Beach Theater (opens in new tab) in New York, I decided to take the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra with me because its 10x optical zoom and 30x to 100x Space Zoom destroy the iPhone’s long-distance photography. Considering my bloody seats (no, I won’t pay $200 for the orchestra), if I wanted decent shots of the band on stage, I couldn’t trust the iPhone 13 Pro’s 3x optical zoom and max 15x digital zoom.
like binoculars
Image 1 of 3
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Brian Wilson 10x (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Image 1 of 3
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Brian Wilson 30x (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Image 1 of 3
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Brian Wilson 100x (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Image 1 of 3
As the legendary Brian Wilson, now 80, approached his all-white piano, I began using the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s zoom and large screen as digital binoculars. With 10x zoom, I felt like I was sitting in the orchestra. With 30X Space Zoom, I sat on stage, and with 100X Space Zoom, I was on top of Wilson’s piano, looking into his face.
To be clear, the image quality differences between 10X and 30X or 100X can be pretty stark. 10X is using Samsung’s pericope lens and prism technology to deliver excellent optical zoom. No interpolation, just 10MP of pure image data. 30X and 100X look decent unless you enlarge them to full size, where the details tend to look more like an image interpreted by an abstract painter or even DALL-E.
Watch him move
Image 1 of 3
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Chicago 10x (Image credit: Future)
The more you zoom in, the more slight movements of your hand can take the subject out of the frame. The Galaxy S22 Ultra, however, does an excellent job of optical and electronic image stabilization. Brian Wilson helped my cause by playing his entire 45-minute set sitting behind that white piano.
Chicago, however, was a different story. Current vocalist Neil Donnell toured the stage throughout the band’s set. Initially, because I didn’t know who he was (longtime frontman Peter Cetara left in 1985 and since then Chicago has had a revolving door of frontmen), I didn’t bother with 30x or 100x zoom.
Eventually though, I decided to follow the mighty singer with the phone’s Super Zoom. First I hit 30X, but it wasn’t until I tried 100X that I noticed something amazing. Even as I held the Galaxy S22 Ultra perfectly still—or as still as my half-century-old hands are capable—the phone’s camera casually followed Donnell as he paced the stage.
I didn’t notice it at first. I just watched Donnell sing and walk and it wasn’t until I noticed that the back of the stage was moving to the left behind him that I realized the phone camera had locked on Donnell and was tracking him.
But how
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
To understand how the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra camera can track moving objects, you have to accept that the phone’s 30X and especially 100X spatial zoom are highly interpolated images, where Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen chip-level Computer Vision 1 is constantly working to find out what you’re seeing – it’s a planet, a person, a bird – and what it might be doing.
When I asked Samsung about the feature, they confirmed that Space Zoom uses OIS and EIS to reduce judder and blur. The tracking I was seeing is a product of Tracking Auto-Focus in which cameras try to adjust the frame to keep the subject in focus and – in my experience – in the frame.
With Donnell filling the frame, the Samsung phone accurately assumed he was my subject and, without asking me, kept him centered in the frame as it tried to get out of it. This ability made it possible for me to capture a series of photos of the singer in motion. It’s true that the quality is Van Gogh, but if I were trying to capture a 100x optical zoom image of someone in motion, I probably wouldn’t have anything to show for it.
This tracking does not work on video, which reaches 20x interpolated zoom, but is repeatable in many different still image scenarios.
When I got back to town, I took the Galaxy S22 Ultra to Bryant Park, which has a huge lawn in the middle. I stayed at one end and focused on the other, where people were walking around. Using 100x zoom, I would choose a walker and wait for the phone to track it. This happened every time, but stopped when they walked too far from the board. I suppose if Donnell had left the stage, the Galaxy S22 ultra would have stopped tracking him too.
what to do with it
The 100X interpolated zoom isn’t the right photographic tool for every job, but it’s effective for astrophotography and in situations like concerts where, more than likely, you’re not sitting in the front row, 10th row, or even 50th row.
Image quality is what you can expect from Computer Vision. In situations where it can fill in the gaps with what it knows about a subject, the results can be impressive (I think the moon looks great because Samsung’s AI knows what the moon should look like), but it will struggle, for example, with a relatively new singer from Chicago that even I couldn’t readily identify.
If you want to compare all the best smartphone cameras and see which ones push the optical zoom envelope, read our roundup of the best phones.
While some questions have been answered about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 – the release date is set for August 10, for example – there’s still a lot we don’t know, including how much these phones are likely to cost.
Retailer listings published in advance and collected by GSMArena (opens in new tab) show prices for these two phones that are marginally higher than what we saw for their predecessors last year. The difference is not big, but it exists.
Speculation about how much the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 will cost has been swirling for months, and while it’s disappointing that Samsung hasn’t been able to cut costs, at least we’re not seeing a huge price increase (according to this report). leak).
Is the price right?
According to unconfirmed retailer listings that have surfaced, the Z Fold 4 will cost €1,864 for the cheapest model, the one with 256GB of internal storage. This represents a €64 increase from the €1,800 starting price we saw for the Z Fold 3.
As for the Z Flip 4, it will apparently start at €1,080 for the variant with 128GB storage, which is again a small increase – the 128GB Z Flip 3 that Samsung launched last year originally went on sale for €1,049 .
You still need to convert these amounts into your own currency – we haven’t done that here as Samsung is unlikely to use a direct currency conversion – but expect small increases from previous starting prices of $1,799 / £1,599 / AU$2,499 ( Z Fold 3) and $999 / £949 / AU$1,499 (Z Flip 3).
Analysis: Price is key
The price of any smartphone is a major factor in how appealing it is to potential buyers, but that’s especially true when it comes to foldable phones: These handsets need to win over people who are used to their standard, affordable smartphone designs.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 really managed to bring the prices down compared to the models that came before them, so it’s a shame Samsung couldn’t repeat the trick in 2022.
That said, we can understand the challenges: foldable phones are much more challenging to design than phones that use a traditional form factor, and there’s all the supply and manpower issues caused by the global pandemic we’re in. living.
With that in mind, it’s really impressive that Samsung has managed to keep prices more or less the same – assuming the information in this new leak is accurate, of course. We’ll find out for sure on August 10th.
(Image credit: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Company)
Hello there! Welcome to ’s Marvel live blog where we’ll be following along with Marvel President Kevin Feige as he unveils what’s next for the Marvel Cinematic Universe live from Hall H at 2022’s San Diego Comic Con.
The whole thing starts at 1 AM UK time, or 5 PM in sunny Los Angeles, but excitement is already building…
We can definitely expect some announcements from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, star Chris Pratt is on his way, so expect something, hopefully a first trailer…
Comic Con has been in full swing since Thursday and there have been some real highlights already. Yesterday, we got another Lord Of The Rings trailer for Prime Video’s megabucks TV series The Rings Of Power, which teased a proper look at original big bad Sauron. You can see exactly where the $465 million it cost to make the series has gone:
And a first look at the fourth instalment of John Wick, which looks very special indeed.
Earlier today, we got a chance to see the first trailer for Shazam! Fury Of The Gods, which you can read more about here.
And Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson kicking all kinds of behinds in Black Adam.
What are we hoping for from the panel? As well as a look at Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?
And, on the TV side, might we get some sneak peak of Secret Invasion or Loki season 2? We should get something from She-Hulk, given that’s less than a month away now…
But what will the surprises be? Could we get some details on Deadpool 3? A reboot for X-Men? And will we finally find out just who the new Fantastic Four will be?
(Image credit: Fox)
While we’re waiting for this all to get started, Netflix has dropped a new trailer for The Sandman.
We weren’t convinced by the show’s first trailer. We are now.
Earlier on, Warner Bros. offered up a look at their movie slate. While it was nice to see Black Adam and Shazam!, the lack of anything on Aquaman, The Flash, The Batman or Wonder Woman felt quite disappointing.
Also, rumors of Henry Cavill making an appearance to finally map out what’s next for Superman turned out to be unfounded…
Me waiting for Henry Cavill to show up but DC ended their panel #SDCC #BlackAdam #DCEU pic.twitter.com/vPbg1OAFCIJuly 23, 2022
See more
The news is starting to trickle in. Andy Park, Director of Visual Development at Marvel Studios, has showed off a first poster for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Looming large there in the background is Kang, played by Lovecraft Country’s Jonathan Majors. Also known as Kang the Conqueror, a time traveler who is out to control history and has come into conflict with a variety of Marvel heroes over the course of his history in the comic books.
Could this mean a trailer? Who knows? Let’s hope so.
1ST look at ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA! Poster I illustrated for @MarvelStudios @Comic_Con Honored to work again w/ @MrPeytonReed #PaulRudd @EvangelineLilly & 1st time Cassie @kathrynnewton & KANG #JonathanMajors #antmanandthewaspquantumania #Quantumania #antmanwasp #kang pic.twitter.com/Mf8tL3wg6wJuly 23, 2022
See more
Yesterday, Marvel’s animated arm offered up a look at a few things. There were announcements about the second and THIRD season of What If…?, while those in the room got a first look at X-Men ’97, Marvel Zombies and Spider-Man: Freshman Year.
You can read all about it here.
We also to got to see the adorable first trailer for Guardians spin-off I Am Groot, which is coming next month.
Need a refresher of Marvel’s Phase 4 ahead of the panel?
We’ve got you covered.
Half an hour to go.
If you need a little pick me up, relive the moment the cast of Black Panther saw footage of the movie for the first time at Comic Con in 2017. It’s an absolute tonic.
Great Moments in Hall H History: July 2017. The first #BlackPanther footage screens only for the Hall H crowd & the place goes wild w/ a standing ovation from 6,000 fans. The cast had not seen the footage yet either and this was their reaction. #SDCC pic.twitter.com/bejt81ebHqJuly 23, 2022
See more
10 minutes to go. Let’s relive the final seconds of last year’s event.
This is from the last event. #SDCC pic.twitter.com/XQ8lBoHC2nJuly 23, 2022
See more
Almost there now. Last call for predictions. Will we see Mahershala Ali’s Blade? A first look at The Marvels? We wait and see…
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)
It’s finally time. We’ve got a sizzle reel to kick things off, with narration from the late, great Stan Lee. We miss you Stan.
(Image credit: Shutterstock / Jaguar PS)
And here he is! The man himself, Kevin Feige, ready to roll.
Kevin is back! #SDCC2022 #MarvelStudios pic.twitter.com/D2UwXo240ZJuly 24, 2022
See more
Feige is recapping Phase 4, which comes to an end later this year with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
A freindly recap of @MarvelStudios Phase 4 pic.twitter.com/1Q9IkR4MhNJuly 24, 2022
See more
Phase 4 is over. Long live Phase 4. Now onto Phase 5, and a brand new slate of release dates.
We’ve got a title for the fourth Captain America, it’s Captain America: New World Order, that’s coming in May of 2024.
A new Daredevil series! Daredevil: Born Again, that’s coming on Disney Plus in the spring of 2024.
And Kathryn Hahn will be wowing once again in Agatha: Coven of Chaos in the winter of 2023.
Phase 5 of the MCU. #SDCC pic.twitter.com/Om7i9TteLpJuly 24, 2022
See more
After a few rumors that it might not make its planned 2023 release date, it seems like Blade is on track for the fall of 2023
Just announced in Hall H: Marvel Studios’ Blade, in theaters November 3, 2023. #SDCC2022 pic.twitter.com/EPEOPT8cH9July 24, 2022
See more
The good stuff keeps coming! A brand new trailer for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has arrived!
Let’s do this. 💚💪Watch the brand new trailer for #SheHulk: Attorney at Law, an Original series, streaming August 17 on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/yKwL5p4nxOJuly 24, 2022
See more
More news on Daredevil: Born Again, Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio are both coming back for the new season.
Just announced in Hall H: Marvel Studios’ Daredevil: Born Again, an Original series starring Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, streaming Spring 2024 on @DisneyPlus. #SDCC2022 pic.twitter.com/Nrt7xQmqfiJuly 24, 2022
See more
It’s Matt Murdock’s second appearance of the night already, did you catch him in the She-Hulk trailer?
Daredevil returns in ‘SHE-HULK’. #SDCC pic.twitter.com/yBcwSm7u1oJuly 24, 2022
See more
More big news. Thunderbolts will be final act of Marvel’s Phase 5. It’s coming in summer 2024.
If rumors are to be believed, then Thunderbolts will be a team-up between Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Sebastien Stan’s Winter Soldier, Daniel Brühl’s Baron Zemo, Olga Kurylenko’s Taskmaster, Hannah John-Kamen’s Ghost, Wyatt Russell’s US Agent, and Tim Roth’s Abomination.
Will that be confirmed today?
Just announced in Hall H: Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts, in theaters July 26, 2024. #SDCC2022 pic.twitter.com/RbeUukAbdjJuly 24, 2022
See more
The lucky folks in Hall H have just been treated to the first trailer for Secret Invasion. It doesn’t look like we’ll get to see it, but star Cobie Smulders, who returns as Maria Hill, has told the crowd that this is “…a darker show. It’s going to be an exciting thriller. You’re never going to know who people are.”
As well as the return of Hill and Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, the trailer also features an appearance from Don Cheadle’s War Machine.
Show us the damn thing!
Just announced in Hall H: Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion, an Original series, streaming Spring 2023 on @DisneyPlus. #SDCC2022 pic.twitter.com/Werg7vGvlPJuly 24, 2022
See more
The crowd are now being shown some footage from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Paul Rudd and the cast have been on stage to chat and have told to expect to spend a lot of time in the quantum realm.
They’ve also confirmed the one and only Bill Murray has a key role.
(Image credit: Indian Paintbrush)
Now James Gunn is up talking all things Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Sadly, it’s going to be the end of his adventures with the gang in the MCU.
James Gunn speaks about GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 – which will be the end of this era of the Guardians. #MarvelSDCC #SDCC pic.twitter.com/UfUmyYrflUJuly 24, 2022
See more
The Hall H crowd just got a teaser for Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.3, but we, sadly, will not.
In the footage we see Gamora as the head of the Ravagers, an origin story for Rocket Raccoon, and a first look at Will Poulter’s villain Adam Warlock.
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)
A couple of new cast additions for Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3, Chukwudi Iwuji, best known for his role in the BBC’s excellent drama, The Split, stars as the High Evolutionary, and Borat’s Maria Bakalova stars as Cosmo. For the uniniated, Cosmo is a space dog. This should be fun…
Maria Bakalova stars as Cosmo the spacedog in #GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol3 pic.twitter.com/ZswKE9NmpiJuly 24, 2022
See more
We’ve not got long left now. Is there time for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever? Or are we in for a surprise finale?
And here is Chukwudi Iwuji, in Hall H, in his costume as The High Evolutionary. That’s commitment to a role right there.
Chukwudi Iwuji enters #SDCC in costume as The High Evolutionary from ‘GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 3’. pic.twitter.com/2odywSjrPuJuly 24, 2022
See more
There’s more. Fantastic 4. A release date. November 8 in 2024.
Just announced in Hall H: Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four, in theaters November 8, 2024. #SDCC2022 pic.twitter.com/K0MyKwdmXjJuly 24, 2022
See more
And… Oh My Wow! There’s more. All the hot air about Marvel turning its back on team-up movies has proved to be just that. Two more Avengers movies are coming.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is coming on May 2 in 2025, and Avengers: Secret Wars in the same year on November 7. Wow.
Just announced in Hall H: Marvel Studios’ Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, in theaters May 2, 2025. #SDCC2022 pic.twitter.com/kCxeyYwgN5July 24, 2022
See more
Just announced in Hall H: Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Secret Wars, in theaters November 7, 2025. #SDCC2022 pic.twitter.com/FXQ5ZbzQYlJuly 24, 2022
See more
So the new take on Fantastic 4 and both new Avengers movies will kick off the MCU’s Phase 6. We’re now calling Phase 4 to Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Multiverse Saga…
Marvel Studios welcomes you to The Multiverse Saga. pic.twitter.com/HC1b747YPlJuly 24, 2022
See more
Now it’s onto Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Right now, director Ryan Coogler is remembering Chadwick Boseman. What a towering performer that man was.
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)
The cast have just been onstage, and Hall H has heard from Tenoch Huerta and Dominique Thorne, who will play Namor and Ironheart in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It’ll be Thorne’s introduction to the MCU before she gets her own run as Ironheart.
Ironheart is Riri Williams, a genius inventor and MIT student who creates her own Iron Man-style armor suit. It’s a tried and well-loved formula.
Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams and Tenoch Huerta as Namor! #WakandaForever #SDCC2022 #HallH pic.twitter.com/tVTKxKGJ7oJuly 24, 2022
See more
Yes! Just as we hoped! A first trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Enjoy…
And, to go with the trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, a very, very cool poster.
A mural of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa in the first trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. He will be sorely missed.
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)
That Black Panther trailer went down so well, they played it twice in Hall H. But the panel is over. That’s a wrap.
No Deadpool, no X-Men, but so much to chew on, we’ll try and sum it up now.
So, in summary, we’ve got two new Avengers movies coming in 2025, a release date and a title for the new Captain America movie, a release date for Blade, more details on Secret Invasion and Agatha: Coven of Chaos.
Also, the return of Daredevil, confirmations of all-star team-up movie Thunderbolts, and a release date for Fantastic Four.
It’s a lot.
Ant Man & The Wasp: Quantumania, coming to theaters on February 17, 2023
Secret Invasion, coming Spring 2023
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3, coming May 5, 2023
Echo, coming in Summer 2023
The Marvels, releasing into theaters on July 28 in 2023
Loki season two, dropping Summer 2023
Blade, now confirmed for November 3, 2023
Ironheart, sometime in Fall 2022
Agatha: Coven of Chaos, either the very end of 2023 or the start of 2024
Daredevil: Born Again: coming in Spring 2024
Captain America: New World Order, in theaters on May 3 in 2024
Thunderbolts, coming to theaters on July 26, 2024
Fantastic Four, coming to theaters on November 8 in 2024
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, coming to theaters on May 2 in 2025
Avengers: Secret Wars, releasing into theaters on November 7 in 2025
Thanks for staying up with us. It was definitely worth it. There is an awful lot to look forward to in the MCU.
Reliance Jio, India’s largest 4G network, has once again surprised everyone by extending the subscription term for Jio Prime. The last date, which was March 31, is extended to April 15. In addition, the operator also announced a new offer dubbed the ‘Jio Summer Surprise Offer’, which adds another three months of free unlimited data, calls, SMS and other services to Jio Prime subscribers.
You can now continue enjoying unlimited benefits until June 30, 2017 at no extra cost. However, only Prime members who have recharged with Rs 303 or more are eligible for the offer.
The ‘Jio Summer Surprise Offer’ comes with exactly the same plans and packages as the ‘Happy New Year Offer’. It includes unlimited data with 1GB of high speed 4G data per day, unlimited HD calls, SMSs and Jio app services like JioTV, JioNet, JioMags and more.
For those who recharged their Jio SIM with less than Rs 303, they need not worry. They can top up again with Rs 303 and enjoy the benefits of the offer. The previous recharge will only be activated when the ‘Jio Summer Surprise Offer’ ends i.e. July 1, 2017. Also, if you recharged with Rs 303 or more, it will also be valid after the recently announced offer ends.
Reliance Jio thrilled its consumers once again with the sudden release of the offer. Offer is only for loyal Jio customers who have signed up for Prime membership. To attract more customers, the last sign-up date has also been pushed back to attract more Prime members.
Announcing the deadline extension, Mr. Mukesh Ambani, president of Reliance Jio, said, “Jio’s free service period is coming to an end. Users who do not recharge by the April 15 extended date will experience service degradation and/or interruption.”
It is quite possible that the company expected a higher number by the end of March and fell short of the expected numbers. However, it will be interesting to see how competitors react after this announcement.
Following the lead of Airtel and Vodafone, Idea Cellular has now revised its Rs 348 plan to offer twice as much data (1GB) along with unlimited local and STD calling. This package comes with a validity of 28 days, just like the other networks. This particular plan is eligible to work with 4G handsets, attracting a large number of customers.
That puts Idea on a par with networks like Airtel and Vodafone, which have an oddly similar plan to offer, albeit at a marginally lower price. Given the kind of competition Jio is unleashing on Indian carriers, it’s imperative the networks do something to get back on track.
BSNL, which is virtually non-existent in metropolises, also has its own set of data plans similar to these. For Rs 339 per month, the operator offers 2GB of data per day and unlimited BSNL to BSNL calls. Vodafone’s plan costs Rs 342 per month and comes with 1GB of data per day. Airtel’s offer is priced at Rs 345 per month and will offer 1GB of data per day along with unlimited STD and local calls.
Although Jio has a healthy user base as of now, there’s no denying that there’s still plenty to do to catch up with Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, etc. in terms of network connectivity. But Jio makes up for it with her incredibly low prices and attractive promotional offers to attract new customers.
Microsoft recently launched its new high-end smartphones – Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL in India. Not only does this mark the launch of a new set of flagships, the 950 and 950 XL also herald the official debut of Microsoft’s latest mobile operating system – Windows 10. With Windows 10, Microsoft is trying to unify the Windows ecosystem under one roof. One of the most intriguing benefits of this Windows 10 unification is the flexibility it offers developers through the Universal Windows Platform.
In addition, Microsoft is also emphasizing how the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL are perfect productivity devices for users. While we haven’t tested these claims from Microsoft yet, we’ve compiled a list of awesome hidden features in Windows 10 smartphones that you might not know about.
Bluetooth speakers are all the rage these days, and we’ve reached a point where you don’t have to spend a lot to get a decent pair.
From speakers that are incredibly compact, to ones that are waterproof and dustproof, to ones that offer great sound quality at an affordable price, we have a Bluetooth speaker for everyone on the market today.
Here are the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy for under 5,000 rupees:
1/5 JBL Flip 2
Since the release of the Flip 3, the JBL Flip 2 has been available for an incredible price of Rs 4,800 online (they have an MRP of Rs 8,000). The Flip 2 offers great performance, is well built, and is a great buy for under five thousand rupees.
They have dual 40mm drivers and a custom built-in bass port, a built-in microphone for taking calls, noise canceling technologies and a 2x6W output power.
They’re not the smallest pair of speakers and weigh 640 grams, but they’re compact enough not to be a huge nuisance. For those looking for really friendly and compact speakers for travel, they can take a look at the JBL GO, which we’ll talk about later in the article.
They offer excellent sound quality for the price and are clouds enough to fill a small room with ease. In terms of sound, these are one of the best Bluetooth speakers you can get in this price range. What lets them down a bit is the rather mediocre battery life of 5-7 hours.
2/5 Live EventFree 530
The Envent LiveFree 530 is an impressive choice for anyone looking for a more robust and durable pair of bluetooth speakers. They are available for Rs 2,399 on Flipkart and are shockproof and IPX5 water resistant.
The IPX5 rating means they can be used near pools and beaches and can easily withstand splashes. They are not certified to be buried or to be used underwater.
In addition, they offer a 10W sound output, which is more than the JBL GO and AmazonBasics BTV2 and is also dustproof.
The average battery life is 5.5 hours and they also come with a built-in microphone for hands-free calling.
3/5 JBL Go
The JBL GO is an incredibly compact pair of bluetooth speakers available online for Rs 1,800 against an MRP of Rs 2,999.
They’re tiny, like, really tiny at 8.3 x 6.8 x 3.1 cm and produce a sound that belies their size and dimensions. They weigh just 158 grams, making them perfect travel companions. If they were waterproof, they would have been the perfect package.
The JBL Go comes with a 600mAh battery capable of providing up to 5 hours of autonomy and having a power of 3W. They also come with a built-in microphone for phone calls. The sound quality is on par for the price, crisp and clear, although, as expected, the bass is metallic.
4/5 AmazonBasics BTV2
Available for Rs 1,599 against a claimed MRP of 2,999 rupees, AmazonBasics BTV2 offers good value for money.
They have an output power of 3W, a built-in microphone for hands-free calls and dimensions of 8.4 x 4.4 x 6.5 cm. They weigh 204 grams. Despite not being as compact as the JBL GO, the AmazonBasics BTV2 has 10 hours of battery life compared to the 5 hours found on the JBL Go.
The sound is clear and detailed and they are loud enough for listening to music on the go or in a small room. However, the bass is lacking and they distort at maximum volume.
5/5 Logitech X300
The Logitech X300 is available for Rs 3,100 and offers a powerful sound experience. They weigh 363 grams and feature a down-firing passive radiator to deliver deep bass.
While not as compact as the JBL GO or AmazonBasics BTV2, they are smaller and lighter than the JBL Flip 2, offering nearly the same audio quality. They have dimensions of 7.1 x 15 x 6.8 cm.
Its sound signature is tuned to deliver deep, powerful bass, and it has the best bass out of the five bluetooth speakers listed here. The sound is clear and defined, and the bass doesn’t drown out the rest of the soundstage.
While Xiaomi is ready to launch the Redmi Note 4 in India on January 9, leaks and rumors about the company’s flagship handset, the Mi 6, are gaining traction.
The latest rumors indicate that the Mi 6 will come in three different variants with different chipsets in each. This also leads us to assume that the other specifications will vary depending on the type of SoC used.
The Xiaomi Mi 6 is the successor to the Mi 5 and is scheduled to be presented at Mobile World Congress next month.
Initial leaks indicate that of the three variants offered, two are expected to be powered by the Helio X30 and Snapdragon 835 chipset, respectively. The model with the Helio X30 SoX should cost RMB 1,999 (approximately Rs 19,800) and the variant with the top-end Snapdragon 835 should cost RMB 2,499 (approximately Rs 24,800). This variant will also come with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.
The third variant will be the top-of-the-line model and will cost RMB 2,999 (approximately Rs 29,600). This variant is slated to come with the same Snapdragon 835 as the mid-range variant, but it will bump up the RAM to 6GB and the internal storage to 256GB. The top-of-the-line model will also feature a curved, dual-edge display, around the Galaxy S7 Edge.
All three models will be powered by a 3,000mAh battery and will come with USB C for charging and data transfer.
On the image front, reports indicate that the device will come with a 16MP camera on the back with support for 4K recording and a 4MP sensor on the front for selfies. Some rumors also point to the Mi 6 coming with a dual camera setup on the back.
The Mi 6 is slated to come with a metal back, a physical home button with a built-in physical home button, and a two-tone design. In terms of software, the smartphone will run on the latest version of MIUI which are based on Android 7.0 Nougat.
The mid-range and top variants with the Snapdragon 835 SoC should be called Xiaomi Mi 6 and Xiaomi Mi 6 Pro. The naming of the low-end variant is currently unknown.
Lenovo India is holding a launch event in New Delhi on Thursday i.e. 22nd September where the launch of the Z2 Plus smartphone is widely expected.
The Z2 Plus is basically a rebranded Lenovo Zuk Z2 that launched in China in May. According to the company, the rebranding was done to leverage the Lenovo brand, which is much more popular and spun in India than the Zuk brand.
However, the Zuk branding will exist on the box in the form of ‘Powered by Zuk’ as a nod to the work done by the Zuk team.
Specifications/Features
Exhibition : 5-inch FullHD display with 2.5D high fiber curved glass CPU : Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 820 SoC clocked at 2.15GHz HIT : 3GB/4GB Store : 32GB/64GB internal storage Software : Google Now launcher Camera s: 13MP rear camera with EIS, PDAF and f/2.2 aperture + 8Mp front camera with f/2.0 aperture Drums : 3,500mAh with fast charging support connectivity : 4G LTE, 3G, GPRS/EDGE, DualSim, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1 and USB Type-C for charging and data transfer
Lenovo Zuk Z1 vs Lenovo Z2 Plus
Compared to its predecessor, the Lenovo Zuk Z1, two things stand out the most. The first is the fact that the Z2 Plus comes with the Google Now launcher compared to the Cyanogen OS found in the Z1, and secondly, the Z2 dramatically increases processing power with a Snapdragon 820 compared to the Snapdragon 808. median of the Z1.
The Lenovo Z2’s software will also come with a number of India-specific features such as gesture shortcuts via the fingerprint sensor, a dedicated pedometer, and Lenovo’s new U-Health app.