Home Blog Page 190

Apple increases the price of all the iPhone in India except one, Here is what they cost now

By
Lalit Wadhwa
-

Technological giant, Apple recently announced that they are increasing prices of their iPhones in India. All the iPhones Apple except the iPhone SE has received the price hike. Since the iPhone SE is assembled in the country, the prices for that model will remain the same. Rest of the iPhones including the iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will get a price hike.

The price rise on the iPhones come as a direct result of Union Budget for 2018-2019. The Union budget saw the hike in the import duty on mobile phones. The import duty has been increased from 15 percent to 20 percent. The company recently had increased prices in December 2017. The price increase was due to the customs duty was hiked from 10 to 15 percent. The Union Budget effects all the smartphones which are manufactured outside the country. However, the iPhone SE is manufactured in India, and thus its price remains unaffected.

Apple iPhone X

Apple flagship, the iPhone X will now start at a whopping price of Rs 95,390 for 64GB variant Earlier it cost Rs 92,430 price. This is Rs 6,390 increase from its launch price of Rs 89,000. The bigger 256GB variant now costs Rs 1,08,930 in India. The 256GB variant was launched at a price of Rs 1,05,720. This is a Rs 3,210 price hike.

Apple iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus

Apple launched the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus along with the iPhone X. However, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus went on sale earlier than the iPhone X. Now the iPhone 8 64GB variant costs Rs 67,940 in India after the hike. This is an increase from its present cost of Rs 66,120. For reference, it was launched at a price of Rs 64,000 in September last year. Also, the bigger 256GB variant will now cost Rs 81,500. For reference, the device was originally launched at a price of Rs 79,420.

iPhone 8

The bigger iPhone 8 Plus variant with dual cameras and more now starts at Rs 77,560. This is up from the launch price of Rs 75,450. Also, the 256GB variant of the iPhone 8 Plus will now be available at a price Rs 91,110. For reference, it was launched at a price of Rs 88,750.

Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus

Apple launched the iPhone 7 back in September 2016. After the hike, the iPhone 7 is available at a price of  Rs 52,370 in India. For reference, earlier you could purchase the device Starting at Rs 50,810. And this is the base 32GB Model. Also, the bigger 128GB storage model will not cost Rs 61,560. For reference, it was available earlier at a price of Rs 59,910.

iPhone 7 Plus

The bigger iPhone 7 Plus with the dual camera setup now starts at a price of Rs 62,840 in India. For reference, earlier it cost Rs 61,060.

Apple iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone 6

Apple iPhone 6s is now nearly 3 years old. The base 32GB model of the device will now start at Rs 42,900 in India. While the bigger 128GB variant will now cost Rs 52,100. iPhone 6s Plus which sports a bigger battery and display will now start at Rs 52,240 for the 32GB variant.

iPhone 6

Apple iPhone 6 which was launched back in 2014 is nearly 4 years old now. Still, the base 16GB variant of the device will cost you Rs 31,900. This is up from the earlier price of Rs 30,780.

Apple Watch Series 3

Apple Watch Series 3 GPS 38mm will now cost Rs 32,380 in India. This is an increase of Rs 2,480 from the price of Rs 29,900. Apple Watch Series 3 GPS 42 mm will now cost Rs 34,410. For reference, it was earlier available for the price of Rs 31,900.

Sony Xperia L2 launched in India: Price, Specifications and Availability

By
Devesh Arora
-

Sony India has launched another smartphone expanding its portfolio in India. The Sony Xperia L2 is a new selfie-centric smartphone offering from the company. The highlights of the smartphone include the 8MP 120-degree super wide-angle selfie shooter.

Specifications

The Sony Xperia L2 features a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720x1280 pixels. The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek MT6737T SoC. The device packs in 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. Storage is expandable up to 256GB using a microSD card. The smartphone runs on Android 7.1 Nougat with Sony's skin layered on top of it. The Xperia L2 is backed by a 3,300mAh battery which also supports Qnovo Adaptive Fast Charging.

Sony Xperia L2
Sony Xperia L2

As for connectivity, the smartphone supports 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, GLONASS, GPS, NFC and a USB Type-C. The device also features a fingerprint scanner located at the back. The Xperia L2 also comes with features like Clear Audio+, Clear Bass and Image Enhance Technology.

Also Read: Huawei P20 to launch on March 27, Here’s what we know so far

On the optics front, the Xperia L2 sports a 13-megapixel camera at the back. The rear camera comes with autofocus, LED flash and f/2.0 aperture. As this is a selfie-centric phone, it comes with an 8MP 120-degree super wide-angle camera up front.

Price and Availability

The Sony Xperia L2 is launched in India with a price tag of Rs. 19,990. The smartphone will be available starting today, February 5. The device comes in Black and Gold colour variants. The Xperia L2 will be available at all major stores across the country.

Xiaomi Redmi 5 India Launch set for February 14: Here's what to expect from the event

By
Devesh Arora
-

Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer recently brought the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus into existence. The company is now gearing up to bring up its first big launch of 2018 in India. Xiaomi is all set to launch the Xiaomi Redmi 5 in India. Xiaomi might also introduce the Redmi 5 Plus alongside the Redmi 5 in India. The launch event is set to take place in New Delhi on February 14, 2018.

Xiaomi has already rolled out the media invites for the upcoming New Delhi event. Redmi India, an official Twitter handle also made this announcement on Twitter. The image tweeted by the company shows a big numerical '5' written which clearly points towards to Redmi 5 series. The tweet also includes a hashtag '#Giveme5" which is another symbol for the Redmi 5 series.

Also Read: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 leaked renders show 18:9 display and much more

Xiaomi Redmi 5 Specifications

In terms of specifications, the Xiaomi Redmi 5 features a 5.7-inch IPS LCD display. The display comes with 720x1440 pixels resolution and an 18:9 aspect ratio. Redmi 5 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 chipset. The device comes in three variants, one with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. The Redmi 5 is also available in 3GB+32GB and a 4GB+32GB variant. All the variants support storage expansion of up to 128GB using a microSD card. The Redmi 5 runs on MIUI 9 based on Android 7.1.2 Nougat out of the box. Under the hood, there is a 3,300mAh battery powering up the internals.

As for the optics, the Redmi 5 sports a 12-megapixel camera at the back. The rear camera comes with phase detection autofocus, LED flash and f/2.2 aperture. Up front, there is a 5-megapixel selfie shooter.

Check out these Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 alternatives you can buy right now!

By
Lalit Wadhwa
-

Chinese smartphone maker, Xiaomi snagged the title of one of the biggest smartphone manufacturer in India last year. With that being said, the Redmi Note 4 was also mentioned one of the best budget smartphones of 2017. According to the reports, their growth was more than Apple, Samsung and Huawei combined. In 2018, one of their most anticipated smartphones is the Redmi Note 5.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 renders
Source: TargetYoutube.com

Earlier, according to the rumors,  the device was expected to be released early in January. However, the company has something else in mind. Now, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is expected to be showcased ahead of the MWC 2018. Also, it is expected to come with 18:9 resolution full view display, dual cameras, and more. While the company continues its aggressive pricing scheme, making it buyer's worth. For the people who cannot wait any longer, can explore some other equally good options.

Except for Xiaomi, there are several other brands with similar strategies. The strategy where they offer high-value phones at low prices. Huawei own band Honor is one such example. Let's take a close look at the premium budget smartphones one can buy right now.

Honor 9 Lite

Honor 9 Lite is one of the worthy contenders. One of the reasons it can be your number one choice includes the variety of bundled features that come with the smartphone.

Honor 9 Lite
Honor 9 Lite

The smartphone comes in two different variants. A 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM variant and a 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM variant. The smartphone is available at Rs 10,999 for the smaller variant and Rs 14,999 for the bigger variant. The unique selling point of the smartphone is it comes with the quad-camera setup. It packs a 13MP+2MP sensors on both front and rear. The rear camera setup comes with PDAF and LED flash. The cameras are also equipped with AI-based features. These features will identify your subject automatically while shooting a photo in the viewfinder.

The Honor 9 Lite throws a premium look combined with an 18:9 aspect ratio display. The handset sports Huawei's proprietary HiSilicon Kirin 659 octa-core chipset. It is backed up by a 3,000mAh battery and Android Oreo-based EMUI 8.0.

Xiaomi Mi A1

If you are the kind of guy who loves stock Android experience, then Mi A1 is the one for you. The device is a part of Google's Android One program. At the price point of Rs 13,999, the Mi A1 if not the best, then the most premium smartphone money can buy.

Xiaomi Mi A1 Red
Xiaomi Mi A1 Red

Xiaomi Mi A1 runs the latest Android 8.0 Oreo. It sports a Snapdragon 625 chipset coupled with 4GB RAM. It has 64GB internal storage which is expandable via micro-sd card. The optics are really good on the phone. The rear optics include two 12-megapixel sensors and the front includes a 5-megapixel sensor.

Honor 7X

The Honor 7X makes a great value for money and has got a really attractive design. The smartphone offers a really good build quality and a number of features packed inside. It is worth noting that the Honor 7X really sets a tough competition at its price range. This was the verdict by our reviewer who reviewed the Honor 7X.

Honor 7X 2

It is one of the most competitive smartphones on this list right now. The smartphone is priced at Rs 10,999. It features a 5.65-inch Full HD display along with dual 16MP+2MP rear camera setup and an 8MP front shooter.

Also Read: Honor 7X Review: Best smartphone under Rs. 15,000 with 18:9 display?

The Honor 7X is powered by Huawei's proprietary HiSilicon Kirin 659 chipset. It is the same in which is same as the Honor 9 Lite. It sports a 3GB/4GB RAM options for 32GB/64GB storage models. The handset packs a 3,340mAh battery.

Moto G5S Plus

Motorola hasn't yet realized their 2018 iteration of the smartphones. However, last years Moto G5S Plus is still a relevant choice. Priced at Rs 14,999 the smartphone packs a 5.5-inch Full HD display along with dual cameras. The optics include a dual 13MP sensors on the rear and an 8MP selfie snapper.

Moto g5s plus 3

The handset is powered by a Snapdragon 625 chipset coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. However, the storage is expandable via micro-sd card. The phone sports a 3,000mAh battery under the hood.

Nokia 1 spotted in the US FCC listing, Here's the design and specifications

By
Brahmjot Singh
-

HMD Global has brought Nokia back into the game and has launched plenty of smartphones till now. The company is now focusing on bringing an ultra-budget smartphone. This budget smartphone is rumoured to be a part of the Android Oreo (Go Edition) program. The Nokia 1 is expected to come with a set of entry-level specifications. The smartphone has faced a lot of leaks and rumours while it was recently spotted in the US FCC listing.

As per the US FCC, the Nokia 1 will come with a height of 133 mm and a width of 68 mm. The footprint of the smartphone is even smaller than the recently launched Nokia 2. The Nokia 2 comes with a height of 143.5 mm and a width of 71.3 mm. Inside the footprint, sits a 4.5-inch display with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The listing also claims that the device will support dual SIM cards and will come with a removable battery.

Nokia 1 leaks
Source: Baidu

The Nokia 1 smartphone was also leaked recently in prototype images posted on Baidu. However, the photos do not reveal much about the device. The photos do confirm that the smartphone will feature a polycarbonate back.

Also Read: Nokia 5 and Nokia 8 receive price drops in India, Everything you need to know

Nokia 1 Specifications

As far as the specifications are concerned, speculations suggest Nokia 1 will feature an IPS LCD display with 720x1280 pixel resolution. Further, the smartphone is expected to pack 1GB of RAM with 8GB of onboard storage. HMD Global is most likely to unveil the smartphone at MWC 2018 in Barcelona. Recent reports claim, the Nokia 1 will be initially launched in Russia. The smartphone will be priced at RUB 5,999 which roughly converts to Rs. 6,800. Nokia 1 will soon make its way to other markets including India.

Apple HomePod speaker won't play nice to your Android devices

By
Lalit Wadhwa
-

Technological giant, Apple recently announced the Apple HomePod speaker. However, the speaker hasn't released yet. As the launch dates come close, the company is gearing up for TV commercials. The HomePod speaker is scheduled to launch on February 9th. Apple HomePod is the company's answer to the Google Home and Amazon Alexa. However, if you were hoping to buy the Apple Homepod, you need to know this. The company has confirmed that the speaker won't work with Android devices. At least not as of launch date.

apple homepod

Apple has now posted the official HomePod specifications at their website. The specifications bring a lot of good news as well as the bad news. The good news is that the speaker supports Bluetooth 5.0. The bad news is steaming from internet services like the Spotify is only available via Apple’s AirPlay. If you don't know, the Apple AirPlay works only on devices like the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, and Mac PCs. This implies if you have an Android device, you can't stream audio from it. To play music on the HomePod, you will need an Apple device. This is true even if you use Apple Music from an Android device.

To make matters worse, the company has also announced more restrictions. To set up the HomePod, you will need an iOS 11 or higher running device. This means even if you own an older iPhone, iPad or another older iOS device, you cannot set up the speaker. However, this means that the connection to the HomePod speaker will be as smooth as the Airpods. This will make using the speaker, those who can support it a lot smoother of an experience. Also, the steaming is supported by Apple Music, iTunes store, and other Apple services. If one wishes to use the third-party streaming services, like Spotify, you will not be able to use Siri built-in support.

Also Read: Bose QC 35 II will change your life with Google Assistant integration

This means the company has restricted the usage of the speaker for Apple users only. Windows and Android users were left in dark by the company. The good news is that there are many high-quality Bluetooth speakers available for the Android users to do the job. The assistant powered Google Home and Amazon Alexa can also be a go-to for Android users. Also, Apple could certainly release an update in the future to let other devices connect via Bluetooth. However, we won't rely on that happening anytime soon.

In the meantime, if you are an Apple user and wanting to purchase the Apple HomePod, the speaker itself will go on sale Feb. 9 in the US. It will cost you $349. It will be available in the UK for £319 and Australia for A$499 on the same day. Also, the HomePod will be available in France, Germany, and other countries sometime later this spring.

Xiaomi expanding its Redmi 5 line-up to more countries: Price, Specifications

By
Devesh Arora
-

Xiaomi recently unveiled two new budget-oriented smartphones. The Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus have now finally made their way to Malaysia. The device made their way to Malaysia after one month since their China launch in December 2017. The smartphones are the firsts for the company to bring an 18:9 display to a budget segment. Looking at this, we can expect Xiaomi to soon bring these smartphones to India.

Specifications

The Xiaomi Redmi 5 features a 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1440x720 pixels. The Redmi 5 Plus on the other hand sports a larger 5.99-inch display with a resolution of 2160x1080 pixels. The Redmi 5 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC while Snapdragon 625 chipset sits at the heart of the Redmi 5 Plus. Both the smartphones have 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. As options, Redmi 5 Plus has 4GB RAM with 64GB storage and the Redmi 5 has a 2GB RAM with 16GB storage variant. The storage on both the devices is expandable up to 128GB using a microSD card.

Xiaomi Redmi 5

Under the hood, the Redmi 5 comes with a 3,300mAh battery. Redmi 5 Plus being the larger variant comes with a larger 4,000mAh battery. Both the smartphones run on MIUI 9 based on Android 7.1.2 Nougat out of the box. Also, both the devices come with a fingerprint scanner mounted on the back.

On the optics front, both the smartphones feature a 12-megapixel camera at the back. The rear camera comes with f/2.2 aperture, phase detection autofocus and a LED flash. Up front, there is a 5-megapixel selfie snapper on both the devices.

Price and Availability

Xiaomi has launched the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus in Malaysia. The Redmi 5 is priced at RM 679 (roughly Rs. 11,200). The Redmi 5 Plus, on the other hand, comes with a price tag of RM 749 (roughly Rs. 12,350). The rates given are for the base variants of the devices. The Redmi 5 is available in Gold colour while there are Blue, Black, and Gold colour options for the Redmi 5 Plus.

 

10.or D Hands-on Review: The ultra low budget king?

By
Lalit Wadhwa
-

Amazon India owned 10.or (pronounced Tenor) has recently unveiled another smartphone under their lineup. The 10.or D is the latest smartphone in the company's lineup. The company launched the 10.or G and then the 10.or E. The 10.or E was pronounced one of the best low budget smartphones of 2017. 10.or D is the company's latest low budget smartphone.  Considering the price, it easily lands in the low-budget smartphone category. The smartphone is launched at a price to directly compete against Xiaomi’s recently launched Redmi 5A.

10.or D

The highlights of the smartphone include the 3,500mAh battery for which the company claims 2 days of battery life on a full charge. Other specifications of the smartphone include a 5.2-inch display with a resolution of 720×1280 pixels. The smartphone also sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 SoC clocked at 1.4GHz. The device is available in two variants. One with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage while the other one packs in 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage.

Design

The 10.or D boasts a 5.2-inch with a resolution of 720x1280 pixels. The display is not something you can call best of the line. However, considering the price tag, the display is good enough. The display is good enough and fluid. The overall build quality is good enough for the price tag. The device feels sturdy in hand. The device is a little thick, but we have seen worse in this price segment. The 10.or D also boasts a fingerprint sensor. This is really surprising in this price segment.

The device is not the best of the feeling in the hand, but considering the price tag, the device is really great. The ultra-low budget smartphone segment has always been populated with sub-par quality devices. The smartphones available in this segment are generally cheap and ugly looking. The 10.or D sports one of the best design and build quality in its segment.

Camera

On the optics front, the 10.or D sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and autofocus. The rear camera is great with crisp shots. The colours were dull, the saturation was not great. The camera also has a-okay image stabilization. The images were still in focus with slight movements while taking photos. However, the image lacked any detail of any sort. Considering, the price tag we will need to let this one pass.

For the selfies, the 10.or D sports a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The front camera has no LED or any kind of feature. However, considering it is an ultra-low budget smartphone, the presence of a 5-megapixel selfie shooter is enough. The photos were just about usable with low detail and dull colours. However, considering the price tag of the smartphone, it performed up to our mark.

10.or D Front Camera Sample

Overall, the cameras lack colours and details. The images are just usable. However, considering the low price tag of the smartphone, we would say it has a great camera its segment.

Price

The device is available for purchase right now at Amazon.com. The smartphone starts at the price of Rs 4,999 for the 2GB RAM with 16GB Storage variant and Rs 5,999 for the 3GB and 32GB storage variant. The device is available in Black and Gold colours. With very few worthy smartphones existing at this price point, the competition is really scarce for this smartphone. The inclusion of the fingerprint sensor gives it an edge. However, the company claims the smartphone to have a 2-day battery life. We will need to test this in our full review, but this may be the best ultra-low budget smartphone out there right now.

Will this new HTC mid-range smartphone be the best ever?

By
Devesh Arora
-

HTC, the Chinese smartphone giant, is planning to bring another mid-range smartphone. The company is expected to bring the HTC U12 soon. The U12 will be a successor to the company's 2017 flagship, the U11. However, the company is going to introduce a mid-range smartphone before the U12 comes into the play. The company is trying its best to keep up with the competition in every segment from mid-range to flagships.

Recently, Cher Wang, chairwoman at HTC, said in a statement, "Today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter at HTC as we continue to drive innovation in our branded smartphone and VIVE virtual reality businesses."

HTC U11 Eye

These lines said by Wang points towards some upcoming smartphone. The upcoming smartphone is ex[ected to be the one we recently saw on GeekBench. The HTC smartphone had a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC which is a mid-range chipset. As per the listing, the smartphone packs in 3GB of RAM. The smartphone will also run on Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box.

Also Read: HTC U11 now available at a discount of Rs. 5,991: Here are the details

The benchmark listing gave us limited information on the upcoming smartphone. Looking at the benchmarks, the smartphone scored 770 on single-core test and 3,893 in multi-core. The scores look decent enough considering that the smartphone is going to be in the mid-range segment.

As the MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2018 is just around the corner, we can expect the smartphone there. HTC might unveil this smartphone at the event in Barcelona. However, even if we do not see the smartphone at MWC 2018, it should make its way to the market by March.

Huawei P20 to launch on March 27, Here's what we know so far

By
Brahmjot Singh
-

Huawei, the Chinese tech giant, is now working on their next smartphone, Huawei P20. The smartphone will be the successor to the last year's P10. There have been a lot of leaks and rumours about the P20 and the device is finally ready to arrive. The company is planning to unveil the smartphone on March 27, 2018. Huawei has already rolled out the media invites for the press event.

According to the invite, the company claims that the event will be held in Paris. Earlier, it was expected that the smartphone will be launched during the MWC 2018 at Barcelona. However, the company decided to go with a standalone event to showcase the smartphone.

What do we know about the P20?

Huawei P20 has faced a lot of leaks and rumours, while some recent reports give confirmation on few of its features. A recent case renders from Slashleaks gives us a clue on the design. The images also show a triple camera setup at the back of the smartphone. All the three cameras are arranged in a vertical order at the top left corner at the back of the smartphone. The arrangement looks a lot similar to what we have seen with the Apple iPhone X. Leaks suggests that there will be a 40-megapixel Leica triple-lens camera setup with 5x hybrid zoom.

Huawei P20 Case
Source: SlashLeaks

Also Read: Huawei might launch a foldable smartphone in 2018 says report

Previous reports have also suggested that the P20 will also carry an iPhone X like notch up front. The notch will consist of, what Huawei likes to call, the “Point Cloud Depth Camera.” As per the speculations, inside the notch will sit a 24-megapixel front-facing sensor.

A recent report also claims that the smartphone will run on EMUI 8.1 out of the box. The EMUI 8.1 ROM is based on the latest Android 8.1 Oreo operating system.

1...189190191...324Page 190 of 324
© 2019-20 All Rights Reserved | Beetel Bite - Tech News and Reviews