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My Mobile Magazine Feb 2018

Smartphone news, industries news and interview.Review of latest launched smartphones, gadgets, Accessories, Apps and Games.

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My Mobile Magazine Feb 2018

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  1. www.mymobileindia.com www.mymobileindia.com february 2018  rs 100 ® your gateway to the world of mobility 10 Ways How AI Will Make Smartphones Smarter! Chief Speak Neeraj Sharma, Country Head, Spreadtrum India faCe to faCe Jai Mani, Lead Product Manager, Xiaomi India Tested Honor View 10, Galaxy A8+, Bharat 5, iVOOMi i1, Redmi 5A, t-phone P and many more… phone of the month GooGle Pixel 2 xl

  2. Our Chipset. Your Smartphone. THE PERFECT DUO A world of possibility opens up when the latest MediaTek Helio chipsets meet your phone. mediatek.com

  3. firstcall The Future is Here and How! Editorpage S tage is all set for a new era in smartphone evolution! Your smartphone is going to be smarter, rather one should say it will soon have a brain of its own. And the catalyst for the next stage of evolution will be the fusion of Artificial Intelligence or AI with the phone device which is underway at a frenzied pace. A Gartner study has forecasted that by 2022, 80 percent of all smartphones shipped will have on-device AI capabilities, up from 10 percent in 2017. So from a device which worked primarily at your command, it will soon have a mind of its own. The device will become intuitive, will have impressive cognitive capability and will be intelligent enough to advice and guide you with your daily chores. The next stage of evolution will not be so much about hardware or specs but software. The future is indeed here! e d i t o r i a L Pankaj Mohindroo | editor-in-chief Shelley Vishwajeet | editor ramesh Kumar raja | assistant editor haider ali Khan | Senior correspondent nijhum rudra | correspondent Vanshika Malhotra | correspondent d e S i G n ajit Kumar Parashar | Sr. Graphic designer M a r K e t i n G Puja Mohindroo | Manager - business Stage is also set for India finally becoming a manufacturing hub for mobile handset. Years of unrelenting efforts on policy front and regulatory roadmap by Indian Cellular Association is bearing fruit in a massive way. Our effort is to push this momentum to the next level by making India a hub for just not mobile and batteries but entire electronics devices. Good news on this front too will be heard soon. Sandeep Kumar | Sr. Manager – Marketing o P e r a t i o n S K. rajagopalan | advisor-Legal, accounts & administration deepak Kohli | Manager – accounts Varun Lama | Sr. Manager – human resources b. G. Mathur | Manager- Production This is our anniversary issue! We have completed 13 years of glorious leadership, both in terms of readership and mindshare as well as impact. Evolution with times by making continuous improvement in content, design and presentation is what has kept us at leadership position ever since our launch. And very soon, we are going to launch our totally new, international class website which will provide our readers and aficionados with a most in-depth platform for the world of mobility. For our advertising associates and brands, our new website will provide the most distinguished platform for outreach and promotion. c i r c u L a t i o n bhupender Singh bisht | Manager – circulation a d V i S o r y b o a r d bejon Misra rajan Mathews S.d. Saxena Subhash chandra Sunil dutt Sonu bhasin uvaraj natarajan Readers, advertisers and associates – thank you very much for this wonderful journey and your support. Keep showering your love and affection. G e t i n t o u c h And Yes, Happy Reading! n Editorial : shelley@mymobile.co.in Marketing : sandeep@mymobile.co.in Circulation : bhupender@mymobile.co.in Phone : 011—46206161 Fax : 011—41520637 edited, published, printed and owned by Pankaj Mohindroo, Published from flat no. 25, first floor, Shankar Market, connaught Place, new delhi – 110001. Printed at ht Media Ltd. b-2, Sector 63, noida. the publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for errors and omissions contained in this publication, however caused. the opinions and the views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances. the ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. Pankaj Mohindroo editor-in-chief Follow Us: Facebook facebook.com/mymobilemag Twitter twitter.com/MyMobileMag Volume Xiii, issue i, february2018 MYMOBILE 04 | FEbRuARY 2018

  4. contents 58 42 88 46 Style Notes 46 Chief speak 135 Dilip Venkatraman – Founder & CEO, VideoTap Neeraj Sharma – Country Head (India), Spreadtrum Communications 10 letters 12 Cell speak market iNsight 52 Chinese mobile brands’ profit soars but they still have a long way to go 58 IoT connected devices to cross the billion mark by 2020 48 Jai Mani – Lead Product Manager, Xiaomi India 51 Prashant Bora – CEO, East Sun Electronics India 56 Sukesh Jain – Vice-President, IT & Mobile Enterprises Business, Samsung India 84 Ramakant Khandelwal – Chief Marketing Officer, PAYBACK India 86 Doug Suttles – Co-Founder and General Manager, Ookla faCe to faCe: Interviews with business/industry leaders 14 rumor mill 16 NeWs 21 big NeWs 109 my guide 54 CoNsumer iNsight 26 just iN Get a close look at new mobile devices now in the market App is still the way to go! The Burntest 62 google pixel 2 xl 42 lead story 10 Ways How AI Will Make Smartphones Smarter! 64 hoNor VieW 10 MYMOBILE 06 | FEBRuARY 2018

  5. contents 98 Global IT spending forecasted to reach USD3.7 trillion in 2018 100 ShowBiz 66 SamSung galaxy a8+ (2018) What's Inside CES 2018: Innovations Showcased 68 amazon 10. or D 70 micromax canvaS infinity Pro 92 Expectations MWC 2018! 131 The Best Smartphones Under 10K! 134 Where’s my Kitty Cat? SPecial feature 106 Bazaar Bargain 72 xiaomi reDmi 5a Four phones which are smart buy today 74 infocuS viSion 3 76 Smartron t-PhoneP 136 aDD onS 78 comio c2 94 Here is how chatbots are redefining human/business interactions – Aakrit Vaish, Co-Founder & CEO, Haptik By invitation The latest and the best of gadgets and accessories, from gaming peripherals to fitness-centric accessories 80 micromax Bharat 5 82 ivoomi i1 88 Samsung displaces Intel as the undisputed leader of the global semiconductor business inDuStry inSight 146 vantage Point 104 5 Digital Marketing Trends To Watch Out For In 2018 – Vaibhav Vats, Co-Founder, Digiperform “G’Five will invest INR 1,000 crore by 2020” – Aashish Kumar, Director SSIC 131 109 104 Total number of pages = 148 MYMOBILE

  6. KARA Mobiles has more than 400 service centers M O B I L E S Go beyond with KARA... BRIGHT K-20 12.7cm (5.0") HD LCD Front 2.0MP Back 5.0MP ELIGHT 4.6cm (1.8”) Colour Display Big Battery Dual High Definition Digital Camera AVI/MP3/3GP/MP4/RMVB Extra Large Multimedia Speaker 1GB RAM 8GB ROM 2200mAh Dual SIM Dual Standby SPORTS+ K-16 Dual SIM Quad Core YEAR 1 Super LED Torch K-17 K-19 K-18 K-15 Big Yamaha Speaker 5 LED Torch 6.09 cm (2.4”) Colour Display Hi-end Selfie Camera Big Speaker Dual 6.09 cm (2.4”) Colour Display High Definition Digital Camera Big Battery Curved IMF Glass 4,000 mAh Battery Big Battery High Definition Camera Emergency Button Digital Camera Dual SIM Dual SIM Expandable Upto 32GB Big Yamaha Speaker Dual SIM KBR TRADING PVT. LTD. Head Off: E-33, Prashant Vihar, Delhi- 110005. Tel: 011-25757636. E-mail: thukral51@yahoo.co.in Factory: Plot No. 351, Phase-V, EHTP, HSIIDC, Sector-56, Sonipat, Kundli-Haryana-101028 Sales Office: 8A/21G, W.E.A. Karol Bagh, Delhi-110005. E-mail: kannav.thukral@karamobiles.in, Mob: +91 9811988088 ASSURED For Trade Contact : 10 DAY SERVICE Enquiries, +91 9810026272

  7. letters Inbox what we get from it, which is very helpful and deep. I am a regular reader of your magazine and I also recommend it to my friends and family. It is a must have for those who want to get useful and correct information. —Vikas Singh, Varanasi rather than going to any website. The main source of our tech content comes from My Mobile magazine. The unmatched quality of the product keeps it in a different league altogether. Just-ins, Consumer and Industry Insights always come handy. An ideal tech magazine should follow your footsteps. —Ramandeep Singh, My Mobile has been my boredom buster during long trips and journeys. We get all the information about the apps and new features running onto our handsets. You guys always do in- depthstory. Waiting for your next issue. —Rajamik Doley, Gauhati www.mymobileindia.com www.mymobileindia.com JANUARY 2018  Rs 100 ® YOUR GATEWAY TO THE WORLD OF MOBILITY HOT CONSUMER TRENDS 2018 Tested Honor 7X, Moto X4, Vivo V7, Centric L3, Redmi Y1, Comio P1, and more… CHIEF SPEAK PHONE OF THE MONTH ONEPLUS 5T Sudhin Mathur, MD Motorola & Country Head Lenovo My trust and passion of reading My Mobile keeps on increasing as the topics which you have been covering these days are wonderful like the last issue of January (Hot Consumer Trends 2018) has been very informative, well timed and properly researched one. While the Big News and Consumer Insights are wholesome informative, the Bazaar Bargain helps us to know the latest price of the already launched products on which we could get the best bargain. My best wishes to My Mobile team. —Shilpa Kanwal, New Delhi My Mobile has been associated with me since I was in my college and has been a part of my growing up. I am very fond of this unique and informative magazine present in the country. Since I am a dedicated reader since my young age, I have been admired as the one who knows everything in my friends and neighbors about mobile and technology. I want to thank the whole team of My Mobile for their continuous support. —Prashant Kumar, Patna The best way to get knowledge about all the available mobile devices and their prices is My Mobile. The kind of collective information available in My Guide section of the magazine is very helpful, especially for a customer and reader like me. We get all the brands, their specifications and price range at the same place. Rather than flipping through the entire magazine, one would get the idea about any particular mobile. —Sushant, Pune Chandigarh The January issue’s editorial was well elaborated and very timely as were quite interested in knowing the trends that have dominated the year. The new service provider has taken everyone by storm. The burn tests, chief speak and games you did were pretty good. It has been my guide to all the tech queries and hence developing my knowledge as a consumer. I want you to include more gadgets and mobiles in your Burn Test section. —Priyanka, Mumbai We, as the regular reader and subscriber of My Mobile, love to read the gadgets, mobiles and apps more often in the magazine Dear My Mobile team, it gives me an immense knowledge of mobile ecosystem which you guys deliver through the magazine and it’s simply brilliant. I would also suggest you to add few more devices and gadgets like you did of OnePlus 5T in your burn tests. Majority of readers or the users might not be aware of the whole insight about any latest mobile or technology but Are you crazy about cellphones and have the it in you, we are looking for you. Rush your CV to Do you have a nose for news and can also key in a dream headline? Do you crave to lay your hands on the latest potential to pen a few lines? team@mymobile.co.in to see your name in My Mobile, gizmos and tell the world about them? If you think you have India’s best mobile magazine. MYMOBILE 10 | feBRuARY 2018

  8. cellspeak Quotes “Digital India has to be implemented, which will offer many benefits to other sectors as well. Telecom ministry should be seen as a facilitator, rather than a revenue generator. It’s a valid point” — Manoj Sinha, Union Telecom Minister, in an interview to a newspaper “I told DoT that I am not quitting telecom, I am exiting the mobile business. We are in cloud, IoT (internet of things), data centre, submarine cables” Chairman, Reliance Group, spoke to ET — Anil Ambani, in his first interview in 10 years “We are one of the biggest companies on planet to effectively leverage AI (artificial intelligence) and ML (machine learning) for efficient global supply operations and for planning and management of manufacturing” “We are planning a robust data protection framework to empower the digital mandate. Data protection is beyond Aadhaar; issue of privacy is a global threat” — Ken Wong, President - Asia Pacific, Lenovo, on the sidelines of Consumer Electronics Show 2018 “Digital India can greatly benefit from 5G, you will get digital content that would be for public use across all markets. India is extremely powerful today in all aspects - IT, local industry, on application” — Aruna Sundararajan, Secretary, DoT, at an event in New Delhi — Emmanuel Coelho Alves, Wireless Marketing Director, Huawei, in an interaction with a news daily MYMOBILE 12 | fEbRUARy 2018

  9. RumouR mill Talkin Tech Corners Google Duo lets you call people who don’t have the app installed Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 likely to come with QS 632 SoC LG to rebrand its G series this year South Korean tech major LG reportedly plans to repackage its flagship G series of smartphones with a new naming scheme, which means that there will no longer be an LG G7 this year. The name might be replaced with a two digit number, among other options that the company is yet to announce. According to a report by The Investor, “LG is preparing a new brand strategy for the G series in the first half of the year. Numbering the phone with a two-digit number and rebranding the phone with a new name are some of the options on the table.” LG, in 2012, had began pro- ducing the high-end G series with the launch of the Optimus G, followed by the removal of the word ‘Optimus’ and keeping the ‘G’ for the series. The report suggests that this decision is an industry standard with Apple and Samsung having indulged similarly in the past. n There is a buzz in the air that Google Duo, the Google’s video calling app works on devices that don’t have the app installed. According to reports, the users, who have installed the latest Android version on their smartphone, can access Google Duo without down- loading the app. However, on iOS platform, the app will be required for making calls on Duo. The company is also reportedly working on versions of the app for web browsers, and group calls with better audio quality. Google’s video chats mobile app was announced at the company’s developer conference in May 2016 and began its worldwide release in August the same year. Google Duo lets users make video calls in high definition. It is optimised for low-band- width networks. End-to-end encryption is enabled by default. Duo is based on phone numbers, allowing users to call someone from their contact list. The app automatically switches between Wi-Fi and cellular networks. Xiaomi is expected to unveil a new smartphone in its Redmi Note series, dubbed the Redmi Note 5 soon. Rumours have started building up and the latest one hints about the possible specs of the forthcoming smartphone. According to a Chinese site MyDrivers. com, the Redmi Note 5 (which is cur- rently in the testing phase) is expected to be powered by the future Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 mobile platform clocked at 1.8GHz, which is expected to launch soon. The smartphone is likely to come with a bezel-less display, rated at 5.99-inch with an aspect ratio standing at 18:9. It is likely to come equipped with 4GB of RAM, however, the internal storage configuration is still not known. Moreover, the smart- phone is expected to feature dual rear cameras, rated at 12-megapixel, howev- er, there is no word on the front camera. The smartphone is reported to come with a price tag of CNY 1,599 (around Rs 15,630). team@mymobile.co.in MYMOBILE 14 | FEBRuARY 2018

  10. newsbits What’s Up Samsung to grow its presence across channels in India in terms of internet penetration, payment and fulfillment infrastructure, thus representing a huge growth potential,” said Kenny Zeng, Chief Marketing Officer, Vivo India. Additionally, the offer includes “Book My Show” couple vouchers up to Rs 500, free delivery on all orders across the country and a lucky draw where 10 customers will get a chance to win premium Bluetooth speakers worth Rs 2,999. Vivo said that its online store is catering to more than 10,000 pin codes covering most of the serviceable areas in the country. Samsung is looking to grow its business across channels, including online, as the year progresses, Asim Warsi, Global Vice President, Samsung India, said recently. “We are wherever our users are. And that’s why we have the largest retail network in the country with over 150,000 touch points. We are constantly looking to grow our business and are looking to pave growth stories in all channels including the online space,” Warsi said. Samsung, which is gearing up to take on Chinese rivals in the online segment, has launched two back-to- back “online exclusive” handsets. The two devices -- Galaxy A8+ and Galaxy On7 Prime -- are from different price segments. Samsung has 43 per cent market share in the offline market, which account for nearly 75 per cent of all smartphones sales. Store in iOS 11, which offers larger images, a focus on curation and reviews, and more. On the new webpage, you’ll see a larger app heading, preceded by ‘this app is only available on the App Store for iOS devices’,” 9to5Mac reported recently. As part of the design overhaul, Apple is showcasing app screenshots from its latest iPhone X. “Previously, the web interface used the old square interface of screenshots from older iPhone devices. In the case of screenshots from apps that are not optimised for iPhone X, Apple still shows the older images,” the report added. The Cupertino-based giant redesigned and launched the iOS 11 App Store in September last year. Huawei upgrades its OS with AI capabilities Chinese smartphone major Huawei recently unveiled EMUI 8.0 -- its custom Operating System (OS) based on Android Oreo platform that promises to boost productivity with Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities. The EMUI 8.0, already available on Honor View 10, will be rolled out on devices such as Honor 8 Pro, Honor 9i, Honor 7X and Honor 8 Lite soon. “The update significantly cuts down on the number of steps needed to achieve the desired function through its smart applications like navigation dock and smart screen. It enables the user to reach 90 per cent of the core functions in a single- click,” Huawei said in a statement. The custom OS engages in low-memory management by allocating resources in a way to provide more space to ensure holistic experience coupled with AI capabilities. EMUI 8.0 has features like smart resolution, dynamic wallpaper, navigation bar customisations and more. Honor rolls out new update for Honor View 10, brings ‘Face Unlock’ feature Vivo unveils online store to sell smartphones in India Huawei’s sub-brand Honor recently announced the roll-out of a software update that will bring ‘Face Unlock’ feature to its “View 10” smartphones. To enable the feature, you need to register your face by accessing face-recognition feature in phone settings menu. The Rs 29,999 Honor View 10 detects the positioning between a user and the device and adjusts the direction accordingly. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology not only unlocks the device when sensors recognise your face but also turn off the screen when it senses that the users are no longer reading. It also detects Chinese handset maker Vivo has launched its e-store to sell Vivo smartphones in the country. It has also rolled out a host of benefits like discount coupons up to Rs 2,000 on selected smartphones and 12- month zero-cost EMI, to name a few. “Vivo’s strategy of launching an e-store is an affirmation of the Indian market maturing Apple revamps App Store web interface with iOS 11-like design Apple has updated its cumbersome App Store web interface similar to the user- friendly iOS 11 App Store. “The new redesign takes cues from the all-new App MYMOBILE 16 | FEBRUARy 2018

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  12. newsbits What’s Up and was no 75 in the PGa Championship in 2017. He has 20 professional wins to his credit. smartphone offering, itel a40, at an effective price of rs 3,099 in association with telecom operator airtel, under its ‘Mera Pehla Smartphone’ initiative. Customers need to make a down payment of rs 4,599 to own the all-new itel a40 and will get an attractive cashback benefit of rs 1,500 over a period of 36 months. at the end of 18 months, customers who have done recharges worth rs 3,000 (in any denomination of their choice) will be eligible for the first cashback installment of rs 500. They will be eligible for the second installment of rs 1000, provided they complete another set of recharges worth rs 3,000 over the next 18 months. The smartphone will come bundled with a monthly recharge pack of rs 169 from airtel, offering generous data and calling benefits. users’ position and adjusts the direction accordingly. The update will also enable closed-eye face-unlock prevention and intelligent screen-on. Honor View 10 has octa-core Kirin 970 chipset, 6Gb raM, 128Gb on-board memory and eMuI 8.0. Reliance Jio posts Rs 504 crore profit in Q3 Xiaomi picks three joint sponsors for IPO Telecom major reliance Jio Infocomm has reported a net profit of rs 504 crore for the fiscal third quarter, its first within 15 months of start of commercial operations, buoyed by strong subscriber additions and cost efficiencies, including sharply lower payments on account of interconnect charges. The company, which upended the market since its entry in September 2016 with its initially free voice and data and now much cheaper mobile internet services, has posted a revenue of rs 6.879 crore, up nearly 12% on quarter. India’s fourth largest telco by user base had recorded a net loss of rs 271 crore in the previous three-month period ended September, which was also the first quarter when it formally reported results. The new telecom entrant’s average revenue per user (arPu) - a key performance parameter - stood at rs 154, the same as in the fiscal second quarter. Chinese tech major Xiaomi has picked Citic Securities, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley as joint sponsors for its proposed IPO, according to reports quoting people familiar with the development. The IPO of the company, which could be the world’s biggest tech float this year, is expected to come in the second half of the year and likely to be in Hong Kong, according to the people. The company is expected to add more banks to the transaction later, say the reports, adding that Credit Suisse, Deutsche bank, JP Morgan and around two Chinese banks are likely to be added as joint global coordinators. The deal, which could value Xiaomi at as much as uS$100bn, is highly anticipated by investors. Xiaomi earlier told bankers it would top its annual revenue target by as much as 18%. It is estimated to post a net profit of at least uS$1bn in 2017, banker projections based on the company’s revenue estimate of uS$17bn- $18bn show. Smartron welcomes golfer Anirban Lahiri on board after Sachin Tendulkar, technology firm Smartron has added ace Indian golfer anirban Lahiri to give it a sporty edge in the competitive market. anirban will endorse the brand on a five-year contract on the global stage. In return, Smartron, the global OeM and IoT brand, will be the main sponsors involving anirban and will support his journey on the global stage. Tendulkar has been involved with the company as its brand ambassador and strategic shareholder from its early days. With this association, Smartron wants to bring alive on the global stage Indian stories from all walks of life. It wants to put India on the innovation map of the world through its powered tronX platform and ecosystem, said an official press release. Lahiri, an arjuna awardee is the highest ranked Indian golfer in the world, Vodafone 4G VoLTE rollout begins in India itel Mobile launches itel A40, a 4G VoLTE- enabled smartphone at Rs 3,099 Vodafone has started rolling out its 4G VoLTe services in the country by kick- starting the new experience in Gujarat. The telco announced its plans to launch 4G VoLTe services in December. alongside Gujarat, Vodafone 4G VoLTe services are set to reach Delhi, Karnataka, Kolkata, and Mumbai. Subscribers in the Gujarat region itel Mobile recently rolled out its latest 4G MYMOBILE 18 | february 2018

  13. newsbits What’s Up list and settings to Google Drive. every day thousands of Truecaller users are switching to a new phone, getting new SIM card, resetting their device or in general having to start their Truecaller journey anew. This inevitably leads to lost contacts, blank call logs and data gone missing. Truecaller backup has been one of the most highly requested features by its users, and will who have a Vodafone 4G SIM card and a 4G LTe-supported smartphone will be able to make VoLTe calls. Jio and airtel already offer 4G VoLTe network in India. “The introduction of VoLTe will enhance customer experience with HD quality calling and offer our customers newer possibilities,” Sunil Sood, Managing Director and Chief executive Officer, Vodafone India, had said while announcing the rollout of its 4G VoLTe services. membership is worth rs 999 and includes unlimited access to amazon Prime Video, as part of their plan benefits. airtel said that the offer for one year of amazon Prime is activated exclusively through the airtel TV app. Vijay Subramaniam, Director, Content, amazon Prime Video India, said this exclusive offer enables the company to reach airtel’s customer base across the country. “This partnership is a major milestone in airtel’s endeavour to build a world-class content platform… We look forward to working with amazon to delight customers with great benefits backed by a seamless experience,” said Sameer batra, CeO - Wynk. Xiaomi unveils Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 charger for select models simplify a user’s transition to a new phone or SIM card by securely backing-up their contacts and settings, and stored on your Google Drive. users also have the power to customize the frequency of backup between daily, weekly, monthly and on demand. New Google app feature to match selfies with artwork Google’s arts and Culture app has rolled out a new feature that allows users to take a selfie, upload it and then match it with a doppelgänger in one of several art museums worldwide. “The update to the Google arts and Culture app has catapulted it to the most-downloaded free app on the apple app Store. It claimed the No. 1 spot in the uS, according to the app metrics site appannie,” recode reported recently. The app uses computer-vision technology to examine what is similar about the user’s face to the thousands of pieces of art that are shared with Google by museums and other institutions. The tech giant said this new feature is merely experimental, the report added. formerly known as the Google art Project and launched in february 2011, the new initiative from the tech giant aims to make great art more accessible in this digital age. Xiaomi has launched the India Standard adapter 9V 2a that supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0. earlier, Xiaomi sold the standard 5V-2a charger in India. The new charger from Xiaomi is available on the company’s website and has been priced at rs 449. according to Qualcomm, select smartphones are compatible with the company’s Quick Charge 3.0 Technology. While Xiaomi Mi 5, Xiaomi Mi 5s, Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus, Xiaomi Mi 6, Xiaomi Mi Max, Xiaomi Mi Max 2, Xiaomi Mi Note 2, and Xiaomi MIX 2 are listed, only three of the handsets are currently available in India. So, Mi 5, Mi Max 2 and Mi MIX 2 users can purchase the new adapter. The new Xiaomi charger has a power output of 5V-3a/9V- 2a/12V-1.5a. It has surge protection up to 380V and features automatic Temperature Control. The Xiaomi Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 Charger comes only in black colour. PhonePe now lets FreeCharge customers pay at PhonePe partner merchants flipkart’s payments arm PhonePe has partnered mobile wallet company freeCharge to allow the latter’s customers pay for transactions at PhonePe’s partner merchants. as per the deal terms, PhonePe has now enabled its over 45 million users to link their existing freeCharge wallets to the PhonePe app. Once linked, PhonePe customers will be able to spend their freeCharge wallet balance at all online and offline merchant outlets that accept payments via PhonePe. “This is in line with our vision of making PhonePe India’s first truly open payments platform, where customers can use any and all payment instruments of their choice,” PhonePe Head banking Products and Strategic Partnerships Hemant Gala said. To pay via Airtel to offer Amazon Prime membership to postpaid, broadband customers bharti airtel has entered into a partnership with amazon India to offer one year amazon Prime membership to its postpaid customers with an Infinity plan of rs 499 or above, and V-fiber broadband customers. The Truecaller introduces Backup feature for Android Popular communication app Truecaller has launched Truecaller backup for android, a new feature which allows users to backup and restore their contacts, call history, block www.mymobileindia.com february 2018 | 19

  14. newsbits What’s Up new, mid-range series of 4Tb, 6Tb and 8Tb hard drives. The new products help corporate data centres having data-set sizes smaller than ones in hyper-scale environments to harness the power of data in applications Chinese version. DingTalk aims to ramp up its user count in India and Malaysia by the end of the fiscal year ending in March. “Our endeavour is to empower SMes so they can scale and become part of the global marketplace. With DingTalk, we will enable organisations to seamlessly communicate and collaborate across locations, thereby increasing productivity,” Chris Wang, Head of Global business Development for DingTalk, said in a statement. freeCharge on PhonePe, customers can link freeCharge from ‘My account-Other Wallets’ section, following which they can pay using freeCharge or PhonePe wallet balance. 93.5 Red FM launches mobile app radio network 93.5 red fM has launched its application from which users can listen or watch their favourite content anytime by selecting the city of choice. Through the app, the users can catch live New app to help locate people in areas without network such as analytics and distributed file systems, the company said in a statement. “Our new enterprise solutions blend the technology and total cost of ownership of Western Digital’s capacity enterprise product line will allow OeMs to offer data centres a solution to keep big Data on- premises, rather than transition entirely to the Cloud,” brendan Collins, Vice President of Marketing, Devices business unit at Western Digital, said in a statement. broadcast if they have missed it. “Itemisation of on-air content creates flexibility and allows the listeners to exercise control over the audio content of their choice,” red fM said in a statement. The mobile application gives the option to handpick curated content from localised red fM station. “The red fM app cuts away from the usual practice of radio content which has a low shelf life and when broadcasted once disappears,” 93.5 red fM COO Nisha Narayanan said. She further said the app works as a great retention strategy where it can be reused on other platforms like mobile and social media. The application is available on iOS app Store and Google Playstore. GPS, panic buttons mandatory on public transport from April 1 Scientists have developed a smartphone app that can be used in emergency situations arising due to earthquakes, floods or forest fires, where mobile phone infrastructure is often rendered useless. The system created by researchers at the universidad de alicante (ua) in Spain makes it possible to locate people who have suffered an accident in remote locations without a phone signal and where a speedy rescue is essential to save lives. “We have designed an application that can be incorporated to any smartphone and that, without a signal, emits a Wi-fi signal which in turn acts as a distress beacon over a distance of several kilometres,” said Jose angel berna, creator of the technology and professor at ua. This signal contains the location (coordinates) of the person who has suffered the accident or disappeared and is using the smartphone emitter, along with a short message that can be altered depending on the situation, with examples such as “I am injured,” “I am disorientated,” or “I need help,” said reports quoting berna. all taxis, buses and public transport vehicles, barring three-wheelers and e-rickshaws, will have to install location tracking device or GPS and an alert button from april 1. The road transport ministry has reiterated the deadline amid reports that most of the states had not done much to meet the target. “from 1st april, 2018, passenger transport vehicles including taxis and buses are to be mandatorily equipped with GPS devices,” the ministry tweeted recently. according to reports quoting a senior official, there will be no extension to roll out these passenger safety measures in public transport vehicles. Though initially the ministry had proposed mandatory installation of CCTV cameras in buses having more than 23 seats, the proposal was dropped due to privacy concerns. n team@mymobile.co.in Alibaba-owned DingTalk enterprise chat app forays into India alibaba-backed platform DingTalk recently unveiled an english version that caters to the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMes). The english version of the app, also available in Malaysia, is the first concerted push outside of China since launching three years ago. Over five million enterprises and organisations in China are already using the Western Digital unveils next generation storage drives Data storage company Western Digital recently announced that it is expanding its portfolio for enterprise customers with a MYMOBILE 20 | february 2018

  15. bignews What’s Up Motorola expands retail footprint, announces 50 Moto Hubs in Delhi L Hub is a key destination for consumers to experience the latest Motorola technology and get a hands-on demo of the entire product portfolio, in a fun, easy to access setup that is conveniently located at consumer hangout areas. Delhi has emerged as one of the biggest markets for the smartphone industry and the same is true for Motorola. as per GKf, out of the total estimated sales of 7 million units per month, Delhi contributes 8-9% to the total sales, necessitating the need for Motorola to be accessible across the city and hence the augmented presence. Sudhin Mathur, Managing Director, Motorola Mobility India, said, “Offering premium customer experiences is a pillar of our strategy. More than two-thirds of the smartphone customers make their purchase at retail, however, while there is access; experience has been a pain point for most of the buyers. Moto Hub addresses this need of customers by offering a platform to interact, engage and purchase. encouraged by the customer response, we have accelerated the retail expansion significantly to ensure that we are present where our customers want us to be.” as part of the strategy to consolidate its offline presence, earlier in December 2017, Motorola had announced a strategic partnership with Poorvika Mobiles across 43 cities in Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Karnataka and with big C and Lot Mobile stores across 55 cities in andhra Pradesh and Telangana to provide easy access to customers to experience the wide range of Motorola products. The Moto Hub store will house the entire portfolio of Motorola devices, including the online exclusives such as Moto X4 and Moto MODs. They will also house Motorola accessories like on-ear and in-ear headphones, Moto shells and covers. n enovo-owned Motorola recently announced the opening of 50 new Moto Hubs in New Delhi to further its retail presence. Moto Coolpad eyes fresh innings in India with $300 mn funding C fresh funding from Power Sun Ventures, a family trust, the Shenzhen-based Coolpad plans to expand its capabilities in artificial Intelligence (aI), the company said in a statement. “With this new investment, Coolpad aims to shift its focus from being just into mobile business to an aI-focused technology company. We plan to expand this by creating aI-focused applications across communications, health, education and gaming,” said Jiang Chao, CeO, Coolpad Group. Chinese property mogul Chen Hua, founder and Head of Kingkey Group, is leading the new investment through Power Sun Ventures. With this, Coolpad India will look forward to strengthen its position in the domestic market with some aggressive products in the coming months. The last product launched by Coolpad in the country was “Cool Play 6”. In 2016, the company launched eight smartphone models in India. “It’s a very positive development for Coolpad, especially after a few ups and downs last year. hinese smartphone maker Coolpad recently announced it has received a fresh investment of $300 million. With this With fresh investment and road map ready, we are looking forward to have a new start to Coolpad in India,” said Syed Tajuddin, CeO, Coolpad India. “apart from benchmarking the products, we will also be looking forward to introduce some inventive technologies, which will eventually benefit the end users,” he added. The company has been producing 34 million smartphones globally every year, raking up $3 billion in revenue each year. In terms of market share in online space, Coolpad ranks among top three smartphone brands on amazon.in. The struggling Leeco has sold more than half of its stake in Coolpad Group, media reports said recently. Leeco has been repaying its debt after selling shares in Coolpad Group. Leeco recently repaid $103.20 million of its debt owed to China Merchants bank. n www.mymobileindia.com february 2018 | 21

  16. bignews What’s Up Xiaomi to expand India store network in tussle with Samsung I company Xiaomi plans to expand its store network in India. a little over three years after Xiaomi entered India, its cheap, high- spec handsets have helped the start-up, which is now valued at close to $100 billion and plans to list this year, to pull neck-and- neck with Samsung in its biggest market behind China. “If you look at 2017 and 2018 combined, the biggest change in our strategy is our focus on offline,” Manu Kumar Jain, Managing Director of Xiaomi India, told a news agency recently. Xiaomi opened its first Mi Home, an apple store-style sales and experience centre, in May last year and already operates 17 such outlets in India. Jain said Xiaomi is ahead of schedule on its plans to open 100 Mi Home stores by mid-2019 in India and also plans to add more preferred partner stores - multi-brand outlets that stock largely Xiaomi products. Interestingly, Xiaomi is looking to strengthen its network beyond online, which accounts for some 70 per cent of local revenue. Its strategy in India has so far rested on flash sales on leading homegrown e-commerce player flipkart and uS tech giant amazon.com’s Indian sites, an approach that helped Xiaomi save on expensive marketing spends and grab market share. Jain said Xiaomi will launch six to eight new smartphones across key price ranges in 2018. “We want n a bid to grab the lead in a smartphone market which South Korea’s Samsung has dominated for more than five years, Chinese to improve on whatever we launched in 2017 and also launch and plug whatever we think are the big use cases where we are not present,” he said. Last year, Xiaomi launched eight smartphones priced from 4,999 Indian rupees ($78) to 32,999 rupees ($516). Samsung, by comparison, offers more than 40 smartphone models in India. n Optiemus aims 10% of India’s premium phone market with BlackBerry O eyes to garner 10 per cent share of the domestic premium smartphone market by the end of this year. bSe-listed Optiemus had signed a licensing deal with blackberry last year which includes rights for India, Sri Lanka, bangladesh and Nepal. blackberry has a similar partnership with TCL for some other markets. Optiemus Infracom executive Director Hardip Singh said the company plans to scale up its product portfolio by bringing in a number of models across price segments. “year 2018 will be significant for our business and we are targeting a 10 per cent market share in India in the rs 20,000-plus premium segment category by end of this year,” he told a news agency recently. The company recently expanded to Sri Lanka and bangladesh. “We are looking at launching blackberry Keyone Limited edition black in Nepal in the first quarter of 2018, which will mark the entry of Optiemus in Nepal,” he said. Singh said the company makes the devices in India and will continue to explore opportunities in these key markets. “We expect International markets to contribute approximately 25 per cent of our total business volume to blackberry business by the end of calendar year 2018,” he added. Once a dominant player in the smartphone category, blackberry struggled to compete against global competitors like Samsung and apple. It, then, agreed to license its brand to handset manufacturers TCL and Optiemus. India is one of the fastest growing smartphone markets globally. Players like Samsung, Xiaomi, Lenovo and Vivo have aggressively eaten into the market share of domestic players like Micromax and Lava. n ptiemus Infracom, which holds the rights for manufacturing and distribution of blackberry phones in India and other countries, MYMOBILE 22 | february 2018

  17. bignews What’s Up India ranks second in app downloads I only China, according to a report from app annie, an app insights company. The data collated is inclusive of apple’s iOS Store, Google Play and third-party android stores. app usage grew rapidly in India, driven by the introduction of subsidised, unlimited 4G access by reliance Jio in September 2016, the report noted. India saw a growth of about 215% while uS saw a degrowth of 5% during 2017. India, which is seen as an emerging market in the app economy, came on top of the list for highest monthly average number of apps used and installed. On an average, Indians use more than 40 apps in a month, while having a total base of close to 80 apps. On this parameter, China and brazil are behind India. Incidentally, the report threw light on consumer spending behaviour of Indians with regards to mobile apps. Despite the popular perception that Indians shy away from paying for in-app purchases, dating app Tinder and over-the-top (OTT) entertainment platform Netflix topped the chart as far as spends on apps go. Chinese video app bigo Live and Google Drive are the other top apps where Indians have spent significantly in 2017, the data in ndia has recorded the second-largest number of mobile app downloads, beating the uS and trailing the report pointed out. Star India-owned Hotstar is another OTT player in the top 10 apps here with high consumer spends. The report did not specify the amount consumers spent on these apps throughout last year. The data indicates an interesting trend where Indians are starting to pay for various apps. The more mature a market is, the higher chances of monetisation, the report added. n Reliance to manufacture mobiles, set top boxes in West Bengal R Infocomm’s operations, its digital ecosystem as well as the group’s retail and fuel retail businesses, chairman Mukesh ambani said recently. The group will also be “working with multiple partners to explore the setting up of state-of-the-art, next-gen electronics manufacturing facilities” to make West bengal an innovation hub for “consumer devices such as mobile phones and set-top boxes,” he said at the fourth bengal Global business Summit in Kolkata recently. He said West bengal was a leader in “ease of business,” attributing this to “industrial peace” under the government of Chief Minister Mamata banerjee. reliance Industries will also set up digital service centres (DSCs) in West bengal to provide government-to-citizen (G2C) services, initially in five districts. The move is part of the company’s plans to set up DSCs across India to bring such services within easy reach of every citizen, especially in the rural hinterland. “The move will give birth to digital entrepreneurs in villages and small towns, kickstart ecommerce, support agriculture as well as small and medium enterprises (SMes),” said ambani, signalling Jio’s plans for a countrywide digital revolution. reliance Industries is already one of the largest investors in West bengal, having pumped in rs 15,000 crore, most of this for setting up the telecom network, ambani said. Jio’s initiatives had created employment opportunities -- both direct and indirect – for more than 100,000 people in the state, he said. In the immediate term, ambani said the country’s newest 4G carrier will expedite steps to ensure 100% network coverage in West bengal by end-2018. n eliance Industries Ltd (rIL) will invest as much as rs 5,000 crore in West bengal to bolster telecom arm reliance Jio www.mymobileindia.com february 2018 | 23

  18. bignews WhatsApp targets small businesses with new service P aimed at small businesses that have thus far been using their accounts meant for individuals, a move that brings it closer to monetising its free platform. While the focus, at present, is to get small business on the platform for free, the firm plans to charge them in the future. The app has been launched on Google Play in many countries. “Through our research, we know that over 84% of small businesses who use Whatsapp in India think that it helps them communicate with their customers, and 80% of them think that it helps them grow their business,” Whatsapp chief operating officer Matt Idema told a newspaper recently. “People can continue using Whatsapp as usual — there’s no need to download anything new. and people will continue to have full control over the messages they receive, with the ability to block any number, including businesses, as well as report spam,” the company reportedly said in its blog. according to reports, Whatsapp business gives users a verified green checkmark badge next to account name. businesses will be What’s Up opular messaging app Whatsapp has launched a new service Whatsapp business, able to create a company profile with information such as address, business hours, and description of product or service offered. Its messaging tool will help businesses manage consumer chats -- quick replies that provide fast answers to frequently asked questions, greeting messages that introduce customers to your business, and away messages that let them know you’re busy. It also has a web interface. as per reports, Whatsapp could go live with its much awaited payments feature soon, possibly this month only. n Hike unveils ‘Total’ to let users access services without data T a mobile operating system that will offer services such as messaging and recharging without using data. Services offered on the system called Hike Total include financial transactions via Hike Wallet, news, horoscopes and rail information. The operating system will be pre-installed in entry-level smartphones from Intex and Karbonn priced between rs 3,500 and rs 5,000. unlike Whatsapp and facebook Messenger, the micro-apps on Hike Total will work even without data. Hike Total uses uSSD (unstructured supplementary service data), a technology that transmits information through GSM network channels, which are normally used to make voice calls and send messages. The objective was to get more users on the Hike platform, Kavin Mittal, founder of Hike, said recently. “We decided to invert the pyramid and go bottom-upwards because there are still around 200 million users of the total 400 million smartphone users who have smartphones but do not use data… we have to break into that market,” he said. Intex will integrate Hike’s services in lower-priced smartphone models for the benefit of consumers, who will also get customised and differential data packs at cheaper rates, said director Keshav bansal. Hike, backed by Tencent, foxconn, Tiger Global, Softbank and bharti airtel, is in talks with Lava and Micromax, besides Samsung and Chinese smartphone makers. On the carrier side, it has tied up with bharti airtel, aircel and bSNL. reliance Jio Infocomm users will have to wait a while because the company’s Voice over LTe network does not support uSSD service. Hike Total’s services work on its new patented technology called uTTP, a version of uSSD, which is often used to check a phone’s serial number or data usage. Hike will give rs 200 to each user on purchase of the phones, which will be available beginning March 1. n argeting the lower end of smartphone users to better take on leader Whatsapp, Indian messaging app Hike has come out with MYMOBILE 24 | february 2018

  19. bignews US tech firm Redmorph enters India with smartphone security app A Security Solution’, its comprehensive privacy and security app for smartphone users. The security solution allows users to control and protect their privacy and security online. The app allows users to clearly visualize what is happening in the background behind apps, OS and websites in real time. The product is equipped with algorithms to audit all system and user apps to determine and minimize risks. With behavioral and predictive analysis, it uses contextual logic to identify and block suspicious or malicious apps. The solution monitors background behaviour and proactively prevents malicious apps from spying on banking, email, social and other critical apps. equipped with daily tracker and app definitions updates, the app ensures full protection from threatening behaviour from apps on the customer’s phone. as per a study by Zenith, India is poised to have the second highest number of smartphone users by 2018, in excess of 530 million users, resulting in a mobile first economy. The proliferation of apps and websites for our everyday needs also enables unknown third party vendors to track users and steal data weakening personal What’s Up privacy and security. Significantly, India has surpassed the uS, the second largest market in the world in terms of android app downloads, says a recent Mary Meeker report on Internet trends. according to the Indian Computer emergency response Team (CerT-In), at least one cybercrime was reported every 10 minutes in India in the first six months of 2017, calling for a concerted effort to treat cybercrimes. The recent Supreme Court verdict stating privacy as a fundamental right stands testimony to government’s efforts to address concerns around privacy and data protection. n fter its launch in the uS, Pittsburgh-based redmorph forayed into the Indian market recently with ‘The ultimate Privacy and Trai okays mobile services during air travel T for passengers during air travel in the country through both satellite and terrestrial network. “The authority recommends that both, Internet and Mobile Communication on aircraft (MCa) service should be permitted as In-flight Connectivity (IfC) in the Indian airspace,” Trai said in its recommendations on ‘In-flight Connectivity’ (IfC). The Department of Telecom had sought views of the Trai on august 10, last year over proposal to introduce voice, data and video services over Indian airspace for domestic, international and overflying flights in Indian air space. Trai said that for mobile services, there should be flexibility to IfC service providers in terms of use of technology and frequencies inside the aircraft cabin that should be consistent with international standards, provided no harmful interference is caused. The telecom regulator said that Internet services through Wi-fi onboard should be made available when electronic devices are permitted to be used only in-flight or airplane mode and announcement regarding this should be made after boarding is completed and the aircraft is about to taxi. The regulator recommended creation of an IfC Service Provider for IfC services at annual licence fee of re 1 only initially, after entering into an arrangement with telecom licence holder having appropriate authorisation. It said that the IfC service provider should be permitted to use either INSaT systems (Indian Satellite System or foreign satellite capacity leased through Department of Space) or foreign satellites outside INSaT systems in the Indian airspace. Trai added that routing of traffic through satellite gateway in India should be imposed regardless of whether the satellite in question is an Indian satellite system or not. n he Telecom regulatory authority of India (Trai) recently recommended allowing mobile telephony and Internet services team@mymobile.co.in www.mymobileindia.com february 2018 | 25

  20. justin First Look u variant of the OnePlus 5T is now official in India. The special edition smartphone, painted in red, comes with 8Gb of raM and 128Gb of internal storage Talking about the technical specifications, the OnePlus 5T comes with a 6.01-inch full HD+ full Optic aMOLeD display with an aspect ratio rated at 18:9. It is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. The camera department houses a dual rear camera setup, rated at 16-megapixel and 20- megapixel. However, the secondary camera at the back comes with changed aperture rated at f/1.7 as compared to the OnePlus 5, with the absence of a telephoto lens. The front-facing shooter is rated at 16-megapixel with improvements for low-light photography, using Intelligent Pixel Technology. The limited edition smartphone is powered by a 3300mah battery with the company’s Dash Charge tech for fast charging. The smartphone runs OnePlus’ OxygenOS based on android 7.1.1 Nougat. additionally, the OnePlus 5T comes with a fingerprint scanner now at the back, and also supports facial recognition. additionally, the OnePlus 5T comes in existing Midnight black and Star Wars edition variants. The Lava red OnePlus 5T is now up for grab at amazon India at the price of rs 37,999. n OnePlus 5T Lava Red nveiled recently in China, the new Lava red colour MYMOBILE 26 | february 2018

  21. justin First Look Samsung Galaxy On7 Prime f smartphone is the new Samsung Mall feature which allows the users to shop by simply capturing a product’s image. The users, after capturing the image can search for the product across various online portals using visual search and can purchase the product using universal Cart feature. Talking about the technical specifications, the Galaxy On7 Prime comes with a 5.5-inch full HD display and is powered by an octa-core exynos 7870 processor ticking at 1.6GHz. The smartphone comes in two raM/rOM options- 3Gb of raM/32Gb of rOM and 4Gb of raM/64Gb of rOM, both the options being ollowing a series of teasers, Samsung has finally made the Galaxy On7 Prime official in India. The main highlight of the expandable up to 256Gb with the use of a microSD card. On the camera front, there is a 13-megapixel primary shooter with LeD flash and autofocus and the front-facing snapper too stands at 13-megapixel for selfies and video calling. Moreover, the Galaxy On7 Prime supports Samsung Pay feature for making payments, which now is integrated with uPI. additionally, the device houses a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button and comes in black and gold colour options. The Samsung Galaxy On7 Prime comes with a price tag of rs 12,990 (3Gb raM/32Gb rOM) and rs 14,990 (4Gb raM/64Gb rOM) and is available via amazon India and Samsung Shop. n www.mymobileindia.com february 2018 | 27

  22. justin First Look Energizer Power Max P600S e Max P600S. The main highlight of the smartphone is the 4500mah battery it is backed by, with a standby time of up to 16 days and usage time of up to 12 hours. The battery also supports fast charging. In terms of the spec sheet, the Power Max P600S comes with a 5.99-inch full HD display with an aspect ratio rated at 18:9, making it a member of the bezel-less clan. The smartphone is powered by octa-core MediaTek Helio P25 chipset clocked at 2.45GHz. xclusively known for producing batteries, energizer has officially launched a new smartphone, dubbed the Power The smartphone comes in two variants: one with 3Gb of raM, 32Gb of internal storage, painted in black colour and the model with 6Gb of raM, 64Gb of rOM, in blue colour. In the camera department, the Power Max P600S houses a dual- camera module by Samsung, rated at 13-megapixel and 5-megapixel, while the front-facing snapper stands at 8-megapixel. With a carbon fiber-looking rear side, the smartphone runs android 7.1 Nougat. The Power Max P600S is also accompanied by uSb Type-C port and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. n MYMOBILE 28 | february 2018

  23. justin First Look Samsung Galaxy Tab A 7.0 S Speaking of the technical specs, the Galaxy Tab a 7.0 comes with a 7-inch HD display and is powered by quad-core processor ticking at 1.5GHz. The tablet comes equipped with 1.5Gb of raM and 8Gb of inbuilt storage which can be further expanded up to 200Gb with the use of a microSD card. In the camera department, there is a 5-megapixel primary shooter with autofocus, while the front-facing snapper is rated at 2-megapixel for selfies and video calling. The Galaxy Tab a 7.0 sources power from a 4000mah battery with up to nine hours of video playback. furthermore, the tablet supports Kids Mode which provides the kids with content specified for them and the Parental Control mode which lets the parents take control of their kids’ usage, with features such as setting usage time limits and restricting app access. The Samsung Galaxy Tab a 7.0 comes in white and black colour options. On purchase of the Galaxy Tab a 7.0, reliance Jio users, after a recharge of rs 299, will get a cashback of rs 2,000 in his or her JioMoney after 24 continuous recharges of the rs amsung has launched a new tablet in its Galaxy Tab a series, dubbed the Galaxy Tab a 7.0 in India. 299 plan, with rs 800 to be credited after 12 months and rs 1,200 to be credited after 24 months. The new tablet comes with a price tag of rs 9,500 and is available exclusively via amazon India. n www.mymobileindia.com february 2018 | 29

  24. justin First Look Gionee S10 Lite C The smartphone is a toned down variant of the Gionee S10. In terms of the technical specifications, the Gionee S10 Lite comes with a 5.2-inch HD display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 427 processor clocked at 1.4GHz. The smartphone comes equipped with 4Gb of raM and 32Gb of internal storage which can be further expanded up to 128Gb with the use of a memory card. On the camera front, the device features a 13-megapixel rear shooter with LeD flash and autofocus, with the front-facing snapper (which is the highlight of the smartphone) rated at 16- megapixel for selfies and video calling. The smartphone sources hinese handset maker Gionee has launched a new smartphone in the mid-segment, dubbed the Gionee S10 Lite in India. power from a 3100mah battery and runs the company’s amigo 4.0 OS based on android 7.0 Nougat. The Gionee S10 Lite comes with several connectivity options such as 4G VoLTe, bluetooth v4.0, Wi-fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS, a-GPS, micro uSb, fM radio, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The smartphone is also accompanied by a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button. additionally, customers will get additional 5Gb data on the reliance Jio rs 309 pack or more, and Paytm coupons worth rs 250 and rs 350, for purchases worth rs 350 or more via Paytm Mall. The Gionee S10 Lite is up for grabs for rs 15,999, via offline as well as online stores in the country.n MYMOBILE 30 | february 2018

  25. justin First Look Karbonn Titanium Frames S7 H dubbed the Karbonn Titanium frames S7 in India. The main highlight of the smartphone is the camera department which houses rear and front cameras, both rated at 13-megapixel, featuring LeD flash. The smartphone comes with airtel cashback services for which the users are required to pay rs 6,999 and make 36 continuous recharges of rs 199, following which the customers will get a cashback of rs 500 after 18 months and another cashback of rs 1,500 after 18 months, totaling to a cashback of rs 2,000. additionally, the users using Mobikwik will get flat rs 2,100 SuperCash on a purchase of the smartphone. The IndusInd bank and Standard Chartered bank cardholders will get a discount of 10 per cent of the purchase using debit or credit cards. In terms of technical specs, the Karbonn Titanium frames S7 comes with a 5.5-inch full HD IPS display with a layer of 2.5D curved glass and is powered by a quad-core processor clocked at 1.45GHz. The smartphone has 3Gb of raM and 32Gb of internal storage, expandable up to 128Gb via a memory card. The device is backed by a 3000mah battery and runs android 7.0 Nougat. The 4G dual-SIM Titanium frames S7 comes with connectivity options such as 4G VoLTe, Wi-fi, bluetooth, GPS and OTG support. furthermore, the Titanium frames S7 is accompanied by a rear- mounted fingerprint sensor and a virtual assistant, dubbed Niki.aI for making payments, recharges and much more. The smartphone comes with a price tag of rs 6,999 exclusively via ShopClues. The Karbonn Titanium frames S7 is available in black, Champagne, and red colour options. n omegrown Karbonn Mobiles has launched a new budget smartphone, www.mymobileindia.com february 2018 | 31

  26. justin First Look Honor 9 Lite a at an event in India. The main highlight of the Honor 9 Lite is the camera department which contains four cameras; two at the back rated at 13-megapixel and 2-megapixel and another pair at the front, also standing at 13-megapixel and 2-megapixel. another highlighting is the 5.65-inch full HD+ IPS fullView display with an aspect ratio rated at 18:9, making way for minimal bezels. The smartphone is powered by the company’s 64-bit fter several rumours and leaks, Huawei’s sub-brand Honor recently launched the Honor 9 Lite smartphone octa-core Kirin 659 processor along with Mali T830-MP2 GPu. The device comes in two raM /rOM configurations- 3Gb raM/32Gb rOM and 4Gb raM/64Gb rOM, both the options expandable up to 128Gb via a memory card. The Honor 9 Lite is backed by a 3000mah battery and runs android 8.0 Oreo with Huawei’s eMuI 8.0 on top. The glass-bodied smartphone houses dual SIM card slots and is topped with connectivity options such as 4G VoLTe, Wi-fi 802.11 b/g/n, bluetooth, GPS, a-GPS, 3.5mm audio jack, Micro-uSb, and OTG support. additionally, the smartphone is accompanied by a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The Honor 9 Lite comes with a price tag of rs 10,999 (3Gb raM/32Gb rOM) and rs 14,999 (4Gb raM/64Gb rOM) and is available exclusively via flipkart, in Sapphire blue, Glacier Grey and Midnight black colour options. furthermore, the Honor 9 Lite comes with a free back cover and the Citibank credit and debit cardholders can avail a 10 per cent discount on purchase. n MYMOBILE 32 | february 2018

  27. justin First Look OPPO A83 e dubbed the Oppo a83 in India. The major highlights of the smartphone are the 5.7-inch HD+ LCD display featuring minimal bezels with an aspect ratio standing at 18:9 and facial recognition. The smartphone also comes with aI beauty recognition technology that enhances the picture quality and makes them look real. The smartphone is equipped with 3Gb of raM and 32Gb of internal storage which comes with the ability to be expanded up to 256Gb with the use of a microSD card. The Oppo a83 gets its fuel from a 3180mah battery and runs the company’s ColorOS 3.2 based on android 7.1.1 Nougat. In terms of the optics, the smartphone comes with a 13-megapixel primary snapper with LeD flash, while the one situated at the front is rated at 8-megapixel. The smartphone houses dual SIM card slots and is topped with several connectivity options such as 4G VoLTe, Wi-fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, bluetooth v4.2, GPS, GLONaSS, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Priced at rs 13,999, the Oppo a83 comes in black and Gold colour variants, and is available via amazon India and flipkart. n xpanding its a series, Oppo has come up with its new mid-segment smartphone, www.mymobileindia.com february 2018 | 33

  28. justin First Look Tecno Camon I T India. ranssion Holdings-owned Tecno Mobile has come up with a new budget smartphone, dubbed the Tecno Camon I in the company’s HiOS based on android 7.0 Nougat. The smartphone houses dual SIM card slots and is stacked with connectivity options such as 4G LTe, Wi-fi 802.11 b/g/n, bluetooth, 3.5mm audio jack, GPS, OTG, and micro uSb port. The Camon I is also accompanied by a fingerprint scanner situated at the back. The Tecno Camon I comes with a price tag of rs 8,999 and will be available in Champagne Gold, Midnight black and City blue colour variants via offline stores in the country. n The major highlight of the smartphone is the fullView display rated at 5.65-inch and is HD+ IPS in nature. The display comes with an aspect ratio rated at 18:9 with thin bezels. Talking about other specs, the Tecno Camon I is powered by a 64-bit quad-core processor, coupled with 3Gb of raM. The smartphone comes equipped with 32Gb of internal storage which comes with the option to expand up to 128Gb via a microSD card. In terms of optics, there is a 13-megapixel rear snapper with 5p lens, Quad LeD flash. The one at the front is also rated at 13-megapixel featuring front flash and screen flash. The Camon I gets its fuel from a 3050mah battery and runs MYMOBILE 34 | february 2018

  29. justin International Alcatel 3C P known as the alcatel 3C in Italy. The uSP of the device is the massive 6-inch HD+ IPS display with an aspect ratio standing at 18:9, coming with minimal bezels. The smartphone supports a screen resolution rated at 1,440 x 720 pixels. The alcatel 3C is powered by a quad-core MediaTek MT8321 processor clocked at 1.3GHz and comes with 1Gb of raM. The device is equipped with 8Gb of inbuilt storage which can be further expanded with the help of a memory card. rior to announcing new smartphones at MWC 2018 in february, alcatel has unveiled a new budget smartphone, On the camera front, the smartphone consists of an 8-megapixel rear snapper while on the front there is a 5-megapixel shooter for selfies and video calling. The alcatel 3C sources its power from a 3000mah battery and runs android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box. The device supports dual-SIM card slots and is accompanied by a fingerprint sensor present at the back. The smartphone comes in Metallic black, Metallic blue, and Metallic Gold colour options. The alcatel 3C comes with a price tag of euros 129.99 (around rs 10,120). There is no word on its availability in India yet. n www.mymobileindia.com february 2018 | 35

  30. justin International HTC U11 EYEs f The HTC u11 eyes comes with a 6-inch full HD+ display with an aspect ratio rated at 18:9, featuring minimal bezels. ollowing several leaks and speculations, HTC has finally announced the u11 eyes smartphone in China and Taiwan. 2Tb with the use of a microSD card. The smartphone is backed by a 3930mah battery with Quick Charge 3.0 tech and power saving mode. The device runs android 8.0 Oreo out-of-the-box with HTC Sense on top. The smartphone is topped with various connectivity options such as Wi-fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, bluetooth v4.2, uSb Type-C, GPS, a-GPS, GLONaSS, and NfC. additionally, the HTC u11 eyes is accompanied by a fingerprint scanner at the back, facial recognition, HTC usonic active noise reduction headphones, HTC edge Sense technology and IP67 certification. The device comes in Metallic blue, black and red colour options. The HTC u11 eyes comes with a price tag of CNy 3,299 (around rs 32,660). n another highlight is the camera department, which consists of a dual-camera setup at the front, each camera sensor rated at 5-megapixel. The front cameras support HDr, bokeh mode for both videos and images, and various beauty modes. The primary shooter stands at 12-megapixel and features OIS, PDaf, ultraPixel 3 technology, fast HDr, eIS and dual-tone LeD flash. The HTC u11 eyes is powered by octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor clocked at 1.8GHz, coupled with 4Gb of raM and 64Gb of internal storage which is expandable up to MYMOBILE 36 | february 2018

  31. justin International LG V30 Raspberry Rose L The new raspberry rose colour of the LG V30, in addition to the existing aurora black, Cloud Silver, Moroccan blue and Lavender Violet colour options, will be up for grabs post CeS in europe and asia. In terms of the specs, the raspberry rose V30 shares the same specs as the original V30. The smartphone sports a 6-inch QHD OLeD fullVision display with a pixel density of 538ppi and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. The smartphone is equipped with 4Gb of raM and 64Gb of internal storage which can be further expanded up to 2Tb via a memory card. The device sources power from a 3300mah battery with Quick Charge 3.0 tech and runs android 7.1.2 Nougat. apart from the bezel-less display, the camera department is G recently unveiled a new colour variant of the V30 smartphone, paying heed to all the romantics on Valentine’s Day. another highlight of the smartphone. It houses a dual camera setup at the back, which includes a 16-megapixel camera sensor with f/1.6 aperture and another one rated at 13-megapixel with f/1.9 aperture. upfront, there is a 5-megapixel shooter with 90- degree wide-angle lens. It comes with Cine effect and Point Zoom camera features. additionally, the LG V30 comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, facial recognition, uX 6.0+, 32-bit Hi-fi Quad DaC audio by bang & Olufsen, and IP68 certification. n www.mymobileindia.com february 2018 | 37

  32. justin International Honor 7X Red H special edition smartphone will be up for grabs on Valentine’s Day in countries such as the united States, russia, India and Western europe (united Kingdom, france, Germany, Italy, and Spain). The new colour variant of the Honor 7X has just 20,000 units manufactured, and the first 100 customers will get red co-branded Honor-Monster aM15 headphones as a special gift. In terms of the specs, the new variant shares the same specs as the original Honor 7X. The Honor 7X sports a 5.93-inch full HD+ bezel-less display with an aspect ratio rated at 18:9. It is uawei’s sub-brand Honor recently unveiled a new limited edition red colour variant of the Honor 7X in the uS. The powered by the company’s Kirin 659 processor, coupled with 4Gb of raM. The smartphone comes in three internal storage options- 32Gb, 64Gb and 128Gb, all the three options coming with the expandability option of up to 256Gb via a memory card. In the camera department, there are two camera sensors at the back, rated at 16-megapixel and 2-megapixel each, while the one at the front is an 8-megapixel one. The device is backed by a 3340mah battery with SuperCharge fast charging technology and runs android 7.1.1 Nougat with the company’s eMuI 5.1 on top. The Honor 7X also comes in existing aurora blue, Midnight black, and Platinum Gold colour options. n MYMOBILE 38 | february 2018

  33. justin International Nokia 6 (2018) H launched in China. The main highlight of the smartphone is the incorporation of Nokia’s proprietary bothie feature which allows users to use the primary and the secondary cameras at the same time. The primary shooter is rated at 16-megapixel featuring dual-tone LeD flash and Phase Detection autofocus (PDaf), while the secondary snapper stands at 8-megapixel with 84-degree wide-angle lens. In terms of the spec sheet, the Nokia 6 (2018) comes with a 5.5-inch display with a screen resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels and a layer of 2.5D curved glass. The smartphone is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm MD Global-owned Nokia’s budget smartphone Nokia 6 has got a successor, known as the Nokia 6 (2018), officially Snapdragon 630 processor clocked at 2.2GHz, coupled with 4Gb of raM. The device comes with two internal storage options- 32Gb and 64Gb, both being expandable up to 256Gb via a memory card. The Nokia 6 (2018) gets its fuel from a 3000mah battery (same as the one found in Nokia 6 2017) and runs android 7.1.1 Nougat, upgradable to android 8.0 Oreo. However, in the 2018 model of the Nokia 6, the fingerprint scanner is placed at the back instead of the home button, and the presence of on-screen buttons in place of the capacitive touch buttons. The device comes in black and Silver colour options. The Nokia 6 (2018) comes with a price tag of CNy 1,499 or rs 14,650 (32Gb) and CNy 1,699 or rs 16,600 (64Gb). n www.mymobileindia.com february 2018 | 39

  34. justin International LG Tribute Dynasty S the specifications, the LG Tribute Dynasty features a 5-inch HD IPS TfT display and is powered by octa-core MediaTek MT6750 processor ticking at 1.5GHz. The device has 2Gb of raM and 16Gb of internal storage which can be further expanded up to 32Gb with the use of a memory card. On the camera front, there is an 8-megapixel primary shooter with LeD flash and autofocus, with the front-facing camera rated at 5-megapixel featuring screen flash. outh Korean brand LG has launched a new smartphone, dubbed the LG Tribute Dynasty in the uS. Taking a look at The Tribute Dynasty gets its fuel from a 2500mah Lithium- ion battery with up to 15 hours of talk time and runs android 7.1.2 Nougat operating system. The device comes with several connectivity options such as 4G LTe, Wi-fi 802.11 b/g/n, bluetooth v4.2, GPS, a-GPS, and micro-uSb. The LG Tribute Dynasty is also accompanied by a fingerprint scanner at the back. The LG Tribute Dynasty comes in a single Champagne colour. There is no word on its availability in India. The LG Tribute Dynasty is available via boost Mobile for $60, while it is priced at $100 via Sprint. n MYMOBILE 40 | february 2018

  35. justin International Lenovo K320t L the smartphone are the bezel-less display and the dual rear cameras. The Lenovo K320t is the first Lenovo smartphone to come with an aspect ratio rated at 18:9, with HD+ display spanning 5.7-inch. The display is covered with a layer of 2.5D curved glass. In the camera department (which is another highlight of the smartphone), there are two cameras at the back, rated at 8-megapixel and 2-megapixel each with fixed focus, while the front-facing shooter is rated at 8-megapixel for selfies and video calling. enovo has introduced a new budget smartphone in its K series, dubbed the K320t in China. The main highlights of In terms of other specs, the smartphone is powered by quad- core Spreadtrum processor clocked at 1.3GHz. The device comes equipped with 2Gb of raM and 16Gb of inbuilt storage which can be further expanded up to 128Gb with the use of a microSD card. The Lenovo K320t sources its power from a 3000mah battery and runs android 7.1.2 Nougat. The smartphone houses dual SIM card slots and is topped with several connectivity options such as 4G, Wi-fi, bluetooth, GPS, a-GPS, micro-uSb, fM radio, and 3.5mm audio jack. Moreover, it is accompanied by a fingerprint sensor at the back. The Lenovo K320t comes with a price tag of CNy 999 (around rs 9,770). n team@mymobile.co.in www.mymobileindia.com february 2018 | 41

  36. lead story Limelight ai 10 Ways HoW Will Make sMartpHones sMarter! Gartner predicts 80 percent of smartphones shipped will have ‘On-Device AI Capabilities’ by 2022 MYMOBILE 44 | january 2018

  37. lead story Limelight A smartphone is all set to become smarter - rather intelligent and would have a mind of its own – very soon. and endorsing this view is Gartner which has forecasted that by 2022, 80 percent of smartphones shipped will have on-device aI capabilities, up from 10 percent in 2017. On-device aI is currently limited to premium devices and provides better data protection and power management than full cloud-based aI, since data is processed and stored locally. new chapter in smartphone evolution is on the horizon. The fusion of aI with smartphone has gathered pace and your “Smartphones will be an extension of the user, capable of recognizing them and predicting their next move. They will understand who you are, what you want, when you want it, how you want it done and execute tasks upon your authority” smartphones to learn, plan and solve problems for users. This isn’t just about making the smartphone smarter, but augmenting people by reducing their cognitive load. However, aI capabilities on smartphones are still in very early stages.” “Over the next two years, most use cases will still exploit a single aI capability and technology,” points out roberta Cozza, research Director at Gartner. “Going forward, smartphones will combine two or more aI capabilities and technologies to provide more advanced user experiences.” The respected research body also points out that artificial intelligence (aI) features will become a critical product differentiator for smartphone vendors that will help them to acquire new customers while retaining current users. “as the smartphone market shifts from selling technology products to delivering compelling and personalized experiences, aI solutions running on the smartphone will become an essential part of vendor roadmaps over the next two years.” “With smartphones increasingly becoming a commodity device, vendors are looking for ways to differentiate their products,” says C K Lu, research Director at Gartner. “future aI capabilities will allow “Future AI capabilities will allow smartphones to learn, plan and solve problems for users. This isn’t just about making the smartphone smarter, but augmenting people by reducing their cognitive load” So here are 10 ways AI will empower smartphones according to Gartner: 1: “Digital Me” Sitting on the Device Smartphones will be an extension of the user, capable of recognizing them and predicting their next move. They will understand who you are, what you want, when you want it, how you want it done and execute tasks upon your authority. “your smartphone will track you throughout the day to learn, plan and solve problems for you,” says angie Wang, Principle research analyst at Gartner. “It will – C K Lu, research Director at Gartner www.mymobileindia.com february 2018 | 43

  38. lead story Limelight leverage its sensors, cameras and data to accomplish these tasks automatically. for example, in the connected home, it could order a vacuum bot to clean when the house is empty, or turn a rice cooker on 20 minutes before you arrive.” included an arKit feature that provides new tools to developers to make adding ar to apps easier. Similarly, Google announced its arCore ar developer tool for android and plans to enable ar on about 100 million android devices by the end of next year. Google expects almost every new android phone will be ar-ready out of the box next year. One example of how ar can be used is in apps that help to collect user data and detect illnesses such as skin cancer or pancreatic cancer. assistants and other aI-based technology for conversational systems is driving the need to add emotional intelligence for better context and an enhanced service experience. Car manufacturers, for example, can use a smartphone’s front camera to understand a driver’s physical condition or gauge fatigue levels to increase safety. 2: User Authentication Password-based, simple authentication is becoming too complex and less effective, resulting in weak security, poor user experience, and a high cost of ownership. Security technology combined with machine learning, biometrics and user behavior will improve usability and self-service capabilities. for example, smartphones can capture and learn a user’s behavior, such as patterns when they walk, swipe, apply pressure to the phone, scroll and type, without the need for passwords or active authentications. 4: Natural-Language Understanding Continuous training and deep learning on smartphones will improve the accuracy of speech recognition, while better understanding the user’s specific intentions. for instance, when a user says “the weather is cold,” depending on the context, his or her real intention could be “please order a jacket online” or “please turn up the heat.” as an example, natural-language understanding could be used as a near real-time voice translator on smartphones when traveling abroad. 6: Device Management Machine learning will improve device performance and standby time. for example, with many sensors, smartphones can better understand and learn user’s behavior, such as when to use which app. The smartphone will be able to keep frequently used apps running in the background for quick re-launch, or to shut down unused apps to save memory and battery. 3: Emotion Recognition emotion sensing systems and affective computing allow smartphones to detect, analyze, process and respond to people’s emotional states and moods. The proliferation of virtual personal 5: Augmented Reality (AR) and AI Vision With the release of iOS 11, apple 7: Personal Profiling Smartphones are able to collect data for MYMOBILE

  39. lead story Limelight behavioral and personal profiling. users can receive protection and assistance dynamically, depending on the activity that is being carried out and the environments they are in (e.g., home, vehicle, office, or leisure activities). Service providers such as insurance companies can now focus on users, rather than the assets. for example, they will be able to adjust the car insurance any content that violates any laws or policies. for example, taking photos in high security facilities or storing highly classified data on company-paid smartphones will notify IT. rate based on driving behavior. 8: Content Censorship/ Detection restricted content can be automatically detected. Objectionable images, videos or text can be flagged and various notification alarms can be enabled. Computer recognition software can detect 9: Personal Photographing Personal photographing includes smartphones that are able to automatically produce beautified photos based on a user’s individual aesthetic preferences. for example, there are different aesthetic preferences between the east and West — most Chinese people prefer a pale complexion, whereas consumers in the West tend to prefer tan skin tones. 10: Audio Analytic The smartphone’s microphone is able to continuously listen to real-world sounds. aI capability on device is able to tell those sounds, and instruct users or trigger events. for example, a smartphone hears a user snoring, then triggers the user’s wristband to encourage a change in sleeping positions. n team@mymobile.co.in “Smartphones will be an extension of the user, capable of recognizing them and predicting their next move. They will understand who you are, what you want, when you want it, how you want it done and execute tasks upon your authority. Your smartphone will track you throughout the day to learn, plan and solve problems for you” www.mymobileindia.com february 2018 | 45

  40. Chief speak “We are partnering with leading mobile brands to enable better access to the latest mobile technologies to consumers across the globe” Exclusive Shanghai headquartered Spreadtrum Communications is now a leading supplier of mobile chips in the Indian market and has witnessed impressive growth in terms of volume and reputation here in the last couple of years. Leading the charge from the front in India has been Neeraj Sharma,Country Head (India), Spreadtrum Communications who has scripted impressive success for the company in a highly competitive market. Under him, Spreadtrum has gone beyond as a supplier of chipsets to becoming a facilitator and collaborator of OEMs in designing and developing new gen mobile handsets. In an interaction with Shelley Vishwajeet, Mr Sharma dwells deep into Spreadtrum’s offerings, strategy and future road map. How would you rate and analyze the overall performance of Spreadtrum in the Indian market? Could you talk about some important developments/ achievements in the last few months? 2017 has been an incredible year for Spreadtrum. The year started on a high note with the launch of our dual camera chipsets, SC9853 and SC9850 which are game changers in dual selfie camera domain. Various mobile phones brands are launching affordable dual camera phones based on these chipsets and are taking high-end technology to mainstream. The advent of 4G brought a paradigm shift in 2017 in the telecom domain. We would like to proudly call ourselves as the 4G enabler for Indian mobile brands and consumers. Spreadtrum launched several 4G-enabled chipsets in India at extremely competitive prices to achieve this aim and are driving the adoption of 4G-led services in the country. The launch of reliance Jio Phone, the 4G feature phone powered by Spreadtrum SoC marked as an important development in MYMOBILE 46 | february 2018

  41. Chief speak the year gone by. another milestone worth mentioning is Micormax bharat 2. The smartphone based on Spreadtrum chipset, SC9832 successfully sold more than half a million units in just 50 days of its launch. Samsung J2 and J3 series, based on Spreadtrum chipsets were named as among the top 5 smartphones in 2017. Exclusive “In addition to mobile chipsets, we also have SoC’s catering to IoT, digital payments, security, automotive, wearables, etc. Our aim is to facilitate the creation of a more interconnected world by promoting the ease of communication” Spreadtrum’s global footage and reputation as a competent chip-maker has been growing but it remains largely preferred for feature phones. Against this backdrop what are your plans to capture more of smartphone market? Spreadtrum already has a diverse product catalogue which not only caters to entry- level smartphones and feature phones, but also provides turnkey solutions to high-end devices and has cutting-edge technological capabilities extending to quad-core smartphones. The recently launched LeaGOO T5c based on Spreadtrum SC9853I is targeted to gen next smartphone audience and comes with a strong core and enhanced camera processing capabilities. Lenovo K320t with Spreadtrum SC9850 is one of the most affordable dual camera smartphone and is integrated with interesting features like fingerprint scanner, light sensor and proximity sensor. To diversify our product portfolio further, we are integrating advanced features like eMbMS, VoWifi, Carrier aggregation and Dual Camera in our chipsets. We are additionally partnering with leading mobile brands to enable better access to the latest mobile technologies to consumers across the globe. We have also set up one of a kind hardware lab and are providing end-to-end support from creating a reference design to development, to testing, and debugging – to our partners and thus helping them with a faster go-to-market time. chipsets have received an incredible response from brands across the globe. built on Intel’s 14nm foundry platform, Spreadtrum SC9853I is targeting the global mid and high-level smartphone market. It features 1.8GHz Octa-core 64-bit Intel airmont architecture based processor, which enables SC9853I to offer a high- performance mobile computing ability coupled with ultra-low power. LeaGOO T5c is the first phone to be launched globally based on SC9853I. Designed for overall entry and mid-level markets globally, SC9850 - the powerful Quad-core arM Cortex-a7 application processor is being used by a lot of global brands who intend to offer superior quality as low price point. Intex newly launched phone, elyt Dual, the most affordable dual camera smartphone is based on SC98530 and comes with a lot of promising features. also we would be seeing a number of brands launching their phone models based on SC9850 and SC9853I in Q2 and Q3 of 2018. world’s first Shared Wi-fi Translator in collaboration with baidu. Spreadtrum also has its technology in a lot of innovative products, including 360 rider GPS Locator, automatic Vending Machine, In Vehicle Infotainment, a.I. Children Smart Watch, bike Sharing Platform, to name a few. Do you also collaborate or assist a mobile manufacturer in helping them overall design better offerings? Or you only confine yourself to only providing chip solutions? at Spreadtrum, we provide turnkey solutions which means collaborating with mobile brands at every step and not only just only providing chip solutions. for the same reason, we have set up a one-of-its-kind hardware lab with an OTa chamber at Spreadtrum’s research & Development Center in Noida. This is the very first in India and offers turnkey solutions to Indian mobile brands to help them design, develop, test and debug with a reduced time to market.In fact, we have been working with lot of mobile brands, including Samsung on various r&D and manufacturing projects, providing end-to- end solutions. n Apart from providing chipsets for mobile, are there other devices you are looking at to open up new sales avenues? Mobile chipsets have always been Spreadtrum’s forte. In addition to mobile chipsets, we also have SoC’s catering to IoT, digital payments, security, automotive, wearables, etc. Our aim is to facilitate the creation of a more interconnected world by promoting the ease of communication. In fact, we have recently launched the How has been the response to Spreadtrum’s much talked about SC98530 and SC9853i chipset? both SC98530 and SC9853I shelley@mymobile.co.in www.mymobileindia.com february 2018 | 47

  42. face to face Exclusive “We will continue to challenge limits with faster chips” Xiaomi, the top smartphone seller in the online space, has emerged as the hot favourite smartphone brand among the buyers across the country, which reflects in its market share of almost 24 percent during July-September quarter last year. The wide range of smartphones it has, starting from Rs 4,999 to Rs 35,999, Xiaomi has innovations for everyone. Jai Mani,Lead Product Manager at Xiaomi India, shared his expertise with Haider Ali Khan on how things have shaped for Xiaomi in India and what he expects of 2018 when the company is planning an IPO. Xiaomi has been rated as the top mobile shipper in the country last year. What are the key aspects of the Xiaomi smartphones which make them a suitable choice for the buyers in the country? At Xiaomi, our core belief is innovation for everyone. With this in mind, we create premium smartphones and sell them near cost. This means Mi fans get the best value for their money and our smartphones, like the Redmi Note 4 or Redmi 5A, stand out in their price range. At the same time we also love exploring new possibilities with smartphones, like the Mi MIX, our first full screen display smartphone, or the Mi Max 2 which is a sequel to our first large- screen smartphone which has no competition in its price range. Our products are also very proudly made in India, and have India-specific features such as the IRCTC SMS view, OTP Copy, and more. We believe the amalgamation of our commitment to India, innovative 48 | febRuARy 2018

  43. face to face Exclusive “Our products are very proudly ‘Made in India’, and have India-specific features such as the IRCTC SMS view, OTP Copy, and more. We believe the amalgamation of our commitment to India, innovative products, our efficient team and the love of our Mi Fans is what helped Xiaomi build a strong equity within India” products, our efficient team and the love of our Mi fans is what helped Xiaomi build a strong equity within India. phones. It’s no wonder so many of our users go for this price range, it’s simply because we have an incredible product at that price. Of course, we cater to different sections of the population, and have phones ranging from INR 4,999(Redmi 5A) to INR 35,999 (Mi MIX 2). the Mi A1 with Android One. We are always open to trying new things but have nothing to announce right now. Recently, Google announced Android Go for the budget category devices. Will that help you to penetrate even deeper into the rural markets of India? Mi A1 was our first Android One device, which got an encouraging response. Android Go is a great initiative by Google, and hopefully a lot of people who’ve never been able to take advantage of technology will come on board. We don’t have any Android Go plans to announce at the moment. The strength of Xiaomi lies within the sub-10K segment. Is it the segment which contributes the maximum into the overall sales and shipment of the Xiaomi smartphones? At Xiaomi our core focus lies in providing innovative technology to the masses, and we believe that even in the sub- 10K category, there’s a lot of potential to provide an amazing experience. Just look at the Redmi Note 4. At Rs 9,999, you get features usually only seen in Rs 20,000 How has been the response to your Android One smartphone Mi A1? Do you also plan to bring out few more devices in the same lineage? We’ve been overjoyed by the enthusiastic response we’ve gotten to the Mi A1. Xiaomi believes in giving our users choice, which is what led to the creation of Online has been a major source of traction for Xiaomi smartphones last year. Would it be the same in 2018? How has the Mi Stores helped you to get more eyeballs? Xiaomi is the number 1 smartphone player in the online market with 50.8% market share as per IDC Q3 2017 reports. Xiaomi started building its offline business in January 2017 and as of today, offline contributes to more than 20% of our overall sales. We have a three pronged approach to our offline presence febRuARy 2018 | 49

  44. face to face Exclusive “At Xiaomi our core focus lies in providing innovative technology to the masses, and we believe that even in the sub-10K category, there’s a lot of potential to provide an amazing experience” What would be the dominating trends in 2018 in smartphone market? Could we expect some interesting and industry first technologies from Xiaomi? for 2018, we are excited to enable more users to get their first smartphone and get on the internet. At the same time we are also committed to our innovation for everyone motto, and create more ecosystem products outside of just smartphones. It was evident when we launched Mi MIX that Xiaomi is doing a lot of things that others haven’t, whether it’s the use of materials like ceramic, or pushing boundaries in reducing bezel size and changing conventions like screen aspect ratio. We will continue to challenge limits with faster chips, including a new flagship this year that features Snapdragon 845. Our continuing research into AI will also be a big thing for us this year. n which is based on an Internet+ New Retail model. The three spokes are Mi Preferred Partner shops, Large format retail partners and Mi Home stores. Mi Home stores are Xiaomi’s exclusive offline retail stores that allow Mi fans to experience and purchase Xiaomi’s latest products under one roof. These stores represent Xiaomi’s “Internet+” and “new retail” approach — combining the internet efficiency of e-commerce with the service and user experience of offline retail. Mi Home stores will allow Xiaomi in India to extend the success of its online Mi.com store to offline retail. We have more than 1500 Mi PP stores across 15+ cities and 17 Mi Home stores and hope to reach 100 stores by May 2019. What are the key specifications in a smartphone on which you are focusing to ease the pain points of the buyers? We are always listening for feedback from our Mi fans. Thanks to this feedback, we’ve focused on releasing devices with great battery life, solid build quality, as well as great performance in the price range. exciting things coming up this year! How big is the network of service centres you have in the country? We have more than 750 authorized service centres in India spread across more than 350 cities. More than 100 of these service centres are exclusive to Xiaomi. We have a repair rate of 95% for one day repairs and 86% repair rate for 4 hour repairs across all our service centres. As per IMRb, we are the best in class in terms of service delivery. The competition in the market is huge. Do you go by it or the consumers? Would you also like to partner service providers to sell bundled smartphones? We are driven by our Mi fans, who constantly give us feedback and help us make better decisions. Do we expect some more flagships from Xiaomi in 2018 like Mi MIX 2? We are very proud of how we pushed boundaries to create the Mi MIX 2, our second full screen display smartphone. Safe to say, we have haider@mymobile.co.in MYMOBILE 50 | febRuARy 2018

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