OnePlus 5T will launch globally on November 16 and will be available to early birds on November 21 in India, North America, and Europe. The open sale for the smartphone will start on November 28 and hit shelves in China on December 1. The company will be streaming the event live from New York City on YouTube and will also be showing it at PVR theaters in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune, with tickets costing Rs. 99. The OnePlus 5T will be priced below CNY 4,000 (about Rs. 39,000 or $600), the company’s CEO, Pete Lau, had previously revealed. The highlight would be the 6-inch screen with a bezel-less design and an 18:9 aspect ratio.
Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 goes on first regular sale in India Xiaomi today held the first regular sale of the Mi MIX 2 flagship-class smartphone in India, more than two weeks after it became available through a preview sale in the country. The first general sale of the big-screen smartphone took place through Mi.com and Flipkart, and more units are likely to be available compared to the two preview sales. The Mi MIX 2, priced in India for Rs. 35,999, features a 5.99-inch full-HD+ display with a bezel-less design, octa-core Snapdragon 835 chipset, 6 GB RAM, Android Nougat-based custom UI, 12-megapixel rear camera, 128 GB of internal storage and a 3400 mAh battery.
Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 review
Airtel data rollover facility extended to broadband users Airtel broadband users can now use the remaining data from one billing cycle in the following months. This is part of the company’s data rollover facility and allows broadband users to collect up to 1,000 GB of data. However, not all plans will come with this feature, and even the selected programs will vary from circle to circle; users can check the my airtel app to see if their subscription is eligible. In addition, they will lose the collected data if they switch from the current plan to a cheaper one.
Vodafone has also announced new benefits for its postpaid users who subscribe to the new RED Traveler, RED International, and RED Signature plans. Benefits include a data rollover facility, free national roaming, Nextflix access for up to 12 months, handset theft and damage protection, and access to the Magzter magazine app. However, these plans will not be available in circles like Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh.
Apple makes 64 percent gross margin from iPhone XTeardown firm TechInsights says the iPhone X costs $357.50 (about Rs. 23,200), with the gross margin on the $999 (about Rs. 64,800) handset being 64 percent. This is even higher than the 59 percent gross margin that the company enjoys on the iPhone 8. Of course, there are several costs associated with manufacturing costs before the final price is determined, such as marketing and logistics costs – not to mention research and development costs that go into developing a product – so the actual iPhone X profit margin would likely be lower for Apple.
iPhone X beats Samsung Galaxy Note 8 in imaging benchmark iPhone X topped Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Note 8, as well as its sibling iPhone 8 Plus, in DxOMark rankings but was unable to remove Google Pixel 2 from the pole position. It received the highest rank for still photos with a score of 101 but a relatively low 89 in videos, finishing with a cumulative score of 97. This score gave the iPhone X joint second place in the DxOMark ranking, next to Huawei Mate. 10 Pro but behind the Pixel 2.
Speaking of Pixel 2, the handset and its sibling Pixel 2 XL, received the monthly Android security update. It introduced a new saturated color mode for the phones that sets the color saturation by default, along with some changes to the user interface designed to extend the life of the OLED panel. However, the blue tint issue persists on the second-generation Pixel handsets as there is no software fix. On the other hand, DisplayMate ranked the iPhone X’s screen as the “most color-accurate screen” it has tested.
Moto X4 will be a Flipkart exclusive in India. The upcoming Moto X4 will be available exclusively through Flipkart in the country after it launches on November 13. The phone with both Alexa and Google Assistant already has a dedicated page on the e-commerce website, and we can expect some Moto X4 launch offers as the reveal date gets closer. The Android Nougat handset has a 5.2-inch full-HD display, 2.2GHz octa-core Snapdragon 630 chipset, 3GB of RAM, dual rear cameras (12 megapixels + 8 megapixel), and a battery of 3000mAh.
Oppo F3 Plus is getting a limited run of Rs. 6,000 price cut, ‘Honor Gala’ begins Oppo F3 Plus is available at a discount of Rs. 6,000 for just one day, bringing the price of Rs. 30,990 to Rs. 24,990. Interested buyers can log in to Flipkart to take advantage of the offer on the selfie phone. This is the third temporary price cut for the Oppo smartphone, after April and June this year. Oppo F3 Plus has a dual camera setup (16MP + 8MP) on the front, a 6-inch full-HD display, Android Marshmallow OS, 1.95GHz octa-core Snapdragon 653 chipset, 4GB RAM, 16-megapixel front camera, and 4000mAh battery.
There are also discounts on Honor smartphones as parent company Huawei has launched the Honor Gala on Amazon and Flipkart and will continue to do so until November 11. The Honor 8 Pro will be available for Rs. 26,999, a Rs. 3,000 off the device’s launch price during this sale. Likewise, both Honor 6X variants will be discounted from Rs. 2,000; this will bring the cost of the 3GB + 32GB variant down to Rs. 9,999, and that from the 4GB + 64GB model to Rs. 11,999. Buyers of these phones will get Rs. 500 discount on Honor Power Banks. Offline buyers get a triple zero EMI office with no deposit, along with zero percent and zero processing fees for the Honor 8 Lite and Holly 4 Plus.
Paytm App Gets BHIM-UPI IntegrationPaytm users can now make payments through BHIM-UPI on the popular payment app, the company has announced. The feature comes first in the Android app, and then rolls out to iOS users. This integration allows users to create a virtual payment address (VPA), link their bank account to it, and conduct BHIM-UPI transactions wherever they are accepted. The Paytm app gets the OHIM button next to the options to add money, passbook, etc.
Idea launches unlimited calling plan, offers 60GB of free data with select Sony phones. The idea has launched a Rs. 179 program with unlimited local and STD calls over all networks and a validity of 28 days. The company is targeting 600 million users who only call and use no data with this subscription. Nevertheless, Idea still provides 1 GB of data with this plan and 1 GB of free data for top-ups purchased online with this prepaid recharge package.
The telco announced a partnership with Sony today and will offer 60GB of free data to users who purchase the Xperia R1 and Xperia R1 Plus smartphones. The two phones go on sale on November 10. They will feature 5.2-inch HD displays, Android Nougat (promised upgrade to Android Oreo), octa-core Snapdragon SoC, a 13-megapixel rear camera, an 8-megapixel selfie shooter, and a 2620mAh battery. The Xperia R1 Plus has 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, costing Rs. 14,990, while Xperia R1 Plus costs 2 GB RAM, 16 GB storage, and Rs. 12,990. Buyers get 10 GB of extra data when charging Rs. 300 and above from the operator for six charges under this tie-up, totaling 60 GB of data.
Vivo Y79 with 18:9 display, 24-megapixel selfie camera launched Chinese brand Vivo has found in its home country the Y79 smartphone with a 5.99-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a 24-megapixel front camera and soft selfie light. Other key features of the Vivo Y79 include the octa-core Snapdragon 625 chipset, 4GB RAM, 16MP rear camera, Android 7.1 Nougat OS, and 3225mAh battery. The new Vivo smartphone will cost CNY 2,498 (approximately Rs. 24,500) and will ship on November 11, China’s Singles Day celebration. A downside for buyers, however, would be the rather low HD+ (720x1440px) resolution, given the mid-range price.
Disclosure: Paytm’s parent company, One97, is an investor in Gadgets 360.
