by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Marketing Basics, Markets, Medium Enterprise, Technology
Moto X4
By Sourabh Kulesh,
New Delhi : Aligning with its India strategy to tap the consumer mindset rather than focusing on market share, Lenovo-owned Motorola has just launched mid-price segment device Moto X4.
The Rs 22,999 (4GB RAM+64GB storage) Moto X4 claims to deliver best-in-class experience when compared with other devices like Vivo V7+ and OPPO F3 Plus in the same price range.
Will Moto X4 rule the mid-range smartphones? Let’s find out.
The basic design is similar to Moto G5 Plus, with a 5.2-inch Full-HD display, thick bezels on the top and bottom on front and a dual-camera set-up at the back — all housed in a unibody metal and glass body.
The device has a regular oval fingerprint sensor below the display that doubles up as navigation keys.
The primary dual-camera (12MP+8MP) is neatly placed in a ring at the back with a dual-tone LED flash. The 12MP sensor has dual-autofocus pixel sensor (f2.0, 1.4um) while 8MP camera has ultra-wide angle with 120-degrees field of view sensor (f2.2, 1.12um).
Photos in the daylight conditions were rich in colours. In low-light conditions, we got the desired pictures by manually clicking with the “professional mode” feature.
The camera has other features like “ultra-wide angle shot” and “depth detection effects”.
The 16MP front shooter is complemented by a selfie flash which gives an option to click clearer images even in low-light conditions. You can also capture group photos with the selfie panorama feature.
On the hardware front, Moto X4 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor and has 64GB on-board storage that can be expanded up to 2TB.
The IP68-rated (water resistant) device functioned smoothly with multiple apps running in the background. We did not experience any lags or heating issues while using the device for regular functions.
The device runs Android 7.1 Nougat OS that offers near stock Android experience — one of the best points of the Moto brand.
Moto X4 also has several gesture modes like the chop gesture that turns on the flashlight.
The navigation keys can be removed from the display and you can navigate by swiping left on the fingerprint scanner to go to the previous screen and swipe right for “recent” tabs, thus giving more screen space to the users.
Moto X4 has 3,000mAh battery that lasted for more than a day on a single charge for normal use. The usage included multimedia consumption for nearly 10 hours with the handset being always connected to Internet.
It has got fast-charging technology that charges the device in less than an hour.
What doesn’t work?
The camera bump is a put off which makes the phone wobbly. The glass finish will have fingerprint smudges and so you will need a back cover.
Hard-core gaming (Asphalt Xtreme) did not deliver a smooth experience. It stuttered and heated during the test.
Conclusion: Moto X4 has looks, hardware and software that make it a good choice for millennials who are looking for a power-packed mid-segment device. Motorola also has a 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM variant for Rs 20,999 which can also be looked at.
(Sourabh Kulesh can be contacted at sourabh.k@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Emerging Businesses, Marketing Basics, Markets, Technology
By Krishna SinhaChaudhury,
New Delhi : Chinese handset maker Xiaomi has flooded the Indian smartphone market with devices at overlapping prices but compelling features. Its latest offering, the Redmi 5A, has the price tag and specifications of an entry-level Android smartphone.
Having shipped 9.2 million smartphones in the third quarter of 2017, the company now shares the top spot with South Korean giant Samsung, with a market share of 23.5 per cent, according to the International Data Corporation’s (IDC) latest Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, Q3 2017.
Marketed as “Desh ka smartphone”, Redmi 5A is essentially a successor to the Rs 5,999 Redmi 4A which was launched in April this year.
According to the company, the big highlight of the device is an “eight-day battery life” (stand-by time).
The device is available at Rs 5,999 for the 2GB RAM and 16GB onboard storage variant, while the 3GB RAM and 32GB internal variant is priced at Rs 6,999.
The company, however, has announced a discount of Rs 1,000 on the first five million units of the 2GB RAM variant, effectively bringing down the price to Rs 4,999. This also makes it the cheapest offering from the Chinese handset maker in the country.
Let’s find out how the phone fares in everyday use.
Redmi 5A looks like an average entry-level phone with a plastic body but the rear has a glossy, metallic finish.
The device is impressively lightweight and offers an ergonomic grip. At 8.35-mm thickness this one is not the slimmest one out there, but it fits perfectly in the palm.
The power and volume buttons are housed on the right while the left side has two trays — one for a single nano SIM card and another for a secondary SIM card and a dedicated MicroSD card to expand storage up to 128GB.
The 13MP rear camera with f/2.2 aperture and single LED flash took average photographs under well-lit conditions. The autofocus of the primary camera was quite snappy.
In our opinion, the macro-shots fared better than those clicked from a distance.
The five-inch display has vibrant colours despite being a strictly budget phone.
Its competitor Micromax “Bharat 5” comes with a slightly bigger 5.2-inch display but a lower-resolution 5MP primary shooter for Rs 5,555.
The 5MP selfie camera of Redmi 5A is capable of taking average photos. It comes equipped with several built-in filters that should make the selfie-focussed generation happy.
An interesting and useful addition to the phone is an Infrared (IR) emitter on the top that comes handy while controlling household appliances.
A quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset fuels the device which gets the job done with ease without compromising on performance. We did not notice any significant lag in the device’s performance or heating issues while running several apps and browsing videos on the Internet.
What does not work?
The front shooter comes equipped with beautification by default that makes faces look very artificial. The “Pro mode” and “Smart mode”, when turned off, reveal the weakness of the snapper.
We also think the camera app interface could have been better.
The capacitive navigation buttons below the screen are not backlit.
Conclusion: The budget device has a few misses when it comes to camera performance but we should not forget that it is an entry-level phone that tries to balance out the features with the low price point. We would recommend the Redmi 5A to those looking to upgrade from a feature phone to an Android smartphone on a tight budget.
(Krishna SinhaChaudhury can be contacted at krishna.s@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Business, Large Enterprise, Markets, Technology
San Francisco : Phablets (smartphones with screen size of 5.5-7 inches) will far outpace total market growth by climbing from 611 million units in 2017 to one billion units in 2021, representing a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.1 per cent.
In comparison, the total smartphone market is expected to grow at three per cent CAGR during the same period, while normal smartphones (under 5.5 inches) will decline 7.4 per cent, the International Data Corporation (IDC) said on Thursday.
The smartphone shipments will grow from 1.5 billion units in 2017 to 1.7 billion units in 2021 globally.
In 2012, phablets were just one per cent of smartphone shipments and now they are approaching 50 per cent of the market.
“The rapid transition to bezel-less smartphones will help minimise the device footprint while growing the screen size from previous generations,” said Ryan Reith, Programme Vice President with IDC’s “Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Device Trackers”.
Android-based phablets have been the primary driver of large-screen smartphones and IDC expects this trend to continue in the years to come.
Samsung’s early dominance of the phablet category has been short-lived as other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) – many of which are Chinese OEMs – quickly pushed the category into the mainstream and even low end.
As a result, China consumed 50 per cent of the 437.4 million phablets shipped in 2016.
IDC expects China will remain the largest market for large-screen smartphones and to grow at a CAGR of 12.6 per cent.
“There is no doubt that 2017 gave birth to the new ultra high-end segment of the smartphone market,” said Anthony Scarsella, IDC Research Manager.
“The latest flagship devices from Samsung, Apple, Google, LG, and others has pushed the high end to the $850-plus level for the first time.”
Android-powered smartphones have already captured 85 per cent of total market volume and IDC expects this share to remain relatively stable.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Investing, Large Enterprise, Markets, Technology
San Francisco/New Delhi : Betting big on artificial intelligence (AI), software and hardware, Google has launched Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones and a refreshed Daydream View Virtual Reality (VR) headset that will be available in India in November.
Pixel 2 is priced at Rs 61,000 for the 64GB variant and Rs 70,000 for the 128GB variant. Pixel 2 XL (64GB) will cost Rs 73,000 and Pixel 2 XL (128GB) will be available for Rs 82,000.
The pre-orders commence from October 26. The devices will be available in over 1,000 stores across the country and on Flipkart, starting November 1 (Pixel 2) and November 15 (Pixel 2 XL).
“Computing will now be conversational, ambient and contextual. It’s a unique moment in time, when Google can bring AI, software and hardware together. The rate at which we are seeing progress in AI is amazing,” Indian-born CEO Sundar Pichai told the gathering at the San Francisco event.
Pixel 2 comes with a 5-inch and Pixel 2 XL with a 6-inch Full-HD OLED displays with Portrait Modes on both rear and selfie cameras.
Rated 98 by independent camera testers DXO, the rear camera comes with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) and Electronic Video Stabilisation (EVS) technology to remove shaky photos and videos.
The camera can also click “Live Photos” by recording up to three seconds of footage.
It also has AR Stickers and Pixel users would get free unlimited storage on Google Cloud to store photos and videos in the original quality. The devices have IP67 rating making them water and dust resistant.
Both phones come with “squeeze” interaction technology called “Active Edge” that opens Google Assistant, USB-C charger and front facing stereo speakers. The company claims it has the fastest fingerprint scanner in a smartphone.
The devices have Google Lens — a new set of visual features that help you learn more about the world around you and get things done.
Currently, in its early stages, Google Lens builds on Google’s advancements in computer vision and machine learning, combined with Google knowledge graph which underpins Google Search.
At the start users can look up landmarks, books, music albums, movies, and artwork, right from Google Photos on your Pixel.
Both phones have Snapdragon 835 processors and 4GB RAM. Though there is some bad news as the headphone jack is gone.
The phone will support an “Always On Display” this year, to show the notifications and time.
Google also announced a refreshed Daydream View VR headset which can be paired with Pixel 2 or any Daydream-ready phone. It sports a premium fabric that makes the headset soft and light and will be available in Charcoal colour for Rs 7,999 on Flipkart.
The company also launched smaller smart speaker “Home Mini”, a larger version called “Home Max”, high-performance convertible Chromebook called PixelBook and “Google Clips” action camera.
Google Home Mini is priced at $49. Reimagining the sound, it also launched Google Home Max, with 2-inch tweeters and 4.5-inch woofers for amazing audio with ‘SmartSound’ powered by Google Assistant that automatically tunes sound.
It supports Chromecast, AUX and Bluetooth 5.0 and will be available in December for $399.
The PixelBook is 10mm thin and weighs a kilo. It has 12.3-inch Quad HD LCD display, 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM and i5 and i7 processors.
The device has multiple layers of security, automatic updates and it is the first laptop with Assistant built-in.
The Pixelbook Pen, priced at $99 can help users get information of whatever they have on the screen. Write and draw with Pixelbook Pen that has 10ms of latency and 2,000+ levels of pressure sensitivity.
Google also launched a small, wearable camera called “Clips” for $249. The device is packed with AI to make some cool images.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Markets, Networking, Technology
By Faisal Kawoosa,
The era of 5G of mobile networks will not simply be about more throughput and speeds. These are obvious outcomes. The real power of 5G will be in unleashing connectivity among the unconnected — and “unconnected” will not primarily mean people. 5G will not be providing solutions to reach out to the lowest strata of society that remains to be “connected”. So, do not expect 5G to help widen the user base.
The essence of 5G is about creating a mesh between humans and things. While it will continue to enhance the communication experiences of humans with humans, the main focus of the technology will be on creating channels of communication for things-to-things and humans-to-things. This is why Internet of Things (IoT) is the centrepiece of the 5G era.
There is already a lot of literature from technology creators like Qualcomm, Ericsson and others on the characteristics of 5G as well as IoT. And India too will follow the global trend where the initial 5G technology implementation will mean integrating and connecting objects with humans.
Smartphones will undeniably retain their relevance in the 5G era. They will remain the default interface between humans and the connected environment around. However, what will excite the entire value chain, in terms of displaying of technology innovations, business opportunities and creating value out of the communications infrastructure, will predominantly be other connected and smart devices and gadgets.
This will trigger an upgrade in terms of specifications of smartphones so that users actually use the technology embedded in the infrastructure and other bits. What will excite everyone down the value chain will be the integration of technology and intelligence running over it through artificial intelligence (AI) and other such interventions.
This will mean greater excitement around the launch and display of what is referred to as “ConnectedX” (a bouquet of devices that would get connected in due course of time).
In the Indian context, smartphones have been exciting the market for around a decade now. However, in the coming decade, smartphones alone will not steal the limelight. There will be more connected devices and gadgets — including some that we have not even visualised yet — and all of them will be propelled by the underlying 5G power.
This means that companies showcasing solutions around IoT based on 4G connectivity will actually have to speed up to launch their 5G-based solutions in the next couple of years.
We saw the smartphone trend eventually leading to 4G and becoming the default cellular connectivity in just a span of three years; it is highly likely that “IoTification” will predominantly happen through 5G, and 4G connectivity may remain relevant for just a couple of years in that era.
While the media and other channels of promotion in future will not see the same interest in the launch of smartphones, the ecosystem in India — especially home-grown handset makers — have to align their strategic roadmap to remain in the business for the next decade.
The R&D capabilities of these brands in smartphones were limited and restricted. However, it is time for them to prepare for the long-haul and get set for the coming 5G opportunity.
(Faisal Kawoosa is the General Manager-Research & Consulting with CyberMedia Research [CMR]. His core areas of research include Telecommunications and ESDM. The views expressed here are personal. He can be contacted at releases@cmrindia.com)
—IANS
