Monthly Archives: April 2018

Nokia 6 (2018), Nokia 7 plus, Nokia 8 Sirocco launched: Prices, specifications and sale date

Nokia 6 (2018), Nokia 7 Plus, and Nokia 8 Sirocco smartphones have been announced in India by HMD Global. All three phones were originally announced at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February. Nokia 6 (2018)’s price in India is Rs 16,999 and it will be available in offline and online store. Nokia 7 Plus will have a price tag of Rs 25,999. The most expensive phone on the list is the Nokia 8 Sirocco, which has a price tag of Rs 49,999.

The new smartphones are all Android One branded, which means they will be running a stock version of Google’s Android mobile OS and get regular security updates. Last month, HMD Global launched the Nokia 1 – the company’s most affordable smartphone to date. At Rs 5,499, Nokia 1 is one of the first entry-level smartphones in the market to ship with Android Go – a lightweight version of Android made for phones with low-end specs.

Also read: Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 6 (2018), Nokia 8 Sirocco Launch event highlights: Details of new Nokia phones 

Nokia 6 (2018): Price in India, Specifications and Features

The new Nokia 6, on the other hand, will cost Rs 16,999 in the market. The phone will go on sale from April 6 in both offline and online channels. Nokia 6 Android One edition is a revamped version of the original Nokia 6, which went on sale last year. The Nokia 6 (2018) is more durable, made from a block of 6000 series aluminum, a 5.5-inch FHD (1080p) display, and is powered by a Snapdragon 630 processor. It has Zeiss optics, though rear camera is still 16MP. It comes with USB Type-C fast charging support, and Android Oreo 8.1 out of the box. It comes in two variants 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM expandable to 128GB.

Nokia 7 Plus: Price in India, Specifications and Features

Nokia 7 Plus, priced at Rs 25,999, is being positioned as the “flagship for everyone”. The smartphone will be open for pre-booking on April 20 and go on sale on April 30. The Nokia 7 Plus will compete against other options in the market like the OnePlus 5T, Honor 8 Pro, etc.

Constructed with aluminum, there’s a 6-inch IPS Full HD+ display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. Inside, it has got a Snapdragon 660 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, Android Oreo, and a 3800mAh battery. During the event, the company spent a lot of time in highlighting the Nokia 7 Plus’ dual-cameras – a 12MP primary snapper and a secondary 13MP camera with 2x optical zoom.

Nokia 8 Sirocco: Price in India, Specifications and Features

The top-tier smartphone of the range, Nokia 8 Sirocco, will retail for Rs 49,999. The Nokia 8 Sirocco will be available for prebooking from April 20, while sales will begin from April 30. It will go on sale in both offline and online channels.

Read more: Nokia 7 plus has price in India of Rs 25,999: Detailed specifications, launch offers, etc

Nokia 8 Sirocco packs impressive specifications and features, including a stainless steel and glass body, edge-to-edge pOLED 2K 5.5-inch dual curved display, Nokia Spatial audio, Zeiss-branded dual camera lenses (13MP+12MP) with 2x optical zoom, Android Oreo, and a Snapdragon 835 processor. It also features wireless charging, 6GB RAM and 128GB onboard storage.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, Redmi Note 5 Pro, Vivo V9: Top affordable phones with top all-screen display

All screen displays are all the rage lately. What’s more, you don’t have to burn your pocket to get yourself a fancy new phone with a trendy new design that shaves the bezels and gives you visibly more real estate to work upon anymore. More and more companies are experimenting with the concept, and also bringing it to the affordable price segment. The list includes the likes of Xiaomi, Samsung and Huawei as also home-grown brands like Micromax and Lava.

There are so many options to consider, that when you’re out in the market to buy a new phone, things can get confusing. So, what do you do then? Well, you take hold of the list below and make your choice. Here are the top 5 phones with top all-screen display under Rs 30,000 that you can consider buying.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

The Redmi Note 5 brings bezel-less screens to the masses. This allows Xiaomi to increase the screen real estate without increasing the all-round footprint of the phone. The Redmi Note 5, to that effect, comes with a 5.99-inch ‘full-screen’ FHD+ display with a 2160x1080p resolution and 403ppi pixel density. Because Xiaomi has shaved off much of the bezels on the top and bottom and also on the sides, the Redmi Note 5 feels much smaller than regular 6-inch phones. Also, it supports an unusual aspect ratio of 18:9, as against the more traditional 16:9.

The quality of the panel is quite good, but, it’s not as good as the one on-board its more expensive sibling, the Redmi Note 5 Pro. Having said that, the panel is still good enough for its price segment, offering rich colours and more than adequate brightness levels. In fact, it’s a slight step-up, from the Redmi Note 4 and because it is also bezel-less, the Redmi Note 5 — in all its totality — offers a slightly better viewing experience than its predecessor. Viewing angles are quite good too, for its price.

Price: The Redmi Note 5 starts at Rs 9,999 for the base 3GB RAM and 32GB storage version while the top-end version with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage is available for buying for Rs 11,999.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

The Redmi Note 5 Pro (along with the Redmi Note 5) is Xiaomi’s first mainstream bezel-less phone in India. The company, to recall, also sells the Mi Mix 2 in the country, but that’s a more premium offering. The Redmi Note 5 Pro (along with the Redmi Note 5) brings bezel-less screens to the masses. The Redmi Note 5 Pro comes with a 5.99-inch ‘full-screen’ FHD+ display with a 2160x1080p resolution and 403ppi pixel density. And an unusual aspect ratio of 18:9.

The quality of the panel here is quite good, even slightly better than the Mi A1 and also the Redmi Note 5. It handles — and reproduces — colours well. In fact, colours on-board the Redmi Note 5 Pro — because of their slight affinity towards the warmer end of the spectrum — look more pleasing to the eyes, than counterparts, and also there’s an option to manually correct contrast and an in-built reading mode for comfortable night-time reading. Brightness levels are quite adequate too, but be warned, that Xiaomi’s aggressive power saving software algorithms tend to tone down the brightness levels — when set in auto — way below permissible limits at times. This means hampering screen legibility, even more so when you’re out in direct sunlight. You’ll be better off setting it to manual during such times.

Price: The Redmi Note 5 Pro starts at Rs 13,999 for the base 4GB RAM and 64GB storage version while the top-end version with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage is available for buying for Rs 16,999.

Vivo V9

The most striking aspect of the V9 is its all screen and no bezel design even though a major part of it seems inspired, or rather blatantly copied from Apple. The V9 looks remarkably like Apple’s iPhone X, especially from the front. Just like the iPhone X the V9 also comes with a near edge-to-edge screen with a notch up-top. The notch allows Vivo to offer a screen-to-body ratio of almost a 90 per cent even though the V9 has a slight chin at the bottom, something that the iPhone X is lacking.

The Vivo V9 has an unusually tall screen and an unusual aspect ratio of 19:9. Vivo calls it Full View 2.0. And, in case if you haven’t noticed, it has a notch. Vivo says its notch is smaller than the iPhone X’s, but then, the iPhone X needs a bigger notch to house some fancy hardware, so I guess everyone’s a winner here. On a serious note, Vivo’s argument behind the notch is that it allows the V9 to offer more real estate without compromising on the bare essentials. While phones like the Samsung Galaxy S9 have significantly more bezels — in comparison to the V9 — phones like the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 have to make do with a grossly frustrating bottom-seated selfie camera. The V9, according to Vivo, offers the best of both worlds.

In terms of core specifics, the Vivo V9 comes with a 6.3-inch IPS LCD display with a full-HD+ resolution (2280×1080 pixel). The screen’s fairly bright and colourful, and also it has some good viewing angles for the most part. But there’s a slight reddish tinge to it, that’s more accentuated when you’re dealing with a white background. Vivo isn’t offering any manual control over contrast and saturation so you’re basically stuck with what comes out-of-the-box. There is an eye protection mode available though, that helps minimise eye fatigue for comfortable night-time reading. All in all, the prospects of getting an iPhone X-like look and feel at dirt cheap price, trump most of its limitations making you appreciate the finer things that it has to offer.

Price: The Vivo V9 is available for buying for Rs 22,990 and gets you 4GB RAM and 64GB storage for that price.

Samsung Galaxy A8+

The main USP of the Galaxy A8+, according to Samsung, is its Infinity display. Much like its top-tier phone(s), Samsung’s new mid-tier phone has an unusual 18.5:9 aspect ratio instead of a more traditional 16:9. The idea is to offer more screen in a pint-sized phone and to make every inch of that screen count. The Galaxy A8+, because it’s a mid-tier phone, has a 1080p+ resolution still, Samsung is using its proprietary Super AMOLED panel, which metes out rich and vibrant colours — not as pixel-popping as its more expensive siblings but more toned down, neutral and pleasing to the eyes — and viewing angles are also quite good. Brightness levels are quite good too

The Galaxy A8+, although it doesn’t offer the flexibility to change screen resolution to conserve battery life like its high-profile siblings, it gives you as many as four screen modes to correct colour temperature, as well as a blue light filter for comfortable night-time reading. The Galaxy A8+ gets Samsung’s proprietary always-on display as well, so you can get customisable notifications directly on the screen — alongside a widget that shows date and time — without having you to power it up.

Price: Launched at Rs 32,990 the Samsung Galaxy A8+ can now be purchased for as low as Rs 28,990. This is for the 6GB RAM and 64GB storage version.

Huawei Honor View 10

The Honor V10’s 5.99-inch LCD panel has a resolution of 2160×1080 (Full-HD+) and an aspect ratio of 18:9. The Honor V10’s edge-to-edge display is excellent and is in fact one of the highlights of the smartphone. Viewing angles are quite good, colours appear bright and punchy, colour temperature is spot on and brightness levels are fairly adequate.

Price: The Honor V10 is available for buying for Rs 29,999 and this gets you 6GB RAM and 128GB storage.

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Xiaomi Mi A2 specs leak online, Android 8.1 Oreo, 18:9 display expected

Xiaomi could soon launch the Mi 6X – the successor to last year’s Mi 5X – since the phone was recently spotted on TENAA. While nothing is certain as yet, the Mi 6X will likely be called the Mi A2 internationally with India expected to be one of the markets. The listing on the Chinese certification site gave us some details on the specs as well as what the phone might look like. This past week, some more specs leaked online that told us what memory and software the phone will ship with.

According to a snapshot of the Mi 6X’s specs, the smartphone will sport a 5.99-inch FHD+ display (2160×1080) with an 18:9 aspect ratio. It will be powered by a 2.2GHz octa-core Snapdragon 626 chipset coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The listing also notes the battery capacity at 2,910mAh, keeping in line with past reports and once again suggesting that it will house a smaller battery compared to the Mi 5X/Mi A1. Additionally, the Mi 6X will ship with Android 8.1 Oreo-based EMUI out-of-the-box. As the Mi A2 Android One phone, we expect it to ship with Oreo minus Xiaomi’s custom skin on top.

 The leaked product listing also provides some info on the camera configurations. Notably, unlike the 12MP + 12MP dual camera setup on the Mi 5X, the Mi 6X will sport a 20-megapixel and an 8-megapixel combination with f/2.0 and f/1.8 apertures, respectively. The front camera, meanwhile, will have a whopping 20-megapixel sensor with f/2.0 aperture. This is a major bump compared to the Mi 5X which only saw a 5-megapixel selfie snapper. The dimensions provided keeps the Mi 6X at 7.3mm thick and 165mm tall, which slightly varies from last week’s TENAA listing which noted the dimensions as 158.88×75.54×7.3mm. Of course, there is no way to know the authenticity of the latest leak so you should take the specs with a handful of salt.The Mi 6X is expected to be exclusive to the China market, while internationally the phone will likely be called the Mi A2 going by last year’s trend. The Mi A2 version is also expected to be an Android One version which means stock Android software with a guarantee of timely updates for at least two years. The Mi 5X was launched in China in July last year priced at CNY 1,499 (roughly Rs. 14,200), but we expect the Mi 6X to launch earlier this time around. The Mi A1 was launched in September in India priced at Rs 14,999, which is what we expect the Mi A2 to be priced at as well. As of now, the Mi A1 can be purchased in the country for Rs 13,999 and the handset also received the Android Oreo update earlier this year.

Oppo F7 to Be Available in India Today via Offline Flash Sale: Launch Offers, Price, Specifications

OppoF7 will be available across 777 Oppo stores in the country today, April 2, in its first flash sale. Regular regular availability begins from April 9, via both offline and online stores. A special edition variant has also been launched, however, its availability has not yet been announced. The main highlights of the Oppo F7 are its 19:9 aspect bezel-less display that features an iPhone X-like notch to house the 25-megapixel front camera, apart from the fact it runs Android 8.1 Ore out–of-the-box. At its price range, the Oppo F7 will compete against the Vivo V9Moto X4, and Honor 8 Pro.

Oppo F7 price in India, launch offers

The Oppo F7 price in India has been set at Rs. 21,990, and the 4GB RAM and 64GB of inbuilt storage variant will be available during the April 2 flash sale, though as we mentioned, special edition variants in Diamond Black and Solar Red that feature 6GB of RAM and 128GB of inbuilt storage were also announced – these, are priced at Rs. 26,990. The special edition variants will only be available via select Oppo stores, and no availability for these has been announced. Regular availability of the 4GB Oppo F7 variant via online and offline stores will begin from April 9.

Launch offers for the Oppo F7 flash sale on Monday include 5 percent cashback on purchases through ICICI credit cards. Users will also get an additional 120GB 4G data from Jio and and up to Rs. 1,200 cashback in 12 months, apart from a one-time free screen replacement within one year from the company’s authorised service centres.

Oppo F7 specifications

The dual-SIM (Nano) Oppo F7 runs ColorOS 5.0, based on Android 8.1 Oreo. The smartphone bears a 6.23-inch full-HD+ (1080×2280 pixels) Full Screen 2.0 display with a 19:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by a 64-bit MediaTek Helio P60 octa-core SoC coupled with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM depending on the variant.

The Oppo F7 sports 16-megapixel rear camera with an f/1.8 aperture and AI scene recognition features, while it bears a 25-megapixel front camera (Sony IMX576 sensor) with an f/2.0 aperture and real-time HDR capabilities. The company is also touting the AI Beauty 2.0 app which scans 296 facial recognition points – a 20 percent improvement from the first-generation technology, the company says, allowing for more precise and accurate facial recognition capabilities. Oppo adds that the app can now detect a person’s age, gender, skin colour, and skin type differences for up to four individual subjects in much greater detail.

The smartphone comes with 64GB or 128GB of inbuilt storage depending on the variant, expandable via microSD card (up to 256GB) with its own dedicated card slot. Connectivity options on the Oppo F7 include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB OTG, and GPS/ A-GPS. Sensors on board include accelerometer, ambient light sensor, and proximity sensor. It bears a fingerprint sensor on the rear panel, and supports a ‘facial unlock’ feature.

The Oppo F7 is powered by 3400mAh battery rated to deliver up to 33.5 hours of music playback). It measures 156×75.3×7.8mm, and weighs 158 grams. An Indian theme has also been made available.