Tech talks#16 Oppo Reno 3 Pro, Apple 5G iPhone, Airtel, Vodafone

           Published on 16/2020

1.

Oppo Reno 3 Pro India Variant Spotted in a Retail Store With Key Specifications: Report

Oppo Reno 3 Pro will debut in India with a dual hole-punch selfie camera

Oppo Reno 3 Pro, the latest flagship smartphone of the Chinese company that is set to debut soon, has been spotted in a retail store in India, according to a media report. The new development comes just days after Oppo officially announced that the India version of the Reno 3 Pro in the works. The new model is expected to have some significant changes over the Oppo Reno 3 Pro that was launched in China late last year. One of the key differences is the presence of a dual hole-punch selfie camera that is unlike the single selfie camera available on the China model of the Reno 3 Pro.

The India version of the Oppo Reno 3 Pro has been spotted on display in a retail store in the country, reports 91Mobiles. An image has also been shared online to showcase the design of the new Oppo phone. The image features the smartphone along with a screen protector suggesting its key specifications. Also, it highlights the pill-shaped dual hole-punch selfie camera that we saw on the Reno 3 Pro earlier this week. The selfie camera setup is already confirmed to have a 44-megapixel primary sensor.

Oppo Reno 3 Pro specifications (expected)

If we believe what has been revealed through the leaked image, the Oppo Reno 3 Pro in India will have a quad rear camera setup with a 64-megapixel primary sensor and 20x zoom. The smartphone also appears to have 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage as well as 30W VOOC Flash Charge 4.0 fast charging technology.

Oppo Vice President and India R&D Head Tasleem Arif through a tweet recently revealed that the Reno 3 Pro in India will come with 4G specifications. This means that there would be a list of changes over the 5G-supported Reno 3 Pro that was launched in China in December. Amazon and Flipkart also have dedicated microsites to suggest online availability.of the new smartphone.

The Oppo Reno 3 Pro launch in India is set for March 2. In the meantime, we can safely expect some teasers and leaks suggesting what we would receive in the country early next month.

• KEY SPECS
• NEWS

Front Camera44-megapixel

Rear CameraYes

2.

Apple's 5G iPhone May Rely on a Custom Antenna: Report

Apple typically designs on several tracks, and it's concurrently working on an additional design

Seems like Qualcomm's antennas are too big for Apple and that's why the iPhone maker is designing the antenna module that will be used in its 5G iPhone models. According to a report in Fast Company, in a year where the 5G radio will be the new iPhone's spotlight feature, Apple has decided to design the phone's antenna itself.

Apple balked at the QTM 525 millimetre-wave antenna module offered to it by Qualcomm because it doesn't fit into the sleek industrial design Apple wants for the new phone, a source with knowledge of Apple's plans told Fast Company on Friday.

However, chipset making giant Qualcomm will still provide the 5G modem chip used in the new iPhones.

Apple typically designs on several tracks, and it's concurrently working on another design that uses both the Qualcomm modem and antenna.

It could default to this option later this year, our source said. But that would require Apple to settle for a slightly thicker iPhone than it wants. Qualcomm has said that its QTM 525 antenna module will "support 5G smartphone designs sleeker than 8 millimetres thick", the report added.

Apple is expected to launch as many as four new iPhone models spread across different display sizes in 2020. The recent report claimed that the iPhone 12 will come in three size versions, including 5.4-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch, but Apple will release two distinct 6.1-inch models, according to a source. The 6.7-inch model will have a thickness around 7.4mm, which would be nearly 10 percent thinner than the iPhone 11 Pro Max at 8.1mm.

Additionally, it also claims that the 6.7-inch model will be slightly taller than the iPhone 11 Pro Max and feature a triple-lens rear camera.

3.

Airtel to Pay Rs. 10,000 Crores as Part of AGR Dues by February 20

Bharti Airtel said self-assessment of 22 circles and licences is a complicated time consuming process

Bharti Airtel on Friday informed the Department of Telecom (DoT) that it is currently in the process of completing a self-assessment exercise as per the earlier DoT direction on AGR quantum to be paid to the government and would deposit Rs. 10,000 crores by February 20 as part of the payment. Airtel further said that self-assessment of 22 circles and licences is a complicated time consuming process.

"Nevertheless, in compliance with the judgement of the Supreme Court on Friday, we shall deposit a sum of Rs. 10,000 crore by February 20 on behalf of Bharti group of companies -- Bharti Airtel,B Hexacom, and Telenor India.

"We are confident that we will complete the self-assessment exercise shortly and make the balance payment before the next date of hearing fixed by the SC," Airtel said in a letter to DoT. The next hearing is on March 17.

The DoT on Friday directed all telcos licensees to make immediate payment in compliance with the Supreme Court order of October 24 last year.

As directed by the court, the DoT on Friday withdrew its earlier directions granting protection to telcos from coercive action against defaulting telcos after the Supreme Court on the same day took a strong view of non-compliance of its order on payment of statutory dues by telcos.

The DoT withdrew its order immediately after the Supreme Court directed the managing directors and directors of telcos and other firms to explain why contempt action be not taken against them for non-compliance of its order to pay adjusted gross revenue (AGR) of Rs. 1.47 lakh crores to the DoT.

As per the DoT calculation, Airtel has to pay Rs. 35,500 crores, Vodafone Idea Rs. 53,000 crores, and Tata Telesrvices a little over Rs. 12,500 crore as AGR dues.

But the telcos can do self-assessment and bring discrepancies to DoT's notice if they find anything for scrutiny as directed by DOT in its earlier communication to the telcos.

4.

Vodafone Idea Says It Will Pay AGR Dues, Continuation of Business Depends on Supreme Court Order

Ok

Vodafone Idea has already flagged concerns over the continuation of its business

Debt-ridden telecom operator Vodafone Idea on Saturday said it is assessing the amount that can be paid towards AGR dues, even as it flagged concerns over the continuation of its business. The company said it is in the process to pay adjusted gross revenue dues as per the Supreme Court order.

However, the continuation of business in India will depend on favourable order on its modification plea filed before the apex court, it added.

"The Company is currently assessing the amount that it will be able to pay to DoT towards the dues calculated based on AGR (Adjusted Gross Revenue), as interpreted by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in its order dated 24 October 2019. The Company proposes to pay the amount so assessed in the next few days," Vodafone Idea said in a BSE filing.

Vodafone Idea Ltd (VIL), whose liability is estimated to be around Rs. 53,038 crores, including Rs. 24,729 crores of spectrum dues and Rs. 28,309 crores in licence fee, has already warned of shutdown if no relief is given.

"As disclosed in the Company's financial statements for quarter ending December 31, 2019, the Company's ability to continue as a going concern is essentially dependent on a positive outcome of the application for modification of the Supplementary Order," the company said in the filing.

The next date of hearing is scheduled for March 17, 2020.

5.

Flipkart Mulling Tie-Up With Local Stores to Offer Customers 'Touch and Feel' Experience

Flipkart has already established a delivery model using local kirana stores

E-commerce major Flipkart is contemplating to go for partnership with local stores offering its customers a "touch and feel" experience, at least for some products, as online commerce continues to be minuscule in the overall Indian retail industry. The move comes close on the heels of Reliance planning grocery foray taking local kirana stores onboard. Walmart-owned Flipkart has already established a delivery model using local kirana stores and onboarded some 27,000 stores across 700 cities.

Now, Flipkart proposes to have authorised "buy zones" where a customer can walk in and check a product but he or she has to order it online, a company official said on Thursday.

"Our pilot project was successful in Hyderabad with mobiles where we partnered with local kirana stores for a touch and feel experience. But the order has to be taken online from a kiosk installed there," Flipkart chief corporate affairs officer Rajneesh Kumar said.

Now, the e-commerce major plans to expand this localised partnerships in other parts of the country, he said. Flipkart and Amazon now faces the heat of the Competition Commission of India's probe against them for alleged malpractices including deep discounting and tie-up with preferred sellers.

"Online market accounts for only 3 percent of the total retail market in the country," Kumar said.

In fashion, tie-ups with local tailors had offered huge benefit to e-commerce company in a sharp reduction in the number of returns.

In the mobile category, pure online brands had moved to offline brick and mortar stores to expand its base and protect their margins.

On Thursday, Flipkart organised a workshop for MSMEs in Kolkata, a part of a series of programmes to help the enterprises leverage e-commerce to grow their business.

Kumar said the move will help deepen base of products on the marketplace platform.

6.

iPhone XS, Samsung Galaxy A50, Pixel 3a, Asus 6Z, Others to Get Discounts During Flipkart Mobiles Bonanza Sale

Samsung Galaxy A50 will be available for purchase with a discounted price of Rs. 12,999

Samsung Galaxy A50, Honor 9X, iPhone XS, Realme XT, Google Pixel 3a, Oppo K1, and Asus Max M1 are set to receive discounts during the upcoming Mobiles Bonanza sale on Flipkart. The five-day sale that will go live starting Monday, February 17, will also bring prepaid discount offers on phones such as the Vivo Z1 Pro and Oppo Reno 10x Zoom. Similarly, there will be additional exchange discounts during the Flipkart sale on smartphones such as the Realme X2 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite, and Mi A3 among others.

Flipkart has created a dedicated microsite to highlight various deals and offers during the Mobile Bonanza sale that will run between February 17 and February 21. The microsite shows that the e-commerce portal will offer a 10 percent instant discount for customers using Axis Bank credit and debit cards.

Flipkart Mobiles Bonanza sale offers

In terms of offers, the Samsung Galaxy A50 that is currently available at Rs. 14,999 for the 4GB + 64GB configuration will be available at Rs. 12,999 during the Flipkart sale. The Samsung Galaxy S9 64GB storage option will also go on sale at Rs. 22,999. It is currently available on the e-commerce site at Rs. 26,999. Similarly, the Samsung Galaxy S9+ 64GB storage variant that is listed at Rs. 29,999 will be available with a discounted price tag of Rs. 27,999.

Apart from the Samsung phones, the Flipkart sale will bring discounts on some other popular models. It will bring the iPhone XS 64GB storage variant at Rs. 54,999. This shows a Rs. 5,000 discount from the current price of Rs. 59,999. The Honor 9X 128GB storage with 4GB RAM will go on sale at Rs. 12,999, down from 13,999. The Oppo K1 that is presently available at Rs. 13,990 will also be available at Rs. 9,990. Customers purchasing the Realme 5 and Realme 3 will also get a discount of Rs. 500. Additionally, the Realme XT will also be available with a starting price of Rs. 14,999, down from 15,999.

Further, the Google Pixel 3a 64GB storage variant will get a discounted price of Rs. 27,999. The handset is currently available at Rs. 30,999. The Asus 6Z will also be available at a starting price of Rs. 23,999, down from Rs. 27,999. Similarly, the Asus Max M1 will be available during the Flipkart sale at Rs. 4,999, showing a Rs. 1,000 discount from Rs. 5,999.

Customers purchasing the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite  duringthe Flipkart sale will get an additional Rs. 3,000 exchange discount. The Mi A3 will also get an additional Rs. 1,000 exchange discount. The Flipkart sale will also offer the Realme X2 Pro with an additional Rs. 2,000 exchange discount. Additionally, there will be a Rs. 10,000 prepaid discount on the Oppo Reno 10XZoom  andRs. 1,000 prepaid discount on the Vivo Z1 Pro.