State Bank of India integration goes live on Google Tez

February 27, 2018

Google today announced a deeper integration with State Bank of India (SBI) for its mobile payments app Tez. The integration will allow Tez users to now create an SBI UPI Id – @oksbi and get access to exclusive offers for SBI customers.

At a meeting held to announce this, State Bank of India, Chairman Rajnish Kumar, also spoke about the potential of the digital payments industry and outlined a strategic intent by both SBI and Google’s Tez to work towards a wider adoption of digital payments. The two will focus on building unique propositions for users and merchants including specially curated offers.

Rajnish Kumar, Chairman, SBI said “We are committed to creating an enabling environment to promote digital payments for more Indians. We already have a multitude of services including e-commerce and m-commerce, and this partnership with Google Tez will drive innovation and deliver exciting new opportunities for our 40 crores plus customer base. Our shared commitment to excellence in customer service and bringing simple and secure payments for all will boost adoption of UPI and is a significant step forward in the digitization of cash.”

Diana Layfield, Vice President, Head of Finance & Commerce Products, Next Billion Users, said, “We are very excited about the growth of Tez and our partnership with State Bank of India. We’re delighted to be working closely together to build unique propositions for users and create innovative solutions for merchants to go digital. We are still in very early stages of building a vibrant digital payments ecosystem – that brings together millions of smartphone users, small merchants, large businesses, and financial institutions. This is an important step forward in that journey.”

Tez, since its launch in September 2017, has processed over 250 million transactions and has over 13.5 million monthly active users, across India, from the major cities to Kashmir and Kanyakumari.

Tez is built on the Indian government-supported Unified Payments Interface (UPI), allowing users, free of charge, to make small or big payments straight from their bank accounts to the accounts of others from over 70 UPI enabled banks. The app was built for India, working on the vast majority of the country’s smartphones and available in English and seven Indian languages (Hindi, Bengali, Gujrati, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu).

BlackBerry Ghost the new bezel-less smartphone launching soon in India.

February 27, 2018

Now BlackBerry seems to target Indian markets with a new unannounced smartphone with BlackBerry Ghost.As per popular tipster, Evan Blass shared the renders of the device mentioning coming soon to India.

After Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, Vivo, and many other Chinese smartphone manufacturers launching their own version of the bezel-less smartphone we finally have a well-known business smartphone manufacturer BlackBerry entering the race with BlackBerry Ghost.The new Android smartphone from BlackBerry will be BlackBerry Ghost will sport a bezel-less display with thick top and bottom bezels as per the leaked renders.

We are still not sure about the device category whether it is a high-end or mid-range smartphone. The new BlackBerry Ghost is being manufactured by Optiemus Infracom which is one of three companies holding BlackBerry License.As Optiemus Infracom presence in India might make the device exclusive to India and might be landing soon.

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Live images of alleged Huawei P20 leaked online.

February 27, 2018

Huawei upcoming Huawei P20 series is all set to be unveiled on March 27. Earlier we have got few renders of the Huawei P20 Pro and Huawei P20 which had a bezel-less display on the front with iPhone X like notch above the display. We also spotted the device on TENAA which was having a completely new design without notch when compared with other leaks.

Now, we have new live images of the Huawei P20 leaked online. As per the images, we can see the device is now having a different design when compared with previous leaks.Now the device doesn’t come with the physical home button below the display which we saw on earlier leaks and is built out of metal and glass.

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On the back, we can see the Huawei P20 features triple cameras one with Dual camera setup with LED flash beside it and another camera next to it.We also have Leica branding on the top-left end corner of the device.The new leaks of the Huawei P20 are opposite to the previously spotted device on TENAA which had a Dual camera, fingerprint scanner button below the display.

Surprisingly, there is no fingerprint scanner on this device or might be coming with under display fingerprint scanner.We are still confused about the design of the new Huawei P20 as it keeps on changing every other day.

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Samsung Galaxy J6 spotted on GeekBench, coming soon.

February 27, 2018

Samsung is now working on the latest budget to a mid-range smartphone with Samsung Galaxy J6. Samsung is trying hard to gain back the lost market under budget to mid-range devices and planning to introduce some new devices soon.

Now we have spotted the new J-series smartphone with Samsung Galaxy J6 on Geekbench.As per the listing, the device is listed as Samsung SM-J600F. Earlier we also had spotted the Samsung Galaxy J4 on benchmarking site.As per GeekBench, the Samsung Galaxy J6 is powered by 1.6 GHz Octa-core Cortex A53 CPU which is the Exynos 7870 which is powering devices like the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017).

As per listing, it is coupled with 2GB RAM and probably come with FHD display.The device is running Android 8.0 out of the box.Apart from this, there are no more details leaked.

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#MWC: Lenovo Yoga 730, Yoga 530 and Lenovo Flex 14 launched, comes with Cortana and Alexa integration.

February 27, 2018

Lenovo updates its Yoga series with two new convertibles with Lenovo Yoga 730 and Lenovo Yoga 530. Lenovo also launched the new Lenovo Flex 14 laptop at MWC 2018.The new Lenovo Yoga 730 will come in two colours with Iron Grey and Platinum Silver and will go on sale from April 2018 at a starting price of $879.99 (Rs.57,000/-).The new Lenovo Flex 14 is priced at $600 (Rs.39,000/-) and will go on sale from April in the US.It will be available in two colours with Onyx Black and Mineral Grey.

Lenovo Yoga 730:

The new Lenovo Yoga 730 is the latest offering from Lenovo under 2 in 1 category. The new Lenovo Yoga 730 is built out of Aluminium and looks premium. The Lenovo Yoga 730 comes in two screen sizes with 13.3 inches and 15.6 inches.The 13.3 inches 2 in 1 weighs around 1.12 Kgs and is 14.1 mm thick whereas the 15.6 inches weighs around 1.89 Kgs and is 17.15 mm thick.

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Both the devices come with 4K and FHD Touchscreen display.The Lenovo Yoga 730 13.3 and 15.6 inches are powered by the latest 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor. The 13.3 inches comes with 4GB/8GB/16GB RAM and 128 GB/256 GB/512 GB PCIe SSD option whereas the 15.6 inches come with 8 GB DDR4 / 8 GB DDR4 + 8 GB DIMM and 256 GB/512 GB/1 TB PCIe SSD.

The 13.3 inches of Lenovo Yoga 730 comes with Intel Integrated GPU whereas the 15.6 inches comes with either Intel Integrated GPU or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 GPU.The connectivity option include Dual Band Wifi, 2 x Thunderbolt™ 3 USB Ty,1 x USB 3.0 and Audio Jack on 13.3 inches whereas the 15.6 version comes with 1 x Thunderbolt™ 3 USB Type-C, 2 x USB 3.0,1 x Full-size HDMI,1 x DC-In and Audio Jack.

The Lenovo Yoga 730 can last for 11.5 hours on 13 inches whereas 9 hours on 15 inches.It also supports Rapid charging feature which provides 2 hours battery life on 15 minutes charge.The Lenovo Yoga 730 are well integrated with Cortana and Amazon Alexa AI support with far-field microphones.It also comes with a fingerprint scanner and has support for Pen input.The device features CMOS Fixed-Focus camera on the front and comes with JBL powered speakers with Dolby Atmos support.

Lenovo Yoga 530:

The Lenovo Yoga 530 is 14 inches 2 in 1 convertible laptop launched today at MWC 2018. The new Lenovo Yoga 530 is made out of Aluminium similar to Lenovo Yoga 730 and weighs 1.6 Kgs.

The Lenovo Yoga 530 sports 14 inches touchscreen display and comes in FHD and HD resolution.The Lenovo Yoga 530 is powered by the latest 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and coupled with 4 GB/8 GB/16 GB DDR4 RAM and 128 GB/256 GB/512 GB PCIe SSD storage.

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The Lenovo Yoga 530 includes Intel Integrated GPU or NVIDIA GeForce MX130 GPU.The connectivity option includes Dual Band Wifi, 2x USB 3.0 port, 1x USB Type-C port, 4-in-1 card reader, HDMI Port and Audio Jack.

It also comes with a fingerprint scanner and has support for Pen input.The device features CMOS Fixed-Focus camera on the front and comes with Harman Speaker with Dolby Audio Premium support.The Lenovo Yoga 530 last for 10 hours on full charge.It also supports Rapid charging feature which provides 2 hours battery life on 15 minutes charge.

Lenovo Flex 14:

The Lenovo Flex 14 is the third convertible laptops from Lenovo launched at MWC 2018.The new Lenovo Flex 14 is made out of Aluminium similar to Lenovo Yoga 730 and weighs 1.6 Kgs.

The Lenovo Flex 14 sports 14 inches touchscreen display and comes in FHD and HD resolution.The Lenovo Flex 14 is powered by the latest 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and coupled with 4 GB/8 GB/16 GB DDR4 RAM and 128 GB/256 GB/512 GB PCIe SSD storage.

Lenovo Flex 14

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The Lenovo Flex 14 includes Intel Integrated GPU or NVIDIA GeForce MX130 GPU.The connectivity option includes Dual Band Wifi, 2x USB 3.0 port, 1x USB Type-C port, 4-in-1 card reader, HDMI Port and Audio Jack.

It also comes with a fingerprint scanner and has support for Pen input.The device features CMOS Fixed-Focus camera on the front and comes with Harman Speaker with Dolby Audio Premium support.The Lenovo Flex 14 last for 8 hours on full charge.It also supports Rapid charging feature which provides 2 hours battery life on 15 minutes charge.

Xiaomi Mi 7 delayed to June 2018, will be powered by SD845 SoC.

February 27, 2018

Xiaomi upcoming flagship the Mi 7 was earlier rumoured to be launching in March this year. With Xiaomi officially teasing the Mi Mix 2S is going to launch on March 27, so now rumours are popping out with the Mi 7 being delayed to June launch.

As per the popular tipster, Mocha RQ leaked the specs of the upcoming Mi 7 along with the launch details.As per Mocha RQ, the Mi 7 will be powered by SD845 SoC coupled with 6GB/8GB RAM similar to upcoming Mi Mix 2S. He further told that the Mi 7 will come with vertical camera design probably Dual cameras aligned vertically.

As per the leaks, the Mi 7 will sport 6 inches display with an aspect ratio of 18:9.It will not feature the under-display fingerprint scanner which we saw in Vivo X20 Plus UD.Apart from this, there are no more details being leaked.Earlier we had got few renders of the Mi 7 leaked online with some key specs of the device.

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Apple upcoming 6.5 inch OLED iPhone to sport resolution of 1,242×2,688

February 27, 2018

Earlier we had few rumours about Apple to launch three new iPhones in different screen sizes. Today we have a new report from Bloomberg which claims that the higher version or the 6.5 inches OLED iPhone will have a display resolution of 1,242×2,688.

As per the report, the upcoming iPhone will have a display size close to 6.5 inches and might be called the iPhone X Plus.It will have exactly the same design as the iPhone X with metal chassis and Glass back with a notch at the front.

As per the report, the Apple iPhone X Plus prototype model reveals that it is sporting higher resolution display with 1,242×2,688 which will make the device highest resolution display iPhone ever made.The device size will be equivalent to iPhone 8 Plus body.The device will have a Gold colour option now apart from Silver and Black.

There will be two iPhones powering the latest Apple A12 SoC as per the report.The larger iPhone X will also be the first Apple smartphone to feature Dual SIM capabilities.Apart from that, the LCD version of iPhone will also come with a bezel-less display with a notch similar to other two iPhone’s.It will also have support for FaceID and due to LCD display it will be the cheapest iPhone among the three iPhones and will not have 3D Touch support.

Source|Via

Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact Germany pricing details announced.

February 27, 2018

Sony just launched the new flagship Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact at MWC 2018 but didn’t reveal the price of the device.Now Sony has revealed the Germany pricing details for the recently unveiled Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact.

As per the Sony Germany Press Release website has mentioned the pricing details of the Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact. As per the blog, the Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact will be priced at €800 (Rs.64,000/-) and €600 (Rs.49,000/-) respectively.

As expected Sony has priced the device similar to previous flagship devices and we think t is bit overpriced for the Sony Xperia XZ2 as it still features just FHD+ display and not the QHD+ display on Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+.

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Unlocking 5G’s revenue potential: a roadmap for operators

February 26, 2018

The industries’ focus on 5G has shifted from viewing it as a disruptive technology to now embracing it as a central part of their strategy. In its latest 5G-IoT report, unveiled at Mobile World Congress today, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) lays out a roadmap for operators to unlock the revenue potential of 5G-enabled industry digitalization.

In ‘The guide to capturing the 5G industry digitalization business potential’ – a sequel to the ‘5G Business Potential’ report – Ericsson delves deeper into how operators can potentially grow revenues up to 36 percent by addressing 10 key sectors.

The previous 5G Business Potential report found that operators can add a revenue of USD 204 to 619 billion (12 to 36 percent) to their forecast service revenues of USD 1.7 trillion in 2026. They can do this by targeting the digital transformation of other industries, such as automotive and manufacturing, using 5G-IoT technology.

In its latest 5G-IoT report, Ericsson examined more than 400 industry digitalization use cases across 10 industries: energy & utilities; manufacturing; public safety; health care; public transport; media and entertainment; automotive; financial services; retail and agriculture. Of the 400 use cases, over 200 are where 5G is expected to play a vital role. These were grouped into clusters to boost revenue opportunities and overcome deployment challenges.

Through extensive operator engagements and a carefully chosen analytical framework, Ericsson created a comprehensive guide for operators to address a range of challenges. The report also highlights how use cases can be evolved to reach the full 5G-enabled industry digitalization business potential. Lastly, the report looks at various operator initiatives and shares some of the lessons learned so far.

Harnessing 5G-enabled revenue opportunities

Digitalization revenues for ICT players between 2016 and 2026 are set to grow by 13.6 percent annually, while current operator service revenue growth is forecast at 1.5 percent. As 5G becomes increasingly vital to industries, there is a rise in the opportunity for new 5G-enabled revenues for operators. Of the total 5G-enabled value in 2026, up to 47 percent is addressable by operators. Through the evolution of use cases and clusters, operators can already begin to maximize the possibilities of 5G-IoT and industry digitalization to capture their full business potential.

Ericsson has identified nine clusters covering almost 90 percent of the addressable 5G business potential opportunity. Real-time automation is the largest cluster, with a revenue potential of USD 101 billion by 2026. Enhanced video services are a close second, with revenue potential of USD 96 billion by the same year.

Thomas Noren, Head of 5G Commercialization at Ericsson, says: “Our case studies have shown that operators employ strategic and operational activities to address challenges facing the success of their offerings. Even though they’re not yet 5G offerings, these activities – such as go-to-market channels and trial and experimentation – will be equally important, if not more, when evolved towards 5G.”

Earlier this year, Ericsson also released The industry impact of 5G report sharing 5G insights from over 900 companies with more than 1000 employees across 10 different industries.

The report revealed that trials of 5G use cases will start in 2018, after which activities will ramp up quickly, with over 70 percent of companies aiming to have use cases in production by 2021. Manufacturing, energy and utilities, public transport and financial services are the industries most likely to have use cases in production by 2020.

The major drivers for taking the next step to 5G from a strategic perspective are: create a first-mover advantage (73 percent); position themselves as an industry innovator (54 percent); leverage digital transformation enablers (53 percent); and build a solid base for IoT (46 percent).

#MWC18: Sony launches the Sony Xperia XZ2 and Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact with 18:9 aspect ratio displays.

February 26, 2018

We had series of leaks about the Sony next flagship smartphone which turns out to be true. Sony finally launches the Sony Xperia XZ2 and Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact at MWC 2018 today.

The Sony new offering seems like a slight change in the design but still has the same old Omnibalance design touch. The device looks exactly similar to previous leaks and Sony Xperia XZ2 comes in Liquid Black, Liquid Silver, Deep Green and Ash Pink whereas the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact comes in Black, White Silver, Coral Pink and Moss Green.Both the devices look similar in terms of design with curved back and are very much thicker with 11.1 mm on Sony Xperia XZ2 and Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact with 12.1 mm when compared with all other smartphones under this price range.

Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact

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Both the devices are also slightly heavy with 198 grams on Sony Xperia XZ2 and Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact weighs 167 grams.Sony Xperia XZ2 is built out of metal and 3D glass surface whereas the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact is built out of anti-scratch hard-grade polycarbonate.

The Sony Xperia XZ2 sports 5.7 inches FHD+ Triluminos HDR Display with an aspect ratio of 18:9 and Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact with 5.0 inches having the same resolution as the elder brother.Both the devices are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top.

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Both the devices are powered by SD845 SoC coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage which can be expanded via microSD card up to 400GB.It also features IP68 rating which makes the device dust and water resistant.

The Sony Xperia XZ2 and Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact feature 19MP Motion Eye single camera on the back with 1/ 2.3″ Exmor RS, f/2.0 aperture, Predictive Hybrid Autofocus, 5-axis stabilization, 960 fps Super slow motion movie and video recording up to 4K. There is 5MP selfie camera with 1/ 5” Exmor RS, f/2.2 aperture, 5-axis stabilization and 23mm wide-angle lens.

The connectivity option on both the devices include Dual/Single SIM 4G LTE and VoLTE, Dual Band WiFi, MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC, USB Type-C port, and a fingerprint scanner on the back of the device. Both the devices do come with front firing stereo speakers which are called as S-Force Front Surround.Sadly, there is no 3.5 mm audio port on both the devices.

The Sony Xperia XZ2 is fueled by 3180 mAh battery whereas the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact with 2870 mAh battery and both the device supports Qnovo Adaptive Charging with QC 3.0.Both the devices are running on Android Oreo out of the box.Sony also launched the AR functionality with 3D creator similar to Apple Animoji and both the devices will come with this feature.

As of now, there are no details about the pricing and both the smartphone are set to go on sale starting from March 2018.