Nokia launches 6 new smartphones across 3 distinct lines, Nokia Lite Earbuds

 HMD Global, the Nokia brand owner today announced its biggest launch to date consisting of six new smartphones viz. Nokia C10, Nokia C20, Nokia G10, Nokia G20, Nokia X10 and Nokia X20 in three different categories.

Nokia's New Range of phones

 X-series: Nokia X20 and Nokia X10 –  Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G, Signature Nordic design, 3 years of monthly security and software updates guaranteed.

G-series: Nokia G20 and Nokia G10 – innovative features in a reassuringly secure package, supported by longest battery life yet

 C-series: Nokia C10 and Nokia C20 – smartphone essentials you’ll want to keep for many years thanks to their signature durability

C-Series - Nokia C10 and Nokia C20

C-series is aimed at providing affordable access to technology for all, both the devices comes with 6.5" display, Android 11 (Go Edition) said to be giving upto 20% boost to performance, as well as comes with quarterly security updates for two years.

Nokia C20

The Nokia C20 comes with front and rear LED flash for low light support, will come with 1/16 GB, 2/32 GB options with Sand and Dark Blue colour options. The global average price is around €89 (INR 7910/-)

Nokia C10

The Nokia C10 is the most affordable device of new portfolio, starting at just €75 (INR 6665), it comes with  1/16 GB, 1/32 GB and 2/16 GB options and will be available in Purple and Gray color options.

 G-Series - Nokia G10 and Nokia G20

The Nokia G20 is supported by the signature Android promise available on Nokia smartphones. That’s three years of monthly security updates and two years of OS updates. The first members join the G-series with signature longevity, improved security thanks to face and side fingerprint unlock and an impressive 6.5” teardrop display with a handy brightness boost.

The Nokia G20 comes with a 48MP camera, ample storage and immersive OZO surround audio, you can capture then relive your memorable moments in all their glory. It will be available in select markets globally starting May in Night and Glacier colour options and comes in 4/64GB and 4/128GB configurations.  Global Average RRP €159 (approx. INR 14132)

Nokia G10 has a triple rear camera and advanced imaging with AI-enhanced shooting modes, so your memories are perfectly preserved even from tricky low-light settings. It will be available in select markets globally starting April in Night and Dusk colour options and comes in 3/32GB and 4/64GB.

 X-Series - Nokia X10 and Nokia X20

Nokia X Series smartphones are Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G, Signature Nordic design, 3 years of monthly security and software updates guaranteed. Android 11 straight out of the box. Renowned ZEISS Optics and innovative AI solutions for imaging. It comes with a wide 6.67” Full HD+ punch-hole display. Nokia X20 and Nokia X10 also come with a 100% compostable case in the sales box – designed to be tough on the ground but soft on the earth, it reduces waste, helping X-series go the distance.

The Nokia X20 comes with a 32MP front camera and 64MP quad camera on the rear. The all-new Dual Sight feature will activate two cameras simultaneously so you can capture multiple sides or multiple angles of the story. Then, enhance it further with a host of watermarking options.    The Nokia X20 will be available in select markets globally starting May in Midnight Sun and Nordic Blue colour options and comes in 6/128GB and 8/128GB configurations with global average price of  €349(approx. INR 31019)

Bringing exceptional value to the range, the Nokia X10 will please those with sub-€300 budgets. The 48MP quad-camera with Cinematic capture, is complemented with a full suite of pro editing tools, so you can personalise, style and share stand-out content that inspires others. It will be available in select markets globally starting June in Forest and Snow colour options and comes in 6/64GB, 6/128 GB and 4/128GB configurations. Global Average €309(approx. INR 27464)

Nokia audio accessories range expanded with Nokia Lite Earbuds

Featuring easy-to-learn touch controls for music, voice assistant and calls, Nokia Lite Earbuds go on sale globally today. Echoing the premium design and impressive battery life on Nokia phones, the pocket-size case will carry around six additional charges to your trusty buds.The equivalent to 36 hours of blissful playback, almost double the industry standard. It will be available in select markets globally starting mid-April in Polar Sea and Charcoal colour options. Check local availability. Global Average €39(approx. INR 3465).

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Nokia forays into laptop segment with launch of Nokia PureBook X14 on Flipkart

Flipkart announced launch of Nokia's first laptop Nokia PureBook X14 in India marking brands official entry into laptop segment. The Nokia PureBook X14 comes in a 1.1 kg ultralight and 16.8mm sleek form-factor. It features a 14" Full HD screen that is powered by  Dolby Vision^® for ultra-vivid picture quality. The sleek and powerful laptop is priced at Rs. 59,990 at the launch and will be available to pre-order on Flipkart from December 18, 2020, enabling users to experience an ultra-light life-on-the-go.

Nokia PureBook X14

Vipul Mehrotra, Vice President – Nokia Brand Partnerships, said “Launching the Nokia brand into this new product category is testament to our successful collaboration with Flipkart. We are excited to offer consumers in India a Nokia branded laptop which brings innovation to address a gap in the market, as well as the style, performance and reliability that the Nokia brand is known for.”

Dev Iyer, Vice President – Private Brands at Flipkart, said, “At Flipkart, it is our constant endeavor to have our fingers on the pulse of consumers' needs. As consumers continue to stay indoors and design their work from home lifestyles, their needs when it comes to high-end value electronics have taken center focus. With the Nokia PureBook X14 laptop, our effort is to provide our customers a product that not only caters to their multifunctionality needs but also ensures supreme visual and processing quality - catering to both their personal and professional needs. We are pleased to deepen our collaboration with Nokia in our shared goal of providing for the needs of Indian consumers.”

The Nokia PureBook X14 offers an immersive audio-visual experience with Dolby Vision® & Dolby Atmos® for headphones feature. The laptop is powered by an Intel i5 10th Gen quad-core processor with up to 4.2 GHz turbo frequency and comes with Windows 10 Home pre-installed. The latest-gen processor coupled with a 512GB NVMe SSD enables super-fast boot-up, processing as well as delivers great performance during simulations, data crunching and content creation. The HD IR webcam with Windows Hello face unlock, backlit keyboard with adjustable brightness, and the precision touchpad with multiple gesture options enable great functionality and ease of use while working from home.

With online education and “work from home” becoming a norm, the demand for laptops has grown by over 2.3X, with Flipkart emerging as a key shopping destination for consumers. Analysis of millions of customer reviews and a study of the laptop market have revealed a high demand for attributes such as premium picture quality, multifunctionality, ultra-lightweight, and sleek design. Guided by these insights, Flipkart, along with Nokia, is looking to address the requirements of contemporary laptop users, who often juggle between work and home.

Below are key specifications of Nokia PureBook X14.

Feature	Description
Sleek and elegant design	1.1 kg ultra-light 14" FDH screen 16.8 mm sleek 4.8 mm bezels with 86% Screen-to-body ratio Matte Black finish
Processing powerhouse	Intel Core i5 10th Gen processor 1.6 GHz Base frequency with up to 4.2 GHz Turbo Frequency 512 GB NVMe SSD 8 GB DD4 RAM Windows 10 Home Plus
Impeccable viewing experience	14" full HD LED-backlit screen Dolby Vision for an enhanced & brilliant visual experience 4.8 mm slim bezels (2 sides) with 86% screen-to-body ratio 16.7 million colors and up to 250 nits brightness IPS panel for up to 178* viewing angles with image consistency and color accuracy.
Immersive audio experience	Dolby Atmos®
Accessibility and security	Face Unlock with Windows Hello-certified HD IR Webcam Backlit keyboard with adjustable brightness 1.4 mm Key Travel Precision touchpad with multiple gesture options for smooth transitions and maximum productivity
Integrated Intel Ultra HD Graphics	Integrated Intel UHD 620 Graphics with 1.1 GHz Turbo GPU 4K Support Enabled Intel® Quick Sync Video  Intel® InTru™ 3D Technology Intel® Clear Video HD Technology
Seamless wireless connectivity	Dual-band Wi-Fi for internet connectivity for surfing, downloading, uploading or streaming content Bluetooth 5.1 for seamless streaming and data transfers
All round connectivity	USB 3.1x2 / USB 2.0 x1 / USB type C 3.1 x1 HDMI x 1 RJ45 x 1 Audio out x 1, MIC In x 1
Battery Life	Up to 8 hours of battery life with 65 W charger

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Inception of sub brands, who is the winner: You, Me or We

Smartphone market is a different world now from what it used to be in the good old days (read Nokia glory days). We had fewer number of players in market, devices were priced with relatively greater distance between each other, where each feature could cost you a couple of thousand rupees extra. You need just a calling phone you can get it for 4000 Rs, you need FM as well then it will be for Rs 5500/- , oh you want color screen too then pay 7500 Rs, and so on for MP3 player, Camera, touch screen etc. On top of that the names of devices were similar to what we have for breeds of crops seed. 3300, 6600, N-32 were the likes of today's One Plus6, iPhone X, Honor 7x etc. 

The Disruption 

Come Apple and witness the disruption in the market at level which was never seen before, not even when Martin Cooper made the first call to his rival with the first mobile phone he invented (that paved the way for today's smartphones, but landlines were in use for more than 3 decades after this invention).  Apple's iPhone changed the way we looked at a phone, we had seen most of the things earlier as well, like we have seen internet working on Nokia phones, music on Sony Ericsson or Motorola devices, Cameras, touch screen all were already explored areas, but iPhone brought them all into one device with exceptional user interface. 

"while Apple was seen as a status symbol, Android's were the necessity to keep up with the pace."

Google forayed soon into the Arena and came up with its own Android Operating System, propagated to masses by open partnerships with minus Apple manufacturers i.e. Sony, Samsung, LG, HTC etc.  Android was gaining traction in countries like ours while Apple was seen as a status symbol, Androids were the necessity to keep up with the pace.

The Sub-Brand strategy

Un fortunately Nokia missed this bus and downfall started for the company as more and more consumers who were looking for features similar to that of an iPhone but were low on budget soon made these companies larger than they would have ever thought few years back. However, it was not only Nokia who faced the wrath of iOS and Android. Other big names in the industry like Huawei, Motorola and Blackberry(One of the last to kneel down to Android against their own OS) were also finding it difficult to cope up with the change. 

Well without any doubt Samsung understood the dynamics better than anyone else, they had their own OS for smartphones running on touch screen devices in 2010, they had the Project Tizen on the way to counter Android and iOS. Yet they didn't missed the business opportunity which Google's Android presented in front of them. They continued their work and pioneered the Android devices for different price segments, flagships to mid range device it was all there in Samsung's portfolio and it definitely made a dent in Apple's aspirations and market share atleast in India.


"It leads to a situation where OPPO has to come up with a sub brand RealMe and to counter that , the 'Real' Mi had to respond with "Real You". Meanwhile the 'Real' YU is not seen from a long time and our very own "Sharma G ka ladka" is in hibernate mode. "

The start of sub brands

The unexpected hero of the time was not Samsung, instead it was our very own Micromax (lost now a days), relatively unknown Indian brand who worked hard to get feature phones on low budget but a differentiated experience (qwerty phone, phones with lights, 30 day battery life phones etc). Micromax sponsored a few cricket tournaments ( a strategy which would be later adopted by OPPO, Vivo, Lava, Intex ) and became known to the cricket crazy nation in no time. Soon it started doing to Samsung, what Samsung did to Apple, i.e. provided higher specification phones at much lower price and this time both the competitors had the same OS as well. Micromax smartly played it with Canvas Series. All phones were Canvas where Micromax would draw an art piece and gradually it was the top smartphone brand in India by market share. For me it was deliberate attempt to distance itself from the earlier feature phones (known as chinese phones without reference to brand among common people), and start a fresh in a promising smartphone market. To start from a servicing company and becoming number 1 smartphone seller in country as big as India is something to proud of and would be there in Company's history in golden letters.

Similarly while some of the above said brands sticked  to their original identity, others like ASUS had different strategy. ASUS launched its new smartphones Zenfone 5, Zenfone 4 and Zenfone 6 in 2014. These devices were better than competitor's devices and priced much lower. The Zenfone sub brand worked wonders for ASUS, in last 4 years ASUS has launched numerous devices under Zenfone brand and has been successful with most of these devices in market. Courtsey upgrading themselves as per market and consumer feedback. 

The strategy adopted by ASUS or Micromax wasn't the most innovative or new in market. Nokia had its fair of success with its Xpress Music series, N-series, E-series etc phones. Motorola had done well with Yuva series, Sony had made well with walkman series. But this was different in terms of devotion, marketing, engineering and pretty much all aspects of the inception to market cycle of the devices. Unlike other examples given above there was no parallel series worked upon all the focus was on Zenfone series, to make it big in market share and consumer choice.

In parallel universe the decades old pioneer in telecom industry from China, Huawei also launched its sub brand Honor somewhere around 2011 in China and encouraged by its success back at home the subrand was expanded to around 74 countries in 2015 including India. Xiaomi was already a big name in China and entered India in 2014.

Xiaomi did much damage to brands which were popular in India smartphone market, Micromax simply lost the race and couldn't compete with further low priced devices but high on quality at that price level. The charismatic Hugo Barra led Xiaomi had made itself popular among fans in India. The flash sales were more grand even than the Moto G and Moto E (first editions). 

Counter sub brands

Micromax's Canvas was not generating any buzz or interest in the market. It was then, when Rahul Sharma came up with an exciting (but not bug free) device under a whole new sub brand to counter Xiaomi's Mi. While Xiomi's Mi is pronounced as 'me' , Micromax came with 'YU' the new sub brand which was supposed to break all the records, designed for the fans , by the fans. This was directly to compete with Xiaomi's Mi and both the brands claimed to have consumers in focus by looking at them as first person or second person. The counter strategy initially worked better than it was expected by some of our fellow bloggers in community, but that didn't lasted long due to lack of updates, quality and service issues in the devices from YU.

The irony

Here today we are in 2018, and OPPO launched its sub brand RealMe which offered really good devices for much lesser price. The brand which led to creation of counter sub brands in first place, i.e. Mi Came up with counter device and promoted it to be #RealYou device. CEO of Real Me , Mr. Madhav Sheth was quick to remind them that they had already registered the trademark "Real You" as well.

Hey friend, we have actually registered "Real You" trademark in India. You might want to reconsider your slogan. Otherwise it's copy right infringement @XiaomiIndia@RedmiIndia @manukumarjainhttps://t.co/nFFK6KpT4Q

— Madhav Sheth (@MadhavSheth1) June 7, 2018

It leads to a situation where OPPO has to come up with a sub brand RealMe and to counter that , the 'Real' Mi had to respond with "Real You". Meanwhile the 'Real' YU is not seen from a long time and our very own "Sharma G ka ladka" is in hibernate mode. Interesting turn of events, marketing games and devices we are witnessing in this sphere. I hope in this game of You and Me, its us or 'We' the consumers who win in the end.

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Doctor Insta App Review: Gets doctor teleported to you instantly

I got my first Android phone in 2010, back then Nokia was still the boss and 3.2 MP camera was something to boast on a phone's rear. My first Android was a Samsung Galaxy Ace which not only had a 5 MP rear camera but also a VGA camera on the front. I was more than happy with the phone but couldn't actually found a use case for the front camera. Fast forward to today the technology has changed a lot, the devices are more smarter, than ever. The tech we see on phones today has a lot new use cases to be applied on in day to day life, no I am not talking about taking tons of selfies and uploading them to social media, but more meaningful things which are supposed to be done to make use of these technological advances.

I was recently introduced to an app called Doctor Insta, which fits the vision of being more meaningful and helpful towards the society using the some of the tech stack we discussed above. As the name suggests Doctor Insta is your go to app to get a doctor instantly. I had this conversations with one of the team members that I have to be sick to review it because there is no other way to find out how would it go in real time and I was heard by higher authorities I guess. I got my chance to actually use the app before writing a word about it.

User Experience:

The look and feel of UI is pretty smooth, it has all the details without being too fancy. When you fire the app you can select from one of the below options.

In one tap you have the doctor's appointment ready, I tried the app in night at 9:50 PM , I was given option for 10:00 , 10:15 and 10:30 PM appointment. 

Once selected your appointment time you will be prompted for payment which is 400 Rs + 40 Rs internet handling charges. 

The app has a list of symptoms preloaded for each category which you can select prior to your appointment so that doctor can also understand the issue easily and faster. 

At the said time, you have the option to call, video call or text the doctor. I used a phone call and it went well.

Within minutes I had the prescription with me in my visit history. 

Verdict:

I liked how easy it is to get in touch with a doctor from wherever you are, I mean in your hometown or with your family doctor (if you have one) it can be in reach, but at times when you need someone right away to consult Doctor Insta is the best alternative. The pricing is also as good for now, when compared to the OPD fees of most of the doctors.

My suggestion - Its a must have in your phone. :)

Download:

Google Play

AppStore

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Nokia 2 with '2 Day Battery Life' launched in India for Rs 6999/, will be available from Nov 24

HMD Global, manufacturer of Nokia Smartphones has today announced launch of Nokia 2 in India. The phone will be available for Rs 6,999/- from 24 November in leading retail stores. It comes in three colours in Pewter/Black, Pewter/White and Copper/Black. 

Nokia 2

The main highlight of Nokia 2 is its claim to offer 2 days of battery life backed on its massive 4100 mAh battery, which makes it direct competitor to Redmi 4 which comes with same battery power. The device also relies on its simplistic design and pure Android experience apart from 'The Nokia' brand to attract customers.

Nokia 2 comes with a 5-inch 720p display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, the device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 processor combined with 1 GB RAM. Nokia 2 comes with 8 MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera. The phone comes with 8 GB internal storage which can be further expanded using microSD card.

Nokia 2 runs on pure stock Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box with a promise to get update of Android 8.0 Oreo very soon. 

Ajey Mehta, Vice President and Country Head - India, HMD Global, said: “Nokia 2 is a smartphone

that is built keeping the Indian consumer in mind. It is a smartphone people can rely on without

subconsciously rationing their battery usage. Every component of the Nokia 2 – from the display to

battery, chipset to system design – has been engineered to draw as little power as possible from the

huge battery. This gives fans a long-lasting phone they can rely on. In addition, a great display and

pure, secure Android means you don't have to do less with your Nokia 2 to preserve longevity, it has been built to give you the freedom to do more."

Jio customers can enjoy additional 45 GB 4G Data on Nokia 2 i.e. 5 GB additional 4G data on every recharge of Rs. 309 or above, limited to 9 recharges till August 31, 2018. All Nokia 2 users will be eligible for a complimentary 12-month Accidental Damage Insurance by Servify on opening the Kotak 811 savings account and activating it with an initial deposit of Rs 1000/- in the introductory period.

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Nokia eyes return of old glory days with launch of Nokia 6, Nokia 5 and Nokia 3

HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones today launched a new generation of Nokia smartphones in India. The new range combines superior craftsmanship with distinctive and premium design along with powerful entertainment features – all this integrated with a pure and latest Android experience, giving you the ability to use your phone, your way. Nokia 3 goes on sale on 16th of June and will be available across top mobile retailers in India. Consumers can pre-book their Nokia 5 starting July 7 select mobile retail outlets across key cities such as Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad and Calicut and Nokia 6 will be available exclusive on Amazon.in; registrations begin July 14.

At the launch of the new range of smartphones, Ajey Mehta, Vice President India, HMD Global, said, “Nokia is a trusted and well-loved brand across the world and especially in India. Today’s announcement scripts a new chapter for Nokia phones in this country as we set out to capture the hearts and minds of an entirely new generation of fans through an inspiring and purpose-led approach. The new line-up comprising the Nokia 6, Nokia 5 and the Nokia 3 is visually stunning and will always be available out-of-the-box with the latest and pure version of Android. We intend to break the clutter in a market dominated by undifferentiated products by providing a great user experience while living up to the Nokia brand promise of simplicity, trust, reliability and quality.”

Commenting on the partnership with HMD, Manish Tiwary, Vice President, Category Management, Amazon India said, “We are thrilled to be the partner-of-choice for the iconic phone brand - Nokia. We are delighted to offer customers exclusive access to Nokia 6 where, with a single sign-on, Amazon Prime customers can experience the best of Amazon in shipping, shopping, streaming and reading along with an exclusive Daily Deal widget. Smartphones have been a top selling category at Amazon with several exclusive offerings and we continue to expand the selection, providing our customers access to millions of products at the best prices.”

Drawing on the hallmarks of the Nokia phone heritage of quality, simplicity and reliability, the range is designed for a new generation of fans.

Nokia 6

Nokia 6: Powerful entertainment experience and superior craftsmanship; available exclusively on Amazon.in

Nokia 6 comes with 5.5” full HD screen, the unibody of the Nokia 6 is crafted from a single block of 6000 series aluminium and is perfect for those who want a robust phone with outstanding entertainment credentials. The smart audio amplifier with dual speakers allow consumers to experience a deep bass and unmatched clarity, whilst Dolby Atmos® sound delivers a powerfully moving entertainment experience.

With outstanding colour reproduction, the Nokia 6 has a fully laminated display stack delivering excellent sunlight readability without compromising the slim form. Powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 430 mobile platform and the Qualcomm® Adreno™ 505 graphics processor, the Nokia 6 strikes the perfect balance between performance and power consumption, designed   to   deliver   premium   quality   entertainment   with   battery   life   to   spare, maximising your entertainment experience on the go.  The Nokia 6 is available in four distinct colours – Matte Black, Silver, Tempered Blue and Copper – and will be available on Amazon.in at a recommended best buy price of Rs. 14,999/-.

The new Nokia 6 is available with a special offer - Prime members get Rs. 1000 back when they purchase the device using Amazon Pay balance and all Nokia 6 customers get 80% off on Kindle eBooks up to Rs.300. Also on the new Nokia 6, using a single sign-on to pre-installed Amazon apps and deals widget, consumers get easy access to their personalized deals, content, order history, wish list, and shipment update. Amazon Prime Members can also effortlessly access tens of thousands of movies and TV shows, over 3M eBooks, free one and two-day shipping and so much more.

In addition, Vodafone consumers will get 10GB data per month @ Rs. 249** per month for 5 months on their Nokia 6. Consumers will also get Rs. 2500 off (Rs. 1800 on hotels & Rs.700 off on domestic flights) on Makemytrip.com

Nokia 5: Seamless, premium and durable design

The Nokia 5 has been precision engineered out of a single block of 6000 series aluminium to create a perfect pillowed body that flows seamlessly into the laminated 5.2” IPS HD display with sculpted Corning® Gorilla® Glass. Featuring a ground-breaking innovation in antenna design the Nokia 5 brings robust structural integrity, attention to detail and the quality of a high-end flagship. Powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 430 mobile platform, Nokia 5 delivers excellent battery life, improved graphics performance – all in a package that perfectly balances everyday usability with a premium quality design. With additional features including an 8MP, 84-degree wide-angle front facing camera – to squeeze even more scene into your selfie – and excellent sunlight and low light screen visibility, there are plenty of reasons to keep the Nokia 5 out of your pocket and in your hand where it belongs. The Nokia 5 is available in four distinct colours – Matte Black, Silver, Tempered Blue and Copper – and will retail at a recommended best buy price of Rs. 12,899/-. Vodafone consumers will get 5GB data per month @ Rs. 149** per month for 3 months on their Nokia 5. Consumers will also get Rs. 2500 off (Rs. 1800 on hotels & Rs.700 off on domestic flights) on Makemytrip.com

Nokia 3: Superior craftsmanship at an affordable price

This stunning new smartphone is designed to deliver an outstanding experience with unprecedented value.  The Nokia 3 features a precision machined aluminium frame forged out of a single piece of aluminium, offering exceptional structural integrity and protection where it counts. Featuring a fully laminated 5” IPS display with no air gap and sculpted Corning® Gorilla® Glass, the Nokia 3 offers durability and superb clarity delivering a viewing experience that is second to none. With fewer reflections thanks to the polarised screen, the experience is crisp and clear offering unbeatable visibility even in bright sunlight. With seamlessly integrated 8MP wide aperture cameras (front and back), the Nokia 3 packs a truly premium quality smartphone experience into its compact and elegant form. The Nokia 3 is available in four distinct colours – Matte Black, Silver White, Tempered Blue and Copper White – and will retail at a recommended best buy price of Rs. 9,499/-. Vodafone consumers will get 5GB data per month @ Rs. 149** per month for 3 months on their Nokia 3. Consumers will also get Rs. 2500 off (Rs. 1800 on hotels & Rs.700 off on domestic flights) on Makemytrip.com

Always Pure Android

All Nokia smartphones will be shipped with the latest pure Android OS. With guaranteed monthly security updates, Nokia smartphones will always be safe, up-to-date and clutter-free – putting choice at the heart of the consumer experience.  And with the Nougat comes the latest features including Doze, which saves battery life while the phone is in a pocket or bag. The new Nokia smartphones also feature Google’s most recent innovation, the Google Assistant, building further on a great Android experience. Our teams have worked together to ensure conversations with the Google Assistant happen seamlessly on Nokia smartphones.

Channel and after sales strategy:

HMD Global has appointed over 400 distributors in India to support its range of smartphones and feature phones. Through this network, Nokia smartphones and featurephones will be available at more than 80,000 retail outlets across the country.

The company is also investing in a robust after-sales network branded Nokia Mobile Care. By June end, over 300 cities will have a Nokia Mobile Care presence. In addition, consumers will have the opportunity to avail a device pick-up/drop service in 100 more cities. For the new age millennial consumer, we will also have Nokia Mobile Care support in the form of voice and web support.

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5G Indoor Wireless Equipment to Represent Only 5% of $10 Billion Global Market by 2025 - ABI Research

5G deployments indoors and in venues may be delayed by one year or more when compared to outdoor 5G deployments starting from 2020. ABI Research estimates the global equipment market for in-building wireless, including active distributed antenna systems (DAS), passive DAS, and repeaters, for 2025, will reach close to $10 billion. The overall system revenue in 2025, which includes services and equipment, will grow at a CAGR of 15% to top $19 billion in 2025. Out of this market, 5G in-building wireless equipment will account for $509 million in 2025.

"As 5G nears full specification, mobile network operators will face challenges for indoor mobile coverage, including signal propagation, next-generation fronthaul/backhaul, and massive MIMO," says Nick Marshall, Research Director at ABI Research. "Early 5G deployments indoors and in venues will be a migration building on the features of LTE-Advanced and LTE-Advanced Pro. This will happen technology by technology and frequency by frequency, avoiding costly 'rip and replace' style deployments."

5G is a multi-technology HetNet, comprised of a combination of different cell types and access technologies to seamlessly adapt to an array of use cases and applications. NFV migrates cellular signal processing to a remote telco data center, while MEC, in a countervailing trend, migrates IT compute and storage to the network edge within the building or venue for low latency use cases and applications. Massive MIMO, a key challenge that 5G will face as it nears full specification, refers to the use of multiple antennas at the base station and mobile device.

"We believe that future 5G networks will rely on network functions virtualization, or NFV, and mobile edge computing, or MEC, to alter the architecture and topology of the RAN by leveraging telco data centers to virtualize signal processing in the cloud," concludes Marshall.

With 5G standards yet to be finalized, many equipment vendors are actively researching and developing 5G equipment with a variety of approaches. These companies include Nokia Mobiles with its AirFrame/AirScale Radio Access, Ericsson with its ERS, and CommScope with its OneCell.

ABI Research profiles these companies and more in its In-Building Wireless in the 5G Era report, which also includes a discussion on the challenges of 5G for in-building wireless.

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5 Flagship Smartphones to Watch Out For in 2017

Game of Phones has just begun! The year 2017 has witnessed numerous tech companies emerging with their flagship smartphones lately, initially at CES in January. In fact, the MWC 2017 was no different given that brands like Nokia, LG, Huawei, Sony, BlackBerry and more showed off their lineup of flagship smartphones for this year. Considering the vast competition and plethora of options available in the market, we decided to list five flagship smartphones to watch out for in 2017. Here wo go!

Samsung Galaxy S8

South Korean giant Samsung has geared up to launch this year's flagship Galaxy S8 soon. Meanwhile, Samsung also has some press event scheduled for March 15 in New York where it is likely to expand its flagship Galaxy 'S series' lineup. It has been quite sometime now since the company's most-awaited phone of 2017 is making headlines. The Galaxy S8, similar to its predecessor, is expected with wireless charging and IP68 rated water and dust resistance. Rumour has it that the device might be powered by Qualcomm's newly announced flagship Snapdragon 835 chip with 6GB RAM.

Image for representation purpose only

Apple iPhone 8

Apple's iPhone unit is marking its 10th anniversary this year. You must have figured out by now that the year 2017 will undoubtedly be special for the Cupertino giant. India has been a growing market for Apple and we should expect the 10th anniversary iPhone to launch in India shortly after international announcement. Apple has already gained significant market share in India with the iPhone 5s being sold for sub Rs 20,000 in recent times and the price of iPhone 6 also seems to be headed in the same direction.

Reports suggest that Apple will release the next iteration of iPhone in October this year. While it happens sooner or later, let us see what all features we can expect in this year's iPhone 8. First thing first, it is expected that it will sport an OLED, edge-to-edge display and glass body. The display itself might deal with a selfie camera as well as an integrated Touch ID fingerprint sensor. If true, it will not sport a home button this time, though.

Image for representation purpose only

Xiaomi Mi6

Last year, Xiaomi launched the Mi 5s and Mi 5s flagship devices only in China. This year, however, Xiaomi is likely to release its flagship smartphone globally. That is where Xiaomi Mi6 comes into play. The phone is rumoured to arrive in multiple options -- Xiaomi Mi6 Lite, Standard and Pro. The Xiaomi Mi6 is expected pack Android Nougat-based MIUI software in addition to a bigger 4000mAh battery. The phone will likely come with up to 6GB RAM, considering the stiff competition with brands like OnePlus as well as Samsung. Remember the Galaxy C9 Pro? That aside, it is said to be powered by Qualcomm's high-end Snapdragon 835 octa-core chip.

Image for representation purpose only

LG G6

LG recently announced the LG G6 at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 in Barcelona. Design wise, the device is no longer modular unlike its predecessor, the LG G5. It flaunts a metal frame, sandwiched between two layers of Corning Gorilla Glass protection. Furthermore, it comes with pretty thin bezels, wireless charging (region-specific), fingerprint scanner and IP68 rated dust and water resistance. Specs wise, it has a 5.7-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 821 quad-core processor, 4GB RAM and Android 7.0 Nougat OS. It also packs a 3300mAh battery with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0.

LG G6

Sony Xperia XZ Premium

Sony recently held a press conference at MWC 2017 in Barcelona where it officially pulled the wraps off its flagship Xperia XZ Premium. It has a metal unibody design with the fingerprint scanner embedded on the home button. Interestingly, it is also the world's first smartphone to be powered by Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 835 processor. It has a 4K Triluminos display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection layered on top. That aside, it houses a 19MP rear camera and a 13MP selfie camera. Running Android 7.0 Nougat OS, the Xperia XZ Premium is based on a 3230mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 technology. Xperia XZ Premium is also honored as 'Best New Smartphone' at the recently concluded Global Mobile Awards by GSMA.

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The rise of OPPO Mobiles to Top 5 smartphones brand globally and challenges ahead

Recently IDC reported that OPPO and Vivo are the new smartphone brands on Top 5 list of Global smartphone brands ousting Lenovo and Xiaomi from the list. This means a lot to any vendor who is in this highly competitive and dynamic market. The Lenovo when first entered the list, majority of the credit was given to its Motorola acquisition but the brand lost the edge very soon and is out of the honored list, which reminds us that nothing is permanent in this industry. We have seen the rise and fall of the brands like Nokia and Sony. We have seen dynamics changing the market every now and then. We will be discussing these factors that led to the rise of OPPO from just another Chinese smartphone brand to one of Top 5 global brands in industry.

OPPO Mobiles

Innovation:

Didn't we tell you earlier that OPPO is a brand to look upon when the revolutionary OPPO N1 was first announced OPPO N1 the first smartphone to have a 206 degree rotating camera, this made us realize that you necessarily don't need two cameras in one smartphone when you have to use only one at a time. After that many innovative design and features have been implemented in OPPO Mobiles , be it the thinnest smartphone OPPO R5 or the OPPO N3 which came with an automated rotating camera. The VOOC fast charge was something which helped a lot in healing the Achilles heel of Android Smartphones i.e. the battery issue.

Premium Quality and Build Design:

This is something which OPPO has maintained in all its smartphones even the lower priced ones such as the Mirror 3 or Joy 5. The phones from OPPO speaks loud and clear about the philosophy followed in OPPO. Many a times you might complain that the designs are copied/inspired from Apple but you can't deny the build quality or seamless experience for the same. Of course you can find many similarities in these designs but I have rarely seen any other brand making such sleek and light phones , easy on grip and feel nice to use.

The Color OS:

That's what matter the most for many people out there, how you utilize the capability of the hardware you are providing or what's the extent you tweak the Android OS , is it really helping the end user or you are just adding some bloatware to earn some more money from your partners. For me I am a great fan of Color OS specially Color OS 2.0 . To give you an Idea I have around 150+ SMS lying unread in my ASUS Zenfone because in notification I can read that it is a promotional message which is not required to open, however in Color OS I had the flexibility to delete such messages right when the message arrived as it gives me option to either delete or reply there itself. Gesture based actions are another good example of some useful customization. The OPPO smartphones also comes with no or a very few third party apps which you will not use. The battery backup of phones is generally good which points to well optimized customization made.

Associations:

OPPO as a brand has done a great job in finding partners to promote its smartphone, be it ICC world T20 Cricket championship or partnering with FC Barcelona. Association with Bollywood stars Hrithik Roshan and show like Big Boss has made the brand a house hold name and people can now connect to that when they choose to buy a smartphone from the brand.

OPPO offline stores

Offline Sales is not dead yet:

When OPPO and Vivo made it to Top 5 they replaced Xiaomi and Lenovo. Both the later brands known for aggressive online marketing and sales. Xiaomi specifically relies on Flash sales mode which worked wonders in initial years but this model is becoming mature now given the options available in market no one wants to wait for one complete week only to return empty handed from website which is supposed to simplify and expedite the shopping experience.

While Online presence is demand of current times, offline sales are not yet dead infact the opportunities are vast with enormous potential. OPPO and Vivo has proved it for one and all. OPPO has invested a lot in their offline channels, I have seen markets with mobile shops all green in colors, cutouts of Hrithik Roshan and Sonam placed outside for photo shoot for the fans. OPPO runs many schemes on these stores from free gifts to discount offers. The retailers are trained with the features of smartphones and invited also for launch events. The perks on higher sales numbers are definitely high to push retailers sell the OPPO devices on priority than other brands.

Challenges Ahead:

While all other factors were there for OPPO right from its first device, the last one i.e. offline sales channels has contributed lately and largely to the success of OPPO smartphones. But this is not the time to sit back and relax for OPPO the dynamics here changes in seconds, one new brand with some high specifications and low price all your previous plans needs to get revised. We always believed in OPPO's high quality standard but at the same time if you don't give the right specifications for the right price ( as per market trends) you loose the first battle then and there. OPPO needs to work a lot and harder on its pricing strategy. It may come from their manufacturing process, to apply Lean methodologies, apply DOTWIMP, Six Sigma or whatever it takes just focus on the right specification and price combination while keeping up the quality work and this is the real challenge to keep the momentum growing.

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All Metal Body: The new 'Body Language' of budget phones

"And this phone comes with Metal Body", a phrase which was long associated with premium flagship phones such as Nokia N8, Apple iPhone, Samsung's Galaxy S6 has lost its connection with highly priced smartphones with the time. Metal body did well for all these flagships as it added an extra value to already powerful specifications and software present on the phone, the shiny metallic Rim, that ruggedness and the grip of the phones enhanced that posh feeling as well as significant cost for the end user. 

Le Eco Le 1S

While metal body phones were still only for flagship phones until as recent as last year, we witnessed ever growing competitive smartphone industry where all the barriers were broken ruthlessly and "the metal" was not spared along with the high end specifications. The number game extended from specification sheet to design , aesthetics, build quality and other value adds and we are not talking here about the Galaxies of S6 and 6S we are talking here about the most competitive segment of this industry that is 10000 to 15000 INR. While smartphone brands like Gionee and OPPO did exceptionally well in bringing metal body smartphones to customers at lower price than the much costlier flagship phones, the real change started with entry of phones like Honor 5x, LeEco 1S, Redmi Note 3. All these devices priced around 10-12K offer metal body with premium build and design , finger print sensor added cherry on the cake ( that's another discussion for another time).

Le Eco claims itself as the market disrupt-or with its first launch Le Eco 1S, the all metal body smartphone was launched at a price of Rs 10,999/- , the phone surely is distinct with its metal unibody featuring a screw less industrial design leaving no trace of industrial assembling on the design, the metal unibody is sturdy and made from aircraft grade aluminium. The phone seems to have hit the right chord which can be testified by the fact that the company has sold 200,000 smartphones in just 30 days. 

Redmi Note 3 and Honor 5x are other smartphones in market currently boasting metal design and similar specifications as Le Eco 1S, both these phones are also doing great and doesn't have any issue in finding buyers.

The phone industry which has one thing over the other trending at any given point of time, from number of mega pixels in camera to number of cores in processor, amount of RAM or internal storage depending upon the trend these factors have proven their importance in success or failures of smartphones over the time. The metal design is also becoming one of those trends in the industry to flaunt, and is already a deal breaker for many potential buyers, which is good news for us as it will force manufacturers to build phones from metal. This is the reason why it is said competition makes the customer winner and companies innovative.

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