Spike in sales of dual SIM phones following Reliance Jio launch: Study

New Delhi: Velocity MR a new age market research agency, unveiled their latest study report conducted among mobile users in the country. One of the trends that the study discovered was that two thirds of the respondents had purchased a dual SIM phone to take advantage of the Reliance offer in the past year.

The study was conducted among over 2000 respondents to understand user sentiment and their views about Reliance Jio and other players in this volatile market segment.

The study was conducted across the cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune Ahmadabad and Kochi through an online Panel Poll of respondents in the age group of 18 to 45 with a male to female ratio of 70:30.

Jio's free offer stayed for a year before they announced their monthly plans. As a result, the customers are still purchasing a new dual SIM phone to continue using their Jio connection; in fact, two of the three respondents purchased a dual SIM phone. This would have definitely helped drive sales of dual SIM handsets.

"We at Velocity MR felt that it has now been a year since Reliance announced Jio and their free network services which shook-up the telecom industry and forced the rivals to consolidate to take on the freebies offered by Jio. Dual SIM phones were selling like hot cakes following this offer and we believe it also opened up the handset market in the process to accommodate more players," said Jasal Shah, Managing Director and CEO of Velocity MR.

with thanks : EconomicTimes : LINK : for more details

Jio effect: Aircel rolls out Rs 419 plan, offers 168 GB data and free voice calls to any network

Reliance Jio has changed the dynamics of the telecom market and spurred a price war which seems to be never-ending. After Airtel, Vodafone, Idea and BSNL, it is now Aircel that has finally joined this war by launching a new pan to beat Jio.

The company has launched a 2GB data per day plan at Rs 419. The plan offers 2GB data per day for 84 days, meaning 168GB data in total along with free voce calls on any network.  However, the plan is only available in North eastern states of the country.

The plan competes against the Jio's Rs 509 plan. However, the Jio plan offers free SMS also which is missing in Aircel's plan. Also Jio is available in all states while the Aircel plan is limited to only North east states only. An another important difference between the two plans is that the Jio offers 4G data while Aircel will offer 2G or 3G(depending on the area) data to its subscribers.

Meanwhile, Vodafone which is the second largest telecom operator in India has launched an unlimited international plan across the UK and Europe for Rs 180 a day for international travellers. They can activate the plan for Rs 180  and use their number overseas from the UK and other travel destinations in Europe like Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey. The plan is available at different price points starting from Rs 5,000 for 28 days to Rs 500 for every 24 hours usage.

with thanks : IndiaToday : LINK : for more details

The best Android alternatives to the iPhone 8 and iPhone X

Apple has revealed its new flagship iPhone X smartphone, its premium device that will be available for pre-order on October 27 and includes a host of new features including wireless charging, an edge-to-edge display and facial recognition.

The company has also released the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, two upgraded smartphones which start at £699 and £799.

But the new premium Apple device is set to cost users as much as £1,149, and there are many fantastic smartphones out there that rival the iPhone at a lower cost.

And yet, while the iPhone X's features have got Apple fans excited, several of the best ones are present on devices already on the market. 

Here's a rundown of some of the best alternatives to the iPhone X and how they stack up against the new flagship's specs and features.

Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, OnePlus 5, HTC U11, Nokia 8, Sony Xperia XZ Premium, Google Pixel XL

with thanks : Yahoo Finance : LINK : for more details & pics

32kmpl Maruti Suzuki Swift hybrid spotted in India

Maruti's all-new Swift was spotted on Indian soil for the first time. This is the same car that was unveiled globally earlier this year. However, there is a minor difference to the car that was spotted here. This is the Suzuki Swift Hybrid and the full blown one with an electric motor. This car was showcased a month ago in Japan. It's no secret that Maruti Suzuki will launch the all-new Swift in India during the Auto Expo 2018. From the look of it, Maruti may be interested in launching it here as well.

The new Maruti Suzuki Swift looks upmarket and has LED DRLs and projector headlamps

The Maruti Suzuki Swift hybrid will combine a 10kW electric motor generator and a 1.2-litre 91PS engine. It is mated to a 5-speed AMT. In the Japanese cycle, this 2-wheel drive model is claimed to deliver 32kmpl. Essentially the motor shuts off the internal combustion engine when it detects that the vehicle is coasting with a relatively lower road and in heavy traffic conditions. Suzuki also says that the Swift hybrid can travel a few kilometres on electric power only before needing assistance from the internal combustion engine.

with thanks : Yahoo Finance : LINK : for more details & pics

#RyanMustAnswer - IndiaToday TV - B S Vohra

Unveiling the mystery behind iPhone X

It’s that time of the year, and this time, it’s also that time of the decade. Yes, the new iPhone is about to be launched, and this time, the stakes are huge. It’s the 10th anniversary for this small bundle of super profits and maximum revenue for Apple. For the last few years, almost anything and everything that Apple has done has got leaked in a steady flow of spy pictures, rumours and leaks. This time, the leaks and rumours are many, but confirmations are few and far between. That’s because the 10th year of the iPhone will be celebrated by having more than one phone released. And Apple seems to have toyed, experimented and discarded a number of things, leading to absolute confusion. So, let’s try and bury a few rumours by playing my annual game of ‘Let’s test how much I get right’. I shall make some predictions and two days later you can mark me on how much egg I got on my face.

The Apple event for the launch of the new iPhones is on September 12, and according to India time, all shall be revealed by late night that day. This is the first ever event being held inside their massive spaceship-like new campus in Cupertino. The actual stage event will happen inside the Steve Jobs Theatre. Even the invitation card says, ‘Let’s meet up at our Place’. And now, for the actual products itself.

The X

There will be three of them, and the first one to celebrate the 10th year of the iconic phone will be called the iPhone X. Look, this is where I may get the most egg smothered all over my mug, but I’ve been predicting this now for more than a year. Apple usually doesn’t play around with names and monikers, and tends to avoid being over dramatic. But, this is a very dramatic occasion and must be marked and underlined as such. Many have said that it will be called the iPhone Edition or iPhone 8 or even the iPhone SJ (for Steve Jobs; never going to happen!), but I’m going to stick to my guns on this one. Thus, the celebratory phone will be called the X, as in the Roman numeral for 10. It will have a radical change of design and looks, acquire some serious curves on the sides, have an extraordinary 5.8- inch OLED display that is completely edge-to-edge on all sides. Due to this display, despite having the bigger screen, the phone will be much smaller than the Plus iPhones. It will have a much faster processor, an all-glass back, an all new form of facial recognition for security and access, no physical home button on the front, a new touch ID system integrated elsewhere and full wireless charging with a dock right in the box. There will be some other bells and whistles in the camera and optics department as well as the graphics engine, but, in essence the big deal will be the above. This may well be the most expensive iPhone ever sold. Get ready to celebrate with Apple with a bit of a sticker shock.

with thanks : Hindustan Times : LINK : for detailed news report

Ford, VW, Nissan, Skoda, Audi, General Motors may give Auto Expo 2018 a miss

At least six automobile companies are likely to skip the biennial Auto Expo 2018, South Asia’s largest show, as they seek to cut costs amid weak sales.

Ford India Pvt. Ltd, Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd, Skoda India Pvt. Ltd, Audi India Pvt. Ltd, Nissan India Pvt. Ltd, Ducati India and General Motors India Pvt. Ltd (which is exiting India) have decided against participating in the show, at least one executive in each of the companies said, requesting anonymity.

Eicher Motors-controlled Royal Enfield, Bajaj Auto Ltd and Harley-Davidson India Ltd skipped the show in 2016 citing high participation cost and inadequate returns and have also decided against participating in next year’s event.

A Skoda India spokesperson confirmed that the company will not participate. Emails sent to the other companies did not elicit any response till press time.

The executives cited non-availability of India-specific models to showcase in the show and financial constraints as reasons for not participating.

“They have not been able to sell vehicles. All the money that they get from customers, half of that goes to the government in terms of taxes,” said a senior executive at a car maker who did not wish to be named.

In the four months ended 31 July, sales at Ford India grew 0.24% from a year earlier; GM India sales plunged 70%; and Nissan’s sales fell 7.15%. Skoda India’s sales grew 29% and Volkswagen grew by 3.84% from a low base. That compares with the 7.29% growth in the Indian passenger vehicle industry during the period.

“Auto Expo is not only about price that they pay for the space but also about construction, labour, imported materials and cars,” the industry executive cited earlier added.

While several companies are likely to skip the show, SAIC’s MG Motor unit, Peugeot and Kia Motors Co are likely to participate for the first time.

A spokesperson for Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the organizers of the Auto Expo, said that preparations are going on and it’s still receiving bookings.

with thanks : Hindustan Times : LINK : for detailed news.

Our breaking Meteorite news of November 2011

Suzuki Swift Sport technical specifications leaked

While last few weeks were all about whether the Suzuki Swift Sport is coming to India or not, today's marked for the technical details of the car. While Suzuki did drop teasers and unveil dates for the new Swift Sport, they conveniently skipped the power train details. Now a leaked scan of the brochure gives out all the information.2018 Suzuki Swift Sport gets body work as well as 17-inch blacked out alloys.

The 2018 Suzuki Swift Sport gets a tuned 1.4-litre turbo petrol Boosterjet motor that's good for 140PS/230Nm. The engine sends power to the front wheels through a 6-speed manual or automatic. While the manual Swift Sport is claimed to deliver 16.4kmpl fuel efficiency, the auto returns 16.2kmpl. Expect the Suzuki Swift Sport to also have a sub-10s acceleration number with a kerb weight less than 1,000kg. In comparison, the Fiat Abarth Punto weighs nearly 1,200kg and makes the same amount of power.

with thanks : yahoonews : LINK : for detailed report

A Ragpickers interview - It can be Life threatening !