“Billion Capture+,” the first smartphone from Flipkart, will house artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities courtesy Smartron, the domestic IoT brand. Smartron “tronX” — India’s first AI-powered IoT platform — will power “Billion Capture+” devices, the company said on Tuesday. “We are excited to be the design and manufacturing partner for Flipkart in bringing smartphones to Indians under the ‘Billion’ brand,” said Mahesh Lingareddy, Founder and Chairman, Smartron.

“Billion Capture+” that has features like dual-rear camera, a long battery life and Quick Charge feature will have free and unlimited Cloud storage via the “tronX” platform. In the next “tronX” update, users will have access to a range of intelligent and personalised experiences and services. Smartron also aims at partnering other brands across market segments to design and engineer devices.

The “Billion Capture+” will be available in two variants — the 3GB RAM/32GB internal storage variant for Rs 10,999 and the 4GB RAM/64GB internal storage model at Rs 12,999. Available #OnlyOnFlipkart, the phone comes with offers which can take down the effective price to less than Rs 1300, the company said on Tuesday. “The Billion Capture+ packs features designed to deliver on Indian smartphone buyers’ biggest needs. To make the proposition even more attractive on the launch day, we’ve also lined up many exclusive offers,” said Hrishikesh Thite, Category Head, Billion.

After numerous delays, Lenovo-owned Motorola has finally launched its Moto X4 smartphone in India. The smartphone has been launched in two variants – 32GB with 3GB RAM priced at Rs 20,999, and 64GB with 4GB RAM priced at Rs 22,999. The smartphone will be exclusively sold on Flipkart, and Moto Hubs in India. Sales will kick off tonight at 11:59PM. The key highlight of the smartphone is the dual-camera setup at the back, along with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 SoC.

The Moto X4 also comes with Moto Key, a built-in app for managing passwords and Bluetooth support for four different devices simultaneously. Additionally, the smartphone also comes with IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. In terms of design, the smartphone features an anodized aluminum frame, and 3D contoured front and back glass design.

The smartphone flaunts a 5.2-inch LTS IPS Full HD display with pixel density of 424ppi. The display is covered with Corning Gorilla glass protection. Under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 octa-core SoC clocked at 2.2GHz.

In the photography department, the smartphone features two 12-megapixel dual pixel sensors with f/2.0 aperture in a dual-camera setup, and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle sensor with 120-degree field of view, f/2.2 aperture. The dual-camera combination helps to shoot photos with DSLR-like ‘Bokeh’ effects. Up front, the Moto X4 is equipped with a 16-megapixel snapper with flash, and f/2.0 aperture. 

With a fingerprint sensor for biometric authentication, connectivity options include USB Type-C port, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11ac (dual-band, 2.4GHz and 5GHz), GPS, GLONASS, dual SIM card support with 4G VoLTE. To keep things ticking, the smartphone is backed by a 3,000mAh battery with fast charging support. On the software front, the Moto X4 runs the Android 7.1 Nougat out-of-the-box, and it will be updated to Android 8.0 Oreo in the coming months. 

Pre-orders for the iPhone X went live today via Amazon India and Flipkart. Within a few minutes of the pre-orders beginning, the iPhone X has already gone out of stock on both the e-commerce platforms. The base variant of the iPhone X with 64GB storage is priced at Rs 89,000, while the high-end iPhone X 256GB retails at a whopping Rs 102,000.

The iPhone X will go on sale from November 3, and the product has already received an overwhelming response. However, it isn’t known how many units were up for pre-orders on Amazon India and Flipkart. But it has been reported for many months now that Apple will be facing shipping delays with the iPhone X.

Even at a global scale, Apple is predicted to reach a balance of demand and supply only by 2018. Nonetheless, the response Apple has received for the iPhone X on the first day does say a lot about the anticipation people have for the device.

The iPhone X being the anniversary edition has introduced many firsts for Apple, the highlight being its bezel-less OLED display. Ditching its famous Touch ID fingerprint recognition, Apple introduced Face ID on the iPhone X. In terms of specifications, the iPhone X flaunts a 5.8-inch edge-to-edge OLED Super Retina Display. It is powered by an A11 Bionic 64-bit chipset paired with an M11 motion co-processor. 

In the photography department, the iPhone X sports a dual-camera setup which includes a 12-megapixel wide-angle sensor of f/1.8 aperture, and a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor of f/2.4 aperture. The dual cameras are accompanied by a quad-LED TrueTone flash. Up front, the iPhone X houses a TruDepth 7-megapixel camera of f/2.2 aperture,  with an upgraded Portrait Mode and a new Portrait Lighting feature.

{BGR}

Apple‘s most expensive iPhone X, priced at Rs 89,000, is all set to mark its debut in India on November 3. However, customers can pre-order the device starting October 27. While we are a couple of days away from the pre-order dates, the smartphone is already listed on e-commerce sites like Flipkart and Amazon India.

Apple’s anniversary edition iPhone X will be available in two variants – 64GB and 256GB priced at Rs 89,000, and Rs 102,000 respectively. Flipkart is offering a no-cost EMI starting Rs 9,889 per month, while standard EMIs start from Rs 3,042 per month. Additionally, if the purchase is made using an Axis Bank Buzz Credit Card, then you can further avail five percent discount. Apart from Flipkart, the iPhone X is also listed on Amazon India’s mobile app. While the app doesn’t really reveal much in terms of offers, it does have a ‘Notify Me’ option where users can enter their email ID and get notified once the pre-order for the smartphone goes live.

Apple iPhone X is the biggest-ever overhaul to the iPhone lineup yet. Apple claims that the iPhone X has the sharpest display ever on an iPhone. Apple has now opted for an edge-to-edge OLED screen with Super Retina Display and more than 2 million pixels. With the home button/Touch ID sensor gone, Apple has now introduced a new biometric authentication feature – Face ID. As the name suggests, this feature scans your face to unlock the iPhone.

The iPhone X’s camera has a dual-lens 12-megapixel rear camera with dual optical image stabilization, consisting up of a wide-angle f/1.8 aperture lens, and a telephoto f/2.4 aperture lens. The 7-megapixel front camera supports Portrait mode and has auto image stabilization and exposure control. The phone run on iOS 11 out-of-the-box. The smartphone features a 5.8-inch OLED display bearing a resolution of 2436×1125 pixels. It is powered by an Apple A11 Bionic processor paired with 3GB of RAM. 

Reliance Retail will pose the biggest challenge to top e-commerce players Amazon and Flipkart next year due to its wider reach and tremendous penetration of telecom arm Jio, said an IT industry veteran. Consolidation would be the name of the game in e-commerce space next year, with small firms shutting shop, leaving fewer players in an environment of intense competition, former CFO of Infosys T V Mohandas Pai said.

“In e-commerce, the biggest threat to Amazon and Flipkart will be Reliance Retail because Reliance Jio (Reliance Industries Ltd’s telecom arm) is there all over India; they can easily connect to all the small, small retail stores and supply to them and improve their business dramatically,” he said. “Reliance Retail will be the biggest challenger to Flipkart, Amazon next year,” Pai told PTI.

“In retail, India will have three players — Amazon, Flipkart and Reliance. Reliance has a wider reach, more physical stores, better distribution and more money to invest in India than the other two.” V Balakrishnan, another former CFO of the Bengaluru- headquartered IT major, said telecom companies are in a sweet- spot because they are becoming like utility play but added that “they have to own the data”.

“Data and content become very important because telcos per se will become utilities. I think Reliance is making the right moves to own the data and own the content. That will give them strategic advantage in the market,” Balakrishnan said. Meanwhile, speaking on the Indian start-up scene in general, Pai said funding has become discerning, except for large companies to which big firms are pouring in money.

“There is keener competition for funding; investors are more cautious. But the investment is going on and startups are coming up,” he added. Pai said 2018 will be a better year for start-ups as the country’s economic growth would improve. “Next calendar year, start-ups will heat up again because many of them have done well and they are going to raise the next round of financing next year.”

“Next year will be good for start-ups. What is hot (in start-up space) is artificial intelligence, machine-learning, agri-tech and med-tech (life science and medical technologies),” he said. Balakrishnan said funding has become very selective in the start-up scene. “Earlier, all kinds of start-ups were funded. Now, unless you have a strong business idea, the funding environment has become challenging.”

“The start-up environment is good. They are all getting funded. Last year, some $8 billion funding in start-ups was received. B2B companies are the flavour of the market now. And a lot of funds have raised money. “Big boys (like Amazon, Flipkart and PayTm in e-commerce) will attract more capital. Smaller companies will struggle,” he said.

Xiaomi has today launched the Mi MIX 2 in India. Priced at Rs 35,999, the smartphone will go on first preview sale exclusively via Flipkart and mi.com on October 17. The sale will be conducted at 12:00PM to mark the special occasion of Dhanteras. However, starting November first week, the Mi MIX 2 will be available across Mi Homes and other offline partners along with Flipkart and mi.com.

Xiaomi has also announced that the Mi MIX 2 can be bought via zero-interest finance scheme across online as well as offline partners in India. Apart from that, Xiaomi has also launched Mi noise-cancelling earphones for USB Type-C users. The earphones are priced at Rs 2,999, and as Xiaomi puts it, they look exactly like the Mi earphones. The availability detail about them however are not known yet.

The talking point of the phone is its display. The smartphone flaunts a large 6-inch full HD+ IPS-LCD screen with a resolution of 1080×2160 pixels. Keeping up with the current trend, the Mi MIX 2 has an 18:9 screen aspect ratio, and a screen-to-body ratio of over 80 percent. 

In terms of specifications, the Mi MIX 2 is powered by a Snapdragon 835 64-bit octa-core SoC paired with Adreno 540 GPU, and 6GB of RAM. Also on offer is 128GB of internal storage.

For photography, the Mi MIX 2 features a 12-megapixel primary camera with Sony IMX386 sensor, and 4-axis optical image stabilization (OIS). Up front, there is a 5-megapixel camera with the Beautify mode, 1080p video calling feature, and a selfie countdown feature. 

On the software front, the Mi MIX 2 runs on Android Nougat out-of-the-box with Xiaomi’s MIUI 9 custom skin layered atop. Connectivity options include Bluetooth 5.0, and 4G VoLTE support. It is fueled by a 3,400mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support. There is no 3.5mm jack, although users will get a 3.5mm-to-Type C adapter in the box.

Calling it an amalgamation of art and technology, Xiaomi India launched Mi Mix 2 that will compete with Apple, Samsung and others in the premium segment smartphone category. Xiaomi, which is one of the most trusted brands in the country in the mid-segment smartphone market, said the device, priced at Rs 35,999, will be available at Flipkart and Mi.com from the first week of November.

Manu Jain, Global Vice President of Xiaomi and Managing Director of Xiaomi India, told reporters here that the company will organise the first preview sale on October 17 at noon.

“Mi Mix 2, that was launched in China on September 11, sold its first batch in flat 58 seconds,” said Jai Mani, Lead Product Manager at Xiaomi India. The device has 5.99-inch, full-screen, edge-to-edge display with 18:9 ratio for better visual experience, hidden custom-designed earpiece and ultrasonic proximity sensor. The chin size is also reduced considerably by Chip-on-film technology and also decreased the discreet front camera module when compared with the regular module used in smartphones.

The device has Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC processor, Adreno 540 GPU for gaming, 6GB RAM and 128GB on-board memory and 3,400mAh battery. Mi MIX 2 comes with dual-SIM connectivity and USB Type-C for charging and data sharing. “Mi Mix 2 brings Xiaomi into a new price segment in India and will compete with Samsung, Apple, Nokia, Oneplus and Oppo. The entry will make the premium segment even more competitive,” Tarun Pathak, Senior Analyst, Mobile Devices and Ecosystems at New Delhi-based Counterpoint Research, told IANS. 

The device houses 12MP rear camera with dual flash and four-axis Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) to reduce jerks while shooting a video when the camera is in motion, and houses Sony IMX386 sensor. The device with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 for protection has 43 connectivity band support that can work in 226 regions globally, the company said.

{BGR}

Since the iPhone trio’s launch last week, fans have been restless to finally get their hands on the device. While the wait for the iPhone X is longer, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are set to go on sale very soon. Though the global sale for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus start on September 22, in India, the pre-order will kick off the same day. However, what’s new this time is the fact that instead of the usual midnight sales, this year the phones will be available for buying starting at 6:00PM in India on September 29, ET reports.

As we reported earlier, in the online space, Flipkart will initially be selling the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus exclusively. Retailers like Brightstar, Rashi Peripherals, and Redington India will be selling the device in the offline market. Starting 12:00AM on September 22, customers will be able to place their pre-orders on Flipkart for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. Flipkart has also activated a ‘Notify Me’ button on its website, wherein, customers who register will receive a message when the sale of the phone begins. On the other hand, the sales are scheduled to begin on September 29 at 6:00PM as opposed to the midnight sales that happened the last two years.

In India, the iPhone 8 is priced at Rs 64,000 for the 64GB model, and Rs 77,000 for the 256GB model. The iPhone 8 Plus, on the other hand, is priced at Rs 73,000 for the 64GB variant, while the 256GB storage variant costs Rs 86,000, slightly less than the iPhone X’s 64GB variant, which is priced at Rs 89,000. The iPhone X 256GB variant is priced at Rs 102,000. 

Further, for the ones looking for offline purchase, Brightstar and Redington India will also start accepting pre-orders starting September 22, for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, with the iPhones being available starting September 29. 

Xiaomi has announced an interesting partnership today. In a Twitter post, Xiaomi’s Manu Kumar Jain announced the launch of a new fitness band in partnership with Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan’s lifestyle brand HRX. Called the Mi Band HRX Edition, the fitness band is priced at Rs 1,299.

#MiBandHRXEdition: will go live on @Flipkart @amazonIN @myntra starting 20 Sept. Preview sale @ #Curefit & #Cult gyms from 18-20 Sept. (6/6) pic.twitter.com/Tb3teaJzLI

— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) September 15, 2017

The new Xiaomi Mi Band will be available across Flipkart, Amazon India, Myntra and mi.com, as well as offline via Mi Home Stores. While the fitness band will go up on sale on Mi.com and Mi Stores starting September 18, it will be available across Flipkart, Amazon India, and Myntra from September 20. In addition to the band, Xiaomi is also offering a blue colour strap for Rs 299. Additionally, Jain’s Twitter post reveals a preview sale of the fitness band and Curefit and Cult gyms from September 18 to September 20.

Xiaomi Mi Band HRX Edition is believed to offer over 23 days of usage on a single charge. For connectivity it will feature Bluetooth 4.0, and an OLED display. The Mi Band offers features like monitoring steps, burnt calories, track sleep patterns, as well as display notifications including incoming calls or text messages. The fitness band also has an improved pedometer algorithm for improved tracking. 

There’s been quite a bit of buzz around Apple’s new iPhones since their unveiling. Apple has already revealed plans for the iPhone launch, and there will be little to no wait for us Indians the global roll out begins. Update: A Flipkart spokesperson has told BGR India, “Flipkart is the official online partner for iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus. and iPhone X. By virtue of being the official partners, Flipkart will be able to ensure that deliveries for customers buying on Flipkart will happen on September 29 itself. If you pre-book on any other portal, the wait period will be at least 2-3 days. Apart from delivery on the very day of release, customer buying on Flipkart will be eligible for all offers that Apple will announce for preorder of iPhone 8. Consumer buying on Flipkart will also have a differentiated delivery experience approved by Apple, that will not be possible if you pre-book on any other portal.”

All three iPhones will be exclusively available via e-commerce site Flipkart. Pre-orders for the new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus kick off on September 22, with sales starting from September 29. The more expensive iPhone X, on the other hand, will be up for pre-orders starting October 27. Shipments will kick off on November 3.

All three new iPhones will be available in two storage variants – 64GB and 256GB. The iPhone 8 variants are priced at Rs 64,000, and Rs 77,000, respectively. The iPhone 8 Plus variants are priced at Rs 73,000, and Rs 86,000, respectively. While the anniversary edition iPhone X variants are priced at Rs 89,000, and Rs 102,000 respectively. 

Both the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are incremental upgrades over last year’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. One big change however is the use of a glass body, which is necessary for the new wireless charging feature. The two new iPhones also get more power under the hood. Both are now powered by Apple’s new A11 Bionic SoC. This chipset with six-cores is said to be nearly 70 percent faster than the previous-generation chipset. The graphics performance too is about 30 percent better.

The anniversary edition Apple iPhone X however is the biggest-ever overhaul to the iPhone lineup yet. Gone are the thick bezels around the screen, and the home button. Apple has now opted for an edge-to-edge OLED screen with Super Retina Display. With the home button/Touch ID sensor gone, Apple has now introduced a new biometric authentication feature – Face ID. As the name suggests, this feature scans your face to unlock the iPhone. All three new iPhones run on iOS 11 out-of-the-box.