Facebook has made a huge bet on India by investing $5.7 billion (about Rs 43,574 crores) into Jio Platforms, the tech subsidiary of multinational conglomerate Reliance Industries. Jio variously operates broadband, mobile services, and online commerce platforms, and Facebook’s investment gives it around a 10 percent stake in the company, making it the largest minority shareholder.
Facebook’s primary footprint in India currently comes from its huge WhatsApp userbase; more than 400 million Indians use the messaging app, far more than any other country in the world. In a blog post bylined by chief revenue officer David Fischer and VP for India Ajit Mohan, the company says one of the goals of its investment is to tap into opportunities for small businesses, noting that “WhatsApp is so ingrained in Indian life that it has become a commonly used verb across many Indian languages and dialects.”
FACEBOOK AND JIO COULD BE BUILDING A ‘SUPER-APP’
JioMart is Reliance Retail’s offline-to-online initiative, which aims to link producers, traders, merchants, brands, and consumers through technology. The firm has been working on its new commerce plan for nearly two years. This will help Reliance create a strong rival to online e-commerce giants such as Amazon and further strengthen its leadership position in retail in India
“One focus of our collaboration with Jio will be creating new ways for people and businesses to operate more effectively in the growing digital economy,” Fischer and Mohan write. “For instance, by bringing together JioMart, Jio’s small business initiative, with the power of WhatsApp, we can enable people to connect with businesses, shop and ultimately purchase products in a seamless mobile experience.”
Last week India’s Economic Times reported that Facebook and Reliance were planning to leverage WhatsApp and Jio services to create a WeChat-style “super-app” for India. Tencent’s WeChat has massive penetration in China, with more than a billion users and many small businesses using it for payments, promotion, and communication.
WhatsApp’s reach in India is almost matched by Jio, which proved hugely disruptive in the market by offering heavily discounted 4G plans well before competitors. The company has “brought more than 388 million people online,” according to Facebook’s blog post. Facebook has attempted to get into providing internet access in India before, though its ill-conceived Free Basics program was ultimately banned for violating net neutrality.
“We are excited about furthering our investment in India’s vibrant digital economy,” Fischer and Mohan write. “Our efforts with Jio will be focused on opening new doors and fueling India’s economic growth and the prosperity of its people. We look forward to working with Jio, and to future collaborations in India to advance this vision.”
Facebook has made a huge bet on India by investing $5.7 billion (about Rs 43,574 crores) into Jio Platforms, the tech subsidiary of multinational conglomerate Reliance Industries. Jio variously operates broadband, mobile services, and online commerce platforms, and Facebook’s investment gives it around a 10 percent stake in the company, making it the largest minority shareholder.
Facebook’s primary footprint in India currently comes from its huge WhatsApp userbase; more than 400 million Indians use the messaging app, far more than any other country in the world. In a blog post bylined by chief revenue officer David Fischer and VP for India Ajit Mohan, the company says one of the goals of its investment is to tap into opportunities for small businesses, noting that “WhatsApp is so ingrained in Indian life that it has become a commonly used verb across many Indian languages and dialects.”
FACEBOOK AND JIO COULD BE BUILDING A ‘SUPER-APP’
JioMart is Reliance Retail’s offline-to-online initiative, which aims to link producers, traders, merchants, brands, and consumers through technology. The firm has been working on its new commerce plan for nearly two years. This will help Reliance create a strong rival to online e-commerce giants such as Amazon and further strengthen its leadership position in retail in India
“One focus of our collaboration with Jio will be creating new ways for people and businesses to operate more effectively in the growing digital economy,” Fischer and Mohan write. “For instance, by bringing together JioMart, Jio’s small business initiative, with the power of WhatsApp, we can enable people to connect with businesses, shop and ultimately purchase products in a seamless mobile experience.”
Last week India’s Economic Times reported that Facebook and Reliance were planning to leverage WhatsApp and Jio services to create a WeChat-style “super-app” for India. Tencent’s WeChat has massive penetration in China, with more than a billion users and many small businesses using it for payments, promotion, and communication.
WhatsApp’s reach in India is almost matched by Jio, which proved hugely disruptive in the market by offering heavily discounted 4G plans well before competitors. The company has “brought more than 388 million people online,” according to Facebook’s blog post. Facebook has attempted to get into providing internet access in India before, though its ill-conceived Free Basics program was ultimately banned for violating net neutrality.
“We are excited about furthering our investment in India’s vibrant digital economy,” Fischer and Mohan write. “Our efforts with Jio will be focused on opening new doors and fueling India’s economic growth and the prosperity of its people. We look forward to working with Jio, and to future collaborations in India to advance this vision.”
Joker which is released last year on October 2 will start streaming on online through OTT platforms with in 6 months of its release
Digital streaming giant Amazon Prime Video is all set to stream Joker, from this April 20,Joker Is Officially Rated-R for Bloody Violence and Disturbing Behavior
Joker, the film that got Joaquin Phoenix his first Oscar for Best Actor at the 76th Academy Awards. After Parasite and Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, this is the third Academy Award-winning title from 2020, that will stream on the OTT platform
Starring Joaquin Phoenix in the lead, Joker originally released on October 2 in India. It went on to become a box office hit, grossing over a billion dollars during its theatrical run — a first for an R-rated film in the US; it was certified “A” here in India — and ending up as the biggest DC movie of all time in India. Joker was also the most nominated film at the 2020 Oscars, though it only managed to pick up two awards: Phoenix for best actor, and Hildur Guðnadóttir for best original score. At the same time, Joker has been criticised for its portrayal of mental illness and handling of violence.
we hear that the Oscar award winning south Korean movie “PARASITE” is all set to stream on amazon prime video. Come March 27 you will be able to watch the movie from the confines of your home.
One of the most celebrated movies of 2019, “Parasite” created history by becoming the first South Korean film to win the best picture, director, screenplay and best international picture at Oscars 2020.
Directed and co-written by Bong Joon Ho’s, the film follows the lives of a poor family, the Kims as they con their way into becoming the servants of a rich family, the Parks. But their easy life gets complicated when their deception is on the verge of being exposed.
Xiaomi India has just confirmed that it is bringing its Mi branded flagship smartphone to the country after a long hiatus. The Mi 10, which launched in China back in February, will be making its way to India on March 31. It is, of course, the company’s latest flagship series and by the looks of the teaser, the company is only planning to bring the Mi 10 5G and not the Pro variant, which sort of makes sense.
The smartphone is pretty similar to the Mi 10 Pro, with a few differences. It is powered by the new Snapdragon 865 chipset and will be supporting 5G connectivity. It comes with a 6.67-inch 1080p AMOLED display the refresh rate of 90Hz. Xiaomi launched the phone with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.0 storage.
In terms of camera, the Mi 10 houses a 108-megapixel camera with a 1/1.33-inch sensor along with OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation), the second camera is a 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera with 123-degree FOV. The other cameras include a 2-megapixel macro sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The front camera of the device is 20-megapixels and is placed in the punch-hole cutout.
The battery is rated at 4,780mAh along with support for 30W fast wired and wireless charging. The brand has further included Wi-Fi 6 to make for overall faster download and upload speeds via Wi-Fi networks. It runs on the latest MIUI 11 based on Android 10.
The Mi 10 was launched in three variants in China including an 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant for CNY 3999 (Rs 41,000 approx), an 8GB RAM and 256GB storage variant priced at CNY 4299 (Rs 44,000 approx) and the top-end variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage priced at CNY 4699 (Rs 48,000 approx). Pricing is going to be crucial for Xiaomi as it will be competing with the likes of OnePlus, iQoo and Realme.
Xiaomi has announced the Mi 9 Pro 5G smartphone at an event in China. The Mi 9 Pro 5G will be a 5G ready version of the Mi 9 flagship smartphone. The phone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ SoC and has triple rear camera support, 40W fast charging, and MIUI 11 proprietary OS. The Mi 9 Pro 5G price starts at Rs. 37,000 approx. for the base 8 GB + 128 GB model, the8GB + 256GB variant is priced at Rs 38,000 approx., the 12GB + 256GB variant is priced at Rs 41100 approx., the 12GB + 512GB variant is priced at Rs 43,100. The Chinese smartphone maker will be offering its 30W wireless charger with Qi-standard support along with the device for just Rs. 2,000. The Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G smartphone has a primary 48 MP primary sensor with f/1.8 aperture, a second 12 MP camera with f/2.2 aperture, a third 16 MP sensor with f/2.2 aperture. The camera comes with features like Dual-LED flash, HDR, and panorama shot. It has a 20 MP front camera.
The Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G smartphone features a dual-SIM (Nano) and runs on MIUI 11. The phone will receive an OTA update to get full support for MIUI 11. It has a 6.39-inch full-HD+ display with 1080 x 2340 pixels resolution and a waterdrop-style notch with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. Xiaomi has added a vapour chamber (VC) cooling so that the smartphone’s CPU remains cool while running performance-intensive tasks. The phone is backed by a 4,000mAh battery with support for 40W fast charging. The company claims that it will take only 48 minutes to reach 100 percent battery charge on a wired 40W charger.
Xiaomi Mi 9 series has been launched in India. The Xiaomi Mi 9 is powered by a 2.84GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor and runs Android 9.0. It supports wireless charging, as well as proprietary fast charging.
Design
The Mi 9 Pro 5G smartphone has a 6.39 inch Super AMOLED display with 85.5% screen to body ratio and a waterdrop style notch. The phone has slim bezels and high screen-to-body ratio. The Mi 9 Pro 5G is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 6. The display resolution is 1080 x 2340 pixels, with 19.5:9 ratio and a pixel density of 403 ppi. The device has sleek dimensions of 157.2 x 74.6 x 8.5 mm and weighs 196 grams.
Camera
The Xiaomi phone has a triple rear camera setup with a 48MP primary sensor, assisted by a 12MP telephoto lens, and a 16MP ultra-wide-angle lens. The phone has a 20MP front selfie camera as well. The camera is the same as Mi 9 and comes with a 48MP f/1.75 main shooter, a 12MP f/2.2 telephoto camera, and a 16MP f/2.2 wide-angle camera. On the front, you will get a 20MP f/2.0 selfie camera.
Performance
The phone has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ processor with 8 GB of RAM. Mi 9 Pro has a new haptic motor that will deliver stronger vibration feedback. In addition, the phone has a revised cooling module that will have 5 graphite layers, which will be capable of reducing CPU temperatures by up to 10°C. It runs on Android 10 based company’s proprietory MIUI OS.
Connectivity
Connectivity options included in the phone are Bluetooth, USB, WiFi, 3G, 4G, and 5G.
Storage and Battery
The phone has 128GB of internal storage expandable via a microSD card slot. The device supports fast charging technology and wireless charging. The phone has a 4,000 mAh battery with support for 30W wireless charging. The company claims that the phone will only take 48 minutes to reach a 100 percent charge on a wired 40W charger or 69 minutes to reach a 100 percent charge on a wireless 30W charger.
The Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro has been launched in 128GB/ 8GB RAM, 256GB / 8GB RAM, 256GB / 12GB RAM, and 512GB / 12GB RAM variants.
Configuration
The smartphone is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ SoC, which is paired with up to 12GB of RAM. Xiaomi has added vapour chamber (VC) cooling on the phone which the company says will keep the phones CPU cool, even while performing intensive tasks.
Samsung’s latest budget segment smartphone, the Galaxy M21, has been launched in India finally. The smartphone comes after weeks of leaks and teasers, with the company now making it available for purchase to buyers in the country.
The Galaxy M21 was launched silently by the company, with the phone maker announcing the smartphone in as many as two RAM and storage variants. Both the variants, however, bring with them the same promise of great battery life and camera performance at a competitive price.
Here’s what the Galaxy M21 brings to the table when it comes to features and specs.
Samsung Galaxy M21: Specifications
Display: 6.4″ FHD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-U
Chipset: Exynos 9611 SoC
RAM: Available in either 4GB of 6GB configuration
Storage: Two configurations available, with the base variant coming with 64GB storage, while the higher one bringing 128GB of storage with itself.
Rear cameras: Triple camera set-up with a primary 48-megapixel lens sat next to a 8-megapixel secondary and a 5-megapixel third lens.
Front camera: At the front, the Galaxy M21 brings a 20-megapixel selfie camera
Battery: The phone comes powered by a 6000mAh battery with 15W fast charging.
Operating system: The phone comes running Samsung’s One UI 2 software
Samsung Galaxy M21: Features
Arguably the biggest highlight of the Galaxy M21 is the device’s big battery and it’s camera 48-megapixel lens-based camera set-up. The phone’s display too is something that the company is focusing on, with Samsung equipping the Galaxy M21 with a 6.4-inch Infinity U display.
However, it’s not only with the hardware that Samsung is attempting to woo the buyers. With the M21, the company has also rolled out some nifty little software tricks that it hopes will be of interest to those interested in the phone.
As such, it comes with the option of customization of chat by setting up two accounts for the same messenger for different purposes. Users can install and easily manage the second messenger account simultaneously from the home screen and settings menu.
Samsung Galaxy M21: Price and availability
The Galaxy M21 will come in two memory variants, 4/64GB and 6/128GB and will be available for purchase through Amazon.in, Samsung.com and select retail stores from March 23.
The company has also announced that the device will be available at an aggressive price point, with the Galaxy M21 announced to go on sale at Rs 12,999 for the 4/64GB memory variant. The price for the higher variant remains undisclosed.
Vivo’s independent brand IQOO has debuted in India and launched their first phone in mumbai. The first phone of that company is IQOO 3 and it is 5G compaitable. It’s specifications are: latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor, and it is packed with 4400mah battery with 55W fast charge and the main factor is, it comes with a 48MP quad camera set-up at the rare. The good factor in this is this phone will be available in 4G and 5G variant. It has SUPER AMOLED screen which is called Polar View Display having a front camera which is smallest in the segment which gives futuristic look and ultimate gaming experience.
specifications:
Camera : 48MP quadcare rare camera + 16MP front camera
Display : AMOLED DISLPAY
Battery Capacity : 4440mAh
OS : Android 10
Resolution : 1080×2400 pixels
Display : 6.44-inch
Processor : Qualcomm snapdragon
IQOO3 4G Variants:
8GB RAM + 128GB of storage : Rs. 36,990
8GB RAM + 256 of storage : Rs. 39,990
IQQ3 5G Variant:
12GB RAM + 256 of storage : Rs. 44,990
This phone will be available on Flipkart and iqoo.com from 12 noon on March 4.
We’ve already seen a bunch of new smartphones ever since 2020 begun, but there are a whole lot of new ones are on their way. Exciting times are ahead of us as India will see its first 5G smart phones as well as the two folding folding smartphones. Even though the relevance of 5G in India is debatable at least in the near future, let us go with it for a movement. so it’s time to save money and free up the credit limit on your credit cards.
Techanary 