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Tech NewsWrap: OnePlus Nord 2 Pac-Man edition launched… and more

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OnePlus Nord 2 Pac-Man edition launched

OnePlus has launched a special edition of its mid-range flagship smartphone Nord 2, called OnePlus Nord 2 Pac-Man Edition. The OnePlus Nord 2 Pac-Man also comes with a translucent themed case featuring with the Pac-Man character alongside ghostly antagonists Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde. The newly launched phone is priced at Rs 37,999 in India for the sole 12GB + 256GB variant and will be available for purchase in India starting November 16, 2021.

Infinix Note 11i with triple cameras launched

Infinix Note 11i has been unveiled in the global market at a budget range. Key features of the newly launched device include a triple rear camera unit highlighted by 48-mepaixel primary sensor and two 2-megapixel auxiliary support lenses. The handset comes with a 5,000mAh battery with support for 18 W charging. The smartphone is priced at around $160 (roughly Rs 11,900). The budget smartphone comes in three shades – Green, Black, and Blue.

iQOO Z5 5G Cyber Grid edition launched

iQOO Z5, which was launched in September this year, is getting a new finish called ‘Cyber Grid’ in India. The handset debuted in three color options in China — Blue Origin, Dream Space, and Twilight Morning. However, it arrived in two shades in India: Arctic Dawn and Mystic Space. The third Dream Space color variant has now been unveiled as Cyber Grid in the country. Key specifications of iQOO Z5 include a 120Hz refresh rate, Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G chipset, a triple rear camera setup, and a 5,000mAh battery with 44W flash charge support.

Motorola Edge X tipped to arrive with Snapdragon 898 SoC

Motorola is all set to launch a new flagship phone. After the Edge 20 series, it is now gearing to launch the Motorola Edge X which would also be called Moto Edge 30 Ultra in some parts of the world. Ahead of the launch, the key specifications of the Motorola Edge X has been leaked online. The handset is expected to come with Snapdragon 898 SoC, 12GB RAM and a 144Hz display. As per the reports, it will be priced at around Rs 60,000 in India.

Also Read: PokerBaazi.com promises 30 lakhpatis in 3 weeks with ‘Rs 10 mein 10 Lakhpati’ tournament

PokerBaazi.com promises 30 lakhpatis in 3 weeks with ‘Rs 10 mein 10 Lakhpati’ tournament

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PokerBaazi.com today announced the commencement of ‘Rs 10 mein 10 Lakhpati’ online poker championship. This one-of-a-kind championship spanning over three weeks will be conducted between November 15, 2021 – December 5, 2021. Each tournament in the championship will run for a week from Monday to Sunday and eventually result in rewarding 30 Lakhpatis by the end of the full season.

Online Poker has been gaining popularity day after day and this tournament comes at the back of a successful culmination of PokerBaazi.com hosted EndBoss. With more than 3 million online poker players in India and the online poker industry presently growing at 35-40% year on year according to estimates by KPMG, ‘Rs 10 mein 10 Lakhpati’ is an attempt to carry forward the momentum and stimulate the popularity of the sport.

Also Read | PokerBaazi.com concludes 2021 edition of India’s biggest poker tournament EndBoss

Navkiran Singh, Founder & CEO at Baazi Games said, “After the immense participation that we witnessed in EndBoss, I am certain that this championship will only up the ante. The poker landscape of India is becoming stronger year on year, and I am glad that PokerBaazi.com has a role to play in it. With ‘Rs 10 mein 10 Lakhpati we want to attract newer talent to the platform and ensure that we keep unearthing the next generation of poker stars of India.”

The championship aims to take a step towards creating an eco-system of budding poker players and with a minimal buy-in cost of Rs 10, it provides an opportunity to the participants not only to win Rs 1 lac but also hone one’s poker skills in a win-win scenario.

As per the tournament format, three qualifiers will run daily from Monday to Saturday at 2:00 PM, 6:00 PM & 9:00 PM, giving the competitors 18 chances to qualify for the final on Sunday at 8:00 PM. Every week 10 winners will take home Rs 1 lac, with the 11th place winner getting a OnePlus Nord. Further, users can deposit just Rs 100 to get a free ticket and PokerBaazi.com’s social pages will give away 500 tickets daily through contests.

Also Read: TCL 8K OD Zero Mini LED TV, Smart Home Appliance receives CES 2022 Innovation Awards

TCL 8K OD Zero Mini LED TV, Smart Home Appliance receives CES 2022 Innovation Awards

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TCL Electronics today announced that two TCL products have been named as CES 2022 Innovation Awards Honorees, with TCL’s 8K OD Zero Mini LED TV – the X9 (X925 PRO) – winning the prestigious “Best of Innovation” and Sweeva 6500 robot vacuum cleaner winning the Innovation Awards honoree.

“TCL is honored that two of our products have been recognized as CES 2022 Innovation Awards Honorees and we thank the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) for this recognition. This accolade is a testament to our continuous effort to push beyond boundaries of innovation and inspire greatness. We aim to always bring the best possible technology to our consumers and we look forward to meeting you at CES 2022 next January,” says Shaoyong Zhang, CEO of TCL Electronics.

The X9 (X925 PRO) is the first TV featuring TCL’s latest generation Mini LED backlight, OD Zero display technology. The 85-inch Mini LED-powered TV delivers revolutionary imagery performance, ultra-thin design, and immersive audio combined with the personalized experience of Google TV.

Also Read | TCL celebrates 40th anniversary across the world

The TCL X9 (X925 PRO) features exceptional 8K display resolution with over 33 million pixels for brilliant clarity that is four times the sharpness of 4K TVs. In addition to impressive display performance, the TCL X9 (X925 PRO) delivers a room-defining listening experience featuring powerful Onkyo-tuned drivers to create a premium soundstage with Dolby Atmos 3D audio processing for sound that surrounds.

Meanwhile, the CES Innovation Awards honoree Sweeva 6500, is TCL’s flagship robot vacuum cleaner. It uses LiDAR navigation technology to map your entire home and clean in tight rows, ensuring it never misses a spot. Featuring UVC LED technology, it sterilizes your floor as it sweeps, killing bacteria and viruses to add another shield of protection.

Also Read: Paytm Money launches AI powered ‘Voice Trading’ service

Paytm Money launches AI powered ‘Voice Trading’ service

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Paytm today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Paytm Money has launched Voice Trading. It allows users to place a trade or get information about stocks via a single voice command. This service has been launched in line with Paytm Money’s efforts to offer next-gen and AI driven tech to elevate user experience.

In the age of digital trading, there are movements in a matter of seconds, and the speed of order placement and execution are of prime importance. From searching the stock, to entering specific price and quantity, means that users on average tap the screen multiple times per trade to get desired outcomes.

Paytm Money’s R&D team leveraged its experience in disruptive tech to specifically solve this problem with Voice Trading. The feature enables a single voice command with the use of Neural Networks and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to allow instant processing. With the advent of 5G, smart devices and a hyper-connected world, the way we live and transact will change, voice based transactions will slowly become mainstream and this is the first step to embrace the power of Video/Audio.

Also Read | Paytm Money rolls out feature to apply for IPOs even before they open

Varun Sridhar, CEO of Paytm Money said, “At Paytm Money, our focus has always been to elevate user experience and be the first to leverage technology to make investing faster, cheaper and easier. With a mobile-first and interconnected world of devices and the much awaited launch of 5G, the Voice Trading feature enables users to skip the usual 5 to 6 step process of trade in a dynamic environment with simple voice commands. We believe that this will improve user experience over time and will bring more convenience to tech-savvy investors. We are doing a lot of R&D on newer technologies and this is one of the first products to be launched.”

Voice Trading is currently being rolled out in Beta to select users and will be available to all users over the next weeks.

Also Read: Origo to increase farmers’ income by approx. 30 crore with e-Mandi

Origo to increase farmers’ income by approx. 30 crore with e-Mandi

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India’s fastest growing agri-fintech platform Origo, through its platform e-Mandi has set up eight farmer procurement centers (FPCs) and has enrolled on private mandi to provide a national market to the farmers. e-Mandi’s digital platform will be operating these FPCs and private mandi which will provide access to the national market with buyers across commodities and across the country registered with e-Mandi.

e-Mandi will also be signing MOUs with twenty farmer producer organizations (FPOs) so that farmers working with FPOs can access the services offered at the Private Mandi and also enrol the farmers and FPOs on the digital platform for services and national market access.

Through e-Mandi, an organized system of procurement and warehousing, offering a price discovery platform, will further enhance the farmer’s income generation by Rs 1,000 per month, which in some cases could enhance their net income by up to 20%.

Origo aims to facilitate procurement and income generation by setting up FPCs and FPOs across four states in India. The platform intends to impact around 25,000 farming families by enabling easy storage and trading of agricultural commodities, including soybean, wheat, mustard seed, pulses, bajra, and groundnut.

Redefining the sector, Origo plans to procure around 3,00,000 MT of agri-commodities this year. Leveraging its digital auction platform, e-Mandi, Origo facilitates better price discovery and seamless commodities trading while offering forward (to sell) and reverse (to buy) auction services. By enabling end-to-end supply chain solutions, the platform aims to enhance income and liquidity among the producers and other agri-stakeholders.

Sunoor Kaul, Co-Founder, Origo Commodities said, “Our e-Mandi platform has seen vast traction from agri-stakeholders due to its seamless trading and transactional processes. The newest addition of farmer procurement centers and producer organizations will further ease agricultural processes and increase farmers’ income. At Origo, our focus has always been to bolster the efficacy of the Indian agricultural sector, and we are confident that our new venture will add more liquidity to the industry.”

Also Read: Indian esports team sponsored by MPL Sports Foundation and Power

Indian esports team sponsored by MPL Sports Foundation and Power

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In a major boost for the esports ecosystem in India, MPL Sports Foundation and the international sport wear brand from Bata, Power has joined hands with Esports Federation of India (ESFI) to support the Indian Team participating in the finals of the 13th Esports World Championship in Israel.

Competing for national pride and a prize pool of USD 50,000, the multi-game event will feature four official games titles including DOTA 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Tekken 7 and eFootball 2022 and one promoted title, Audition. The Championship starting from November 16-20 will see a seven member Indian team competing in three gaming categories.

  • Team India for CS:GO is a five member team comprising of skipper Ritesh Sarda, Shuvajyoti Chakraborty, Anshul Adarkar, Hrishikesh Shenoy and Ninad Sonare
  • Tekken 7 athlete Hitesh Khorwal aka rcool
  • PES 2021 – Hemanth Kommu aka peshemak7

Vinod Kumar Tiwari, President, Esports Federation of India said, “We are pleased to have MPL Sports Foundation and Power as title sponsor and sneaker partner respectively for our gamers who are participating in a prestigious tournament like the World Championship. It is a very heartening and encouraging to see these gamers with diverse backgrounds representing India at the biggest stage in the world and I hope we will be able to win medals and bring glory for the country.”

Following a series of regional qualification rounds including the South Asian as well as the Asia qualifiers; 7 countries from Asia have advance to the World stage. The Asian nations competing at 13th IESF Esports World Championship are Republic of Korea, Mongolia, India, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

“Our aim with the MPL Sports Foundation is to democratise opportunities in esports and make it more accessible to our vastly talented youth. In line with this commitment, we are honoured to partner with the Esports Federation of India (ESFI) to support our athletes who will represent India at the 13th Esports World Championship. We hope that this is the beginning of along-standing partnership with ESFI which has been doing stellar work in building and developing the esports ecosystem in India,” said Sai Srinivas, Trustee, MPL Sports Foundation.

Also Read | MPL partners with Voodoo to launch popular gaming titles Helix Jump & Color Road

Being one of the first non-virtual Esports events since the pandemic, the Israeli city of Eilat is set to play host as it welcomes 500 Esports athletes from 85 nations travelling for the illustrious fixture.

“As a consumer centric brand, Bata has always focused on the emerging and popular trends among the youth. The growth story of esports in India, augmented by the boom induced in the last 2 years, has been very intriguing. Today, youth is a large part of any successful brand’s journey and this platform is a great way to engage with them. We are excited to have partnered with the Esports Federation of India as sponsors for the upcoming 13th Esports World Championship happening in Israel that caters to and engages hugely with this segment. We look forward to this collaboration as we move ahead in this partnership to promote esports amidst the Indian sport fan base. We look forward to this collaboration as we increase our sneaker portfolio with brands like Power & North Star relevant for the youth,” said Gunjan Shah, MD & CEO, Bata.

The broadcast schedule for the competition can be found on the IESF World Championship official website and social media channels, while the broadcast will be streamed live on IESF’s Twitch channel, as well as its official website.

India’s one of the top Esports and sports-specialised PR firms Artsmith- Concepts & Visions has extended its support to the Esports Federation of India as their communication partner for the prestigious Esports World Championship.

Also Read: Samsung launches Galaxy A32 8GB variant with RAM Plus feature

Samsung launches Galaxy A32 8GB variant with RAM Plus feature

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South Korean tech giant Samsung today announced the launch of the 8GB storage variant of Galaxy A32 that comes with RAM Plus feature for enhanced multitasking.

With RAM Plus, you can use the internal storage of your smartphone as virtual memory for better performance. The intelligent memory expansion provides 4GB additional virtual RAM, expanding Galaxy A32’s 8GB memory to 12GB. This allows you to open more apps at a go and reduce the launch time of apps, enhancing the multitasking experience.

Galaxy A32 comes with 64MP quad rear camera that enables you to capture crisp and clear photos along with 20MP front camera for eye-catching selfies in high clarity. Galaxy A32 has 6.4-inch FHD+ sAMOLED Infinity-U screen with 90Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling, browsing and gaming. The display supports up to 800 nits peak brightness for clarity even in bright sunlight. Galaxy A32 delivers big on performance with its advanced Octa-Core Mediatek Helio G80 processor. It packs 5,000mAh battery and comes with 15W adaptive fast charging.

Price and Availability

Galaxy A32 8GB+128GB is priced at INR 23,499 and is available across retail stores, Samsung.com and leading online portals. It is available in three eye-catching colours – Awesome Black, Awesome Blue, and Awesome Violet.

Also Read: Krafton removes 25 lakh accounts to eradicate cheating in BGMI

Krafton removes 25 lakh accounts to eradicate cheating in BGMI

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Staying true to its zero-tolerance policy towards cheaters, the South Korean video gaming giant Krafton Inc., has removed 25 lakh accounts in just over a month to eradicate cheating on Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI).

Krafton is constantly taking major efforts to eradicate cheating and cheaters on BGMI. In line with its efforts, Krafton now has cleaned out most of the cheaters in the game, making BGMI a much more fun experience, and will continue to take whatever step is necessary to keep BGMI fair and fun. Some of the steps undertaken by Krafton in that direction include:

  • A more powerful cheat detection and banning mechanism, which allowed the system to follow cheaters in real time and ban users who used unlawful methods.
  • Permabans, which replaced all interim bans with permanent bans, leaving no possibility for a second chance.
  • Manual verification and banning of accounts that use or promote illegal programs among high-rankers. The team is monitoring such accounts in real time and banning them permanently if any illegal programme is traced.
  • Real time monitoring of YouTube for any channels that promote illegal programs and blocking the channels immediately and if any cases are found.

Also Read | MediaTek, Jio’s ‘Gaming Masters 2.0’ starts with BGMI on JioGames

Since the last announcement, between October 1 and November 10, Krafton has banned 25,19,692 accounts permanently and 7,06,319 accounts temporarily.

Also Read: Oppo holds 4th position in Q3 global rankings steadily

Oppo holds 4th position in Q3 global rankings steadily

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The leading smart device brand Oppo holds its position as the world’s fourth-largest smartphone brand as of Q3 2021. According to Canalys, there has been remarkable growth in Europe and other emerging markets for Oppo.

Europe

Europe has become a new spearhead for Oppo in the global market. The company was ranked top five in market share in 14 European countries and regions during this quarter, maintaining its 4th position with a YoY growth of 45%. Oppo also witnessed a remarkable growth rate of 237% in Germany. Following its entry into the European market in 2018, Oppo not only continues to actively invest in R&D but also constantly introduces new products based on specific markets and consumer needs to better serve the local market.

Oppo Europe Ranking

The entirety of Western Europe recorded a growth rate of 49%, built on the excellent performance in Switzerland (+370% YoY), Portugal (+210% YoY), and Netherlands (+109% YoY). The whole region of Central and Eastern Europe recorded a growth rate of 35%. And Oppo ranked the top three in market share in Poland, Ukraine, and Romania in Q3. Noteworthily, Oppo has ranked top five in Hungary and Slovakia in less than half a year.

Also Read | Oppo India partners with Invest India to innovate tech-startups in India

Emerging Markets

Oppo extended its solid performance in Latin America in Q3 2021. Mexico continues to be a critical driving force in the region, with a YoY rise of 377%. In South Africa, Oppo ascended to 3rd place with a whopping 293% YoY growth. Notably, the sales volume in Turkey climbed to the top three in market share for the first time with a growth rate of 60%.

China

Oppo China Ranking

China’s smartphone market shipments picked up in Q3 2021 compared to the previous quarter. As a long-term player in the Chinese smartphone market, Oppo remained in the 2nd position this quarter. The Reno6 series perfectly addresses the needs of today’s young generation with its elegant design, imaging technology, and other high-end features. It has been an essential contributor to the steady growth of Oppo’s shipments.

APAC

Oppo APAC Ranking

Oppo has maintained its supereminent position in APAC, ranking 4th in the region, and the company has climbed to second place in Southeast Asia. In the Philippines market, Oppo rose from the top five to 2nd place, boosted ranking to 1st position in the Cambodia market, and secured 2nd place in the Vietnam market. Furthermore, Oppo ranked top three in Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, Myanmar, and Malaysia in Q3. Oppo Reno6 Pro is ranked as the No.1 smartphone on Lazada Malaysia under the segment of RM2,500 to RM3,500 smartphone in August.

India

Oppo India Rankings

The market demand for smartphones continues to heat up in India. During this quarter, Oppo has opened its Camera Innovation Lab at its Hyderabad R&D center to further push the boundaries in innovative imaging technology. Oppo has integrated its advantages in product innovation, channel layout, and after-sales services to actively capture the market, ranking in the top five with an 11% share during this quarter.

Also Read: Itel Vision 2S Review: A budget-friendly phone with smart features

Itel Vision 2S Review: A budget-friendly phone with smart features

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Itel has recently launched its new entry-level budget smartphone under its flagship Vision series – Itel Vision 2S – in the Indian market. It is an upgraded version of Itel Vision 2. The design of the phone is good and its big battery has been claimed to provide better backup. I got the review unit of Itel Vision 2S and used it for a month. Today, I am here to tell you whether the phone is really worth your money and whether you should buy it or not. Let’s know.

What’s in the box?

Removing the box of Itel Vision 2S, we are greeted with a section which include some contents like – Warranty Card, One Time Screen Replacement Card where users can avail of free one-time screen replacement of a broken screen within 100 days of purchase without paying any service charge. Then, there are some documentations and a protective case. We further have the device itself and the first impression is that it looks attractive and good. The color that I have with me is Deep Blue. Just underneath that we have the user manual which nobody reads, a USB cable and a 5W adaptor which I think is going to take a long time to charge.

Design

At first sight, you will not find Itel Vision 2S to be an entry level phone as it looks great. However, it is quite bulky and difficult to operate with one hand. The phone has a plastic body and a stripe down has been given on the back panel below the triple rear camera with a brand name. A fingerprint sensor has also been given at the back of the phone. On the right side, there are power and volume buttons. There is a micro USB port on the bottom and the headphone jack on the top.

itel vison 2s Design

Besides, the back cover will need to be removed to insert the SIM card and memory card. There are separate slots for memory card and SIM card. On the back panel, there is a dual rear camera setup in one corner along with a flashlight. I got the Deep Blue color model for the review. But, the handset is available in two other gradient tones as well – Gradation Purple and Gradation Blue.

Display

Itel Vision 2 S Display

The Itel Vision 2S has a 6.52-inch touchscreen display with a pixel resolution of 720×1600. Its aspect ratio is 20:9. There is 2.5D curved glass on the display. To be honest, my viewing experience on the phone was pretty good. I even checked the video quality on the phone by downloading different OTT apps and watched full HD videos of YouTube. I did have some problem in sunlight, but we mostly live at home or office; therefore it can be ignored. The touch and scrolling is good as well. Overall, for its price, you get a good display. If you are fond of watching videos on the phone, then you are sure to like the display of Itel Vision 2S.

Processor

Itel Vision 2S is supported by Octa-core Unisoc SC9863A processor. The phone has 2GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. These are the basic hardware specifications. The performance of this device is basic. While using the phone, I got a hang issue in multitasking. However, it was not much. But, the phone will only run smooth if you use only three to four apps at the same time, which is a big drawback.

Talking about its interface, it is quite clean. It doesn’t have too many pre-loaded apps. By swiping up the screen of the phone, you will be able to access the apps that you see by scrolling up and down. The Android 11 (Go Edition) has been given in the device. It provides satisfactory performance in daily tasks as well as low level gaming.

Also Read | iQOO Z5 Review: Good at everything and superb in gaming

Camera

Talking about the camera segment, the Itel Vision 2S has a dual camera setup with an 8-megpaixel main sensor and an accompanying VGA sensor, which is fine for basic photography. To be straight, the camera of the phone is not very good but you can definitely take basic photos.

The smartphone also comes with a 5-megapixel selfie camera inside the waterdrop-style notch. You will be able to click photos well in daylight on all modes, but you might not get good results when taking photos in low light. Colors are a little less in the photo, but according to the price, they will be called good. Coming to the phone’s camera features, it has been given Photo, Portrait, Video, Pano, Short Video, Low Light, HDR and Pro Mode.

Battery

Now on to the battery, which brings Itel Vision 2S’s strong point. The device boasts a 5,000mAh battery, which I must say is quite good according to the budget range. On a single charge, the phone can run up to two days for a typical user.

Now, talking about the charging of the phone, I am not very satisfied with this segment. The handset comes with a 5W charger which is a letdown. After putting the phone on charging for 20 minutes, its battery was charged only 15% to 20% percent. It took me about more than 1 hour to fully charge the phone, which is too long.

Price

The Itel Vision 2S is priced in India at Rs 6,999 for the lone 2GB RAM + 32GB storage option. If your budget is less and to perform regular essential tasks, you can buy this phone without a second thought.

Final Verdict

Owing to its good look, big display and massive battery, the Itel Vision 2S stand out in the market. However, the camera and performance is a bit letdown. But when you weigh the phone against its price, all these shortcomings don’t seem to be a problem. Overall, if you want a budget-friendly phone to carry out your essential regular work, then Itel Vision 2S is definitely a better choice.

Also Read: MediaTek, Jio’s ‘Gaming Masters 2.0’ starts with BGMI on JioGames