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Telegram launches year-end update with special features like Reactions, Message Translation and more

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Team My Mobile
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Telegram Messenger introduced some special features for users before the year 2021 comes to an end. In its 12th major update this year, the app brings reactions, message translation, themed QR codes, hidden text (spoilers) as the key features. This overall enhances user chat experience on the platform along with expanding more engaging ways to interact with different audiences.

Reactions

Telegram pioneered the Animated and Interactive emojis feature on its messaging platform, providing users unparalleled ways to express themselves in chats. Now users can react to a specific message with these emojis without even sending a new message. Each reaction appears with its own unique animation.

Users can change the default reaction to another emoji in Settings. Android: Chat Settings > Quick Reaction. iOS: Stickers and Emoji > Quick Reaction.

Reactions are always on in private chats. In groups and channels, the admins decide whether to turn on reactions and choose which reaction emoji are available in the chat. Admins can control reactions via their group or channel’s Info Page > Edit > Reactions.

Message Translation

Over half a billion people around the world use Telegram not only to stay in touch with friends, but also to chat in public groups and view content from channels – in every language imaginable. Now users can translate any message into another language, right in the app. Translation feature is available on all Android devices that supports Telegram, however required iOS 15+ version on the Apple devices. The number of supported languages is equivalent to the languages available on the OS (operating System).

Enabling Translation in Settings > Language adds a dedicated Translate button to the context menu when selecting a message. You can also exclude any languages you speak fluently – which will hide the translate button for those messages.

Also Read | Telegram rolls out Protected Content and Delete by Date as key features

Spoilers

To make user chat experience interesting and fun, Telegram introduced Spoiler Messages where a user can hide a certain portion of the text with the help of ‘Spoiler’ formatting. This applies to the chat list and notifications, as well. Once the recipient tap the message, if they want to, the hidden text will be revealed.

Themed QR Codes

Now Telegram users can generate QR codes for any users that have a public username. This also works for groups, channels and bots. This makes it easy and attractive to showcase someone’s profile in a quick manner.

Users can Tap the new QR code icon next to the username of a person (or from a chat’s info page), choose the colours and pattern that fit best, then print, post or share their QR codes to other apps and platforms.

New Menus for macOS

Telegram redesigned all the context menus in Telegram for macOS – adding some new shortcut hints and introducing beautifully animated icons for every single menu item in the app.

More Interactive Emoji to end the year with

Animators at Telegram also added new interactive versions of emojis. Users can send any of them in 1-on-1 chats, then they need to tap to unleash a full-screen effect of the same.

Also Read: Audio is playing a key role in consumer lives across content types, says Dolby’s Ashim Mathur

Audio is playing a key role in consumer lives across content types, says Dolby’s Ashim Mathur

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Team My Mobile
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Ever since the transition to a homebound economy, smartphones have increasingly become an integral part of an individual’s everyday lifestyle. As per a new study by CyberMedia Research, Indian consumers are now prioritizing audio quality as a key smartphone purchase driver. The study – aimed at understanding how consumers are consuming content – underlined the importance given to audio quality and what users seek while purchasing their next smartphone. The findings showcased that 69% smartphone users seek enhanced audio experience on smartphones. The study also established that for smartphone users in India, Dolby Atmos is essential for an enhanced and immersive audio experience. In this regard, Ramesh Kumar Raja talks to Ashim Mathur, Senior Regional Director, Japan & Emerging Markets, Dolby Laboratories, to discuss the current audio consumption pattern in the new normal and how Dolby is enhancing and elevating the experience for smartphone users through Dolby Atmos, whether in terms of music, episodic content, gaming etc. Excerpts:

Why is audio becoming so important for a smartphone user? What factors are driving this trend?

In these times of a homebound work, there is an exponential rise in online video content consumption by the masses thereby creating a significant demand for richer smartphone audio quality that consumers do not want to compromise on.

To understand this changing consumer sentiment, Cyber Media Research (CMR), a leading research and consulting firm, conducted the study titled, “What Audio Means for Smartphone Users?”. The study reveals consumer insights on audio for smartphones and consumer preference for quality audio experiences. Consumers are more tuned into ‘audio quality’, possibly driven by long hours spent alone in a homebound economy. In doing so, they are also seeking better, immersive experiences whenever and wherever they go and across use cases.

What are the most preferred content forms driving people to take the audio quality seriously while purchasing a smartphone?

After a year and more of social distancing, audio consumption trends have further intensified. The consumer relationship with audio is constantly evolving. Audio is playing a key role in consumer lives across content types – episodic shows, music, movies, live sports, or mobile gaming. According to the CMR study, movies (86%), music (82%), user-generated content (68%) are the three most-preferred content forms for consumers on their smartphones. Beyond movies and music, consumers consume audio across specific use contexts, including Live TV (75%), Gaming (68%), and watching sports (58%) amongst others. Long-form content consumption is on the rise. There has been a 67% increase in consumers watching longer content online (>2 hours) than a year ago. In 2021, consumers made a leap from freemium to premium on OTT platforms. There is 9% rise in paid subscription over last year.

Which age group is more inclined towards the smartphone audio quality?

The study reveals that across the board- digital natives (18-24 years), digital dependents (25-30 years), or digital laggards (31-40 years), smartphone audio quality is the top-most purchase driver (69%), ahead of camera and battery.

Also Read: We understand closely what the Indian youth demands: Crossbeats Co-founder

How does Dolby Atmos provide an enhanced immersive experience for smartphone users?

Dolby Atmos for mobile is an audio technology that revolutionizes how you and your customers will experience various content. With Dolby Atmos, sounds envelop them in a rich soundscape with astonishing clarity, depth, and detail. Dolby Atmos renders each sound with lifelike detail and clarity, making it easier to detect the subtle, but game-changing sounds that would normally be stifled by competing sounds. It is a premium entertainment experience that helps you feel a deeper connection to the movies, shows, music, sports, and games you love.

The survey highlights that three in every four smartphone users are aware of Dolby Atmos technology and 90% are willing to recommend Dolby Atmos enabled content or smartphone to their family and friends.

“Dolby Atmos for mobile is an audio technology that revolutionizes how you and your customers will experience various content. With Dolby Atmos, sounds envelop them in a rich soundscape with astonishing clarity, depth, and detail. Dolby Atmos renders each sound with lifelike detail and clarity, making it easier to detect the subtle, but game-changing sounds that would normally be stifled by competing sounds”

How is Dolby leveraging this trend? How is it exactly benefitting the OEMs?

Online content consumption – movies and music, have witnessed tremendous growth over the past few years. Content consumption on the go, and at home has risen considerably with the increase in affordable and value for money smartphones. People love to binge watch on video streaming platforms, cutting across genres, including episodic content and user-generated video content on social media. In this new normal, immersive, and enhanced smartphone audio is a key priority for consumers.

Smartphone brands are responding to these emerging consumer needs, with advanced technology solutions, such as Dolby Atmos. The consumer survey points out that consumers seek Dolby Atmos-enabled smartphone audio experiences for their favourite content- movies (88%), music (79%) and mobile gaming (65%) more than ever before. As we move forward, the battleground will keep shifting. Smartphone OEMs will seek to respond to consumer demand for best-in-class experiences.

What’s your plan for the India market to take audio experience to the next level?

It is our constant endeavor to deliver breakthrough experiences to billions of people worldwide through a collaborative ecosystem spanning artists, businesses, and consumers. We wish to continue our work with content creators by providing them the tools that enable them to bring the end consumer closer to their stories and to their original intent. We will continue our work with delivery platforms like broadcast and OTT services both for streaming video and music content. And last but not the least, with the playback ecosystem of devices across living room and mobile. We believe when the content, the service and the device are in Dolby, the consumers get the best experience.

Also Read: Chipsets are the driving force of any innovation today: UNISOC EVP

Tech NewsWrap: Xiaomi Flip folding phone design leak… and more

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Team My Mobile
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Xiaomi Flip folding phone design leak

Xiaomi could be working on a foldable phone. The Chinese smartphone maker launched its first-ever folding smartphone back in March this year named the Mi MIX Fold. It was a direct competitor to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2. A recent patent filing with CNIPA (Chinese National Intellectual Property Association) has revealed what it could look like. The patent suggests we could see stylus support with the phone. However, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Note series, this stylus will not be tucked into its own notch in the phone.

Rapoo VH710 headsets launched for gaming enthusiasts

With its latest VH710 Gaming Headset, Rapoo promises you to provide a virtual 7.1-channel surround sound environment enabling you to distinguish and detect the direction of the sound clearly. The Rapoo VH710 features large 50mm drivers for superior audio performance which includes punchy bass and crisp highs. Extremely beneficial for gaming, the VH710 can also give you cinema-like experience for movies. The headset also features a superior ENC microphone which includes de-noising functions for stable and crystal-clear chats and voice calls. Additionally, using Rapoo’s proprietary driver interface, you can fine-tune the drivers to customize voice modes.

Samsung Exynos 2200 Processor launch date revealed

Samsung to launch its latest flagship mobile CPU, after Qualcomm and MediaTek. The South Korean tech giant announced via its ‘Semiconductor’ Twitter account that the new Exynos chip tuned for performance with AMD’s RDNA 2 GPU will be launched on January 11, 2022. The company is teasing the new processor with the #PlaytimeIsOver, which references the new processor’s performance, and alludes to its prowess in terms of gaming.

Telegram brings message reactions, bigger emoji animations and other features

Telegram is getting a new update that brings features like themed QR codes, message reactions, and more. The WhatsApp-rival is receiving is 12th update of the year that brings version 8.4. It is also adding in-app translation for messages. This feature works on all Android devices, but only iPhones running iOS 15 or higher. Also, users can create themed QR codes for their accounts. Telegram 8.4 is live now in the Google Play Store, rolling out to all Android users.

Also Read: 2021 in quotes: Here’s what Industry has to say and what do they expect in 2022

Telegram launches year-end update with special features like Reactions, Message Translation and more

By
Team My Mobile
-
0

Telegram Messenger introduced some special features for users before the year 2021 comes to an end. In its 12th major update this year, the app brings reactions, message translation, themed QR codes, hidden text (spoilers) as the key features. This overall enhances user chat experience on the platform along with expanding more engaging ways to interact with different audiences.

Reactions

Telegram pioneered the Animated and Interactive emojis feature on its messaging platform, providing users unparalleled ways to express themselves in chats. Now users can react to a specific message with these emojis without even sending a new message. Each reaction appears with its own unique animation.

Users can change the default reaction to another emoji in Settings. Android: Chat Settings > Quick Reaction. iOS: Stickers and Emoji > Quick Reaction.

Reactions are always on in private chats. In groups and channels, the admins decide whether to turn on reactions and choose which reaction emoji are available in the chat. Admins can control reactions via their group or channel’s Info Page > Edit > Reactions.

Message Translation

Over half a billion people around the world use Telegram not only to stay in touch with friends, but also to chat in public groups and view content from channels – in every language imaginable. Now users can translate any message into another language, right in the app. Translation feature is available on all Android devices that supports Telegram, however required iOS 15+ version on the Apple devices. The number of supported languages is equivalent to the languages available on the OS (operating System).

Enabling Translation in Settings > Language adds a dedicated Translate button to the context menu when selecting a message. You can also exclude any languages you speak fluently – which will hide the translate button for those messages.

Also Read | Telegram rolls out Protected Content and Delete by Date as key features

Spoilers

To make user chat experience interesting and fun, Telegram introduced Spoiler Messages where a user can hide a certain portion of the text with the help of ‘Spoiler’ formatting. This applies to the chat list and notifications, as well. Once the recipient tap the message, if they want to, the hidden text will be revealed.

Themed QR Codes

Now Telegram users can generate QR codes for any users that have a public username. This also works for groups, channels and bots. This makes it easy and attractive to showcase someone’s profile in a quick manner.

Users can Tap the new QR code icon next to the username of a person (or from a chat’s info page), choose the colours and pattern that fit best, then print, post or share their QR codes to other apps and platforms.

New Menus for macOS

Telegram redesigned all the context menus in Telegram for macOS – adding some new shortcut hints and introducing beautifully animated icons for every single menu item in the app.

More Interactive Emoji to end the year with

Animators at Telegram also added new interactive versions of emojis. Users can send any of them in 1-on-1 chats, then they need to tap to unleash a full-screen effect of the same.

Also Read: Audio is playing a key role in consumer lives across content types, says Dolby’s Ashim Mathur

Top Five Homegrown Apps that Gained Popularity in 2021 and are Set to Rule in 2022

By
Team My Mobile
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0

With the Make in India project trending a lot, many people have started looking for brands and companies which are purely homegrown. In the case of investors and stakeholders, many of them are searching for such Indian companies.

Since there has been a ban on quite a few Chinese apps, people in India are now making every effort to replace those apps with Indian applications. We can proudly say that India has been doing good so far in successfully replacing the Chinese apps with their own versions.

With 2021 coming to an end, let us have a look at some homegrown apps, which gained a lot of popularity this year. Also, these apps are likely to create a buzz even in the coming year with the functionality and user-friendly characteristics they have. So, let’s have a look at the apps.

Pataa

Pataa is an addressing app that has location navigation with voice, maps, GPS, routes and landmarks. The app simplifies long and complicated addresses into short and exclusive custom codes. It is based on location intelligence and makes it much easier to locate, navigate and share. It provides accurate and precise address, live location, or tracking of visitors has embedded QR codes and helps in managing route efficiently. You can add the extensions to the short codes to keep the family, flatmates. This app was launched in April, 2020 and has been downloaded 7 million/ 70 lakh times to date.

Zingoy

This is the number one rewards app to get cashback for shopping, buying, and selling gift cards. Through this app, you can earn cashback on all your online shopping, and you can buy and sell gift cards too. You can also use Zingoy for cashback offers, gift cards, and to earn from filling surveys. You can grab online sale deals, get instant cashback on buying gift cards, sell unused gifts cards, track your earnings, and use coupons for online shopping. The app was launched in March, 2016, and has garnered 5 lakh-plus downloads to date.

ShareChat

Launched in 2016, ShareChat has successfully created a place for itself in the social media market of our country. This mobile application has done so by providing a platform to people where they can interact in communities in whichever language they are comfortable with. The most used languages on ShareChat to date are Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. In a data released in 2020, it was found that till November 2020, this mobile application had crossed around 160 million users monthly in 15 different Indian languages.

Moj

After the ban on Chinese apps, Moj is one of those applications which emerged in the market. It was conceptualized and built in just 30 hours to fill in the gap left by TikTok. Moj was one of the most downloaded applications on the Google Play Store in Q3 2020. As of February 3, 2021, Moj has surpassed over 100 million downloads in just seven months and has more than 80 million active monthly users.

Arogya Setu

Launched in April, 2020, the objective of the Arogya Setu mobile application is to connect health services with the people of India to fight COVID-19. Developed by the Government of India to connect essential health services with the people of India, this application so far has more than 10 crore installs.

This was our list of top homegrown mobile applications that have outstood the Chinese technology and made Indians proud. Let us see what all applications come in the future, and surprise us!

Also Read: Top Five Fitness Apps for Self-Workout Sessions

Rapoo VH710 headsets make its presence felt among gaming enthusiasts

By
Team My Mobile
-
0

When gaming on a battlefield, you need to have an edge over your opponent. With good surround sound audio, you have a higher chance to accurately pinpoint your enemy’s location and act immediately. With its latest VH710 Gaming Headset, Rapoo promises you to provide a virtual 7.1-channel surround sound environment enabling you to distinguish and detect the direction of the sound clearly.

The Rapoo VH710 features large 50mm drivers for superior audio performance which includes punchy bass and crisp highs. Extremely beneficial for gaming, the VH710 can also give you cinema-like experience for movies. The headset also features a superior ENC microphone which includes de-noising functions for stable and crystal-clear chats and voice calls. Additionally, using Rapoo’s proprietary driver interface, you can fine-tune the drivers to customize voice modes.

The Rapoo VH710 has a lightweight design with a headband suspension and is built using ultra-strong and durable materials. Long gaming sessions will no longer be stressful so that you can concentrate on your gaming performance. The headset also incorporates cool RGB backlight LEDs wherein you can create your own personalized ambience to enhance your gaming experience. And lastly, there’s an in-line controller that helps you for quick volume controls, mute and backlight controls.

Also Read | Rapoo rolls out VH710 gaming headset in India

Salient features:

  • Virtual 7.1 channel audio output brings you a stunning surround sound experience
  • Cool RGB LED backlight
  • Headset with controller enables you easy to launch multifunction
  • Sound unit with 50mm drivers, showing every sound details
  • ENC single microphone with de-noising function, clear and stable calls
  • Lightweight design with a flexible headband suspension system
  • Built with Ultra-strong and durable materials
  • Customized driver configuration interface allows you to customize voice modes freely
  • Wired Gaming headset with USB interface

Pricing and Availability:

The Rapoo VH710 Virtual 7.1-Channel Gaming Headset can be purchased from online and offline stores at an affordable price of Rs 3,999. It comes with a Limited Replacement Warranty of 1 Year from the date of purchase.

“Automation is the way to go and is the future for hospitality industry”

By
Team My Mobile
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0

Booking an event venue – for a small meeting of 6 people to a large gathering of 2000-plus people and so on – is a child’s play now. Thanks to Book Banquet Room, a booking engine which simplifies the business process for banquet hall/ hotel managers and owners and helps in increasing revenues, profits and saves manpower costs. Offering real time availability and seamless connectivity, this SaaS-based platform helps both venue owners and end users to book events online. Sarosh Khatib, Founder and CEO, Book Banquet Room, explains more about this platform, in a chit-chat with Ramesh Kumar Raja. Excerpts:

What is Book Banquet Room all about and what makes it unique in the age of smartphones?

Book Banquet Room is a booking engine which helps in booking events online in a matter of 2 minutes. Bookbanquetroom.com provides white-labeled solutions and offers customized policies and procedures with all the branding of the hotels/ banquet halls. It can help make bookings of a small meeting of 6 people to a large event of 2000+ people. It can also be deployed for private dining rooms in restaurants. It is the need of the hour as it addresses all COVID protocols.

The booking engine simplifies the business process for banquet hall/ hotel managers and owners and helps in increasing revenues, profits and saves manpower costs.

Hotel managers can manage their banquet diaries 24/7 from any mobile device. The booking engine is mobile compatible, so the end user can book his/ her events from their smartphones from anywhere and at any time.

Tell us about the technicalities involved in it and the relevance of SaaS in the post pandemic era.

The booking engine helps in offering real time availability and seamless connectivity. In the post pandemic era, increasingly more people are using online tools to go about doing business. This SaaS offering therefore helps both venue owners and end users to book events online.

What are the services you offer and what is your revenue model?

We provide technology to the venue owners and our revenue model is subscription-based or pay on performance. We also offer real time bookings, customization & control, responsive & seamless, analytics & reporting and scalability. Our dynamic booking system is built on new-age technology and helps you leverage AI and Machine Learning tuned to maximise profits and increase revenues from banquet bookings.

“We provide technology to the venue owners and our revenue model is subscription-based or pay on performance. We also offer real time bookings, customization & control, responsive & seamless, analytics & reporting and scalability. Our dynamic booking system is built on new-age technology and helps you leverage AI and Machine Learning tuned to maximise profits and increase revenues from banquet bookings”

How has automation paved the way for smoother and seamless operations in the hospitality industry?

Automation is the way to go and is the future. Customers don’t want to wait and want everything instantly on the click of a button. Technology is aiding this process. Book Banquet Room strives to do a quick and smooth hassle free service for its customers with the use of instant technology.

Surprisingly, you do not have any mobile app till date. Do you have any plans to come up with an application?

We are web-enabled and our booking engine is mobile-friendly and our UI and UX is very customer-friendly and easy to use.

What are your plans for Book Banquet Room in the next year?

We aim to grow rapidly in the overseas markets, while our focus continues to be the domestic market as well.

Tech NewsWrap: Instagram will focus more on Reels in 2022… and more

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Team My Mobile
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0

Instagram will focus more on Reels in 2022

Meta-owned photo-sharing platform Instagram is aiming to focus more on video content in 2022 and will focus more on Reels. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, said that the platform will introduce more monetisation tools for creators to help them make a living. He also said that Instagram will focus on messaging and transparency in the upcoming year. Further, the app will double down on its work on controls. Earlier this month, Instagram had announced it will add parental controls in March.

Tecno Spark 8 Pro launched

Tecno has launched another all-rounder smartphone under its most popular ‘Spark series’ portfolio, the all-new Spark 8 Pro. It is loaded with segment disruptive features such as a 33W super-fast charger, 48MP triple rear camera, Helio G85 Processor, a huge 6.8 FHD+ Dot-in-Display, and a massive 5,000mAh battery. Spark 8 Pro is designed to up the entertainment quotient for India’s Gen-z consumers who have a fast paced lifestyle & media consumption habits, by providing a seamless smartphone experience.

Read here | Tecno Spark 8 Pro launched with 48MP triple camera

Vivo V23, V23 Pro price in India tipped

Vivo V23 series (Vivo V23 5G and Vivo V23 Pro 5G) launch date in India is set for January 5, 2022. The company is yet to reveal the smartphones, but their specifications, pricing details, and colour options have been tipped online. A tipster shared an update on the pricing of the Vivo V23 and V23 Pro. While Vivo V23 5G is said to feature a MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC and cost around Rs 29,000, the Vivo V23 Pro 5G handset is said to be priced around Rs 40,000 in the country.

Apple announces limited edition Beats Studio Buds

Apple announced a limited edition of Beats Studio Buds wireless earphones to celebrate the Lunar New Year, which is part of the Lunar calendar adopted by Asian countries like China. The special-edition Studio Buds feature a gold and red design. Beats Studio Buds are already available in red, but the special Lunar New Year edition comes with gold stripes representing tiger print accents, as 2022 will be the ‘Year of the Tiger’. According to the Cupertino-based company, the Apple Beats Studio Buds will be available in stores starting January 1, 2022.

Also Read | Telcos ring in tariff hikes to complement the relief package; outlook for telecom services sector revised to Stable from Negative: ICRA

Telcos ring in tariff hikes to complement the relief package; outlook for telecom services sector revised to Stable from Negative: ICRA

By
Team My Mobile
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0

The telecom industry has implemented the long-awaited tariff hikes which has the potential to improve the industry ARPU levels to around Rs 170 by the end of FY2023. This will result in increased profit generation, which coupled with the relief package announced by the GoI, provides enough headroom for the industry to undertake deleveraging as well as fund capex for the technology upgrade to 5G. With these tailwinds, ICRA has revised its outlook on the telecom services industry to Stable from Negative.

According to Sabyasachi Majumdar, Senior Vice President and Group Head, Corporate Ratings, ICRA, “The latest round of tariff hikes wherein the telcos increased the prepaid tariffs by around 20% will provide much-needed traction in the ARPU levels. These hikes coupled with consistent upgradation of subscribers to 4G from 2G and increase in usage of telephony services is expected to result in improvement in industry ARPU (excl. BSNL) to around Rs. 170 by the end of FY2023. We expect the industry revenues to grow by 18-20% in FY2023, followed by a growth of 10-12% in FY2024, which given the high operating leverage, is likely to translate in healthy expansion in operating profits, the same are projected to grow by around 30% in FY2023. These are likely to translate into a ROCE of around 10% for FY2023 for the industry.”

While the green-shoots of recovery in the sector were sprouting with steady improvement in ARPU, the tailwinds started in the last 3-4 months when the GoI announced a relief package and then telcos followed this up with tariff hikes. Under the relief package, GoI provided a moratorium on the AGR and spectrum auction dues for four years. As per ICRA calculations, this moratorium provides an annual cash flow breather of around Rs 40,000 crore for the industry till FY2025. Moreover, the bank guarantee requirement for the telcos has also been slashed and the Department of Telecom has started returning the BGs to the telcos, which improves the financial flexibility of the sector. While the moratorium on the dues would impact the non-tax receipts of the government from the telecom sector, two telcos have pre-paid their dues towards earlier spectrum auctions totalling to Rs 26,300 crore thereby making up for the loss to the government. For FY2022, the telecom sector is expected to contribute to around Rs 54,000 crore to GoI’s non tax receipts which will be close to the budgeted estimate for the fiscal.

Also Read: Smartphone market moving towards a steady growth, recovery stage: GfK

Debt continues to remain the Achilles’ heel of the industry. ICRA expects industry debt levels to remain at around Rs 4.7 lakh crore as on March 31, 2022, before moderating to Rs 4.5 lakh crore as on March 31, 2023. Telcos have been focusing on deleveraging and Bharti Airtel recently concluded its rights issue of Rs 21,000 crore and collected 25% as upfront payment, while Vodafone Idea is also scouting for a fund raiser.

Ankit Jain, Assistant Vice President and Sector Head, ICRA, said, “The debt levels have remained unyielding for quite some time now and with the expectation of improvement in the profit generation after the latest tariff hikes, ICRA expects the debt metrics to improve as reflected by debt/OPBDITA of 3.4 times and interest coverage of 3.5 times as on March 31, 2023. The relief package provided the much-needed breather for the industry and the participants complemented the same with a tariff hike which coupled with equity raising plans would provide the ammunition required for the technology upgrade to 5G. While there has been an improvement in the operating metrics of the industry, the next phase of growth will be driven by the non-telco businesses, which include – enterprise business, cloud services, digital services and fixed broadband services.”

Smartphone market moving towards a steady growth, recovery stage: GfK

By
Team My Mobile
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0

GfK, a global leader in market and consumer intelligence for technical consumer goods, shares key trends determining the growth of the Indian smartphone market.

GfK market intelligence reveals overall growth in smartphone sales, price segments along with geographical market penetration from January 2021 to October 2021 for the market.

According to GfK market intelligence, overall category sales in terms of units for offline retail (point-of-sales) grew by 4% whereas online retail sales grew by 29% during YTD Oct 2021 compared to 2020. During the same period, online channel contribution for smartphone market accounted for 40% in terms of sales units and 41% in terms of sales value vs. 35% in 2020. This reflects the rising consumer trust and digitalization of purchase journeys fueling the online retail contribution to overall category sales of smartphones.

Looking at the price trends, GfK Market Intelligence point-of-sales data outlined an increase of sales unit by 56% for premium smartphones ranging between 30k – 40k. Sales also went up for smartphones priced above 40k by 41%, which underlines the increasing demand for premium products in the Indian smartphone market.

Kartik Vasudevan, Director – Sales, GfK India, “As markets have moved from “want” to “need” norm, it is not only about the product/ device but consumer ‘Lifestyle’. Consumers turned to tech to continue working and learning while staying at home and this has triggered some structural shift in buying behavior. As @home norm continues, consumers are keen to invest in products which promise quality and longevity.”

GfK insights also reveal the geographical penetration of smartphone market. The overall sales for smartphones in tier 5 & above representing <50k population registered 11% volume growth in offline retail during YTD Oct 2021/ 2020, followed by 7% increase in tier 3 cities.

Kartik also added, “Smartphone market is still dominated by less than 15k price segment, however, there has been an increase in sales of premium products as mobile phones have essentially become first digital touchpoint or device to access internet. For some consumers it is their first computer in a way and with 5G paving its way, this trend might accelerate the price push further.”

There is a cautious optimism in the market which will be governed by interplay of domestic manufacturing, imports, transportation cost and raw material prices.

Also Read: Xiaomi Watch S1, Buds 3 launched: Check specifications and price

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