Apple Woos New iPhone Fans as Current Owners Await Upgrade

Apple attracted a swathe of new iPhone customers over the holiday period, auguring well for a more significant upgrade to its flagship product this year - and the services revenue that these devices are increasingly generating. The shares climbed to the highest price in more than 17 months.

Existing iPhone users upgraded to the latest iPhone 7 models at about the same rate as the iPhone 6S a year earlier, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said in a conference call with analysts. Yet Apple still managed to sell 3.5 million more phones in the three months ended December 31, indicating growth was driven by new customers.

The iPhone 7 represented a modest update to its predecessor, the 6S, adding water resistance, an improved camera, battery life and processor while retaining similar styling. Expectations are mounting for a more significant upgrade to Apple's flagship product later this year, which is the 10th anniversary of the iPhone's launch. That may persuade more existing iPhone users to open their wallets for the next model.

"When we're able to innovate with new generations of products, clearly that plays a role in the upgrade rate," Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri said.

Apple's research and development budget is growing apace, hinting at new innovations or products in the works. R&D spending jumped 19 percent to $2.9 billion (roughly Rs. 19,552 crores) in the first quarter.

Apple reported total revenue rose 3.3 percent to $78.4 billion (roughly Rs. 5,28,592 crores), with earnings of $3.36 a share, in the holiday quarter, exceeding analyst forecasts. The shares gained 6.7 percent to $129.50 at 2:10 p.m. in New York, the highest value since July 2015.

Samsung Electronics Co. recalled its flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphone in September after a fault that caused some batteries to burst into flames. That reduced competition in the market for large, high-end smartphones and likely helped attract new customers, according to New York-based BTIG analyst Walt Piecyk.

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Nokia P1 Concept Render Video Highlights Flagship Nokia Android Phone's Design

Nokia P1, the long-rumoured flagship Nokia Android phone, is widely expected to be unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona, where HMD Global has already slotted an event. The company, which has rights to the Nokia brand, is also expected to showcase more devices at the mega trade show, but the Nokia P1 will be the centre of things. Now, concept renders claimed to be of the Nokia P1 have made their way on the Internet giving a rough idea about the design of the smartphone.

The concept creator has shared a YouTube video showing the concept renders of the alleged Nokia P1 smartphone. The video gives a rough idea how the next high-end Nokia Android phone may look like. The video focuses on the metal frame, hybrid dual-SIM slot, Carl Zeiss lens at the back, and also shows the home button just below the display.Of course, as with all rumours and leaks, we advise readers to take the above information about the Nokia P1 with a pinch of salt, as HMD Global is yet to make any announcements about its new high-end smartphone and the credibility of the sources cannot be independently verified.

Based on preliminary leaks, the Nokia P1 smartphone will run on Android Nougat out-of-the-box and feature a 5.3-inch display with Gorilla Glass 5 on top, with either full-HD or QHD screen resolution. The Nokia P1 is expected to pack Snapdragon 835 SoC coupled with 6GB of RAM. In terms of optics, the Nokia P1 smartphone is said to feature a Zeiss-certified 22.6-megapixel rear camera and also come with IP57-certified. The phone is also rumoured to pack a 3500mAh battery with support for quick charging. There is a fingerprint scanner embedded on the home button as well. According to earlier reports, the Nokia P1 price is expected to start around $800 (roughly Rs. 54,500) for the 128GB model and around $950 (roughly Rs. 64,700) for the 256GB variant.

Additionally, Nokia is reportedly considering expanding the availability of Nokia smartphones to more countries. Popular tipster Roland Quandt of WinFuture.de has claimed that Germany-based MobiCom Debitel is launching the Nokia 150 in the country. Quandt adds that MobiCom Debitel is looking to make long-term partnership with Nokia for future smartphones.

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Asus ROG Strix GL553 Gaming Laptop Launched in India, Starting Rs. 94,990

Under its Republic of Gamers (ROG) series, Taiwanese company Asus on Thursday launched the ROG Strix GL553 compact ultralight gaming laptop in India at a starting price of Rs. 94,990. The laptop was first unveiled at CES 2017 this year.

The 64-bit Windows 10-based Asus ROG Strix GL553 offers a gamer-friendly keyboard powered by Asus Aura with four distinct lighting areas, 30-key rollover, and 2.5mm key travel. It sports a 15.6-inch full-HD (1920x1080 pixels) 60Hz IPS display.

Users can choose from seventh generation Intel Core i5-7300HQ and Core i7-7700HQ processors, coupled with either 8GB or 16GB of 2400MHz DDR4 RAM - though the ROG Strix GL553 supports up to 32GB DDR4 RAM. As for graphics, users have the choice of an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 with 2/ 4GB of GDDR5 video memory, or a GeForce GTX 1050Ti with 4GB of GDDR4 video memory.

The Asus ROG Strix GL553 offers Gigabit Ethernet (with GameFirst traffic management software), Bluetooth v4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, 2xUSB 3.0 ports (including 1xUSB Type-C port), 1xUSB 2.0 port, and 1xHDMI port connectivity options, apart from one headphone/ microphone combo jack, and one 2-in-1 card reader.

The base model ships with a 2.5-inch 1TB 7200RPM HDD, though users could opt for a 128/ 256GB SATA III SSD. It bears an HD webcam, weighs in at 2.5kg, and measures 383x255x21mm. The Asus ROG Strix GL553 sports an embedded 48WHr battery.

"The product is aimed at young professionals who enjoy regular-through-heavy gaming sessions and premium entertainment on the go," Peter Chang, Regional Head-South Asia and Country Manager-System Business Group - Asus India, said in a statement.

"In order to ensure this, we included a powerful, yet efficient set of hardware into a highly portable device that is easy on the battery as well," he added.

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Reliance Jio Offers Best Coverage, but Airtel Offers Best 4G Speed

Reliance Jio is touted to be the fastest growing telecom operator in the world, and credit for that expansion will arguably go to its introductory free offer. Now, a new report from Credit Suisse claims that while Reliance Jio enjoys the most amount of network coverage, its 4G speed trails behind its competitor Airtel.

According to a report released by financial services company Credit Suisse, Airtel 4G offers the best 4G speeds among the other competitors in India. The download speed of Airtel is at 12Mbps; while Reliance Jio, Vodafone, and Idea all come a close second with 7-8Mbps download speeds.

"Our conclusion is that Reliance Jio's network coverage is significantly ahead of the other operators. Reliance Jio has good coverage in 80 percent plus of cities surveyed, compared to less than 30 percent for the others. The difference is even more stark when compared only with 4G networks of incumbents (sub-15 percent of cities)," the report said.

The report claimed that the slow speeds on Reliance Jio was probably due to the load on its servers. Reliance Jio reportedly carries 90 percent plus of all data traffic in the country currently while its network capacity share is closer to 35 percent only.

"We have already started seeing the impact of Jio on the incumbents' numbers (Bharti 3Q). Our study here shows Jio has built a significant lead in terms of network coverage, and the incumbents have a fair amount of catch up to do (especially on 4G). Importantly, going by recently announced enhanced capex plans, the company continues to invest. Overall, we continue to see significant pressure on fundamentals in coming quarters from Jio," it said.

The report is based on the study of over 30 Indian cities that represent a "significant chunk of current data demand and revenues." Reliance Jio's free introductory offer was extended till March 31, and even after the offer ends, the plan prices are much lesser than its competition. Companies like Airtel, Vodafone, and Idea have been hit hard by Reliance Jio's entry, and Airtel even recorded its lowest profits in four years. Telecom operators have been launching lucrative offers to combat the Reliance Jio effect as well, case in point being Vodafone which recently launched its Vodafone RED plans with unlimited calling.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Receiving Firmware Update in India That Brings Samsung Pay App

Samsung has started rolling out firmware update to its Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S7 Edge smartphones and interestingly, the update for the former device brings along yet-to-be launched Samsung Pay app to devices in India. This is a strong indication that the South Korean conglomerate might be announcing its payments service in India very soon.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 has started receiving the firmware update (with build number N920GUBU3BQA3), which brings along the January Android security update as well as its payment service app Samsung Pay, as per a report by Sammobile. The update comes with a download size of around 320MB and also contains bug fixes and stability improvements.

In December, a news report suggested that Samsung is planning to introduce its mobile payments platform Samsung Pay in India in the first half of 2017. Notably, as Samsung Pay comes with support for both Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) and NFC (Near Field Communications), it allows for payments at all those outlets that offer payments through traditional card-swiping method.

After rolling out the Android 7.0 Nougat update for its Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones last month, Samsung has now started rolling out a small firmware update, with download size of 15MB, currently just for the Edge variant of the smartphone, as per a report by Android Soul.

The Galaxy S7 Edge update, with build number G935XXU1DQAS, comes along with minor bug fixes but it is currently unclear if the same update will be rolled out for Galaxy S7 as well or not.

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PS4 vs PS4 Slim vs PS4 Pro: Which One Should You Buy?

Sony finally revealed the price for the PS4 Pro and PS4 Slim in India, and when you can buy them. If you include the already available original PS4, it means that in the near future, gamers will have three PS4 consoles to choose from for some time, as the original PS4 will continue to be on sale until stocks last. Which PS4 is right for you, or does it make no difference? We explain.

PS4, PS4 Slim, and PS4 Pro price in India
The PS4 Slim will retail for the same price as the original PS4 - Rs. 27,990 nets you a 500GB console while Rs. 32,990 gets you the 1TB version with three games at the very least. At the moment there are two original PS4 1TB bundles to choose from. Both offer Infamous Second Son, while one has Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered. The other has Watch Dogs and Watch Dogs 2.

On the other hand, the PS4 Pro costs Rs. 38,990 - this console also has 1TB storage, and there's no 500GB variant. Though you're paying another Rs. 6,000 above the PS4's 1TB version, there are no games or notable extras bundled with the PS4 Pro.

From a pure pricing standpoint, the Rs. 11,000 difference between the PS4/ PS4 Slim (500GB), and the PS4 Pro, is enough to buy four or five more games, and even more if you’re able to purchase them during the many discounts Amazon India and Flipkart keep offering.  

PS4, PS4 Slim, and PS4 build quality
Sony is known for cheaping out with each successive PlayStation console iteration, and the same applies between the PS4 and PS4 Slim. The earliest editions of the PS4 sported a glossy and matte finish which was a dust magnet. This was rectified in later revisions. 

Though the PS4 Slim improves on this with an all matte finish, it doesn’t feel as sturdy and the rounded edges give it a less flattering look compared to the original’s stunning sharp rhombus design.

The PS4 Pro sports an all matte finish as well, and while it does get ridiculed for its hamburger shape, looking like a PS4 Slim glued to an original PS4, we’ve found ourselves warming up to its looks. But it’s not as good as the original. If aesthetics and industrial design are high on your priority list, stick to the original PS4.

PS4, PS4 Slim, and PS4 Pro features
The PS4 Pro touts 4K support as well as promising a more fluid experience with PS VR. HDR is supported by all three consoles. In terms of ports and Wi-Fi there are some subtle differences which may be of importance depending on how you play.

Both the PS4 and PS4 Slim sport a near identical feature set. You’ll get the same two front-facing USB ports, an HDMI for video, an Aux port for the PS4 camera, and an Ethernet port. The key difference (apart from the size) is that the PS4 Slim lacks an optical out port. In its place though, the PS4 Slim has a better Wi-Fi chip, which supports the 5GHz band for a more reliable connection.

The PS4 Pro has all of the ports of the PS4, including optical out, and it also has the improved Wi-Fi of the PS4 Slim. There’s an additional USB 3.1 port on the rear as well. Aside from this, it supports the faster SATA-III specification, though in our performance comparison between the PS4 and PS4 Pro, there was little perceptible difference in most games. If you’re dependent on Wi-Fi for getting online, you’re best served with a PS4 Slim or a PS4 Pro.

PS4, PS4 Slim, and PS4 Pro games
All games that work on the PS4 and PS4 Slim work on the PS4 Pro, and vice versa. However, developers may choose to take advantage of the PS4 Pro’s added horsepower to allow for better frame rates and enhanced visuals. We’ve seen this in the likes of Rise of the Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy XV, Dishonored 2, and Nioh, to name a few. 

Popular games like Overwatch also support the PS4 Pro but it's token at best, simply providing its UI in 4K. While Sony is getting better at communicating the PS4 Pro’s benefits to developers, as can be seen with a host of new games such as Resident Evil 7 and Nier Automata promising PS4 Pro support, your mileage will vary.

Suffice to say, unless you own a 4K TV with HDR support, or are extremely sensitive to frame-rate drops, the original PS4 or PS4 Slim will still serve you well.

Should you buy a PS4 Slim or a PS4 Pro if you own an original PS4?

Short answer: no. The PS4 Slim performs the same as the PS4 so it’s a non-starter. With regards to the PS4 Pro it’s a little more complicated.

If you own a PS4, there’s no immediate reason to get the PS4 Pro.  The PS4 is cheaper but outputs games at a lower resolution. Nonetheless, the difference isn’t exactly visible unless you’re on a 4K display, and that too only with certain games. In some cases, the difference is near negligible. Plus, better explanations on PS4 Pro specific game features would certainly help.

At the same time, the advantages of a higher frame rate on the PS4 Pro in supported titles are obvious, and do alter the experience positively. It fits a niche between the already discounted PS4 and a semi-decent gaming rig which would set you back by around Rs. 60,000 or so.

With every game from Sony such as Gran Turismo Sport, The Last Guardian, and Horizon: Zero Dawnsupporting the PS4 Pro, the future of the PS4 Pro is interesting. Depending on third-party developer support, you could end up with a machine with close to high-end PC performance in most popular games, along with the added bonus of boost in Sony’s own exclusives.

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