Mobile devices
Nokia has extended its Asha handset portfolio with the launch of the Asha 300 device. The hand-held is based on the S40 operating system and houses the touch- and type-based input facility along with a 1 GHz processor. Priced at Rs 6,835, the handset has a 2.4 inch touchscreen with 240×360 pixel resolution and an alphanumeric multi-tap keypad. The device also supports Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity.
LG has introduced its new dual-SIM device, the LG Optimus Net P698. Priced at Rs 11,000, the phone has an 800 MHz processor and runs on the Android v2.3 Gingerbread operating system. The device is equipped with 512 MB of RAM, a 3.2 inch TFT LCD screen that supports HVGA resolution as well as a 3 megapixel camera that supports a 4x digital zoom and geotagging. The Android smartphone houses a 32 GB microSD card and is powered by a 1500 mAh Li-ion battery. It also supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity.
Samsung has unveiled a new dual-SIM handset, the Champ Deluxe Duos. The device has a 2.8 inch display with Smart Touchwiz user interface, and offers access to social networking sites and several messaging engines. Its other features include Samsung ChatOn ? a cross-platform messaging application, a virtual QWERTY keypad, support for Hindi, Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity at 24 Mbps, push mail service with Activesync, an inbuilt Opera Mini browser, a 1.3 megapixel camera, an MP3 player and FM radio. The device is priced at Rs 4,790.
Kobian, which makes tablets under the brand Mercury, has launched the Mercury mTab Neo tablet. The tablet functions on a 1 GHz dual-core processor and Android operating system. It has a 7 inch capacitive multi-touch screen and comes with an inbuilt 3G module and SIM support. The tablet supports Bluetooth 3.0 and 4 GB of internal storage, which can be expanded to 32 GB via a microSD card. The tablet features an HDMI port, which allows users to connect it to a television. The Mercury mTab Neo also has dual speakers and dual cameras (a 0.3 megapixel front camera and a 2 megapixel rear camera), and is priced at Rs 15,999.
Services
Bharti Airtel has introduced a facility that enables its prepaid customers to recharge their mobile phones online, through net banking. Customers are required to visit the operator?s website and access the recharge page to top up their account.
Bharti Airtel has also launched the Name Tunes service, which allows its customers to personalise their Hello Tune with their own name. To avail of the service, customers have to search and set their name as their Hello Tune.
Vodafone India has launched two bonus cards, priced at Rs 14 and Rs 42, for its prepaid customers in Kolkata. The bonus card priced at Rs 14 provides users with 30 MB of data and 25 free calling minutes to any local network, and is valid for one day. The voucher priced at Rs 42 offers its users 150 MB of data, apart from 80 free calling minutes for local calls within Vodafone?s network, and is valid for seven days.
Uninor has introduced an offer for its customers in Tamil Nadu, whereby all local and STD calls would cost Re 0.30 per minute. Customers can avail of this offer by recharging their phones with a Rs 29 voucher, which is valid for 30 days.
Uninor has also unveiled a special tariff voucher for customers in Mumbai. Priced at Rs 21, the voucher enables subscribers to make local calls within the Mumbai, Maharashtra and Goa circles for Re 0.30 per minute.
TATA DOCOMO has unveiled a bundled offer for its CDMA customers in Mumbai. Under the scheme, customers can purchase the Huawei C2835 colour FM handset for Rs 1,099, with which they can avail of 500 minutes of free local calling. The free talktime would be credited to the user as 15,000 seconds per month for two months from the date of purchase. The free seconds offered would be valid for 30 days from the day of credit.
TATA DOCOMO has also launched the Photon Max service in Gujarat. The service will initially be available in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, and thereafter, in cities like Vadodara and Mundra. The plug-in device offers a connectivity speed of 6.2 Mbps and is priced at Rs 1,999.
Uninor has tied up with Suryan FM, powered by Hungama Mobile, to offer its customers access to their hometown?s radio stations. Customers can access Suryan FM and 7 RED FM stations from across the country even while travelling. The service is priced between Re 1 and Rs 10 (depending on usage) and provides free minutes for streaming music.
Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL) has introduced the MBiz offer for its prepaid customers in Andhra Pradesh. The offer entails two prepaid vouchers priced at Rs 199 and Rs 299, which permit unlimited local calls to be made within SSTL?s network. The Rs 199 voucher entails free talktime of 30 minutes per day to other local networks, while the Rs 299 voucher provides 30 free calling minutes across the country.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has launched the TRUST card, in collaboration with Itz Cash Card Limited. The TRUST card, a semi-closed prepaid card, enables its users to pay their mobile and utility bills, purchase prepaid top-ups and avail of various value-added service packs. The TRUST card is currently available in Chandigarh, Kolkata, Pune and Chennai in denominations of Rs 250, Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. The card can either be used as a single-time voucher or can be recharged by using refill coupons.
BSNL has also unveiled the Haryana Special F&F Prepaid Plan. The plan is priced at Rs 54 ? Rs 20 for the SIM card and Rs 34 for the first recharge coupon. Users can avail of free talktime worth Rs 25 after purchase. The plan is valid as per the recharge or top-up voucher used. All calls within BSNL?s network will cost Re 0.01 per minute, calls to other networks will cost Re 0.012 per minute. Users can avail of 200 free local SMSs per month. Thereafter, the user will be charged Re 0.50 per message for local SMSs, Re 0.60 per message for national SMSs and Rs 5 per message for international SMSs. Users can also choose five local mobile numbers within BSNL?s network to make calls to at Re 0.20 per minute or five local numbers of any other network to make calls to at Re 0.40 per minute.
BSNL has launched its Bharat Berry Services in Pune. The Bharat Berry service provides push mail and personal information manager (PIM) sync services to its customers. This service works with corporate mails or any other mail accounts that a user has, and the inbox is synchronised with the Bharat Berry server. A BSNL customer can avail of this service using any handset. The PIM sync enables users to back up their contacts, calenders, notes and tasks, which can be synchronised with the Bharat Berry server in order to make them available on the computer for viewing and updation. All the information can also be transferred to a new handset. For access to all services, including email and PIM sync, users will be charged Rs 80 per month, while individual services will be priced at Rs 50 each per month. To subscribe to this service, customers are required to send SUB BB to 51123.
Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) has introduced three offer packs for its users in Delhi. The weekly SMS pack, priced at Rs 15, offers 400 free local and 200 free national SMSs, and is valid for seven days. The weekly STD pack, which offers 150 free STD calling minutes, is priced at Rs 55 and is valid for seven days. The half-yearly 3G data pack is priced at Rs 4,999 and offers users 100 GB of free 3G data usage for six months.
MTNL has also launched BlackBerry services for its prepaid customers. Users can subscribe to the BlackBerry BIS Lite plan, which provides unlimited free access to email, the BlackBerry Messenger service and instant messaging for 30 days for Rs 251. Users can also opt for the BIS Lite trial plan for Rs 150, which is valid for 15 days. To activate the BIS Lite 251 plan, the user can SMS ?ACT BB 251? to 444, while for the BIS Lite 150 plan, the user has to SMS ?ACT BB 150? to 444. MTNL?s DSL 3998 broadband plan offers users 8 Mbps download speed and 2 Mbps upload speed. Customers can also avail of two email addresses and will be charged Rs 3,998 per month. The plan also entails 60 GB of free uploads and downloads every month. Users will be charged Re 0.30 per MB for every additional MB of data downloaded.
Reliance Communications has introduced the My Best Plan offer for its post-paid Netconnect+ users. The offer enables users to pay only for the amount of data they have used and the plan they are currently under automatically adjusts to their usage pattern and charges the lowest bill amount for the data they have used. Data usage below or equal to 500 MB will be priced at Rs 350, data usage of more than 500 MB up to 1000 MB will be charged Rs 350 and every MB of data above this limit will be charged Re 0.60 per MB. For data usage of up to 6000 MB, users will be charged Rs 650 and every MB of data downloaded beyond this limit will be charged Re 0.06 per MB.
Idea Cellular has tied up with Opera Mini to offer its customers a customised Opera Mini mobile web browser. Beginning April 2012, Idea customers will be able to download this co-branded version of Opera Mini on their devices.
Obopay has collaborated with Warid Telecom to launch a mobile banking and payment service, Warid Pesa, in Uganda. Warid Pesa provides a prepaid account that enables customers to make e-money transactions, pay for goods and services as well as settle accounts. Warid Pesa is based on Obopay?s open and interoperable mobile money solutions. With Warid Pesa, customers can perform several mobile money functions, including person-to-person mobile money transfer, person-to-merchant mobile money transfer, sending money to anyone, request for money, obtain a mini statement, make balance enquiries, change the personal identity number and get top-up recharges for prepaid cellphones.
