Mobile Devices
SICT Mobile has launched the SICT iV180 dual-SIM handset, priced at Rs 1,675. The handset supports several audio and video formats, and has 16 GB of external memory, a call recording facility and Bluetooth A2DP technology. Its other features include blacklist and mobile tracking facilities, and a built-in torch.
Nokia has introduced the Nokia Lumia 800 and the Nokia Lumia 710 for its Indian customers. The Lumia 800 is priced at Rs 29,999 and has an AMOLED touchscreen with Corning Gorilla glass, 16 GB of internal storage memory, an 8 megapixel camera and a geotagging facility. Its other features include a 512 MB RAM and support for GPRS, EDGE and GPS. The Lumia 710 has a 5 megapixel camera, support for video recording and playback, and 8 GB of internal storage. It is priced at Rs 18,999.
LAVA Mobiles has joined hands with MTV India to launch the A16 MTV device, priced at Rs 4,500. The hand-held has an IPS screen, a 3.2 megapixel rear camera and Yamaha speakers, and supports Facebook access.
AirTyme Communications has forayed into the Indian handset space with the launch of the Flaunt hand-held. The device has a QWERTY keypad, a 3 megapixel camera with flash, support for 3G, Bluetooth technology, Yahoo!, Gtalk, MSN and AOL message servers, and an Opera mini browser.
Samsung Electronics Company has introduced the GalaxyTab 620 in the Indian market. The device packs in a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and runs on the Android Honeycomb 3.2 operating system. Priced at Rs 30,250, the hand-held also offers its users a 3 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, 720 pixel high definition video recording facility, a 2 megapixel front video calling camera, 1 GB RAM, 16 GB of internal memory that can be expanded to 64 GB with a micro SD card, support for 3G HSPA, Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi.
The K.R. Mangalam Group?s mobile handset division, Chaze, has launched its C 333 multimedia device. Priced at Rs 3,200, the device features a 3.2 inch touchscreen, a dual- charging point with big speakers, and a 3.2 megapixel camera with a picture editor and video recording facility. Its other features include an MP3 player, FM radio and support for Bluetooth, and has applications such as blacklist, answering machine and auto call recording.
S Mobility has introduced an entry-level smartphone, the Mi-270. The dual-SIM touchscreen Android phone is available for Rs 3,399. The device has a 2.8-inch resistive touchscreen with 240×320 pixel resolution. It is based on the Android 2.2 Froyo operating system and is powered by a 600 MHz MediaTek processor. The handset also has a 2 megapixel camera, which supports digital zoom, multiple scene modes and variable colour effects. Besides these, the Spice Mi-270 has, expandable memory up to 16 GB, inbuilt A-GPS facility, a 3.5 mm jack, a micro USB port and Bluetooth. It also has a video player that supports 3GP, MP4 and AVI formats. The device comes with the mobile hotspot feature that allows it to act as a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices.
Services
TATA DOCOMO has joined hands with CanvasM Technologies to launch the Saral Rozgar service. Using this service, blue-collar workers looking for career options will be able to create r?sum?s as well as apply for jobs through their mobile handsets. To avail of this service, candidates can dial 541410 from their TATA DOCOMO number. Subscribers will be charged Rs 10 for 10 days, with 25 minutes of free browsing.
Bharti Airtel has upgraded the speed of its wireline broadband connections to a minimum of 2 Mbps across 14 cities. In the other 80 cities where the service is available, customers can avail of a minimum speed of 1 Mbps. All the upgrades are being carried out in phases and will be completed by end-January 2012. The 14 cities are Delhi, the National Capital Region, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Indore, Bhopal and Kolkata. Customers will have to pay between Rs 50 and Rs 100 for the upgrade.
TATA DOCOMO has reduced the price of the TATA DOCOMO Photon Plus device to Rs 1,199. Moreover, new customers can avail of a 100 per cent cash-back offer on select plans. These customers will get a discount of Rs 100 on their monthly bill amount for 12 months.
Nokia has joined hands with Times Internet Limited and Poynt Corporation to launch the timesPoynt application on the Nokia Lumia 710 and the Nokia Lumia 800 smartphones. The application permits users to get directions, browse listing websites, send details to a friend or add listings to their device calendar or address book.
Bharti Airtel has introduced a gifting service facility for its prepaid customers. To avail of the service, customers can dial *141# to send and receive talktime. Moreover, customers can also send an emergency ?call me back? text message alert to another user, even with insufficient balance in their account. This service permits the customer to send up to five free ?call me back? SMS alerts per month to other Bharti Airtel customers.
Bharti Airtel has launched a recharge offer for customers in Rajasthan that permits them to make local calls within the Airtel network for Re 0.25 per minute. The offer is applicable on recharge denominations of Rs 10, Rs 45, Rs 165 and Rs 300, each with a different validity period.
Reliance Communications has introduced the Mera Pack Rs 148 for its Delhi customers. The pack offers 1,000 minutes of local calls within the operator?s network and 500 minutes of local calls to any other network for Rs 148. Customers can also recharge multiple times to add minutes to their account balance. The pack is valid for 30 days.
Bharti Airtel has tied up with Twitter to offer its users free access to the social networking site via their mobile handsets until March 1, 2012. The service permits customers to either sign up for Twitter or subscribe to the updates of specific users via text messages. To create an account on Twitter, the user has to send ?START? as a text message to 53000. Upon receiving an automated reply, the user has to send ?SIGNUP? to 53000. Next, the user has to send a username to 53000. Once Twitter approves of the username, customers will receive a confirmation message, prompting them to SMS their chosen passwords to 53000. Thereafter, the user?s Twitter account will be created.
Idea Cellular has announced the launch of special recharge vouchers for its new and existing prepaid subscribers in Kolkata and West Bengal. The recharge voucher, priced at Rs 101, will provide new subscribers in Kolkata with 1,000 free local calling minutes within the operator?s network and 300 free local calling minutes to any other mobile network. The voucher, priced at Rs 201, will provide new Idea subscribers with 2,000 free local calling minutes within the operator?s network and 700 free local calling minutes to any other mobile network. Existing prepaid subscribers in Kolkata can also avail of the offer by recharging with the vouchers priced at Rs 97 and Rs 197. In West Bengal, new prepaid users can avail of the offer by recharging with the Rs 101 and the Rs 201 recharge vouchers. The Rs 101 voucher will provide 1,000 free local minutes within Idea?s network and 300 free local calling minutes to other mobile networks. The Rs 201 voucher will offer 2,000 free local minutes within the operator?s network and 500 free local calling minutes to other mobile networks. Existing prepaid users in the rest of West Bengal can avail of the offer by recharging with the voucher priced at Rs 97.
Vodafone Essar has introduced the Go BBM BlackBerry service plan for its subscribers. The plan offers unlimited access to the BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service for Rs 5 per day or Rs 129 per month for prepaid users and Rs 129 per month for post-paid subscribers. Besides this, as a part of the introductory offer, subscribers who purchase the BlackBerry Curve 8520 and the BlackBerry Curve 9300, until February 2012, can avail of unlimited access to BBM services for one year from the date of purchase.
Bharti Airtel has also unveiled a BBM Plan for post-paid customers using BlackBerry smartphones. The BBM Plan entails a monthly rental of Rs 129 for unlimited use of BBM, and 300 free local and national SMSs in a month.
Bharti Airtel has introduced the Airtel Bachat Card for customers in Gujarat. The card offers new users 900 free minutes of calls to any network across the state for 30 days. Existing customers can also avail of this offer by recharging with a Rs 200 voucher.
Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited has launched the MBiz prepaid offer for customers in Gujarat, Mumbai, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The offer entails two vouchers, priced at Rs 199 and Rs 299. Both vouchers enable users to make unlimited local calls within the operator?s network as well as offer 30 free calling minutes to other local networks.
Uninor has launched various plans for customers in Karnataka. The STV 66 pack permits users to make STD calls at Re 0.005 per second, while the STV 55 pack permits users to make local calls for Re 0.005 per second. Both plans offer subscribers additional benefits such as 100 free local or national SMSs on a daily basis and talktime worth Rs 20 valid for 90 days.
Uninor has also launched an SMS pack for users across circles. The pack, priced at Rs 7, permits users to send text messages for Re 0.15 per message. The pack is valid for 30 days.
Loop Mobile has launched a tracking solution to connect its subscribers to Rickshawale.com, an auto service that allows commuters to book autorickshaws. Subscribers can avail of this service by logging on to www.rickshawale.com or dialling 9664010101. Users will be charged Rs 20 for this facility, while Loop Mobile?s customers can avail of this service for Rs 15.
Loop Mobile has introduced a new prepaid offer that enables an existing Loop Mobile subscriber to refer an unlimited number of subscribers to avail of free calling and SMSs within the entire group. Further, the existing subscriber can obtain 10 per cent extra talktime based on every new subscriber?s recharge for one year. Further, new subscribers can avail of 15 per cent extra talktime on every top-up recharge for one year.
