Category: Amazon

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Launched in India

Amazon has launched their most powerful streaming stick in India. It is called the the Fire TV Stick 4K and it comes with the new Alexa Voice Remote. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K can directly stream content from your Amazon prime video/music account to your big screen television. Certainly, to use the streaming service you must be a subscriber of Amazon prime video which costs Rs 129 per month or Rs 999 for an annual subscription.

As the name suggests, the updated Fire Stick can now stream content upto 4K resolution and other than prime video it can stream content from multiple other content providers. The content providers include ZEE5, hotstar, Netflix, EROS Now, SonyLIV and hungama play. Amazon recommends to use a Wi-Fi connection with speeds higher than 4 MBPS to provide a buffer free experience.

The new Alexa Voice Remote can perform actions by voice commands. The commands can vary from playing movies/videos to sports news and even weather details. Additionally, the voice remote can also control lights or other electronics that the user may have in their pre-existing Alexa ecosystem. Basically, the voice remote can control all Alexa devices with voice instructions. Some Alexa devices include Echo and Echo Dot.

Also Read: Amazon Launches new Echo Speakers, Subwoofer Starting Rs 4499 On Sale Now

Amazon Echo

Talking about audio, the Fire TV Stick 4K supports audio in Dolby Atmos surround sound technology. This technology is used for creating and playing back multi-channel soundtracks. 5.1 and 7.1 Speaker systems also make use of this technology.

Details

The TV stick has an inbuilt storage of 8 GB. It runs a Quad-core 1.7 GHz processor. The Fire TV Stick also has a PowerVR IMG GE8300 GPU. The TV stick has dual-band, dual antenna Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 with low energy consumption. It has a HDMI output port to connect to the HD-TV and a micro usb for power input.

Price & Availability

The Fire TV stick 4K with the Alexa Voice remote bundle has a price tag of Rs. 5,999 and is available for pre-order now. Amazon will be release it on 14 November and deliveries will begin soon after.

October 4, 2018
Amazon Opens Cashier-Less Go Store: Just Walk Out After You Buy

Amazon has opened its first cashier-less Amazon Go store outside its hometown Seattle. The highlight of the stores which are under Amazon’s Go department, is the fact that customers don’t need to wait in line to check out their purchase. That’s right, just pick up what you want and walk out, as simple as that!

Obviously the products are not free of of cost and Amazon does have a solid process in place. The Amazon Go concept was introduced back in 2016. Since then, Amazon has opened a few stores. It basically had its employees come in and shop in these stores, testing it completely. When a customer walks in to the store, they swipe their phone against a sensor, which checks them in. Following this, a combination of cameras and sensors will track any item a customer picks up and add it to their virtual cart. As soon as you walk out of the store, the cart is updated. An e-recipt is sent to your amazon account so you can make the payment.

Also Read: Samsung Opens World’s Biggest Experience Centre In Bengaluru

The store is open from 7 AM to 8 PM and offers ready- made lunches, drinks, snacks, frozen dinners and basic groceries. The timings, products and working of the store clearly defines its target audience. It caters to the busy workforce, which does not have time to prepare their own meals or even wait in line.

Is Go The Future?

While the stores do lack cashiers, Amazon has not eliminated the need for human presence completely. The store still uses people for delivery, stocking and customer assistance. The main aim is to make a convenient check out process, whether it includes humans or not.

The tech giant uses several technologies to make this feat possible. A combination of computer vision, deep learning algorithms and sensor fusion help with each step along the way. To shop at the store, customers are required to download the Amazon Go app which is available for both iOS and Android devices. As of now, Amazon does not plan to expand outside the US. However, local tech companies in China are rivalling this model and have already opened chains of cashier-less stores. While they are not as technologically advanced as Amazon, they are catching up soon.

September 18, 2018
Amazon Reaches Trillion Dollar Market Value

Amazon has come a long way from being just an online bookstore to one of the biggest companies worldwide. It reached the $ 1 trillion valuation mark on September 4th. However, this was just for a brief moment of time. It is only the second company to touch this mark after Apple did so last month.

In the morning of 4th September, Amazon’s stock traded at $ 2,049, reaching the $ 1 trillion mark. By the time the day had ended, the stock closed at $ 2,039. This brought the capitalisation down to $ 995 billion. Just a few years back in the year 2012, Amazon was worth around $ 100 billion while Apple was worth $ 450 billion. Six years later, Amazon is fast on Apple’s tail.

It is a remarkable feat in terms of how quickly the 24-year-old company has grown, and the boundless opportunities investors have in its future. However, it was not an easy journey. For years, Amazon did not report significant quarterly growth, and it put its revenue back into business. Instead of ensuring a profit driven format, Amazon focused on buying up companies and developing new technologies. This has helped it grow into the giant that it is today. It has gone from on-line retail to physical stores, e-books, home assistants and many more.

Also Read: Walmart Buys 77% Stake In Flipkart For US$ 16 Billion

Amazon is becoming a household name as the years go buy. It is generating more interest with each passing day and growing its customer base. However, multiple analysts argue that Amazon’s control over each of its services will prevent more trillion dollar companies from ever coming up. The control it holds over consumer pocketbooks and streaming services ensures that no other company or potential challengers can exist in the same paradigm. Thus, this eliminates any threat it has.

However, Amazon will continue to grow and will hit the mark again, this time with a steady upward pace. Earlier this year, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos also accomplished a financial milestone by crossing Bill Gates to become the richest man in the world.

September 5, 2018
Best Deals for Amazon Prime Day Sales

The Amazon Prime day sale is one of the biggest sales in the country and especially online. Amazon customers get a host of exclusive deals and this year’s sale is even bigger.

Here are some of the hottest deals

1. OnePlus 6 RED

The red color variant of the OnePlus 6 is now finally available, while not on sale it is exclusively available on Amazon starting today.

You can check out our unboxing video here or play in the giveaway to win the OnePlus 6 Red here.

2. Bose QC 25 ( 50%)

One of the best noise cancelling headphones now available at a massive 50% discount. Get them quick.

3. Sony WH1000XM2

Another pair of high end headphones up for grabs are the Sony WH100XM2. With a 26% discount these are much more affordable ( a term we’d like to use loosely)

4. Bose Sound Touch III and Soundlink Mini

These speakers get a 20% discount which is extremely rare for Bose products.

5. Amazon Echo Range

What’s a Prime day without discount on Amazon Products. The whole range gets a cut. And the Fire TV stick is down to Rs. 2799

6.Fujifilm Instax Mini

These cameras are fun to use and easy to carry. Plus you get a print instantly. Now only Rs. 2999

7. Sandisk SD cards and USB drives

Lots of discounts on storage media click here for the whole list.

8.TV Deals

Starts at 6:00 pm today but you get awesome deals including two TV’s for the price of one. Sony Bravia on massive discount.

Another deal that starts 17th July is massive discount on the 65 inch Android TV : Get it as low as Rs. 56999.
For the full deal click here.

9. Printers and Supplies

Great deals on Inkjet and laser printers along with printing supplies : click here for full list.

10. Routers and PC hardware

There are tons of deals on routers and hard drives.

11. Laptops and Notebooks

Lots of exciting offers on laptops and portable computers. Full list here.

Microsoft Surface Pro now for Rs. 84990.

12. Canon Eos 1300D

This starter DSLR now available for Rs. 20,990

13. GoPro Hero 5

Now available in Black edition with accessories for Rs. 24250.

There are ongoing deals and you should check back for more constantly in the next three days.

July 16, 2018
A One Year Old’s First Word Was ‘Alexa’ And That Is No Laughing Matter

Technology is ever evolving and there is no denying that our lives are much easier now. We have technology in everything in our lives and sometimes it is hard to fathom what our lives would be without certain inventions and advancements. Smart home tech is a new arena where big companies like Amazon and Google excel and smart speakers, in particular, have become very popular. One incident in the UK, however, gives us a glimpse of how intrusive technology has become.

The parents of one-year-old Joe conceded that their son’s first word was rather conventional. Us humans emphasise a lot on a kid’s first word and more often than not, it is either “mum” or “dad.” Seldom is it the name of a virtual assistant which lives around the house. Joe’s parents revealed that his first word was “Alexa” to an Amazon Echo in their home.

While this can easily be shrugged off an isolated incident and even be joked about, it shouldn’t. Smart devices, while helpful, are intrusive. And you cannot solely blame technology here as we, human beings, allow certain pieces of technology to intrude in our lives. Amazon’s Alexa-powered smart speakers are very successful globally and compete with the likes of Google Home Mini and Apple HomePod. To trigger a response from a smart speaker, the word “Alexa” has to be spoken. This gives us a hint at why Joe would know the word Alexa since there are is an Echo device in their home.

This incident raises some telling points about our relationship with technology. Kids and young adults prefer iPads and PlayStations over outdoor activities and most of their online activities are not monitored. An exposure to technology and the internet at an early age can be damaging for many kids as we all know that not everyone has a pleasant experience on the internet. Cyberbullying has grown rapidly over the years and affects so many people these days.

Our relationship with technology needs to be checked, if not curtailed. Maybe if we scrutinise this incident enough, we will be able to come to an understanding where we need to draw a line with technology. Now, excuse us while we ask Alexa to make us some coffee.

June 11, 2018
Amazon Echo Dot Now Priced At Rs 4099 In India, Echo Receives A Price Cut As Well

The smart speaker industry has been on the rise in India. After the entry of Amazon’s Echo line of speakers, Google recently launched the Home and Home Mini in India as well. Up until now, the Google Home Mini and Google Home were priced on par with the Echo Dot and Echo, respectively. Amazon, however, has announced a price cut for the two smart speakers, making them more affordable than Google’s offerings.

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The Google Home Mini, which was launched at a price of Rs 4499 has received a price cut of Rs 400. The ultra-affordable smart speaker from Amazon is now priced at Rs 4099. The Amazon Echo, which is the mid-table offering from Amazon in India receives a Rs 1000 price cut. The second gen Echo is now priced at Rs 8999. Its main competitor, the Google Home is still priced at Rs 9999 in India.

Apart from the Echo and Echo Dot, the company has also launched the Echo Plus and Echo Spot in India. However, these two smart speakers will continue to retail at their launch prices. The Echo Spot is the only smart speaker in India which has a display. While an interesting prospect, the Echo Spot with its tiny round display does not have a lot of implementations which would be useful in countries like in India.

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At the Amazon Hardware show, the company launched a refreshed version of the Amazon Echo of 2014. In India, it is available in a host of different finishes like wood and cloth. It is a smart speaker and does things at your (voice) command like book an Uber, place an order on Zomato or play your favourite playlist from Saavn. The device measures at 148.5 x 88 x 88 mm and weighs 821 grams. It features 2.5-inch woofer and 0.6-inch bass tweeter.

The Amazon Echo Dot is the smallest sibling of the Echo lineup and has all the functionalities that an Amazon Echo possesses but, with an inferior sound quality. The device measures at 83.5 x 83.5 x 32 mm and weighs 163 grams. A good thing about the Echo Dot is that it can be connected to other speakers for a better soundstage and still retain its core ‘smart’ features.

The Amazon Echo Dot is a great entry-level smart speaker for users just getting into the smart home game. Whether this price cut will help Amazon reduce competition from the likes of Google Home speakers is yet to be seen.

June 9, 2018
Top Tech Deals During The Amazon Summer Sale

The Amazon Summer Sale has commenced and there are some really good deals on everything ranging from household products to clothes. However, it’s the tech the matters the most! iGyaan lists the top tech deals that are ideal for anyone looking for a smartphone to a smart speaker.

Honor 7X

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The budget smartphone from Huawei’s sub-brand was launched in December 2017. The 4GB RAM variant usually retails for Rs 16999 but, is available for Rs 14999 during the sale. There are also no cost EMIs available for users.

At the time of its launch, the Honor 7X was the only budget smartphone to offer an 18:9 aspect ratio. Since then, even though devices like the Redmi Note 5 Pro and Zenfone Max Pro have launched, the Honor 7X is still an impressive device.

The Honor 7X has a 5.9 inch LTPS IPS LCD display with a 2160 x 1080 px display. It runs on the HiSilicon Kirin 659 chipset, Mali-T830 MP2 GPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB onboard storage. The onboard storage is expandable up to 256GB via microSD card. The device is powered by a 3340 mAh battery and runs Android 8 Oreo with EMUI 8.0 on top.

The smartphone has a dual camera setup at the back. One of the cameras is equipped with a 16MP sensor while the other one is a 2MP depth sensor. The camera setup at the back has PDAF and records 1080P videos at 30fps. On the front is an 8MP camera which also records 1080P videos.

Moto G5s Plus

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Despite the Moto G6 series of smartphones launching recently, the Moto G5s Plus is still the latest budget smartphone from Motorola in India. The smartphone retails for Rs 16999 but, will be available for Rs 12999 during the sale. There are also no cost EMIs available for users.

The Moto G5S Plus has a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top

The smartphone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, an octa-core processor clocked at 2.0GHz with 4GB RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which can be expanded up to 128GB via a microSD card. The G5s Plus is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery TurboCharge capabilities. The Moto G5S Plus runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat with little customisation done by the manufacturer resulting in stock Android OS experience.

The Moto G5S Plus features rear-mounted 13MP dual-cameras with an f/2.0 aperture. On the front is a wide-angle 8MP camera with a single LED flash and a panoramic mode. The rear cameras capture videos in 4K at 30 FPS and the front camera records videos in 1080P at 30 FPS.

Xiaomi Redmi 5

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The Xiaomi Redmi 5 was recently launched in India after the success of the Redmi Note 5 Pro and Note 5. Launched at a price of Rs 7999, it’ll be available for Rs 7499 during the sale.

The Xiaomi Redmi 5 has a 5.7-inch 1440 x 720 px display with an 18:9 aspect ratio.

Redmi 5 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 chipset, a 1.8GHz octa-core processor, Adreno 506 GPU, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage which will be expandable via microSD card. Powering the device is a 3300 mAh battery which, Xioami claims has a standby time of up to 12 days.

The Redmi 5 has a 12MP camera at the back with 1.25-micron pixel size. To the front of the device is a 5MP camera with Beautify 3.0, which is Xiaomi’s software for enhanced selfies.

Amazon Echo Dot

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The Amazon Echo Dot is one of the most affordable smart speakers in India available right now. The speaker retails for Rs 4499 but will be available for Rs 2999 during the sale. For Rs 3000, the Echo Dot is an ideal smart speaker for users just starting to get the hang of a smart home.

The Amazon Echo Dot is the smallest Echo sibling and has all the functionalities that an Echo possessed but, with a lower sound quality. The device measures 83.5 x 83.5 x 32 mm and weighs 163 grams. A good thing about the Echo Dot is that it can be connected to other speakers for a better soundstage and still retain its core ‘smart’ features.

Even though the Google Home Mini has launched in India and the Assistant is getting some crazy new features in the future, Alexa cannot be discarded as many smart home products are Alexa-compatible. For Rs 3000, the Echo Dot is a great start.

TCL 39 inch LED TV

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The Indian TV industry, especially the smart TV industry was disrupted by the launch of the Xiaomi Mi TV 4. Since then, we have seen a reaction from other TV makers and TCL also launched a few smart TVs in India recently. However, it continues to sell its LED TVs as well and the 39 inch Full HD TV is available for Rs 16999 during the sale. There are also no cost EMIs available for users.

The TCL LED TV is not a smart TV and for some people, it might be a good thing. As much as we want to believe that the television industry is on the verge of extinction, it is not true. A lot of people still watch TV and don’t really care about smart features. Rarely any content on TV is 4K which means a Full HD display should suffice for many.

Day 2 Deals

Boat Dual Port QC 3.0 Car Charger (Rs 399): Buy it here

House of Marley EM-JE041-CP Earphones (Rs 999): Buy it here

Photron Tripod with Pan Head (Rs 700): Buy it here

TP-Link Wi-Fi Range Extender (Rs 1299): Buy it here

Wireless Earbuds (Rs 500): Buy it here

May 12, 2018
Amazon Echo Spot With Circular Display And Touchscreen Launched in India

Amazon has added another Alexa-powered smart home speaker to its repertoire in India. After launching it in the US in September 2017, the company has now launched the Echo Spot in India. The smart speaker with a display is on sale in India for Rs 12999. However, it is available for Rs 10999 for now, as an introductory offer.

The Amazon Echo Spot is a mix of the Echo Dot and the Echo Spot. The Spot has a 2.5 inch circular display with a resolution of 480 x 480 px. The Echo Spot is like a smart alarm clock powered by Alexa which can also be connected to external speakers via Bluetooth or a 3.5mm headphone jack. This means that users can retail the smart functionality of an Echo Spot and add better sound quality to the system using their own speakers.

Other than a display, the Spot does what a smart speaker powered by Alexa would do. It can make calls, call an Ola, order food on Zomato, play music and more. However, thanks to its display and a camera, the Spot can also make video calls by just asking it do it. Users can also watch news from NDTV, Times Now, ESPN Cricinfo, Aaj Tak, and more.

Amazon Echo Spot Specs

Specifications Amazon Echo Spot

Display 2.5 inch

Resolution 480 x 480 px

Dimensions 104 x 96 x 91 mm

Weight 419 grams

Speaker Size 1.4? speaker

April 25, 2018
New Amazon Internet Browser For Android Weighs 2MB

Amazon has just released a new browser for Android users in India. The new browser, named ‘Internet’ is specifically designed for to consume much less data than usual browsers. Apparently, the Amazon Internet browser also provides a very private user experience as it does not ask for any permissions to collect private data. The app is available to download via Google Play Store and is compatible with Android devices running Android 5.0 Lollipop and above. However, we were not able to install the app on our Redmi Note 5 Pro running Android 7.1.1 Nougat.

Just like any other browser, the Internet browser app from Amazon Internet has basic features like fullscreen reading mode. The homepage layout is also very similar to other browsers like Chrome with tabs for trending news and most visited pages. Just like the incognito mode on Chrome, there is a private mode to let users hide browsing history from their devices.

Amazon Internet is not the first ‘lite’ app by Amazon for the Indian audience. The company recently launched the lite version of its highly popular reading app, Kindle. The Kindle Lite, just like Internet, weighs less than 2MB in size and offers a basic e-book reading experience. The app is specifically designed for devices with a slower internet connection and for areas with unstable data connectivity.

A full-fledged browser that hardly takes up any space is ideal for people with entry-level smartphones. While many of us are used to 4GB RAM and minimum of 64GB onboard storage, there are consumers with entry-level Android smartphones with 8GB of onboard storage. This means that apps like Internet, Messenger Lite etc can help these users get a good user experience without their smartphones running out of space constantly.

April 18, 2018
Up To Rs 5000 Off On All iPhones At The Amazon iPhone Fest

Apple iPhones are premium priced smartphones in India. In fact, the iPhone X launched in India for a price of Rs 1,02,000 for the 256GB version back in November. However, there are some days when users can avail heavy discounts on their favourite iPhones and the next few days are exactly that. Amazon’s iPhone Fest will let users get an extra discount using an HDFC credit/debit card. The iPhone SE, whose successor is expected to launch in the coming months is available at an effective price of Rs 16,999!

Apple iPhone SE

iPhone SE

The Apple iPhone SE is now available for just Rs 17,999 and HDFC card users can get this device for Rs 16,999. The iPhone SE has a 4 inch 1136 x 640 px retina HD display with 326 ppi. Under the hood, the device has the A9 Dual-core chipset with 1.84GHz clock speed and 2GB RAM. This is the most compact iPhone that Apple currently sells.

Apple iPhone 6

The Apple iPhone 6 with 32GB storage is now available on Amazon for Rs 23,999 and if you are an HDFC card user, then one can get additional Rs 1250 off. The Apple iPhone 6 has a 4.7 inch retina HD display with 1334 x 750 resolution. The device is powered by the Apple A8 Dual-core processor with 1GB RAM. If you are looking for a slightly bigger iPhone than the iPhone SE and not want to spend a fortune, then go with the iPhone 6.

Apple iPhone X

If you are in the market for a premium smartphone, then the Apple iPhone X could be a great choice. Though the smartphone’s price was hiked twice, the entry-level model with 64GB is currently available for Rs 79,999. By using HDFC bank cardholders can get the same for just Rs 74,999. The iPhone X has a completely bezel-less design with a display notch on the top.

Apple iPhone 6s

The Apple iPhone 6s is the most powerful iPhone with a headphone jack. The smartphone is now available for Rs 33,999 plus Rs 1,500 discount for HDFC customers. This is the first iPhone to feature 3D touch with 2nd Gen Touch ID. Similarly, the iPhone 6s Plus is available for Rs 37,999 with additional Rs 2,000 discount for HDFC card holders.

Apple iPhone 7

The Apple iPhone 7 is available for Rs 41,999 and HDFC credit or debit card users can get an additional discount of Rs 2,000. The smartphone has a 4.7 inch retina HD display with 3D touch and a 2nd Gen Touch ID. The iPhone 7 is the first Apple iPhone to ditch 3.5 mm headphone jack to offer a seamless design. Though this device is one and a half year old, in terms of performance it is no slouch.

Apple iPhone 8

The Apple iPhone 8 is available for Rs 54,999 and HDFC cardholders can get the same for Rs 51,999. The smartphone has the latest all-glass design from Apple with wireless charging. The device has a 4.7 inch display with support for HDR and 3D touch. The iPhone SE has a single 12MP camera with support for 4K video recording up to 120fps. Similarly, the iPhone 8 Plus is available for Rs 65,999 with additional Rs 3000 off for HDFC card users.

April 10, 2018
Users Can Now Download Paid Android Games For Free Using Amazon App Store

Amazon has officially launched Amazon App Store in India. It is an alternative application to the Google Play Store found on Android smartphones. However, one has to download the APK and then install it manually to use this service.

Unlike Amazon Music and Prime Video, the App Store is readily available for non-Prime subscribers as well. The app requires one’s Amazon account credentials to log in, which will then display featured games and apps. The App Store was originally introduced in 2011 in the US and other western markets. Though there was no official launch, the Amazon App store was readily available for download even for Indian customers.

As an introductory offer, the Store is offering some of the paid games for free of cost. Games like Goat Simulator and Fruit Ninja Classic are available for free. However, compared to the Google Play Store, the Amazon App store limited selection of games and apps.

How to install Amazon App Store

Go to App Store actually free on your smartphone, download the APK. Go to settings, privacy, and allow installation of unknown applications. Log in to the store using your Amazon credentials to enjoy free games and apps. However, we do not ‘allow the installation of unknown application’ due to security reasons.

April 3, 2018
Nokia 7 Plus Will Be An Amazon Exclusive Smartphone

Nokia has started sending press invites for their upcoming launch event on 4th of April. According to leaks, the company is expected to launch the Nokia 6 2018, Nokia 7 Plus and the Nokia 8810 4G feature phone. And now, a new leak suggests that the Nokia 7 Plus will be an Amazon exclusive smartphone. The smartphone was launched in China for 2,299 CYN. Similarly, the device is expected to be priced anywhere near Rs 22,999.

A tipster has shared a picture with the Nokia 7 Plus smartphone with an Amazon exclusive badge. Nokia has launched the Nokia 6 and Nokia 8 as an Amazon exclusive smartphone, so, Nokia might be planning to continue the partnership. However, there is no information on the availability of remaining models.

Nokia 7 Specs

The Nokia 7 has a 5.2 inch IPS LCD display with a 1920 x 1080 px resolution. Nokia 7 Plus, on the other hand, has a 6 inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio hence, the “Plus” moniker. The Nokia 7 plus also features a dual-tone design thanks to a few gilded bits and pieces.

Under the hood, the 7 Plus has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset. That is coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which will be expandable via microSD card.

On the back of the 7 Plus is a dual-camera setup powered by Zeiss optics. The primary wide-angle sensor is a 12MP camera with an f/1.75 aperture coupled with a 13MP telephoto lens with an f/2.6 aperture. Additionally, the telephoto lens will allow for bokeh shots which have now become very trendy. On the front is a 16MP fixed focus camera with an f/2.0 aperture.

March 29, 2018
Leica Sofort Camera Launched In India At Rs. 25000

Leica Camera, the German brand which is known for manufacturing high-end professional cameras have finally entered the Indian market. The company has partnered with Amazon India to launch three cameras at a price ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 90,000. The Leica V-Lux is priced at Rs 85,000 and the Leica D-Lux is priced at Rs 90,000. And the Leica Sofort 19106, 19107, 19108 range is priced at Rs 25,000. All these cameras have a standard 3-year warranty.

Leica V-Lux Specs

The Leica V-Lux is the costliest of series. This could be an ideal camera for every kind of photography. The camera has a variable aperture of f/2.4 to f/4.0 with 146 mm aspheric lens (ASHP). The camera supports latest wireless connectivity features like Wi-Fi and NFC. Additionally, the camera is remotely controllable using a smartphone or tablet with lag free screen mirroring. The camera also includes additional perks like 90 days free subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud Photoshop and Lightroom.

Leica D-Lux Specs

The Leica D-Lux is a more compact mirrorless camera. The camera has a full metal unibody design with a large 4/3 inch sensor with a 12.8MP lens. Additionally, the camera offers native 4K video recording capability. Additionally, the company claims that the Leica D-Lux has one of the fastest lenses in its lineup. The camera has a variable aperture of f/1.7 to f/2.4 ASHP lens.

Leica Sofort Camera Specs

This is more of a casual camera from the company, aimed at habitual photographers. As this an affordable offering from the company, it does not feature fancy lens or even 4K recording. The camera offers wide-range of photographic features like Macro shots, Self-timer, Party and People and so on. The camera can double the amount of exposure to create professional looking photographs. If you are looking for a funky-camera with premium camera capabilities, then the Leica Sofort Camera should be the one to go for. However, the camera does not have a digital viewfinder.

March 28, 2018
Amazon Prime Music Review

On the 28th of February, Amazon launched its Prime Music service in India. The new music streaming service joins the ever-growing list of music streaming services in India. While the likes of Saavn, Gaana, Wynk are free to use, Prime Music comes at a cost. It is exclusively available for Amazon Prime users only. Unlike something like Apple Music where you pay just for the music streaming, you get services like Prime Video and free one-day delivery with Amazon Prime subscription. So, how does the Amazon Prime Music stack up in the real world? Let’s find out!

Subscription

Amazon Prime service was launched in late-2016 at Rs 499 per year. That, however, has now increased to Rs 999 per year. At first, the subscription meant free one-day delivery but, it soon launched Amazon Prime Video in India. Ever since then, the video streaming service has consistently added international and local Indian content which has been appreciated across the table. With Amazon Prime Music, existing users don’t have to pay anything extra and simply need to sign in using their Amazon account.

Essentially, when you renew your Prime subscription, you pay for three services which, in a grand scheme of things, is a pretty decent amount. While we would always love things to be free, the Prime subscription for these services is pretty good. However, the conundrum is for people who don’t have a subscription. In that case, if you just want a new music streaming service, then Amazon Prime Music does not make sense. For Android users, Apple Music has made some great changes recently and costs only Rs 120 per month. So, just the Prime Music on its own is not a great value proposition.

App And UI

The Prime Music app for iOS weighs in at about 65MB, which means people still using a 16GB iPhone should not have trouble installing this app. The Android version of the app comes with a similar weight. The app UI is pretty neat and simple. The dark theme is refreshing but, there isn’t an option to enable or disable it. The four toggles at the bottom help you navigate between offline music library, Alexa and recently search/played songs.

The app also has a few gestures involved. The now playing screen gets minimised into a circle between the four bottom toggles. Once minimised, you can drag the circle to the right to move to the next song or drag it to the left to move backwards. This is a nifty feature especially when you’re browsing songs within the app while listening to something else. Instead of pulling up the Now Playing screen or the control centre, you can shift between songs.

In Apple Music, the bottom bar has the option to skip a song or pause it but, no option to go back to a song. Also, gestures are the future, and the Prime Music app uses them pretty well.

One inexcusable feature missing from this paid streaming service is lyrics. While it is not a commonly used feature, it should be available for users who pay for a music streaming service. Apple Music, for example, has this feature and so does Gaana, which is, in fact, a free streaming service. Maybe, the feature will be added in a future update.

Music Library

Amazon has not been open about the total number of songs in its library. Hence, it is not possible to compare it with other services like Apple Music or Google Play Music. But, what we can say is that we found almost all the songs we searched for. Right from Where’s My Man by Velvet Underground to Attention by Charlie Puth. That, usually, is the litmus test for music streaming services if it can find a very old song and a very new song.

The interesting feature of Amazon Prime Music is its local language music. We were able to find the Telugu song Blockbuster and the Kannada song Gamanava. What we were not able to find was indie content by Indian musicians. This is where Saavn is excelling thanks to its Saavn’s Artists Original division. So, if you are into indie music and mainly independent Indian artists, then the Prime Music library won’t suffice.

Like a lot of other music streaming services, it also has curated playlists that get more accurate with more usage. We listen to a lot of classic rock and a few curated playlists had some great songs that we hadn’t heard of. And honestly, there is nothing better than to discover new songs that become an instant favourite. For example, we discovered Today by The Smashing Pumpkins and it is now a part of every playlist we listen to here.

Alexa within the app is a hit or a miss. Unless you have an Echo device or can’t type, Alexa remains unused. A lot of the times, Alexa fails to recognise a song we ask for and then just delays the time for us to start playing that song. Even famous songs like Thats The Way by Led Zeppelin was not recognised by Alexa in our daily usage.

At the end of the day, a music streaming service without a lot of music titles is a failure. Amazon Prime has most of the songs people would commonly listen to. But, the lack of independent music artists means that many young listeners would choose a different service.

Verdict

It is pretty simple, if you have an Amazon Prime subscription, then the Prime Music is great. You essentially have a music and video streaming service for a price of Rs 999 per year. Compared with Apple Music’s Rs 120 per month and Google Play Music’s Rs 99 per month, and Prime Music is a steal! But, is it worth spending a thousand rupees just for the music streaming service? No. There is Saavn that has good independent music titles and is a free service albeit, annoying ads.

At the end of the day, the Amazon Prime Music as a package with other Amazon services is a great deal. On its own, it will be hard to convince customers to pay for it.

March 19, 2018
Top Three E-Wallet Apps In India
For most of the transactions, we use physical currency. However, that goes out the window once most of your currency is demonetised. But, thanks to some really good e-wallet apps, transactions are not that difficult. So, let’s have a look at the top 3 e-wallet apps in India.

Paytm

Paytm is probably the first widely accepted e-wallet service in India. It can be accessed using an iOS or an Android smartphone. In fact, one can also access it using any of the standard web browsers. The platform comes with features like Paytm Wallet, where a user can use the wallet to make seamless transactions. Recently, Paytm has also started the Paytm payments bank, where the user can create a virtual savings bank account and get its own physical debit card. The platform also offers the ability to transfer money to bank accounts for a nominal fee. Paytm can be used to recharge mobiles, DHT, paying electricity bills, paying college tuition fees etc.
- Link to Android
- Link to iOS
Google Tez

Google Tez is the newest member of the e-wallet group. Unlike most of the e-wallets, Tez does not have the wallet service. The money sent/received will directly reflect in the user’s bank account. To use Google Tez, one has to have an active bank account with the Unified Payment Interface (UPI). Tez also offers coupons in return for the transactions. A user can win from Rs 1 to Rs 1,00,000by scratching those coupons on Google Tez. One can link the UPI account created on Tez to the third party apps like Uber. Similarly, one can invite others to Google Tez to earn Rs 51.
- Link to Android
- Link to iOS
Amazon Pay

Amazon Pay is similar to Paytm with an Amazon Wallet. As the name suggests, this feature is initiated by Amazon, which can be used to shop on Amazon. However, one can also use this feature to pay the post-paid account bills, recharge pre-paid numbers and can be used with other services like Bookmyshow and Tapzo. Amazon Pay comes with additional perks like 50% cashback on recharges, Rs 100 back by adding Rs 300 to the wallet and more. If you are an online shopping junkie, then this a must have e-wallet service.
- Link to Android
- Link to iOS
March 19, 2018