Category: Amazon

Three Amazon Prime Services Everyone Should Know About

Amazon introduced Amazon Prime in India at the end of 2016. Initially, the subscription was priced at Rs 499 with 12 months validity. However, at the end of 2017, the charges were doubled to Rs 999. The company also offers a free trial of the Prime membership for the first 30 days, where a user gets a clear picture of the services provided under the Prime membership.

Free One-Day Delivery

Amazon offers free delivery for every customer. However, the price of the product should be more than Rs 500. If you are a prime member, then the company offers free delivery within one day. Note that, normal users have to pay Rs 50 to get the delivery in one day. Users living in Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad can avail free same day delivery at a discounted price.

Amazon Prime Video

Though it does not have as many exclusive titles as Netflix, the library is getting better by the day. Be it Indian stand-up comedy shows or original series, it has everything. One can access Amazon Prime Video from a smartphone or a computer. Young Sheldon, Two And A Half Men, and Grey’s Anatomy are some of the favourite shows, that we keep an eye on. The perks don’t end there, as one can download these shows to watch them in the offline mode. The collection also has a dedicated section of children’s shows and movies.

Amazon Music

Amazon recently launched its music streaming service here in India. A member can access millions of songs. The service offers ad-free music experience with curated music playlists. Users can access Amazon Music from a computer or a smartphone running on iOS or Android. The library consists of music from almost all the regional languages including Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, and Tamil.

We have used Gaana, Hungama, Wynk, and other music services and none of those match the Amazon Music’s choice of songs. However, Amazon is still not clear about the number of songs its library has but, so far, we have been able to find almost any song we asked Alexa for.

March 17, 2018
Amazon Alexa Moves One Step Closer To Human-Like Interaction With New Feature

Artificial Intelligence is great. The way it has grown over the years and especially the implementation of it with our smartphones and smart home devices is really impressive. While people joke about how AI is still very robotic and not close to being human-like, Amazon has taken the first step in fixing that. It has announced the launch of a follow-up mode for its voice assistant, Alexa.

Alexa, now present in everything from smartphones to smart speakers, is a great tool for people with smart home devices. However, asking questions to Alexa, or pretty much any AI assistant can be very monotonous and robotic. For every time, you need to say the keyword like “Hey Alexa” or “OK Google” to make them listen to you.

With the new mode, users can ask follow-up questions to Alexa without saying the keyword every time. Alexa will now listen for five seconds after the first response. If the Alexa-powered device is ready for a follow-up question, the blue indicator light will flash. This will be an indication for the user to ask their question. For people paranoid about their devices listening to them all the time can switch off this feature. Also, if no follow-up question is asked within the time frame, the device will restore to the sleep mode.

Amazon has also clarified that it won’t listen to you all the time. It claims that Alexa will not respond if it isn’t “confident you’re speaking to her”.

For example, if she detects that speech was background noise or that the intent of the speech was not clear.

This new feature is in the right direction for AI enthusiasts. However, people like Elon Musk have been vocal about their apprehensions related to Artificial Intelligence. The new feature won’t go down well with people who don’t like AI as of now.

March 13, 2018
Convert Your Dumb TV Into A Smart TV Using These Accessories

Xiaomi recently launched the Mi Smart TV 4 and 4A in India at very competitive pricing. These televisions are powered Android operating system with support for Wi-Fi. The USP of these TV is the “Smart TV” status, which differentiates them from the competition.

People, those who bought a new TV without the smart features might feel sad about their decision after Xiaomi smart TV launch. However, worry not, as you have three ways to convert your normal television into a smart television in less than Rs 5000.

To convert your standard television into a smart television, just plug-in the device and go through the on-screen setup process.

However, it is worth noting that your TV should have an HDMI port and a high-speed Wi-Fi connection.

Amazon Fire TV Stick

Amazon Fire TV Stick is available on Amazon for Rs 3,999. The device has received a massive response for its compact form factor and easy UI. One needs to have Amazon account and to access the contents of Amazon Prime Music and Prime Video. Similarly, the device comes with a pre-installed browser, which can be used to access the internet. The retail package also includes a remote, which can be used for the UI navigation. The device comes with 1GB RAM and 8GB storage, which can stream content up to 1080p.

Google Chromecast 2

Google Chromecast 2 works in a similar fashion with additional advantages. The device is priced at Rs 3,399 on Flipkart, which is a bit cheaper than the Amazon’s offering. One can connect their smartphone or laptop to the same network and can stream anything from games to movies. As this is developed by Google, the app support is also quite extensive. However, the retail package does not include a dedicated remote, as any smartphone can be used as a remote.

Xiaomi Mi TV Box

The Xiaomi Mi Tv Box is currently available on GearBest for US$ 67.5 (Rs 4387). Do note that, the shipping charges are also included in the price. The device runs on custom Android OS with 2GB RAM and 8GB Storage. This has an advantage over the other two devices, as the Xiaomi Mi TV Box can stream content up to 4K resolution. The device also has an additional USB port, which can read most of the video formats.

Buy the Mi TV Box here

March 10, 2018
Samsung Galaxy A8+ Available At An Effective Price Of Rs. 28990 On Amazon

Amazon is offering a limited-time price cut on various Samsung smartphones from the 5th to 8th of March. The Samsung Galaxy Note8 is now available for Rs 59,900 instead of Rs 67,900 and the Samsung Galaxy A8+ is available for Rs 28,990 instead of Rs 32,990. Amazon will credit the cashback of Rs 8,000 for the Note8 buyers and Rs 4,000 for the Galaxy A8+ buyers via Amazon Pay balance.

Note:

The offer is applicable for those, who make the payment via Amazon Pay. At the time of purchase, one has to make the complete payment, then Amazon will credit the cashback within 10 days.

Specifications of Samsung Galaxy Note8

Galaxy Note8

The smartphone has a 6.3 inch 2960 x 1440 px Super AMOLED infinity display with minimal bezels on the top and bottom of the phone. The device has the Exynos 8895 chipset with 6GB of RAM and 128GB onboard storage.

The Note8 has a 12MP dual-camera setup, one of which has a wide lens and the other a telephoto. The telephoto lens allows a user to zoom in losslessly for an up to 2x magnification.

Powering the device is a 3300 mAh battery which is smaller than the 3500 mAh battery found on the Galaxy Note7 with wireless charging capabilities, and runs Android Nougat 7.1.1 with Samsung’s custom skin on top. The Galaxy Note8 and the S Pen are both IP68 certified water and dust resistant.

Specifications of Samsung Galaxy A8+

Samsung Galaxy A8+

The Samsung Galaxy A8+ has a 6-inch Super AMOLED display with a 2220 x 1080 px resolution which translates to an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood, it has an Exynos 7885 chipset, an octa-core processor and Mali-G71 GPU.

The Galaxy A8+ will run Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box with Samsung’s own custom skin on top. Powering the Galaxy A8+ is a 3500 mAh battery which is charged via USB Type-C port.

he Galaxy A8+ is also the first of Samsung phone to have a dual-camera setup on the front. The Galaxy A8+ has a 16MP + 8MP camera setup with an f/1.9 aperture on the front.

March 5, 2018
Amazon Prime Music Launched in India

Amazon’s Prime Music service now available in India. The Amazon Prime music app can be downloaded from Android or iOS App Store. Similarly, users can also use the service using a standard web browser.

Amazon was testing the Amazon Prime Music In India from last 4 months. However, it was only available for the Amazon Echo users.

The Amazon Prime Music is an ad-free music streaming service from Amazon with more than 10 million songs. If you are an Amazon Prime customer, then you can use the service right away without any additional cost.

Features:

The Amazon Prime Music has a curated music playlist in 12 Indian languages. The overall UI looks clean and the song selection is also impressive. The company has also integrated Amazon Alexa into the music player.

If you have a favourite song, then the song can be saved in offline mode to reduce data usage. The Prime Music offers complete ad-free experience.

Conclusion:

With the launch of Amazon Prime Music, the company is offering a lot of a lot of services for just Rs 1000 subscription. In the first few hours of using this streaming service, it has impressed me with the choice of song selection. This might convince me to continue the subscription to the Amazon Prime.

February 28, 2018
Top Smartphones And Tech Accessories Deals On Amazon Great Indian Sale

Amazon’s Great Indian Sale is still on and has some great deals on everything from smartphones to Bluetooth speakers.

Samsung On7 Pro

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The On 7 Pro is Samsung’s budget offering in the sub-10K category. It packs a 5.5-inch 1080 x 720 px display along with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chipset. On the camera front, the device features a 12MP rear-facing camera with an f/2.1 aperture and a front-facing 5MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture. It usually retails for Rs 9490 but is available for Rs 7490 right now.

JBL Go

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The JBL GO Bluetooth Speaker is a great budget Bluetooth speaker. It is available in 8 colours for you to choose from. At 132 g, it is extremely light and portable. It has a 3.5mm jack to connect your device via an AUX cable and charges through a micro-USB port. It has a built-in microphone to receive calls as well. The JBL GO speaker usually retails for Rs 2699 but is available for a price of Rs 1375 right now.

Intex 11000 mAh Power Bank

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As smartphones get thinner, battery performance, unfortunately, takes a hit. In such times, a good power bank helps. There are plenty of power banks available in the market and a 10,000 mAh capacity is a standard for good power banks. The Intex 11,000 mAh power bank usually retails for about Rs. 1899 but, during the Great Indian Sale, it is available for Rs. 649 which is a steal!

LG V30+

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One of the most underrated smartphones of 2017, the LG V30+ has all the specifications and design of a modern-day flagship. It has the very capable Snapdragon 835 chipset, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Unlike a lot of dual-camera setups found on smartphones these days, the LG V30+ has a normal lens and a wide-angle lens on the back. It has thin bezels around the display, and in the era of companies getting rid of the headphone jack, the LG V30+ has a HiFi Quad DAC for superior sound quality.

January 22, 2018
Top Smartphones And Tech Accessories Deals During The Amazon Great Indian Sale

Another Amazon sale is here with great deals on smartphones and tech accessories. iGyaan brings you the top deals that won’t break the bank!

Honor 8 Pro

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Competitively priced, great performance, big battery, and a dual-camera setup, the Honor 8 Pro was launched as a competitor of the OnePlus 5. The Honor 8 Pro has 5.7 inch 2560 x 1440 px display which is ideal for media consumption via VR. The Honor 8 Pro has 128 GB of storage along with 6GB of RAM. The phone also has a large 4000 mAh battery and fast charge capabilities, with long battery modes built into Honor’s user interface.

Xiaomi Mi Max 2

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The Xiaomi Mi Max 2 has a 6.4 inch 1920 x 1080 px display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top for added protection. The smartphone is powered by a massive 5300 mAh with QuickCharge 3.0 and runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Xiaomi’s custom skin MIUI 8 on top. The phablet has a one-hand usage mode as well. Under the hood, the phablet has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, Cortex-A53 octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB onboard storage options. The fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the device and sits just below the cameras. The Mi Max 2 switches to dual-audio speakers when in landscape mode. On the optics front, the Mi Max 2 has a 12-megapixel camera with an f/2.2 aperture, equipped with the Sony IMX386 sensor with PDAF and dual-LED flash. On the front, the phablet has a 5MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture.

JBL C100SI Headphones

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One of the top budget earphones, the JBL C100SI Headphones have a great fit and a very good build quality. It has a 9mm driver and a 1.2-meter cable. The cable size is ideal for earphones as it allows you to rest your smartphone in the pocket without compromising on the comfort.

Ambrane 10,000 mAh Powerbank

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As smartphones get thinner, battery performance, unfortunately, takes a hit. In such times, a good power bank helps. There are plenty of power banks available in the market and a 10,000 mAh capacity is a standard for good power banks. The Ambrane 10,000 mAh power bank usually retails for about Rs. 1799 but, during the Great Indian Sale, it is available for Rs. 599 which is a steal!

Moto G5s Plus

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The G5S Plus has a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px display. The fingerprint sensor sits below the display and can double up as a single-navigation button as well and the screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The highlight of the device is the 13MP dual-camera setup with an f/2.0 aperture. The dual camera captures Bokeh, and selective focus shots, along with other capabilities of background replacement and exposure management. Under the hood, the device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor with 2.0 GHz octa-core CPU and 650 MHz Adreno 506 GPU, 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card.

Honor 6X

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Huawei’s sub-brand Honor’s budget offering, the Honor 6X is a budget-friendly smartphone in the sub-15K category and offers a dual-camera set up as well. It features a 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 px display along with the Kirin 655 chipset and an octa-core processor. It sports a 12Mp + 2MP dual camera setup at the back and an 8MP front-facing camera.

January 21, 2018
Amazon Is Working On Its Own Version Of YouTube

It is no secret that Google and Amazon are embroiled in a battle of power. It might seem silly to consumers but, it might end up costing the two companies millions of dollars. Amazon has been refusing to sell Google hardware on its platform, and Google has responded by blocking YouTube access on Amazon’s line of Echo and Fire TV products.

Now, it is fair to assume that Google can’t replicate Amazon’s online presence and Amazon, in turn, can’t make a platform as huge as YouTube right now. But, it appears that Amazon is not willing to give up the ambition of having its own YouTube-like platform. Amazon filed trademarks requests with the US Patent and Trademark Office for products called AmazonTube and OpenTube.

Interestingly, this happened the same day Google announced that Amazon devices will lose YouTube access from the 1st of January.

Amazon says Amazon Tube and/or Open Tube would provide “non-downloadable pre-recorded audio, visual and audiovisual works via wireless networks on a variety of topics.”

In the description, Amazon says the new service would also provide “on-line network services that enable users to share content, photos videos, text, data, images and other electronic works relating to entertainment, including, movies, television, audiovisual works, music, audio works, books, theatre, literary works, sporting events, recreational activities, leisure activities, tournaments, art, dance, musicals, exhibitions, sports instruction, clubs, radio, comedy, contests, visual works, games, gaming, festivals, museums, parks, cultural events, concerts, publishing, animation, current events, fashion, multimedia presentations, history, language, liberal arts, math, business, science, technology, hobbies, culture, sports, arts, psychology, and philosophy.”

Apart from that, a report claims that Amazon has been registering new domain names including AlexaOpenTube.com, AmazonAlexaTube.com, and AmazonOpenTube.com.

If these are more than just routine patent filing activities and Amazon goes ahead with its plan of launching a YouTube competitor, it will be interesting to see how the consumers respond and whether it will be available to match up to the vast content that YouTube offers,

[poll id=”58″]

December 21, 2017
Amazon Has Launched The Redmi 5A Competitor

2017 has been a fascinating year for mobile phone enthusiasts from all walks of life. There have been flagship phones that have cost over a lakh such as the iPhone X and practically free 4G phones like the JioPhone. Toward the end of the year, Xiaomi launched a sub-5K phone, the Xiaomi Redmi 5A which could be the ideal phone for someone making a shift from a feature phone to a smartphone. Now, Amazon has launched the third phone in its ‘Tenor or 10.or” brand, the 10.or D.

Xiaomi Redmi 5A

Priced at Rs. 4999 for the 16GB storage variant and Rs. 5999 for the 32GB storage variant, the pricing is almost identical with the Redmi 5A. The smartphone will go on sale at 12:00 PM on the 5th of January, and registrations for the first sale have already begun on Amazon India. The e-commerce giant is also giving away a 1-year subscription to Amazon Prime.

The 10.or D will have a 5.2-inch display with a screen resolution of 1280 x 720 px.

Under the hood, the device will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset, a quad-core processor, the Adreno 308 GPU to handle the graphics, and two RAM/storage variants. One of the variants will have 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage while the other one will have 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, the storage will be expandable via microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the phone.

Powering the device will be a 3500 mAh battery which in theory, should be sufficient enough to handle the 5.2-inch HD display. The listing page claims to deliver up to 70 hours of MP3 playback time, up to 25 hours of talk time and up to 10 hours on the internet.

Similar to the Redmi 5A, the 10.or D has a 13MP primary camera with auto-focus and an LED flash. On the front of the phone is a 5MP camera.

The specifications of the 10.or D are identical with the Redmi 5A. However, specifications are not the only factor and it will be interesting to see if Amazon can compete with the popularity of Xiaomi in the budget smartphone category.

December 21, 2017
Amazon Tenor D Specs Revealed Ahead Of Launch In India

It was reported that Amazon will be launching a new smartphone under the 10.or pronounced as ‘Tenor’ brand in January. The e-commerce company has now listed the phone on its website and is taking registrations for the phone, Tenor D which will go on sale on 5th of January 2018. A few key specifications of the phone have been listed while the price of the phone is listed as “Rs. X999.” There will be two variants of the phone and according to the cryptic price listing, both the variants will be priced under Rs. 10000.

The 10.or D will have a 5.2-inch display with a screen resolution of 1280 x 720 px.

Under the hood, the device will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset, a quad-core processor, the Adreno 308 GPU to handle the graphics, and two RAM/storage variants. One of the variants will have 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage while the other one will have 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, the storage will be expandable via microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the phone.

Powering the device will be a 3500 mAh battery which in theory, should be sufficient enough to handle the 5.2-inch HD display. The listing page claims to deliver up to 70 hours of MP3 playback time, up to 25 hours of talk time and up to 10 hours on the internet.

While there will be a single primary camera, no information has been revealed as to what the specifications of the camera sensors are. More details will be revealed at the launch event which will happen on the 20th of December.

The specifications of the phone place it in the category of the recently launched Xiaomi Redmi 5A and the pricing of the phone will be crucial as Xiaomi has a smartphone offering in all major price categories up to Rs. 15000.

Register here

December 19, 2017
Amazon To Compete With Flipkart’s Billion Capture+ With Its Own Smartphone

Flipkart and Amazon are the two big players in the e-commerce market in India. Both the companies are always trying to one-up the other, either with new sales or advertisements. Flipkart recently launched the Billion Capture+ smartphone, an Android phone with a dual-camera setup priced at Rs. 10999. But, a couple of months before Flipkart’s move, Amazon launched two budget smartphones called Tenor E and Tenor G. New reports claim that Amazon will be launching its own smartphone in January next year under the brand name Tenor.

Manish Tiwary, VP at Amazon India told ET:

We leverage the customer data and feedback to understand the gaps in the selection, pricing and reach out to our vendors or OEMs to manufacture relevant products.

While Flipkart labels its Billion brand as ‘Made for India, in India’, Amazon labels its brand as ‘Crafted By Amazon’. Both the companies have launched products and product lines on their private labels. Amazon has a diverse portfolio under the ‘Amazon Basics’ moniker while Flipkart has Smart Buy, a brand for electronics and electronic accessories and MarQ for large appliances.

The budget smartphone industry in India is seeing an exponential rise right now and most of it is dominating by Chinese brands such Xiaomi and Honor. Experts believe that the private label market in India for smartphones is fairly nascent.

The overall mobiles and tablet market would be at $8.5-9 billion annualised run rate in terms of gross merchandise volume. The smartphones private label would be targeting the local, low-brand and mid-brand strength of smartphones which make up almost 20% of the market, thereby making it a $2-billion opportunity for these private labels.

While there are plenty of budget smartphones, a good phone at a competitive price will always receive the attention and persuade buyers to try out a new brand, that is how Xiaomi gained popularity in India. Will you buy an Azom-made phone if the specs are spectacular?

December 19, 2017
Kickstarter Launches India Operations With Amazon And HAX

Kickstarter, one of the largest crowdfunding platform in the world is entering India in association with Amazon Launchpad and HAX. Together, the three global entities will launch Startup C-Cube, a multi-level challenge for Indian start-ups that flags off in Bangalore on the 5th of December 2017.

HAX is a hardware accelerator that invests in select startups in their early stages and provides guidance and resources in exchange for equity. Kickstarter is a platform for entrepreneurs to showcase their products and start a crowdfunding program. Amazon Launchpad is a global program that curates, showcases and delivers all kinds of products from startups to Amazon customers.

Amazon Launchpad In India

The Startup C-Cube challenge will be officially flagged off by Amazon Launchpad, HAX and Kickstarter at an event in Bangalore on the 5th of December. This will also mark Amazon Launchpad’s one year anniversary in the Indian market. The winning start-up will be supported by the three companies through the entire “concept-to-customer” journey and the joint program will also provide resources to the winner for launch, both in India and in Europe/US, depending on the scalability of the idea.

Manish Tiwary, VP of Category Management at Amazon India said:

Business growth of some of the start-ups on Amazon Launchpad has elicited interest in these start-ups from VCs as well as other funding agencies in the last one year.

We are very happy to bring Kickstarter and HAX to India to give Indian start-ups an opportunity to get their ideas noticed at the global stage and arm them with resources to convert these into real business opportunities.

If you think you have the idea and the planning to win The Startup C-Cube challenge, then you can enter the competition by clicking here.

November 27, 2017
Amazon Will Now Deliver SIM Cards To Your Doorstep

Amazon, the e-commerce giant will now start delivering Airtel and Vodafone SIM cards. The company claims to deliver free SIM cards, however, Airtel is asking for a security deposit of Rs 200 and Vodafone costs Rs 15.

Both, Airtel and Vodafone are offering Postpaid SIM cards along with a few good plans. The Airtel connection is available for Rs 499, Rs 799, Rs 1,199 and Rs 1,599. On the flip side, consukers who want to buy a Vodafone SIM can opt for RED plans including Rs 499, Rs 699, Rs 999, Rs 1,699, Rs 1,999 and 2,999.

A user can also avail cash back on the first recharge of operators. Airtel customers get flat Rs 75 cash back on recharge of above Rs 349, Jio users will receive a cash back of Rs 99 on the payment of Rs 399 or more, while Aircel customers can avail up toRs 75 on an unlimited plan, and for the rest of the operators, you can get a cash back of Rs 50 on the first payment.

Apart from this, Amazon has also listed a host of international SIM cards as well, which include connections of the countries such as US, UK, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Hong Kong, Australia, Belgium and more.

November 21, 2017
Unboxing The Honor 7X
Huawei’s sub-brand Honor has launched the new Honor 7X launched in India. Let’s unbox the new device and see what we get inside:
- Honor 7X
- Documentation
- Sim ejector tool
- Wall charger
- Micro USB cable
[section label=”First Impressions”]

First Impressions

The Honor 7X right from the moment you hold it in your hand gives a solid and sturdy feel. It has an aluminium unibody design with well-rounded edges for a nice snug fit in the hand.

[section label=”Specifications”]

Specifications

The Honor 7X has a 5.9 inch LTPS IPS LCD display with a 2160 x 1080 px display which translates into an 18:9 aspect ratio.

Under the hood, the Honor 7X has the HiSilicon Kirin 659 chipset, Mali-T830 MP2, 4GB of RAM and three storage options of 32GB, 64GB and 128GB. The onboard storage is expandable up to 256GB via microSD card. The device is powered by a 3340 mAh battery which charges via a micro USB slot. Since the device has thin bezels, the fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the below the dual-camera setup.

The Honor 7X runs Android 7.0 Nougat with EMUI 6.0 on top which gives a user more options for customising their phones.

You may also like: Why Are New Android Phones Launching With Old Android OS?

The smartphone has a dual camera setup at the back. One of the cameras is equipped with a 16MP senor 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.

https://youtu.be/VS6IKXUUCoA
November 20, 2017
Amazon Alexa To Converse In Hinglish In India

It has been a long time but, tech companies have finally taken notice of the ever growing tech consumers in India. After finally launching the Echo smart speaker lineup in India a year after Amazon expanded it to global markets, the company is doing something India-specific with Alexa. Amazon’s AI Alexa, which powers the Echo smart speakers will learn to speak ‘Hinglish’. It is a popular way of speaking in India which is a mix of the Hindi and English languages.

Parag Gupta, Head of Product Management, Amazon India said:

We wanted our devices to talk, walk and feel Indian. Alexa is not a visiting American, she has a very Indian personality.

Tech giants like Google and Apple have also seen the potential of growth of its AI assistants and the advantages of training their assistants to understand the fluidity of language and culture in India. People will be more comfortable to interact with Siri or Google Assistant who sound more Indian than British or American. This doesn’t mean that Indians don’t understand British or American accents, it simply means that the more localised the Assistant sounds, the more intuitive and interactive Indian consumers will be with it.

Google took its first step towards such localisation of Google Assistant by introducing a Hinglish speaking version of the AI in instant messaging app, Allo. Apple also started hiring native Hindi/Hinglish speakers to refine the ‘Hinglish speaking experience’ of Siri. In the recently launched iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X, a Siri user can in fact set its keyboard to Hinglish.

The Amazon Echo will soon be available to the public and it’ll be interesting to see how the experience of interacting with Alexa on a daily basis will be enhanced over the years.

October 31, 2017