Mobile Phones

From rank 127 to No 1 on App Store, Sanchar Saathi gains amid outrage

An app nobody noticed, until everyone did. Political heat and curiosity pushed it to the top in downloads. How long before the slide?

Centre pulls pre-installation mandate for Sanchar Saathi app after backlash

The Ministry of Communications said that given the surge in voluntary downloads of Sanchar Saathi, pre-installation of the app will not be mandatory for manufacturers

Smartphone exports hit a new record of $1.8 billion in September

In fact, September this year saw a jump not just over the same month last year but across last three years when India averaged approximately $900 million each year in the month since 2022-23 (FY23)

GST overhaul: Will your smartphones get cheaper? Here's what you must know

Smartphone manufacturers had been seeking a reduction in GST on mobile phones from 18 per cent to 5 per cent, arguing that this would boost demand

Dixon Tech, China's HKC form ₹370 cr JV for display module manufacturing

Domestic electronics contract manufacturer Dixon Technologies has formed a Rs 370 crore joint venture for display modules manufacturing with Chinese company HKC Overseas. The Dixon Technologies-HKC Overseas joint venture is for manufacturing and selling of LCD and TFT-LCD modules that are used in electronic devices like TV, mobile phones etc for display, a regulatory filing said on Saturday. "Dixon Technologies (India) Ltd has entered into a Term Sheet with HKC Corporation Ltd to form a joint venture for manufacturing of Liquid Crystal Modules, thin film transistor liquid crystal display modules, assembly of end products such as smartphones, TVs, monitors and auto displays and selling HKC branded end products in India," the filing said. HKC Overseas Ltd will acquire 26 per cent stake in Dixon Display Technologies Pvt Ltd (DDTPL) for USD 10.998 million, about Rs 95.5 crore and Dixon will acquire 74 per cent stake in the JV for USD 31.3 million, about Rs 274 crore in two tranches. "T

Phones in pocket, laptops on lap linked to male infertility: Study

A joint study by the genetics research unit of Calcutta University's department of zoology and the Institute of Reproductive Medicine (IRM), Kolkata, has found that keeping mobile phones in trouser pockets and keeping laptops on laps for long hours may significantly increase the risk of male infertility and even impotence. The five-year study, launched in 2019, was led by Professor Sujay Ghosh (Calcutta University), with support from Dr Ratna Chattopadhyay (IRM), Dr Samudra Pal (CU), Dr Paranb Paladhi (IRM), and Dr Saurav Dutta (CU). A copy of the findings was made available to PTI on Wednesday. "Male patients who visited IRM for infertility treatment were invited to participate in the study. We excluded cases involving diagnosed female infertility and obstructive male infertility (caused by anatomical defects). The study focused exclusively on cases of idiopathic male infertility (infertility of unknown origin), specifically those with azoospermia (absence of sperm in semen) or ...

Smartphones emerge as second-largest export category, shows govt data

Apple Inc, through its iPhones, accounted for two-thirds of India's smartphone exports during the period under review, underscoring the impact of the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme

Apple iPhone 16 takes bite out of iPhone 15's sales, dials 8% growth

This increase has been led by the top-end iPhone 16 Pro series (Pro and Pro Max), which was initially imported but is now being assembled in India by Foxconn

Good design, bad design and the Apple problem: Insights from Don Norman

The 88-year-old designer, author of books like The Design of Everyday Things, Emotional Design, Design for a Better World was in India as advisor to BITS Design School, Mumbai, for a three-city tour

New challenge: Feature phone companies likely to red flag DoT mandate

New requirements for feature phones to support 'auto readout' of emergency messages will increase their cost due to the need for more memory

Rajasthan blocks 236k suspicious SIMs, 229k phones to curb cybercrime

In a bid to curb cyber crimes in Mewat region, Rajasthan Police has blocked 2.36 lakh suspicious SIMs and 2.29 lakh mobile handsets, officials said on Monday. In the last two months, police have recovered more than 5,000 stolen and lost mobiles and returned them to their owners, a statement by the police said. According to the statement, "Operation Antivirus" is being run in coordination with the Government of India and the Centre's department of telecommunications. Director General of Police (Cyber ?Crime) Hemant Priyadarshi said police have identified cyber criminals based on their records in the 'Operation Antivirus' database and taken effective action against them. Police have identified around 2.36 lakh suspicious SIMs and around 2.29 lakh mobile handsets with suspicious IMEI and got them blocked by contacting the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, due to which cyber crime has decreased drastically in the Mewat region, the DGP said. IMEI is a 15-digit numb

No link between mobile phones, brain cancer, finds WHO-backed study

The final analysis included 63 studies from 1994-2022, assessed by 11 investigators from 10 countries, including the Australian government's radiation protection authority

Luxury lift: Sales of smartphones over Rs 1 lakh surge, buck mkt trend

Although this segment currently makes up just one per cent of the overall market, it is growing faster than other categories

iPhones now cheaper by up to Rs 5,900 after Budget's duty relief

Sharpest price is for iPhone SE assembled in India; other models become cheaper too

Mobile makers cumulatively invest Rs 8,282 cr under PLI scheme till June

Mobile phone and specified components makers under the PLI scheme for large scale electronics manufacturing have cumulatively invested Rs 8,282 crore till June 2024, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. Minister of State for Electronics and IT Jitin Prasada in a written reply to Lok Sabha said that a total of 32 companies were approved with committed investment of Rs 11,324 crore and a projected production target of Rs 10.7 lakh crore under the PLI (Production Linked Incentive) scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing. He said that out of 32 companies approved under the scheme for large scale electronics manufacturing, seven are Greenfield companies and 25 are Brownfield companies. "Of the cumulative investment of INR 8,282 crore made under the scheme till June 30, 2024, the cumulative investment made by Greenfield companies is Rs 3,136 crore and the cumulative investment made by Brownfield companies is Rs 5,146 crore," Prasada said. The companies under the scheme had made

Budget 2024: FM cuts basic customs duty on mobile phones, chargers to 15%

Reduction in BCD on these items was a major demand from the electronics manufacturing bodies

Budget 2024: GTRI urges govt not to cut import duty on smartphone parts

Economic think tank GTRI on Monday urged the government to cut import duty on smartphone components in the Budget as it could lead to an increase in superficial assembly plants that rely heavily on imported parts. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget for 2024-25 tomorrow. The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said the current schemes and tariff structure resulted in great success, and the current framework is also ensuring duty-free imports of components for exports. "Do not cut import duty on smartphone components in this Budget. Removing tariffs could lead to an increase in superficial assembly plants that rely heavily on imported parts, contributing little to the local economy. "Imported components and subassemblies account for up to 90 per cent of the bill of material value for an India-made phones," GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava said. Currently, import tariffs on the product is 20 per cent while duty on components range between 0 and 20 per c

1.2 bn phones in use, main priority to 4G network's scope in India: Scindia

Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday said mobile phone penetration in the country stands at 70-80 per cent of citizens and some 120 crore devices are currently in use. The priority now is to increase the scope of the 4G network in the country, Scindia told reporters. For the first time, India has created a 4G stack with indigenous technology and based on it efforts are being made to take the coverage to 100 percent, Scindia added. Scindia, who is also Union minister for Development of North Eastern Region, said he will be tour Assam and Meghalaya from Friday. "We will formulate a strategy for development of the north-east states based on their strengths and capabilities. For this, decisions will be taken after meeting the concerned state governments," he informed. Scindia evaded a direct reply to a query on how the Centre would deal with the ethic strife in Manipur, only saying he would fulfil his responsibility for the development of the north east. "It

India closing the gap in smartphone exports as China, Vietnam slows down

India has absorbed nearly 50 per cent of the decline in mobile phone exports from China and Vietnam, although China remains the leading exporter of mobile phones

Shoplifting, employee theft: Indian retail firms see rise in shrinkage

Retailers noted that shrinkage is most pronounced in apparel, footwear, and fashion categories, with the next highest rates observed in gadgets such as mobile phones, smartwatches, and headphones