Mobile Phones

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

CBIC clarifies on display assembly of phones for levy of 10% import duty

The CBIC on Friday listed out parts or components, such as touch panel, cover glass, LED backlight, which constitute the display assembly of a mobile phone and will attract 10 per cent import duty. It also said components, including frame, SIM tray, side keys like power/volume button, when fitted/attached to the display assembly, that integrated display assembly can be imported at the concessional 10 per cent customs duty. In a circular, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) said currently a concessional basic custom duty (BCD) rate of 10 per cent is imposed on display assembly for use in manufacture of a cellular mobile phone and a nil BCD rate on inputs or parts for use in manufacture of a display assembly for use in manufacture of a cellular mobile phone. It said certain cases of misdeclaration by importers were intercepted by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and other field formations and demand notices were issued in certain cases as well. With th

Phase 7 constituencies lag on contraceptive use, mobile phones for women

The voting to elect the 18th Lok Sabha concludes on Saturday

Premium devices to dial up growth in India's smartphone market in 2024

Overall smartphone market is expected to witness modest single-digit growth in CY 2024

India's smartphone market up 11.5%; Apple rules the super-premium segment

Vivo dethrones Samsung in overall smartphone market

Cases of mobile phone use while driving surge 149% in Delhi since January

A major surge of nearly 149 per cent in prosecutions related to mobile phone usage while driving in Delhi since January 1, as compared to the corresponding period last year, the traffic police data revealed. The statistics, shared by the Delhi Traffic Police, indicate a sharp rise in violations of mobile phone usage laws while driving. From January 1 to April 15, a total of 15,846 motorists were booked for this offence, significantly higher than the 6,369 cases reported in 2023, it said. In recent months, the traffic police have observed a disturbing surge in use of mobile phones while driving. This concerning trend has prompted the unit to undertake stringent measures to ensure the safety of all road users," a senior traffic police officer said. According to the police, a thorough analysis of the top ten traffic circles, including Defence Colony, Punjabi Bagh, Karol Bagh, and Safdarjung Enclave among others, with the most challans issued in 2024 has also been carried out by the De

Retailers body to seek govt intervention on business practices of POCO

The South Indian Organised Retailers Association is planning to seek the central government's intervention with regard to the business practices of POCO, a sub-brand of Xiaomi, alleging that the cell phone manufacturer is avoiding the supply of phones to mainline channels. In a statement, the ORA claimed that the business methods of the firm are a clear indication of POCO's attitude to minimise spending by reaching the product through online and "illegitimate" channels without providing consumer experience. The retailers body also said that POCO is not contributing to employment generation in India, as the brand operates with just three distributors and no sales promoters in stark contrast to other major smartphone brands like Samsung, VIVO, and OPPO. These actions by POCO not only harm the legitimate sales channels but also result in financial losses to the government exchequer, ORA charged. POCO's unfair and unethical business practices have serious implications for the indust

Samsung launches Galaxy A55 5G mobile phones with AI camera feature

Consumer electronics brand Samsung on Thursday announced the launch of Galaxy A55 5G and Galaxy A35 5G mobile phones in the mid-premium segment. The new A series devices have multiple features including Gorilla Glass Victus plus protection, camera features enhanced by AI, and a tamper-resistant security solution, the Samsung Knox Vault, amongst many other new features, a company official said. "Galaxy A series has been the highest-selling smartphone series in India for the last two years, showcasing its popularity among the consumers. The launch of Galaxy A55 5G and A35 5G reinforces our commitment to make flagship-like innovations accessible to all," Hirendra kumar Rathod, Senior Director, MX Business, Samsung India, said in a release. He said that for the first time, Galaxy A55 5G gets a metal frame and Galaxy A35 5G gets a premium glass back. Rathod informed that the new A series smartphones come with multiple innovative AI-enhanced camera features. Also, Samsung Knox Vault ...