With GST coming into effect officially from the 1st of July, three Apple iPhones have seen significant price reductions. These price-cuts make them even more attractive to the customers, although I personally feel that the discounts are also in anticipation of the iPhone 8 release in just a little over two months from now.

So which are the iPhones that are getting a price cut?

Apple iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

The Apple iPhone 7 was mostly brushed aside with the bigger iPhone 7 Plus taking away all the attention. However, it is still one of the most popular iPhones to have come out of Apple’s sheds. The 32, 128 and 256GB variants of the iPhone 7 can be purchased for Rs 56,200, Rs 65,200, and Rs 74,400. The three storage variants of the iPhone 7 Plus, can be bought now for Rs 67,300, Rs 76,200, and Rs 85,400 respectively. These are significant discounts over the original asking price, and will encourage more customers to pick it up.

• iPhone 7 Review
• iPhone 7 Plus Review

iPhone 6s and 6s Plus

The 2015 iPhone flagship is available in 32 and 128GB storage variants in the country. Although Apple officially sells the 16GB model as well, most online retailers don’t have it in stock anymore, so we’re not taking this particular variant into account here. The 32GB variant of the iPhone 6s is priced at Rs 46,900, whereas the 128GB variant will set you back by Rs 55,900. The 32GB variant of the iPhone 6s Plus will cost Rs 56,100, while the 128GB model is currently priced at Rs 65,000.

• iPhone 6s Review
• iPhone 6s Plus Review

iPhone SE

Apple officially sells the mid-ranged iPhone SE in India with 32, and 128GB of storage. The company has slashed the official pricing down to Rs 26,000 and Rs 35,000 respectively. Online retailers, however, are offering the smartphone with even more discounts. Customers can get the 32GB model of the iPhone SE for as low as Rs 22,799, which is pretty decent. No retailer is currently offering the 128GB model of the iPhone SE, so your only bet is to probably get it directly from Apple. Some retailers are sparingly offering the 16GB model of the iPhone SE starting at Rs 20,700 and higher.

• iPhone SE Review

Modern day smartphones come with a variety of features appealing to a wide range of customers. But if there’s one feature that grabs the most eyeballs, it’s the size of a battery. Keeping this in mind, manufacturers have been pushing phones with massive batteries for quite some time now. It’s mostly a coincidence that a majority of these phones belong to the mid-ranged or budget segment. Well, let’s have a look at some of these smartphones that are available in India right now.

After receiving warm response for the existing Redmi phones in India, Xiaomi introduced its plus sized Mi Max 2, which packs a massive 5300mAh battery to power it up. As per the company claims, the battery offers 18 hours of video playback 57 hours of talk time and over 31 days of standby. Not only the battery is big, but the phone also comes with huge 6.44-inch full HD display which is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3.

The smartphone along with a mammoth sized battery and display offers decent power to sail you through your daily tasks. In fact, it can be a great smartphone for multimedia enthusiasts with features like dual speaker audio. It comes packed in a attractive looking metal unibody shell, which looks like a OnePlus 5 rip off, but still manages to add that premium feel to the phone.

So if you are in for a phone that has a gigantic battery with a big vibrant display and good performance, the Mi Max 2 can be a good choice. Mi Max 2 will be available across all online and offline partners of Xioami, along with mi.com and Mi Home from July 27. 

Read the full review: Xiaomi Mi Max 2 review

The latest entrant in the list, Gionee A1 Plus, comes with a plus size battery and display. It features a 6-inch full HD which offers great video watching and multimedia experience to the users. To support this, the phone comes with a huge 4550mAh battery which provides sufficient power which will sail you easily through the day.

While the phone offers great battery life, its size and weight might disappoint the users who love carrying a handy phone. Considering the price range, you can also opt for Honor 8 Pro and Moto Z2 Play but if you want to have similar features at relatively low cost, then you can go for Mi Max 2.

Read the full review: Gionee A1 Plus

Launched in September 2017, the Gionee M7 Power sports a 6-inch full HD+ FullView IPS display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. The screen is protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass 3 on the top. The highlight of the phone is its 5000mAh battery which offers tons of power to the phone.

It is powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 435 chipset which is coupled with 4GB RAM. The 64GB inbuilt storage is expandable up to 256GB.

The phone is available on Amazon in Black and Gold colour variants.

Honor recently launched the Pro version of its existing flagship Honor 8 in India. Named as Honor 8 Pro, the smartphone comes with 5.7-inch full HD display and a 4000mAh battery, which is one of the highlights of this smartphone.

The smartphone is close to perfect in terms of features and performance, but it misses the X-factor that could help it stand apart from the crowd. But we cannot ignore its stunning design and the amount of power it packs inside, backed by a sizeable battery.

Priced at Rs 29,999, the Honor 8 Pro is exclusively available at Amazon India.

Read the full review: Honor 8 Pro review

For just Rs 9,999, Redmi Note 4 has redefined the hardware capabilities on an affordable handset. It looks and feels like a much more solid, with an attractive good-looking aluminium build, smooth performance and great battery life.

Its camera is capable of taking decent shots, its fingerprint sensor works well, and the MIUI is a genuinely decent enhancement of the stock Android operating system.

Read the full review: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 review

The Moto E4 Plus is the latest addition to this list. The smartphone is the first to feature a fingerprint sensor to the E- series. The highlight of the phone is its huge 5,000 mAh non-removable battery, which provides tons of power and can last more than a day even with aggressive usage. So, if you are a busy smartphone user tired of charging your phone multiple times a day, this handset can fix your battery concerns.

There is also something for the selfie lovers. The company has worked on the 5MP front camera of the, coupled with a LED flash. The all-metal design gives it a svelte look and the curved back makes it ergonomic, allowing it to slide easily into your pocket.

Read the full review: Moto E4 Plus 

The Lenovo K8 Note starts from Rs. 12,999. Well, this is not the only phone coming in this price range. The Moto G5S and Moto G5 also falls in this category, but if compared on the basis of processors then these phones may not stand at par with this flagship. The handset would have got tough competition from the Xiaomi Redmi Pro if it was launched in India. This phone also comes with a deca-core processor and is expected to come in October in India.

We have already seen smartphones having hexa-core and octa-core processors in them. But, with a deca-core processor things are a little different. Packed with a deca-core MediaTek Helio X23 processor inside with 4GB RAM, the Lenovo K8 Note is the phone made for multi-tasking where it can perform a number of tasks altogether without giving a chance to complain.

The Redmi Note 4 was originally launched in China as the Redmi 4X, it comes in 2GB, 3GB and 4GB RAM variants with 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of internal storage respectively. The Snapdragon 435 running at its heart makes it a decent performer for basic to moderate tasks.

For those who find it uneasy using a 5.5-inch screen and want a perfect alternate for a Redmi Note 4 or a Moto G5 Plus, the Redmi 4 can serve all your needs. The only issue with the Redmi devices is the supply, which Xiaomi says it's trying to improve.

Read the full review: Xiaomi Redmi 4 review

Samsung has seriously upped its game when it comes to mid-rangers and budget devices. The Galaxy A9 Pro is a testament to that. Featuring a Super AMOLED display accompanied by a 5,000mAh battery, this is a truly unique offering. 

The phone is also packing a 16MP camera on the back, making it a very capable camera phone. The phone is available in Black, Gold, and White variants from both Amazon and Flipkart. It seems like the Gold variant is the cheapest via both retailers, while the Black and White models are slightly more expensive. The handset is priced at Rs 26,900.

Launched not too long ago, the Moto C Plus comes with a fairly attractive hardware, even for a budget device of this caliber. Moto has focused heavily on the mid-ranged market segment in the past and the company continues to do so with the newer breed of handsets. 

The highlight of the Moto C Plus is the 4,000mAh battery under the hood. The device also comes with a 5-inch HD (1280x720) display, Android 7.0 Nougat, an 8MP rear camera, a 2MP front camera, and 2GB of RAM with 16GB of storage. The handset can be snatched up from Flipkart for Rs 6,990.

Read to know more about Moto C Plus

ASUS has somewhat confused the market with three devices bearing almost the same moniker. This one, however, is significantly different compared to its namesakes. The device comes with a 5,000mAh battery under the hood, coupled with a 5.2-inch HD display, an 8MP camera on the front, and the octa-core Mediatek MT6750 SoC. The handset is currently selling through Flipkart and Amazon for roughly about Rs 14,500. 

Read the full review: Asus ZenFone 3 Max review

The OnePlus 5 is one of the most popular Android smartphones around the world right now, even more so in India since it was officially unveiled in the region a week ago. The device comes with a pretty attractive hardware specs sheet, accompanied by a dual camera setup (16MP + 20MP), which complements the other features pretty well.

The smartphone was officially launched via Amazon India during launch week as part of an exclusive early access sale, and it seems like the device was in high demand. As per a tweet posted by OnePlus earlier today, the OnePlus 5 was the highest grossing smartphone during launch week on Amazon India. The company failed to disclose numbers, however.

The company also mentioned that the phone sold 3x more units than the OnePlus 3T in the same period. This doesn’t tell us much, though, since the OnePlus 3T was merely a refreshed version of the OnePlus 3. It was mostly considered a rehashed model rather than an all-new handset. 

Speaking of the company’s new accomplishments, Vikas Agarwal, General Manager of OnePlus India said - “Our mission is to make the best smartphone and the OnePlus 5 is yet another step in this direction. We are truly humbled by the unprecedented response to our latest flagship”.

The OnePlus 5 is equipped with a 5.5-inch Full HD (1920x1080) Optic AMOLED display panel, accompanied by 16MP + 20MP dual rear cameras, a 16MP front camera, and the octa-core Snapdragon 835 processor. The handset also comes with 6 or 8GB of RAM, coupled with 64 or 128GB of storage respectively. The company is using a 3,300mAh battery to keep the device going throughout the day, while Android 7.1.1 Nougat (w/ OxygenOS) handles the software side of things.

The OnePlus 5 is available via Amazon India and the official OnePlus online store for Rs 32,999 (64GB + 6GB) and Rs 37,999 (64GB + 8GB) respectively.

• OnePlus 5 vs OnePlus 3T

The OnePlus 5 is one of the most talked about flagships right now. With the phone going on open sale only yesterday, the demand is higher than ever right now. But what if you already own a OnePlus 3T? Is it wise to switch to the new flagship? Here’s why we think it’s better to stick with the OnePlus 3T for the time being.

• OnePlus 5 vs OnePlus 3T

Unoriginal design

The OnePlus 5 is a well-packed flagship, complete with the hardware specs to rival the best in the industry. However, the design here is far from flattering. When you think about a new handset in a popular lineup, you expect there to be a handful of changes on board, especially with regards to the design. However, with the OnePlus 5, you’re getting a design that is eerily similar to the Oppo R11. It’s no secret that OnePlus was formed by some people with interests in Oppo. While this arrangement is not necessarily a problem in a free market, the fact that OnePlus is using an already used design is somewhat disappointing.

A not-so fancy display 

We’re in 2017, and OnePlus insists on using a Full HD or 1920x1080 display panel. Funnily enough, the company has maintained the display resolution with all six of its flagships. Even the display size is unchanged. Although the display quality is now Optic AMOLED, the fact that users are getting the same display resolution year after year somehow contradicts the company’s “Never Settle” tagline. The fact that the company is using a 5.5-inch display is not particularly a worry since this is considered to be the perfect size for a mobile display.

Camera leaves a lot to be desired

OnePlus has shown a lot of ambition with the OnePlus 5 as is evident from the camera credentials. The device comes with a dual-camera layout consisting of a standard 16MP (f/1.7) sensor and a 20MP (f/2.6) telephoto lens. Clearly, OnePlus is trying to mimic the Apple iPhone 7 Plus here, and the company succeeds to some extent. However, reviews have suggested that the dual-camera setup can barely hold its own compared to the iPhone 7 Plus. The company’s version of the “Portrait Mode” feature is a bit disappointing as the bokeh effect is not as strong as on the Apple flagship. The 16MP (f/2.0) front camera, however, is pretty impressive and is capable of holding its own against contemporaries. 

Lack of water resistance

This is a subjective opinion, but I personally feel OnePlus could have used water resistance in its favor here. Given that this is supposed to be a flagship killer, a feature like this would make this the smartphone to beat in the high-end segment. Perhaps the company will learn from its mistakes and reserve this feature for next year (or the OnePlus 5T perhaps?).

Advisable to wait for the successor

You’re probably better off waiting for the next OnePlus flagship given that there are going to be more upgrades on board. Additionally, if you’re a OnePlus 3T customer right now, you probably got the smartphone sometime in the past 8 months or so. Keeping this in mind, it makes sense to wait for the OnePlus 5 successor. This would also go well in line with the 2-year upgrade cycle which is recommended for mobile devices.

• Love reading? This OnePlus 5 feature is something you can't ignore

The OnePlus 5 is now available on open sale via Amazon India. This comes just a week after the handset went on sale in the country. The handset has been up for grabs on an open sale since 12 PM today. The handset is also available via OnePlus’ online store and OnePlus Experience Stores in some parts of the country. The company was offering the smartphone via early access sales and other events since last week. 

Surprisingly, Amazon is only offering an exchange discount of Rs 920 with the smartphone. So not a lot of customers will be looking to exchange their smartphones in return for the OnePlus 5.

Even though the company isn’t offering a lot of discounts with exchanges, multiple banks and institutions are offering cashback offers with the smartphone. Further, Vodafone is offering exclusive benefits for customers of the OnePlus 5, including 45GB of 3G/4G data for a period of five months.

• Love reading? This OnePlus 5 feature is something you can't ignore

OnePlus has left no stone unturned in making the OnePlus 5 a fantastic flagship. The company has also forged attractive partnerships with a number of companies, thus assuring the customers that they’re getting the best in the business. The two variants of the OnePlus 5 are priced at Rs 32,999 and Rs 37,999 respectively.

The OnePlus 5 comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD (1920x1080) Optic AMOLED display. Under the hood it runs Octa-core Snapdragon 835 processor and comes in two RAM/storage variants -- 6GB/64GB and 8GB/128GB. The dual SIM smartphone comes with Android 7.1.1 Nougat with a flavor of OxygenOS on top. 

Optics include a 16MP+20MP camera on the rear along with a 16MP camera on the front. It packs a 3300mAh battery and supports OnePlus' proprietary Dash Charge technology for superfast charging. 

It measures 154.2 x 74.1 x 7.3mm, and weighs 153 grams.

Amazon is no stranger to deals. The retailer holds multiple deals every year, driving the shopaholics en masse. Today, the retailer has kicked off the Amazon Smartphone Sale, which covers a wide range of devices including the iPhone 7, and the OnePlus 3T. 

To begin with, Amazon is now offering the 32GB variant of the Apple iPhone 7 for Rs 42,999.

The 128GB variant of the phone is available for Rs 54,490. 

Also, the 256GB variant of the phone is offered at Rs 65,900. These phones are also eligible for an exchange discount of Rs 13,060 depending on the kind of phone you’re exchanging it with.

You can also grab the iPhone 6 with 32GB of storage for Rs 24,999 and also avail the exchange offer. 

The same exchange promo applies to devices like the Moto Z and the OnePlus 3T as well. The former can be bought along with the Style Mod for Rs 29,999 on Amazon.  

While the OnePlus 3T has no upfront discounts, you can claim the aforementioned exchange discount of up to Rs 13,060 with the phone. 

Further, customers who purchase the handset and choose to use Vodafone as their service provider will get 45GB of free mobile data for 5 months. Further, Amazon will credit Rs 250 to your Amazon Pay balance if you purchase the OnePlus 3T and stream content on Prime Video. 

Shifting towards the other end of the spectrum, the Samsung Galaxy On7 Pro is selling for Rs 8,690, while there’s an exchange discount of up to Rs 6,712 that can be availed as well.  

• Samsung Galaxy On7 Pro vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 3

The Samsung Galaxy On5 Pro can be bought for Rs 7,190 with an additional exchange discount of Rs 5,662. You can grab the Coolpad Note 5 Lite for just Rs 6,999 now, thanks to the discount of Rs 2,000 offered by Amazon.

Most phones come with no cost EMI options from Bajaj Finserv, thus allowing customers the flexibility while making their purchase. 

• Affordable Moto C Plus with 4000mAh battery now available in India

Samsung has officially unveiled the Galaxy J7 Pro and the J7 Max in India carrying attractive price tags. The Galaxy J7 Max will be available as soon as next week whereas the Galaxy J7 Pro will be sold starting mid-July.

Surprisingly, both handsets will be sold via offline stores in the country, and the company hasn’t shared details on online availability at the moment. It’s likely that Samsung wants to keep these handsets limited to brick-and-mortar stores in the country, which might not be a bad ploy.

So what are some of the key differences between the two handsets? Let’s have a look.

Display

The Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD (1920x1080) Super AMOLED display panel. The Galaxy J7 Max, on the other hand, comes with a larger 5.7-inch display panel with the same resolution but settles for an LCD panel instead.

Camera

Both phones are pretty much the same in this regard as they’re packing a 13MP f/1.7 rear camera, and a 13MP f/1.9 front camera. The two phones come with a LED flash on the front as well, much in line with modern day mid-rangers. It’s clear why Samsung is rating the camera credentials of the two phones very highly.

Performance

The Galaxy J7 Pro comes with the octa-core 1.9 GHz Exynos 7870 processor, while the J7 Max is equipped with the octa-core 1.9 GHz Mediatek MT6757 Helio P20 chipset. Although the two processors are produced by different manufacturers, the performance should be pretty much on par since they both run on Cortex-A53 cores. 

Battery

The J7 Max is packing a 3,300mAh battery on board, whereas the J7 Pro comes with a 3,600mAh battery under the hood. Since the J7 Pro comes with a Super AMOLED display, we figure the battery performance should be significantly better. In terms of real-world performance, though, both phones should pretty much be on par.

Other features

The Galaxy J7 Max comes with 32GB of storage and 4GB of RAM. The J7 Pro, however, comes with only 3GB of RAM but bumps up the storage to 64GB. Both phones support expandable storage.

Samsung is bringing a new version of Samsung Pay, known as Samsung Pay Mini. This will consist of UPI and other wallets like Paytm. The company expects to bring this to all the new Galaxy J series phones starting with the Galaxy J7 Max. Both the new handsets come with a front facing fingerprint scanner.

There’s no USB Type-C port on either phone here, so customers will have to settle for the conventional micro USB port. The Galaxy J7 Pro and the J7 Max will be available in Black and Gold color variants at launch.

Pricing and availability

The Galaxy J7 Max will set you back by Rs 17,900 when it is made available via Samsung retail stores and other offline retailers on June 20.   

The Galaxy J7 Pro will cost Rs 20,900 and will be available through the same retail channels as the J7 Max.

Moto has freshly unveiled the Moto E4 and the E4 Plus with budget hardware on board. The Moto E4 Plus is the bigger variant, naturally, and comes with a massive 5,000mAh battery under the hood. 

In line with the predecessors, the standard Moto E4 is the company’s entry level smartphone, and packs the latest Android 7.1.1 operating system by default. The company is yet to offer information on future updates, although we’re not holding our breath.

One of the exciting features of the two devices is that they feature a front facing LED flash, thus ensuring that you never have to take a dimly lit selfie again. Both phones have an oleophobic coating on the display along with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3 for added durability. The two smartphones come with fingerprint scanners as well. 

The omission of the USB Type-C port is a bit surprising though. On the plus side, this means that customers with older micro USB cables won’t face compatibility issues with the device.

The company is yet to offer information on the Indian launch, but we expect the phone to reach retailer shelves fairly soon. Pricing details haven’t been shared either.

The Moto E4 comes with a 5-inch HD (1280x720) display panel. Runs on quad-core 1.3 GHz MediaTek MT6737M processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage expandable up to 16GB via microSD card. 

On the rear it has an 8MP sensor with f/2.2 aperture and a 5MP front facing camera. It runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat and has a 2800 mAh battery to juice it up. The dual SIM 4G smartphone measures 144.7 x 72.3 x 9.3mm and weighs 151 grams. 

On the other hand, the Moto E4 Plus has a bigger 5.5-inch HD (1280x720) display. Under the hood, it runs Quad-core 1.3 GHz Mediatek MT6737M chipset coupled with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage via microSD card. 

On the camera front it has a 13MP sensor with f/2.0 rear aperture and a 5MP front camera. Like its sibling, it also runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat and has a huge 5000mAh battery to keep it alive the whole day. It supports dual SIM, measures 155 x 77.5 x 9.6mm and weighs 198 grams.

• Moto E4 and Moto E4 Plus announced with metal bodies and low prices

The mid-ranged smartphone market is heating up with the arrival of multiple smartphones. The Nokia 6 was launched earlier this year as the company’s comeback phone, in accordance with HMD Global. Shortly after the arrival of this smartphone in China, Moto announced the Moto G5 Plus as the successor to last year’s G4 Plus. 

While the Moto G5 Plus and the Nokia 6 are slightly different in terms of features as well as size, it’s a fair comparison given that they cater to the same market segment. So let’s see how they fare in a head-to-head comparison.

Display

The Moto G5 Plus comes with a 5.2-inch Full HD (1920x1080) display, whereas the Nokia 6 comes with a larger 5.5-inch Full HD panel on board. Both use IPS LCD panels, so there’s not much to distinguish in terms of display quality here. However, with the Moto G5 Plus being the smaller handset, it’s bound to have slightly better pixel density. Barring this, there’s really not much to tell the two phones apart.

Processor

The Nokia 6 is at a disadvantage here since it’s packing the octa-core Snapdragon 430 processor, which is otherwise found on budget devices. The Moto offering is equipped with a slightly more powerful Snapdragon 625 octa-core chipset. While both smartphones come with eight Cortex-A53 cores on board, the SD430 runs at a clock speed of 1.4 GHz while the SD625 has a clock speed of 2.0 GHz. The former uses a Adreno 505 GPU while the Moto G5 Plus comes with a moderately improved Adreno 506 GPU under the hood.

Camera

The Moto G5 Plus comes with a 12MP rear camera with an aperture size of f/1.7, which is pretty much on par with the Galaxy S8 (at least on paper). The front is equipped with a 5MP f/2.2 sensor, which should be decent enough for regular selfies. 

The Nokia 6 is packing a 16MP f/2.0 sensor on the back, which is pretty impressive for a budget offering. While it surely won’t be on par with the Moto G5 Plus in terms of performance, customers surely won’t be disappointed with its performance. The front camera is an 8MP f/2.2 sensor here, thus beating the Moto G5 Plus’ 5MP f/2.2 sensor.

Battery

Both phones are on par here thanks to the 3,000mAh battery found inside. But since battery life is heavily dependent on the OEM customization made to the software, we feel they will both perform fairly well. So there’s no real winner in this area.

Other features

You can get the Moto G5 Plus with 32/64GB of storage, and in 2/3/4GB RAM configurations. The Nokia 6, however, is available with 32/64GB of storage and 3/4GB of RAM. The lack of enough storage shouldn’t be a concern as both phones are equipped with a microSD card slot for storage expansion. 

Both phones come with fingerprint sensors, which has become the norm in the mobile industry today. There’s no USB Type-C port, though, which is mildly disappointing considering what other manufacturers are offering right now.

Nokia is touting the presence of Dolby Atmos technology with the speakers of the Nokia 6, which should offer superior performance compared to industry rivals, including the Moto G5 Plus. 

The Nokia 6 will come with Android 7.1.1 Nougat, while the Moto G5 Plus is equipped with Android 7.0 Nougat. Customers will be able to purchase the G5 Plus in Lunar Grey and Fine Gold, while the Nokia 6 will be sold in Arte Black, Matte Black, Tempered Blue, Silver, and Copper. 

Pricing and availability

As you probably know, the Nokia 6 was exclusive to China when it was first announced. But that was almost six months ago, and things have changed significantly since then. The smartphone will be exclusively available via Amazon India for Rs 14,999. You will able to register for the flash sale starting July 14, so there’s still some waiting left to do before you get it. 

The Moto G5 Plus is a Flipkart exclusive online and will set you back by Rs 16,999 for the 32GB/4GB variant. The retailer sells the 16GB/3GB for Rs 14,999, but the model is out of stock right now.

• Nokia 6, 5, 3 Android smartphones are finally here in India
• OnePlus 5 coming to India on June 22

Moto has officially announced the arrival of the Moto Z2 Play in India. The company hasn’t divulged much details about the smartphone, but has mentioned that the device will be up for pre-booking starting June 8. The phone also comes with four new MotoMods, namely the JBL SoundBoost 2, the Moto TurboPower Pack, Moto Style Shells with Wireless Charging and the attractive Moto GamePad.

The company is going all out with the Moto Z2 Play this time around, and we expect the handset to be priced somewhere close to Rs 30,000. The pricing details of the handset is expected to be revealed over the coming days. We’re yet to know if the handset will be exclusive to a particular retailer in the country, but we expect it to be sold via Flipkart exclusively during the initial days of its launch.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new smartphone and the MotoMods.

 Display 

The Moto Z2 Play comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD (1920x1080) Super AMOLED display on board. With a pixel density of 401 ppi, the handset should offer pretty decent performance. Since it’s an AMOLED panel, we expect the sunlight visibility to be pretty great too. 

 Performance 

The handset is packing the octa-core Snapdragon 626 chipset, which comes with Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 2.0 GHz. Naturally, the device is a beast when it comes to performance, and the users shouldn’t have any trouble with regards to the speed. The phone is available in 3 or 4GB RAM variants.

 Camera 

This is one of the key strengths of the Moto Z2 Play as it comes with a 12MP f/1.7 sensor on the back, which should capture some amazing photos and videos. The front is equipped with a 5MP f/2.0 sensor.

 Battery 

The Moto Z2 Play comes with a 3,000mAh battery on board. While it’s not quite on par with other smartphones in the market, it will surely get the job done.

 Other features 

The handset is available in 32 and 64GB storage variants, which can be expanded with the help of a microSD card. There’s a USB Type-C port on the handset as well. Moto has been wise enough to offer a 3.5mm headphone jack, ensuring that the customers don’t have to rely on the USB port for audio playback. Lastly, the phone runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat by default, so you can’t complain when it comes to the OS. The phone also comes with a front facing fingerprint sensor located underneath the home button.

 Moto Mods 

As we mentioned above, the company is touting the launch of four new MotoMods with the device. The GamePad is the newest addition to Moto’s repertoire and it encourages gamers to get a lot more out of the Moto Z2 Play. Moto is yet to announce the pricing of these MotoMods in the country.

The JBL SoundBoost 2 is the second-gen MotoMod, that allows you to experience music like never before. Thanks to JBL’s proprietary technology, this MotoMod converts your smartphone into a boombox.

The Moto TurboPower Pack, on the other hand, offers turbo charging to your Moto Z2 wirelessly. This is a charging case which will let you juice up your phone real quick.

Moto Style Shells allow you to enhance the look of your Moto Z2 Play thanks to the addition of exciting colors. These style shells also also come with wireless charging on board, which is a bonus. 

Moto GamePad is basically a gaming controller attachment for the Z2 Play. It comes with all the standard gaming controls, converting your Moto Z2 Play into a handheld gaming console. 

• Moto E4 release date, news and rumors
• Moto C and Moto C Plus launched as super affordable smartphones

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and the S8+ have been available in India for quite some time now. However, the company didn’t offer the 128GB + 6GB RAM variant in the region. But that changes today with the Korean manufacturer officially announcing this particular storage and RAM variant in a Midnight Black variant. 

The phone will be sold via online and offline retailers shortly starting June 9. The company mentions that the handset will be available for pre-booking via Flipkart and Samsung’s own online shop starting June 2 i.e. tomorrow. The handset will set you back by Rs 74,990 and the company will offer a free wireless charger with all pre-bookings. 

“The resounding success of the recently launched Galaxy S8 & Galaxy S8+ underscores the unmatched superiority of Samsung in the premium smartphone segment. The new Galaxy S8+ variant with its best in class 6GB RAM & 128GB internal memory, will give our consumers the freedom to do infinitely more. It is the ultimate device for power users who aspire to explore new possibilities, are always on top of their game and for whom multi-tasking is a way of life,” said Mr. Asim Warsi, Senior Vice President, Mobile Business, Samsung India.

Barring the storage and the RAM, the phone has no other changes compared to the standard Galaxy S8+. It’s a bit surprising that the company waited this long to bring this variant to the markets. Some customers who have already purchased the S8+ in a 4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant might not be too pleased by this.

Samsung Galaxy S8+ hardware specifications:

Display: 6.2-inch (2960x1440) Super AMOLED panel

Dimensions: 159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1mm, 173 grams

Processor: Exynos 8895 Octa

Camera: 12MP f/1.7 rear camera, 8MP f/1.7 front camera

RAM: 6GB

Storage: 128GB (expandable via microSD)

OS: Android 7.0 Nougat

Battery: 3,500mAh

Connectivity: 4G LTE

OnePlus might be anticipating the launch of the OnePlus 5 right now, but that doesn’t mean it can’t drive sales of the OnePlus 3T. The late 2016 handset is selling with a flurry of discounts right now, both via Amazon and OnePlus’ official store. Starting off with Amazon, the retailer is offering a discount of up to Rs 11,002 upon exchanging your existing smartphone. Bear in mind that the figure quoted by the seller is the maximum exchange price, and the actual discount may vary depending on the kind of device the user is exchanging.

The official OnePlus Store in the country (oneplusstore.in) is offering a cashback of Rs 1,500 if customers purchase the product using an SBI Credit Card. This is an exciting promo to check out if you don’t have a device to exchange. This cashback promo effectively brings down the cost of the handset to Rs 28,499. The cashback will reflect on your credit card, perhaps after the full amount has been deducted, so make sure you read the fine print before you make the purchase.

You can currently purchase the OnePlus 3T in Gunmetal and Soft Gold color variants. OnePlus had previously mentioned that the production of the OnePlus 3T will cease after the launch of the OnePlus 5. Although the company initially talked about discontinuing the handset altogether, it later mentioned that the device will continue to sell in India until the end of 2017.

The OnePlus 3T was launched just a few months after the OnePlus 3 broke cover in the markets. This naturally angered a lot of OnePlus 3 customers. Surprisingly enough, OnePlus is now launching yet another flagship. So the company has launched a total of three flagships in a span of 12 months. 

• OnePlus 3T is going off-sale, but not in India

Amidst reports of Micromax shutting down YU Televentures, we are now coming across a new teaser for a slightly revamped version of the YU Yureka. Known as the YU Yureka Black, the smartphone will be available in a solitary Black color variant, thus explaining the name. Further, the specs sheet will see an upgrade as well, which is much needed given that the original Yureka was launched in 2014. 

We don't have much word on the specifications of the device or about the list of changes that will be on board. The launch event will be held on the 1st of June, so we only have to wait a week to get more details on the device. 

The company's teaser is accompanied with the line “Yureka is Back with Black”, indicating that the company is banking heavily on this new color variant. YU has struggled to strike a chord with the masses, which is mainly why Micromax wanted to shut it down. The new Yureka Black seems to be the company's way of making a comeback in the mobile industry. YU’s last two phones came in August 2016 in the form of the Yureka S and the Yunique Plus. Needless to say, the two phones didn't break any sales records, mainly due to the presence of other mid-ranged handsets in the market. 

We expect the Yureka Black to carry a price tag of under Rs 10,000 or lower when it is unveiled next week. Unfortunately, the company hasn't divulged any details regarding the pricing or precise availability. 

• Xiaomi Mi Max 2 phablet with 6.44-inch display launched in China
• OnePlus 3T is going off-sale, but not in India

The Xiaomi Redmi 4 is one of the most exciting handsets to have broken cover in recent memory. With an impressive design, a decently sized battery, and a snappy octa-core processor under the hood, one would imagine that the handset will rule the budget segment in the days to come. ASUS has other plans, though. The company has freshly announced the ZenFone Live in the country, which features a pretty similar hardware under the hood. Does the ZenFone Live stand a chance against the Redmi 4?  

Display

Both handsets are packing a 5-inch HD (1280x720) display, which is seen on most budget handsets in the industry. Given that the size and the display resolution are the same, we expect no real difference in terms of picture quality. Both handsets are using an IPS LCD panel.  

Camera

The two devices are almost on par here as they’re packing 13MP f/2.0 sensors on the back along with 5MP F/2.2 front facing cameras. The ZenFone Live is at an advantage here, though, as it comes with a front facing LED flash whereas the Redmi 4 lacks this feature.

Performance

The Redmi 4 makes up for the inadequacies in the camera department with its processor. Packing the octa-core Snapdragon 435 chipset under the hood, the Redmi 4 is a pretty powerful offering among budget offerings. The ZenFone Live, on the other hand, is using the slightly outdated Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor. It’s clear that the Redmi 4 has won this round.

Battery

The Redmi 4 is equipped with a 4,100mAh battery on board, whereas the ZenFone Live comes with a modest 2,650mAh unit under the hood. But this isn't to say that the ZenFone Live isn’t a good performer, as a 2,650mAh unit is still pretty decent for a budget offering such as this one.  

Other features

The Redmi 4 is available in three storage and RAM variants - 16GB + 2GB, 32GB + 3GB, and 64GB + 4GB. The storage can be expanded with the help of a microSD card. There’s a fingerprint scanner on board here, accompanied by Xiaomi’s customized features to enhance user experience. Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with MIUI 8 is running by default on the Redmi 4, with no word on future updates.

The ZenFone Live is sold in 16 or 32GB storage variants (expandable) with 2GB of RAM. The company is keeping it simple with just two storage variants. The phone lacks a fingerprint scanner, and is running Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Zen UI 3.5.

Pricing and availability

The 16, 32, and 64GB variants of the Redmi 4 can be snatched up from Amazon India for Rs 6,999, Rs 8,999, and Rs 10,999 respectively. You can only buy it during the company’s sale, with the next one scheduled for the 30th of May.

The ZenFone Live will be available in a solitary 16GB variant with a price tag of Rs 9,999. The handset can be purchased in Shimmer Gold, Rose Pink, and Navy Black from Amazon and Flipkart.

• Asus Zenfone Live with real-time beautification feature launched for Rs. 9,999ttery life
• OnePlus 5 release date, news and rumors

ASUS' ZenFestival today saw the arrival of three new ZenFones in India - the ZenFone Selfie, the ZenFone 2 Deluxe and the ZenFone 2 Laser. This is in addition to the duo of ZenFone 2 models that are currently selling in India (ZE550ML and ZE551ML).

So which ZenFone 2 is better suited for you?

The ZenFone Selfie:

 Also read:   ZenFone Selfie Hands On 

As the name probably gives it away, the ZenFone Selfie is suited for the shutter-bugs and the selfie enthusiasts. This comes with a 13MP rear and front camera, with dual LED flash on either side, so there's never going to be a dark room for your pictures. It also has a 5.5-inch 1080p display, the octa core Snapdragon 615 SoC and Android 5.0 Lollipop. The ZenFone Selfie will cost you Rs 15,999 when it hits the shelves over the coming weeks.

The ZenFone 2 Laser:

 Also Read:   ZenFone 2 Laser Hands On

This is also for the camera enthusiasts, but those who prefer shooting from the back camera. The front camera here is a paltry 5MP, but the 13MP rear sensor comes with laser autofocus, which we've seen on the LG G3 and the LG G4 so far. This gives better focusing for images and improved images on the whole. Other specs include a 5-inch HD display, a quad core Snapdragon 410 SoC and Android 5.0 Lollipop. ASUS has priced the ZenFone 2 Laser at Rs 9,999, which means it will take on the myriad of budget phones that are selling in the markets today.

The ZenFone 2 Deluxe:

This handset is meant for users who are looking for a visually better version of the standard ZenFone 2 (ZE551ML). It features a back panel that is quite appealing to look at, thanks to the diamond cut texture. This is pretty much everything that you'll find different in the ZenFone 2 Deluxe and the rest of the hardware specs sheet is identical to the ZenFone 2 ZE551ML. The handset will cost Rs 22,999 when it hits the markets later this month.

ZenFone Max:

The ZenFone Max features a 5.5-inch 720p display, a Snapdragon 410 processor and a 13MP rear camera with laser autofocus, a la ZenFone 2 Laser. However, the key highlight of this smartphone is the massive 5,000 mAh battery packing underneath the back panel. The company hasn't shared Indian pricing and availability details yet, but expect more word to follow soon.

The original ZenFone 2 (ZE550ML and ZE551ML):

 Also Read:   ASUS Zenfone 2 Hands-On: Less Than Meets The Eye 

ASUS created quite a bit of confusion by launching multiple models in the ZenFone 2 range earlier this year. To make matters more complicated, the two variants are completely different from each other in terms of internal hardware, although they look very much alike.

If you're a power user, the ZenFone 2 ZE551ML is better suited for you as it packs a 5.5-inch 1080p display, 4GB of RAM and the Intel Atom Z3580 processor with a 3,000 mAh battery and Android 5.0 Lollipop. Retailers like Flipkart are currently selling the ZenFone 2 ZE551ML for as low as Rs 14,999 (2GB RAM) and Rs 18,999 (4GB RAM). There are multiple storage options on offer as well.

The ZenFone 2 ZE550ML is a midrange handset with a 5.5-inch 720p display, 2GB of RAM, Intel Atom Z3560 processor, a 13MP rear camera and Android 5.0 with 16GB of internal storage (expandable up to 64GB).

So which one do you think is suited for you?