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6 Best Online Team Collaboration Tools For Startups

6 Best Online Team Collaboration Tools For Startups

6 Best Online Team Collaboration Tools For Start-Ups A Thread… #startup #digitaltools
1. Trello This tool is excellent for checking what a team member is working on and what particular stage tasks are in. Trello can be integrated with third-party apps like Slack, Google Drive, and Evernote.
2. Slack Slack is primarily a versatile team messaging app. It is a mobile and desktop app that allows you to send direct messages and files to a particular person or group. It can organise chats into channels for a specific topic, project, department, or company.
3. Asana Asana is an ideal collaboration tool for startup teams. The app allows you to create and manage to-do lists for their current and future projects and track their employees’ work assignments and progress.
4. Podio Podio is a newcomer in the pool of online collaboration tools but is quite efficient in getting work done. It is a great way to facilitate collaboration and communication among teams, allowing them to organize large projects and assign tasks.
5. Microsoft 365 Formerly known as Office 365, this tool is one of a kind for online collaboration. Microsoft 365 is Microsoft’s collection of cloud-based office tools. All the tools are extremely capable and easy to use.
6. Flock Flock is an online collaboration application with essential productivity tools. It provides unlimited individual and group messaging and an archive for up to 10,000 searchable messages. It allows 10 public channels and 5 GB of total file storage space per team.

» NextBigWhat’s #Threadmill brings you curated wisdom from Twitter threads on product, life and growth.

Read more posts on Entrepreneurship and Marketing here. For podcasts, click here!

ALSO READ:
#StartupResources: How To Make It As A Solo Founder?
#LeadershipDevelopment: What Great Leaders Should Do (And What They Should Not!)
#StartupResources: Tips To Stay Organized And Productive!
Why You Shouldn’t Raise Too Much Capital Before Finding Your Product Market Fit?

9 Tools For Your Mobile App Startup

9 Tools For Your Mobile App Startup

» NextBigWhat’s #Threadmill brings you curated wisdom from Twitter threads on product, life and growth.

Read more posts on Entrepreneurship and Marketing here. For podcasts, click here!

ALSO READ:
#StartupResources: How To Make It As A Solo Founder?
#LeadershipDevelopment: What Great Leaders Should Do (And What They Should Not!)
#StartupResources: Tips To Stay Organized And Productive!
Why You Shouldn’t Raise Too Much Capital Before Finding Your Product Market Fit?

#FutureOfWork: What Is Creative Office And Why Investors Are Betting On It?

#FutureOfWork: What Is Creative Office And Why Investors Are Betting On It?

What is creative office? Lots of chatter, but no one defines it. Despite work from home & the “office is dead” narrative, developers are building it like crazy in LA. Here’s what creative office is & why investors are betting on it (1/10) 👇
Creative office is whatever you want it to be. Maybe it’s easier to explain what it is not. It’s NOT a 40-story concrete rectangle w/ a check-in desk, elevator bank, cubicles & corner offices. It features a rooftop bar instead of a rooftop you want to throw yourself off of.
LA developers are building millions of SF of creative office despite work-from-home & 15%+ vacancy in DTLA & El Segundo. Their big bet rides on: (1) high-paid creatives in tech+media work in teams & need to be together; (2) more innovators to LA; (3) co’s ditch old highrises.
What the heck is creative office? 1. Outdoor space 2. Stairs > elevators 3. Adaptive reuse 4. Low-rise, campus style 5. Collaborative work environment 6. Weird architecture 7. Lots of glass 8. Creative location & name 9. Bright red paint & Metro adjacent 10. Bridges & skylights

» NextBigWhat’s #Threadmill brings you curated wisdom from Twitter threads on product, life and growth.

Read more posts on Remote Work and Future Of Work here. For podcasts, click here!

ALSO READ:
React JS: A Quick Overview For Starters!
5 Proven Ways To Grab People’s Attention With Your Email Subject Lines!
10 Great Customer Engagement Strategies For Your Business!
Top 10+ Free Investing Tools!
Crypto: A Pyramid Scheme?

10+ Early Traction Growth Hacking Strategies For Startups

10+ Early Traction Growth Hacking Strategies For Startups!

The rise in digitization and seamless connectivity has seen a boom in business development. A news article by the Telegraph shows that in 2016 there were 80 new businesses alone in the United Kingdom! Given this sharp increase and fascination towards entrepreneurship, another report states that only 25% of a new business lasts for 15 years or more, and 20% of the new business fail within a year! Thus, it is essential to understand business or product growth hacking strategies.

There are various strategies that a company or a business might consider to scale and sustain their product. Growth Hacking strategy is a buzzword that allows a business to scale quickly ― a technique that is accepted by experimentation. The process involves all the crucial components – marketing, design and development, engineering, and, yes, data analytics.

Growth Hacking Strategies

Some elaborate strategies are mentioned, which might help your customer find a quick and cost-effective solution to find new leads and build a solid user base.

Strategies to Develop at Pre-Launch

A study by Gartner states that a company needs a lot of time and effort to build a long-lasting product and sustain future generations.

Considering every aspect, an organization must strategize clearly – what their goal is. Even before you start, your marketing strategy should be solid, and you should let the mass know about the new product.

Pre-Launch Advertisements

Why not let people know that a new product is coming? Increase the Hype? Well, building hype is excellent! For instance, a popular video game Cyberpunk 2077, made so many promotional events before the game’s launching event that it became one of the most-awaited games.

Likewise, as an entrepreneur, you can strategize to let the mass know about your product. Pre-Launch Email List is a good starting point. It allows one to reach a targeted audience and deliver the correct message.

Pre-Launch Offers and Discounts like an additional one-month free subscription! The strategy allows you to build funds for your product – even before the launch, also you know precisely how many people are waiting in line.

Strategies at Product Launch

A company needs its advertisements. Portals like Product Hunt curate the new products in technology and let the user know.

Leveraging Referral Marketing – once your product is launched, and you have some customers, let them bring you more! Sounds great! Yes, this strategy is applied for products like CRED, American Express, and Google-Pay. There are always some self-cost requirements, but it is an effective solution!

Brand Partnerships and Launch Events

A Launch Event is where you get to market your product and understand new players in the same field. Another excellent advantage is that you get to build new connections that might give you potential good leads for your product – a remarkable growth hacking strategy!

Partnership and Collaboration with well-established business are perhaps one of the best strategies. It gives a solid buzz and news coverage!

Social Media and Digital Marketing

Social media plays an important role. A tweet at the correct time can do wonders! A single tweet by Elon Musk let the dogecoin see a 2800% rise in its valuation!

Well, that was lucky! But, advertisement and building hype in the social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter can bring wonders to your products. It is a very cheap and cost-effective way to let the mass know!

The HARO Strategy

Consider Helping A Reporter Out (HARO) as a forum for displaying your skills as one of the best growth hacking tips. It is not a tool for developing your brand; instead, it is a place to read different questions from journalists that may or may not be necessary to your domain.

Yes, it will take a lot of time, but it will be well worth it if done correctly. Consider it a worthwhile venture if you can spare 30 seconds three times a day to read their newsletters.

Market Analytics

Understand various points and strategies that you have applied – and learn which activity is bringing you customers, and which is not – and Why? In short –

  • How do I ensure that a transaction is credited to a user who reads material on our blog and then signs up?
  • Which paid traffic sources are the most effective in terms of ROI?
  • Which landing pages are converting the best for us?
  • Do smartphone apps convert?
  • Is there a group of users that convert well? How can we define that so that we can find more of them?
  • How do I use Analytics to detect errors?

Company Profile and Reputation

Platforms like GlassDoor analyze a company’s work status based on user reviews of past and present employees. Likewise, research for a suitable venue which your competitor uses – advertise and grow your company’s image.

Build some helping guides or tutorials that will let your user know how to use your product seamlessly. Also, it brings you new customers – since by knowing what it can do, and how it can be done – I might consider using it too!

These are some of the cost-effective strategies that can help you reach out to the masses – bring you valuable customers. One must strategize and choose among these channels – a combination of this and a bit of that!

What was your surviving strategy? What did work for your business? Share your learning with us, and we’ll be happy to share it with the masses!!

Product Management | Entrepreneurship | Growth & Marketing

Digital Yuan — All You Need To Know About China’s Latest CBDC!

Digital Yuan — All You Need To Know About China’s Latest CBDC!

China has come up with its own digital currency — Here’s what all you need to know!

~ China introduced its own Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) called e-CNY or digital CNY. It used its new payment system known as Digital Currency Electronic Payment (DCEP) to create the same.

~ Inception: It was first introduced in May 2020 in 4 cities — Shenzhen, Suzhou, Chengdu, Xiongan.

~ Is it the same as bitcoin? No! Unlike bitcoin, which is not controlled by any central authority, e-CNY is controlled by PBOC. Bitcoin is also based on a technology called Blockchain. At this point in time, it is unclear what kind of technology is e-CNY based on.

~ How will it work? Distribution will happen via two levels:

  1. The People’s Bank of China’s (PBOC) will distribute CBDC to commercial banks.
  2. Commercial banks will further be responsible for distributing it into the hands of consumers.

PBOC aims to replace some of its circulating cash with its latest digital Yuan.

~ How will it compete in the local market? The digital currency will be directly distributed into state-owned bank users’ wallets, thereby bypassing apps like Alipay & WeChat Pay. These apps currently rule China’s online payment market.

~ The digital Yuan will also help the Chinese government to weed out tax evasion, money laundering and other financial illegal activities. It’s also trackable and could be traced.

~ Major concern? Since it’s trackable and traceable, the government will be able to monitor each and every important/ big financial transactions, thus raising privacy concerns. 

>>> Stay tuned for more such updates & quickbites!

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The Need of The Hour — Central Bank Digital Currency!
NFT in a Nutshell!

Embedded Finance: The Next Big Thing In Fintech!

Embedded Finance: The Next Big Thing In Fintech!

COVID-19 has changed the world completely. The global lockdowns have led to huge losses for many industries. Amid all this chaos, industries with technological advantages have risen up to their peak. They have witnessed commendable growth and are expected to do the same in upcoming years.

Witnessing the saga, more and more organizations are re-routing their plans and coming up with new products and digital-based solutions. The fintech industry is no different. One of the major developments this industry facing right now is Embedded Finance. 

If you are not aware of it yet, let’s find out more about it. 

What is Embedded Finance?

In simpler terms, you can call it an integration of fintech with a non-financial product, service, or solution, etc. With the emergence of digital-based solutions and services, non-financial companies are forced to look for new methodologies to offer their products and services to keep serving their customers. 

Embedded finance allows you to do the same. A recent study suggests that the value of the world’s market worth will be over $7 trillion in the next ten years. The opportunities linked to embedded finance are definitely going to rise over time. It also allows businesses to reinvent the services/ products they provide to their customers. Moreover, they limit the customer interaction and time consumption with other businesses related to the main purchase. 

“Great, isn’t it?”

Current Scenario

In the year 2021, the following are the areas that are mainly focused around embedded finance:

  1. Insurance
  2. Banking
  3. Wealth Management 
  4. Consumer Lending

The compound annual growth report suggests that the insurance sector will rise by 62%, i.e. $5 billion to $70.7 billion. Similar growth is to be expected from consumer lending, while the payments sector is expected to rise at the rate of 54%.

sOURCE

Embedded Finance: The Next Big Thing?

Consumer habits: 

The digitalization process has led to a great transition in the purchasing habits of consumers all over the world. While the older generation used to rely on the traditional methods, the young ones prefer to “order everything online”. Due to this, Amazon, Flipkart, Facebook, Ola, Uber are seen as top names in the industry. 

Adapt for ease:

The “Millennials” today expect more financial services from a non-traditional source rather than a traditional one. 

This not only makes processes less time-taking but also makes them smooth and easier.

Willingness to share personal data:

Embedded finance allows providing an enhanced customer experience with the help of the data shared by their users. Now, since the data shared comes more from the tech-savvy generation, the whole process and customer experience seem to be done in a much easier way than the way it used to be.

Using the same data, businesses can offer financial services at the right time for their end-user. More and more brands are coming up to capture this segment of the market.

Post-Pandemic Effect

The pandemic has changed the world in some serious ways. While an individual is now trapped in a remote environment, various businesses are re-innovating their traditional methods to meet consumer needs. For the same, they are relying either on Embedded Finance or Banking as a Service (BaaS).

sOURCE

Benefits of Embedded Finance

Now, since you know what embedded finance really means, here are some of the top points why any business should be after it. 

  • Convenience

As repeated earlier, businesses nowadays are embedding banking as a service option to their existing mobile applications. This is being done to make the customer experience much easier and smoother.

  • Seamless experience

Fintech companies are using various forms of data to improve their user experience, to keep them more engaged with their application/ product/ service. Designers, along with developers, are working tirelessly to find what works best for their users/ business.

[Also read: India’s Fintech Future: What Lies Ahead!]

  • Increased revenue

With embedded finance, companies are expected to make almost 3-5x more of what they are making right now. The additional financial services are going to help them extend their base of operations, thus increasing their revenue by many folds. 

  • Smooth transaction experience

Non-finance apps are aiming to provide a seamless experience through digital wallets, insurance, QR Codes, debit/ credit cards and much more.

source

Applications

The applications of embedded finance are endless. They are being used in a way that we couldn’t even imagine a few years back, and they will further be used in various unexpected ways. Be it services from ridesharing companies like Ola, Uber, or digital wallets, P2P payment services from Apple, Google, Amazon, Facebook, etc., they are and will be everywhere. 

So, to sum it up, we can consider embedded finance as that major bonus part of the industry currently that businesses are trying to take leverage of. With BaaS in place, many businesses are looking forward to providing an enhanced and rich customer experience, creating new opportunities, and simplifying existing services and whatnot!

What do you think the future will be for this latest disruption?!

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lg-fan

LG launches cutting edge IoT based ceiling fan in India

LG Electronics has announced the launch of its IoT enabled ceiling fan in India. The standout features of the fan includes ‘Dual Wing’ fan-blades, which are sleek looking and the company claims they provide ‘natural airflow’ covering an entire room. Modeled after a humpback whale’s fins, the wings are also said to keep noise to under 49dB.

LG says it has included a powerful motor in the fan that reduces power consumption while providing strong performance. Interestingly, the fan also includes anti-mosquito technology – ultrasonic sound waves are produced which are designed to keep the insects away.

The fan comes with its own remote control, however since the fan is IoT based, it can be controlled via a smartphone application as well as via devices like Amazon’s Alexa. A LED panel on the fan provides key information, another unique feature in its segment.

Microsoft Details New Features Of Outlook On The Web

Microsoft has detailed updates coming to the web version of Outlook in Office 365 with an improved UI, new productivity features and a different name – Outlook on the web.

The latest version of Outlook on the web will roll out to Office 365 subscribers whose plan includes Exchange Online and have signed up for Microsoft’s First Release program.

The biggest change Microsoft has made is the addition of an Action bar available across Mail, Calendar, People and Task experiences in Outlook on the web.

Outlook Action Bar

More subtle tweaks include making email subject lines larger and more prominent, and messages in the reading pane indented. The buttons in Calendar are more prominent making it easier to use.

Inbox

Pin—You can now pin any message in your inbox to have it highlighted in yellow and kept at the top of your inbox.

Outlook Pin Mail

Sweep—Sweep provides actions for managing recurring messages like newsletters, digital coupons, and other email received on a regular basis.

Archive—One-click archiving allows you to quickly move messages out of the inbox to a folder of your choice.

Undo—We included a dedicated Undo button so you can quickly undo unintended actions with a single click.

Improved single line view—If you prefer the single line message view, Outlook on the web now includes a preview of the message contents in-line with the subject.

Outlook Single Line View

Immersive reading pane—When in single line view, clicking a message now displays the message in the same window.

Images

Outlook on the web now provides the ability to easily resize images, add custom borders, apply shadow effects, rotate images and more.

Calendar

Calendar in Outlook now provides a five-day weather forecast with icons next to each day that give a quick look at what to expect. Further, calendar now supports Charms – visual cues that help identify specific types of events more easily, such as an airplane charm, or a fork and knife charm.

Outlook Calendar

Users can create email reminders for any Calendar event by specifying the recipient list, including a quick message, and setting the day and time you want the email reminder to be sent. Further, birthday and holiday calendars can now be viewed separately from a user’s work calendar.

Microsoft has also updated the mobile browser experience of Outlook on the web with the UI closely resembling the Windows Phone, Android and iOS Outlook Apps.

  • Improved navigation for switching between Mail, Calendar and People.
  • More prominent search command.
  • Ability to switch between emails without returning to the message list.
  • Time strip updated to show the full week within the calendar.
  • Improved UI for creating new events and using the scheduling assistant in Calendar.

Xiaomi To Launch MiUi 7 On August 13 [Update]

Xiaomi has apparently teased what is possibly the launch of its MiUi 7 OS on August 13 according to a post by Nanana on the company’s official forum.

MiUi7

The image posted shows the number ‘7’ followed by ‘8.13’ possibly teasing the launch of Xiaomi’s MiUi 7 software which was earlier rumoured to launch this month.

Currently, no further details about xiaomi’s MiUi 7 OS are available, but it is possible that the company will launch the software a new device – possibly the Redmi Note 2?

Other theories have suggested that MiUi 7 might be launched as soon as today, however, as it is with these things, you can’t be absolutely sure.

 

Update: Nanana seems to have more information on the launch. The event will apparently take place at the China National Convention Center.

User Ailsaz has now posted images of the invitation letter. You can check them out here.

This rumour seems to be getting wings. Let’s wait for the official confirmation just to be sure though.

Guide To Upgrading/Clean Installing Windows 10 On Your PC

Windows 10 so far seems to be a smash hit among users, with Microsoft reporting that the software was installed on over 14 million devices within the first 24 hours.

WIndows 10 Start Menu

The software is a huge improvement over Windows 8, especially on a non-touch device. Even otherwise, Windows 10 is beautiful to look at, its functionality is fluid and it performs really well.

However, as it is with all new software, there are a few kinks around the edges that anyone upgrading to Windows 10 right now should be aware of.

Activation

Microsoft has an invite system to let users upgrade to Windows 10. A few users haven’t yet got the invite (I hadn’t got it till the time I upgraded) but you can use the ‘media creation tool’ to forcefully get your PC onto Windows 10 anyway.

While you don’t have to wait for the update to reach you to install Windows 10, it’s advisable to do so since a few users are facing activation issues. Microsoft collects system information at the time of the update allowing it to register it and activate your copy of Windows 10 forever.

However, with the forced install, some users are facing issues of activation, especially if you create an install media to load Windows 10 onto another computer. The good news is that most people are reporting that the activation issue solves itself after a few minutes.

Product Key

When doing a fresh install of Windows 10 on a PC via a bootable flash drive or DVD you’re prompted to enter a product key. However, this isn’t the same key that came with your Windows 7 or Windows 8 copy, but a new key that will have been applied to your device once you updated.

In order to check if your copy of Windows 10 is activated you can head to Start Menu > Settings > Update and security> Activation. If your device says it’s activated, great, if not then you’re going to have to figure something else out.

Top tip: let the Windows 10 update install in order to let Microsoft register your device once it’s installed. Then use ProduKey to find out your Windows 10 product key which you can note down and use when you Install Windows 10 from scratch.

Creating Install Media

The Microsoft media creation tool has an option to create a bootable flash drive or ISO for installation of Windows on another computer. Once you have a bootable installer, you can use it to wipe your PC and install a fresh copy of Windows 10.

While creating the install file, you need to specify the version (either 32-bit or 64-bit) and language. Make sure you select the version to be the same as your previous version of Windows. Installing from a flash drive is faster but the smallest USB stick you’ll be able to use is 4GB.

VW Is Launching Cars With Both Android Auto and CarPlay Integration

Volkswagen has announced that cars compatible Apple’s CarPlay as well as Google’s Android Auto in-car infotainment software will reach showrooms this week.

Android Auto VW

Part of the company’s new Modular Infotainment Platform (MIB II), its cars will be able to seamlessly integrate with smartphones through CarPlay and Android Auto.

The two rival platforms from Apple and Google have emerged as sophisticated alternatives to carmakers’ often dull in-car infotainment systems.

Android Auto and CarPlay extend a smartphone’s functionality within a car, making it safe for drivers to use in-car navigation and other tools safely via voice commands, etc.

By offering both Apple and Google platform integration, Volkswagen hopes to offer customers benefits of connectivity regardless of the smartphone they use.

Both platforms offer integration with third-party apps specifically built for in-car use while also offering native services such as Maps, calling and messaging.

Microsoft Launches Windows 10 As A Free Upgrade Worldwide

It was back in September last year that Microsoft surprised everyone by revealing the name of its upcoming OS – Windows 10. Now, after months of iterating and building out features with the help of Windows Insiders, the company has finally launched Windows 10 to the general public.

Windows 10 will be available as an update to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users for free across 190 countries starting today. Starting today, you’ll also be able to buy devices from OEMs such as Lenovo, HP, Dell and Acer that come pre-loaded with the latest Windows software.

Old+New

WIndows 10 Start Menu

With Windows 10, Microsoft is bringing back the focus on non-touch devices. The company has brought back the Start menu, Taskbar and Desktop making it easier to use devices with a keyboard, mouse and trackpad.

Security

Windows 10 Hello

Not only has Microsoft upgraded its infamous Defender, it has also debuted Windows Hello which provides passwordless entry into a device by making use of facial recognition tech or even a fingerprint if the required hardware is available.

Accessibility

Windows 10 Cortana

Microsoft has enabled voice, pen and gesture input so that users can make use of the full potential of their hybrid and touch devices. Further, the company has launched Cortana, its digital assistant on the desktop, allowing users to find the right information at the right time.

Continuum is the other big addition to Windows 10, which allows for apps to be optimized perfectly for use in both touch and desktop modes. This is the singular feature that ties in Microsoft’s vision of hybrid devices that are built for productivity and portability.

Browser

Windows 10 Edge

With Windows 10, Microsoft has finally replaced Internet Explorer has has launched its new browser called Edge. The browser supports a reading mode, and even allows users to draw on web pages themselves in order to share or save for later.

Gaming

Apart from making the Xbox app available on the PC which offers an Xbox like experience, Windows 10 also bring DirectX 12 which can provide much better performance in scenarios where developers had been bound by a CPUs performance before.

Runs on Everything

Windows 10 isn’t just a desktop OS. By building on much the same platform for phones, tablets and PCs, app developers will be able to take advantage of building one app that runs perfectly on all types of devices. Further, IoT versions of Windows 10 and even wearables such as Holo Lens will be powered by Windows 10.

The Windows 10 update is now rolling out to PCs with genuine Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 installed on them. For business customer, Windows 10 will begin rolling out from August 1, and for enterprise and education clients, the Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education updates are out.

Now Say “OK Google” To Send A Message Via WhatsApp, WeChat, Viber

Google launched custom voice actions on Android back in April that would allow users to control third-party applications by saying “Ok Google” followed by a command.

Google Now WhatsApp

This Google Now functionality made it immensely easy to use SMS and and Hangouts on an Android device, since a user could control and dictate a message with only their voice.

Now, Google has announced that it has expanded the functionality to messaging apps WhatsApp, WeChat, NextPlus, Telegram, and Viber.

Motorola included support for a few third party apps with Moto Voice back with last year’s Moto X and this works similarly and on pretty much every Android device.

It’s as simple as saying “Ok Google, send a WhatsApp message to John” followed by the actual message you want to send.

whatsapp2

Motorola Launches Its Flagship Moto X Style and Mid-Range Moto X Play

Just hours after unveiling the Moto G (3rd Gen) in India, Motorola launched two more devices – it’s new flagship Moto X Style and the Moto X Play.

Moto X Style

Moto X Style

The new Moto X Style doesn’t deviate from the previous generation flagship mantra, where it isn’t just about specs, but more about usability. You won’t find the latest Snapdragon 810 processor chugging away inside, but will get pretty close with the 1.8GHz Snapdragon 808.

That processor is coupled to 3GB of RAM while the device is available in 16/32/64GB variants, which unfortunately is just half of what you get on the iPhone 6 and S6, but the Moto X Style does have a microSD card slot that can support cards of up to 128GB.

There’s a larger 5.7-inch QuadHD (2560x1440p) display which makes the Moto X Style more Samsung Galaxy Note than Galaxy S6 competitor. Motorola is claiming it has taken a big step forward in the imaging department by employing a 21MP camera on the device.

Imaging is handle by a 21MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture, phase detect autofocus and a dual tone flash. Users can shoot video in up to 4K resolution with the maximum frame rate being 120fps at 1080p resolution. There’s also a 5MP front-facing selfie cam.

The Moto X Style runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and should be the first in line to receive the Android M update once it’s out. Apart from this, there’s a 3,000mAh battery that features Turbo Charging where the device can last for 10 hours on just 15min of charge.

As always, users will have multiple options of customizing the Moto X Style such as opting for a leather or wood back and picking the metal accent colours etc. Prices for the Moto X Style start at $399 and will be available in Europe, Latin America and North America starting in September. The company says it will announce its plans for India later in the year.

Moto X Play
Moto X Play

The Moto X Play is the third smartphone Motorola has announced just now and despite carrying the Moto X name, isn’t exactly a flagship product. This of it like the Xiaomi Mi4i, not exactly a flagship, but nonetheless packs some great specs at a great price.

The Moto X Play is powered by a 1.7GHz Snapdragon 615 processor coupled to 2GB of RAM. There are two options for internal storage – 16GB and 32GB – while users will have the option to expand that via a microSD card (up to 128GB).

The device features a smaller 5.5-inch FullHD (1920x1080p) display making it slightly smaller than its larger cousin. In terms of imaging, Motorola has crammed a 21MP camera at the rear but seems to lack 4K video recording. Up front there’s a 5MP selfie shooter.

Like all of Motorola’s new devices, the Moto X Play runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. The device is powered by a massive 3630mAh battery that the company says is good for 48 hours of use.

Initially the device will be launched in Europe, Latin America, and Canada sometime in August for $299. Motorola hasn’t shared any details about the device’s launch in India.

Motorola Launches 3rd Gen Moto G at Rs 11,999(8GB) and Rs 12,999(16GB)

Motorola launched the new 3rd Gen Moto G at a live event today
Motorola launched the new 3rd Gen Moto G at a live event today

Motorola India has just announced the 3rd Gen Moto G at a live launch event today.

The Moto G comes with a 1.4Ghz Quad core Snapdragon processor and is available in 2 variants; an 8gb model with 1GB RAM and a 16GB model with 2GB RAM.

The camera has been spruced up to a 13 megapixel, the same one on the much pricier Nexus 6. It also has a 5 megapixel front facing camera with a wider angle.

Bundled with Android 5.1.1 OS, the phone promises a ‘pure Android experience’ with information on the screen without needing to wake the phone and quick gestures to activate the camera and flash as a torchlight like the Moto X.

Additionally, Motorola has made the Moto G more durable. It comes with Corning’s latest Gorilla Glass and is waterproof up to 3 feet for up to 30 minutes.

The 3rd Gen Moto G will be available at Rs 11,999 (8GB) with the 16GB version going for Rs 12,999 on Flipkart exclusively from 12AM tonight.

Also Motorola and Flipkart have offered deals such as 100 percent cashback for the first 100 customers, 100 Moto 360 smartwatches at Rs 1, subscriptions to Wynx with double data and a hefty discount for people exchanging their older 2nd Gen Moto G.

OnePlus Aims To Sell 1mn Devices In India By Year-End

Hot on the media trail just hours after launching its 2015 flagship killer OnePlus 2 smartphone, Chinese manufacturer OnePlus has said that it aims to sell 1 million devices in India over the next five months.

OnePlus 2 (4)

The OnePlus 2 (64GB) will go on sale in India on August 11 for Rs 24,999; roughly half of what the entry-level iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6 cost at launch. The device will be exclusive to Amazon India and will sell via invites only.

India is already OnePlus’ fourth largest global market after China, USA and Europe. Vikas Agarwal, GM of OnePlus India was quoted by PTI saying that the company expects to sell 1 million units of the OnePlus One and OnePlus 2 in India by December.

The company will continue to sell the OnePlus One alongside its replacement, albeit at a lower cost and without an invite system. So far, about 2.5 lakh units of the OnePlus One have been sold in India since the device’s launch last December.

Global smartphone manufacturers are quickly ramping up their India operations in order to ride the wave of growth. Apple is apparently setting up 500 authorized stores across the country after it witnessed a 93% y-o-y increase in sales during Q2 CY15.