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Redmi 5 India Launch Date Expected as February 14 as Xiaomi Sends Media Invites

HIGHLIGHTS

• It will be the successor to last year's Xiaomi Redmi 4
• We can expect the phone to start at around Rs. 8,000 in India
• The phone is sold in China in four colour variants

Xiaomi has sent out media invites for the launch of the company's first product in India for 2018. With a big '5' logo on the invite, it is almost certain that Xiaomi's latest budget smartphone, Redmi 5, is expected to be unveiled in India on February 14. We can expect the 2GB RAM/ 16GB storage, 3GB RAM/ 32GB storage, and the 4GB RAM/ 32GB storage variants to be sold in India. It is, however, currently not known whether the Redmi 5 Plus will also make an appearance at the event.

As we mentioned, Xiaomi is expected to launch the Redmi 5 in India on February 14. The phone was launched in China in December Black, Gold, Light Blue, and Rose Gold colour variants, with the 2GB RAM variant priced at CNY 799 (roughly Rs. 8,100) and the 3GB RAM variant priced at CNY 899 (roughly Rs. 9,100).

Tata Motors may post 5-fold jump in Q3 profit; JLR realisations seen up 5%

Passenger and commercial vehicle maker Tata Motors is expected to report 5-fold jump in its consolidated profit for the quarter ended December 2017 due to JLR numbers and reduced losses in domestic business.

Consolidated profit is seen rising to Rs 3,040 crore for December quarter from Rs 625 crore in year-ago, according to average of estimates of analysts polled by CNBC-TV18.

Revenue from operations may increase 19.4 percent year-on-year to Rs 76,383 crore compared to Rs 63,933 crore, the poll said.

Operating profit is expected to rise 59 percent to Rs 9,964 crore and margin may expand 320 basis points to 13 percent compared to previous year.

Nokia 7 Plus Specifications, Image, Features Leaked Online, Launch Expected at MWC 2018

HIGHLIGHTS

• Mid-range Nokia 7 Plus handset may feature a full-screen display
• Dual-camera setup expected, with 12-megapixel + 13-megapixel sensors
• A 16-megapixel Carl Zeiss lens could be available for selfies

Nokia 7 Plus may be one of the phones HMD Global unveils at its Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 event in Barcelona, alongside the eagerly anticipated Nokia 9 and Nokia 1. New reports have revealed the features, specifications, design and images of the Nokia 7 Plus. This comes soon after the Nokia 7 Plus was leaked via the Nokia Camera app and then spotted on Geekbench website. HMD Global will be hosting its MWC 2018 event on February 25, 2018, where it is expected to launch a host of Android phones.

TVS NTorq (Graphite) spied ahead of the launch; To rival Honda Grazia automatic scooter

TVS will officially reveal its 125cc flagship scooter today. The scooter named as NTorq was first showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo as the Graphite concept model. The test mules of the scooters have been caught several times before. The scooter has been caught testing on the camera again and has revealed a few more features.

The NTorq will be one of the most advanced scooters present in the country with a fully digital instrument console that gets integrated GPS. There are also LED turn indicators and LED tail lamp that gives it a premium touch. The scooter will ride on 12-inch alloy wheels and a teaser video released by TVS gives you an impression on its exhaust note, which is quite heavy and loud for a scooter suggesting that it will be targeted at the enthusiasts.

iPhone, Apple Watch Prices in India Marginally Increased After Budget 2018 Customs Duty Hike

      HIGHLIGHTS

• The iPhone 6 got a price hike of up to 3.2 percent
• The Apple Watch Series 2 (38mm) got a hike of up to 8.3 percent
• Prices of iPhone SE models remain unchanged

Within a few days of the Indian government's decision to increase customs duty on mobile phones from 15 percent to 20 percent, Apple India has announced a marginal increase in prices of iPhone and Apple Watch models. An increase of up to 3.6 percent has been observed in the prices of iPhone models and up to 8.3 percent in prices of Apple Watch models. The official pricing of the iPhone SE remains unchanged.

LTCG tax is a muddled plan that reduces incentive for risk taking, relies only on compliance: View

Tax on long term capital gains (LTCG) is back. Since a window has now been opened to taxing this income by introducing a flat rate that treats this income differently from other sources of income, it can only be expected that substantial tinkering will happen in this section of the Income Tax Act in future. 

Should capital gains be taxed? The argument is that income that an asset generates should be booked to tax, irrespective of whether it is a human asset or a capital asset. Subjecting individual incomes to tax, and exempting capital assets from tax, creates incentives to engage in acquisition of capital assets, without deploying such resources in income generating activity. 

Nokia 8 Sirocco Major Leak Reveals Key Specifications

Nokia 8 Sirocco Major Leak Reveals Key Specs

Samsung, Xiaomi and Sony are expected to debut Snapdragon 845 driven flagship smartphones at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 tech expo later this month HMD Global has also confirmed that it will be present at MWC 2018 on Feb. 26 to unleash new devices. A recent report had revealed that the Finnish firm had recently trademarked the Nokia 8 Sirocco moniker. Fresh information reveals that the smartphone will be fueled by Snapdragon 845 and it may get unveiled at the forthcoming tech trade fair.

Previous reports have revealed that the HMD Global is working on 2018 edition of Nokia 8. In 2006, Nokia had launched the Nokia 8800 Sirocco phone. It is speculated that the upcoming Nokia 8 variant will be a tribute the 8800 Sirocco. The trademark filing had revealed that the model number of this upcoming Nokia phone is TA-1005. Leaked information reveals that the Snapdragon 845 chipset will be present under the hood of the Nokia 8 Sirocco. The SoC will be coupled with 6 GB of RAM.

Like the original Nokia 8 from last year, the Nokia 8 Sirocco is expected to house a dual camera setup. It is likely to include ZEISS certified 12-megapixel sensor and 13-megapixel sensor. It is expected to arrive with a selfie camera of 5-megapixel. The smartphone is expected to arrive with IP67 certified dustproof and waterproof chassis.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Oreo update may not arrive until February end in some markets

With Samsung recently detailing its Experience 9 software suite, it's reasonable to assume the Galaxy S8/S8+ Oreo update roll out is imminent. However, some markets, it appears, will have to wait longer for the update.

A user from the Maghreb region of North Africa (which consists of Algeria, Morocco Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania) got in touch with Samsung support to enquire about the update, and was told the roll out is scheduled for February end.

There's currently no official information on which markets will get the update first and exactly when, but what now looks apparent is that the roll out won't complete anytime before Q1 this year.

Microsoft dropping Windows 10 S, plans to replace with ‘S Mode’

Microsoft is dropping the Windows 10 S SKU altogether in favour of a new “S Mode” for Windows 10 Home, Pro, and Education. Both Neowin and Thurrott have discovered that Microsoft will drop the Windows 10 S as a standalone product. The move could be aimed to clear confusion among its hardware partners and consumers alike.

In May last year, Microsoft introduced Windows 10 S – a streamlined version of its Windows 10 operating system. Designed to compete with Google’s Chrome OS, it is a fully-functional version of Windows. However, the operating system restricts users to download apps from the Windows store. Barring the Windows 10 S, every other version of Windows 10 has the option to download apps from third-party stores and sites. The Surface Laptop was the first commercial device available to run Microsoft’s Windows 10 S. Those users who wish to upgrade to a full version of Windows, they can do so by paying a fee of $49 (or approx Rs 3142).

Now, it looks like Microsoft’s Windows 10 S hasn’t got the much-desired attention which the company had initially hoped for. Which is why the company is introducing a new “S Mode” that will be available to OEMs across Windows 10 Home, Pro, and Educational SKUs. The S Mode will restrict any version of Windows 10 to download apps from third-party sources, killing the purpose of having a standalone Windows 10 S.

Kia SP (Hyundai Creta challenger) compact SUV rendered ahead of Auto Expo unveil

South Korean car maker Kia will start India operations next year and the first vehicle from the company will be a compact SUV that will be positioned in the Hyundai Creta segment. The new SUV will be shown as a concept at the 2018 Indian Auto Expo. Here is our render of the Kia SP SUV concept, and this will give you a picture of what the new vehicle will look like.

As the render shows, the new compact SUV is expected to get the typical front grille found on a range of Kia cars. The headlamps will be LED units and will be sharply raked. The front bumper will be large, with faux skid plates adding character to the front end. The rest of the SUV will look contemporary, like the Hyundai Creta, but without too much drama in terms of design lines.

Kia is expected to launch the SP compact SUV concept’s production version in India during the second half of 2019. On road testing of the vehicle will happen from later this year. Other details about the vehicle are not known for now although some key facts are expected to be revealed at the official unveil of the concept at the Auto Expo. Both petrol and diesel engine options are likely on the new SUV. Manual and automatic transmissions could also be offered. However, the SUV is expected to be front-wheel driven with no all wheel drive mode, even as an option.