Redmi 6 Pro to Nokia 5.1 Plus: Top phones under Rs 13,000 for November 2018

Top budget phones under Rs 13,000 for November 2018: From Nokia 5.1 Plus, Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro to Honor 9N, here are the best smartphones that you can pick at an affordable price.

Smartphone manufacturers this year brought a host of devices in the budget price segment in India. Leading brands like Xiaomi, Honor, Nokia introduced smartphones with impressive design and good features at a reasonable price. With so many options available in the market, users now do not need to spend a fortune to get a good Android phone.

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But one might end up confused as to which one to pick that best suit their needs. Here is a comprehensive list of budget smartphones that you can consider. The smartphones in this list are priced well under Rs 13,000.

Nokia 5.1 Plus

HMD Global changed the game in the budget segment with its affordable smartphone, Nokia 5.1 Plus. The smartphone flaunts a sophisticated design and features a USB Type-C port which is hard to find in this price range. Encased in a glass body, Nokia 5.1 Plus is compact which makes it easy to operate with one hand. Nokia 5.1 Plus is powered by MediaTek Helio P60 processor, which is capable enough to handle day-to-day tasks.

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The phone features dual 13MP+5MP cameras that deliver decent shots under the right lighting condition. Besides an elegant design and capable performance, the phone offers clean and uncluttered Android experience, courtesy of the Android One initiative. Nokia 5.1 Plus promises two years of regular software updates and three years of security updates as well.

Nokia 5.1 Plus price in India: Rs 10,499 for the 3GB RAM and 32GB storage model.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1

While Asus is trying to undercut OnePlus presence in the mid-range segment with Asus Zenfone 5Z, the Taiwanese tech company has brought a decent phone in the budget segment as well. Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 managed to capture a good spot in the affordable price range with its stock Android UI and capable Snapdragon 636 processor.

The phone has sturdy build quality and offers a vibrant 5.99-inch FHD+ display. Another highlight of the phone is its huge 5000mAh battery that delivers more than a day’s worth of usage.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 price in India: Rs 12,999 for the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage model.

Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro

Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro is the first budget device from the company’s smartphone shelf to offer a notched display for users in India. The phone offers a tall body in a compact form factor. It has solid build quality and the compact chassis provide a better grip on the phone.

Redmi 6 Pro features a 5.84-inch full HD+ display which is bright enough and renders good viewing angles.

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The dual 12MP+5MP rear cameras on the phone yield good images with plenty of details and sharpness in bright light. Another sweet add-on in the Redmi 6 Pro is a dedicated microSD slot that allows inserting two SIM cards and a microSD card simultaneously. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor promises good overall performance.

Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro price in India: Rs 10,999 for the base 3GB RAM and 32GB option, Rs 12,999 for the 4GB RAM and 64GB variant.

Honor 9N

If you are looking for a smartphone that offers a classic design and impressive display for a budget price then Honor 9N can be an ideal option for you. The handset clad with metal and glass looks elegant and the rounded edges offer a better grip.

Honor 9N features a 5.84-inch full HD+ 19:9 display that renders good colour reproduction and viewing angles. The dual 13MP+2MP dual rear cameras deliver good portraits and daylight shots with rich colour and details. The handset carries a 3000mAh battery that provides a day’s worth of usage.

Honor 9N price in India: Rs 11,999 for the 3GB RAM and 32GB storage variant.

Realme 1

Realme 1 is another good phone worth considering for a price under Rs 13,000. The phone’s elegant diamond cut effect on the rear panel does capture one’s attention. Along with an eye-catching design, Realme 1 offers some impressive specifications. It comes with a bright 6-inch full HD+ 18:9 display with narrow bezels. The 13MP camera at the back manages to handle good outdoor shots in bright light. The native camera app offers Portrait mode and a Pro mode as well.

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Similar to the Nokia 5.1 Plus, the phone accommodates a MediaTek Helio P60 processor. Realme 1 does not have a fingerprint sensor, but it supports facial recognition which is fast enough to unlock the phone. Further, the 3410mAh battery keeps the budget Realme phone powered for a day.

Realme 1 price in India: Rs 10,990 for the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage model.

Apple Confirms T2 Security Chip Blocks Unauthorised Repairs of New Mac Models

Apple at its October hardware event last month announced the launch of the new
MacBook Air and Mac mini models in its PC lineup. Much like the current MacBook
 Pro and iMac Pro range, these two devices also sport the company's T2 Security
Chip on the MacBook Air helps in hands-free Siri control as well as prevents the
microphone from recording audio when the lid of the laptop is closed. Apple has
 now confirmed that it blocks certain third-party repairs on these newer Mac
devices with the T2 Security Chip, forcing the user to get them repaired from
an Apple Store or an Apple Authorised Service Provider.

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In a confirmation to The Verge, Apple stated that it blocks certain unauthorised,
 third-party repairs for the newer Mac models, launched in October 2018, publicly
 acknowledging the issue for the first time since the developments emerged last month.
 However, the tech giant did not say which parts would be rendered unserviceable.
 Additionally, it did not specify as to whether the current MacBook Pro and iMac Pro
 (with T2 chip) are also affected by this change.

To recall, a report in October, before the hardware launch, had claimed that the T2
Security Chip prevents the repair of the logic board, Touch ID, keyboard, battery,
 trackpad, and speakers on the latest MacBook Pro models. On the iMac Pro,
this is limited to only the logic board and flash storage. This was reportedly put in
place to eliminate independent repair stores from replacing these parts.

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The claims were, however, soon refuted by yet another report which claimed that the
 display on the MacBook Pro 2018 could be replaced independently without the need
of visiting an Apple Store or any of the Apple Authorised Service Providers. Thus,
Apple has not made it clear yet as to whether the block applies to previous models,
 however it could simply be done via a software update in the near future.

Turn any photo into a WhatsApp sticker with this free Android app

WhatsApp finally introduced stickers on its platform only last month, and offered a bunch of sticker packs that were previously available on Facebook Messenger. But if you’re on Android, you can easily create your own stickers right on your phone.

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That’s thanks to Sticker Studio, a free app built by Sven van der Zee, a former TNW Index development intern. You can snap photos or import images into it, and simply draw an outline around the portion you want to turn into a sticker.

There are a couple of odd restrictions to deal with, though: you’ll need to create at least three stickers before you can export a pack of them into WhatsApp. You’re limited to 10 sticker packs with a maximum of 30 stickers per pack.

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Still, it’s plenty fun for folks who have colorful people in their lives. I’m in a bunch of group chats, and I found the app useful for clipping a meme-worthy picture of myself gritting my teeth in terror as I went down a steep slide in a salt mine (I’m not great with heights).

That’s about all you can do right now; Sticker Studio could use a bit more polish, and currently doesn’t allow you to resize images or add effects – but those features are in the works. And hey, it’s a lot easier than clipping images on your desktop and building an app just to share stickers.

OnePlus 7 won’t be company’s first 5G smartphone, company said to launch separate 5G phone

OnePlus said its 5G phone will not be the next flagship, which means OnePlus could be mulling to break its launch cycles to introduce a brand-new smartphone towards the beginning of 2019

When OnePlus CEO Pete Lau publicly announced that the company’s first 5G-ready smartphone would be released in 2019, the most eligible candidate everyone began to anticipate would be the successor to the OnePlus 6T, the OnePlus 7. However, OnePlus has now said that its first 5G phone won’t be the OnePlus 7, instead, it will be a different phone altogether. The company has also said that its 5G phone will not be the next flagship, which means OnePlus could be mulling to break its launch cycles to introduce a brand-new smartphone towards the beginning of 2019.

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According to a report by CNET citing OnePlus spokesperson, the OnePlus 7 will not feature support for next-generation 5G telecommunication technology in favour of competitive pricing that will prevent the smartphone from reaching the price points in the tune of Galaxy S10, which will be launched next year as Samsung’s first 5G device. OnePlus will instead introduce another smartphone under a new branding to foray into the 5G market. With this confirmation, the information about the new device becomes a mystery – the company hasn’t said anything on what its 5G device will be called, or when it will be launched.

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While the launch timelines for the OnePlus 7 have been confirmed by Lau in the first half of 2019, it’s not clear yet when the company’s 5G smartphone will debut. The report, however, says that OnePlus may showcase the device as early as on the dates scheduled for the Mobile World Congress 2019. The report even says that the successor to the OnePlus 7, the OnePlus 7T will forgo the 5G support so as to keep the costs under control. This means that the company could be looking at introducing a whole new line of devices, especially for 5G. It also seems likely that the 5G devices will be positioned at higher price points than the existing flagship family.

Assembly Elections 2018: Cong’s Clear Sway in 2 Out of 5 States

Election season is upon us, and five states are going to polls. In the assembly election fray are Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram. Chhattisgarh, in its first phase of assembly elections on Monday, 12 November, saw a 76.28 percent voter turnout, covering 18 assembly segments, despite Maoist threats of violence.

While the two main national parties, the BJP and the Congress are neck and neck in some states like Madhya Pradesh, in others like Rajasthan, there seems to be a clear mandate – in this case, it is the Congress that has an edge.

Here is a quick look, using data from the latest C Voter Survey, at the popularity of leaders across contesting parties, vote-share and seat-share projections, in these five states. The survey reveals that the Congress will benefit, riding on its emerging young leadership, with the likes of Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan.

Also Read : Rajasthan Elections: BJP MP Joins Congress Weeks Before Polls

Congress’s Possible Clean Sweep in Rajasthan

Rajasthan is the easiest state to call in, in the Hindi heartland states slated for polls. It is ‘advantage Congress’ here. Its party chief Sachin Pilot enjoys a clear advantage in approval ratings as compared to the BJP’s incumbent Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. The Congress’s vote share lead over BJP is more than the statistical margin of error, thereby reducing the likelihood of an ‘against the run of play’ verdict.

There was a late surge in the ruling BJP’s fortunes between August 2018 to November 2018.

From a trail of 14 percent vote share in August, it is now down to 8 percent. However, the sheer size of the Congress’s lead in the state has ensured that a change of 2 percent vote share will not impact the seat share projections much.

With the matter of ticket distribution settled and last-minute micro-management in place, the vote share trends may not differ substantially, here on. An 8 percent projected vote share lead is unlikely to be whittled down by a disjointed Rajasthan BJP.

The Congress is leading all 5 electoral regions of Rajasthan comfortably, that is, with more than 3 percent projected vote share difference. Only in Marwad and Mewar regions, the Congress’s lead is less than 5 percent in vote share; in the other three regions, the Congress is completely dominating the BJP, especially in Dhundhar and Harouti.

This is indicative of a uniform anti-incumbency mood across the state with no pocket of BJP influence shining through in the polls.

Infographics: Erum Gour / The Quint

Also Read : Madhya Pradesh Elections: Will Congress Topple Reigning Shivraj?

Who Will Rajasthan Choose?

Sachin Pilot

With 38.7 % votes (C Voter Survey), most popular CM candidate in Rajasthan.

Vasundhara Raje

With 22.7 % votes  (C Voter Survey), second most popular CM candidate in Rajasthan.

The Congress’s Sachin Pilot is the most popular CM candidate in the state, followed by the incumbent CM Vasundhara Raje of BJP, Ashok Gehlot of Congress, and a former CM is a close third. With Sachin Pilot cornering 38.7 percent votes and Ashok Gehlot tallying 20.5 percent votes, a lot rides on the status of infighting.

On 14 November, the Congress laid to rest speculation about who’d be contesting elections – Gehlot or Pilot. Former state CM Ashok Gehlot said at a Congress press conference, “Hum bhi ladenge aur Sachin bhi ladenge.”

Overview: Raje & Her Govt Are Both Unpopular

Therefore, when asked to specifically choose between Pilot or Raje, we observe that Pilot can garner support from loyalists of other leaders. Thus, in leadership sweepstakes, Rajasthan Congress seems to be managing its house well.

1. Rajasthan Congress is presenting a united face
2. BJP’s incumbent CM and state governments are equally unpopular
3. BJP is not in the fight in any of the electoral regions
4. The vote share gap between INC and BJP is too wide to be bridged by a late surge
5. Ticket distribution and micro-management have not impacted the projections by much

Madhya Pradesh: Neck & Neck Race

A tough one to predict. Despite a 3-term anti-incumbency and insipid state BJP, the Congress is unable to decisively tilt the scales in it favour. Jyotiraditya Scindia of the Congress is the most popular CM candidate here, closely followed by Shivraj Singh Chouhan of the BJP.

Infighting in INC, popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and incumbent CM Chouhan’s pockets of influence are sustaining BJP in the fray. Despite all these factors, Congress has a slight edge, albeit within the statistical margin of error.

The race to Bhopal has become tighter. Owing to triple anti-incumbency and a part- rejuvenated MP Congress, we must give the benefit of doubt to the Congress. A close contest brings micro and regional factors into play. Therefore in Madhya Pradesh, a sweep in one of the regions by either party can upset the balance. The regional equation and the relative strength of the two parties in various regions may decide the election.

Also, BJP depends on the Modi dividend to garner further 2-3 percent vote share in every election, and this time also they are banking on the same, to break the deadlock.

Who Will MP Choose?

The Congress and BJP are decisively leading two regions each, while the BJP is narrowly leading 2 more regions. These regions being Mahakaushal and Nimar; any late swing in these two regions may be the difference between treasury and opposition benches. This election is now a sum total of regional elections, and both the parties should now focus on winning the same.

Jyotiraditya Scindia   

With 41.6 % votes (C Voter Survey), MP’s most popular CM candidate.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan   

With 37.4 % votes (C Voter Survey), MP’s second most popular CM candidate.

Congress has the most popular leader in the state, and incumbent CM Chouhan is a close second. In a runoff style question, the gap between Scindia and Chouhan increases; this indicates that the faction-fighting in the Congress may not impact its fortunes to the extent suspected earlier.

Overview: Modi’s Campaign May Be the Game Changer

1. It is a close election where micro-trends and regional equations may prove to be critical
2. The situation may change with Prime Minister Modi’s campaign
3. Congress is unable to capitalise on triple terms of anti-incumbency
4. The Congress advantage in the state is within the statistical margin of error
5. The race has tightened over the weeks with no sign of either party’s base yielding

Chhattisgarh: A Cliffhanger

The vote share difference between Congress has narrowed down to 0.2 percent from 1.2 percent between August 2018 to November 2018. To put it in perspective, the 2013 Vidhan Sabha results were decided by 0.7 percent vote share between the BJP and the INC.

For a state known for close verdicts, we are getting an all-time close polling data in the surveys. The reason for the same is vote-splitting by Ajit Jogi who continues to command a loyal band of followers who are ditching the INC for him. Thus, even in this case, the INC is unable to capitalise on triple-term anti-incumbency.

The INC started with a slight advantage over the BJP in August. However, that advantage is now reduced to a sliver. (PM Modi was yet to campaign when the survey responses were collected).

Infographics: Erum Gour / The Quint

Therefore, it is safe to say that BJP may tilt the scales ever so slightly in its favour to squeeze a narrow win, given the moribund leadership of the state Congress, and Ajit Jogi’s vote-splitting cameo with Mayawati’s BSP.

The INC and BJP are locked bumper to bumper in all 3 regions of the state including the most critical central region. A slight move in either of the regions may precipitate a landslide for either party. Given the ground situation, it seems that BJP might be the first mover here.

Who Will Chhattisgarh Vote For?

BJP’s Raman Singh, the incumbent CM, continues to be most popular leader in the state. The leadership vacuum is hurting the Congress big time in Chhattisgarh, an announcement of a CM face may have given it some wind in the sails but currently Congress is a nameless and leaderless party.

Raman Singh   

With 36.2 % votes (C Voter Survey), Chhattisgarh’s most popular CM candidate.

Ajit Jogi

With 20.1 % votes (C Voter Survey), Chhattisgarh’s second most popular CM candidate.

Despite its disjointed campaign, the INC is giving a close fight, but may lose out due to the Modi dividend, leadership vacuum and CM Raman Singh’s popularity.

Overview: Jogi-Mayawati Duo Might Ruin INC’s Chances

1. A cliffhanger state with razor-thin vote-share margins
2. CM Raman Singh is proving to be an asset for the BJP
3. Ajit Jogi and Mayawati are proving to be spoilers for the INC
4. INC is leaderless and faceless in this state, unable to capitalise on triple term anti-incumbency
5. PM Modi is yet to campaign in the state and may deliver the additional critical votes to his party

Telangana: Will INC-TDP Duo Hold Sway?

The INC-TDP alliance has changed the electoral landscape of the Telangana. The KCR-led TRS was expected to comfortably win the election, however, the TDP and INC bonhomie has upset those plans. The INC-TDP alliance leads the polls by 4.5 percent vote share. This lead may get strengthened owing to the bandwagon effect that causes voters to switch to a side that is winning.

Infographics: Erum Gour / The Quint

Note: No data for a regional analysis was available as the INC-TDP alliance is a recent one.

Who Will Telangana Vote For?

K Chandrashekhar Rao (TRS)   

With 42.9 % votes (C Voter Survey), Telangana’s most popular CM candidate.

KCR is the most popular leader in the ‘standalone and runoff style’ polling. However, the electoral arithmetic of TDP and INC is besting his party. Perhaps this is also a critical weakness of TRS; standalone, it is unable to take on TDP and INC.

K.Jana Reddy (INC)   

With 22.6 % votes (C Voter Survey), Telangana’s second most popular CM candidate.

Overview: TDP-INC Duo May Win Despite KCR’s Charm

1. Chief Minister KCR is an asset for TRS. However, a lack of alliance partners is hurting TRS now
2. BJP may become electorally relevant in the state as a critical tilt partner for TRS
3. As of now, the TDP-INC alliance is sure to win the state
4. A loss for KCR may alter electoral landscape in Telangana and neighboring Andhra Pradesh
5. TDP and INC are winning the election despite the lack of a big face to take on KCR

Mizoram: Will INC Lose its Last NE Govt?

Infographics: Erum Gour / The Quint

Who Will Mizoram Vote For?

Lal Thanhawla (INC)   

With 27.3 % votes (C Voter Survey), Mizoram’s most popular CM candidate.

Zoramthanga (MNF)   

With 25.4 % votes (C Voter Survey), Mizoram’s second most popular CM candidate.

LalDuhoma (ZPM+)   

With 24.6 % votes (C Voter Survey), Mizoram’s third most popular CM candidate.

Overview: Cong Wipeout May Affect LS Polls

1. INC is losing out its last government in the North East. This is significant considering the favourable demographic profile
2. The state polity is highly divided between the three main players INC, MNF and ZPM
3. In a triple corner fight, MNF is leading the INC that is placed second by 3.5 percent vote share
4. This result may have implications for Lok Sabha polls by ensuring a wipe out for INC in the North East in LS 2019

(The author is the founder-director, CVoter International. He tweets @YRDeshmukh. Views expressed are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)

*Survey Methodology: Current projections based on CVoter daily tracking poll conducted during last seven days among 18+ adults statewide, including likely voters, details of which are mentioned right below the projections as of today. The data is weighted to the known demographic profile of the states. Sometimes the table figures do not sum to 100 due to the effects of rounding. Our final data file has socio-Eeonomic profile within +/- 1% of the demographic profile of the state. We believe this will give the closest possible trends. The Tracking Poll Fieldwork covers random probability samples during the last 7 days from the release date. The sample spread is across all assembly segments in the poll bound states. MoE is +/- 3% at macro level and +/- 5% at micro level with 95% confidence interval.

The data collection started on July 1st and continued until November 9th. Technically speaking, we Conducted 17 weekly waves of 7000 respondents each. But by splitting that sample into 1000 interviews every day, and making one rollover file of the last 7 days every day, we were able to analyse 40 waves of 7000 samples each. In other words, this gave us an opportunity of analyze fresh data daily for the remainder of the campaign through Election Day. For the analytics we are using our proprietary algorithm to calculate the Provincial and Regional Vote share based on the Split-Voter phenomenon. We have used this algorithm to correctly predict many demographic measurements across many democracies. As mentioned; this is a thorough random probability sample; and we are ensuring a proper representative analysis by statistical weighing of the data to make it representative of the local population as per the latest census figures.