OnePlus to Start Manufacturing Phones in India

OnePlus, the company behind the immensely popular phones OnePlus One and OnePlus 2, has announced that it will start manufacturing phones locally in India. The company will be using Foxconn’s Rising Stars Factory in Andhra Pradesh at Sri City: Integrated Business City by the end of 2015.

Foxconn, which will also start producing handsets for Micromax and Gionee, operates the 30,000 square feet facility in Andhra Pradesh with a cumulative peak capacity of producing up to 500,000 units per month and is poised to generate employment for over 1000 full time workers there.

Pete Lau, Founder & CEO of OnePlus, said:

Today is a big day for us. Producing smartphones in India is one of the most important decisions that we have made so far at OnePlus, and we are thankful to the Government of Andhra Pradesh and Foxconn for helping us make this happen. India being one of our biggest markets worldwide, we are committed to a long term sustainable growth path. This move will strengthen our presence and help us step up momentum in India.

The OnePlus One is currently on sale on Amazon India for INR 17,999 whereas the OnePlus 2 is still invite-only and costs INR 24,999.

October 15, 2015 ✚ Permalink

Apple’s New Magic Accessories Lineup

Apple's Magic Accessories

Along with a new iMac lineup, Apple has also today introduced an all new lineup for their Magic accessories for Macs. The company today launched an all-new Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2 and the Magic Trackpad 2, all of which now sport built-in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that can be charged with any Lightning cable. The company has given special attention to the batteries and power management, such that you get up to an hour of usage with just one minute of charging, while a full-charge takes around 2 hours.

These new accessories will be available in India in about two weeks, at prices mentioned below.

Apple Magic Keyboard

The Apple Magic Keyboard replaces the previous generation ‘Apple Keyboard’ and features an updated design and a re-engineered scissor mechanism that offers 33% more key stability. This new keyboard also sports full-sized keys with the new in-house San Francisco font seen in iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan.

The Apple Magic Keyboard is priced at ₹8,300 in India.

Apple Magic Trackpad 2

The new Magic Trackpad 2 is a much more substantial update compared to the Magic Keyboard. It is 29% larger than the previous generation and features an all-new design, similar to the new keyboard. The Magic Trackpad 2 also now features Force Touch, giving you access to more ways to interact with your Mac. Of course, you can still use Multi-touch to navigate.

The Apple Magic Trackpad 2 is priced at ₹11,200 in India.

Apple Magic Mouse 2

The Apple Magic Mouse 2 only changes internally to house the new lithium-ion battery. There are no new features added to the mouse, except for this ugly way to charge it.

The Apple Magic Mouse 2 is priced at ₹6,600 in India.

October 13, 2015 ✚ Permalink

India is the most expensive place to buy an iPhone 6s

Daniel Van Boom writing for CNET about the high pricing of the iPhone 6s in India:

[The iPhone lineup] will cost more in India than any other country, starting out at 62,000 rupees for the 16GB 6S — that’s the equivalent of $955, AU$1,310 or £620 for the entry-level model.

On the other end of the spectrum is the top-of-the-line 128GB 6S Plus, which will cost 92,000 rupees, which converts directly to about $1,415, AU$1,950 or £925.

He adds:

Ironically, the high pricing could prove a costly move for Apple, with analysts saying that such expensive smartphones will alienate almost all of its prospective userbase in India. Though Samsung and its Galaxy S flagship devices have a presence in the Indian market (with the S6 starting at around 40,000 rupees — $615, AU$840 or £400) the most popular smartphones are budget, sub-$200 devices like Chinese handset maker Xiaomi’s RedMi range and products made by local brand Micromax.

I don’t know about others, but I’m fairly certain that I’m waiting it out for iPhone 7. Unless something happens to my current iPhone 6 and these prices drop over the next few months.

October 12, 2015 ✚ Permalink

Snapdeal invests $20M in GoJavas

Sneha Johari writing for MediaNama:

Ecommerce player Snapdeal has invested $20 million in logistics firm GoJavas to further enhance its supply chain and logistics. GoJavas will use the funds to add 100 more cities to its repertoire in the next 6-12 months. Snapdeal had picked up a minority stake in the company for an undisclosed amount in March this year.

According to Snapdeal, GoJavas has been one of its ‘best performing’ last mile logistics partners, reducing Snapdeal’s delivery time by 24 hours in the last 6 months. Snapdeal says that it has invested $100 million in the last 6 months to improve delivery timelines by 70%, while looking to invest another $200 million in the next 12 months to strengthen its supply chain.

October 8, 2015 ✚ Permalink