TecQ is our weekly roundup of the technology stories.
1. iPhones Still Selling Like Hot Cakes, But India an Issue for Apple
Apple's faithful customers aren't snapping up iPhones quite as enthusiastically as was anticipated heading into the crucial holiday shopping season.
But the latest models, costing $1,000 (Rs 74,000 approx) and more, are popular enough to keep propelling profits ever higher for the company. The quarter results have proven that Apple is capable of minting money without having to worry about adding more users to its base.
However, in India, things seem bleak for the company, as here it hasn’t been able to push its market share, pulled further down by rising duty costs and product pricing that puts the iPhone XS Max for as high as Rs 1.45 lakh.
The company still believes it can do well in India. ‘Bullish’ is the term it often uses to show its interest, but the numbers show a grim reality.
Read the full story here.
2. OnePlus 6T vs OnePlus 6: Is The Mid-Cycle ‘T’ Upgrade Worth It?
OnePlus, as expected, launched the 6T smartphone, its second device in 2018. We saw minor improvements on the 3T and the 5T last year but this time, the 6T has more than its fair share of differences with its predecessor.
Priced at Rs 37,999, the 6T starts with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. What else is new with the OnePlus 6T and should a OnePlus 6 owner go for the upgrade?
Read the full story here.
3. Google Pixel 3 XL Review: Worth Buying Over Other Flagship Phones?
4. Apple iPad Pro and MacBook Air 2018 First Look: Worth the Premium?
Apple unveiled the last bit of their 2018 holiday season lineup with the launch of the new iPad Pros and a long overdue refresh of the MacBook Air at a press event in Brooklyn on Tuesday, 30 October.
The devices should head to India in the following weeks, but I got to spend some time with the new devices at the launch and came home with some first impressions.
Read the story here to look at what the new iPad Pros and the MacBook Air offer for its respective prices.
5. Better to Buy a 5.1 Channel Home Theater or Assemble One?
Just a few days ago I started using Sony’s mid-range home theater system, the HT-S500RF, which is a sub-Rs 30,000 and offers 5.1 channel audio.
This audio system is from the latest pool of speakers released by the company and targets the segment looking to invest in a new home theater system, without compromising on brand value and also not looking to go beyond a certain budget.
A 5.1 Sony speaker for Rs 30,000 doesn’t seem to be a bad bargain, but then the thrifty side of me asked me a question: “Why not assemble something equally good and at a lower cost?”
Read the story here.
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