Also Read: iPhone 18 Pro Could Feature Bigger Battery, Samsung Camera and More

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max Vs Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max – Specifications Comparison

On the design side, Apple won’t make major changes. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is rumored to have a similar design. Instead of the iconic “Cosmic Orange color variant from the 17 Pro models, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max may feature a new color called Dark Cherry.

For readers unaware, the iPhone 17 Pro’s orange variant was among the most in-demand models. We expect a similar spike for the iPhone 18 Pro Max in Dark Cherry.

On the rear, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is said to house its cameras in a similar configuration to the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple will not use a titanium frame but will stick with aluminum this year.

Display

On the display side, no upgrades are expected. We will likely get the iPhone 17 Pro Max with a 6.9-inch LTPO display, Dolby Vision, a 120Hz refresh rate, and peak brightness of 3000 nits, protected by Ceramic Shield 2.

Also Read: Apple May be Unhappy with Tata as iPhone 18 Pro Leaks

Chipset Comparison: A19 Pro VS A20 Pro

Under the hood, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is among the most powerful phones so far. It is powered by the A19 Pro chipset built on TSMC’s N3P 3nm process, offering top efficiency and performance.

The chipset also has a dedicated Neural Engine with higher memory bandwidth, enabling it to perform AI tasks more efficiently.

The next flagship, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, will reportedly be powered by the A20 Pro chipset, developed on the new TSMC 2nm process using a Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module, an upgrade from the N3P process used since 2023.

The new chipset is expected to deliver improved efficiency alongside a powerful GPU. As reported, Apple has allocated more transistors to its Neural Engine, giving AI power greater importance this time.

To improve network connectivity, the iPhone 18 Pro Max will come with a new dedicated C2 5G modem onboard. The new modem will reportedly come with an NR-NTN (New Radio Non-Terrestrial Networks), a technology that will support satellite connectivity on regular phones.

Camera Comparison

Moving to the camera, the iPhone 17 Pro Max offers a triple-camera setup on the rear and a single 18MP center-stage camera on the front.

On the rear, there is a 48MP main fusion camera sensor with sensor-shift OIS support, coupled with a 48MP 100mm periscope lens and a 48MP ultra-wide-angle sensor. It also includes a TOF 3D LiDAR Scanner.

We expect similar specifications for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, with Apple likely not increasing the megapixel count. However, some reports suggest Apple is working on a three-layer stacked image sensor.

The main sensor will be the Sony IMX905 with variable aperture support, and the remaining sensors will be shared with the iPhone 17 Pro Max models.

The variable aperture will allow users to manually toggle the amount of light hitting the image sensor before taking a picture, giving them more control over the final image.

Battery Comparison

Apple usually doesn’t share specific battery details during the launch event. They often compare it to previous models by reporting percentage improvements.

Although Apple has not confirmed the battery capacity, some credible sources say the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 4823 mAh battery. According to leaks, the new iPhone 18 Pro Max will have an even bigger 5425 mAh battery. With the new A20 Pro SoC, the iPhone 18 Pro Max battery life could see a huge improvement.

Also Read: iPhone 18 Pro: Should You Wait?

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max Vs Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max – Price Comparison

The recent price hike has caused widespread panic in the tech industry, especially among smartphone makers.

The price hike could affect the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max models, with reports saying Apple may raise the price by Rs 28,600.

Apple’s new iPhone models usually replace the pricing of the existing iPhone 17 Pro Max models.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at Rs 1,45,900, and the top-end 2TB model costs Rs 2,25,900. With this price hike, the iPhone 18 Pro Max should start at Rs 1,74,500, and the top-end 2TB model will be priced at Rs 2,54,500.

Opinion: Should You Wait for the iPhone 18 Pro Max Model?

Apple might increase the prices of its existing iPhone 17 models due to the price hike. Recently, Apple announced a price increase in Japan for iPhone 17 models. Although we didn’t get any confirmation on this yet.

If you need a smartphone immediately, we recommend the iPhone 17 Pro Max before the price hike.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max offers good specifications with a new chipset, improved battery life, and a new camera sensor. However, the difference compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max is not huge.

Image Credits: Saurav (X-Saurav_DJ47), Tech Radar

iQOO Z11 Lite 5G India Launch

iQOO Z11 Lite 5G will be priced under Rs 20,000 for the base variant. The phone is confirmed to launch next week iin India. It will be a value focused phone in the country. The brand will target the student base in the country. There will be a large battery on the phone.

The iQOO Z11 Lite 5G will come with a 6500mAh battery, with support for 44W fast-charging. The device will ship with MID-STD-810H military grade certification for durability. There will also be support for IP65 rating on the phone for dust and water resistance. The phone will feature up to 6GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. iQOO has promised two years of OS updates and four years of security patches.

The phone’s display is confirmed to feature 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 1200nits of peak brightness. The device will come with a dual-camera setup at the rear with a 50MP main shooter from Sony. The device will launch on July 24, 2026 in India. The phone is also confirmed to be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 SoC. If you are interested in knowing more about the phone, stay tuned to TelecomTalk.

Total data traffic carried by Jio’s network increased to 69.4 billion GB in Q1 FY27. This represents a year-on-year increase of 26.9 percent from 54.7 billion GB in the corresponding quarter of FY26.

Data traffic also increased sequentially from 66 billion GB in Q4 FY26, indicating continued growth in data consumption across Jio’s mobile and broadband services

Also Read: Jio IPO Will be an Important Milestone: Mukesh Ambani

Jio 5G Base Reaches 285 Million

The growth in data consumption was accompanied by the continued expansion of Jio’s 5G subscriber base. Jio had approximately 285 million 5G users as of June 2026, representing an increase of 73 million subscribers over the preceding 12 months.

Jio said customer engagement on its 5G network remained strong, with 5G data traffic reaching approximately 1.5 times that of its 4G network.

The company’s overall subscriber base reached 533.3 million at the end of the quarter, up 7.1 percent from 498.1 million in Q1 FY26. Jio added 8.9 million net subscribers during Q1 FY27, compared with a total base of 524.4 million at the end of the preceding quarter.

Monthly subscriber churn improved further to 1.6 percent during the quarter.

Also Read: JioAirFiber Crosses 14 Million Users, Drives Over 75% of Broadband Additions

Voice Traffic Records Modest Growth

While data traffic increased by 26.9 percent year-on-year, voice traffic grew by 2 percent over the same period. Jio carried 1.52 trillion minutes of voice traffic during Q1 FY27, compared with 1.49 trillion minutes in the corresponding quarter last year.

Voice traffic was marginally lower on a sequential basis, declining from 1.54 trillion minutes in Q4 FY26 to 1.52 trillion minutes in Q1 FY27.

The figures indicate that the growth in overall network engagement during the quarter was primarily led by data usage.

ARPU Increases to Rs 215.6

Jio’s average revenue per user increased to Rs 215.6 per subscriber per month during Q1 FY27. ARPU rose by 3.3 percent from Rs 208.8 in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year. It stood at Rs 214 in Q4 FY26.

Reliance attributed the increase in ARPU to an improved subscriber mix and positive seasonality. However, promotional schemes offered to fixed broadband customers partly affected ARPU during the quarter.

Jio’s fixed broadband base reached 28.6 million in June 2026 after the company added approximately 8.6 million subscribers over the previous 12 months. JioAirFiber crossed 14 million subscribers and accounted for more than 75 percent of the fixed broadband additions during the period.

Also Read: Jio is Offering an Ultimate Gaming Prepaid Plan

Digital Services Support Revenue Growth

Jio Platforms reported gross revenue of Rs 45,961 crore in Q1 FY27, an increase of 12 percent year-on-year. Revenue from operations rose by 11.8 percent to Rs 39,173 crore.

Digital services revenue increased by 20 percent year-on-year, driven by content, cloud compute, Internet of Things, and managed services. Connectivity revenue grew by 11 percent during the same period.

Jio Platforms’ EBITDA increased by 15.1 percent to Rs 20,865 crore, while its EBITDA margin expanded by 150 basis points to 53.3 percent. Profit after tax rose by 9.2 percent year-on-year to Rs 7,764 crore.

Jio’s growing 5G base, higher overall subscriber count and expanding fixed broadband footprint contributed to the increase in data traffic during the quarter. Average consumption of 43.7GB per subscriber per month reflects the level of data engagement recorded across Jio’s network in Q1 FY27.

The new foldables, alongside the new Galaxy Watch, are set to launch at the Galaxy Unpacked Event on July 22, 2026. Samsung is using “Spidey tingling style” marketing for fans excited to see what it has been cooking so far. Here is all we know so far:

Also Read: Samsung Flex Titanium Tech Comes to Galaxy Z Fold 8

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Flip 8 Star in New Spider-Man: Brand New Day Ad

In collaboration with Marvel, Samsung released a clip showing Spider-Man (Tom Holland) dissatisfied with his current phones, which often break during missions to save the world. This is often due to the regular phone’s length causing damage.

After Spider-Man builds a new “flip phone,” the Galaxy Z Flip 8, which can flip and offers easy accessibility.

The Marvel superhero’s best friend, Ned, played by Jacob Batalon, appears in the clip receiving a Spidey notification on his smartwatch, possibly a “Galaxy Watch 9.” He then takes out his “Creaseless-foldable phone,” possibly the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and tries to find Spider-Man’s whereabouts using the Spidey tracker site.

The advertisement video is already on YouTube as part of the Samsung and Marvel collaboration. After releasing the video, Samsung revamped its Galaxy Unpacked page on its official site.

Ahead of the launch event, Samsung announced that customers who reserve before launch will receive a $30 credit during pre-orders and up to $ 1,230 in total savings, with a chance to win a Samsung Gift Card.

Samsung also added Spider-Tracker Game on their reserve page for the upcoming Galaxy phone and watch.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 series, alongside the Galaxy Watch 9 series, is set to launch on July 22, 2026. Are you excited for the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 phones this year?

Image Credits: Samsung and Marvel.

Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director (CMD) of Reliance Jio, said, “The upcoming IPO will be an important milestone in Jio’s journey and will give investors an opportunity to participate in India’s digital growth story.”

Jio has 533 Million Users

Reliance Jio is the leading 5G service provider in India. Jio took the decision to go ahead with 5G SA (standalone) right from the start. The company had more capital to deploy for 5G and has taken investments from major tech players globally including Meta, Google and more. Jio said that it has a total subscriber base of 533 million. This is by far one of the largest susbcriber bases for any telecom operators globally. In the last 12 months, it is not just wireless subscriber base that Jio has grown, but even the wireline base has grown fast. Over 285 million users of the total 533 million users were using Jio’s 5G service. The telco reported a net profit of Rs 7,764 crore, with gross revenue at Rs 45,961 crore.

The fixed broadband additions by the telecom operator was 8.6 million in the last 12 months. Jio not only added new users, but also saw a growth in the EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) margin as it went up to 53.3%. The EBITDA margin has gone up by 1.5% YoY.

Jio is expected to be listed in the Indian stock exchanges before the end of FY27. Stay tuned to TelecomTalk for more updates.

Jio’s total fixed broadband base reached 28.6 million as of June 2026, according to the financial and operational results released by Reliance Industries Limited (RIL). Over the last 12 months, the company added approximately 8.6 million fixed broadband subscribers.

JioAirFiber accounted for more than 75 percent of these additions. Based on the figures disclosed by Reliance, AirFiber contributed more than 6.45 million to the company’s fixed broadband net additions during the period.

Jio Claims Over 43 Percent Market Share

Reliance said Jio had secured a market share of more than 43 percent in fixed broadband. This total includes customers connected through JioFiber and the JioAirFiber fixed wireless service.

The company attributed its expansion in fixed broadband to its proprietary fixed wireless technology stack. It also described Jio’s additions across 5G and fixed broadband as industry-leading, with more than 73 million 5G users and 8.6 million fixed broadband subscribers added over the last 12 months.

JioAirFiber accounted for more than three-fourths of the broadband additions recorded during this period. As a result, its base of more than 14 million subscribers now represents nearly half of Jio’s total fixed broadband customer base of 28.6 million.

AirFiber delivers broadband connectivity using Jio’s wireless network rather than relying entirely on a physical fibre connection to the customer’s premises. Reliance, however, did not provide a separate breakdown of the quarterly additions made by JioAirFiber and JioFiber in its Q1 FY27 release.

Wider Subscriber Base Reaches 533.3 Million

The broadband expansion came as Jio’s overall subscriber base increased to 533.3 million at the end of June 2026. In the same quarter, the company recorded net additions of 8.9 million subscribers, while monthly churn improved to 1.6 percent.

Jio’s 5G subscriber base reached approximately 285 million, including 73 million users added over the last 12 months. In addition, the company said 5G data traffic was approximately 1.5 times the traffic carried by its 4G network.

Total data traffic across Jio’s network increased by 26.9 percent year-on-year to 69.4 billion GB in Q1 FY27. Correspondingly, average consumption reached 43.7GB per subscriber per month.

Jio’s ARPU increased to Rs 215.6 during the quarter, compared with Rs 214 in Q4 FY26 and Rs 208.8 in Q1 FY26. Reliance said the increase was supported by a better subscriber mix and positive seasonality, although promotional schemes for fixed broadband customers partly offset the increase in ARPU.

Also Read: Reliance Jio Adds 8.9 Million Subscribers in Q1 FY27 as ARPU Rises to Rs 215.6

Digital Services Outpace Connectivity Growth

Jio Platforms reported gross revenue of Rs 45,961 crore for Q1 FY27, an increase of 12 percent year-on-year. Revenue from operations also rose by 11.8 percent to Rs 39,173 crore.

Digital services revenue grew by 20 percent year-on-year, supported by content, cloud compute, Internet of Things and managed services. By comparison, the connectivity business recorded 11 percent growth.

Jio Platforms’ EBITDA increased by 15.1 percent year-on-year to a record Rs 20,865 crore. Its EBITDA margin expanded by 150 basis points to 53.3 percent. Profit after tax increased by 9.2 percent to Rs 7,764 crore.

Reliance said Jio’s performance across mobility, home broadband and enterprise services remained strong during the quarter. Within home broadband, JioAirFiber continued to account for the largest share of incremental connections, reinforcing fixed wireless access as a central part of the company’s broadband expansion.

Reliance Jio Rs 545 Prepaid Plan in India

We are talking about the Jio Rs 545 prepaid plan. This is not an affordable plan to be honest. With this Rs 545 plan, you will only get 28 days of service validity. It is less than a month. So it is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea.

The complete benefits of Reliance Jio Rs 545 prepaid plan include unlimited voice calling, 2GB of daily data with 5GB of bonus data, giving users a total of 61GB. There is 100 SMS/day for the users. Then there is JioGames Cloud, and FanCode subscription also for 28 days with the plan. There are more than 500 HD premium games inside the platform there is also free Google AI Pro subscription worth Rs 35,100 for the users. It is for 18 months. Users will also get JioHotstar subscription with the plan. You can recharge with this plan through the MyJio app on your phone or the official Jio website.

In an exclusive interaction with TelecomTalk, Paul Abfalter, Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer at FLAG, outlined the company’s plans under its Vision 2030 strategy, including a new build to Chennai, another east coast landing and another Mumbai-Singapore system.

According to Abfalter, India is important to FLAG both because of its growth and its strategic position within the company’s global network.

India Is Central to FLAG’s Global Network

“India is a central market for FLAG, both in terms of growth and its strategic position within the global network,” Abfalter told TelecomTalk.

He said India’s location enables it to act as a key connection point between Asia, the Middle East and Europe. At the same time, the country’s ongoing digital expansion continues to drive international traffic flows.

Also Read: FLAG Adds New Chennai-Singapore Subsea Route to Boost India’s Global Connectivity

India’s position within FLAG’s network is also reflected in the company’s plans to strengthen connectivity from both the western and eastern coasts of the country.

More India Subsea Investments Planned

The Chennai-Singapore route forms part of FLAG’s Vision 2030 strategy and serves as a second India–Singapore segment. According to Abfalter, the route adds geographic diversity and path separation while integrating with FLAG’s wider subsea and terrestrial assets.

This is intended to support connectivity between India and Southeast Asia, along with onward routes to North America and Europe.

“As part of FLAG’s roadmap, you will see us invest in a new build to Chennai and another east coast landing; and in another Mumbai–Singapore system,” Abfalter said.

He added that these plans reflect India’s strategic importance to FLAG and will help strengthen resilience for both eastbound and westbound traffic.

Why FLAG Selected Chennai

Explaining why Chennai was selected as the company’s next strategic investment point after Mumbai, Abfalter said India’s connectivity requirements are becoming more distributed. Mumbai and Chennai, according to him, serve different but complementary roles within the country’s international connectivity infrastructure.

Chennai was selected to complement Mumbai and establish dual-coast connectivity into Singapore through the India–Asia Express, or IAX, system. Abfalter said relying too heavily on one landing point or one coast can limit routing flexibility.

The Chennai connection is expected to give customers more choices when moving traffic across India, Southeast Asia and onward international routes. It will also support demand across southern India. The Chennai-Singapore route provides customers with another option for connecting India to the rest of Southeast Asia. Its key benefit is a more direct east coast connection to Singapore.

For FLAG, it also creates further connectivity options for diversity, connecting India with the rest of Asia and westbound towards Europe.

Hyperscalers and Enterprises May Benefit First

Demand is shifting across FLAG’s customer base, including hyperscalers, enterprises, carriers and content providers operating in regional and global markets. Abfalter said each customer group has different requirements around scale, predictability, control, performance assurance and resilience.

However, hyperscalers, neoclouds and large enterprises are expected to benefit first because of the scale of their requirements into Chennai and Hyderabad.

Cloud, artificial intelligence and data centre growth are also changing how traffic moves across Asia. According to Abfalter, this is creating more demand for high-capacity connections between compute locations, landing points and major digital hubs.

The challenge is that these environments are often planned and operated across different layers of infrastructure. FLAG’s role, he said, is to help connect those layers more effectively so that subsea, terrestrial and data centre connectivity can work together.

This would allow customers to manage performance, scale and resilience more consistently.

Route Diversity and Business Continuity

Route diversity is now closely connected to business continuity, Abfalter said. Subsea infrastructure can be affected by physical cable outages caused by natural events or accidental damage. International connectivity can also be disrupted by geopolitical developments.

However, no single route can completely remove these risks. For organisations that depend on always-on connectivity, disruption can affect their operations, customer experience and revenue.

The Chennai-Singapore route adds an east coast path between key connectivity hubs. According to Abfalter, this gives operators more options for restoring traffic when networks come under pressure.

Creating More Flexible India–US Paths

Abfalter also discussed how customers could use the Chennai–Singapore route alongside other international cable systems.

He said India-US connectivity increasingly depends on how multiple network segments are combined rather than on any one cable system in isolation. The Chennai-Singapore route integrates with FLAG’s broader network and can be combined with other international systems, including transpacific routes such as ECHO.

According to Abfalter, the result is a more flexible, multi-path architecture for customers designing India–US connectivity.

Trends Shaping Asian Connectivity

Over the next five years, international connectivity across Asia is expected to be shaped by increasingly distributed traffic, the growth of data-intensive applications and rising expectations around resilience.

Abfalter said these trends are changing how operators think about network capacity, routing and architecture across Asia.

At the same time, infrastructure planning must account for regulation, geopolitics, physical risks and the long timelines required to build international networks.

The result, he said, will be greater focus on route diversity, path optimisation, efficiency and sustained investment across subsea and terrestrial networks.

For FLAG, these developments place India at the centre of its long-term network strategy, supported by plans for further east coast and Mumbai–Singapore connectivity investments under its Vision 2030 roadmap.

Controversy Emerged Without Technical Verification

The controversy arose mainly from interpreting the written clause rather than from actual experience with Airtel’s service. The claims gained attention before the functionality was tested or the facts independently verified.

In practice, mobile hotspot functionality remained available. Regular users could continue sharing Airtel mobile data with personal devices such as laptops, tablets, and secondary smartphones.

Also Read: Bharti Airtel Gives Users More Choice With Its Range of Affordable Data Boosters

TelecomTalk also used Airtel’s mobile hotspot over an extended period while traveling, including at airports and on the road. During this time, the functionality remained available for connecting personal devices.

Clause Targeted Commercial Misuse

Bharti Airtel launched its unlimited 5G data offer in 2023 with certain terms and conditions governing the benefit.

One clause addressed sharing unlimited 5G data through mobile hotspots. The condition was mainly intended to prevent commercial misuse rather than restrict ordinary personal use.

Despite the presence of the clause, Airtel did not technically disable mobile hotspot functionality. Customers could activate the feature on their smartphones and connect personal devices as usual.

This distinction was overlooked during the controversy. A clause meant to protect an unlimited data offer from commercial misuse differs from a technical restriction preventing regular customers from using hotspots.

Airtel Removes the Clause

Airtel has since removed the specific hotspot clause from the terms governing its unlimited 5G data offer.

Regular customers could use mobile hotspots even when the clause was present. Its removal now removes the ambiguity that contributed to the earlier controversy.

ASUS Pad T3201 Launch Confirmed: Here’s Everything We Know So Far

The Asus Pad features a fiberglass finish on the rear, with a single camera in the top-left corner within a square module.

Starting with the display, the Asus Pad T3201 comes with a 12.2-inch OLED panel with a 3:2 aspect ratio, 2.8K resolution, and 144Hz refresh rate support.

The Asus Pad 2026 also offers 100% DCI-P3 support, a digital cinema standard needed for watching and shooting movies. With this, the Pad will offer 100% accurate RAW colors as originally shot.

The tablet also supports a Stylus pen.

Under the hood, we get a 4nm-2based MediaTek chip, the D8300 SoC, released back in 2023, which comes with a Mali G615 MP6 GPU.

Despite being an older chipset, the processor offers a decent Antutu score of 1600704. In Geekbench, it scored around 1375 for single-core and 4217 for multi-core, which is good for the price.

Coupled with this processor, the tablet offers up to 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, with the option to expand up to 1TB via a microSD card.

Also Read: ASUS Vivobook 14, Vivobook 15 with Intel Core 7 Series 3 Chips Launched in India

For connectivity, it offers Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. However, using an older processor, the Asus Pad T3201 lacks LTE and 5G support.

The Asus tablet has 4 speakers and Dolby Atmos 360-degree support. With a good display and audio setup, the Asus Pad 2026 is a solid choice for multimedia consumption.

On the back, we get a 13MP single camera, and on the front, a 5MP selfie shooter.

It has a 9,000mAh battery that supports fast 45W charging, promising 0 to 50% charge in 30 minutes.

Asus is including a Protective Folio case in the box, offering four modes for placing your Asus Pad. It comes in a slim 6.55mm lightweight body weighing around 523g.

On the software side, the Asus Pad T3201 runs the latest Android 16 out of the box. It offers features like Circle to Search and Asus’s GlideX file-sharing app, enabling seamless data sharing across Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS via USB or Wi-Fi.

Asus has not yet confirmed the software update policy for the Asus Pad T3201.

ASUS Pad T3201 – Price and Availability

The Asus Pad T3201 will launch on August 6, 2026, and will be sold in two memory configurations: 128GB and 256GB.

Asus has kept pricing under wraps. We may get an update in the coming weeks.

Opinion: Is ASUS Pad T3201 Worth Waiting for?

Asus Pad T3201 offers solid specifications. Asus is marketing it as the next productivity king, posing strong competition to the recently launched Moto Pad 70 Pro and OnePlus Pad 4.

However, the tablet offers solid multimedia specs, with a larger OLED panel and support for the Dolby Atmos 360-degree audio system.

Are you excited for the upcoming Asus Pad 2026?

Jio’s subscriber base grew 7.1 percent from 498.1 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year to 524.4 million. The company ended Q4 FY26 with 524.4 million subscribers.

Monthly subscriber churn improved to 1.6 percent during the quarter.

Jio ARPU Increases to Rs 215.6

Jio’s ARPU rose 3.3 percent year-on-year from Rs 208.8 in Q1 FY26 to Rs 215.6 in Q1 FY27. Sequentially, ARPU increased from Rs 214 in the March 2026 quarter.

Reliance attributed the ARPU improvement to a better subscriber mix and positive seasonality. It said promotional schemes for fixed broadband customers partly affected ARPU during the quarter.

Jio Platforms reported gross revenue of Rs 45,961 crore in Q1 FY27, up 12 percent year-on-year. Revenue from operations rose 11.8 percent to Rs 39,173 crore, compared with Rs 35,032 crore in Q1 FY26.

The company said operating revenue growth was driven by subscriber market share gains, organic ARPU growth, and the scaling up of digital services.

Also Read: Pankaj Pawar’s Elevation Brings an Operations-First Leader to Jio Platforms

Data Traffic Reaches 69.4 Billion GB

Total data traffic on Jio’s network rose 26.9 percent year-on-year to 69.4 billion GB during the quarter. It was 54.7 billion GB in Q1 FY26 and 66 billion GB in the preceding quarter.

Average data consumption reached 43.7GB per subscriber per month in Q1 FY27. Voice traffic stood at 1.52 trillion minutes, compared with 1.49 trillion minutes in the corresponding quarter last year and 1.54 trillion minutes in Q4 FY26.

Jio’s 5G subscriber base reached about 285 million as of June 2026. The company added 73 million 5G subscribers in the last 12 months and said traffic on its 5G network was about 1.5 times the data traffic recorded on its 4G network.

Fixed Broadband Base Reaches 28.6 Million

Jio’s total fixed broadband subscriber base reached 28.6 million at the end of June 2026. The company added about 8.6 million fixed broadband subscribers in the preceding 12 months and said it held a market share of more than 43 percent.

JioAirFiber accounted for more than 75 percent of Jio’s fixed broadband net additions during this period. Its subscriber base has crossed 14 million.

Reliance said the momentum in fixed broadband was supported by Jio’s proprietary fixed wireless technology stack, which helped sustain growth.

Jio Platforms Reports Record EBITDA

Jio Platforms reported EBITDA of Rs 20,865 crore for Q1 FY27, up 15.1 percent from Rs 18,135 crore in the year-ago quarter. Its EBITDA margin expanded 150 basis points year-on-year to a record 53.3 percent.

Profit after tax rose 9.2 percent year-on-year to Rs 7,764 crore, compared with Rs 7,110 crore in Q1 FY26. However, it was lower than the Rs 7,935 crore reported in Q4 FY26.

Finance costs rose 41.6 percent year-on-year to Rs 2,980 crore, while depreciation increased 15.1 percent to Rs 7,458 crore. Reliance said EBITDA growth was partly offset by higher finance costs and depreciation charges linked to the capitalization of 5G assets.

Digital services revenue rose 20 percent year-on-year, driven by content, cloud compute, Internet of Things, and managed services. Connectivity revenue grew 11 percent over the same period.

Reliance said Jio’s performance during the quarter reflected continued growth across mobility, home broadband and enterprise services, underscoring the breadth of its business.

What I find worth examining is not motive but pattern. When these same companies need access to data, creative works, software libraries, or the accumulated output of the institutions that built the knowledge economy, the argument is openness open source, the public benefit of broad access, the necessity of training on existing knowledge to produce tools that serve everyone. These are serious arguments and I don’t think they are made in bad faith. But it is hard to miss that the position on openness correlates closely with which side of a transaction a company happens to occupy. When consuming a shared resource, openness is the principle. When controlling a scarce one, scale is the justification. That correlation may be entirely unconscious. It is still a correlation.

Also Read: Notes From the Base Layer

The internet is the clearest case of a shared resource that made large businesses possible. The protocols, the shared addressing infrastructure, the peering model, the open standards that let incompatible systems talk across networks — none of it originated with the companies now acquiring the physical layer beneath it. That is not an accusation; building on open foundations is exactly what open foundations are for. It is simply worth noticing that the capital those businesses generated is now being used to acquire infrastructure that the original model treated as a shared commercial resource.

I operate a backbone network — long-haul fibre, DWDM, the foundational layer the AI ecosystem runs on. What I can report from that position is narrow but firsthand the largest players in the AI ecosystem are engaging with commercial infrastructure operators far less than they once did. They are building their own stack. Long-haul fibre, data centre capacity, power interconnection, peering — the entire infrastructure the commercial internet runs on is being replicated privately, at a scale only a handful of companies in the world can finance. The interconnection requests that would once have reached independent backbone operators now go to internal procurement teams instead. On the supply side, the lead times we and our peers are quoted have moved in ways consistent with very large direct orders upstream; I can’t audit anyone’s order book, but the effect on the rest of the market is real enough to plan around. That is what vertical integration at this scale looks like from the outside.

The distributed model that produced the internet as it exists was not the result of altruism. It was the result of a market structure in which no single player had the capital or the incentive to build everything alone. That constraint produced an ecosystem. The constraint no longer applies in the same way to the largest players in the current cycle, and the infrastructure choices they are making reflect that. It would be strange if they didn’t.

Also Read: The Pipe Doesn’t Know What’s Flowing Through It: Understanding the Role of Internet Infrastructure

What the financial narrative around vertical integration consistently underweights is resilience. A distributed ecosystem — where traffic can route across multiple independent operators, where no single company controls the full stack from power to peering — is structurally more robust than a privately owned parallel network. The commercial internet has absorbed cable cuts, facility failures, routing incidents, and geopolitical disruptions because the architecture distributed risk across hundreds of independent operators with no single point of failure. A privately built stack, however well engineered, concentrates that risk. This is not a claim about anyone’s engineering standards, which are generally excellent, or anyone’s foresight. It is a claim about incentives: a vertically integrated operator is rewarded for optimising its own stack under normal conditions. Nobody is paid to think about systemic resilience unless they are responsible for more than their own infrastructure.

The independent commercial infrastructure layer is not a legacy to be replaced. It is a hedge. The diversity of operators, routing paths, and physical infrastructure that the commercial ecosystem maintains is precisely what makes the network function reliably at global scale under conditions no single operator can fully anticipate or control. That argument does not appear in the earnings calls of the companies building private stacks, and there is no reason it would — it isn’t their argument to make. It is ours. I am aware that I have an interest in making it, and I’d rather say so than pretend otherwise. The argument stands or falls on whether it’s true, and I think it’s true.

Whether the regulatory frameworks governing infrastructure competition develop quickly enough to shape what emerges is an open question, and not one I’m qualified to answer. The questions being asked now about AI market structure are the right ones. What the infrastructure layer can offer is a reasonably clear view of the direction of travel, and that view suggests the window for those questions is narrower than the pace of the current buildout makes it appear.

According to the operator’s official terms and conditions, the 1GB benefit remains valid only until 11:59 PM on the day it is activated. Any unused data expires after that and is not carried forward.

Also Read: Vodafone Idea Offers this Home Broadband Plan with OTT Benefits

How Vi InstaData Works

InstaData is available to selected prepaid customers with an active and eligible unlimited daily-data pack customers can activate the service through designated channels, including the *111# USSD code or another channel communicated by Vi.

The service is activated only after the customer provides consent Vodafone idea says two days from the existing pack’s validity will be deducted instantly upon activation no money is deducted from the customer’s prepaid balance. The existing pack and its other benefits continue, but with a revised validity period.

The Additional Data Expires the Same Day

The 1GB benefit does not carry a rolling 24-hour validity it expires at 11:59 PM on the activation day, irrespective of the time at which it is claimed as a result, the practical usage window can vary. A customer activating InstaData early in the day would have more time to consume the additional allowance. Someone activating it late in the evening could have only a few hours before the data expires.

Vodafone Idea says unused InstaData benefits will lapse after expiry and will not be carried forward. The benefit is also non-transferable, non-refundable and cannot be exchanged for cash or another benefit.

Therefore, customers may need to compare the value of two remaining plan days against purchasing a conventional data add-on, particularly if they are considering activating InstaData close to midnight.

Eligibility Is Limited to Selected Customers

InstaData is not available with every Vodafone Idea prepaid pack customers must have an active eligible unlimited daily-data pack with at least five days of remaining pack and service validity their remaining daily-data balance must also be below 10MB. The service is not available on unlimited voice-only packs or Vi NonStop Hero plans.

Vodafone Idea says eligibility may differ depending on the customer’s telecom circle, pack type, recharge history or profile. Customers must also satisfy internal eligibility criteria determined by the operator from time to time.

Consequently, two customers using similar prepaid plans may not necessarily be shown the InstaData option at the same time.

Can InstaData Be Used More Than Once?

Eligible customers can use InstaData multiple times, subject to a maximum of once per day every activation remains dependent on the customer having sufficient pack validity and continuing to meet Vi’s eligibility, fair-usage and system checks.

Since every successful activation deducts two validity days, repeated usage can further shorten the existing pack’s remaining duration. Vi also reserves the right to restrict or discontinue repeated use of the service at its sole discretion.

An Alternative to a Data Recharge

InstaData effectively allows a customer to obtain emergency data by exchanging plan validity instead of completing another recharge. It could be useful when a user requires immediate connectivity for digital payments, navigation, communication or another time-sensitive activity.

However, the additional 1GB should not be interpreted as entirely free although there is no monetary-balance deduction, the customer gives up two days from an already active prepaid pack.

The value of the exchange will depend on the original plan, its remaining validity, the time of InstaData activation and how urgently the customer requires the additional data.

Also Read: Jio vs Vodafone Idea Cheapest Postpaid Mobile Plan

The service is available across Vi’s telecom circles in India, except Jammu and Kashmir customers consumers considering InstaData should check their existing plan’s expiry date and the remaining time before midnight before confirming the exchange. The service provides 1GB without an immediate payment, but the trade-off is an instant reduction of two days from the active pack’s validity.

Lava Virat V1 5G India Specifications

Lava Virat V1 5G will come with 5G support, as the name suggests. The processor inside the phone will be Unisoc T8200, and it is said to feature a 6.75-inch HD+ display, with support for 120Hz refresh rate. The battery capacity of the phone will be 6000mAh. It will pair up to 4GB of RAM, expandable to 8GB with virtual RAM expansion feature.

There will be a dual-rear camera setup on the phone, and will feature a 13MP sensor and a 5MP selfie sensor. The device has IP64 rating and it will come in two colour options – Arya Blue and Sonar Gold. Lava has also confirmed that the company will offer free service at home program with both the Lava Virat V1 5G, and 4G variants. The after-sales service support will be available for customers across India. The launch is just a few days from here, and we will get to know about the price and more features in depth on that particular day. Lava is expected to price these phones under Rs 10,000 to really make a meaningful impact. To stay updated with the pricing, keep reading TelecomTalk.

This just goes to show that the strategy did not work out. Despite coming out with compeitive devices, at aggressive pricing, the brand could not generate the excitement amongst consumers it had hoped. While this does not mean the brand is completely shutting down, it means that these markets will no more receive the new launches from OnePlus.

India is now the focus for OnePlus, apart from its home country China. India has received new devices in the N6 5G series. One device, the N6 5G has already come, and the other one, N6x 5G is slated to launch soon. The brand has been losing market share to competitors. If it does not perform well in India, we believe India exit would also be in order for the company.

The figures suggest that over the years, OnePlus has continously lost market share. The brand has tried almost everything. Now, to save costs and show signs of growth, OnePlus has also decided that it will adopt ColorOS. We don’t know if OxygenOS will ever come back in the future. But now, with Android 17, you will see ColorOS that is used on OPPO phones running on OnePlus devices as well. Stay tuned to TelecomTalk for more info.

Mobile Phones: JioBharat Series Leads Affordable Portfolio

JioBharat V3:

Reliance Jio’s feature phone lineup starts at Rs 799 with the newly launched JioBharat V3, which has been discounted by 60 percent from its original price of Rs 1,999.

JioBharat V4:

The JioBharat V4 is available at Rs 899, down from Rs 1,999, offering a 55 percent discount. The phone features a 1.8-inch display and a 1,000mAh battery.

JioBharat B2:

The JioBharat B2 is priced at Rs 1,399, compared with an earlier price of Rs 2,599, representing a 46 percent discount. It comes with a 2.4-inch display and a 2,000mAh battery.

JioBharat J1:

The JioBharat J1 is available for Rs 1,799, reduced from Rs 2,999, translating into a 40 percent discount.

JioPhone Prima 2:

Among Jio’s premium feature phones, the newly launched JioPhone Prima 2 is listed at Rs 2,799, down from Rs 4,199, reflecting a 33 percent discount.

JioTags and Smart Tracking Devices

JioTag Go and JioTag Air:

Jio continues to expand its smart tracking portfolio with JioTag Go and JioTag Air, both priced at Rs 1,499, down from Rs 2,999, offering 50 percent savings. While JioTag Go supports Android’s Find My Device, JioTag Air is compatible with Apple Find My.

JioFind:

The newly launched JioFind is priced at Rs 1,499, reduced from Rs 4,999, marking the highest discount of 70 percent among Jio’s smart devices.

JioFind Pro:

The newly launched JioFind Pro is available for Rs 2,499, down from Rs 5,999, representing a 58 percent discount.

Connected Mobility and Smart Devices

JioMotive:

The JioMotive connected vehicle solution is priced at Rs 5,499, compared with its original price of Rs 11,999, offering a 54 percent discount. JioMotive is a small electronic device that plugs into your car’s OBD-II port, allowing you to access information about your vehicle’s health, real-time location, and more.

JioEyeQ Dashcam

The JioEyeQ Dashcam is available for Rs 3,499, down from Rs 7,999, reflecting 56 percent savings.

JioDive:

Meanwhile, the JioDive mixed reality headset is priced at Rs 1,399, reduced from Rs 2,499, representing a 44 percent discount and is currently marked as Trending.

JioBook Laptop and JioFi Hotspot

JioBook:

The all-new JioBook laptop is available for Rs 12,999, significantly lower than its original price of Rs 25,000, translating into a 48 percent discount. The device is also highlighted as Trending on the company’s website.

JioFi M2S:

The JioFi M2S portable hotspot is listed at Rs 2,800, down from Rs 4,499, offering a 38 percent discount. Buyers are also eligible for a Rs 1,500 cashback offer, according to the listing.

Accessories

Reliance Jio has also discounted a range of replacement accessories.

JioPhone Charger:

The JioPhone charger is priced at Rs 99, reduced from Rs 199 (50 percent off).

JioPhone Battery:

The JioPhone battery and JioPhone F-320B battery are both available at Rs 199, down from Rs 299 (33 percent discount each).

JioPhone Next Battery and Charger:

For JioPhone Next users, the battery is priced at Rs 590, compared with Rs 690 earlier (14 percent discount), while the charger is available at Rs 240, down from Rs 340 (29 percent discount).

JioFi Batteries:

Jio also offers replacement batteries for multiple generations of its JioFi portable hotspot devices.

The battery for JioFi models JMR1040 and JMR815 is priced at Rs 449, down from Rs 549, representing an 18 percent discount. Similarly, the battery compatible with JioFi models JMR520, JMR540 and JMR1140 is available at Rs 448, reduced from Rs 549, also offering 18 percent savings. The replacement battery for JioFi M2 and JioFi M2S is priced at Rs 449, compared with an earlier price of Rs 549, translating into an 18 percent discount.

Product Portfolio

Reliance Jio says its portfolio of phones, laptops, connected devices and accessories is designed to support communication, entertainment and productivity.

“Always connected, always mobile. From calls to streaming, work to play, Jio phones, laptops, and accessories keep you seamlessly connected wherever you are,” Jio says in the Devices section of its website.

The prices and offers are based on listings available on the company’s website as of July 17, 2026.

Also in the Similar Jio Series:

Jio Renames JioBharat Phone Plans as 4G Feature Phone Plans; Removes JioPhone Plans

Itel 4G Feature Phone Users Now Eligible for Jio’s Rs 123 4G Feature Phone Plan

Jio Renames JioBharat Phone Plans as 4G Feature Phone Plans; Removes JioPhone Plan

How Jio’s 4G Feature Phones, the TV-Waala Phones, Changed the Way India Watches TV

Jio JioBharat Series: Models and Pricing Updates for October 2024

Reliance Jio Launches JioTag Go with Support for Android

Reliance Jio Launches New JioTag Air: Everything You Need to Know

JioTag: Every Feature and Details You Should Know

Kinetic Green Partners with JioThings for Smart Features

Jio Smart EV Charger JioEV Aries Gets Listed on Amazon

JioBook 11 Limited Period Offer Launched on Amazon

Jio Launches JioBharat B1 Series Phone

ASUS Pad T3201 India Launch Date

ASUS Pad T3201 is confirmed to launch in India on August 6, 2026. The launch will take place at 12 PM. This new ASUS tablet is expected to be priced around Rs 40,000 in India. Let’s now take a look at the confirmed specifications of the tablet.

ASUS Pad T3201 India Specifications (Confirmed)

ASUS Pad T3201 is expected to come with a 12.2-inch 2.8K resolution display with dual-layer OLED panel with 3:2 aspect ratio, 144Hz refresh rate, 600nits typical and 2000nits peak brightness. It will support ASUS Pen 2.0 and above stylus models. The tablet will be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 SoC, coupled with up to 8GB of LPDDR5x and 256GB of UFS 3.1 internal storage. It will also feature a microSD card slot with up to 1TB storage expansion.

There will be four speakers with Dolby Atmos 360-degree cinematic sound. For rear camera, there is a 13MP sensor, and for selfies, there is a 5MP sensor. The weight of the tablet is 523 grams and it will run on Android 16. The ASUS Pad T3201 will feature a 9000mAh battery with support for 45W fast-charging. There is also a protective case with support for four versatile modes packed inside the box.

The ASUS Pad T3201 pricing is only left to be announced. The pricing of the tablet will be revealed upon the launch of the tablet. Stay tuned to TelecomTalk.

Tecno Camon 50 Ultra 5G Price in India

Tecno Camon 50 Ultra 5G has launched in a single memory variant in India. It has been priced at Rs 39,999. There is also a launch coupon available for the users for Rs 3,000. This would lower the price of the phone to Rs 36,999. The device will go on sale in India on July 21, 2026. It will be sold via Amazon India and be available in three colours – Cypress Green, Misty Purple, and Nebula Titanium.

Tecno Camon 50 Ultra 5G Specifications in India

Tecno Camon 50 Ultra 5G has a 6.78-inch 1.5K ProXDR Curved AMOLED display with support for up to 144Hz refresh rate, Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protection, and 2800Hz touch sampling rate. There are several IP ratings including IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K ratings for dust and water resistance.

The phone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Ultimate chipset, built on the 4nm process. Teh Tecno Camon 50 Ultra 5G packs a 6500mAh battery with 45W wired fast-charging. The device has a triple-camera setup at the rear with a 50MP main shooter, a 50MP telephoto shooter, and an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor. For selfies and video calling, there is a 50MP sensor at the front.

This phone will soon be available for the users to purchase soon. This will be mostly an online exclusive smartphone from the brand. Stay tuned to TelecomTalk for more updates around the new devices.

OnePlus India Confirms the Change

OnePlus India wrote on the community forum that the ColorOS 17, based on Android 17, will later come to OnePlus phones. Users will have the option to upgrade and use the new software. ColorOS already runs in India on OPPO phones. Apart from this, even Realme is expected to be running ColorOS in the coming months.

With respect to winding down operations in US, Canada, and Europe, OnePlus said that it was not an easy call to make. OnePlus customers in the region will continue to get the software updates as promised, warranty coverage, and after sales support. The customer service channels are also expected to remain operational.

There were already reports that OnePlus is shutting down in these regions. In addition to this, OnePlus is reportedly going to be shutting down operations in India in 2027. This development comes amid the new product launches that have been announced and planned in the country. OnePlus is soon going to launch the OnePlus N6x in India. The company has already teased the launch of this new product. Apart from that, OnePlus also introduced the OnePlus N6 5G recently in India. It is getting the OnePlus experience at an even smaller price point. Stay tuned to TelecomTalk for more updates around this.

IN-SPACe, ISRO and DoT Complete Technical Evaluation

The technical evaluation was carried out jointly by IN-SPACe, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) wing of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Following the assessment, the government can extend regulatory support to Reliance Jio for securing orbital slots and facilitating filings with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The company had sought government assistance in obtaining orbital rights through international coordination, according to the report.

The project is expected to pave the way for India’s first indigenous non-geostationary (NGSO) LEO satellite constellation, a capability considered critical for national security and strategic defence. While the global LEO market is dominated by Starlink with over 10,000 satellites, growing geopolitical tensions are prompting countries to reduce dependence on foreign satellite operators.

Jio Plans India’s Largest LEO Satellite Capacity

According to officials familiar with the proposal, Jio has planned the country’s largest satellite capacity to date, with a proposed throughput of 4.5-5 terabits per second (Tbps) over India. By comparison, Starlink has approval for 600 gigabits per second (Gbps), while Amazon’s planned LEO network proposes 3 Tbps capacity but is yet to receive IN-SPACe authorisation.

“The kind of capacity planned by Jio is the highest so far for India,” a person aware of the discussions was quoted as saying. “The company has proposed to offer 4.5-5 terabit per second (Tbps) throughput over India.”

Network to Offer Broadband, Backhaul and Direct-to-Device Services

An official said the proposed orbital configuration and architecture would also allow coexistence with another Indian satellite constellation in the future. Jio plans to offer fixed satellite services, including broadband and cellular backhaul, as well as mobile satellite services such as direct-to-device connectivity. The proposal also includes establishing 20-22 ground stations across the country.

“The orbital parameters, configuration and architecture of the Jio constellation allows coexistence with another Indian constellation in future,” another person was quoted as saying.

Boost for India’s Space and Defence Capabilities

In its assessment, IN-SPACe is understood to have highlighted the proposal’s strategic significance, including its potential to strengthen defence capabilities and reduce reliance on overseas satellite providers. The regulator is of the view that regulatory and other policy support should be offered to the company so that India can get its first homegrown, non-geostationary (NGSO) constellation.

Separately, senior government officials have reportedly initiated preliminary discussions on the possibility of hosting defence payloads on a section of the proposed LEO satellites.

Also in the Jio 2026 Series:

Jio Plans Indigenous LEO Satellite Constellation to Offer Broadband, Direct-to-Device Services

Reliance Plans Major Foray Into LEO Satellite Space With Billions in Investment

SES Awaits Regulatory Nod to Launch Jio-Backed Satellite Broadband Services in India

DoT Grants Extension to OneWeb, Jio-SES JV for Provisional Satellite Spectrum

India Tightens Security Norms for Satellite Communication Services

Jio Demonstrates Satellite-Based Gigabit Fiber Service, JioSpaceFiber at IMC2023

After Airtel, Reliance Jio Partners with SpaceX to Bring Starlink Internet to India