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Mate X availability in India will depend on 5G network: Huawei (Lead)
By V.S. Chandrasekar
Barcelona, Feb 25 (IANS) Dashing hopes of Indian consumers willing to acquire the just-released foldable phone from Huawei any time soon, the company says it is not planning to bring a 4G version of the Mate X shortly and that its availability will depend on the 5G network in the country.
Although India is targeting 2020 for 5G roll-out, the country is yet to allocate 5G spectrum to operators even for 5G trial of use cases.
Expensive at 2,299 euros (about Rs 1,85,000), the foldable Mate X is a 5G phone and as the US has been raising security concerns over use of Huawei 5G equipment, the European market could be the first to see the release of the phone.
Huawei showcased the foldable phone at Mobile World Congress (MWC), Barcelona, on Sunday, but did not allow the visiting journalists to touch the device.
“We expect to start shipping the device form the middle of this year through the carrier channel. Making the device available in the open market may take some time,” Kevin Ho, President of the Handset Business, Huawei Consumer Business Group, told IANS here.
Replying to a question about producing foldable phone for the 4G network, he said that although the company was not focusing on bringing a 4G to suit markets like India, it could consider such a proposal at a later stage.
Powered by the company’s Kirin 980 processor, the Huawei Mate X comes with a 6.6-inch dual display panel and offers a FullView display.
It houses massive 4,500 mAH dual battery and several industry-first features, including a new superfast charging capability that can reach 85 per cent battery in just 30 minutes.
The phone features a flexible OLED panel and a falcon wing mechanical hinge.
“Creating the foldable phone’s hinge is the most challenging part for our engineers,” Ho said. “We had to design the hinge to avoid layers like formation that one gets when one folds a book or a notebook. This was a big challenge and they had to use a sophisticated technology,” he added.
While Ho asserted that the phone was ready for mass production, he acknowledged that the company was still doing several tests and was also in talks with app developers so that apps can be optimised for a foldable device.
The 8GB + 512 GB phone, which can be easily unfolded at the click of a button, now has only one colour, Interstellar Blue, and comes with a full protection case. Huawei said it might introduce new colours for the device at a later stage.
When unfolded, the 6.6-inch dual display panel transforms into an 8-inch tablet only 5.4mm thick.
While unveiling the device on Sunday at a packed hall here, Huawei Consumer Business Group CEO Richard Yu claimed that the phone offers best selfie camera. But the company did not reveal the camera specifications.
“The phone will provide users more privacy and security protection,” he said.
“Today, many carriers are using NSA (non-standalone) architecture, working together with 4G. But the future of 5G is SA (standalone) architecture.
“Mate X is the only phone now with the capability to work in both the architecture. So this phone is not only for today, but also for future 5G,” Yu noted.
Ho parried questions on security concerns raised by countries like the US which accuse Huawei of passing on data to the Chinese government.
“We don’t want to talk about it today. We want to focus on technology and our new products today,” he said.
(V.S. Chandrasekar can be reached at [email protected])
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.