Here are some great alternatives to the 59 banned Chinese apps in India

After the Indian government’s interim order to disallow the use of 59 mobile apps with Chinese origin, Google Play Store and Apple App Store has de-listed TikTok in India along with some of the other apps in the list. The government finds all these apps “engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order.” Having said that, most apps from the list are still available on both the app stores at the time of writing. 

Nevertheless, if you want to stop using these apps and are looking to replace these popular mobile apps of Chinese origin, here are the top 10 alternatives to the banned mobile apps.

Alternatives to TikTok, Helo, Bigo Live, Vigo Video, Vmate, U Video, Viva Video, Likee and Kwai

TikTok and other short video platforms are part of the list of 59 apps banned in India. You can choose Dubsmash, Roposo, Chingari and more such apps available both on Play Store and Apple App Store. 

Alternatives to Shareit and Xender

Shareit and Xender are two popular file transfer apps that are part of the apps that have been prohibited for use in India. Users have the option to download Google Files, ShareAll and more for transferring files between devices. 

Alternatives to UC Browser, CM Browser, APUS Browser and DU Browser

Popular mobile browsers such as UC Browser have been banned and instead, you can switch to other popular and secure browsers like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox Browser, Opera and more.

Alternatives to Camscanner

Camscanner is a popular document scanning app for smartphones but with its ban in India, you can now look at using Adobe Scan and Microsoft Office Lens which are equally good, if not better.

Alternatives to UC News, Newsdog and QQ Newsfeed

News curating apps such as UC News has been banned in India and so alternate options include Google News, Apple News or dedicated apps of various news publications.

Alternatives to ES File Explorer

A popular file manager, ES File Explorer is among the list of 59 apps being banned in India. You can download Files by Google, Solid Explorer File Manager and more such apps.

Alternatives to Club Factory, Shein and ROMWE 

Popular shopping apps like Club Factory are now banned for use in India. Users can instead install and shop from Amazon India, Myntra, Flipkart and more such e-commerce platforms.

Alternatives to Baidu Map and Baidu Translate

You can install and use alternative apps like Google Maps, Google Translate, Apple Maps and more.

 

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Its officially called OnePlus Nord

OnePlus Nord has officially been confirmed as the name of the company’s upcoming affordable smartphone. The phone has earlier been referred to as the OnePlus Z, OnePlus 8 Lite and more recently, OnePlus Lite. However, putting all rumours and guesses to rest, OnePlus has revealed that its affordable smartphone is called OnePlus Nord.

In the first part of the documentary released by OnePlus, the company gives its fans an overview of what went into making an affordable phone in a matter of six months that will be priced below $500. The phone was previously expected to be unveiled along with the OnePlus 8 series that launched on March 15, however, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the launch was postponed to a later date. It’s now speculated that the OnePlus Nord will be launched on July 10.

The second part of the documentary is scheduled to release on July 7 where the company is expected to reveal more details about the launch of the OnePlus Nord. OnePlus Nord will also go up for pre-orders for 100 units on July 1 from 1:30 PM IST. OnePlus also has a dedicated section for the OnePlus Nord on its website and the Amazon India page for pre-orders has also gone live. On Amazon, users will have to click on "Notify me" to stay updated about the pre-order that is set to go live tomorrow.

OnePlus Nord leaked specifications

OnePlus Nord is rumoured to feature a 6.55-inch Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) AMOLED screen with a 90Hz high-refresh-rate. The leaks have indicated that the phone could have a dual punch-hole cutout in the corner for the selfie camera. 

The phone will reportedly be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset with an octa-core processor and Adreno 620 GPU. This is paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage and there could be more variants as well. 

The OnePlus Nord could come with a triple camera setup on the back that consists of a primary 64MP camera, a 16MP ultra-wide-camera and a 2MP macro lens. On the front, there is a 32MP primary camera supported by an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera for selfies. 

It is rumoured to be fitted with a 4,300mAh battery with support for 30W fast charging out-of-the-box. Carl Pei even suggested the phone could be priced as much as the original OnePlus One, which launched at around Rs 22,000. We’ll keep an eye out for the official launch that is rumoured to be tentatively scheduled for July 10.

 

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TikTok banned in India: Heres what TikTokers have to say about the ban

We won’t be hearing about TikTok for a while now. The viral video sharing app has been banned by the Indian Government along with 58 other apps originating out of China, and this one’s not a hoax. The order came straight The Ministry of Information Technology, invoking the power under section 69A of the IT Act 2009, based on “information available they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.”

The appendix lists out popular apps like UC Browser, Shareit, Helo, Likee, WeChat, ES File Explorer and a bunch of utility and community apps, including that of Xiaomi.

Among the 59 apps, TikTok is certainly the largest, and would probably be missed a lot. Based on stats provided by Apptrace, it’s presently ranked fourth in India on the Google Play Store and ranked sixth on the App Store. And the viral short video platform boasts a whopping 119 million active users in India alone!

Popular sentiments nonetheless, TikTok had become a viral phenomenon among teenagers and young adults who participate in lip-syncing songs, comedic skits and viral challenges, which gets consumed and shared millions of times. Even if you are not on TikTok, chances are, you hear about the app or the ‘TikTokers’ every few days.

The app has now been taken down from the Google Playstore and the Apple Appstore. Considering the influential platform it had become, banning the app would certainly have an impact on these creators, and the popularity and following they command. Digit.in spoke to two popular tech TikTokers to find out how they feel about the ban —

Aarish Khan, 19. A.K.Technical Point 1.7 million followers on TikTok

The conversation happened in Hindi. We have translated it to English.

Do you think it was right for the Government to ban TikTok?

I’ve been on TikTok for 2 years now and gained a lot of followers. Earlier, I used to spend more than two hours a day scrolling on the app and it’s very addictive. But I don’t think it should be banned. Instead, TikTok should work at removing hateful content from the platform.

How will you reach out to your audience?

I have asked my followers to start following me on Instagram, as I think that’s the only other platform where I can upload my videos. I also had a good 2.7 million following on Likee (another social media app banned among the 59 apps). There are Indian apps also that are like TikTok, but I don’t think they are as good. I have also heard YouTube is working on a short video platform. I might join that.

Vijay Karthikeyan, 36 Techboss India 233k followers on TikTok

Do you think TikTok is a bad influence?

Yes. TikTok is certainly very addictive. They have a simple user interface anyone can use and you can end up spending a lot of time browsing it. While I do have a lot of followers, I support the Indian government’s move to ban TikTok and other Chinese apps because they are posing a threat to our national security by stealing our data.

Are you thinking of joining other short video platforms?

Right now, I will focus more on YouTube. That’s where most of my audience comes from. I have also heard of a bunch of Indian apps that are like TikTok but for now, I will sit and observe what happens and then decide if I want to join another platform.

Was it right to ban TikTok in India?

TikTok, like any other social network, may feel addictive to young users, but the app is also designed in a way that incentivises you to keep scrolling and engaging. Speaking to a counselling psychologist who works with children in India, we learnt teenagers sometimes spend more than 5-6 hours getting a TikTok video right.

“I absolutely support the ban of TikTok. And I’m happy yesterday itself it was declared banned in India, but it should be all around the world too. People need to understand the side effects of it, “ said Saleha Bootwala, a counselling psychologist based out of Pune.

However, TikTok is only considering this an interim ban and has complied with it by taking down the apps from the app stores. TikTok India has been invited to meet with concerned government stakeholders for an opportunity to respond and submit clarifications. It's also not the first time the app was banned. Previously, the Madras High Court had asked the app to be removed citing pornographic content, but that ban was soon lifted. The present order is far more sweeping and includes a lot more apps, and came at a time when nationalistic sentiments are at an all-time high. 

“TikTok has democratized the internet by making it available in 14 Indian languages, with hundreds of millions of users, artists, storytellers, educators and performers depending on it for their livelihood, many of whom are first-time internet users,"  said Nikhil Gandhi, Head of TikTok, India

The company said in a statement that it continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and have not shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese Government.

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OnePlus announces 100 pre-orders for its affordable phone on July 1

OnePlus Nord a.k.a the OnePlus Lite / OnePlus Z will be up for pre-orders starting July 1, the company has announced. The much-anticipated affordable OnePlus smartphone hasn’t been announced yet and it's not confirmed what it will be called at launch. However, the company is opening up 100 pre-orders for the phone, indicating that we’re close to an official launch. Interestingly, OnePlus is hosting an event on July 2 where it is expected to launch three new TVs.

The new Instagram account OnePlus created for its affordable smartphone has posted a story which says “24 hours until we’re open for business - for at least a couple of seconds. 100 pre-orders coming up”, concluding with a phone emoji. The company has been generating a lot of hype for its affordable phone which marks OnePlus’ re-entry into the affordable segment. 

How to pre-order OnePlus Nord?

OnePlus will go live with 100 pre-orders for its upcoming affordable phone dubbed OnePlus Nord on July 1 from 1:30 PM IST. Currently, it’s not known whether the pre-orders will go live on the OnePlus India store or Amazon India, but we’ll update this post as and when we receive new updates.

OnePlus Nord leaked specifications

OnePlus has earlier accidentally indicated that the affordable phone could be called OnePlus Nord after the name was spotted in a now-deleted picture on Instagram. Nevertheless, here’s everything we know about the affordable OnePlus.

OnePlus Nord is rumoured to feature a 6.55-inch Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) AMOLED screen with a 90Hz high-refresh-rate. The leaks have indicated that the phone could have a dual punch-hole cutout in the corner for the selfie camera. 

The phone will reportedly be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset with an octa-core processor and Adreno 620 GPU. This is paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage and there could be more variants as well. 

The OnePlus Nord could come with a triple camera setup on the back that consists of a primary 64MP camera, a 16MP ultra-wide-camera and a 2MP macro lens. On the front, there is a 32MP primary camera supported by an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera for selfies. 

It is rumoured to be fitted with a 4,300mAh battery with support for 30W fast charging out-of-the-box. Carl Pei even suggested the phone could be priced as much as the original OnePlus One, which launched at around Rs 22,000. We’ll keep an eye out for the official launch that is rumoured to be tentatively scheduled for July 10.

 

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ACT Fibernet upgrades customers in Delhi with higher speed, more data cap

If you are an ACT broadband customer, then there is good news for you. ACT has upgraded the speed and data of some of its plans in Delhi. Under the existing plans, the ACT Platinum Promo plan has been upgraded to 150 Mbps speed with 1000 GB FUP and ACT Diamond plan has been upgraded to 300 Mbps Speeds with 1500 GB FUP. The price of the plans remains the same. The ACT Platinum Promo plan is priced at Rs 1049 whereas the ACT Diamond plan is priced at Rs 1349. Let’s break down the changes to these 2 plans.

ACT Platinum Promo plan and ACT Diamond plan details

Starting with the ACT Platinum Promo plan, the price of the plan is the same for new and existing customers - Rs 1049. The data cap is still the same at 1000GB after which the speed drops to 1Mbps. During the FUP usage, however, speed for customers has been increased from 150 Mbps to 200 Mbps. 

Moving over to the ACT Diaomind plan, the speed for users has increased from 150 Mbps to 300 Mbps and the data cap has also increased from 1250GB to 1500GB. The price of the plan is still the same at Rs 1349. After the FUP is reached, the speed drops to 2 Mbps.

“As part of our brand promise of Feel the advantage we believe in bringing the best experiences to our customers and as a step to further enhance our customer experience, we have upgraded plans with higher speeds / increased FUP limits. In these times where customers are connected to the internet from their home, our high-speed plans will enable superior internet experience, especially around work from home, streaming, gaming and e-learning”. 

If ACT isn’t available in your area and you are looking for a broadband plan with unlimited internet, then you can check out our list of best broadband plans with unlimited data here. If 4G is your preferred choice to connect to the internet, then you can check out our comparison of 4G plans with high data benefits here.

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PUBG Mobile to get new Livik map from 7 July

PUBG Mobile has confirmed that its new map, Livik will be available to all players from July 7 onwards as part of the v0.19.0 update. The new map is the game’s first map that is exclusive to the mobile version. It is also expected to be one of the smallest maps yet for the game, even smaller than Sanhok, with each game limited to 50 players.

Pack your virtual bags and get ready to take a trip to PUBG MOBILE's first exclusive map Livik. Break new ground with Update 0.19.0 becoming available to all regions on July 7th! Join in on the action nowhttps://t.co/Lvgc5qlZAp pic.twitter.com/K661LrsUbW

— PUBG MOBILE (@PUBGMOBILE) June 30, 2020

In an interview,  the developers noted that the idea behind the new map is to allow for shorter, faster-paced matches. This would make it ideal for working professionals who may not have the time to play a normal game of PUBG Mobile on large maps like Miramar and Erangel as these games can last for 40 minutes or so. 

Besides a shorter and more frenetic play style, Livik also comes with a bunch of new additions. This includes the introduction of the P90 SMG to battle royale. The weapon was initially limited to Team Death Match mode. Then there is the MK12 burst-fire sniper rifle, which should be quite devastating in long-range situations. Finally, there is the Monster Truck, a new vehicle added to the map. The developers also note that a majority of the weapons in the game will now be able to use the extended barrel weapon attachment. This is to make starting weapons more effective in late stages of the game as players may not have the time to scavenge for newer weapons. 

However, those players waiting for Erangel 2.0 will have to wait a little longer. The developers noted that they were still “putting the final touches on the map” and players can expect the new version of the classic map to be available later this year. 

You can learn more about the new map here.

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MediaTek Helio G35 and Helio G25 gaming chipsets announced for affordable smartphones

MediaTek has launched Helio G35 and Helio G25 chipsets that are built especially for affordable gaming smartphones and comes with MediaTek HyperEngine game technology. Both the chipsets are part of the company’s G-series of processors such as the Helio G90, G90T, G85, G80 and G70 that offer an enhanced gaming experience and imaging features.

“Mobile gaming is now the preferred mode of entertainment across market segments, and MediaTek expanded its G-series to meet the huge demand for competitively priced, mainstream gaming smartphones,” said Dr Yenchi Lee, Deputy General Manager, Wireless Communications Business Unit, MediaTek.

The Helio G35 and G25 chipsets have been crafted on a 12nm FinFET process with an octa-core CPU with speeds upto 2GHz and 2.3GHz for the G25 and G35 respectively. The new chipsets come with PowerVR GE8320 GPUs with MediaTek’s Hyper Engine that offers smart power management for efficient battery life during gameplay sessions.

With the Hyper Engine technology built into the chips, it ensures a sustained peak performance while gaming. It also supports dual-channel Wi-Fi and LTE support that reduces latency in times when the network connectivity isn’t strong. The Hyper Engine is also responsible for dynamic allocation of CPU, GPU and RAM.

The G35 supports up to Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) resolution display while the G25 is limited to HD+ (1600 x 720 pixels) resolution. The G25 supports up to 21MP single camera while the G35 comes with support for up to 25MP cameras and features like AI-enhanced modes and bokeh effects. The chips also support Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) and Rolling Shutter Compensation (RSC) for creating videos at upto 1080p 30FPS without apparent jerks and movements.

Both the chips come with support for dual 4G SIM, eMMC 5.1 storage, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, FM radio and more. MediaTek Helio G35 is expected to be used in the Realme C11 while the G25 could power the upcoming Redmi 9A as per some leaks.

 

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