By Zia Askari
The Indian consumer is price and value-conscious, prompting many handset makers to give the best of features (normally found in flagship phones) in easy-to-afford devices. Industry watchers say that high-end, flagship offerings are steadily becoming expensive, giving rise to what is known as “the rise of the stripped-down” or Lite versions—a deft strategy by the device makers to target a wider audience. These modern-day versions are intended for tech-savvy millennial consumers who want the best of both worlds—flagship performance at a decent price. Samsung, OnePlus and Oppo lead the charge here; we take a look at some of their offerings:
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite
While Galaxy Note 10+ costs Rs 79,000—the Lite version starts at Rs 38,000 only. The key USP is the intelligent S Pen, which is the perfect tool for millennials to seamlessly transition between work and life. Note10 Lite offers a wide 6.7-inch Super AMOLED edge-to-edge Infinity-O display, designed to provide a cinematic experience with more screen and less interruptions. It packs a Dual Pixel OIS (Optical Image Specialisation) 12 MP wide camera along with an Ultra Wide (123 degree field of view) 12 MP and a 12 MP Tele lens to take your photography to the next level. It comes power-packed with 4500mAh battery and Super-Fast charging.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite
At Rs 39,999, Galaxy S10 Lite combines Pro-Grade camera and flagship features of the S10 series and comes with great improvements in display, camera and performance. Its Pro-Grade camera with hardware-enabled Super Steady OIS results in clear and crisp photos and videos in all conditions. The 6.7-inch infinity screen provides an immersive experience, enabling you to enjoy seamless viewing of your favourite multimedia content even in bright daylight.
OnePlus 7T
Following the launch of its OnePlus 7 series, OnePlus extended its flagship excellence by bringing its signature buttery-smooth 90Hz Fluid AMOLED display and launched the lite version of its flagship in the form of OnePlus 7T at Rs 34,999. Built using a new ‘Smooth Formula,’ the 90Hz fluid display presents an interesting confluence of software and hardware engineering. OnePlus 7T comes powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus Mobile Platform, the device is ideal for streamlining daily multitasking and play the most graphically intensive games and videos with ease.
Oppo Reno 2Z
At Rs 25,990, Oppo Reno 2Z is the affordable variant of the company’s flagship device Reno 2 that carries a price tag of Rs 36,990. Reno 2Z packs in a quad-camera setup and is powered by MediaTek Helio P90 SoC. Oppo has given the selfie camera in a pop-up module which is different compared to the shark-fin module that some of the other Oppo Reno devices provide. The device is available in one configuration – 8GB RAM, 256GB of storage.
Askari writes on communications, technology and gadgets at TelecomDrive.com
