It's hard to believe but is true. Budget smartphones are giving tough competition to the flagship counterparts in the looks department. And at the same time they pack in some compelling features too.

While Xioami looks to take the Indian smartphone market once again with its Android One-affiliated Mi A2, the device faces some tough competition from Huawei Honor Play. Here's a look at how the two devices size up against each other.

Blue Microphones is a leader in studio-quality microphones and their products have been used by music artists, legends and talents such as Bob Dylan and Imagine Dragons.

Focusing on camera capabilities, the Helio A22 supports up to 13 megapixel + 8 megapixel dual-camera setups at 30 frames per second and a single camera operating mode of up to 21 megapixel.

OnePlus 6 Red edition goes on sale for first time in IndiaOnePlus 6 Red Edition will go on its first sale today. The new variant was launched earlier this month. The Red Edition of OnePlus 6 will be available from Rs 39,999. With the new variant in place, OnePlus will now have a total of four variants on sale. During the official launch of the device in India, the company had also unveiled an Avengers special edition OnePlus 6. However, the special edition was discontinued after a few sales. The new OnePlus 6 Red will go on sale from July 16, 12 pm and will be available from Rs 34,999 on Amazon India and OnePlus store. Amazon India will be conducting its Prime Day sale as well.Amazon India goes live with Prime Day; exclusive offers for Prime MembersAmazon Prime members can be a part of the Prime Day sale that will last for 36 hours straight from 12 pm on Monday. Amazon Prime is launching over 200 new products. The list includes OnePlus 6 Red, Intel 8th Generation gaming laptops, Nestle NesPlus breakfast cereals, apparel by Marks & Spencer, Bosch microwave oven, ASICS shoes, LEGO Taj Mahal and more. Prime Members can shop new launches and deals across categories including smartphones, fashion, consumer electronics, toys, appliances and more.Flipkart counters Amazon Prime Day sale with Big Shopping DaysFlipkart is conducting its Big Shopping Days sale from July 16 to July 19. The sale seems to be a counter to Amazon's Prime Day sale. While the Prime Day is exclusive to Prime members, Flipkart's sale has no such limitation. The e-commerce website is offering deals on a wide variety of products and discounts on payments via specific banks as well. Under the sale, Flipkart is offering 30 to 80 per cent discount on electronics with no-cost EMI and Extended warranty. TVs and appliances will get a discount of 70 per cent. Fashion products will get a discount ranging from 50 per cent to 80 per cent. Home and furniture will get a discount of 40 to 80 per cent with no-cost EMIs.

Amazon Prime members can be a part of the Prime Day sale that will last for 36 hours straight from 12 pm on Monday. Amazon Prime is launching over 200 new products.

The biggest USP of Honor 10 is the stunning camera with loads of modes and settings.

A packed initial public offering (IPO) calendar in the coming months will include a $4 billion deal from online food delivery-to-ticketing services platform Meituan Dianping and an up to $10 billion IPO from China Tower, the world's largest mobile tower operator.

In an emotional post on Facebook after the Walmart deal was announced, Sachin had written \"Sadly my work here is done and after 10 years, it's time to hand over the baton and move on from Flipkart.\"

1. WhatsApp suggest ways to curb fake news on its platformResponding to concerns raised by the Indian government, WhatsApp suggest ways to check the spread of fake news on its platform. These ways include product controls, digital literacy and fact-checking. WhatsApp recently introduced limited broadcasting and marking forwarded messages as product controls. The Facebook-owned instant messaging platform indicated that its deals with absue in two ways - by giving controls and information to the user to keep them safe and by proactively stopping the misuse of the platform.2. Google under fire for allowing third parties to scan Gmail inboxesGoogle faced a lot of flak for allowing third party developers scan the inboxes of Gmail users. While the Mountain View tech giant has stopped scanning its users' inboxes for sending personalised ads, it allowed third parties to continue doing the same. Some of the third party developers even had access to thousands of Gmail user accounts. Google later clarified that it vets its third-party apps to make sure they request only relevant information and do not misrepresent themselves.3. Reliance Jio launches JioGigaFiber, JioPhone 2Reliance Jio launched its much-awaited fixed fibre internet connection at its AGM this week. Dubbed the JioGigaFibre, the internet connection will carry smart home solutions and will potentially connect 50 million homes. Reliance Jio also launched the second iteration of its JioPhone, the JioPhone 2. It comes with a QWERTY keypad and access to various apps like Facebook, WhatsApp and Youtube.4. Xiaomi starts teasing Mi Max 3Xioami is expected to launch the Mi Max 3 at an event it is going to host soon. In the run up to the event, Xiaomi has started to tease the device, but in a peculiar manner. The company is re-releasing the old teasers of its Mi Max devices on its Weibo account ahead of the launch of Mi Max 3. The Xiaomi Mi Max 3 will come with a bezel-less design and a 6.99-inch screen. Inside it will have the Snapdragon 636 coupled with 6GB of RAM. A more powerful Mi Max 3 Pro is also expected to be launched with the Snapdragon 710.5. Samsung Galaxy On6 in India at Rs 14,490Samsung launched its new mid-range device, the Galaxy On6, in India. The USP of the device is its Infinity Display which comes with a HD+ resolution and an aspect ratio of 18.5:9. The phone has an Exynos 7870 chipset coupled with 4GB of RAM running the show. The Samsung Galaxy On6 is exclusively available on Flipkart for a price of Rs 14,490.6. OnePlus 6 rival Asus Zenfone 5Z launched in IndiaAsus launched its flagship smartphone, the Zenfone 5Z in India. The device comes with Snapdragon 845 coupled with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, or 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. At the front is a 6.2-inch LCD display with a notch at top which houses the usual sensor and an 8MP front camera. At the back is a dual camera setup with 12MP and 8MP sensors. The Asus Zenfone 5Z has been priced in a range of Rs 29,999 too Rs 36,999.7. Google goes the gaming wayGoogle is reportedly testing an online gaming streaming service, codenamed Yeti. The company might even come out with a gaming console in days to come. This will be similar to Nvidia Geforce, which allows users to play modern games on low-end devices

WhatsApp suggest ways to curb fake news on its platform; Google under fire for allowing third parties to scan Gmail inboxes; Reliance Jio launches JioGigaFiber, JioPhone 2; Xiaomi starts teasing Mi Max 3; Samsung Galaxy On6 in India at Rs 14,490; OnePlus 6 rival Asus Zenfone 5Z launched in India and Google goes the gaming way. Watch BusinessToday.In Weekly Tech Wrap with Vivek Punj.

With a premium look and feel, Samsung's Galaxy A6+ is a feature-loaded device. But is it good enough to compete with the offerings from the likes of Vivo, Xiaomi, Honor etc.?

The Mountain View technology giant, Google, is reportedly developing an online game streaming service currently code-named \"Yeti,\" with further plans of releasing a dedicated gaming console.

Honor 10 is a notable addition to the list of flagship killer devices. The latest from Honor also boasts a solid pedigree. But does it live up to the expectations?

The Redmi Y2 is Xiaomi's second attempt at a selfie smartphone and aims to compete against the the offerings from Honor, Vivo and Oppo. With its good looks, portrait selfies and dual camera setup at the rear, the Redmi Y2 does not disappoint.

1. OnePlus sells 1 million OnePlus 6 units in record timeOnePlus has outdone itself in terms of sales with its latest offering. The compnay has sold one million units of OnePlus 6 within 22 days of its launch. The OnePlus 6 was one of the most hyped smartphones of 2018 and was received well by OnePlus fans after its launch. The company is offering some new offers with the OnePlus 6 too mark the one million milestone2. DxOMark offered money by manufacturers for camera reviewsAccording to reports, DxOMark marketing VP Nicolas Touchard has said that the website was offered money by several phone and camera manufacturers number of times for reviews. He, however, clarified that these were not bribes as the companies had not worked with DxOMark earlier and were not aware of its business model. DxOMark scientifically tests smartphones and cameras to determine their photographic capabilities.3. Facebook to keep an eye on notorious retailers in its 'Marketplace'Facebook will keep a close watch on retailers marketing their products on its Marketplace. Any foul play from a retailer will earn them a life-long ban. This move comes after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had to testify before the US Senate over the charges of massive privacy breach in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.4. Xiaomi Redmi 6, Redmi 6A launched ChinaXiaomi launched the next generation of Redmi phones in China earlier this week. The Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A come with Mediatek Helio chipsets, AI-enabled face unlock feature and taller 18:9 aspect ratio. The new Redmi devices are priced between Rs 6,500 and Rs 10,500. However, there is no word on an India launch yet. Xiaomi might also launch the Redmi 6 Pro, Mi Max 3 and Mi Pad 4 during a launch event in China next month.5. Aadhaar data no longer necessary for getting SIM cardsSensitive biometric data seeded into Aadhaar will no longer be necessary to get new mobile numbers. UIDAI has directed telecom operators to develop mechanisms that will use Limited KYC and Virtual IDs for this purpose. The implementation of this service by UIDAI is due on July 1.6. E3 2018 sees new announcements about several awaited titlesGame publishers, software developers and hardware manufacturers came together for the biggest gaming convention in the world Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3 2018, in Los Angeles this week. Names like Ubisoft, EA, Sony, Xbox and other came forward with their upcoming offerings scheduled for the coming days. Trailers and teasers of much-awaited game titles like Death Stranding, Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin's Creed Odyssey and more were seen during the E3 2018 this week.

After the display notch, it is the in-display fingerprint sensor that is the next upcoming innovation in the smartphone world. The Vivo X21 packs in both. But priced at Rs 35,490, can it compete against the likes of OnePlus 6?

EA E3 2018: Fifa 19, Battlefield V, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order announced Electronic Arts is conducting the biggest gaming convention called E3 2018. A few noteworthy games like Fifa 19, Battlefield V, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Bethesda were announced during the event. The first two days will be opened to the media personnel and general public will be will be able to access the event from June 12. The event will go on till June 15. Mi 8 SE is coming to India as Mi 8iXiaomi launched its flagship device for 2018 in China last week. Apart from the Mi 8, we also got a Mi 8 Explorer Edition and Mi 8 SE. The Mi 8 SE was quick to gain popularity in Xiaomi's home market, China and now a report suggests that the phone might soon launch in India, but with a different moniker.A report by Beebom claims that the Mi 8 SE will be launched in India as Mi 8i. This information was apparently leaked by a source in the retail network. The same source also revealed that the Mi Band 3 will launch alongside of the Mi 8i. There is no specific date mentioned in the report but both the devices are expected to arrive on Indian shores as early as next month.As far as the pricing of the new products is concerned, it is expected to launch at prices close to what Xiaomi announced during the launch event in China. The Mi 8 SE is priced at RMB 1,799 in China which roughly translates to Rs 19,000. In India, the prices could range between Rs 18,000 and Rs 20,000.HTC Desire 12 and HTC Desire 12+ go on sale in IndiaHTC's latest mid-range smartphones, the Desire 12 and Desire 12+, are open for sale in India from today. The HTC Desire 12 and Desire 12+ can be purchased via company's own e-store and offline channels. The HTC Desire 12 has been priced at Rs 15,800, whereas the higher placed HTC Desire 12+ has been priced at Rs 19,790. Both devices are available in Warm Silver and Cool Black.The new HTC Desire 12 and Desire 12+ were launched globally in March earlier this year and were introduced into Indian markets last week. Both phones sport 18:9 aspect ratio screens, becoming the first devices from the HTC Desire family to feature taller screens. Both devices feature acrylic glass backs which makes them durable.

EA is conducting the biggest gaming convention of the year, E3 2018; Xiaomi's Mi 8 SE is coming to India as Mi 8i, Mi Band 3 to launch along with the new smartphone and HTC Desire 12 and HTC Desire 12+ goes on sale in India at Rs 15,800 and Rs 19,790 respectively. Watch more in this episode of Daily Tech Wrap with Danny D'Cruze.

Augmented reality is set to take the tech world by storm in the wake of new announcements from Apple and Google.