Best Amazon Great Indian Festival Deals

SmartPhones

1. Samsung Galaxy A51(₹2500 discount): https://amzn.to/3dyspZr
2. Samsung Galaxy M01 Core (₹4,999/-):https://amzn.to/3566cOz 
3. Samsung Galaxy M31 (₹ 15,499/-): https://amzn.to/3566ipp
4. OnePlus 8 (start at ₹39,999/-): https://amzn.to/3m7x1ZN
5. Samsung Galaxy S20 FE (₹ 49,999/-): https://amzn.to/37gzHA2
6. Samsung Galaxy M31 (3 months prime membership free ₹ 16,499/-): https://amzn.to/3dH4A1K

Laptops

1. Acer Nitro 5 Intel Core i5 (₹ 55,990/-): https://amzn.to/356hzpB
2. HP Pavilion Gaming DK0268TX (₹62,990): https://amzn.to/2T4naaA
3. ASUS VivoBook 14 Intel Core i5 (₹50,990): https://amzn.to/31eKYwR
4. Lenovo Ideapad Slim 3i (₹ 47,990): https://amzn.to/356igPJ
5. Lenovo Legion 5i (₹ 71,990): https://amzn.to/2H5ECc8

Accessories

1. Cameras & Photography: https://amzn.to/3dDl4bc
2. Hard Drives: https://amzn.to/2T34uYQ
3. Game Zone: https://amzn.to/2T1Xs6r
4. Gaming Accessories: https://amzn.to/31gSDur

Best Alternatives to iPhone SE

iPhone recently launched the iPhone SE and the major attention that it has gotten is from the western audience primarily due to the face that the phone costs a mere $400. Although the phone seems to be a perfect fit for the western market, it has major competition in the Asian market due to the presence of major android payers like the Samsung and OnePlus. In India, the closest competitors are the Samsung Note 10 Lite and OnePlus 8 at ₹41,999/- and ₹41,999/- respectively as opposed to ₹42,500/-.

Note 10 Lite

The one ace that the iPhone SE has is the A13 chip which is the flagship of Apple's offerings. The Note 10 Lite is powered by an Exynos 9810 which is a flagship of 2 generations old. But the main selling point of a note device is the s-pen. Even in the lite version, all the s-pen features are available like the remote trigger for cameras and the note features.

This is a phone for the s-pen focused users. In recent years the s-pen has become the flagship thing and this lite version tries to bring the good things from the note devices to a much affordable price. Even though the device is not the most powerful of all but the target audience is totally different and the s-pen will be more important than the raw performance for those people.

Buy Note 10 Lite

OnePlus 8

If you are just concerned with performance, OnePlus 8 is a better option as it has the latest snapdragon 865 with 6GB RAM. The clean oxygen os with 90Hz display is the dream of a performer. Although it is not the pro version it still has the flagship processor which makes it future proof as the first thing to get outdated is the processor.

Buy OnePlus 8

In general both the OnePlus 8 and Samsung Note 10 Lite makes more sense as in my opinion at this day and age he processors have evolved and even the mid-range phones perform good enough to daily drive with ease. The things that matter the most like the screen real estate, battery, cameras are more in these other devices. If you want the iOS there is no option other than the iPhone SE. Even the cameras have gotten good to a point that the normal user does not care about the colour accuracy, photo quality that he prefers a variety of lenses than a little improvement in the quality. So in a country where the pricing is a major concern for an average user the other devices are a better option.

How Practical is iPhone SE in India

First of all, let's go through the departments where the iPhone SE shines.

• Performance: With the A13 and 3GB RAM it is the most powerful phone as the A13 is the latest and greatest chipset as it is even better than the Snapdragon 865. The optimized iPhone apps even outperform the android counterpart even with the less RAM. Getting A13 on a budget phone is future-proofing in the long run.
• Camera: It falls short on the hardware side with only one camera but it makes up with one strong lens than many underperforming lenses. One good camera is any day better than many average ones. The photos come close to the iPhone 11. It also has the portrait mode in both the rear and front camera. The department where iPhones shine is the video department. The video quality is on par with the flagships and it can even do 4K at 60fps which most of the android budget phones struggle to do. And with the iPhone processing and studio-quality audio recording, it is a content creators' budge camera.
• Water-Resistance and wireless charging: These are the two areas where most of the budget devices compromise almost always but iPhone SE does not. IP67 rating for water resistance, 18W wired fast charging with wireless makes up for the 1821mAh battery and still manages decent battery life due to the smaller screen and efficient A13 chip. Although you will be required to plug into charger more than one time in a day.
• Longevity: Apple is known to have long term support to its phones. Many phones have received the latest updates as long as for 5 years while android receives patches for 3 years average. The A13 will also ensure that it remains powerful for a long duration.

Now let's discuss the department where it takes a hit (In India)

• Pricing: In India, it starts with a price of ₹42,500/- where the OnePlus 8 starts at ₹44,999/-. This price is very close and is in direct competition with it. OnePlus 8 is a legitimate flagship with all the flagship hardware and not just the flagship chip. The iPhone might be a good option in the USA as the price there is $400 and OnePlus 8 is $700 where $300 difference makes sense. But in India, ₹2500/- difference does not justify the major hardware difference
• Screen: With the tiny 4.7" screen many things are not possible. Many of us watch movies on mobile and prefer a big screen rather than a better screen. Even multitasking is not possible on a small screen. As android supports split-screen view it opens a sea of possibilities.

So, the iPhone might be a good option in the USA where the price is $400(₹30,000/-) but the price in India is a lot higher ₹42,500/- and it has a lot of competition in that segment like the OnePlus 8 which has deep roots in the Indian market.

Many will prefer the iPhone for the ecosystem, imessages and the brand value but purely for utility standpoint, the small screen poses many challenges. So even though India is a tough market there are going to be a big sale of iPhone SE.

Best iPad Setup

With the new iPadOS and the mouse support the iPad is becoming more of a portable laptop and an artists paradise. The iPad can never be a full-fledged computer but the iPadOS with mouse/track-pad support has perfectly bridged the gap between a mobile and a computer. People requiring large screen and a keyboard will find it the perfect device for the portable workplace. iPad is in no way less powerful than a decent computer. With the large app store, one can find perfect app for any application. We'll see how the iPadOS has improved the experience.

iPadOS

1. Mouse/Track-pad support: this opens up a whole new world of interaction method with the device. People used to mouse and keyboard will find it easy to use. The track-pad is not just an adaptation of the laptop version but it has its own gestures for app switching and app overview.

2. Files: managing files in iPad is now much easier with the new files app which is a full file explorer with external storage drive support. this makes managing much easier which was not present in the old OS and that made many people hesitant to choose iPad as a standalone device as people use USB drives as a file transfer device.

3. Multitasking: the split-screen with option to run multiple instances of the same app has made working with documents much easier. many people work on multiple PDF and word documents for their work use. This is the primary reason that document editing will be a breeze on it with the keyboard. The dock also acts as a quick access bar and frequently used apps can be pinned there.

4. Fonts: Now there is an option to install custom fonts and manage them directly in the settings and use them in your favourite apps.

The most affordable iPad setup

1. iPad (7th Generation): This is the most affordable iPad in the iPad lineup starting at ₹ 29,900/-  ($329) with the 32GB and WiFi model which can be configured up to 128GB and WiFi+cellular. The 10.2-inch screen size makes it a very versatile device for multitasking.
2. Apple pencil (₹8,399/-): The apple pencil has proven to be a great tool for artists from its launch and it has been received very well. The 7th generation iPad supports only the first generation of the pencil which is not bad. The only situation to deal with is the weird charging port on the back of the device and it connects to the port on the iPad for charging.
3. Logitech combo touch keyboard case with trackpad: This accessory is only available on the apple website and not available in India but for $149.95 it is a great value.

And if you are a student the total is just $547.95. The student discount in India is not available directly on the website but through the stores.

Buying Links:

1. iPad (7th Generation)
2. Apple pencil (₹8,399/-)