Tag: mobile phones

  • Another U-turn? Mobile phones have destroyed society, says PM

    Another U-turn? Mobile phones have destroyed society, says PM

    Prime Minister Imran Khan used to call the mobile phones a necessary part of digital Pakistan until a couple of years ago, but it seems he has changed his opinion about them.

    In a recent interview with Hamza Ali Abbasi, the PM has held mobile phones responsible for the decadence in society. He said the government cannot curb sex crimes on its own, as society’s help is necessary to create awareness.

    The negative impact of mobile phones on teenagers is disastrous, the PM said, adding that the “teens can watch the stuff on their phones that no one has ever seen in the history of humankind”. He said the “sex-related material” on phones have posed unprecedented challenges to the teens.

    The PM held Hollywood and Bollywood responsible for the decadency. He said that’s why he asked Turkey for permission to broadcast their show because it contains “Islamic values”.

    In Dec 2018, the prime minister had praised the increased usage of mobile phones in Pakistan, saying they were a harbinger of a digital media revolution. The PM had said the government would use mobiles to disseminate information.

    “The government would use mobile phones to run an awareness campaign,” the PM had said while addressing a moot on overpopulation.

  • Mobile phone imports nearly double in last 12 months

    Mobile phone imports nearly double in last 12 months

    Mobile phone imports have increased by 81.32 per cent as compared to the last fiscal year (July-June) 2019-20.

    The imports reached $1.369 billion compared to $755.548 million during the same period last year, according to the latest report released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

    Telecom experts are linking the phenomenal increase in import to the implementation of Device Identification Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS).

    Mobile phone imports increased 300 per cent in June 2020 as compared to $57.736 million imports of June 2019.

    Overall telecom imports saw an increase of 34 per cent during July-June (2019-20) if compared to the same period of last year.

    Total imports were recorded at $1.86 billion when compared to $1.37 billion in July-June (2018-19), while registering 71.62 per cent growth in June 2020.

    The figures stood at $272.576 million in June 2020 as compared to $158.93 million during May 2020.

    Other telecom apparatus imports witnessed a decline of over 21.36 per cent in July-June (2019-20) as they stood at $490.754 million against $624.017 million during the same period last year.

    When compared to May 2020, other telecom apparatus imports registered a 13.41 per cent decline in June as they were $41.453 million as compared to $47.871 million in May 2020.

  • SPONSORED: Realme unveils ‘Quad Camera BatteryKing 5i’, ‘Triple Camera Game Monster C3’

    SPONSORED: Realme unveils ‘Quad Camera BatteryKing 5i’, ‘Triple Camera Game Monster C3’

    Realme – the fastest growing smartphone brand in Pakistan that resonates with the young generation – has unveiled two new devices, Realme 5i and C3, in its maiden campus launch for youngsters in Pakistan.

    The brand hosted a musical concert with Amanat Ali along with other celebrities, including Aiman Khan, Hina Altaf, Zubab Rana and Ramsha Khan, who were invited as brand promoters for the latest devices.

    Youth’s Favorite and Pakistan’s top YouTubers like Shahveer Jaffry, Raza Samo, Video wali sarkar, connect Kashan and RHS – Rana Hamza Saif were also part of the launch event.

    On February 25, within the framework of the Realme campus launch, hundreds of youngsters and media representatives participated in Realme product experience activities. The experience space was divided into different areas such as the space for taking photos with Realme smartphones, IoT products wall and a collection of photos shot on Realme phones to help students to understand the key specifications of the newly-launched devices.

    This first smartphone lineup of the year, the Realme 5i and Realme C3, has been launched in the company’s first-ever campus launch event to engage with youngsters and help them experience the device first hand.

    realme C3

    The Realme 5i is available in one variant – 4GB RAM + 64GB storage priced at PKR 24,999 available for sale since February 26 –, while Realme C3 with 3GB RAM + 32GB storage — priced at PKR 20,999 — will be available for sale from February 29.

    realme 5i

    Realme, which provides high-quality products for the youth of the country, has always been closely connected with its young fans. The brand is known to offer a wide range of sophisticated and advanced products for the youth at the best price-points.

    Over a short time-span, Realme has established an unbreakable bond with its users, making them the true brand ambassadors. Realme is recognised as the 7th largest smartphone brand globally. Besides a high value for money, Realme’s availability across all tiers of the smartphone market ensures great visibility.

  • It was raining mobile phones at a barat in Dera Gazi Khan

    It was raining mobile phones at a barat in Dera Gazi Khan

    While most groom processions aka the baraat are welcomed with flowers and money, a baraat in Punjab’s Dera Ghazi Khan witnessed a rain of mobile phones and money.

    According to a report on ARY News, three to four persons, including the bridegroom’s brother, standing atop a truck were showering the baratis and guests with mobile phones and wads of money. The shower of phones and money sent the crowd and passersby into a frenzy and everyone gathered around the vehicle and pushed and shoved to get closer to the truck so they could get their hands on the phones. Some were even seen climbing the truck.

    Watch video:

  • The new Motorola Razr is going to make you flip

    The new Motorola Razr is going to make you flip

    Leading mobile phone manufacturing company Motorola released the first look of their upgraded and revamped iconic Motorola Razr and let’s just say, it flipped us.

    The new Razr is an Android smartphone with a large touch screen that folds in half. It keeps the same general form factor but replaces the T9 keypad and a small LCD with a foldable plastic OLED panel. The screen measures 6.2 inches on the diagonal – about the same size as an iPhone 11 – and shuts to be about half as tall. Though it’s wider than the original, The Washington Post reports that the new Razr is, “impressively, just as thin.”

    Image Courtesy Bloomberg

    However, on the other hand, the Razr has a small battery at 2,510mAh and runs the older Android 9 Pie operating system on Qualcomm’s sub-flagship Snapdragon 710 chip. It lacks the 5G option and expansive memory of its rivals.

    Nonetheless, the Razr will be the first device of its kind on the market. Samsung had previously introduced a flip phone, the Galaxy Fold but that had issues with air bubbles popping up beneath the display and tiny particles getting trapped under the screen. The device’s design chief Ruben Castano said that the Razr will have none of these issues.

    Image Courtesy Bloomberg

    The price of the phone will possibly make you do a double flip considering it is priced at $1,499.

    The popular Motorola Razr smartphone, launched in 2004, went on to become an iconic device, even popularized by Hollywood, until the iPhone was launched in 2007.

    Original vs New
    Paris Hilton posing with her Motorola Razr

    The new Motorola Razr will be available for pre-orders in the United States in December this year before retailing worldwide in January 2020.

  • Punjab bans mobile phones in schools, colleges to curb drugs menace

    Punjab bans mobile phones in schools, colleges to curb drugs menace

    Punjab Education Department has reportedly banned the use of mobile phones in all public and private educational institutions across the province in an attempt to curb the growing trend of drugs among students.

    “Under the prevailing dangers of menace of drugs in educational institutions (public and private sector) and to safeguard the young generation from this curse, it is mandatory to impose [a] complete ban on the use of mobile and other sources to use social media in the premises of educational institutions across the province,” read an Education Department notification doing rounds over the internet.

    While it also called for a ban on the use of social media for children under the age of 16, people are questioning if the move even makes any sense.

    Drug addiction in Pakistan has reached an alarming high within the past few decades, as according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
    (UNODC), the total number of addicts has reached 67 million.

    More than 800,000 Pakistani aged between 15 and 64 use drugs on a daily basis and an estimated 44 tons of processed heroin is consumed annually in Pakistan. According to another report, 57% of school, college and university students in Lahore are using at least one drug.

  • How to get your stolen phone blocked

    How to get your stolen phone blocked

    If your mobile phone has been stolen or misplaced, you can immediately lodge a complaint and get it blocked within 16 hours.

    This service has been introduced by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to prevent the possible misuse of the stolen mobile phones.

    According to a statement issued by the authority on Monday, a complaint can be lodged through call or email or the complainant can also “contact the Citizens Police Liaison Committee helpline for filing a complaint”.

    To file a complaint regarding a stolen phone visit PTA’s website to get the official contact details.

    Through this service, mobile phone users don’t have to go all the way to PTA’s offices to lodge a complaint about stolen phones, which are located in a few cities only.

    How to check the status of your phone?

    You can check the status of your stolen phone 16 hours after reporting. It can be checked through SMS, PTA’s official website or an Android application (DVS). The IMEI search for your phone will show that it has been blocked.

    The IMEI of your mobile phone can be found by dialing *#06#. It can also be checked from your phone settings.

    The advisory has further said that PTA is only responsible for the reporting of the stolen phone, If someone wants to trace or locate his/her device then they must contact the police.

  • PTA urges dual SIM smartphone users to register both IMEI before Aug 31

    PTA urges dual SIM smartphone users to register both IMEI before Aug 31

    The Pakistan telecommunication authority (PTA) has asked all subscribers with dual SIM mobile phone handsets to register their International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers separately before Aug 31, Dawn has reported.

    According to the details, PTA has said “There are subscribers who own handsets with dual SIMs but have only registered one IMEI number against the slot they use, adding that the second slot remains unutilized.

    Therefore, the authorities have urged users to verify their unregistered IMEI in a dual SIM mobile handset as well, otherwise, it will be blocked after August 31.

    IMEI number is a unique code for every mobile phone that helps to identify GSM, WCDMA, and iDEN handsets, as well as some satellite phones.

    How to register IMEI’s of dual sim smartphones?

    In order to register such devices, users can send an email at typeapproval@pta.gov.pk with details, including a screenshot of the device showing all programmed IMEI, device box showing IMEI(s), copy of CNIC, and contact details of applicants.

    PTA said that it will evaluate all requests with details, and validated cases will be registered accordingly. Requests sent after Aug 30 will not be entertained.

    To check the status of a mobile device, PTA has advised subscribers to dial *#06# and SMS each 15 digits IMEI to 8484.