HTech founder Madhav Sheth has announced that he is joining Nxtcell as a shareholder and director to reintroduce Alcatel smartphones in India. The development comes at a time when Sheth’s HTech is facing challenges in India to revive the Honor brand, including issues like stalled operations, employee exits, inconsistent launches, and more.

Sheth said in an X post, “I am thrilled to announce the launch of ‘Alcatel’ smartphones in India. I will be working closely with the Nxtcell team to spearhead technology transfer, foster patent-driven innovation, and ensure that local manufacturing aligns with India’s vision for tech self-reliance. We have successfully signed technology agreements, and our local manufacturing initiatives are poised to significantly boost India’s tech ecosystem and enhance exports.”

Alcatel, operated independently by TCL Communication under trademark licensing from Nokia, announced a few weeks back that it will be launching premium smartphones in the Indian market after staying silent for the past few years. “Our devices seamlessly merge with style and performance, catering to tech enthusiasts, urban aspirants, fashion-conscious consumers, and digital nomads alike. We believe that technology should not only be powerful but also reflect the latest trends, and we are excited to introduce products that embody this philosophy in the Indian market”, said Atul Vivek, Chief Business Officer, Alcatel, at the time of the announcement.

Alcatel smartphones in India will be manufactured locally, aligning with the government’s Make in India initiative. These phones will likely be sold via Flipkart. The brand has also confirmed that it will establish a pan-India service network to ensure seamless customer support.

Coming back to Sheth, he has confirmed to Moneycontrol that he would continue his role at HTech while simultaneously working with Nxtcell. In India, Nxtcell India licenses the Alcatel brand from TCL Communication, which is owned by Nokia.

Sheth’s HTech has been facing difficulties in coping up with the dynamics of the Indian smartphone market. The company hasn’t launched any new smartphones in India since the Honor 200 Lite 5G which came back in September of last year. The company has been teasing the launch of a new X-series device in India, likely the Honor X9c 5G, since February this year but hasn’t been able to land it in the market.

An HTech spokesperson told Moneycontrol that the company is awaiting BIS certification for the X-Series and Magic Series, while the Number Series is expected to launch in the second half of this year. A sizeable HTech workforce which came over from Realme India has already left the company as per sources of the publication.

Oppo debuted its Oppo K13 5G earlier this week, making it a competitor to the likes of the Vivo Y39 5G which is also available at a similar price point. Here’s a comparison between the Oppo K13 5G and Vivo Y39 5G in terms of on-paper specs to help you decide your next smartphone purchase.

Display

The Vivo Y39 5G sports a 6.68-inch LCD Display with an HD+ Resolution of 1608 x 720 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate, and 1000 nits of brightness. The Oppo K13 5G comes with a 6.67-inch (2400 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+ E4 AMOLED Display with 120Hz refresh rate, 1200 nits peak brightness, and a 240Hz touch sampling rate.

Between the Oppo K13 5G and Vivo Y39 5G, it’s clear that the former has a better display, not only because it’s an AMOLED panel but also because its sharper and brighter as well.

Performance and Software

The Vivo Y39 5G is powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 Processor paired with 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The device is powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 Processor paired with 8GB LPDDR4x RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 internal storage.

While they carry the same amount of RAM and storage, it’s the Chipset that takes the Oppo K13 5G ahead in the competition because it’s more powerful than the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 in Vivo’s device. In terms of software as well, Oppo’s device is much more fluid and polished.

Battery and Cameras

The Vivo device has a dual rear camera setup, including a 50MP f/1.8 primary sensor with PDAF and a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor. On the front, it gets an 8MP f/2.0 selfie sensor. The handset is backed by a 6500mAh battery with 44W fast wired charging support.

Oppo K13 5G has dual cameras on the back, with a 50MP OV50D40 f/1.8 primary sensor and a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor. There is a 16MP f/2.4 Sony IMX480 sensor on the front for selfies. It further packs a 7000mAh battery with 80W fast wired charging support.

Both of them have an identical camera setup so we won’t comment on which one’s the better one until we test them side-by-side. In terms of battery however, it’s clear that Oppo’s device is the winner due to the bigger cell and faster charging speeds.

Verdict

Vivo Y39 5G is priced at Rs 16,999 for 8GB + 128GB model and Rs 18,999 for the 8GB + 256GB model. The Oppo K13 5G is available in two models: 8GB + 128GB at Rs 17,999 and 8GB + 256GB at Rs 19,999.

Even though the Vivo Y39 5G is priced slightly cheaper, the Oppo K13 5G is the smartphone to go for between the two. For a thousand bucks more, you significantly better value with Oppo’s device which is definitely worth the price.

Vivo T4 5G has been announced in India with a huge 7300mAh battery under the hood. The device looks and sports specifications similar to the iQOO Z10 5G which debuted earlier this month. Here’s everything the new Vivo T4 5G has to offer, including its specifications and price.

Vivo T4 5G: Price, Availability

The vivo T4 5G is priced at Rs 21,999 (inclusive of taxes) for the 8GB + 128GB variant, Rs 23,999 (inclusive of taxes) for the 8GB + 256GB variant, and Rs 25,999 (inclusive of taxes) for the 12GB + 256GB variant. The smartphone will go on sale starting April 29, 2025, across Flipkart, the vivo India e-store, and all partner retail stores in Phantom Grey and Emerald Blaze shades.

Consumers can avail of any of the following offers till 29th April: 

• Flat INR 2,000 instant discount with HDFC Bank, SBI Bank, and Axis Bank Cards  
• An exchange bonus of INR 2,000 can also be availed instead with up to 6 months of no-cost EMI

Vivo T4 5G: Specifications

The display on the front of the Vivo T4 5G is a 6.77-inch quad-curved AMOLED Display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, a full-HD+ Resolution of 2392 x 1080 pixels, 387 ppi, up to 5000 nits local peak brightness, 1300 nits HBM value, 3840Hz Anti-Flicker Eye Protection, and a P3 colour gamut. The device is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip with UFS 2.2 storage and LPDDR4x RAM.

Read More: iQOO Z10 5G Review: Marathon Runner

The device runs on FunTouch OS 15 based on Android 15. It will get 2 OS updates and 3 years or security patches. At the rear, it gets a dual-rear camera setup, including a 50-megapixel Sony IMX882 f/1.8 primary sensor with OIS and a 2-megapixel f/2.4 depth sensor. There’s a 32-megapixel f/2.0 sensor on the front. The iQOO Z10 5G packs a 7300mAh Li-Ion battery and 90W Fast charging support.

Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 5, 5G, Bluetooth v5.2, GPS, IR blaster, and a USB-C port for charging. The handset is also IP65 rated, gets an in-display optical fingerprint sensor, and a single speaker for audio.