1. OnePlus X

rice: Rs. 16,999

© Provided by Hindustan Times

The OnePlus X continued to charm me long after I took it out of its box and started using it. Sure, it’s slippery, thanks to glass on both its front and back, but its size — not too big, not too small — makes it a pleasure to hold. The sharp metal ridge running down the sides add some subtle bling to its otherwise subdued appearance.

Inside, the OnePlus X has 3 GB RAM and a 2.3 GHz quad-core processor. It runs like a beast, and the 13 megapixel camera takes pin-sharp images. There’s also expandable storage to stuff it full of video, music, apps or anything else you want. Overall, the pretty little piece of glass and metal craftsmanship managed to exceed my expectations — and only a few phones have managed to do that this year. On the flipside, the battery barely lasts a day, but given how battery life isn’t a strong suit of most modern smartphones, I’m willing to put up with it. —Sanshey Biswas

6 hottest Indian tech trends of 2015

delivery

December 29,2015

Time is short and roads take up too much of it. So we saw a lot of new players in the online grocery business.

Apart from Bigbasket & LocalBanya ­ which have been around for some time ­ new players like Grofers and Peppertap further drove growth.

This trend is expected to continue next year as many will receive funding.

2. Sub-Rs 10k smartphones become smarter

December 29,2015

All phone brands understand that India has budget conscious buyers and there's a lot of traction in the sub-Rs 10,000 price range.

Features usually found in premium smartphones (a full HD display, laser autofocus, 3GB RAM, fingerprint scanners) were made available in budget phones.

This lead to exponential growth and the trend is expected to continue in 2016.

3. Uber, Ola, Taxi for Sure become household names

December 29,2015

One of the highest adopted services in 2015 were Taxi aggregators. Uber, Ola, Taxi for Sure, Meru became a household names. Aggressive fares, easier booking, loads of promotions and immediate availability lead to massive growth for taxi aggregators.

This is despite the security lapse that lead to the services being banned for some time.

4. Indians embrace fitness devices

December 29,2015

Fitness wearables are not new, but it was in 2015 that we saw India take to them seriously. Thanks to the budget Mi Band from Xiaomi and innovative coach services from Goqii, more and more people opted for fitness bands.

We also saw international brands like Fitbit and Jawbone officially arrive in India.

5. Drones became cheaper, more ubiquitous

December 29,2015

Drones (flying machines with more than one rotor) were in the news for a lot of reasons this year. From a drone dropping in at the white house to Amazon using them for delivery and even for relief work in hard to reach areas.

There's an increase in availability despite the uncertainty of a ban. Plus, you'll see basic 'toy' drones for as less as Rs 4,000 onwards ­ interest is unlikely to fade soon.

6. Digital wallets became more common

December 29,2015

Digital wallets like Paytm, Mobikwik, PayU & Citrus witnessed growth thanks to integration with multiple service providers. There are minimal complications and you even get discounts cashback if you use a wallet as compared to a debit/credit card.

This made them more attractive to online shoppers. With more services now accepting payments via digital wallet and NFC payments at merchants expected to launch soon, this segment will see massive growth next year.