Android roundup:Note 7 Nightmare Continues, Pixel Kills Nexus, Massive Galaxy S8 Leaks

Taking a look back at seven days of news and headlines across the world of Android, this week’s Android Circuit includes a timeline of the flawed Galaxy Note 7 battery issue, the financial damage to Samsung, how the Galaxy S8 can save the South Korean company, Blackberry improving handset security with Zimperium, the latest leaks about the Google Pixel smartphones, Android’s new gesture based UI that mimics 3D Touch, more UK banks signing up to Android Pay, and the launch of ‘all you can read’ with Google Play Books.

Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week .

Who Shall Rid Me Of These Galaxy Note 7 Woes?

Samsung’s situation with the Galaxy Note 7 batteries, the corporate reaction to the events and the fallout in the markets will be ‘teaching moments’ for business classes over the next few decades. The narrative is still being set, although some elements are becoming clearer. Yoolim Lee and Min Jeong Lee have taken a long and in-depth investigation on the Galaxy Note 7 issues for Bloomberg:

Samsung engineers rushed to determine the cause of the problem, working through the Harvest Festival holiday last week. The company’s most complete explanations so far have come in reports to government agencies in Korea, China and the U.S. The initial conclusions indicated an error in production that put pressure on plates within the battery cells. That in turn brought negative and positive poles into contact, triggering excessive heat that caused the battery to explode.

The chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission was more explicit when his agency announced an official recall on Thursday. He said the phone’s battery was slightly too big for its compartment and the tight space pinched the battery, causing a short circuit. “Clearly, they missed something,” said Anthea Lai, an analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence. “They were rushing to beat Apple and they made a mistake.”

It’s a long read, but it sets out a plausible timeline for Samsung’s woes.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 (Image: Samsung Press)

The Financial Damage Of The Galaxy Note 7 

How much financial damage will the Note 7 debacle inflict on Samsung? How about an eight percent drop in operating profits for the current quarter? That’s the figure put forward by a number of analysts, as SamMobile reports:

Analysts in South Korea believe that Samsung Electronics is going to bring in an operating profit of 7.4 trillion won ($6.7 billion) which will mark a decline of 8.6 percent when compared to the previous quarter. Samsung posted 8.14 trillion won ($7.23 billion) in operating profit in the second quarter of this year which happened to be its highest in two years.  This sequential estimate has been adjusted following the Galaxy Note 7 recall which was confirmed on September 2. Prior to the recall analysts were expecting status quo to be maintained, with many predicting as many as 8.5 trillion won in third quarter operating profit for Samsung.

Q4 is a bit harder to predict as customer loyalty might kick in, as might a forgetful public. Nevertheless the expectation is that the Galaxy Note 7 will now only reach half of the sales it was on course to deliver before the battery issue surfaced.

The Galaxy S8 Is Bigger, Better, And Could Be Early

As the Galaxy Note 7 looks to salvage whatever it can in terms of sales, Samsung will be looking towards its ‘next big thing’… which will be the Galaxy S8. More details on the flagship smartphone were discovered this week, including the idea of a massive 4K resolution screen (which will have the dual curved edges of the Note 7 and S7 Edge) alongside the aforementioned dual-lens camera and potentially dropping the 3.5 mm headphone jack for USB-C. But there is a bigger issue… when will the handset be released?

I would expect Samsung to already know the launch date for the Galaxy S8. Looking at the choices made by Samsung’s DJ Koh over the last year, his tendency is towards aggressive and the pro-active use of launch dates to weaken the opposition. MWC 2016 started on February 22nd, and the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge was announced the day before on the 21st. Samsung’s form book rarely varies, so Sunday 26th February would be a safe bet.

But that was before the Galaxy Note 7 became an awkward distraction. The quicker that the Galaxy S8 can reach the market the better. WIth a need to get a new flagship to market as quickly as possible, a desire to bolster the sales figures in the first calendar quarter of 2017 and the constant challenge of trying to stay ahead of the opposition (both Android- and iOS-powered), I think Koh will take the gamble, cut out some slack in the schedule, and bring the Galaxy S8 launch date forward.

Blackberry DTEK50

Zimperium Boosts BlackBerry’s Security Software

BlackBerry has increased the software protections for its Enterprise and Government customers though a partnership with Zimperium. The Californian based Zipermium will contribute its mobile threat management platform into BlackBerry’s expanding suite of Android (and iOS) apps. The partnership was announced on Wednesday:

“Good Dynamics and BES12 integrated with Zimperium zIPS offers comprehensive threat detection, visibility and protection against network, device and application mobile attacks on corporate apps and data,” said Dave Kleidermacher, Chief Security Officer at BlackBerry. “This is another example of how BlackBerry is working hard, every day, to secure, connect and mobilize the enterprise.”

Can You Spy The Refreshed Pixel?

With Google ready to launch the Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL smartphones early in October (killing the much-loved Nexus brand-name in the smartphone market), details on the two ‘clean’ Android-powered handsets are leaking out. Jacob Kleinman has more on the latest rumors, including some remarkably clear images:

Google is expected to position the Pixel and Pixel XL as premium smartphones. Both devices allegedly pack a Snapdragon 821 chip, a fingerprint scanner, USB-C and 4GB of RAM. The Pixel XL may also offer a 5.5-inch Quad HD display and a 3,450mAh battery, while the smaller Pixel sports a 5-inch 1080p display and a 2,770mAh battery.

…The rear panel features a shiny aluminum frame with a smaller glass rectangle covering the top third of the device. The fingerprint scanner, rear camera, flash module and a few other sensors are all located inside that glass section. The front panel is pretty standard with thick white bezels above and below the display.

Read on at TechnoBuffalo.

Android N Devices (image: Google.com)

When 3D Touch Arrives On Android…

As well as debuting Google’s new hardware, the Pixel handsets are likely to run the latest version of Android. 7.1 Nougat will be pre-installed in the handsets. Looking through the available code there may be an interesting UI feature that will be familiar to iOS users, shortcuts in the launcher offering pop up menu choices direct from an icon – which sounds remarkably like 3D touch in iOS. Cody Toombs has more:

So, this probably revitalizes the comparisons and questions about how Launcher Shortcuts will be surfaced to users. Will there be pressure sensitive screens? Will we have to use gestures like a long-press or swipe? Will launchers offer special modes to access shortcuts? The answer to every one of these questions is yes, or at least probably.

We’ve heard nothing about pressure sensitive screens in the upcoming Pixel and Pixel XL handsets. That doesn’t mean they can’t have specialized hardware, but at this point, the rumors probably would have exposed that detail. This means we should probably expect a gesture on these phones.

More thoughts on the UI change at Android Police.

Android Pay In The UK

When Android Pay launched in the UK, it was without three of the major banks, Barclays, RBS and Santander. The latter two have now switched on support for Google’s touch-and-pay cashless system. Chris Merriman for The Inquirer:

Google has unleashed the Android Pay phone payment system to a number of new banks in the UK and around the world, continuing its rapid adoption after coming from behind.

…This leaves Barclays as the last major bank not to take on the resident NFC payment options from the major operating systems. The company resisted Apple Pay too, continuing to promote its own Bpay service that works with dongles and wrist bands as well as phones.

Harry Potter eBooks for your smartphone

And Finally…

If the future of media services is a world of ‘all you can consume’, then Google has stepped up to challenge Amazon Prime’s lending library. Google Play Books has now launched worldwide. Full details can be found on Google’s Android blog.

With more than 5 million books to read on the go, what will you discover next? Google Play Books is introducing Discover, a new way to find books by browsing the latest reviews, news, lists, videos and more.

Available in 75 countries on both iOS and Android and the web, Google Play Books is the world’s largest ebookstore and offers readers like you smart technology that caters to your lifestyle — where you can start reading a book on your tablet at night and pick up where you left off the next day from your smartphone, as well as easily browse, skim, highlight and make notes.

The updated app is available now for Android and iOS.

Android Circuit rounds up the news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course read the sister column in Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have any news and links you’d like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in touch!

Moto E3 Power: Initial Tests, Performance Comparison and Camera Samples The Moto E3 Power is Motorola's newest smartphone in the budget segment, but will its promise of experience over specifications hold this time?

Motorola’s promise has always been to provide top-class user experience on its smartphones. The company has routinely ignored the specs race, arguing that its phones don’t need the newest specifications to match competitors. And for the most part, Motorola has succeeded in maintaining that promise. But the smartphone market today is at a different level, and it’s becoming tougher and tougher to justify Motorola’s ignorance of the newest specs.

At Rs. 7,999, the Moto E3 Powercompetes against the Xiaomi Redmi 3sand the Lenovo Vibe K5. All three devices have 2GB of RAM, but the Mi and Lenovo devices run on Qualcomm SoCs (Snapdragon 430 and 415 respectively). Motorola, however, has chosen the MediaTek MT6735P SoC. On paper, the Snapdragon 430 and MT6735P both have Cortex A53 cores, clocked at 1GHz on the Moto E3 Power and 1.4GHz on the Redmi 3s. The Lenovo Vibe K5, on the other hand, has two quad-core Cortex A53 clusters, clocked at 1.5GHz and 1.2GHz.

So, does the Moto E3 Power live up to the promise of good user experience? We performed some of our initial tests on the device to determine the same.

https://youtu.be/T17WggMGp10

Android seems far removed from what the Lenovo Vibe K5 and Xiaomi Redmi 3s offer. The Moto E shows visible stutters and lags when you launch the camera, run a heavy game, or press the home button to come out of a heavy game. There’s a certain sluggishness about the phone, which we don’t really like.

The real world performance of the Moto E3 Power is reflected in benchmarks as well

To be clear, such performance from a phone in this price range would have been acceptable last year. However, in relation to competition, we can’t say that the Moto E3 Power really makes the mark. This isn’t the experience that users should get when there are better options available out there.

The Moto E3 Power is much weaker on graphics performance, compared to both the Redmi 3s and Vibe 

In general, the Xiaomi Redmi 3s is about 70% more powerful than the Moto E3 Power in graphics related tasks, and it is 35% faster on the single-core Geekbench 4 test. You also get nearly 60% faster results on multi-core tests, from the Snapdragon 430-powered Redmi 3s.

The Moto E3 Power is much closer to the Lenovo Vibe K5, though. The two generate similar results on benchmarks, and the real world performance also seems more or less similar. Keeping the Redmi 3s as the benchmark, you can see similar differences when comparing side-by-side against the Moto E3 Power and Lenovo Vibe K5.

It is also worth noting that you can't record video over HD resolution on theMoto E3 Power. This, again, is a minor compromise in this budget, but one wonders whether the user experience would have been better with FHD recording, which is available in the Redmi 3s and Lenovo Vibe K5.

Build and Design

Motorola may have used a plastic casing for the Moto E3 Power, but we really don’t penalise the phone for the same. At this price, the Moto E3 Power’s matte-ish plastic back differentiates itself from the crowd. The Redmi 3s and Lenovo Vibe K5 feel similar when you hold them, whereas the Moto E3 Power has a personality of its own. Plus, the fact that it has a removable back and battery would be appreciated by many.

Removable back. Yay!

However, we wish Motorola could have put slimmer bezels on this one. For a 5-inch device, the E3 is too big. It’s not quite ergonomic, and while you can use it with one hand, you will have to shift your grip around.

Display

Sticking with the theme of experience over raw specs, the Moto E3 Powerhas a 5-inch HD display. Here though, the Moto E3 Power is considerably ahead of the Lenovo Vibe K5 in terms of brightness. The latter scores 553 Lux compared to the Vibe K5’s maximum brightness of 340 Lux. However, the Redmi 3s against comes out ahead, with a brightness rating of 610 Lux.

The maximum brightness of the Moto E3 Power is 553 Lux

Testing the colours and contrast on the display, the Redmi 3s again comes out in front, however, we prefer the Moto E3 Power’s display to the Vibe K5, due to better viewing angles. 720p resolution can still be forgiven at this price, but we don’t like the yellowish tint on the Vibe K5’s display, when viewed from an angle.

Having said that, the Moto E3 Power’s display does seem slightly reflective, which would affect the device’s sunlight visibility.

Camera

If you’re using earlier generations of the Moto E, then the Moto E3 Power’s 8MP camera is a huge improvement. However, this is still a pretty weak camera by current standards. Images look passably nice on the phone’s own screen, but put them on a calibrated display, and you see definite issues. It’s acceptable at the budget price, but if you are looking for the best camera, we would once again have to choose the Redmi 3s over this one.

The camera is much improved from earlier Moto E smartphones

We will have a more detailed analysis of the Moto E3 Power’s camera in the review. For now, here’s a gallery of sample photos taken by the device.

Samsung Galaxy On7 (2016) With Snapdragon 625 SoC Launched

HIGHLIGHTS

The Galaxy On7 (2016) is available to buy in China

It comes at a price of CNY 1,599 (approximately Rs. 16,000)

Samsung also teased the Galaxy On5 (2016)

Samsung has quietly unveiled the successor to the last year's Galaxy On7 smartphone in China. Dubbed Samsung Galaxy On7 (2016), the smartphone is now listed on the company's China site and is now available to buy at CNY 1,599 (approximately Rs. 16,000). Apart from the Galaxy On7 (2016), the South Korean company has also teased the Galaxy On5 (2016) smartphone in the company listing. However, there is no word on specifications, pricing, or availability of the Samsung Galaxy On5 (2016). The Galaxy On7 (2016) sports metal design.

For specifications, the Samsung Galaxy On7 (2016) features a 5.5-inch (1080x1920 pixels) full-HD TFT display. It is powered by a 2GHz octa-core Snapdragon 625 processor coupled with Adreno 506 GPU and 3GB of RAM. It comes with 32GB inbuilt storage which is further expandable up to 256GB via micro SD card. The Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow based Galaxy On7 (2016) supports hybrid dual-SIM (both Nano SIMs). The handset supports expandable storage via microSD card (up to 256GB).

It sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and f/1.9 aperture. The camera supports full-HD video recording at 30fps. It sports an 8-megapixel front camera with f/1.9 aperture.

The Galaxy On7 (2016) comes with fingerprint scanner that comes embedded in home button at the front. It is backed by a 3300mAh battery and supports fast charging though details of the quick charging speeds haven't been released. It measures 151.7x75x8mm and weighs 167 grams. The handset supports 4G LTE, GPRS/ EDGE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v 4.2, and GPS. The Galaxy On7 (2016) comes with Samsung'sKnox security suite of apps.

The listing page of the Galaxy On7 (2016) mentions that the Galaxy On5 (2016) sports a 1.5GHz octa-core Snapdragon 617 SoC, but other differences are not known.

On 7 key specifications

Display

5.50-inch

Processor

2GHz

Front Camera

8-megapixel

Resolution

1080x1920 pixels

RAM

3GB

OS

Android 6.0

Storage

32GB

Rear Camera

13-megapixel

Battery capacity

3300mAh

Xiaomi Reveals Dual Rear Camera Setup for Next Smartphone

After teasing fans with a benchmark score for its upcoming 'S' handset, Xiaomi has released another teaser, this time focusing on the camera. From the looks of it, the smartphone expected to be launched on September 27 - thought to be the Mi 5s or Mi Note S - is likely to come with a dual rear camera setup. This is in line with reports from July that leaked alleged renders of the Mi 5s with a dual camera setup.

However, while earlier renders showed the dual rear camera module horizontally placed on the top left corner, Xiaomi's teaser shows that the dual camera setup is placed vertically and most likely around the centre of the handset.

Since the Mi 5s is touted as a beefed up version of the Mi 5, a dual camera module was expected from the Chinese manufacturer. Meanwhile, recent rumours tipped a 16-megapixel rear camera and a 4-megapixel front camera for the Mi 5s.

Along with the dual camera setup, the Mi 5s is expected to be powered by a 64-bit Snapdragon 821 quad-core processor with Adreno 530 GPU paired with 6GB of RAM. The inbuilt storage option is expected to be at 256GB and the device is pegged to run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow with MIUI 8 on top.

Xiaomi's latest teaser, however, raises more questions than answers. Latestrumour going around is that the company will not unveil a Mi 5s, but rather a Mi Note S. This begs to to question whether the latest teaser from Xiaomi is related to the Mi 5s or the Mi Note S, or some other device entirely.

Xiaomi is expected to unveil a slew of devices which include a smaller 4-inch variant of the Mi 5s, a Mi 5s Plus and Mi Note 2 on September 27. We'll know in a few days which of the devices become a reality.

NAMMA METRO GETS CORPORATE FUNDING

Harried commuters using the Outer Ring Road, to travel to and from the IT and ITes companies situated between Central Silk Board and KR Puram, have jumped at the government's proposal to build a metro line to cover the stretch. In what is going to be one of the largest privately-funded projects the state has seen, industry captains have come forward to help with the costs to get Namma Metro zipping along the ORR.

Chief minister Siddaramaiah recently cleared a proposal to have an exclusive metro line connecting Silk Board and KR Puram. Planned under the "innovative funding technique" (similar to a PPP model), the Rs3,600-crore project will traverse 18-km -- Silk Board, HSR Layout, Agara junction, Kaadubeesanahalli, Marathahalli junction, ISRO, Mahadevapura and KR Puram. The project -- which is to be fast-tracked and be independent of Metro Phase I or Phase II -- has captured the imagination of tech company honchos, who have volunteered to contribute up to Rs2,000 crore to the project.

Prior to the CM's announcement, industry representatives, along with Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA) members, held a meeting with industries minister RV Deshpande and voiced their commitment to financially supporting the project.

Last Sunday, a few days after the CM's announcement, Namma Metro's managing director, Pradeep Singh Kharola, along with his engineers and a few company CEOs, conducted a preliminary survey along the route and identified key points. Though the project is scheduled to be constructed in two years, this cannot be taken at face value, considering the delays to Phase 1.

The new line will have an added advantage: Stations at KR Puram and Silk Board will act as interchanges, as they are a part of Metro extensions planned in Phase II. KR Puram is a part of the 15.5-km line between Baiappanahalli and Whitefield, and Silk Board falls in the 18-km stretch planned between RV Road and Bommasandra.

"Two senior members of the ORRCA governance team attended the meeting where the PPP model for the exclusive metro line to ORR was discussed. The industry has committed to fund the project only because the government has assured that it will be fast-tracked. Also, to keep it fast-paced, a committee will be formed comprising industry representatives and officials, whereonce in a fortnight, the work will be reviewed. Once the project kicks-off, depending on the model, we may have developers and investors also pitching in funds and this line can be made operational on a Build Operate Transfer [BOT] basis,'' says ORRCA honorary president Poornapragna GA.

In recent years, travelling on the ORR has become a nightmare for commuters. The worst-affected are those working in Whitefield, ORR, and the Sarjapur area, which sees around four lakh people employed in nearly 1,000 companies.

Deteriorating infrastructure and the government's apathy has not cut ice with companies who were seriously contemplating not renewing their building leases and moving campuses to other "saner" areas where the employees didn't have to suffer hours on the road. According to industry sources, several companies' rental leases are going to end in the next 12 to 18 months.

With the government's metro commitment, the companies are rethinking their exit.

However, according to V Ravichandar, a member of Bengaluru Vision Group -- who made these points in a comprehensive presentation to the government on ORR woes last November -- the reality is that the metro is a long-term solution. In the short-term, what is needed is a state-of-the-art upgradation in road infrastructure.

"We have to work on upgrading the road quality, pavements, and bus integration with the metro. For short-term relief, what is required is to fully develop the stretch between Sarjapur road and Marathahalli, from boundary line to boundary line. We have to reimagine pavements, traffic islands, service roads, etc. If visible road improvements are not apparent, we run the risk of companies not renewing their rental leases. Due to the increase in travel time, there is a loss in productivity.

If companies move out of campuses, new tenants will refuse to come in at old rentals, and will negotiate lower rates," Ravichandar told Bangalore Mirror.

In Ecospace, which has around 65,000 employees, it takes 30 minutes to exit. Capgemini, which has six offices in Whitefield and ORR with 28,000 employees, has been speaking out about its plans to look for other locations. 

Most stressed areas are Whitefield and the Marathahalli-Sarjapur road area, where around 50,000 to 70,000 employees work. Even if you take 50,000 vehicles entering and exiting campuses, which have only one entry and exit point, it's a mess.

All will now wait to see if the metro can meet deadlines, and till that time, if companies on the ORR will have the patience to wait.

The big players

Manyata Tech Park, owned by Embassy on Hebbal-Nagawara ORR, has 9 million sqft building space and 90,000 employees

Bagmane tech park, developed by Bagmane Group in CV Raman Nagar, covers a sprawling 52 acres with a total built up space of six million sqft it has the option for future expansion

Ecospace Business Park owned by RMZ, on Sarjapur ORR has two million sqft of space across 24.5 acres.

Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Pro Tipped to Sport 8GB of RAM and Snapdragon 821 SoC

HIGHLIGHTS

Mi Note 2 Pro to feature 8GB of RAM with a quad-core 2.6GHz CPU

To run Android 7.0 Nougat with MIUI 8 on top

Mi Note 2 likely to be unveiled along with the Mi 5s on September 27

Xiaomi on Tuesday released a teaser signalling that the company is ready to unveil the much-rumoured Xiaomi Mi 5s at an event scheduled on September 27 at the China National Convention Centre in Beijing. While it is almost certain that the Mi 5s will be unveiled on that date, there are also hints that the Mi Note 2 will also make its debut as well. The latest leaks now detail the Mi Note 2 Pro.

Over the past few weeks, there have been numerous leaks regarding the Mi Note 2. The device is rumoured to sport a dual-edge screen with 6GB of RAM. While details of the Mi Note 2are still speculative, we now have a fresh leak that suggests what could be a Mi Note 2 Pro device. A screenshot posted on Weibo shows the 'About phone' page of the alleged Mi Note 2 Pro.

According to the image, the Mi Note 2 Pro will feature a whopping 8GB of RAM with a quad-core 2.6GHz CPU, running the latest Android 7.0 Nougat with MIUI 8 on top. The chipset is likely to be the new Snapdragon 821 which is also rumoured to feature in the Mi Note 2.

While the details on the Mi Note 2 Pro are limited, it is likely that Xiaomi will reveal the device a few months after the launch of the Mi Note 2, as was the case with the Mi Note and Mi Note Pro. It is also possible that the leaked screenshot is simply a variant of the Mi Note 2, which will likely be known in a week from now.

Meanwhile, the Mi Note 2 is rumoured to come in two storage options at 64GB and 128GB. Other rumoured features include a USB Type-C port, 3600mAh battery, two speaker grilles, and a fingerprint sensor at the front.

The Mi Note 2 is expected to be priced around CNY 2,499 (roughly Rs. 25,000) for the 64GB variant and around CNY 2,799 (roughly Rs. 28,000) for the 128GB option.

India vs New Zealand: R Ashwin is India’s highest run-scorer in Tests this year

Statistical highlights after opening day’s play in the first cricket Test between India and New Zealand, at the Green Park stadium, Kanpur:

# Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijayput on 112 for the second wicket – India’s second highest for the second wicket vs New Zealand at Kanpur in Tests next only to the 114 between Sunil Gavaskar and Mohinder Amarnath in 1976.

# The highest second wicket partnershipby an Indian pair at Kanpur is 150 between Mohammad Azharuddin and Kris Srikkanth vs England in Jan/Feb 1985.

# Vijay and Pujara have managed 1689 runs at an average of 60.32 in 28 innings, including four century stands and nine fifty-plus. Among the Indian pairs with 1500 runs or more in Tests, their average is the fourth highest in Tests – the highest being 67.82 between Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar – 1560 runs in 23 innings, including four century stands and five fifty-plus.

# India (291/9) have recorded their third highest total on the first day of a Test match at Green Park, Kanpur – the highest two are 417 for two vs Sri Lanka in 2009-10 and 304 for four vs New Zealand in 1976-77

# Ravichandran Ashwin (40) has taken his aggregate to 275 at an average of 55.00 in five innings – the highest among the Indian batsmen in Tests this year. His aggregate includes two hundreds.

# Wriddhiman Saha has posted his fourth duck in Tests – his third in India.

# Murali Vijay (65) has registered his first fifty in five innings vs New Zealand in Tests. In his previous four innings against them, he had posted 26, 13, 2 and 7.

# As compared to his average of 36.85 away from home, Vijay is averaging 48.08 in home Tests.

# Mitchell Santner (3/77) has registered his career-best bowling figures in Tests, eclipsing the 2 for 16 vs Zimbabwe at Bulawayo in July this year.

# Cheteshwar Pujara (62) has recorded his eighth fifty in Tests – his first vs New Zealand.

# As against his home average of 64.29 (1543 runs in 28 innings), Pujara is averaging 33.36 in away Tests (1001 runs in 31 innings).

# Trent Boult (3/52) has registered his best bowling figures vs India in Tests in India – his second best vs India behind the 3 for 38 at Auckland in February 2014.

# Mohammed Shammi’s first duck vs New Zealand is his fifth in Tests.