Redmi 7A launch in India set for July 4

Aadvika
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Redmi 7A launch in India set for July 4

Xiaomi’s Redmi 7A smartphone is all set to launch in India on July 4. The launch date of the handset has been confirmed via a dedicated microsite on Flipkart. Since the handset’s microsite has popped-up on Flipkart, we can safely assume that the device will be exclusively available on the website. But then, the Redmi 7A will obviously also be available on Mi.com and Mi Home stores too.

The smartphone was launched in China in May this year and it is basically a watered down version of the Redmi 7. The handset is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 439 SoC and it houses a 4,000mAh battery. To recall, last week, Xiaomi India’s managing director Manu Kumar Jain teased the India launch of the Redmi 7A, but then, he did not give a specific release date. He also added that the Redmi 7A smartphone in India will come with an upgrade that the China variant does not have.

Coming to the Flipkart microsite, it has called the Redmi 7A as “Smart Desh Ka Smartphone.” While the website has not confirmed any details around the price and availability of the Redmi 7A, the listing does say that it will be launched on July 4. It also says that the smartphone will come with a “fast processor”, a “Facebook-ready camera” and a “long lasting battery.”

Earlier, Xiaomi’s Redmi 7A smartphone was launched in China in May this year in 16GB and 32GB storage variants. And as we mentioned earlier, Jain teased the launch of the Redmi 7A in India last week. The handset comes as a watered-down variant of the Redmi 7 that was launched in India in April this year. The India variant of Redmi 7A will be a little different from the model that was launched in China. Jain also specified in his tweet that Xiaomi will be upgrading a “massive” feature in the smartphone for its launch in India. However, he has not specified which feature he is talking about.

Redmi 7A price in India (expected)

In China, the Redmi 7A smartphone is priced at CNY 549 (approximately Rs 5,500) for its 16GB storage variant, and its 32GB storage model will cost CNY 599 (approximately Rs 6,000). The handset is available in Matte Black and Blue colours. In India too, the smartphone is expected to be priced on similar lines.

Redmi 7A specifications

As of now, we only know about the specifications of the China variant of the Redmi 7A smartphone. The device comes with support for dual SIM card and runs Android 9.0 Pie skinned with MIUI 10. The handset features a 5.45-inch HD (720×1440 pixels) display that has an aspect ratio of 18:9. Powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 processor, the Redmi 7A comes with 2GB of RAM.

On the imaging front, the device comes with a 13MP rear camera with an LED flash. For selfies and video calls, there is a 5MP front-facing snapper with AI Face Unlock.

As we mentioned earlier, the smartphone is available in 16GB and 32GB storage options and can also hold a microSD card. The handset houses a 4,000mAh battery.

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Apple is focussing on quality over quantity when it comes to shows for its TV service

Avani Bagga
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Apple is focussing on quality over quantity when it comes to shows for its TV service

Cupertino-based technology giant Apple’s head of services and programming has said that the company is focussing on quality rather than quantity when it comes to its upcoming Apple TV+ service. This weekend, a report surfaced online that quotes Apple‘s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, Eddy Cue. He has reportedly spoken about what people can expect from the service that is all set to launch later this fall.

According to the report in The Sunday Times, Apple will not be following the Netflix model and will instead be releasing as much original content as possible in order to attract viewers. Cue has also said that the company will not be “creating the most” original content for users, but then, it will definitely be “creating the best.”

When he was quizzed about Netflix’s model, Cue said that there is “nothing wrong with that model, but it’s not our model.”

We should mention that Apple is a latecomer to the video streaming industry, that is currently being led by Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. These services already have their loyalists and all of them have their own library of original content too. Other companies that are joining in include Disney, NBCUniversal, and Warner Bros. All of them have announced their own platforms that will launch either this year or in 2020.

Cue has also said that Apple has never tried to be the first when it comes to any product or service, but it has always focussed on being the best. He said, “We try to be the best, and we don’t have to be the first to be the best.” He also added that Apple doesn’t “know a lot about television other than we are big consumers of it.” However, he said that the company is finding the best people to do the job for them.

It is worth adding that Apple has brought some high-profile Hollywood executives like Jamie Erlicht, Zack Van Amburg and Jay Hunt for the job. Other than this, the company has also signed up a number of celebrities like J.J. Abrams, Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston for Apple TV+.

The company unveiled its Apple TV+ service at an event earlier this year. There, a number of celebrities were present and they announced what shows they would be working on for Apple’s upcoming TV service.

Apple is not planning to produce the same amount of content as its competitors are, but its promising to have the best quality of shows. We will have to wait till fall to see whether it lives up to that or not.

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Asus 6Z smartphone’s 128GB, 256GB storage variants go on sale in India: Key details

Gadget Bridge Bureau
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Asus 6Z smartphone’s 128GB, 256GB storage variants go on sale in India: Key details

Taiwanese technology company Asus launched its 6Z smartphone in India last month. While the 6GB RAM/64GB storage variant of the Asus 6Z smartphone went on sale in India last week, the 6GB RAM/128GB storage model and 8GB RAM/256GB storage variant will be made available for purchase today.

A number of launch offers will be available on the smartphone too. We should mention that Asus 6Z is the India variant of the Zenfone 6, which is the current flagship handset of the company. The device comes with features like a 6.4-inch full HD+ display, a massive 5,000mAh battery, a rotating camera module and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor. Here’s everything you need to know about the sale details and launch offers available with the Asus 6Z smartphone:

Asus 6Z price in India, sale details and launch offers

The Asus 6Z smartphone’s 6GB RAM/128GB storage variant and 8GB RAM/256GB storage model are priced in India at Rs 34,999 and Rs 39,999 respectively. Both the models of the handset will be available via Flipkart in the country and the sale will begin at 12 pm IST. Other than this, you can also pick up a 6GB RAM/64GB storage model from Flipkart that is priced at Rs 31,999. Asus 6Z handset is available in Midnight Black and Twilight Silver colour options.

As a part of the launch offers, Flipkart’s Complete Mobile Protection can be bought at Rs 99. Otherwise, this is available for Rs 3,999 on the website. An instant 5% discount is also offered to those who make the purchase via Axis Bank Buzz credit cards.

Asus 6Z specifications

Asus 6Z smartphone has support for dual SIM cards and runs Android 9.0 Pie skinned with Zen UI 6. The handset features a 6.4-inch full HD+ IPS screen and is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor clubbed with Adreno 640 GPU. It offers up to 8GB of RAM and comes with up to 256GB of internal storage. It can also hold a microSD card of up to 2TB.

Asus 6Z smartphone houses a 5,000mAh battery that has support for Quick Charge 4.0 and for imaging duties, it comes with dual rear cameras that are placed in a flip module. The setup comprises of a 48MP primary sensor that has an f/1.79 aperture and a 13MP ultra-wide-angle sensor. They can be used for regular shots as well as for taking selfies.

In terms of connectivity, Asus 6Z comes with 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5,0, GPS, NFC, FM radio, USB Type C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

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Samsung Galaxy A50’s latest update includes features like slow-mo and night mode

Komila Singh
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Samsung Galaxy A50’s latest update includes features like slow-mo and night mode

Samsung Galaxy A50 has started receiving the June Security update in India. The new update carries version number A505FDDU2ASF2. Apart from regular security improvements, the new update gets a few extra features in Samsung Galaxy A50 like Night mode and slow-mo video recording.

Apart from this, the new update also brings a new feature to the handset that has already been included in a few devices by the company that allows you to scan QR codes through the camera app without the need of Bixby Vision.

According to a report by SamMobile, some of the owners of the Galaxy A50 are unable to use the slow-mo feature after updating to the June Security update. Earlier, when Samsung Galaxy A30 and Galaxy A40 received a regular update, users could not access the slow-mo camera mode. It was required to reset some camera settings in order to access it. Other Samsung devices that have received the slow-mo feature include Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 9 and the Galaxy S10.

If you own a Samsung Galaxy A50 and are facing a similar problem, then resetting camera settings would help you. Just open the camera settings and then scroll down to the bottom and tap on ‘Reset’.

The new update also gets the ability to scan QR Codes without Bixby Vision. The new feature uses the Camera app to scan the codes. Recently, the company rolled out the same feature to Samsung’s Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 9 and the Galaxy S10.

As we mentioned earlier, the new June security update also comes with a few improvements and fixes for problems that were affecting the device’s software and performance. Users of Samsung Galaxy A50 who have not yet received the June security patch on their devices can try updating their handset manually.

For getting the latest update to your smartphone manually, one can go to the Settings app and then tap on the option of ‘Software update’ in the menu. After that, they would have to press on the ‘Download and Install’ option. Other than this, users can also try updating their smartphone from the company’s database. Another option to update the device is by accessing the Samsung Smart Switch on their desktops.

We should mention that Samsung Galaxy A50 has been launched by the company this year and its key highlight is its triple rear camera setup.

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Teen stabs older brother to death for not letting him play PUBG Mobile

Gadget Bridge Bureau
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Teen stabs older brother to death for not letting him play PUBG Mobile

In a rather appalling incident, a 15-year-old boy from Bhiwandi in Thane district of Maharashtra allegedly killed his older brother because he wasn’t letting him play PUBG Mobile. According to the police, the older brother – Mohammad Shaikh (19 years) – had scolded the younger one and had asked him to stop playing the battle royale game.

This led to the accused getting very angry and he allegedly banged Shaikh’s head against the wall and then stabbed him repeatedly with a pair of scissors, according to senior police inspector Mamata D’Souza.

After this, Shaikh was taken to a government hospital, however, he was declared brought dead. The police has said that a case has been registered under the section 302 (Punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code against the accused.

We should mention that this is not the first time that PUBG Mobile has been linked to death. Last month, a 16-year-old boy had a cardiac arrest while playing the game for 6 hours at a stretch. The incident took place in Madhya Pradesh.

Speaking to PTI, the father of the boy – Haroon Rasheed Qureshi – said that before the boy became unresponsive while playing PUBG Mobile on his smartphone, he shouted: “blast it, blast it.”

He further said, “He was a very active lad. My son was so engrossed in PUBG game that he played it from Sunday evening to early hours of Monday. He slept for a few hours and after getting up had his breakfast and then played the game for six hours at a stretch.”

Speaking more on the matter, Qureshi said, “Furkan (the deceased) shouted ‘blast it, blast it’ after his character in the game lost a battle.” After the boy became unresponsive while playing PUBG Mobile, the family immediately rushed the boy to the hospital. However, he could not be saved.

When asked about the death of the 16-year-old, cardiologist Ashok Jain said, “I examined him at my nursing home. He was unresponsive. His heartbeat had stopped. I tried my best but he was brought dead.”

It is worth adding that PUBG Mobile has been getting a lot of flak for being too addictive and promoting violence. Scores of players across the globe are addicted to the battle royale game and spend hours every day playing it. PUBG Mobile has also been banned in Gujarat on the grounds that it promotes violent behaviour among children and youth.

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Apple will be moving its Mac Pro assembly to China: Report

Gadget Bridge Bureau
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Apple will be moving its Mac Pro assembly to China: Report

In 2013, Cupertino-based technology giant Apple had announced that it will begin assembling its high-end desktop in the US. Even though most of its manufacturing is out of the country as of now, Apple had said that it will be making use of its Texas plant to produce the Mac Pro.

We should mention that the announcement that was made back then, was followed up by another one at the WWDC 2019 that made many think if Apple has any plans of coming back to Austin. While the company remained tight-lipped on its plans at that time, a report has surfaced online on The Wall Street Journal says that the desktop will be manufactured by Quanta Computer Inc in a plant that is outside Shanghai.

The Cupertino-based technology giant has not denied the report that quotes “people familiar with its plans.” When questioned about the matter, a company spokesperson said, “Like all of our products, the new Mac Pro is designed and engineered in California and includes components from several countries including the United States. We’re proud to support manufacturing facilities in 30 US states and last year we spent $60 billion with over 9,000 suppliers across the US. Our investment and innovation supports 2 million American jobs. Final assembly is only one part of the manufacturing process.”

We should point out that the report comes at a particularly sensitive time for the US’ relations with China as a trade war has been going on between the two countries. Apple has also been facing the impact of tariffs on components as far as its international sales go.

In 2018, Apple CEO Tim Cook also said that he had met with President Donald Trump and told him that the tariffs were “the wrong move.”

Recently, a report surfaced online on Nikkei that claims that Apple is planning to move around 15-30% of its hardware manufacturing out of China. The report also added that the company has a special team that is particularly looking at moving production. The reason behind doing this is also the ongoing trade war between the United States and China. The company is also said to have told its manufacturing partners to evaluate all the options.

Speaking on the matter, an Apple supplier told Nikkei, “A lower birthrate, higher labor costs and the risk of overly centralizing its production in one country. These adverse factors are not going anywhere… with or without the final round of the $300 billion tariff.”

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Microsoft’s Cortana pops up as a separate app on the company’s Store

Gadget Bridge Bureau
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Microsoft’s Cortana pops up as a separate app on the company’s Store

Digital Assistants are increasingly becoming popular. Whether its Apple’s Siri, Google’ Google Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa or Microsoft’s Cortana, all are fun and useful to interact with. All the technology companies that have their own digital assistants keep on improving them by adding new features. This makes them cater to more needs of the users. Till now, Microsoft’s Cortana was largely a built-in program in the company’s products. However, now, the software giant is planning to move Cortana as a separate app in the Windows Store.

According to a report in The Verge, a beta version of Cortana has appeared on the Microsoft Store and has naturally led to some speculations. The software giant has plans of using this beta app to update Cortana separately from Windows 10. With this, the company’s digital assistant will supposedly get new features soon. However, another thing that this move indicates is that Cortana will not be a built into Windows 10 operating system.

A number of rumours that suggested that Microsoft is distancing Cortana from Windows 10 started circulating online when the software decoupled the digital assistant from its Search function as a part of the May 2019 update. But then, Cortana was not always built as a web-based service, so it could have also been updated without core Windows 10 changes.

Currently, there is little clarity about what Microsoft has been planning to do. The software giant is expected to connect to the upcoming beta phase of the Windows 10 update that has been codenamed 19H2.

The company had initially planned to begin testing 19H2 by now and had even promised to get the update to testers by spring, according to a report.

Microsoft has also been extremely tight-lipped about what the 19H2 and even includes but it is expected to come later this year. The report also added that the company has also started testing its first 2020 Windows update ahead of 19H2 and it will continue to roll out builds to testers.

In an unrelated piece of news, Microsoft has prohibited its 1,00,000+ employees from using the free version of Slack because of some security concerns. The technology giant also has an entire list of prohibited apps and services. It has even discouraged the use of Amazon web service and Google Docs. The company has also added the popular grammar checking tool Grammarly to its list.

Microsoft has said that all of these have been banned to safeguard its own Intellectual Property.

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In-display fingerprint scanners will soon be available on budget smartphones and LCDs

Gadget Bridge Bureau
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In-display fingerprint scanners will soon be available on budget smartphones and LCDs

Smartphones are always getting more and more advanced. Some years ago, handsets came without fingerprint sensors. Then the technology was introduced in very high-end devices. Slowly, it trickled down all the way to budget smartphones too. But then, face unlock and in-display fingerprint scanners were unveiled in present-day handsets, and currently, they are ruling the smartphone industry. With on-screen fingerprint scanners, handset makers do not have to add a dedicated sensor on the body of the device.

However, until now, the technology has only been seen on handsets that come with OLED panels, primarily because they are thin enough for light to pass through. But then, now this is all set to change because BOE and AUO Optronics have announced an LCD displays that will have support for an optical in-display fingerprint scanner.

The report about this development first surfaced in CNBeta. For those unaware, BOE is one among the lesser known display manufacturers, but then, they cater to flagship, as well as budget devices. Huawei Mate 20 Pro that was launched last year used displays that were made by BOE as well as LG. We should mention that LCD panels are more affordable than AMOLED panels, so this clearly points towards in-display fingerprint scanners coming to budget handsets.

It is also worth adding that last month, Taiwan-based company AU Optronics had launched a 6-inch full-screen LTPS display with optical fingerprint scanning embedded on it. This is the world’s first fingerprint scanning technology that comes with support for optical sensors on an LCD screen. The display comes with FHD+ resolution – 2304×1080.

However, as of now, it is not clear when exactly these panels will begin shipping. But it is worth adding that Wang Teng, Product Director of Xiaomi, has said that he expects them to be present on displays of smartphones that will be launched by the end of this year or early next year.

We should mention that while it will be great to see in-display fingerprint scanners on budget smartphones, it will not be fair to compare them to their flagship counterparts. We should remember that it is, at the end of the day, a high-end technology that is trickling down to affordable devices. It will take some time before it gets better and starts giving a good performance.

Till now, in-display fingerprint scanners have only been seen in handsets like OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 6T, Samsung Galaxy S10 series, Vivo V15 Pro, etc.

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OnePlus 7 gets camera improvements and June Android security patch with OxygenOS 9.5.6 update

Avani Bagga
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OnePlus 7 gets camera improvements and June Android security patch with OxygenOS 9.5.6 update

OnePlus 7 smartphones have started receiving an update that gets a number of camera improvements along with the June 2019 Android security patch. The Chinese technology brand had faced some backlash after the launch of its OnePlus 7 Pro and OnePlus 7 handsets. Ever since then, the company has been rolling out regular updates to improve the camera quality of the devices. The latest one is said to optimize the image quality of OnePlus 7 even more.

It is worth mentioning that OnePlus 7 smartphone is priced at Rs 32,999 and it can be bought from Amazon India. The upgrade to the cameras of OnePlus 7 is rolling out as a part of OxygenOS 9.5.6 update that is being rolled out in a phased manner. Once a limited number of people receive it and it is ensured that there are no bugs in it, a broader roll out of the update will follow.

According to the changelog, the latest update of OnePlus 7 gets the June 2019 Android Security Patch, improved audio quality, optimized sensitivity of automatic brightness and improved photo quality. Other than this, some general bug fixes and improvements in performance have also been added as a part of the update.

In case you have not received the notification of the update, you can check for it in your Settings menu. It is recommended to install the update when your device is connected to a good Wi-Fi connection and when it is completely charged.

It is worth mentioning that the last update that OnePlus 7 got – OxygenOS 9.5.5 – came with a number of improvements for the camera. The update enhanced the overall contrast of the images and improves their colours. The stability of autofocusing, improved clarity and colours in Nightscape mode, as well as improved brightness and clarity in low light scenes.

We should mention that the base variant of the OnePlus 7 comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage and costs Rs 32,999. On the other hand, the 8GB RAM/256GB storage model bears a price tag of Rs 37,999.

The key specifications of the OnePlus 7 handset include a 3,700mAh battery, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 SoC, a dual rear camera setup that comprises of a 48MP primary sensor and a 6.41-inch waterdrop-style notch display. It is one among the few handsets that were priced lesser than its predecessor at the time of launch.

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You can use this app to get Android Q’s Digital Wellbeing features

Avani Bagga
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You can use this app to get Android Q’s Digital Wellbeing features

Android Q comes with an array of new features that are useful as well as interesting. The operating system has got a number of new upgrades to Google’s Digital Wellbeing. If you have been waiting for your device to get these Digital WellBeing features, then we should tell you that you needn’t do that anymore. An app called ActionDash on Google’s Play Store aptly clones the features and now, it has been updated to include a ‘Focus Mode’ too. The mode works exactly like the Focus Mode that is present on the newest version of Android.

We should mention that on activating the Focus Mode, the apps that you have marked as distracting on your Android smartphone will lock you out for some time. For instance, if you have marked Facebook as distracting and you try accessing it while Focus Mode is active, you will get a message that says that you have been locked out.

While Focus Mode is not as serious as the Cold Turkey app that helps in cutting down on smartphone usage, it definitely gives a required nudge that may be helpful if you are too used to mindlessly scrolling on your device. On Android Q, Focus Mode can be activated just by tapping on the right option in the quick settings of your smartphone. If you press on it again, it will disable the feature so that you can access any app that you want on your smartphone.

So, there is not a barrier that completely stops you from accessing any apps, but instead, the Focus Mode acts like a hurdle when you try opening apps that you have marked as distracting.

ActionDash was launched in January this year and it basically gets all the Digital Wellbeing features to all Android smartphones. However, Google’s own features are available only on the devices that run Android Pie or Android Q as of now. On the other hand, ActionDash app can work well on any smartphone that runs Android Lollipop or above. So, most of the handsets will be able to support the app.

With the latest update of the app, another very key feature of Digital Wellbeing that was missing from previous versions has been added: App usage limits. With this feature, you will be able to set for how long you will be able to use an app every day. After you reach the limit, you will be locked out of it. While the app is available for free, you can pay to get more features like Dark Mode.

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US companies can sell their equipment to Huawei: President Donald Trump

Gadget Bridge Bureau
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US companies can sell their equipment to Huawei: President Donald Trump

Chinese smartphone maker Huawei should heave a sigh of relief. The company had been put under a trade ban by the US government a few weeks back. This led to a number of companies based in the US to put a halt on their dealings with Huawei. But now, US President Donald Trump has said that companies based in America can resume selling their equipment to Huawei.

The companies that halted their business during this time with Huawei included Intel, Qualcomm, Broadcom and Microsoft. Even ARM, that is not based in the United States but only manufactures some of its chips there has to stop its dealings with the smartphone maker.

This really meant a great deal for Huawei. Google and Microsoft stopping their businesses with the company meant that it could not use the Android operating system, Google apps and Windows software for its devices. It also meant that its existing devices would have got Android updates and security patches. The company even had to postpone the launch of a laptop because of the US trade ban.

Although reports suggested that Huawei had stockpiled enough components from US firms to go on for at least three months to a year, that wasn’t a permanent solution. The company was also said to be working on its own operating systems for smartphones and laptops, but that was not a proper solution either because Huawei’s OS would still not have supported the hugely popular apps from Google and Microsoft.

But now, Huawei’s worries seem to have lessened. At the G20 Summit, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a talk, and obviously, Huawei was a big part of the conversation. While Trump has indicated a concession for Huawei, the trade ban has not been removed completely. He said, “US companies can sell their equipment to Huawei,” but was quick to add that they can only sell the “equipment where there’s no great national security problem with it.”

We should mention that the United States had imposed a ban on Huawei because it said that the Chinese government has been the company’s devices for spying on users. While these reports about the company are not new, this is something that Huawei has always denied.

As of now, the details of the concession of the ban are not clear. We would have to wait to know what all companies can resume their business with Huawei and which ones still have to abide by the ban.

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YouTube Music releases a new feature that can download up to 500 music tracks

Komila Singh
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YouTube Music releases a new feature that can download up to 500 music tracks

YouTube Music has rolled out a new feature called Smart Downloads that, as the name suggests, helps users listen to songs offline. This feature automatically downloads up to 500 songs based on your likes and history. You can listen to them even when you are not connected to the internet.

Apart from that, the user will be able to set a limit for the number of songs that can be downloaded using the new feature. The tracks will only be downloaded at night while the user’s device is connected to Wi-Fi. Earlier, the old feature used to download as many as 100 songs for playing offline but now, the user can download up to 500 songs for offline playback.

Currently, YouTube Music is rolling out the new update for Android devices only, however, it will soon release the new feature for iOS as well. The users of the app will be alerted by a notification when the feature would arrive. If you have not received the notification, you can manually download it by tapping on the Library tab and then going to the Downloads section on the app.

Then, you can hit the like button next to your favorite music track on the app. This will automatically put the track into the list of songs that the ‘Smart Downloads’ feature will download when the device is connected to the Wi-Fi at night. This new feature is only available for the subscribers of the YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium. The new rollout carries the Android version 3.19.54.

As we mentioned earlier, YouTube Music has only rolled out the feature to its Android app as of now.

The description of the Smart Downloads feature says “Every night when you’re on Wi-Fi, we’ll automatically download your favorite music so that you always have something to listen to.”

In a recent move, the video streaming platform rolled out a new feature that allows its users to control suggested videos. The new feature has been released for both Android as well as iOS devices. The new feature gives more control to the viewer to remove the recommended videos by the channels that they don’t want to watch. To use this feature, the user needs to tap the three-dot menu next to a video on the homepage or ‘Up Next’, and then select “Don’t recommend channel.” By doing this, the viewer will no longer see the recommended videos.

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Xiaomi starts looking for beta testers for its MIUI Global Stable ROM update: Here’s more on it

Komila Singh
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Xiaomi starts looking for beta testers for its MIUI Global Stable ROM update: Here’s more on it

In order to deliver a stable experience to its users, Xiaomi recently announced that it will suspend the release of MIUI Global Beta ROM updates for all its devices from July 1. Just before the said date, the Xiaomi has said that it is now testing the MIUI Global stable ROM update. Xiaomi has also announced on its official website that it will accept testers for the Android Q Poco F1 update, and the Android Pie update for Mi 6, Redmi 6A and Redmi 6.

Earlier this month, Xiaomi has also announced that the MIUI Global Beta updates will be rolled out to beta testers starting from mid-June. The devices in the list included: Mi MIX 2, Mi 6, Mi 5s Plus, Mi 5s, Mi 5, Mi 4, Mi 3, Mi Note 2, Mi Max 2, Mi Max, Redmi Note 5 India, Redmi Note 5 Pro, Redmi Note 5A, Redmi Note 5A Prime, Redmi Note 4 MTK, Redmi Note 4X, Redmi Note 3 Qualcomm, Redmi 5, Redmi 5A, Redmi 4, Redmi 4A, Redmi 3S, Redmi Y2, Redmi Y1 Lite and Redmi Y1.

As we mentioned earlier, the company is now looking for testers the stable ROM of its devices including POCO F1 (Android Q), Mi 6 (Android P), Redmi 6A (Android P) and Redmi 6 (Android P).

The official forum of the company also mentions, “Current Special Team members such as Super Moderators / Moderators / Intern Moderators / Resources / App Review / Beta / Device / News Reporter Team / Fan Site / Designer / Photography / Bug Hunter Team members, you do not need to apply again since you have already obtained the permission.”

According to the company, the testers are required to fulfill the following requirements:

 

  • Should have Unlocked Bootloader
  • The version is unstable. Please, backup important data to cloud service or computer local before upgrading.
  • Leaking Nightly Rom Links and package is strictly prohibited and the user will be banned from the beta team and his account will be banned
  • Must be using latest MIUI Global Stable ROM
  • Knowing well about Mi flash tool and willing to cooperate with developers to investigate the problem
  • Must be active on the other countries community
  • Willing to discuss with other members in the QQ group
  • Have the self-rescue ability of a certain flash failure, willing to bear the risk of upgrade failure.

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Bumble introduces in-app voice and video calling on its app

Avani Bagga
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Bumble introduces in-app voice and video calling on its app

Dating app Bumble has been gaining a lot of popularity because of its unique features. It first grabbed headlines for only giving women the ability to swipe right to people whom they are interested in. Then it got some interesting features which enabled people to connect with each other for becoming friends or for work rather than for dating. Now, Bumble is adding another feature that makes it very unique as compared to most other dating apps: In-app voice or video calling.

The feature will be applicable for all kinds of things Bumble is used for, including Bumble Bizz and Bumble BFF and obviously, for dating too. However, we should mention that the option to begin a voice or a video call will only appear once you have made a match with someone and not before that. Another interesting thing that we should point out is that while women can call from that initial match, men will have to wait until the first move is made by a woman. So basically, if two people match on Bumble and like each other, they would no longer have to share their phone numbers to talk. They can just use bumble to do it.

Furthermore, the ability to call each other will go away in case they unmatch. We should mention that there is only one other major dating app that enables people to make video calls – Badoo. However, is not a co-incidence that both Bumble and Badoo have got the same feature now as both the apps are operated by the same man: Andrey Andreev.

The two apps have been consolidated by Andreev, along with Chappy and Lumen into a new holding group that is named Magic Lab. The trio now has plans to invest in new technology to “bring people together.”

Video-related features are slowly coming to dating apps. For instance, Hinge enables people to upload videos to their profile and Tinder has got a feature called Loops that lets users create looping GIFs. But the benefit of video chats is that it may help people save some time in the form of bad first dates. However, a downside of video-calls on dating apps can be that people may end up abusing them. It would be downright annoying to receive calls from people who don’t know how to acknowledge and respect boundaries on dating apps.

So there are pros and cons to the feature, but luckily, you can always unmatch if you meet an annoying person like that on the app.

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Nintendo to launch Pokemon Masters for iOS and Android Devices

Komila Singh
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Nintendo to launch Pokemon Masters for iOS and Android Devices

Nintendo has collaborated withDeNato launch a new game – Pokémon Masters –for Android and iOS platforms this summer. In a recent Pokemon 2019 press conference, the company released a trailer of the upcoming Pokémon Masters mobile game and gave official confirmation of the launch timeline. Pokémon Masters will be released this summer between July and September.

In the upcoming Pokémon masters game, the user will find trainers along with a singlePokémontravelling on a hypothetical island called Pasio. They will all be on a mission to become the champion of the Pokémon’s Master League.

The game basically focuses on battles that have been set instead of capturing Pokémon. You would be given the choice of teaming up with trainers of up to three players to take on rival squads. The user will be the main character in the game and will have to befriend various trainers to team up together to move ahead. As mentioned earlier, the game allows you to form your own squad to win the tournament that is being called as Pasio.

Some trainers in the game may more interesting than others as they will be from far-off regions and will bring out some very extraordinary twists. On Pasio, you can pair up with renowned Pokémon trainer Red and his Charlizard, Blue and his Pidgeot, and Cynthia, the Champion of Sinnoh, along with her Garchomp.

After connecting with your forces and forming pairs it will be time for Big Battles. The battles in Pokémon Masters are 3-on-3 matches that play out in a limited period of time. The players are allowed to attack freely but the Trainers can utilize their own moves and heal items in the Pokémon Masters Battle for the first time. The Trainers move will have a direct impact on Pokémon’s stats. We are also expecting Misty, Brock and Red to make an appearance in The Pokemon Master’s Game.

However, the gaming company has not revealed the exact date of the game’s release and it’s pricing. The game developers have recently announced that it will be releasing Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield Games that will be available for Nintendo Switch users from November 15.

We should mention that Pokemon Go, which in a way is this game’s sequel, saw tremendous success all across the globe. The AR-based game was a hit with the masses and had millions of players who tuned in every single day to catch new Pokemon. With the kind of popularity the game enjoyed, we expect even Pokemon Masters to get a good opening.

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Google adds an option to easily share GIFs from its Search

Aman Singh
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Google adds an option to easily share GIFs from its Search

GIFs are neither images nor videos. They lie just somewhere in between. It’s more like a small 5-6 second video that does not have sound. They are hugely popular on all social media channels because they make interacting with friends so much more fun. So it’s not surprising that almost all the social media and instant messaging platforms provide support for GIFs so that the users have the ability to use them in comments, posts or messages.

No matter what it is that you want to express, you will find a GIF to do it for you accurately.  What shows the popularity of GIFs is the fact that Google said in a statement that users searching for them have tripled in the last five years. With this growth in popularity of GIFs, the search giant wants to make it easier for the users to share them. For doing this, the company has added a share button to the GIF image search results on its platform.

So now, when users search for a GIF on Google, instead of downloading it to use it on a different platform, he can just use the new share button in the search results. According to Kyler Blue, Product Manager for Google-owned Tenor, with the addition of the new feature the users will be able to share the GIF images directly from the Google Images search engine on mobile. He also said that the process is very simple. The user will just have to search for the appropriate media and then use a share button that will be present on the regular Android share system menu. It will allow the users to directly send the media to other platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Hangouts and others.

Google wrote on its blog post, “Shareable GIFs are made available by content creators, including our partners from streaming services, movie studios, and the YouTube community. Any content provider, GIF creator or GIF platform can submit GIFs to the new section on Google Images by either uploading GIFs to tenor.com, or connecting with Google’s partnership team via this form.”

The feature has been made available already for Google’s app for Android as well as iOS. It will also be included in the Chrome browser for Android.

Google also said, “You can find a GIF that captures exactly what you want to say. This feature will be available starting today on the Google app for iOS and Android, as well as Chrome on Android. Over time, we’ll bring directly shareable GIFs to more surfaces and mobile browsers, so it’s as easy as possible to share your personality with a cartoon, animal, or something else entirely.”

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Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL gets a price cut, available on Amazon and Flipkart

Komila Singh
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Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL gets a price cut, available on Amazon and Flipkart

If you have been thinking of buying a photography-centric smartphone, now is the best time. Google’s premium budget flagship handsets– Google Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL – are available at massive discounts on Flipkart and Amazon India.

Google Pixel 3 XL was launched at a price tag of Rs 83,000 in India last year. After the price cut, the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage memory variant of the smartphone can be purchased for Rs54,999 on Flipkart. On the other hand, on the Amazon India website, it is available for only Rs 58,799.

The other variant that comes with 4GB RAM and 128GB internal storage and was earlier priced for Rs 92,000. Post the price cut, the handset is available for Rs 65,999 on Flipkart. On the other hand, Amazon India is selling the same model at 76,990 (Black colour option only).

Google Pixel 3 is also available at a discounted price on both the e-retail platforms.

The Google Pixel 3 was launched at a price of Rs 71,000 in the country for the 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage variant. After the device’s price has been slashed, it can be purchased for Rs 52,499 on Flipkart. Whereas, the same device in the Black colour variant can be purchased for Rs 56,840 via Amazon India website.

In the same way, the 4GB RAM and 128GB storage variant of the Pixel 3 that was launched in India for Rs 83,000, and now, it costs 58,999 on Flipkart. It can also be purchased for Rs 58,990 on Amazon India.

In addition to this, the e-commerce website Flipkart is offering a 15% instant discount on EMI payments made via ICICI bank credit and debit cards. Payments made through Axis bank buzz credit cards will also receive a 15% discount.

Google Pixel 3 comes with a 5.5-inch full HD+ OLED display whereas the Google Pixel 3 XL features a 6.3-inch full HD+ OLED screen. The smartphones are protected by Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

Both the devices Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL run on Android 9.0 Pie. The beta versions of Android Q are also available on the two handsets. Both the smartphones are powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset.

For imaging duties, both the smartphones house a 12.2MP dual rear camera and sports two8MP wide-angle with telephoto lenses on the front.

Google Pixel 3 houses a 2,915 mAhbattery, while the Pixel 3 XL packs with 3,430mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging and Qi wireless charging.

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Facebook’s Messenger app gets a new update: Here’s everything new

Aadvika
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Facebook’s Messenger app gets a new update: Here’s everything new

Social media giant Facebook has today upgraded its Messenger app. With the update, the app has been redesigned as now, it comes divided into three different tabs – People, Chat and Discover. According to Facebook, this makes it simpler for users to navigate on the app. It also makes the overall user interface of the Messenger app more simple.

Let’s talk about what all the three tabs of Messenger offer. The first tab on the app is Chat, and you’ll see it as soon as you launch the service on your smartphone. It enables you to quickly access all the messages on your app. So, if you have had any prior conversation with anyone, it will appear on the Chat tab of Messenger.

Under the People tab, you will be able to find friends to talk to, both new and old. So, if you want to begin a new conversation with someone, you can press the People icon in the middle of the bottom of the app, and then see a list of active friends on Messenger. You can either tap on one of their names to start a chat with them, or you can type the name of the friend you wish to talk to on the search bar. In this section, you can also see other people’s Stories or add one to your own profile.

Finally, a Discover tab has also been added that helps you connect with various businesses and like News websites, apps like Spotify and Pinterest, Tripoto, Oyo and more. You would have to click on the ‘Businesses’ sub-tab Under Discover to see these. However, you can also play games in this tab. For doing that, press on ‘Games‘ sub-tab.

Facebook has also said that it has added new colour gradients that are meant to make your chat more colourful.

It is worth adding that all these changes are a part of the update version 220.0.0.20.121 that is being rolled out in a phased manner. So, if you are an Android user and have not got notified for it yet, you can either go and check on the Google Play Store or wait until you get it.

In an unrelated piece of news, it has recently been reported that Facebook is testing a new option of notification customization. This is supposed to make the elements present on the social media platform less distracting.

Facebook is soon expected to turn on and off the red notification dots on its platform that you get to see on various individual tabs. In case you are not aware, these notifications are also known as badges. Their removal should be useful for many as not everyone is interested in what’s happening at Watch or Groups. You can read more about it here.

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Huawei Y9 (2019) price in India gets slashed

Komila Singh
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Huawei Y9 (2019) price in India gets slashed

Chinese smartphone company Huawei launched its Y9 (2019) smartphone in January this year. Although the smartphone falls in the budget segment, the company has decided to make it even more affordable by slashing its price in India. Post the price cut, Huawei Y9 (2019) smartphone can be purchased at Rs 12,990, down from its earlier cost of Rs 15,990.

The handset can be purchased via Amazon India at its new, revised pricing. The key highlights of the Huawei Y9 (2019) are that its sports dual front cameras as well as dual rear sensors. The device comes with a 6.5-inch full-HD+ screen and is powered by 4000mAh battery. Huawei Y9 (2019) is available in two colour variants – Midnight Black and Sapphire Blue colours.

Those who are looking to buy a good budget smartphone can head to Amazon India to get their hands on Huawei Y9 (2019).

The handset packs 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage and it is the successor of Huawei Y9 (2018).

Huawei Y9 (2019) comes with a 6.5-inch Full HD+ display that has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The device sports a notch on the of the display that has a dual front-facing camera.

Along with that, the chin of the device is also notable. Huawei Y9 (2019) comes with a gloss finish on the back panel with a 3D arc design that adds on to its premium looks. As mentioned earlier, the device is powered by 2.2Ghz octa-core Kirin 710 processor that comes with 4GB of RAM. Huawei 9 (2019) has a 64GB of storage and also comes with support for a microSD card. The device runs Android Oreo with EMUI 8 baked on top. Huawei Y9 (2019) houses a 4,000mAh battery and comes with AI power saving features.

On the imaging front, Huawei 9 (2019) comes with a dual AI camera set up on the device’s front as well as the back. Huawei Y9 (2019) selfie cameras include a 16MP primary sensor with f/2.0 aperture and a 2MP secondary depth-sensor. The back panel of the smartphone houses a 13MP primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture and a 2MP secondary camera. All the cameras of the device are said to have AI enhancements.

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10.or G2 special edition smartphone announced for Amazon India’s Prime Day Sale

Komila Singh
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10.or G2 special edition smartphone announced for Amazon India’s Prime Day Sale

10.or has announced the launch of its new limited-edition smartphone G2. 10.or G2 is manufactured by WINGTECH as part of the ‘Crafted for Amazon’ program. G2 comes with a 5,000mAh battery that comes with a 15W charger. According to the company, the battery can last up to two days and offers up to 14 hours of video streaming, 27 hours of call time, 7 hours of 4K video recording or 11 hours of gaming at a full charge.

The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 Octa-Core processor. The smartphone will be available in two colour variants – Charcoal Black and Twilight Blue.

On the launch of the limited-edition smartphone the company said, “10.or product experience is built from insights curated from hundreds of thousands of customer reviews on Amazon.in. This gives customers a phone with features that are meaningful to their usage and needs. 10.or G2 has been manufactured to high reliability and quality standards – passing 950 different Amazon quality tests – to deliver on the experience it promises.”

 

10.or G2 details and specification:

The new limited-edition smartphone sports a dual rear camera setup that consists of a 16MP sensor and a 5MP sensor. The cameras of the smartphone have been upgraded with a Colour Correlated Temperature (CCT) with a dual LED flash.  They also feature 4K UHD recording and panoramic view. On the front, the device comes with a 12MP selfie camera with a dedicated flashlight

The smartphone comes with a 6.18-inch Full HD display that has a (2246×1080) screen resolution and a 2.5D screen. The aspect ratio of the smartphone’s screen is 19:9 and it comes with a layer of Gorilla Glass for protection. The company claims that the phone also features a physical gyro that enables precise movement and control. Other than this the performance of Qualcomm Adreno 509 has also been touted.

As mentioned earlier, the smartphone has been powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 636 processor and it is available in 4GB and 6GB RAM variants. The dual SIM smartphone has a memory of 64GB that can be expanded up to 256GB.

The limited-edition smartphone will launch during the Amazon Prime Day 2019. The company is offering this new smartphone to Amazon Prime members only. The price, specifications, and features of the device will be revealed soon on the company’s official website.

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Mi CC9, Mi CC9e and Mi CC9 Meitu Custom Edition to launch on July 2, confirms CEO Lei Jun

Aman Singh
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Mi CC9, Mi CC9e and Mi CC9 Meitu Custom Edition to launch on July 2, confirms CEO Lei Jun

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is gearing up to launch its new smartphone series –  Mi CC9. The company is planning to launch the Mi CC9 series smartphones on July 2 in China and prior to the launch, multiple teasers and leaks have made their way on the internet. According to the latest update, Xiaomi will be launching three new smartphones at the event – the Mi CC9, Mi CC9e and the Mi CC9 Meitu Custom Edition. The Mi CC9 Meitu Custom Edition’s retail box has also made its way online and it shows some of the details of the upcoming smartphone. Other than that, the launch event will take place on 7pm IST, July 2, 2019, in Beijing, China.

Talking about the known specifications of the devices, the Mi CC9 will reportedly pack up to 8GB of RAM and will offer up to 256GB of internal storage. Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun had earlier taken to Weibo to confirm that all the three new Mi CC9 devices will be launched next week. Leaks of the Mi CC9-series of handsets have surfaced earlier as well but they only spoke about the Mi CC9 and the Mi CC9e. This is the first time information of the retails box of the Mi CC9 Meitu Custom Edition has also surfaced online.

The leaked retail box of the Mi CC9 Meitu Custom Edition is very different from the boxes of other two smartphones. The leaked picture shows a light blue box that is twice as big as the regular Mi CC9 box that is available in White colour option.

Other than giving the launch confirmation of the devices, the CEO has also spoked about the Mi CC9-series’ low light selfie photo capturing feature and its Super Night scene mode. Jun also shared a picture taken from the selfie camera of a regular smartphone and an image taken by the Mi CC9 Meitu Custom Edition in complete darkness. While the former is very unclear, the latter is shown to be good.

Till now, Xiaomi has confirmed that the Mi CC9 will have a White glossy finish variant but recently, another Dark Blue variant of the device was leaked. Other than that, Xiaomi has also confirmed that the Mi CC9 will come with a 48MP main camera and will have a 32MP selfie camera as well. The device will feature a triple rear camera setup and will come with an in-display fingerprint scanner. it is expected that the Mi CC9 will come with a 6.39-inch Full-HD+ display and house a 4,000mAh battery. It is also said to be powered by a Snapdragon 730 SoC.

It is expected that the Mi CC9 and the Mi CC9e will come in multiple variants. According to a recent leak, the starting price of the Mi CC9-series will be CNY 1,599 (approximately Rs 16,100). If the leaked price is correct then it would make the Mi CC9 a worthy competitor in the smartphone market.,

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This is what Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Pro variant is expected to be named

Aman Singh
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This is what Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Pro variant is expected to be named

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 will be the next flagship smartphone launched by the company and it is expected to launch in August this year. Till now, some leaks of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 have surfaced online but the most major one is that the device will be available in two variants. One will be the regular variant and will be called the Samsung Galaxy Note 10. Till now, it was believed that the other, bigger variant of the Galaxy Note 10 and will be called Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Pro. But a recent leak showcases the smartphone in its full glory and according to it, the Pro variant of the smartphone will be called the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+.

We should mention that the new leak comes from the Twitter account of TechTalkTV and it shows a live image of Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ variant. The report claims that the device will be called the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, much like Galaxy S10+ that was launched a few months back. The leak also shows the full screen of the device and it seems wider and taller than the Galaxy S10+. According to some previous reports, the device in the leaked picture also has a hole-punch camera notch placed at the centre of the display. Although the camera notch is not as big as Galaxy S10’s, it is placed right in the centre of the screen.

The leaked images also showcase the triple-rear camera placement at the back of the smartphone. Although some of the camera’s portion is hidden, we can see that it is placed. The back of the smartphone is black in colour and it also holds the Samsung logo.

Furthermore, some earlier leaks suggest that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 10 will not have the earpiece. It means that the device will be coming with the Screen Sound technology, much like the Huawei P30 Pro. The Galaxy Note 10+ will also not have a 3.5mm headphone jack – which is a first for any Galaxy Note series handset. According to reports, it will also come with a single bottom firing speaker grille. Lastly, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ will reportedly sport a 6.75-inch screen and will pack a 4,500mAh battery and on the other hand, the Galaxy Note 10 will sport a 6.3-inch display and come with a smaller battery.

There is still some time before the official launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and the company hasn’t confirmed any of these specifications or features of the device. So, all this must be taken with a pinch of salt.

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Lenovo Z6 to come with Snapdragon 730SoC and a triple rear camera setup

Aman Singh
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Lenovo Z6 to come with Snapdragon 730SoC and a triple rear camera setup

Lenovo has not been quite active in the smartphone industry as it once was. The last handset that the company launched was the Lenovo Z6 Youth Edition and that was a watered-down version of the firm’s flagship device Z6 Pro. Now, the company is planning to launch another smartphone in the Z6-series named the Lenovo Z6. Although Lenovo hasn’t announced the exact launch date of the upcoming smartphone, it has confirmed some of the features that the device will get.

According to the handset maker, the Lenovo Z6 will be powered by the Snapdragon 730 SoC and it will house a 4,000mAh battery. The upcoming device will hold a 6.39-inch AMOLED display that will come with a notch on its top and have a screen-to-body ratio of 93.1%. Other than that, the display of Lenovo Z6 will support HDR10 and DCI-P3 wide colour gamut, and it come with a peak brightness of 600 nits. The company further mentioned that the Lenovo Z6’s display will have a sampling rate of 120Hz and will feature De-Mura screen colouring technology. In other words, the display of the Lenovo Z6 will be one of the major attractions and selling points of the upcoming smartphone.

The company also said that the Lenovo Z6 will feature a triple-rear camera setup, however, it did not specify the exact camera details. Lastly, the upcoming handset will have an in-display fingerprint scanner and it will be protected with Corning Gorilla Glass. However, it has not been revealed which version of Gorilla Glass will it use.

Looking at the specifications of the Lenovo Z6, it seems to fall in between the Lenovo Z6 Youth Edition and the flagship Z6 Pro. But the upcoming Lenovo Z6 is still a watered-down version of its Pro variant.

Lenovo Z6 Pro also sports a 6.39-inch AMOLED display with HDR10 support. It runs Android 9 Pie skinned with ZUI 11 and it packs a 4,000mAh battery. The device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 SoC paired with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage. On the camera department, the Lenovo Z6 Pro sports an AI-powered quad-camera setup that comprises of a 48MP main camera, a 16MP sensor, an 8MP sensor and a TOF+PDAF sensor as well. On the front, there is a 32MP selfie camera.

Lenovo Z6 Pro was launched after months of teasers circulating online. The handset was the successor to the Lenovo Z5 Pro that was launched last year in December 2018.

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Nine ways in which you should never clean your smartphone

Gadget Bridge Bureau
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Nine ways in which you should never clean your smartphone

Smartphone screens get spoiled easily. Be it fingerprint smudges or makeup, our phones’ screens act as a magnet to all. However, in order to keep them clean, we often resort to all the wrong ways. Here, we have listed down nine ways in which you should never clean your smartphone. Take a look.

Don’t use a window cleaner

clean smartphones

Window cleaners do an amazing job on mirrors and window panes. However, that really does not mean you can use them for your smartphones too. There are devices that come with a protective coating which can wear out over a period of time. If you use a window cleaner on your smartphone, the coating can get stripped off and this will leave the device more vulnerable to getting scratches. It’s better to completely avoid it.

Avoid kitchen cleaners

Avoid kitchen cleaners

While cleaning agents would not ground down the scratch resistant properties of a smartphone display, but it will still harm the protective coating of your device. Apple has always strongly suggested not to use household cleaning products to clean your iPhone. And the same applies to Android smartphones as well.

Say no to paper towels

Say no to paper towels

Most of the people who use smartphones make this mistake. They think that paper towels are the obvious choice when it comes to using something to clean a smartphone. The paper may shred and this will make the debris on your smartphone a lot worse. It may also end up leaving scratches on your device.

Using alcohol to clean your smartphone

Using alcohol to clean your smartphone

Some people may think that it is a brilliant idea to rub alcohol on your smartphone to clean it, we should tell you that it also destroys the protective coating on your handset. This will make your device more prone to scratches.

Using makeup remover on your smartphone

Using makeup remover on your smartphone

Ladies! This one is for you. If you ever get this idea, please ignore it. While makeup removers do a fabulous job on your skin, they can be extremely harsh on a display of a smartphone. A soft cloth with very little water is a much better cleaner to opt for when it comes to smartphones.

Relying on compressed air

Relying on compressed air

If you blow an intense amount of air on your smartphone, you may cause severe damage to the mic of your device. A number of reputed technology companies have repeatedly warned not to use compressed air for cleaning your handset. So avoid this at all costs.

Resorting to the use of soap on your handset

Resorting to use soap on your handset

Soaps are usually very gentle on the hands, however, the only way to use them is to combine them with water. However, water is a big no when it comes to smartphones. So instead of using this, just stick to a cloth that has a drop or two of water on it.

Say a big no to vinegar

Say a big no to vinegar

Do anything but don’t do this. Vinegar will definitely strip the coating on your smartphone’s screen. What’s worse, it may just do it in one go. If you have an extremely diluted vinegar, you can probably use it on some parts of your handset. However, it is usually suggested that vinegar should be mixed with distilled water (50/50) for cleaning a smartphone.

Stay away from disinfectant wipes

Stay away from disinfectant wipes

Most disinfectant wipes come with a label for you to wash your hands after each use. So we don’t recommend you to use it for something that touches your face so often. Also, these wipes usually contain alcohol, so that’s another reason to avoid them.

The safest thing to use: Microfiber cloth

Microfiber cloth to clean smartphone

While till now we told you what not to do, now we will tell you what you can do to clean your smartphone. The safest way to go about it is to take a microfiber cloth and put a drop of water on it to clean your device. Just make sure it’s damp and not too wet.

For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App.

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Asus Vivobook X512 15-inch laptop Review: Rock solid performance

Sulabh Puri
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Asus Vivobook X512 15-inch laptop Review: Rock solid performance

The Taiwanese electronics manufacturer has just launched the new Asus Vivobook X512 in India. This is the 15-inch laptop that has been launched along with a 14-inch version, too. Looking at the last year’s launch of Vivobooks, most thought these new ones too will be on the higher side of things. But to our amazement, they got the price bracket bang on!

We took the latest Asus Vivobook X512F out for a spin. Well, we basically stress tested it to see if it at all curbs under pressure. Did it? Read the rest of our review of the Asus Vivobook X512F to find out that and more.

Asus Vivobook 15 X512 Design and Display

Asus has done a mighty fine job in designing the Vivobook 2019. The designers should give themselves a pat on the back since they have managed to give futuristic design, smooth finish and thin bezels in a price segment, where you get shoddy plasticky machines from the likes of Dell, HP or Acer.

Let’s start with the top lid. There is nothing unusual about it, yet there nothing dull about it either. It looks sophisticated and nice. Available in an array of colours, we tested the grey version which like the rest of the pack has the chromed Asus logo right in the middle. Flip the lid open and there is where all the magic happens. You are immediately greeted by a 15.6-inch Nano edge display that has matt finish on it. So, no more reflections.asus vivobook 2019 screenThe display screen on the Asus Vivobook X512F has the Vivo book logo under it and on top it has an HD camera coupled with a microphone. The bezels on the sides of the screen are very thin. The company has managed to keep a screen to body ratio of 88%. Which is way better than its competition and slimmer than Vivobooks of 2018. On the bottom part of the laptop, users get a nice full function keyboard with a Numpad.

asus vivobook

And to top that off, the keyboard has three levels of backlighting. The function keys double up as the multimedia keys too, with the power button located on the top right of the keyboard. The keyboard is fairly ergonomic and good to work with since when you open the lid, the bottom part of the laptop lifts about 2 degrees. This is called the Ergolift, something they have taken from the Asus Zenbooks.

This is partnered with a large trackpad, that just about passes. It is certainly not the best we have seen from camp Asus. Twin stereo speakers are placed under the notebook that are powered by SonicMaster tech. On the right of the laptop, Asus has placed a USB 3.1, HDMI, Power, USB Type C, microSD and 3.5mm audio ports. On the left of the Asus Vivobook X512F, users get two USB ports along with LED indicators. So that sums up the design, let’s talk a bit more about the display.Asus vivobook ports

The screen on the Asus Vivobook X512F is FHD (1,920 x 1,080 pixel resolution). We played a lot of YouTube and full HD videos on it and what we got was flicker free cinematic experience. At full brightness, the laptop’s screen displayed good colours that somewhat looked natural. Also, since the screen supports full 178 degrees view, it was a pleasant experience when watching a Netflix show with one or two more people. The sound with the display is quite loud and we enjoyed every bit of it. At full volume too, the audio does not crack and the speakers deliver share-worthy good resonance.

When playing games, we felt the colours could have been slightly better. You might want to create a profile for gaming and increase the gamma a little to your liking. Since the default scheme makes everything feel a bit warm on screen.

Asus Vivobook 15 X512 Performance

Let’s get the technical specifications out of the way before we talk about anything else. Since we are testing the Asus Vivobook X512F, which is the high-end machine in the Vivobook 2019 series. It is has got Intel Core i7 8565 (8th Gen CPU) that has a base clock speed of 1.8GHz. This is partnered with 8GB RAM and Kingston 512GB PCIeNVME SSD. Windows 10 Home comes as native and the combo boots the machine in under 12 seconds. Compare that to a spindle drive, it is 8-12X faster.

This machine also fetches the NVIDIA Geforce MX250 discreet graphics card with Intel HD 620 onboard graphics. Asus Vivobook X512F can run games like PubG well at medium-high and Mortal Kombat 11 at low settings. At these settings, we got lag free performance and with some screen colour correction, we were impressed at what the machine gave us.

There is Bluetooth 4.2 also on the Asus Vivobook X512F that makes connecting BT mouse or keyboards a fairly easy task. WiFi could have been better since the latest is not put on this machine. But, most Indian routers that work at 2.4G will be able to connect with it without hiccups, just do not expect ultra-low latency.

side ports

When it comes to the operating system and its workings, users get Microsoft Windows 10 Home edition. There is absolutely no bloatware, except that pesky McAfee installation. However, that can be removed easily via the add/remove programs. The typing and work experience on the machine is good and if you want to do photo or light video editing, this machine will serve the purpose.

Asus has done some wonderful things under the hood too. Like for the first time in India, if you want to upgrade the RAM or Hard drive you can do so, without voiding the warranty. Which makes the deal even sweeter. Since Asus Vivobook X512F has an NVME SSD drive, the slot for the usual 2.5-inch hard drive is empty. You can pick up an additional drive, take the machine to the nearest Asus service centre and tell them to install. They will do it and your warranty will stay intact. Same can be done if you want to add additional RAM on to the notebook. Just do not do it yourself, otherwise it will annul the warranty.

When it comes to the heating issues, we hardly faced any. The copper heat sinks do their job well, even when playing a demanding game or rendering a video. Moving over to the battery life, we were able to squeeze just 4.5 hours of it under nominal use. When gaming or using demanding software, it goes down further. But thanks to its fast charging tech, the battery juices up to 60% in 49 minutes. So that is a saving grace.

Asus Vivobook 15 X512 Verdict

Overall, the Asus Vivobook X512F did deliver a very good experience and it is very portable at just 1.6Kg weight. Thanks to the powerful CPU and SSD combo most things load in a blink of an eye. Also, then there is the case of upgrading without voiding the warranty. The thin bezels and a fine display add to all the good things that Asus did with the Vivobook 2019.

keyboard

The base version of the Vivobook 15 starts at Rs 34,990. That will get you 8GB RAM, Intel Core i3 (8th gen) CPU, 256GB of SSD and onboard Intel HD620 graphics with all the cool aesthetics. In that bracket, there is no machine which comes close to it.

The one we tested is the higher-end one that has a price tag of Rs 79,990, which we feel is a bit steep, even though it has a Core i7 CPU and a discrete graphics card. If you are one of those want bit more power than an i3, you can go for the Core i5 version of the Asus Vivobook 15 that sells for around Rs 50,000 and shall do you good.

Pros:

Good upgrade options

Excellent Performance

Good sound

Cons:

Trackpad is a bit sluggish

Battery life could have been better

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