The Chinese premium smartphone brand OnePlus recently took the wraps off from OnePlus 7T. Now the company is gearing up to launch another new smartphone. On October 10 the company will launch the upgraded variant of OnePlus 7T at a launch event to be hosted in London. Alongside the OnePlus 7T Pro variant the company will also launch a new McLaren Edition at the event.
As we already know last year the company launched the McLaren Edition of the OnePlus 6T, too. In the latest development, the company’s CEO Pete Lau posted an image of the packaging of the special edition of OnePlus 7T Pro on Twitter. It displays a carbon fiber finish box and an orange stripe at the end of the box. The device is also expected to be introduced on October 10’s launch event which is going to be held in London. One of the Youtuber Marques Brownlee enquired the CEO about the special edition to which he responded in affirmative “incoming”. However, he did not confirm that the McLaren Edition will come to OnePlus 7T or OnePlus 7T Pro.
Other leaks and rumours also suggest that OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition will be launched at the London event. Besides this McLaren who is a British car manufacturer too talked about its collaboration with OnePlus while sharing an image of OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition which was launched last year.
Last month an image also surfaced on the web about the speculated smartphone. As per a report by 91Mobiles OnePlus 7T Pro will look exactly like OnePlus 7T but the McLaren Edition will arrive with few changes in the design. The back panel will have a textured pattern along with an orange outline on the bottom as well on the sides of the handset.
The rumours also suggest that OnePlus 7T Pro will be sporting a pop up selfie camera. Furthermore, it is expected to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ SoC and will run on Android 10. It is expected to be housing a battery with a capacity of 4,000mAh along with Warp Charge 30T. It will reportedly feature Macro Mode, HEVC and Hybrid Image Stabilisation. Also, there will be support for 240, 480 and 960fps (for 10 seconds) slow-mo videos along with improved Night mode.
All the above specifications are based on rumours and leaks so we would suggest you take it with a pinch of salt.
The Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi is all set to launch another smartphone in India. Today the company will unveil Redmi 8 in the country. Redmi has been teasing the smartphone across all its social media channels for some time that will arrive with dual rear camera setup. Prior to its official launch, the smartphone was also spotted on Google Play Console, which revealed the specifications of the upcoming device. As per rumours the latest phone is expected to sport a rear fingerprint sensor along with a waterdrop notch on the front. Read on to know it’s specifications and pricing and other details.
Redmi 8 expected price and how to watch the live stream
Xiaomi will launch its new smartphone Redmi 8 in India today. Redmi 8 is the successor of Redmi 7. The launch event will begin at 11 AM today that will also be live-streamed on Xiaomi’s official YouTube channel. If you don’t want to miss the launch event, you can also watch the action live on our website. We have embedded the link below.
As we already know that Redmi’s new device will be succeeding Redmi 7 that was launched by the company few months ago with a starting price of Rs 7,999. So we can also expect the upcoming device to carry the same tradition and is expected to debut with the same price point as of its predecessor.
Redmi 8 expected specifications
As we already mentioned that Redmi 8 was spotted on Google Play console few weeks ago that revealed its specifications. As per the listing, the device is expected to run on Android 9 skinned MIUI 10.0.1.3 on top. The device will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 processor. The rumours suggest that the phone is expected to feature a 6.21-inch HD+ (720×1,520 pixels) TFT display along with 19:9 aspect ratio.
The rumours and leaks also suggest that Redmi 8 will be featuring a 12-megapixel primary sensor and an 8-megapixel front camera. It is speculated to arrive with a 5,000mAh battery. As per TENAA’s listing the smartphone will be launched in three variants 2GB with 16GB of RAM, 3GB with 32GB RAM and 4GB with 64GB of RAM. The storage can be expanded via MicroSD card up to 512GB. And will be available in four colour options Ash, Blue, Green, and Red
Let me begin by saying that Samsung went all the way in designing, software integrating and bringing a whole new side of the S-pen with the new Galaxy Note 10 Plus. We have been using the device since a month now and we came across a ton of stuff, which even this comprehensive review is small for. There is much to talk about the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus, so let’s get to it. This is our review of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus uncensored and uncut.
In This Article
Design and Display
As soon as you rip the plastics, split the box open (where this beauty lies) you get to see a luxurious smartphone that will tenderly ask for attention. And within minutes you will magically fall in love with it. A super-large 6.8-inch touchscreen is at your beck and call that merges into the side rails smoothly. There are no rough edges on this smartphone and one gets to experience an exceptional glass design on front and back. The infinity-o design is wonderful to look at and the edge to edge screen experience with just a small dot camera on the front is a design wonder. There is almost no chin on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus and what you get is a full-screen experience.
So, let’s get the form factor quickly out of the way before I talk more about the display. Upfront the boxy design works for me, however, I have had mixed reactions from the audiences who saw it. Most loved it, but there were some who were neutral to it and some who found the Samsung Galaxy S10 to be more attractive, mostly the under 20 generation. The right side of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus is plain while the left side holds the power button as well as the volume rocker keys. The bottom has the primary microphone, the USB Type-C charging port as well as the speaker grill. But here lies another gem, the all-new S-pen. Will talk about it more in the performance section of this review.
The top part of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plushas the secondary microphone along with the NANO SIM tray. Turn it around and you see this neat aura glow back panel that has been inspired by the rays of light. Which is why you get to see a rainbow-like VIBGYOR effect on it. Here you can see the Samsung branding and yes, the version of Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus selling here is manufactured in India as well. Which means you do not get a Snapdragon (SD) but an Exynos CPU here, is it better or worse than SD? Read the performance section to know more.
Also, on the back panel, you will find the vertically placed camera bump with silver trim. This houses three cameras in it with the fourth one and the LED flash placed neatly by its side. This sums up the nifty design, let’s come back to its display. For both work and pleasure, we found the screen to be perfect. Working with the S-pen to take notes, juggle between pages and apps on it was a treat. The text on the screen is crisp and the colours are vibrant. The brightness is just great and the screen does not wash out under the sun.
We played a lot of games and videos on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus and the screen never stuttered. The smaller-than-usual punch-hole front camera also did not hinder the gaming and video experience on this smartphone. The screen is easy on the eyes, in day or night. We kept throwing doozies at it and the device kept hitting it out of the park. What a wonderful experience this smartphone is. So, like usual we gave it the stress test to see if it would heat up or the battery might die quicker than usual.
Performance and Cameras
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus is not just a beauty on the outside, but has the brains to go with it on the inside. It is a machine crafted to do your daily tedious jobs and much more without breaking a sweat. Since we are reviewing the Indian version of the smartphone this one comes with Exynos 9 series (9825) Octa-Core CPU with a clock speed of up to 2.7GHz. This kicks in when the phone requires that much power, otherwise to conserve battery life the smartphone works at an optimal 1.9GHz with fewer cores active.
With it, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus comes with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage (out of which about 12GB is reserved for the operating system and other files). Graphics are provided by Mali G76 MP12 chip, which is one of the best in class. We played a lot of graphic hungry games on the device like PUBG mobile and Asphalt 9: Legends at the highest settings and the smartphone didn’t shy away from putting its best foot forward. To put it simply, it was a delight to play video games on it. Same is the case when it comes to videos. No matter what you are watching, the latest series on Netflix or FHD videos on YouTube, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus supplies superior colours and deeper blacks. These are accompanied with a very loudspeaker system, but the sound gets better with the supplied AKG earplugs, which come in the box.
We ran our usual set of tests on it. On AnTuTu the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus scored a fiery 3,46,631 points. On Geekbench 5 the device managed 627 on single-core test and 2,185 on the multi-core test. The compute score on Geekbench 5 came out to be 4,644. All of it indicates top-class performance.
As for the operating system, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus comes with Android 9 Pie OS out of the box with Samsung One UI on top. The operating system has minimal bloatware and some good to great apps. For example, you get multiple mail apps as well as Netflix, which means even Samsung wants you to work and play on this device. There is an edge screen (called Apps Edge) on the UI as well, which can be swiped in from the right. This hides most commonly used apps. Users can even customise this panel according to their own preference. Rest, most of the UI things are very similar to a stock android. Like you do get an App drawer, quick settings come down from top and one can even use gesture controls to manage functions like going back, going to the home screen and launching recently opened apps.
Now let’s talk about its most innovative feature of this smartphone, its S-pen. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus comes with a new improved version of the S-pen that can do a lot. Users can from afar manage the phone with the S-pen. One can perform things like switching between cameras, swapping between modes and even clicking pictures with it from a distance. Think of it as a remote control for your mobile. The S-pen gets charged on its own as soon as you put it back in its holding position within the phone. One can get up to 10 hours of battery life with it. Not that you will run out of it anytime soon, as in most cases you will keep it within the smartphone. Handwriting recognition is also part of the package and even handwriting like mine is easily recognised by the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus. One thing we love about the new S-pen is its pressure sensitivity and also the fact that if one of the nibs of the stylus goes bad you can easily replace it, as Samsung is kind enough to supply with few additional ones in the container.
With the S-pen you can do additional tasks as well. You can even increase or decrease the volume of the smartphone remotely. Over that, for quick memos, you can write on the screen when it is in standby mode as well. So, you do not need to bring up notes if you want to take fast notes. Also, with the S-pen you can add funky animations and more to your videos and they will stick to it. In fact, the same can be done in AR (augmented reality) mode too. Yes, that is a lot to grasp about the S-pen and with so many days with the device we are still exploring something new every day.
Coming to its camera performance, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus has 4 cameras at the back. A 12MP telephoto camera, 12MP wide-angle sensor, a 16MP ultra-wide cam and the last is the depth vision sensor. Some might say 12MP is so yesterday, however here the optics and pro-grade sensor technology does a wonderful job. No matter what external conditions you are in. We were able to get some fabulous shots during the day and even in low light. The subjects were sharp and the colours very close to life. In some cases, even vibrant. But what we loved shooting with the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus are the videos. These are exceptional and with the Zoom mic capability, which we first thought to be a gimmick, it actually works in 9 out of 10 scenarios. Unless you are in a super noisy road in Chandni Chownk, being the 10th one. A lot of good modes can be found in the camera app and it is appt for amateur to pro photographers.
Night photography is another good aspect of the rear cams, we were able to extract some great shots. Most of them with the Tripod, because we said why not, since We have the S-pen which works as a remote control, let’s get the best shots possible. Without it too, we managed some decent shots, but if you have super shaky hands, we would suggest using a tripod at night. Edges were smooth and night portraits were good. Only the far-off objects lost a bit of detail and colour during late evenings.
The front camera is powered by a 10MP selfie sensor. A single camera is there, but that is enough to take good daylight shots. Night shots not so much. So, if you are a selfie lover who wants the best shots round the clock, you are better off with the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus.
Lastly let us put in a word about its battery. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus comes with a 4,300 mAh battery inside. We knew it would last for a whole day with good amount of usage and doing daily tasks. However, to our amazement, it did last for more than a day. 32.5 hours to be exact which included an hour of gaming and 25 minutes of navigation. An hour of S-pen usage and lot of phone calls was included too. Not bad at all Samsung, not bad at all.
Verdict and Final Words
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus comes with a price tag of Rs 79,990 and it is almost a perfect buy, and is definitely an Android trailblazer in the group of Flagships. The in-display fingerprint reader works nicely (mostly) and so does the face unlock system. It does a fabulous job with the screen, S-pen and video capabilities. AR is there and am sure will become better with time, but at the moment most will not use it. Bixby, I am still not a big fan of, however Google Assistant does most of the cool AI jobs when needed. Gaming and videos are another great aspect of the device. So, who should buy it? Well, if you want a large screen experience with good cameras, want to make great videos and content or want rock-solid security for your business needs this is the smartphone for you. Note 10 plus has something for everybody.
As Diwali is coming closer all the E-commerce retailers are busy announcing their festival sales in which the consumers can buy new products on the festive occasion at discounted prices. After Amazon, now Flipkart has also announced its Big Diwali Sale. The sale will begin on October 12 on the platform in which the customers can buy products across various categories at lower rates.
The Flipkart’s Big Diwali Sale will commence from October 12 at midnight and go on till October 16. However, the Flipkart Plus members will be able to access the sale early from October 11 at 8 PM onwards. During the five days of the sale the e-commerce platform will be offering big discounts and deals on smartphones, Televisions, laptops, electronics, Furniture, Personal Care, fashion accessories among others.
During the five days Big Diwali Sale, the patrons using State Bank of India credit cards can avail 10 percent instant discount. Flipkart will also be offering no-cost EMI options to the consumers along with exchange discount offers as well as complete mobile protection on select top mobile brands.
Over that, the mobile phones purchased during the sale period will get extra discounts plus Buyback Guarantee and complete mobile protection.
There is 75 percent discount tunning on Televisions and other electronic appliances on more than 50,000 products across various categories. The buyers will also be offered complete appliance protection plus cardless credit on the purchase of products like refrigerators, Irons, mixers, geysers, fans, RO water purifiers and more.
Flipkart will be offering up to 90 percent discount on accessories from top sellers with no cost EMI offers and product exchange options, too. There will be up to 50 percent discount on the purchase of laptops, up to 75 percent discount on headphones and speakers.
Apart from that during the Big Diwali Sale, there will be flash sales titled Dhamaka Deals in which extra discounts on Mobile phones, Televisions, Electronics will be offered at 12 AM, 8 AM and 4 PM only on Flipkart. There will be up to 85 percent off on the products during these timings. There will be another Rush Hour Sale that will run from 12 AM to 2 AM in which buyers will be offered extra discounts on the range of products across various brands and products.
If you missed the Flipkart’s Big Billion Day Sale, then now is time when you can buy products across various categories during Flipkart’s Big Diwali Sale.
Recently Tesla rolled out OTA update for its self-driven vehicles. Version 10.0 comes with features like Netflix YouTube or Hulu or iQiyi as well as Tencent Video. Now Tesla cars will soon be offering a selection of sounds so that you can customise your car’s horn and movement sounds. The news has been shared by Elon Musk via Twitter.
Elon Musk took to Twitter to reveal that soon Tesla cars will allow the users to customise horn and movement sounds. The Tweet reads, “Customized horn & movement sounds (coconuts being one, of course) coming to Teslas soon.”
He also teased goat bleats, rushing wind and even the coconut horse clops from the movies Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The specific sounds and horns will be used to alert the pedestrians on the roads.
As per a report by Teslarati the customisation of the sounds in the initial stage would be coconut noise, a whoopie cushion noise (made famous by Tesla’s “Toilet Humor” mode) and assumably a goat noise.
Musk also revealed that the company is working on to include custom audio files, so owners would be able to include any noise they want. The report says, “the addition of noisemakers to electric vehicles is expected to save an estimated 2,400 people from injuries, as well as save somewhere in between $250M and $320M in damages from accidents.”
The decision to add the noisemakers in the Tesla cars is in response to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration‘s (NHTSA) Pedestrian Enhancement Safety Act of 2010. The act is based on a report that mentions that blind pedestrians are the ones who are most prone to additional risks when in the same vicinity as electric vehicles due to their lack of noise.
When traveling at low speed the electric cars make less or no noise at all as it does not have any engines, transmissions or tailpipes that produce sound. “The act passed by the NHTSA requires all-electric cars to contain noisemakers that will emit noise when the vehicle is traveling from 0-19 MPH. All cars operating with strict batteries will have to contain this noisemaker by September 1, 2020.”
On the occasion of Diwali, the e-commerce platform Amazon has announced that the Great Indian Festival will be back soon. The first part of the annual sale has just ended on October 4 last week only. Amazon will again run the Celebration Special sale from October 13 to October 17. During the five days sale, the e-retailer will be offing products at discounted prices across various categories.
As said, Amazon Great India Festival Sale will kick off from October 13 and will go on till October 17th at midnight. Amazon Prime members will get early access to the festive sale starting 12 noon on October 12. The e-commerce platform will be offering deals and offers on various brands of smartphones, laptops, cameras, large appliances and TVs, home and kitchen products, fashion, consumables such as grocery & beauty, consumer electronics, etc.
During the five day Amazon celebration sale, the company will be offering 40 percent off on the purchase of the smartphones on popular brands like Apple, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Samsung, Vivo, Honor and many more. Special offers will be available on the newly launched smartphones like OnePlus 7T, Samsung M30s and Vivo U10. Additionally, the buyers will get Free screen replacement, exchange offers, No cost EMI and more on the purchase of many of the smartphones.
There is up to 60 percent discount on electronics appliances and televisions from brands such as Samsung, OnePlus TV, Whirlpool, LG and more. In addition to this, no-cost EMI options, exchange offers and installation with free deliveries will be offered by the company.
Amazon will be offering more than 600 deals on over 200 brands including HP, Canon, boAT, Lenovo and more on the purchase of Laptops, Headphones, Speakers, Cameras, Fitness trackers, Smartwatches among others.
Also, during the Great India Festival Sale, there is up to 90 percent discount available on fashion and lifestyle products along with Rs 1,000 cashback. There is 80% off on Max Fashion products while brands like Casio and Fastrack will be offering a discount of up to 80 percent on their respective watches. Jewellery brands such as Malabar Gold & Diamonds and Joyalukkas will be offering up to 100 per cent off on the making charges on its jewellery.
Up to 80 percent off on more than 50,000 Home and Kitchen products by brands like Prestige, Bombay Dyeing, Pigeon and Homecentre are also on the cards.
According to the company, there will be big discounts on the purchase of the Echo and Alexa devices via the e-store. There will be more offers on Amazon devices such as on Echo Show 5, FireTV Stick, all-new Kindle among others.
Asus is back with incredible offers on its smartphones. The company will be offering the same offers and deals, which Asus offered during Big Billion Days sale on Flipkart, The sale has just ended that ran from September 29 to October 4. From October 7 to October 9 Asus will be offering great discounts on its latest smartphones. The company will be giving the latest smartphones such as Asus 6Z, Zenfone 5Z, ZenFone Max M2, ZenFone Max Pro M1 at their lowest price during the three days sale.
Again on Flipkart the Taiwanese electronics brand Asus will be offering “Big Billion Day” sale offers to the consumers from October 7 to October 9. The sale will begin today at midnight and will go on till October 9th at midnight.
During the sale period, the company will be offering flat Rs 4,000 off on all the variants of 6Z. Asus 6Z comes in three variants after the discount the 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage can be bought at Rs 27,999 which currently retails at Rs 31999 in the country. The 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and 8GB RAM with 256GB of internal storage option will be sold at Rs 30,999 and Rs 35,999 respectively. Both the variants are being sold at Rs 34999 and 39999 respectively without any discount.
Zenfone 5Z has received a temporary price cut of Rs 5,000, Rs 6,000 and Rs 7,000 off on all the three variants. The 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage will now be sold at Rs 16,999, down from Rs 21,999 whereas the 6 GB with 128GB storage will be available at Rs 18,999 and the original cost of the phone is 24,999. The upper variant that is the 8GB of RAM with 256 GB of internal storage can be purchased at Rs 21,999 during the three days sale. Currently, the smartphone is being sold at Rs 28,999.
Asus will be offering Rs 1,000 discount on the purchase of ZenFone Max M2. The device is available in two storage options. After receiving the discount you can buy the smartphone at Rs 6,999 for the 3GB of RAM with 32GB storage. Whereas, the 4GB of RAM with 64GB of storage model will be available at Rs 8,499. Currently, the variants are being sold at Rs 7,999 and Rs 9,499 respectively.
ZenFone Max Pro M1 can be bought via Flipkart at Rs 7,499 for the 3GB RAM with 32GB of storage model. While the 4GB with 64GB of storage option can be purchased at Rs 8,499. Both the storage variant’s original price is Rs 7,999 and RS 8,999 respectively.
In addition to this, the Asus will be offering 10 percent of instant discount on the purchase of the smartphones if the transactions are made through Citi bank Credit and Debit cards. There is also an option of no-cost EMI on Bajaj Finserv, Credit and Debit card from all banks for a period of three and six months.
HP today announced the launch of another notebook in India. The PC and printers manufacturer launched its latest HP Pavilion x360 notebook in the country. The convertible device comes with the 10th Gen Intel Core processor along with built-in Alexa. It features a 14.3-inch three sides micro-edge display along with Audio by B&O.
VickramBedi, Senior Director, Personal Systems, HP Inc. India said, “HP continues to drive innovation by developing devices that have the latest features and advanced capabilities. The new HP Pavilion x360 with Alexa built-in is a first of its kind device for the India market and will empower consumers with the freedom to do more. It is a cutting-edge computing device for the new generation of millennial and Gen Z consumers of India”
The HP Pavilion x360 notebook comes with a new hourglass edge design, which allows the user to open the laptop. It comes with a 14.3-inch, three-sided micro-edge bezel along with a full-HD LED backlight touch-display. The HP notebook is powered by a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor. The device is voice-enable and as said comes with Alexa onboard. Consumers can control music, timers, alarms, calendars, smart-home devices and more, simply by speaking to Alexa while web browsing, working or streaming content.
HP Pavillion notebook weighs 1.58KG and comes with four distinct modes of Laptop, Tablet, Reverse and Tent, to work, write, watch and play. The laptop has storage of 1TB HDD+256GB SSD and 512GB PCIe SSD6. For security purposes, the convertible laptop comes with a fingerprint reader. It has NVIDIA GeForce MX250 GPU that offers higher graphics performance for more fluid media editing, casual gaming and AR experiences. According to the company, the performance of these processors is optimized by Intel Dynamic Tuning technology that provides better battery life, ultra-fast speed and better productivity.
Pricing and availability:
The company has launched HP Pavilion x360 notebook in three variants Intel core i3, i5 and i7 with a starting price of INR 45,990. It is available across HP World Stores, Croma, HP online store and e-commerce websites such as Amazon, Flipkart and Reliance Digital.
As Diwali is approaching all the electronics brands in India are busy announcing their festive sale. The annual festival sale of Amazon and Flipkart has just ended. Now the South Korean electronics manufacturer has announced its Anniversary Sale. The company has announced great deals and offers on its products across various categories. The sale has already begun and its company is offering smartphones, smartwatches, electronic appliances and various audio products from brands like JBL, AKG and Harman. Check out below the products Samsung is offering big discounts.
As a part of Samsung Anniversary Sale, the company is offering up to 50 percent off on the purchase of its smartphones. Samsung’s 2018 flagship smartphone (Galaxy S9), which is currently being sold at Rs 42,999 in the country can be bought at Rs 29,999 during the Samsung Sale. The newly launched smartphone Samsung Galaxy A30 is also a part of the sale. Apart from that the customers buying the phones during the sale can avail 10 percent cash back on a range of Samsung smartphones.
Smartwatches can be purchased at 20 percent less during the festive season sale. The consumers can buy Samsung Television with a big discount of 49 percent. While there is up to 31 percent discount on the purchase of Refrigerators. The buyers can get up to 21 percent off on Washing Machine and can get Samsung Microwaves at 43 percent less. The company is offering a 28 percent discount on Air conditioners, up to 50 percent off on Harman KardonAudio equipment and up to 60 percent off on JBL audio products. You can also buy Samsung accessories by paying 40 percent less and up to 60 percent discount is available on Memory and Storage cards.
The Frame 55-inch QLED TV can be bought at Rs 84,999. And an additional discount of 10 percent is being offered to the consumers buying the TV via HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank cards. The TV will also be available on other E-commerce websites where it already got sold out during last sale. Go Smart with Samsung Galaxy Watch 46mm, is available at Rs 23,990.
Additional offers include, up to 10 percent cash back on select SBI, HDFC, ICICI and Axis Bank cards while consumers making transactions using Amazon pay will get a cashback of up to Rs 1,500. Customers will get a 25 percent discount on their travel booking via MakeMy Trip if they purchase Samsung devices. The company will be offering OYO hotel vouchers worth up to Rs 10,000 along with Additional exchange value on the old device while purchasing new Samsung Smartphones. Seems like it is a good time to buy Samsung and allied electronics right now.
This year Samsung has launched so many devices in the market and especially it has expanded it’s A series of smartphones. Best known for premium smartphones the company too offers many devices under budget segment, for instance, Galaxy A and J series. The South Korean smartphone company recently launched Samsung Galaxy A50s in India. The price of the smartphone starts at Rs 22,999 and is available via all the leading online stores and offline retailers across the country.
The Samsung Galaxy A50s is an upgraded version of Galaxy A50 that was launched a few months ago. If you are planning to buy this smartphone, as Diwali is just around the corner, then you must read our review of the Samsung Galaxy A50s.
In This Article
Design and Display
As we already mentioned earlier that Samsung launched Galaxy A50 earlier this year. The successor, Galaxy A50s, comes with a 6.4-inch display. It has a slim bezel, but a visible chin and a teardrop notch on the top of the screen housing a selfie camera. And when you flip it you will become aware of the prism-like effects refracting the light off the back panel. For the review, we got the Prism Crush White variant that made it appear awfully gorgeous.
The company has used plastic-like material which is lighter in the hand. However, it is more prone to fingerprints and scratches. We would suggest you to use the clear case to protect the Samsung Galaxy A50s from scratches that comes along with the phone inside the box.
Besides this, the smartphone has curved edges and the back panel has the same design concept, which we saw on its predecessor. On the back panel, you will also see the triple camera set up vertically placed in a module on the top left corner and an LED flashlight underneath it. At the center, you will see a Samsung logo.
On the right edge of the smartphone, there is a volume rocker key and below it you can find the power button. Despite having a large screen the buttons were easily accessible even if the user has small hands. While on the left there is a dual SIM tray.
At the bottom edge, the Samsung Galaxy A50s handset has a USB Type-C charging port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a speaker grille.
Looking at the front we felt that Galaxy A50s display is identical to its predecessor with exactly the same size screen as well as panel type. We should point out that Galaxy A50 also has the same Infinity-U shaped notch on its display. All in all, Samsung Galaxy A50s looks contemporary.
Moving on to the display, the Samsung Galaxy A50s features a 6.4-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,340 pixels) Infinity-U Super AMOLED display. The display seems sharp and bright serving our needs while watching a movie or checking out our Instagram feeds thanks to the bezel-less design. And the blue light filter feature was really helpful while viewing the phone during dark conditions. The readability of the device under bright sunlight was good enough we did not face any difficulty using the phone under the sunlight.
Performance and Cameras
Samsung Galaxy A50s draws the power from the octa-core Exynos 9611 SoC processor clubbed with 6GB of RAM along with 128GB of internal storage. In case you need more storage space then you can expand the memory with the help of a microSD card up to 512GB. The smartphone runs on Android 9 Pie with One UI on top that is the best part of it, because it has all the features which a flagship phone has and we did not come across any lags during the review.
However, one thing that was really bothersome is its fingerprint sensor which at times took a wee bit extra time to unlock. We used the face unlock option in its place were much happier.
Like most Samsung smartphones, pressing the power button for long will activate the Bixby and to shut down the device there is a dedicated power off button inside the quick toggle else you can also switch it off by long-pressing the power off and volume down button. There is also an edge panel on the right side of the display which appears when swiped inwards. The Edge contains apps that are used the most or you can create shortcuts to access specific functions, keep your favorite contacts and more. You can also use two apps at the same time with the use of the app pair.
Now we already know that it is powered by Exynos 9611 SoC processor that allows you to play PUBG in HDR mode. But we recommend you to play the game in HD mode rather than HDR mode for the better lag-free gaming experience. In Samsung Galaxy A50swe also get game booster options that are of assistance while playing games.
Below are a few benchmark results of the Samsung Galaxy A50s:
AnTuTu 3DBench: 139,198
Geekbench 5: 351 single-core score and 1221 multi-core CPU score
Until now we did not experience any problem related to the performance of the smartphone. We have earlier reviewed the Samsung Galaxy A50 so we can assure you performance-wise the successor is better than its predecessor. The smartphone comes with a battery capacity of 4000mAh, which offers a battery life of more than one day.
Inside the box of Samsung Galaxy A50s, you get a 10W charger and a USB Type-C cable. Together it takes the device more than two hours to fully charge. During the test, we streamed videos, played music, clicked pictures as well as surfed the internet and the battery lasted the whole day, but it needed to be charged before going to the bed.
These days every other smartphone comes with a 48-megapixel camera, which can be found in Samsung Galaxy A50s also. But first, take a look at what it has to offer. Galaxy A50s comes with an array of triple rear camera set up consisting of a 48-megapixel primary shooter with f/2.0 aperture along with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle shooter and a 5-megapixel depth sensor. For selfies, it includes a 32-megapixel front camera with an f/2.0 aperture.
The camera app comes with an array of features such as Food, as the name suggests if you love clicking pictures of your food to post it on your social media the phone has this dedicated feature. There is a night mode for clicking pictures under dark conditions. Panorama, Pro mode is also included plus there is a Live focus mode for clicking portraits. For video recording, there is a slow-motion mode, super slow motion and Hyper lapse mode. You can also record the videos in 4K. But while recording the videos in 4K you have to keep your hands still or shakes will appear in the final cut.
Ultra-Wide ModeNormal Mode
The images delivered by the Samsung Galaxy A50s were of good quality. During the daytime and good light conditions, the images were sharp as well as vibrant. Here we would like to mention that all the pictures taken from the phone look really good but the real output is shown on a laptop. Honestly speaking we were not satisfied with the performance it showed there, the pictures definitely could have been better especially in low light conditions.
Night ModeNormal Mode
The portrait mode in the Samsung Galaxy A50s uses the depth camera, which adds a blur around the subject. You can also adjust the blur effect within the app while clicking the picture, too. This adjustment can also be done after you have already taken the shot, now that is neat.
Most of us love taking selfies to upload it on our social media profiles. Earlier the Galaxy A50 had a 25-megapixel camera but in the upgraded version there is a 32-megapixel selfie camera on the Samsung Galaxy A50s. We took lots of selfies in normal mode and Live Focus mode as well. We were happy with the performance of the selfie camera when the pictures were taken in normal mode but not so much when taken in Live Focus mode. We have seen better from some of its competition.
Verdict
Samsung Galaxy A50s comes with a price tag of Rs 22,999 for the 4GB RAM variant and Rs 24,999 for the 6GB RAM. Both the variants offer 128GB of internal memory, which can be expanded up to 512GB using a microSD card. In terms of looks, display, battery life and performance the phone is enterprising contenders. The Samsung Galaxy A50s is sleek, light in weight and has everything to offer at this price range.
But the camera quality could have been better especially when the pictures taken during low light situations and the portraits also. The device doesn’t do justice to the price if you are just looking for great imagery. For everything else, it is a very good buy.
Realme X2 Pro is set to arrive with dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos. The Chinese smartphone company has revealed via its official European Twitter account. The upcoming smartphone will also be offering Certified Hi-Res Sound. Previously, the smartphone was also teased by the company on its European website revealing few of its specifications. As per the listing, the smartphone will come with improved macro and portrait photography features and 50W VOOC charging support.
Realme took to Twitter to reveal that its yet to be unveiled smartphone Realme X2 Pro will feature dual stereo speakers along with Dolby Atmos surround sound technology offering certified Hi-Res sound quality.
The tweet reads,” You don’t need headphones to hear the best sound quality with your realme X2 Pro. Our best smartphone will allow you to enjoy an immersive experience thanks to Dual Stereo Speakers with Dolby Atmos and Certified Hi-Res Sound”
Besides this, the company recently listed the smartphone on its European website. As per the listing, the smartphone will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ SoC processor.
Reame X2 Pro will be a gaming-focused smartphone. The upcoming device will debut with a 90Hz Fluid Display. Apart from that the product page also revealed that X2 Pro will be featuring a quad rear camera set up that we have already seen on its predecessor – the Realme X2. The camera set up will include a 64-megapixel primary sensor assisted by a secondary sensor with an ultra-wide-angle 115-degree lens. There will also be a Super Macro lens with 2.5 centimeters of focal length along with a Portrait lens. The quad-camera set up will be supported by a 20x hybrid zoom similar to the Oppo Reno 2.
Previously the company also tweeted that Realme X2 Pro will be supported by 50W SuperVOOC Flash Charge technology identical to the Oppo R17 Pro. It is expected that the phone will be launched in the European market first along with a number of countries in Asia. Until now the company has not revealed any launch date, as the teasers and rumours are picking up the pace we hope the company will reveal it soon.
Samsung and Apple recently launched their most premium smartphones. Now the software technology giant Google is gearing up to introduce its Pixel 4 series before the world. Based on rumours and leaks we now already know the blueprint of the Google Pixel 4 smartphones and also its specifications. In the latest development, the prices of the upcoming smartphones by Google have been leaked on the web.
The Mountain View-based company, Google, will unveil the new Pixel 4 series at a dedicated event to be hosted in New York on October 15. Ahead of its official launch, the pricing of the latest Pixel phones have been revealed by a tipster Evan Blass. According to the tipster the prices of the phones have been leaked in Canada. He also revealed the price of the devices via a tweet.
As per his tweet, the new Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4XL will be introduced in 64GB and 128GB of internal storage variants. The 64GB variant of Google Pixel 4 will carry a price tag of CAD 1049.95 which translates to about Rs 55,800 as per Indian currency whereas the 128GB storage option will arrive with a price tag of CAD 1199.95 that is approximately Rs 63,800.
As per the Canadian pricing, the Google Pixel 4 XL’s 64GB price will be similar to its younger sibling’s 128GB storage variant, which is CAD 1199.95. The 128GB storage variant will cost CAD 1359.95 which translated to Rs 72,300 according to the Indian currency. The leaked Canadian price points out that the new Google Pixel 4 series price will be on the higher side this year when compared to last year’s pricing.
At present, Google Pixel 3 that was launched last year retails at Rs 49,999 for the base variant and the upper variant is sold at Rs 58,999 while the 64GB of the Pixel 3 XL comes at Rs 54,999 and the 128GB storage model can be purchased at Rs 65,999.
As per reports and leaks the upcoming Google Pixel 4 is expected to feature a 5.7-inch 90Hz full HD+ OLED display whereas the Pixel 4XL will carry a 6.3-inch 90Hz QHD 1,440p+ OLED display. The reports suggest that the models of the Pixel 4 series will be housing a battery capacity of 2,800mAh and 3,700mAh respectively. Both the devices will be powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor.
Google Pixel 4 will reportedly arrive with a 12-megapixel primary sensor and a 16-megapixel telephoto lens. The rumours also suggest that the phone will come with an “astrophotography” camera mode for night sky photography. In the past, we have seen exceptional picture quality from Google Smartphones, will they better themselves this time? We will come to know about the upcoming Google event on Oct 15. Stay tuned to Gadget Bridge as we will bring you the latest Google Pixel phones updates as they break.
These days many people are relying on deceitful tactics to the point they win PUBG Mobile gameplay. Using unfair means to win a game has now taken a serious form which gives the players in online multiplayer games and single-player modes the new edge. This is considered to be immoral and harshly condemned by the ones who believe in fair play. So to curb cheating, the developers of the PUBG Mobile game have taken a serious note on criticism with regard to the players who are using unfair means to win the game.
To prohibit cheating the company has announced that those gamers who are found cheating within the game will be banned for a period of 10 years. This move up to a great extent will stop the gamers from violating the gaming standards of the PUBG Mobile and will also ensure a fun as well as fair gameplay.
“We have always strived to deliver a gaming environment that is fair and enjoyable for each and every player and prevent cheating. We take this issue very seriously; as such, each account in violation has received a 10-year ban. We would like to remind all players about the importance of fair play, and thank you for keeping PUBG MOBILE fair and fun.”
Players using the unauthorised third-party apps or hacks cause fair players to lose the game. Now the players can also get an option to report to the company if they have doubt on other players are cheating using the in-game reporting system. This will send a notification to the responsible team who will ensure that strict action is taken also publishing the IDs of confirmed cheaters. The company has been addressing this behavior of gamers on a monthly basis who are violating the rules of the games. To ensure a fair gaming environment for the first time the company had issued a 10-year ban to over 3500 players in September alone.
“If you suspect that a player is cheating or using an unauthorized 3rd party app to dishonestly assist their gameplay in a match, please use the in-game reporting system to notify us. We investigate all such reports thoroughly and you will be informed of the findings. We will continue to enforce stringent discipline against cheaters and publish the IDs of confirmed cheaters.”
Call of Duty: Mobile developed by Tencent Games was launched on October 1. The new mobile game has surpassed 35 million downloads on both iOS and Android stores. This is more than any other mobile game on the App Store and Google Play. Apart from that, this free-to-play first-person shooter game has achieved the number one position on App store based on downloads since its launch in more than 100 countries across the globe.
Tencent Holdings’ Call of Duty: Mobile managed to attract 35 million games from the day of its launch becoming the highest-profile game developed by Tencent Games who also developed another popular mobile game — PUBG Mobile.
As said, the game was launched on October 1st across the world on Google Play and App Store. The game is available everywhere except Mainland China, Vietnam and Belgium. The game was announced by Activision earlier this year and then they collaborated with Tencent Games to produce Call of Duty: Mobile.
“The response from fans across both Android and iOS has been amazing. Already, Call of Duty: Mobile has surpassed 35 million downloads on its way to becoming the #1 ranked iOS app in downloads overall, not only among games but also among all apps, in 100 countries and regions,” stated Rob Kostich, president, Activision. “This is an incredibly fun experience, and we’re only getting started. Congratulations to the teams at Activision and at our partner Tencent’s TiMi Studios for making such a great game for players. And special thanks to our fans for their continued support. There is a ton more to look forward to as we release more content and updates” stated the company.
For the unknown, Call of Duty: Mobile is a free-to-play first-person shooter game on mobile that brings new maps, competitive modes, iconic characters and signature weapons and will also include Battle Royale mode and 100 players on the map. Inspired by graphics of the PC game, it has fast become a hot favourite amongst mobile gamers.
As per a report, India contributed approximately 14% — largest number of game downloads, followed by the United States with 9% of installs. According to Sensor Tower, a market analyst, Call of Duty: Mobile has already earned $2 million so far.
The company is now gearing up to launch its next on-mobile entry in the series Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, which will go live from October 5 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
The war of the telecom companies continues. In order to lure its subscribers, the government-run telecom company BSNL collaborated with Paytm to provide its users in locating public WIFI hotspots near their current location. Paytm will notify its users about the availability of the BSNL Wi-Fi hotspot near their area along with the option to opt for a new plan and data usage.
These days every other consumer is using the Paytm app for digital payment. The state-run company BSNL took advantage of the popularity of the app collaborated with it to facilitate its users about the smart WiFi onboarding feature in India.
As per BSNL, from now onwards, consumers purchasing a Wifi plan will be notified by the Paytm app to gain accessibility to BSNL WiFi zones in their area. The Paytm users will get a notification on their device, which will allow them to know available public WiFi zones when the user enters a location where BSNL WiFi is being served. Tapping on the notification will allow them to log in by providing their information if they have purchased the wifi Plan else they buy a suitable plan for using over the WiFi and pay using their Paytm app.
After this, the WiFi will be activated on their number. Using the Paytm app the user can also keep a check on the data usage so that it is not exhausted. Plus the app will also allow them to check the validity of the plan.
Until now the BSNL has not revealed their WiFi plans but the users will be able to select the plans as per their requirement using the Paytm app and purchasing it through UPI, Paytm Wallet and other available payment gateways. Here we would like to mention that BSNL covers all the massive public places where it is facilitating Wi-Fi networks across India. It covers over 30,000 WIFI hotspots zones in India, to be exact.
Samsung has really upped its game in 2019. Today the South Korean company announced the launch of its new smartphone in India. Samsung Galaxy A20s with Infinity-V display has now been launched in the country. The smartphone is the upgraded variant of the Samsung Galaxy A20, which was launched by the company in the country a few months ago. The smartphone will join the family of Galaxy A50s and Galaxy A30s, which were launched by the company last month. The key specification of the Galaxy A20s includes triple rear cameras, 6.5-inch HD+ Infinity V Display and 15W fast charging.
Samsung Galaxy A20s Price and Availability
Galaxy A20s has been launched in India in two storage variants 3GB of RAM with 32GB of internal storage and 4GB of RAM with 64GB of internal storage. The price for the base variant is kept at Rs 11,999 while the 4GB RAM with 64GB storage option will come with a price tag of Rs 13,999. The smartphone will be available in three colours options Green, Blue and Black. The Samsung Galaxy A20s can be purchased via Samsung e-Store, Samsung Opera House, leading e-commerce platforms as well as offline retail stores across the country.
Samsung Galaxy A20s Specifications
Samsung Galaxy A20s comes with a 6.5-inch HD+ (720×1,560 pixels) Infinity-V display. Under the hood, there is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 Octa-Core processor clocked at 1.8GHz paired with 3GB of RAM along with 32GB of internal storage option, which can be expanded via microSD card up to 512GB. The new smartphone runs on Android 9 Pie skinned with One UI on top.
In terms of camera capabilities, Galaxy A20s features a triple rear camera setup that includes a 13-megapixel primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture lens, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera lens with an f/2.2 aperture and a 120-degree field of view lastly a 5-megapixel depth camera with f/2.2 aperture. On the front, there is an 8-megapixel selfie camera with an f/2.0 aperture.
The device comes with a rear fingerprint sensor and face recognition sensor onboard. On the part of connectivity, Samsung Galaxy A20s includes 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS/ A-GPS, Bluetooth v4.2, USB Type-C as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack. The handset draws the power from a battery with the capacity of a 4,000mAh with 15W fast charging support.
Social media giant Facebook announced the launch of a new companion app for Instagram. The company introduced an application called ‘Threads’ that will let the users share their personal pictures, status, current location and battery life with their close friends on Instagram. A few months ago we reported that Facebook is working on a new app that will encourage close sharing between users with text, photos as well as videos with the use of Instagram’s original tools.
In the past, Facebook made several efforts to make visual sharing on Instagram by launching a standalone messaging app ‘Direct’, but it was put down later on. Now again it has introduced Threads standalone app to allow the users to share photos, videos, messages, Stories and more with your Instagram close friends list.
“Last year, we introduced Close Friends for sharing more personal moments with a select group of people you choose. Now, you can use Threads to message those people on your Instagram close friends list and you’ll have a dedicated inbox and notifications just for them. You can customize the list as per you your preference when you download the app. Only those people will be able to message you who you choose to put on your list” said the company.
The new app will allow you to share your pictures or videos with the people you are close to quickly on Instagram. The app opens it right away to the camera so that you can add shortcuts to it.
Now you can share your status only with friends you wish to. The app allows you to choose from suggested status like ‘studying’, create your own ‘Procrastinating’ or else turn on Auto Status like ‘On the move’. This can only be viewed by your close friends. “Status was created with your privacy in mind – you control whether you share your status and with whom.” The Auto message will require your location so you need to turn on your location service, for instance, the Auto Status “At a cafe” is set when you’re at a coffee shop, but the name of the café or address it will not be shared.
“Auto Status will not share your precise location with your friends, and when Threads sends location information to our server to look up locations, it’s not stored there – this information is only stored on your device for a limited time. It is also deleted if you remove Threads” as further stated by the company.
Cupertino-based technology giant Apple has increased the production of its newly launched smartphone iPhone 11 by up to 10%. According to a report by Nikkei Asian Review, the company has raised the production of devices by 8 million units resulting in better-than-expected demand.
According to a Japanese online portal Nikkei Asian, the biggest reason behind the increased in the productivity of the iPhone 11 is the new marketing strategy of Apple CEO Tim Cook of tempting more budget-conscious consumers by offering them cheaper models.
The production increase of between 7 million and 8 million units is similar to total annual phone shipments this year by Apple’s rival Google in its home market.
The report said “This autumn is so far much busier than we expected. Previously, Apple was quite conservative about placing orders,” which were less than for last year’s new iPhone. “After the increase, prepared production volume for the iPhone 11 series will be higher compared to last year,”
Earlier in September Apple launched its three new iPhone models — the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. The company for the first time introduced its new devices at a reduced price due to last year’s disappointing results in Apple’s slow sale.
Keeping the price factor in mind, Cook’s new budget-conscious strategy came to its rescue. In the past, the CEO also accepted that due to the high price Apple faced slow sales, especially in emerging markets. Recently to a German newspaper, Bild, Cook expressed his excitement over the iPhone 11 launch and that its sales had enjoyed a “very strong start.”
“One factor that may have helped boost demand temporarily is that Apple’s iPhone 11 is still produced in China, and Washington has temporarily postponed a planned 10% tariff on China-made electronic imports. The delay in the tariff hike, from September to December 15, will help demand during the Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping seasons. Donald Trump has hardened his posture on trade talks with China, saying in September he did not want an interim truce.”
The report also mentioned that the suppliers remain cautious and said they were concerned that the higher level of orders would not be sustained.
“Demand is good for now. But we have to be careful not to be too optimistic,” one executive-level source said in the report. “I hope that this year’s peak season lasts longer than last year.”
The much-awaited Samsung Galaxy Fold went on pre-orders for the first time in India on October 4. The South Korean company Samsung launched its first foldable device in the country earlier this week. Setting a new record, the company sold a large number of Samsung Galaxy Fold on the first day of pre-booking.
On October 4 Samsung started taking pre-booking orders of the Samsung Galaxy Fold in India. The sale started at 12 noon onwards in the country and within 30 minutes sold 1600 devices on Friday. The company will start delivering the next-generation smartphone on October 20.
As per a report, the company at present has stopped taking the pre-orders of the Samsung Galaxy Fold as the first stock of the device was limited to 1600 units only.
To recall the South Korean electronics brand, Samsung, launched Galaxy Fold in India earlier this week. The smartphone-cum-tablet has been introduced in the country at Rs 1,64,999 in the country. The smartphone is available in a single 12GB of RAM with 512GB of internal storage variant. The device comes in two colour options Cosmos Black and Space Silver.
Until now the company has not announced the next pre-booking dates of the Samsung Galaxy Fold but we will update it to you when the sale is announced. The foldable phone can be booked via the Samsung India website and Samsung Shop. Besides this, the customers can book their device in advance through select 315 offline retailers across 35 cities in the country and also via Samsung Opera House in Bengaluru.
The buyers will be provided 24 hours Galaxy Fold Premier service assistance along with one-year Infinity Flex Display Protection. The device’s display can be replaced at Rs 10,500 in case of accidental damage.
Samsung Galaxy Fold specifications
Galaxy Fold consists of two displays on the front it features a 4.6-inch HD+ Super AMOLED Display with a 21:9 aspect ratio. The second foldable display comes with a 7.3-inch dynamic AMOLED Infinity Flex Main Display. The device is powered by 64-bit Octa-Core Processor at 2.84GHz (maximum clock speed) + 2.41GHz + 1.78GHz paired with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of inbuilt storage. The foldable smartphone-cum-tablet runs Android 9 Pie with One UI on top. It houses a dual battery with a total capacity of 4,380mAh supporting Wireless PowerShare feature for wireless charging.
In terms of camera capabilities, the Fold consists of six cameras – the triple rear camera system includes a 16-megapixel ultra-wide camera with an f/2.2 aperture, a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera with Super Speed Dual Pixel AF. With OIS and variable f/1.5 to f/2.4 aperture the set is further assisted by a 12-megapixel telephoto camera with PDAF, OIS, an f/2.4 aperture, and with 2X optical zoom and up to 10x digital zoom with HDR+ recording. The device has a 10-megapixel selfie camera with an f/2.2 aperture. The dual selfie camera set up consists of a 10-megapixel f/2.2 main sensor and an 8-megapixel RBG depth camera with an f/1.9 aperture.
Lenovo recently launched three new smartphones in the mid-budget segment: Z6 Pro, K10 Note and A6 Note. The three devices have been priced at Rs 33,999, Rs 13,999 and Rs 7,999 respectively. Among these, the Lenovo K10 Note is placed in one of the competitive segments and its specifications include Snapdragon 710 SoC, a triple rear camera setup and 4,050mAh battery. We spent a few days with the budget smartphone to know if it’s actually worth a buy or it sounds good only on paper. Read the rest of our review to know if Lenovo K10 Note is the right buy for you:
In This Article
Lenovo K10 Note design and display
Lenovo K10 Note is meant for those who like their smartphone to have a simple and minimalistic design. But, in spite of being both of these, the handset does look elegant and sports a sturdy built quality. Unlike a lot of other glossy looking smartphones available today, the Lenovo K10 Note is made up of plastic, which makes it lighter than them. Even after prolonged usage, the smartphone would not feel heavy to hold. In addition to this, the back panel and the sides of the device are made up of a single piece of plastic, and this further makes one-handed usage more comfortable. However, the plastic back panel is also a fingerprint magnet, so we would recommend you to keep a piece of microfiber cloth to wipe it clean.
The Black coloured back panel houses the triple rear camera setup, an LED flash and a fingerprint scanner. The Lenovo branding is also present on the back of the handset; however, the device has to be held horizontally to read it. The right edge of the smartphone houses the power and volume keys while the left one has the SIM tray sandwiched on it. The bottom has the Type-C port, the speaker grill, the 3.5mm headphone jack and the microphone, while the top only has the secondary microphone.
Overall, we would say that while the design of the Lenovo K10 Note is simple, it is definitely stylish. Go for it if you don’t like your handset to be too ostentatious.
Flip over and you will see the 6.3-inch full-HD+ LCD display of the device that sports a drop-shaped notch on the top and has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The bezels are fairly thin and the chin at the bottom is slightly thicker. Lenovo has said that it has used Panda Glass instead of Corning’s Gorilla Glass to protect the display of the smartphone. We were quite happy with our experience with the screen of Lenovo K10 Note. It projects vibrant colours, which remain consistent at different viewing angles. We spent a lot of hours watching videos on the device and the images projected were very clear even in high-resolution videos. As we said earlier, our experience with the screen of the device was, overall, a good one. We didn’t face any problem reading content even under direct sunlight.
Lenovo K10 Note performance and cameras
Before we talk about the performance of the device, we’ll take a minute to shed light on the rest of the notifications. Lenovo K10 Note is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 710 SoC clubbed with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The handset houses a 4,050mAh battery that has support for 18W fast charging and for imaging duties; there is a triple rear camera setup with a 16MP primary lens, an 8MP secondary lens with 2x optical zoom and a 5MP depth sensor. For selfies and video calls, there is a 16MP front facing snapper.
Coming to the software of the handset, it runs the Android 9.0 Pie with very little customization, which we think is a good thing. Devices which have heavily customised operating systems tend to perform certain actions slower. We opened multiple tabs of Chrome and switched between various apps and during our time with the device, we did not face any lag. The handset has support for gestures and they can be enabled via the ‘4D U-Touch’ menu in the Settings of the smartphone. The facial recognition can be found under ‘Smart Lock’. Rest everything is easy to find. There were a few pre-installed apps in the handset including App Daily, Opera, TrueCaller, Asphalt Nitro, Puzzle Pets and more. However, not all of these can be uninstalled. But luckily, we at least get the option of uninstalling the games if we want to.
Speaking of the performance of the Lenovo K10 Note, in our experience, it was very smooth. As we mentioned earlier, we faced no lag in launching and switching between various apps and tabs. The smartphone was also good at handling multi-tasking and did not heat up when we tried to perform two or three tasks at a time. However, the same cannot be said about gaming. In about half an hour of gameplay, you would feel that the device starts heating up a bit. However, we should point out that this only happened when we were playing graphic hungry games like Asphalt 9: Legends, and even then, it only got slightly warm.
The battery life of the smartphone is another good aspect. The 4,050mAh battery easily lasted us more than a day with heavy usage involving YouTube videos, browsing through social media apps, using Google Maps for navigation, and clicking photographs. Lenovo K10 Note usually took more than two hours to be charged completely.
We should also talk about the audio quality of the handset. Lenovo K10 Note comes with Dolby Atmos and even with only a single speaker; it does manage a good sound output. The good audio abilities of the device only made our video-watching experience even better. The call quality of the handset was also good. We didn’t encounter any problems while making or receiving calls even in areas like elevators.
Coming to the biometrics of the Lenovo K10 Note, we preferred the fingerprint scanner over the facial unlock. While the face unlock did recognise our face in most conditions, we found it to be slower than the fingerprint scanner of the smartphone, which even unlocked the device when our fingers were moist.
Now, let’s move on to talk about the cameras. As we mentioned in the specifications, the Lenovo K10 Note sports a triple rear camera setup that has a 16MP primary lens, an 8MP telephoto lens with 2x zoom, and a 5MP depth sensor.
The images taken with the primary camera during the day showcased accurate colours and were aptly bright. They also had a good amount of details. Focussing on objects far away using the primary lens of the smartphone was not hard too. However, when we tried clicking objects that were close to the camera, the lens didn’t always immediately focus on it. The 8MP zoom lens proved to be good when the lighting conditions were bright enough; however, it did take longer than the primary lens to focus on objects. In lowly lit conditions, the images taken by both the primary lens and the zoom lens were just decent. Turning on the dedicated Night Mode doesn’t make too much of a difference. But then, on comparing, we preferred the ones taken by the primary camera. The Bokeh shots that we took using the 5MP depth camera mostly turned out to be good, but we should mention that you can’t adjust the level of blur.
Coming to the 16MP selfie camera, it did a decent job of clicking self-portraits. While there are a number of filters and effects that you can apply to your selfie using the camera app of the device, the quality of selfies could be better.
Verdict
At a price of Rs 13,999, Lenovo K10 Note is definitely a good buy. The smartphone comes with a vibrant display, has a long lasting battery and offers a smooth performance. The cameras were only decent, but we would have liked it better had the performance been more consistent.
Recently Apple introduced its new series of iPhone 11 globally. The company launched iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. Every year the company hosts an event in the month of October where it introduces a range of new products. Like every year this year also Apple will be launching a fresh new iPad Pro along with few more products. The company is also planning to launch a 16-inch MacBook Pro with a scissor keyboard in October.
According to a report by MacRumors, during this year’s October event Apple is planning to launch 16-inch MacBook Pro with a new design along with a fresh iPad Pro. There is also a possibility that the new iPad model will also feature a triple-lens rear camera set up. Besides this, the company is also expected to unveil an upgraded Apple TV along with Apple Tags items trackers.
However until now there is no confirmation or indication from the company’s side about the launch date, but Apple teased that it is “coming this fall.” However, there is no assurance that company will release its redesigned Mac Pro.But in the past seven years,five of Apple’s October events were focused on the Mac, iPad or both. The report pointed out that like last year the company will be hosting the event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York on or before October 30. Last year the company introduced its new iPad Pro, MacBook Air and Mac mini models.
The report also suggests that the new MacBook Pro model will arrive with same physical size as of the 15-inch MacBook Pro model, but with smaller bezels and a display with the resolution of 3,072×1,920 pixels.
Apart from that Apple is reportedly planning to upgrade its high-end iPad Pro models with 11-inch and 12.9-inch size displays. The devices will arrive with A13 Bionic chip, which we have already seen on the newly launched iPhone 11 series.
New Apple AirPods 3 is also expected to be launched on the same day when Apple will be unveiling its other products. The new iOS 13.2 beta update has revealed the information of latest AirPods. These earphones will come with a noise-canceling feature that will be called Focus Mode and will also be water resistant.
Sony A9 now has a successor. The electronics giant, Sony, announced the launch of its new mirrorless camera Sony A9 II full-frame mirrorless camera. The camera is the upgraded variant of the A9, which retains the 24.2-megapixel sensor, but now comes with a new Bionz X image processor with an enhanced autofocusing feature to power the device.
Sony A9 II full-frame mirrorless camera has been launched with enhanced features and improved AF capabilities. The latest camera maintains the 24.2-megapixel Exmor RS CMOS sensor, which we have already seen on its predecessor. With the power of Bionz X processor and AI technology, it offers the same shooting speeds 10 fps with the mechanical shutter and blackout-free shooting up to 20 fps with a buffer size that allows you to click 361 JPGs or 239 of Sony’s ‘compressed’ RAW files endlessly.
The device is also capable of calculating AF and auto-exposure at up to 60 times per second. The camera has retained the same 693 phase-detection AF points and 425 contrasts-detect points. Sony A9 II is appropriate for photographers who need a high-speed camera for shooting sports and other action photography. The Sony camera can record videos in 4K with an 8-bit resolution.
The Sony’s new mirrorless camera now comes with the company’s latest digital audio interface that will allow you to make use of its latest shotgun mic and XLR-K3M XLS adapter kit, while recording a video, for better audio quality. Over that, it has 5.5-stop in-body stabilization along with control layout enhanced dials, a touchscreen interface as well as improved dust and water-resistant body with a deeper grip.
In terms of connectivity, Sony A9 II has the support for an ethernet adapter for remote shooting, USB Type C 3.2 port along with 5 GHz WI-Fi support with 2.4GHz band, microphone/headphone jacks and HDMI. The device comes with the same Z-series battery and is well capable of shooting 500 or 690 shots without using EVF.
Sony A9 II full-frame mirrorless camera has been introduced with a price tag of $4,500 for the body only (approximately Rs 3,19,474) and will go on sale in November.
The South Korean electronics brand, Samsung, launched its first foldable phone – Galaxy Fold earlier this week. The much-awaited foldable smartphone is now available for pre-order on the company’s official website. The key highlight of the Samsung Galaxy Fold is its foldable display that transforms into a tablet when unfolded. Other than that the phone comes with six cameras on board with 4,380mAh battery with fast charging support as well as wireless charging support. Read on to know more about the pricing and pre-booking details.
Samsung Galaxy Fold Pricing and pre-orders details
From today onwards Samsung Galaxy Fold will be available for pre-booking for the first time in India. The company has launched the foldable smartphone in India at Rs 1,64,999 for the lone 12GB of RAM with 512GB of internal storage variant. The smartphone has been introduced in two colour options Cosmos Black and Space Silver. The deliveries for the Galaxy Fold will start on October 20 in the country.
You can book your device on the Samsung India website and Samsung Shop from 12 noon onwards. Else Samsung Galaxy Fold can also be pre-booked via 315 offline retailers across 35 cities including Samsung Opera House in Bengaluru.
With the Samsung Galaxy Fold, buyers will be benefitted from Galaxy Fold Premier service along with one -year Infinity Flex Display Protection. This includes accidental damage with one-time protection, genuine parts, expert repair service and Galaxy Fold’s display. The user can also get the display replaced at Rs 10,500 if it accidentally gets damaged.
Samsung Galaxy Fold specifications
Samsung Galaxy Fold comes with two displays one at the front and the second inside the foldable design. The front display comes with 4.6-inch HD+ Super AMOLED Display with a 21:9 aspect ratio while the main display when unfolded features a 7.3-inch dynamic AMOLED Infinity Flex Main Display with 2,152×1,536 pixels of resolution and a 4.2:3 aspect ratio. Under the hood, there is a 64-bit Octa-Core Processor at 2.84GHz (maximum clock speed) + 2.41GHz + 1.78GHz and runs Android 9 Pie skinned One UI on top. It brings 12GB of RAM and 512GB of inbuilt storage.
For the optics, Samsung Galaxy Fold has six cameras- triple rear camera setup, two cameras at the front, and a single selfie camera on the cover of the device. The triple rear camera set up consists of 16-megapixel ultra-wide camera with an f/2.2 aperture, a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera with Super Speed Dual Pixel AF. It also has optical Image Stabilisation and variable f/1.5 to f/2.4 aperture and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera with PDAF, OIS, an f/2.4 aperture, and with 2X optical zoom and up to 10x digital zoom with HDR+ recording.
On the cover the foldable smartphone has a 10-megapixel selfie camera with an f/2.2 aperture. The dual selfie camera set up includes a 10-megapixel f/2.2 primary sensor and an 8-megapixel RBG depth camera with an f/1.9 aperture.
The Galaxy Fold comes with a dual battery with a total capacity of 4,380mAh supported by Wireless PowerShare feature for wireless charging.
These days many companies are bringing new wireless earbuds in the market. To join the league, LG has come up with its new wireless earbuds Tone+ Free. The latest headphones by LG come with custom-tuned Meridian Audio tuning and noise cancellation microphone. The earbuds come with a charging case, too. The biggest USP of the LG earbuds is that they do not require cleaning, in-fact it comes with a germ-killing feature. The LG Tone+ Free true wireless headphones comes with a UV light built-in the case, which automatically kills the germs while the earbuds are charging.
LG Tone+ Free wireless earbuds offers six hours of battery life once completely charged. The device provides an hour of playtime with just 5 minutes of charge. The wireless headphones have onboard the Google Assistant feature to pair it up with your smartphone. This can be accessed by holding down the touchpad. Both the earbuds have touchpads to play or pause music.
LG Tone+ Free has an IPX4 rating that makes them sweat, water and dust resistant. The new wireless earbuds are perfect to be used while working out and running. The earphones come with UVnano function and the case of the earbuds has UV LED, which kills the harmful germs. The earphones have an inbuilt microphone too for calls and noise cancellation feature eliminates all the unnecessary noise coming from the microphone offering clear audio while calling.
LG Tone+ Free wireless earbuds pricing and availability
LG Tone+ Free earbuds have been launched in two colour options Black and White. The black colour variant will go on sale from October 28 while the White one will be available from next month in November. The company has also started taking pre-orders for the Black variant open till October 14. The earbuds have been introduced in South Korea at KRW 259,999 that roughly translates to Rs 15,300.
This festive season if you are planning to gift your loved ones a special tech gift then you can head to Flipkart’s Big Billion days Sale on which you can purchase a Google Home Mini smart speaker in India at almost half of its price. The Big Billion sale began on September 29 and will go on till October 4.
During the Flipkart Big Billion Days Sale, the e-commerce platform will be offering Google Home Mini at a discounted price along with special offers. The Google Assistant-powered smart speaker was launched in India last year at Rs 4,999. Now it can be purchased via Flipkart at Rs 2,299. The Smart speaker comes in two colour options, Chalk and Charcoal. Besides this limited edition Coral colour variant will also be available for purchase on the e-retail platform.
The sale offers include, on purchase of Home Mini smart speaker using ICICI Bank credit cards the buyers will receive a 10 percent discount. Whereas five percent cashback will be offered if the purchase is made using Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card. In addition to this, no-cost EMI option is also available on the purchase of the device is the transaction is made through Bajaj Finserv EMI Card and Flipkart Axis Bank Credit Card. Customers making purchase worth Rs 40,000 on Flipkart using ICICI Bank Credit Cards or Axis Bank debit and credit cards will get Rs 2,000 off on smart speaker’s purchase.
Additionally, buyers will be offered free music streaming on Gaana till March 31, 2021, on the purchase of Google Home Mini smart speaker. On the purchase of the smart device, Google is also offering Syska smart LED bulb at Rs 2,399 during the Flipkart’s Festive Sale.
Google Home Mini is supported by Google Play Music, YouTube, Netflix, Saavn, etc. The smart speaker is a voice-activated device that comes with four lights on it. When the MIC is on mute the lights turn orange. The voice-controlled device needs to be actively connected to the internet and is Wi-Fi supported. This device is powered by Google’s own voice assistant.
