Honor 9X smartphone, Honor Magic 2 smartwatch and Honor Band 5i launched in India: Tech Specs and price

Achuuth Karthick
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Honor 9X smartphone, Honor Magic 2 smartwatch and Honor Band 5i launched in India: Tech Specs and price

Honor launched the Honor 9X smartphone, the Honor Magic 2 smartwatch, and the Honor Band 5i, Honor’s very own fitness band at a launch event on January 14, 2020 in India.

Honor 9X: Specifications, Price and Availability

The Honor 9X has a 6.59-inch full-HD+ display and runs Android 9 Pie with custom EMUI 9.1 skin. The device is powered by a HiSilicon Kirin 710F processor and has RAM of 4GB and 6GB according to the variant. The phone is equipped with a 4,000 mAh battery and has support for 10W charging.

The phone has a triple camera set-up with a 48MP primary sensor, with an 8MP wide-angle camera and a 2MP depth sensor. The front display has a pop-up 16MP camera sensor. The smartphone offers 128GB internal storage that can be expanded through a microSD card and comes in two variants of 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM. The phone offers connectivity through 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS, A-GPS, and GLONASS. The phone also comes equipped with a range of sensors.

The base variant of 4GB will be priced at Rs 13,999 and the 6GB variant will be priced at Rs 16,999. The phone will be available in two colour variants of Midnight Black and Sapphire Blue, and will be available on Flipkart from January 19 in India.

Customers can also avail limited time offers after the smartphone goes on sale. 10% off scheme on ICICI credit card is also available.

Honor Magic Watch 2: Specifications, Price and Availability 

The Honor Magic Watch 2 will be available in two variants of 42mm and 46mm. The 42mm variant has a 1.2-inch AMOLED display while the 46MM version has a 1.39-inch AMOLED panel. The Honor Magic Watch 2 supports a long battery life, with the 42mm version offering 7 days of continuous battery life and the 46mm variant offering 14 days on a full charge,

The Honor Magic Watch 2 offers users 8 outdoor modes, 7 indoor sports, a virtual pace-setter and a heart rate monitor. The device offers 5ATM water resistance and supports Huawei TruSleep 2.0 technology, which can help diagnose 6 types of common sleep disorders and can also monitor stress with the Huawei TruRelax feature. The 46mm model starts at a price of Rs 12,999 for a Charcoal Black variant with a Flax Brown variant is available for Rs 14,999. The 42mm model is priced at Rs 11,999 for the Agate black version while the Sakura gold version will cost Rs 14,999. The watches will be available to Amazon Prime members for purchase from January 18 and will be open for the public from 19 January.

Early buyers of the Honor Magic Watch 2 can choose from a multitude of offers available to certain bank users including discounts from credit card merchants.

Honor Band 5i: Specifications, Price and Availability

The Honor Band 5i has a 0.96-inch touch-responsive colour display and comes equipped with a 91mAh battery promising users’ life of up to 9 days on a single charge. The device has a 3-axis inertial sensor, an optical heart rate sensor and an infrared light wearing detection sensor. The fitness band offers connectivity through Bluetooth 4.2 and has 5ATM water resistance.

The device comes set with 9 sport modes and the ability to directly plug into USB ports without special apparatus. The smartband charges is said to charge fully in an hour and a half. The Honor Band 5i can pair with devices running on Android 4.4 and above, and iOS 9.0 and later devices. The Honor Band 5i is priced at Rs 1,999 and will be available a day earlier for Amazon Prime members from January 18 while other non-prime customers can buy the band from January 19 on Amazon.

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OnePlus 8 Pro in rendered images: Will come with a 120Hz display, launch date and probable tech specs

Aadvika
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OnePlus 8 Pro in rendered images: Will come with a 120Hz display, launch date and probable tech specs

OnePlus has been slowly and steadily making its name in India. The OnePlus 6 and 7 series broke all records in the last two years and became the best premium phone in the country. Now all eyes are on the next launch by the BBK owned Chinese company, which will be OnePlus 8 Pro. Pete Lau in a press conference in China has confirmed that the smartphone will indeed come with a 120Hz display. This will allow the company to compete with Asus ROG smartphones that have taken the mid-segment of the smartphone by storm.

Some renders of the OnePlus 8 Pro have been leaked online by Onleaks that show the front and back of the smartphone. Looking at that one can see that the mobile will sport 4 cameras at the back similar to the design of OnePlus 7 Pro. The pill type rear array will have 3 cameras and the fourth one will be on its side. The primary camera is likely to be a 64MP camera and one being an ultra-wide lens.

The LED flash will be under it with the OnePlus branding on the OnePlus 8 Pro. The right side of the smartphone will have the volume/ringer toggle key along with the power button. A secondary microphone can be seen here too. The left side will have the volume rocker keys. The bottom has the USB Type-C charging port as well as the primary microphone and speaker grille.

The front of the OnePlus 8 Pro will have an edge to edge display, but this time it will have a punch hole single camera in the display and not the pop-out selfie camera. The screen has curved sides and edges and there are almost no bezels as seen on the previous generations too. Inclusion of a 3.5mm audio port is still unclear.oneplus 8 pro rear

OnePlus 8 Pro technical specifications (likely)

There have been a lot of rumours flying when it comes to OnePlus 8 Pro. But few things are for certain as the company did speak on them at various press events around the globe. The OnePlus 8 Pro will be built on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset and is likely to come with 8GB RAM in the base model and 12GB RAM in the upper version. The internal storage of up to 512GB will be supported with the option to expand it further. The company’s CEO Pete Lau has also announced that the screen will support 120Hz refresh rate. Which means it will refresh 120 times in 1 second. That is as good as some of the best gaming monitors right now.

WiFi 6 will be supported and chances are there will be a dedicated gaming mode introduced in this smartphone. Android 10 will be available out of the box with the latest Oxygen OS on top. A 4,500+ mAh battery will be inside it that can give users full-day battery life. A 30W warp charger will also come in the box. The smartphone will support the 5G network.

Launch date and price

If the rumours are correct OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro will launch in Feb of 2020. The price is likely to be above Rs 60,000 for the pro version and around Rs 35,000 for the regular version. This means the company is getting further and further into the premium category. But with Samsung and others also getting aggressive this year will be a tough fight for them.

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Samsung Galaxy S20+ images and tech specs leaked ahead of its launch

Gadget Bridge Bureau
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Samsung Galaxy S20+ images and tech specs leaked ahead of its launch

The first flagship launch by the Korean company (Samsung) is going to be held on 11th of Feb 2020. Yes, we are talking about the Samsung Unpacked event that is going to take place in Feb and will bring to life the next in its S series. Samsung is naming the next Galaxy S-series smartphone as S20 and S20+, not S11 or S11+. Since it is 2020 the series has skipped a decade. Also at the event, rumours are, Samsung will showcase its first clamshell-type foldable screen phone.

As the event comes near, it was evident that some leaks of the smartphone and its specs will come to life. Some images have been procured by XDAdevelopers of the Samsung Galaxy S20+, which show the smartphones form factor. Looking at these images one can see an array of 5 cameras on the glass back in rectangular placement with curved edges. The array also includes an LED flash. The inclusion of 5 cameras means that the Samsung Galaxy S20+ will have an ultra-wide camera, a telephoto lens and most probably a macro lens too.

The front of the smartphone houses an edge to edge display with a tiny cut-out punch hole camera on the Samsung Galaxy S20+. The chin area is minimal and so are the side bezels. The front does resemble Samsung S10+, however, the back has its own identity. In the image, we can also see that Samsung will be putting a screen protector on the smartphone as well.samsung s20+

One can also see the power button and a volume rocker key on the right side of the smartphone, while the left side has no buttons. Availability of a 3.5mm audio port is also unclear. It might be there since the last edition also had it, but going by the Note 10 series by Samsung, it might not be there. Also, there might not be a dedicated Bixby button on this device.

Rumour mill also suggests that Samsung Galaxy S20+ mobile will be built on Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset and will come with up to 12GB RAM. Storage can be up to 512GB and microSD card would be supported. It will be a dual SIM phone. In India like last time the Exynos series chipset driven Samsung Galaxy S20+ could be launched. It can come with Exynos 990 SoC for Indian consumers. The battery will be over 4,100 mAh and Wi-Fi 6 would be supported on this device. Well, these are still in the baking stages, but in about a months’ time, all will be clear tech-spec and otherwise.

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Airtel Wi-Fi calling is now live: How to use it and is your smartphone on the list?

Gadget Bridge Bureau
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2
Airtel Wi-Fi calling is now live: How to use it and is your smartphone on the list?

Network congestion and call drops are one of the major reasons a user switches to another mobile network. If you have an office or live in a basement, you are likely to get a bad/weak cell signal, which will result in you not getting a call. And if you get a call or make a call, it will 95% drop or will have bad reception. To tackle the problem of bad connectivity Airtel launched Wi-Fi calling that will enable users that are on Airtel in a stable Wi-Fi zone to make voice calls over broadband/internet to any number. Airtel Wi-Fi calling started with a list of 20 phones first but is now supporting over 100 smartphones in India.

So how can one make a call using Airtel Wi-Fi calls?

Remember this works on any Wi-Fi network and not just Airtel broadband.

  1. You can first check if your smartphone can make Wi-Fi calls. Go to airtel.in/wifi-calling to see if your smartphone can do that.
  2. At times you will find you are on an outdated OS so do upgrade it to the latest Android/iOS version for Wi-Fi calling to work.
  3. Head over to the settings of the smartphone and check for Wi-Fi calling in connections or networks.
  4. Switch the Wi-Fi calling on.

That’s it. You can now make calls over Wi-Fi even if you are in a basement. We tried it and the experience is quite decent We were on a 40MBPS (non-Airtel) broadband network and it was really good.

Here is the list of smartphones that are compatible with Airtel Wi-Fi calling

(Remember to upgrade the operating system to the latest one.)

Xiaomi

Redmi K20, Redmi K20 Pro, POCO F1, Redmi 7A, Redmi 7, Redmi Note 7 Pro & Redmi Y3

Samsung

Galaxy J6, A10s, On6, M30s, S10, S10+, S10e,M20, Note 10, Note 9, Note 10+, M30, A30s, A50S

Tecno

Phantom 9, Spark Go Plus, Spark Go, Spark Air, Spark 4 (KC2), Spark 4-KC2J, Camon Ace 2, Camon Ace 2X, Camon12 Air, Spark Power

SPICE

Spice F311, Spice M5353

ITEL

A46

OnePlus

One Plus 7, One Plus 7T, One Plus 7Pro, One Plus 7T Pro, One Plus 6, One Plus 6T

Apple

iPhone models starting 6s and above (including all variations of different models)

Vivo

V15 Pro, Y17

Asus

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1, Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2

Micromax

Infinity N12, N11, B5

Xolo

XOLO ZX

Panasonic

P100, Eluguray 700, P95, P85 NXT

INFINIX: Hot 8, S5 Lite , S5, Note 4, Smart 2, Note 5, S4, Smart 3, Hot 7

Mobiistar

C1, C1 Lite, C1 Shine, C2, E1 Selfie, X1 Notch

CoolPad

Cool 3, Cool 5, Note 5, Mega 5C, Note 5 Lite

Gionee

F205 Pro, F103 Pro

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Acer Swift 5 2019 laptop review – Extreme performance under a Kg

Aadvika
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Acer Swift 5 2019 laptop review – Extreme performance under a Kg

Acer has been building laptops for quite some time now. They know what users want and they are great at building machines that have the latest hardware in a superb outer shell. Acer Swift 5 2019 edition came to us for a review that is made on the same lines. Let’s see how this machine performed on our test bench.

Acer Swift 5 2019 Design and Display

The company has designed the Acer Swift 5 2019 very well. At a weight of just 990 grams, this machine is light to lug and easy to hold. The lightweight is appreciated as the insides hold some powerful machinery. This is a 14-inch machine that has a Full HD IPS touchscreen with 86.4% screen to body ratio. Yes, it is not as bezel-less as some of its competition, but it is right up there in the running. The screen brightness is 300 nits, which means it is great for both work and play. And that is what Acer is aiming at.

The display does not wash out under direct light and does not reflect it either. We played FHD videos on it and it did not stutter at all. HD webcam is also placed over the display for video chat. The bottom part has the backlit keyboard that is not very big but is easy to work with. Since it is a 14-inch machine you don’t get a super large touchpad, but it is not small either. A fingerprint sensor is also present here on the right side.

Two down-firing speakers are located at the bottom and one can find USB 3.1 ports, 1 USB Type-C port as well as 3.5mm audio and HDMI jacks on the right and the left side of the machine. Dressed in blueish black the Acer branding can be seen on the lid with the Swift 5 branding on the golden rear hinge. This hinge also lifts the laptop by a couple of degrees, helping in the typing ergonomics.

Acer Swift 5 Performance

Let’s first shed some light on the Acer Swift 5 2019’s technical specifications. This laptop comes with Intel Core i7 10th gen CPU, 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD. Together they make the laptop open in a blink of an eye, even when a resource-hungry Windows 10 is driving it. But it comes with Windows 10 Home and not Windows 10 Pro. Intel Iris Plus G7 onboard GPU gives it the graphical performance that is great for office use as well as light photoshop work. If you are a video editor or work on Maya/3D Max projects you might need to look elsewhere.

The battery is non-removable but is definitely one of its bright aspects. The company claims that it can last for over 12 hours. However, it did not last us for those many hours. We were able to get 8 hours out of it, which still is great. This was at 60% screen brightness with Wi-Fi on at all times. Talking about which the machine comes with Wi-Fi 6 that works well with the latest routers and has no lag when playing a game like Counter-Strike or Dota 2. But yes, we did miss a discreet graphic card when playing them.

The audio could also have been better, as the speaker set is just about decent. You might want external speakers in case you are watching a show on Netflix or Amazon Prime.

Verdict

All in all, the Acer Swift 5 2019 is a great looking machine. It is slim, light and has good battery life. The screen is good and one can work in it for long. However, it does come with a hefty price tag. One would need to shell a little over a lakh for the device. Which when compared to its competition the rest are giving similar specs at a lower price rate with the discrete graphics card. But those carry 9th gen Intel CPU’s and not the 10th.

Pros:

Lightweight

Good performance

Slim design

Cons:

Pricey

No discrete graphics card

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Apple users spent 1.5 billion dollars on App store in the recent holiday season

Achuuth Karthick
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Apple users spent 1.5 billion dollars on App store in the recent holiday season

Apple Incorporated shares recently set a new upper limit for the company’s share value. This is all thanks to Apple’s customer base who spent a record-setting amount towards the end of the current holiday season. Apple claims that App store spends recently totalled 1.4 billion USD between Christmas and New Year’s. The spend during the same season last year was sixteen percent comparatively lesser. The stock value rose as much as 1.6%. and total gains since 2018 to 92%.

Apple has marked 2019 as a year of service offerings, because of the introduction of  Apple Arcade, Apple TV+, Apple News+ and Apple card to the world. The App store, Apple music, iCloud and Apple air pods saw the creation of experiences only apple can deliver to their customer base.

According to Wedbush Securities Analyst, Daniel Ives, the rising spends on apps and the commercial success of smart wearables like the AirPods have helped Apple generate good revenue despite slow iPhone growth. He said that that the strength of the Cupertino based giant lay in monetized their golden base of 925 million iPhones across the world.

Gene Munster, famous analyst and founder of Loup ventures said that App store data is evidence that Apple’s service expansion is no longer linked directly only to iPhone sales and that the company’s shares should be traded at a higher multiple.

Apple also recently said that App store spends on the first day of 2020 touched 386 million USD, a record for sales in a single day and an increase from past years.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services said “2019 was the biggest year for Services in Apple’s history. We introduced several exciting new experiences for our customers, all while setting the standard for user privacy and security; We begin the new decade with incredible momentum and gratitude to our customers who have shown such enthusiasm for all of our Services, and we continue to celebrate the work of the world’s best creators, storytellers, journalists and developers.”

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Realme might launch a smartwatch or a fitness band soon

Achuuth Karthick
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Realme might launch a smartwatch or a fitness band soon

Realme might release a smartwatch in India in 2020. While there is no official information or announcement from the company, a new rumour suggests that a smartwatch by the company recently received a BIS or Bureau of Indian Standards certificate. Realme India CEO, Madhav Sheth recently launched the Realme 5i in the country through a live video stream where users caught a fleeting glimpse of a fit band similar in design to the Mi band.

Rumours allege that the BIS certificate showed the Realme smartwatch with a model number of RMA183 and that the watch was registered on January 6 2020, which makes us believe a launch may occur sometime soon.

November 2019 saw the teasers begin from Realme that claimed the arrival of their tech lifestyle in India. The company says that they are not just another smartphone vendor now. The business last month revealed the Realme Buds air, their answer to the truly wireless Apple AirPods.

Madhav Sheth, claimed that the company is planning to bring more customer-centric, wearable products. He also revealed last month that the Realme fitness band will make an appearance in the first half of 2020. He also teased a yellow coloured silicone fitness band while hosting the release of the Realme 5i.

The Realme 5i is the company’s latest release and addition to their product line.

The Realme 5i is powered by Snapdragon 665 octa-core chipset and has a 6.52-inch full-screen display. The device has a 5,000 mAh battery and a quad-camera setup, including an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens with a main camera of 12-Megapixel, a portrait lens of 2-Megapixel and an ultra-macro lens of 2-Megapixel as well. The front camera is of 8-Megapixel. The Realme 5i will run Android 9.0 with ColorOS 6.0 and will be upgraded to Android 10 with ColorOS 7 by May 2020. The phone is available in one variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. The device will be available for sale on the Realme website and Flipkart from January 15, 2020, at 12 PM for a price of Rs 8,999. The smartphone is available in two colour variants-Forest Green and Aqua Blue.

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Users may soon be able to send messages across various Facebook-owned platforms

Achuuth Karthick
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Users may soon be able to send messages across various Facebook-owned platforms

Facebook is constantly working on improving their wide base on social media. In what seems to be a step towards integration of their apps, Facebook is working towards turning WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Instagram as one experience. The social networking titan recently added a screen to both WhatsApp and Instagram in an update, which says “WhatsApp from Facebook, and Instagram from Facebook” respectively.

The CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg has been on the news the past year frequently. He recently unveiled his plans to integrate Facebook’s chat services, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger with the company’s photo-sharing application, Instagram. This new feature will possibly allow users to communicate across platforms. Mark Zuckerberg called this a long term project and that cross-app messaging may happen anytime in 2020 or in the future beyond 2020. WABetaInfo, a fan-run website which provides users details of updates to WhatsApp noticed the new feature and said that WhatsApp from Facebook is added to the WhatsApp status of newly registered users.

Since September 2019, WhatsApp Android users have had the option to share their WhatsApp status on to their Facebook stories directly through a button that appears after a user posts a story on the popular messaging app. WhatsApp statuses, just like Instagram stories last for 24 hours from the time or uploading or till the user removes them. WhatsApp status currently lets users post images, text and videos which last for 24 hours as their status.

Facebook’s video calling facility also works with a WhatsApp account and allows users to video call their contacts and see the stories of their friends and family even without a Facebook account.

Zuckerberg said that the data encryption feature held more charm to him than the commercial benefits of complete integration between the three platforms. He said that he is excited that the integration will mean end-to-end encryption in more Facebook products letting users save their privacy and data by encryption. He also said that a number of users have requested the ability to message their friends across platforms. The integration could also largely help give out higher user engagement to advertisers growing companies who look to Facebook ads for marketing their products and services.

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Flipkart launches the MarQ Falkon Aerbook: A laptop weighing 1.26 Kg

Achuuth Karthick
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Flipkart launches the MarQ Falkon Aerbook: A laptop weighing 1.26 Kg

While the world is focusing on the tech news from CES 2020, Walmart owned E-commerce giant Flipkart added another product to their portfolio under the label, “MarQ by Flipkart”. The first laptop under this series is reportedly called the Falkon Aerbook. The Falkon Aerbook is thin and light in design and will be powered by Intel’s generation 8 processor. The laptop is scheduled to be for sale only through Flipkart’s website countrywide starting at a price of Rs 39,990 from 17th  of January, 2020.

The Falkon Aerbook is said to be of 1.26kg in weight and measuring 16.5mm in thickness. The full-HD display will be of 13.3-inches empowered for powerful visuals. The CPU of the Aerbook will be Intel’s gen 8 Core-i5. The Falkon Aerbook will come with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD, which can be expanded up to 1TB. The Falkon Aerbook promises a 5-hour battery life with a 37 Watt-hours battery.

Flipkart claims that a lot of research and development went into the decision to introduce the Falkon Aerbook. The online marketplace giant says that they analysed millions of customer reviews and purchases to understand the modern laptop buyer and their constant lookout for an affordable, high performing, and sleek laptop. Flipkart came into partnership with Intel and Microsoft to produce a laptop fulfilling customer demands and specifications at this price. Flipkart claims that the thin and light laptop segment will grow in the next two years exponentially.

Adarsh Menon, the Senior Vice President of the Private Brands, Electronics and Furniture division of Flipkart said “the MarQ portfolio aims to create and design customer-friendly products that fulfil aspirations customers seek without having to worry about budget and spending. He also went on to speak about the Falkon Aerbook, saying that the laptop provides the best features creating a strong value to customers bringing on-the-go computing to a wider range of audience. Flipkart, with Intel and Microsoft’s assistance have developed a laptop giving superior performance without compromising on size and specifications while meeting the needs of Indian customers and their budgets.”

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Reliance Jio launches Wi-Fi based calling option for its users

Achuuth Karthick
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Reliance Jio launches Wi-Fi based calling option for its users

It has been barely a month since Airtel introduced a service for its users in Delhi-NCR where they could switch from LTE based network to a Wi-Fi-based network that its competitor Reliance Jio has launched a similar service. This service too lets users make voice and video calls over Wi-Fi networks. Jio claims that this service has been tested over the recent past few months to provide users with a good experience while engaged in calls at home or office. Now, Customers are empowered to use any Wi-Fi network to enable Jio Wi-Fi calls. Users can now switch between VoLTE and Wi-Fi networks effortlessly to enable quality voice and video calling experiences.

“At this juncture, when an average Jio consumer uses over 900 minutes of voice calls every month, and at a growing base of consumers, the launch of Jio Wi-Fi Calling will further enhance every Jio consumer’s voice-calling experience, which is already a benchmark for the industry with India’s-first all VoLTE network,” Reliance Jio Director Akash Ambani said.

Recent rumours suggest that Reliance Jio is now working a feature phone with one function in mind. It is believed that this feature phone will be called the “Jio Phone Lite” and will only support the making and attending of voice calls. It is believed that the phone will be priced below Rs 399 and will come equipped to make voice calls only. The device is expected to have a small display with an alphanumeric keyboard. Rumours also suggest that post-launch of the device, Jio will launch exclusive plans like a Rs 50 plan enabling unlimited voice calls from the Jio phone lite. It is not yet confirmed if this phone is really going to be launched or if it’s a rumour that has no base in reality. Reliance Jio has not made any official announcement about the Jio phone lite.

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Samsung launches new range of Air conditioners in India

Achuuth Karthick
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Samsung launches new range of Air conditioners in India

Samsung launched their latest range of air conditioners on January 9 in India. This lineup includes the Windfree-AC 2.0 series, the premium triple inverter series, the Eco Inverter and On/Off split ACs. The new lineup has over 40 models, which are strategically designed and priced to suit a wide range of customers. The new range is scheduled to be available at Samsung stores and partnership stores offline in the country before the end of January.

The Wind-Free 2.0 Series uses its micro-holes to disperse air throughout the room it is installed in till the user’s desired temperature is reached. This 2.0 version has 23,000 holes compared to the 21,000 holes of the predecessor device. The Wind-Free 2.0 lets users control their ACs sans remote through their Smartphone. This AC enables users to control it using the Smart Home app through Wi-Fi. Users now have the ability to monitor and limit power usage according to their needs. The AC is also equipped with Motion detecting sensors to go into energy-saving mode if human motion is not detected every 60 minutes. The product comes with a warranty of 10 years on the compressor and has a digital inverter which helps users maintain the temperature of their choice. The AC also comes with an Easy filter feature to combat contaminants presence in the air around the room.

Meanwhile, the Triple Inverter series comes with a convertible mode as an option, letting the user convert the AC into a less power-consuming device as per their choice. These air conditioners are powered with 8-pole inverter technology to promote energy saving. The device also produces minimal vibration while in use.

Samsung has also released the first range of Eco inverter equipped ACs in India. These ACs are available in four different designs. Some models also have a Hidden Backlit display and a crystal design as a part of its aesthetic appeal. This entire range has a 10-year warranty on the Digital inverter compressors and comes equipped with features like Turbo cooling, Anti Dust and a bacteria filter.

The last latest addition by Samsung is the all-new On/Off series. Samsung has announced that they will be launching 4 new additions in the 1 Ton and 1.5 Ton configurations to the series across different designs. The entire range comes with a 5-year warranty on the compressors and has features like turbo cooling.

The range of prices for all of these air conditioning devices begins at Rs 35,990 and will go up till 73,990. Samsung has also announced EMI options that customers can avail at zero down payment.

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Realme 5i launched in India at Rs 8,999

Achuuth Karthick
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Realme 5i launched in India at Rs 8,999

Realme announced their first phone in the New Year in India. The Realme 5i will be the company’s latest addition to the Realme 5 series. This phone looks to be the effort of the company to produce a budget smartphone to flag 2020 phones in India with. The company claims that the Realme 5i will exceed all expectations and be the best smartphone in its category.

The Realme 5i is powered by Snapdragon 665 octa-core chipset, this gives the phone a core processor which works at a clock speed of 2.0GHz with improved graphics performance and features. The phone has a 6.52-inch full-screen display promising users a good experience be it in the form of gaming, audio or video. The device has a 5,000 mAh battery and a quad-camera setup.

The quad-camera setup includes an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens with a main camera of 12-Megapixel, a portrait lens of 2-Megapixel and an ultra-macro lens of 2-Megapixel as well. The front camera is of 8-Megapixel. The Realme 5i will run Android 9.0 with ColorOS 6.0 and will be upgraded to Android 10 with ColorOS 7 by May 2020. The Realme 5i also supports reverse charging. The phone is available in one variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. The device will be available for sale on the Realme website and Flipkart from January 15, 2020, at 12 PM for a price of Rs 8,999. The smartphone is available in two colour variants-Forest Green and Aqua Blue.

Madhav Sheth, the CEO of Realme India, gave a statement. He said,” We are happy that over 5.5 million customers have enjoyed our realme 5 series and the newest addition realme 5i will further solidify our budget Quad-Camera category. Our customers will be provided with stunning design, bigger view along with bigger storage and a powerful Quad Camera set up in realme 5i. We have equipped realme 5 series with the best-in-class processors, designs and camera experience to deliver unmatched user experience.”

Users buying the Realme 5i on Realme’s website can avail 10% supercash worth Rs 1,000 by making a payment through Mobikwik. Users also have an option of availing an offer from Jio that offers benefits worth Rs 7,550 to users. Users can also exchange their old phone through a cashify exchange to avail a Rs 500 discount.

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CES 2020: Panasonic unveils the world’s first VR glasses that come with HDR support

Avani Bagga
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CES 2020: Panasonic unveils the world’s first VR glasses that come with HDR support

The Consumer Electronics Show sees a number of cool innovations every year. CES 2020 is no exception to this and we have already seen a slew of futuristic concepts and devices there. The latest one among these is VR glasses from Panasonic. One thing very different about Panasonic’s offering is that they don’t look the way most other VR headsets do. Instead, they pretty much look like any other pair of regular glasses, but obviously their lenses are way thicker. But even then, the difference in their look and feel is an extreme improvement over what we have seen so far with the likes of Oculus and HTC Vive.

Other than this, Panasonic has also said that the glasses come with a number of technical enhancements as compared to other solutions that are currently available in the market. The micro-OLED panels of the glasses have been developed by Panasonic in collaboration with Kopin and the company has said that they are extremely high-resolution and do not have any ‘screen-door effect’. This, according to the company, sets them apart from other VR headsets. Panasonic has also said that its VR glasses are the first ever in the world to support HDR.

The company has used its own audio technology in its VR glasses and Technic drivers have been deployed in the earbuds. Panasonic has promised rich and dynamic sound experience because of these. Furthermore, optical designs from Lumix camera division have been used. We should mention that signal processing technologies that are similar to the one used in Panasonic VR glasses have been found in the company’s televisions and Blu-ray players.

We should mention that Panasonic has not as yet said anything about the availability or the price of its VR glasses. If some speculations are to be believed, then the company may not sell them as a consumer product at all. We don’t find that hard to believe as a number of innovations that are showcased at CES never really make it to the consumer market.

Panasonic VR glasses 2

However, it is also worth pointing out that Panasonic has hinted about some commercial applications of the VR glasses that it plans to implement once 5G networks become widespread. Among these applications are virtual travel and VR sports.

Although we would have to wait to see that sort of a thing happening, one thing we can say is that other companies can really take a cue from Panasonic’s VR glasses and start making sleeker VR equipment.

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CES 2020: Samsung SSD T7 Touch with fingerprint scanner launched

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CES 2020: Samsung SSD T7 Touch with fingerprint scanner launched

South Korean technology giant Samsung has made a number of exciting announcements at the ongoing CES 2020 tech show. The latest news from the company is that it has announced the release of its external storage device – the Portable Solid State Drive (SSD) T7 Touch. Samsung has said that with the SSD, it has seeked to combine a compact design with “fastest transfer speeds” that are currently available on the USB 3.2 Gen 2 standard.

The company has also said that the new device has enhanced data protection and as an additional hardware security measure, it has a built-in fingerprint sensor.

Speaking on the launch, Akash Saxenaa, Senior Director, Enterprise Sales, Samsung India, said, “Consumers who are constantly on the go between work, play and passion projects want to be able to securely carry their content with them. Now their data is secure thanks to the fingerprint recognition functionality incorporated into the product, which delivers industry-leading transfer speeds in a compact form factor.”

According to Samsung, the SSD is meant for professional as well as casual users and the company has also said that the T7 Touch has enough capacity to store large numbers of pictures, games or 4K/8K videos in a secure manner. The company has further added that the SSD can do so on a PC, tablet, smartphone or a gaming console.

The newly-launched SSD by Samsung is said to come with a significant speed upgrade as compared to its predecessors. Samsung T7 Touch has a read speed of 1,050MB/s and a write speed of 1,000MB/s, and this makes it approximately twice as fast as its predecessor, the T5. In addition to this, it is also 9.5 times faster than external HDDs, Samsung added. The new SSD is also said to reach its maximum speed when used with the NVMe interface.

As we mentioned earlier, Samsung has also added a built-in fingerprint scanner to the SSD to make it more secure. Other than this, it also has password protection and AES 256-bit hardware encryption. The SSD also has a ‘Motion LED’ that enables the user “to determine the status of the device simply with a single glance.”

Samsung T7 Touch comes with a three-year limited warranty and will be available in over 30 countries across the globe starting this month.

Samsung T7 Touch is available in Black and Silver colours and comes in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB options. While the base model costs Rs 11,999, the 1TB option is priced at Rs 18,999, the most high-end model can be picked up at Rs 36,999. There is also a variant without fingerprint scanner that is expected to be launched in Q2 2020.

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CES 2020: Google Assistant gets the ability to read out articles in 42 languages

Avani Bagga
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CES 2020: Google Assistant gets the ability to read out articles in 42 languages

California-based technology giant Google has a very cool new feature of Google Assistant on preview at the ongoing CES 2020. This new feature will enable Google Assistant on Android smartphones to turn the device into a supercharged screen reader. With this, the users will have the ability of making Google Assistant read out articles or any text on webpages to them just by saying “Hey Google, read this.”

It is worth pointing out that screen readers are not a new feature on smartphones. However, Google has said that it has now enhanced its digital assistant’s ability to parse sentences. So now, with this improvement, Google Assistant will be able to read out texts on webpages in a more natural and human-like fashion.

But then, that’s not even the coolest thing about the new enhancements. Google has said that its Assistant now has the ability to read out text in up to 42 languages.

We should mention that even now, when these enhancements in Google Assistant have not been rolled out, it has the ability to parse whatever is written on your smartphone’s screen when you ask it to. This feature was launched by Google in 2015, which means that it has existed for longer than Assistant itself. For those unaware, the feature — called ‘Now on Tap’ — often pops up as a suggested action whenever you access Google Assistant.

Right now, the new screen reading feature is just in preview and there is no word on when it will be rolled out. Personally, we are looking forward to it because we think this is going to be extremely useful. Google has also said that it is now focussing on auto-scroll webpages that will be activated when the Assistant is made to read webpages. The company also plans to add the ability to automatically highlight text on webpages.

All this put together will make Google Assistant far more useful than what it already is.

Other than this, Google has also said that Assistant’s ‘interpreter mode’ — which has till now been present in smartphones and smart displays — will be coming to more of its partners including airport lounges, banks, and even hotels. The company, in fact, is even collaborating with Mercy Corps and will be providing interpreter mode speakers for the charity work done by the organization.

Other than this, the company has announced a number of new Google Assistant features today like better integration with smart homes, enhancements in notes and more transparency in terms of privacy.

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Realme X50 with 64MP rear camera launched in China, coming soon to India

Achuuth Karthick
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Realme X50 with 64MP rear camera launched in China, coming soon to India

Qualcomm flagged off the 5G era in smartphones recently. The leading manufacturer of chipsets made flagship and mid-range chips, now compatible with 5G standards and we will see them rolling out throughout 2020. Realme using this technology, introduced their all-new 5G supporting device, the Realme X50 5G in China.

Realme X50 technical specifications

Realme announced their premiere premium 5G supporting smartphone in China, the X50 5G. the device has a 6.5-inch LCD display with a dual-camera setup on the front housing a 16-Megapixel selfie camera and an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide camera in punch hole form. The device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G offering RAM of 6GB, 8GB and 12GB with 128GB and 256GB internal storage options.

Talking about the rear camera set-up, the Realme X50 has a 64-megapixel main sensor promising good pictures as claimed by the company. The 64-megapixel camera is supported by a 12-megapixel telephoto lens, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens and a 2-megapixel macro camera. The rear camera setup looks to be aimed at giving users a good photo experience by the company. Connectivity options include WiFi, Bluetooth, USB type-c and GPS. it has 4,200 mAh battery with VOOC fast charge support.

Realme X50 price

This X50 5G is the first device by the company, which has a modified version of the ColorOS called the Realme UI. This device starts at a price of 2,499 CNY (around Rs 25,800) to 2999 CNY (around Rs 30,900).

Realme India recently announced that the company will launch the Realme 5i in India. The device will be launched on January 9, 2020. The device is expected to come powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 chip with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage with a variant having 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. It will be a budget smartphone with an LCD display of 6.5-inch supporting HD+ resolution.

The rear houses a 4 camera setup with cameras of 12MP, 8MP and two 2MP lenses. The battery is expected to be a 5,000 mAh battery with support for fast charging. The phone comes with Android Pie 9 OS with ColorOS 6. It will be available in colour variants of Green and Blue at the back in gradients. The device will offer connectivity through Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and USB Type-C. The price of the device is not confirmed yet.

CES 2020: A lot of new chipsets launched by key players like Intel and AMD

Achuuth Karthick
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CES 2020: A lot of new chipsets launched by key players like Intel and AMD

The CES 2020 trade show in Las Vegas saw some of the most innovative and promising technology in the world held at Las Vegas, USA. Noted companies like Intel, Nvidia, Qualcomm and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) displayed some of the most promising chipsets to the world. These chipsets enable laptop manufactures to create long-lasting and battery efficient devices. While some will be available within devices 2020, others will take their sweet time to appear.

Intel 

Intel is the current acclaimed world leader in the world of chipsets for desktops and laptops. Intel CEO Bob Swan did not shed much light on new Intel products but highlighted devices, which were born of the partnership between Intel and other companies. They displayed the high-end Samsung Galaxy Chromebook and Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Fold, which is a 2-in-1 device that can turn from a laptop into a tablet-like device with a display of 13-inch. Intel also displayed their prototype, the Horseshoe Bend, which has a 17-inch screen.

Intel then made claims about their upcoming Tiger Lake processors, which will power laptops that are structurally thin and light. The Tiger Lake processors offer improved performance and support for Thunderbolt 4. The company said that these chipsets will reach the market by late 2020.

Advanced Micro Devices 

The CEO of Advanced Micro Devices or AMD, Lisa Su unveiled new chipsets made for laptops and desktops. She also revealed the prices and shed light on the availability of these chipsets.

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper chip is made for desktop PCs. The company said, these are perfect for high-end customers like content creators and analysts. Each chip of the Ryzen Threadripper is composed of 64 separate cores and will be available from 7 February starting at a price of 4,000 USD. The multi-core will give users the ability to process through heavy tasks that would otherwise take time.

AMD also introduced the Ryzen 4000 chipset that is made for laptops. This chip can run at high speeds of up to 4.2GHz and will outperform its competitors.

Qualcomm 

Qualcomm is one of the biggest manufacturers of chipsets for mobile smartphone devices. At the CES 2020, Qualcomm introduced chipsets called the Snapdragon Driving Platform, which can handle driving duties in self-driving vehicles. The company also highlighted the announcement of a new service called Car-to-Cloud, which will enable auto manufacturers to send wireless software updates to the vehicles.

Nvidia

Meanwhile, Nvidia spoke about their new monitor made for PC gamers, which is called the ROG 360, the 24-inch monitor which uses Nvidia’s G-synch technology to enable a fast refresh rate of 360Hz. They also displayed a Toyota Robot called the T-HR3, which can be controlled by a Human operator equipped with VR goggles and linked controllers. The T-HR3 runs on Nvidia’s chipsets.

All of these chipsets hold the promise of a higher quality of devices and users can expect great performance from them.

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CES 2020: OnePlus shows off Concept One smartphone that has a colour-shifting glass back

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CES 2020: OnePlus shows off Concept One smartphone that has a colour-shifting glass back

The CES 2020 has seen some very exciting updates so far from top tech giants from around the world. Surely, we couldn’t expect Chinese technology company OnePlus to stay low-key at such a time, especially when it had announced last month that it would be showing off a concept design at the tech show.

The Chinese technology firm has kept its promise and it has showcased a Concept One smartphone that has an electrochromic glass back. We should mention that this device would never be launched. But nevertheless, the technological advances that OnePlus is showing with it are really worth the attention.

The company has said that the electrochromic glass has ‘organic particles’ that can create different colours by reacting to electrical field. If we speak about this particular implementation by OnePlus, when the camera app of the Concept One smartphone is closed, the glass back tints the glass. With this, you cannot figure out that there are three camera lenses underneath it.

When the camera app of Concept One is opened, the glass on the back turns transparent and it reveals the camera sensors so that the user is able to click pictures or record videos.

Moreover, the glass turns from black to clear in just 0.7 seconds, which is quicker than what it takes for the camera app to open up. So, by the time the camera app is open, the glass already goes clear, so the user would never be stopped from clicking pictures.

But the benefits of the glass are not only limited to this cosmetic change. OnePlus has spoken about a more practical purpose for it as well. The company says that they glass provides a built-in polarizing filter for the camera lenses of the Concept One smartphone. So, this is something that a lot of photography enthusiasts would enjoy.

The Chinese smartphone brand has partnered with McLaren for its new Concept One device. In fact, the moment you flip the device over and look at its back panel, this evident as the rear of the handset is covered with a papaya orange leather back and also has black-coloured racing stripe. The camera sensors and the glass are placed on the black line itself.

Keeping the camera setup aside, the Concept One smartphone is basically the same as the OnePlus 7T Pro handset. But nevertherless, we found the concept that OnePlus showcased to be extremely interesting. What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments section below.

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CES 2020: Acer Swift 3 series’ two new laptop models get launched

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CES 2020: Acer Swift 3 series’ two new laptop models get launched

Taiwanese technology company Acer has introduced its slew of laptops at the ongoing CES 2020 technology show. The company has today showcased two models of its all new Swift 3 ultra-slim notebook. The smaller of the two models is 13.5-inches in size while the other is 14-inches. While the former is powered by 10th generation Intel Core processors, the latter houses the latest AMD Ryzen 4000 series SoCs. The company has also said that it collaborated with Intel to develop the 13.5-inch model of Acer Swift 3. The newly-launched notebook is part of Intel Project Athena. Here are more details about the two models of Acer Swift 3 laptop:

Acer Swift 3 (13.5-inch) specifications

As we mentioned earlier, the 13.5-inch laptop from Acer comes with Intel processors. The device comes with a screen-to-body ratio of 83.65% and with an aspect ratio of 3:2, the bezels surrounding its screen are very thin. The company has also said that the laptop has features like Acer Color Intelligence and Acer ExaColor that help in enhancing the colours that are projected on the display. There is option of powering the machine with up to 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor. The device also comes with the latest NVIDIA graphics and is equipped with a fingerprint reader. Acer Swift 3’s 13.5-inch model is also accompanied with an illuminated keyboard.

The laptop runs Windows 10 and in terms of battery, it can provide up to 16 hours of usage. The notebook has support for fast charging and Wake On Voice and its ports include a USB Type-C port, Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1 2nd-gen port and DisplayPort. The new device from Acer also comes with dual-band Wi-Fi.

Acer Swift 3 (14-inch) specifications

Coming to the 14-inch model of Acer Swift 3 laptop, the company has given it a premium aluminium design. The machine comes with a high screen-to-body ratio and its bezels are even thinner than the 13.5-inch model’s. The newly-launched notebook is powered by the AMD Ryzen 4000 series chipsets, that are made with 7nm fabrication process and come with Zen 2 core architecture. The laptop houses 16GB of RAM and has up to 512GB of SSD storage. Rest of the specifications of the laptop are the same as the Intel model’s.

Price and availability

The 13.-inch model of Acer Swift 3 will initially be available only in EMEA regions and will come at a price of €699. The other variant of the laptop will be going on sale in EMEA regions in March and can be bought at a starting price of €599.

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Honor partners with Amazon for releasing their latest Honor watch and Honor Band

Achuuth Karthick
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Honor partners with Amazon for releasing their latest Honor watch and Honor Band

Honor announced their partnership with Amazon on January 7, 2020, in New Delhi, India. The global smartphone brand has announced that the partnership is aimed at the sale of the Honor MagicWatch 2, the company’s next-gen smartwatch and their fitness band, the Honor Band 5i in India. With the new products, it’s evident that the company is building up its portfolio while strengthening their commitment to expand the reach of their products in India. Honor looks to be aiming at customer attention with the next generation wearable experience.

The Honor MagicWatch 2 offers a battery life of 14 days and supports Bluetooth calling. The device also lets the user personalize the watch faces to their fancy. The device is made of refined 316L stainless steel making it a tougher target to everyday wear and tear faced by the watch. The smartwatch has an Always-On AMOLED display which can communicate the time to the user without taking time to brighten. The Honor MagicWatch 2 lets users display their pictures on the smartwatch by customizing it.

The user can now store multiple images on the smartwatch, with a different photo showing up each time the user raises their wrist to see the time. The Smartwatch is powered by the Huawei Kirin A1 chipset, giving it a battery performance of up to 14 days in a single charge or so the company claims. The device also comes with preloaded fitness modes which guide users. The smartwatch comes equipped to accurately record speed and route while tracking elevation at all times when in use. The Honor Magic watch offers all these functions with many more interesting features according to the website.

Meanwhile, the Honor Band 5i comes with colour touch display, a 24×7 heart rate monitor and a built-in USB connector. This fitness band has colour-coded text and call short keys for quick communication by the user. Users of the smartband can set a different clock face according to the occasion from the Honor Watch face store. The band houses a USB connector allowing users to charge their device hassle-free. The battery life allows a full week’s usage on one charge, the company claims. The Honor band comes offering water resistance up to 50 meters and high-level fitness tracking. Users can even take selfies and group pictures through the Honor Band 5i. Users can also control their favourite music through the smartband.

The prices of both devices are not out yet and will be out in the coming days.

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Echo Auto announced in India by Amazon, can be powered via the charging socket

Achuuth Karthick
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Echo Auto announced in India by Amazon, can be powered via the charging socket

Amazon announced the Echo Auto on January 7 2020 in Bengaluru, India. This device brings the Amazon voice assistant, Alexa to a user’s car and integrates it with the car’s system. The device uses an array of over 8 microphones to listen and communicate user actions. The device is said to be built to hear users over a variety of sound related disturbances that may occur whilst travelling in a car.

The device can be powered through the car’s charging socket or USB port. The Amazon Echo Auto connects to the user’s car system to control Audio playback, too. Over that, the Echo Auto can be connected to the Car through Bluetooth or an aux cable. The Echo auto uses the Alexa App on the user’s smartphone to stream music, make calls and send text messages. Consumers can now control smart-devices, set reminders, add tasks, make calls, send text messages, and manage their calendar all while streaming music and driving the car through the assistant feature offered by the Amazon Echo Auto.

The eight mic array of the Amazon Echo Auto enables the user to be heard over road noise and loud conversations. The user can enable music, get questions answered and even hear the news without touching their smartphone, as claimed by the company. The user can also stream music from the user’s smartphone on a platform installed in the smartphone into the car’s audio system. The device can even send texts and enable the user to make hands-free calls to contacts saved on the smartphone.

Alexa, through the Amazon Echo Auto can help users get directions and stay updated and on the right route while travelling. Alexa opens up a truckload of entertainment sources while providing directions to the user who is driving.

The Echo Auto is currently available for pre-order to users at a price of Rs 4,999 and will start shipping from January 15.

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CES 2020 sees the launch of Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Fold, its foldable tablet PC

Achuuth Karthick
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CES 2020 sees the launch of Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Fold, its foldable tablet PC

Lenovo lifted the curtains off the ThinkPad X1 Fold at CES 2020. This foldable PC was first teased in 2019, with more details revealed at the CES event in 2020. The ThinkPad X1 Fold is a trendsetter, and can be used in various modes by users.

Users can unfold the entire device to take advantage of the 13.3-inch OLED display. It can be folded like a digital book or a conventional laptop. The device comes with a stand that lets users utilise it in landscape mode too. The ThinkPad X1 Fold is designed in such a way that users can utilise both parts of the display separately or together as per their convenience. The ThinkPad X1 Fold will originally run Windows 10 Pro with a Windows 10 version launching sometime in the latter half or earlier of 2020.

The device can run Windows 10 Pro currently and when unfolded has a 13.3-inch flexible OLED display. The device is powered by an Intel Core processor with Intel’s Hybrid technology. The ThinkPad X1 has an integrated Intel Gen 11 graphic card supporting high quality and rapid changing graphics to the user. The ThinkPad X1 offers RAM of 8GB and storage of up to 1TB. The device has a webcam of 5MP and has a USB-C Gen1 and Gen2 ports with a port for a SIM card. The ThinkPad X1 comes equipped with a Dolby Audio Speaker system and a 50Wh battery which can be rapidly charged.

The device is a versatile folding PC. Lenovo promises users that the ThinkPad X1 Fold will carry on the legacy of the ThinkPad and is tougher than it seems. The device can work like a traditional PC when paired with the Bluetooth Mini Fold Keyboard and has the space to store and charge the keyboard wirelessly when with the PC. The device also offers support through Lenovo’s Active Pen enabling users to input information as per their convenience into the PC. The ThinkPad X1 is expected to be available to the customers after mid-2020 and will be priced at 2,499 USD or around Rs 1,79,527.

Rumours suggest that the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 will have a Windows 10X version, which will be released later this year.

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CES 2020: The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook launched and here is everything you need to know

Achuuth Karthick
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CES 2020: The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook launched and here is everything you need to know

CES 2020 saw the official unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook. The Chromebook has a 13.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen display. The display is designed to offer a premium viewing experience for users, the company claims. The device is a 2-in-1 convertible with a built-in stylus. The device is powered by Intel, with an Intel Core i5 processor and support for Intel Ultra-HD graphics. The Chromebook offers users 16GB LPDDR3 RAM and 1TB SSD storage. Samsung has also promised an update later this year that would enable HDR400 on the device. The laptop comes equipped with a 1MP front camera and an 8MP camera right above the keyboard. The device runs Google’s ChromeOS offering support for Wi-Fi 6. The laptop comes with a battery of 49.2Wh battery.

The Galaxy Chromebook has a fingerprint sensor offering security to users. The laptop comes with 2W stereo speakers. Connectivity ports of the device includes dual USB-C ports, 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card reader.

The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook starts at a price of 999 USD or around Rs 71,730. The Chromebook will be made available to potential users soon by early 2020 and will come in Fiesta Red and Mercury Gray colours. Galaxy Chromebook is made of aluminium, and the company claims that this makes the device durable and ready to withstand the everyday wear and tear a laptop would go through. Samsung guarantees that the 2-in-1 Chromebook combines design and productivity features to assure a seamless user experience.

Alanna Cotton, the Senior Vice President and General Manager at Samsung Electronics America said “The notion that we do everything stationary at a desk is a thing of the past, and people need premium devices built for our new reality” She also said that the Galaxy Chromebook offers users a premium experience while shifting between projects, streaming and much more.

The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook supports Android Apps, Google assistant and the integration of the rest of applications that a Google drive facilitates. Users also have an option of running the Chromebook with their portable smartphone devices.

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CES 2020: Sony PlayStation 5’s logo revealed

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CES 2020: Sony PlayStation 5’s logo revealed

We have been waiting for the PlayStation 5 since ages. So any news on the upcoming gaming console gets us super excited. At the on-going CES 2020 tech show, Japanese technology company Sony has revealed the logo of PlayStation 5.

At the same event, the firm also announced that it has sold more than 5 million PlayStation VR headsets since the device was first launched in October 2016. Sony also said that it has till now sold 104 million units of PlayStation 4 and it is worth mentioning that this number makes the device the second-best selling gaming console ever. Interestingly, the first spot is also held by Sony because PlayStation 2 is the most sold gaming console in history and the company has sold 158 million of its units.

The newly launched logo of the PlayStation 5 is, needless to say, a lot like that of PlayStation 4 and 3. Actually, the only evident difference between the logos is the number that’s written next to ‘PS’. The font of the letters is exactly the same as earlier and there are no visible differences in design.

PlayStation 5 has been a much awaited and talked about device and a lot of details about the upcoming console have been doing rounds on the internet. Sony is expected to launch the gaming console next year. As of now, there’s no clarity on what the console will look like. In contrast, Microsoft has already showed off its upcoming Xbox Series X that will be competing directly with PlayStation 5.

Various reports have suggested that the PlayStation 5 will come with support for 8K graphics and super-fast SSDs that is supposed to decrease the load time. The upcoming device is also said to have backward compatibility with PS4 and support for ray tracing. In terms of hardware, the PS5 will reportedly come with an eight-core CPU that is said to be based on AMD’s new Zen 2 architecture. Reports have also suggested that the console will come with a custom GPU that will be based on AMD‘s Radeon Navi hardware.

Some details of the PlayStation 5’s controller have also emerged online. The new controller is said to come with haptic feedback instead of the rumble technology that the current one has. It will also come with ‘adaptive triggers’ that are said to have the ability to adjust the level of resistance on being pressed. More details about the PlayStation 5 are expected to surface at the E3 expo that will be held in Los Angeles in June.

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CES 2020: Samsung plans to launch Galaxy Home Mini smart speaker this year

Avani Bagga
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CES 2020: Samsung plans to launch Galaxy Home Mini smart speaker this year

Samsung Galaxy Home Mini is one among the most awaited devices by the South Korean technology giant. At the on-going CES 2020, the company has confirmed that the Galaxy Home Mini smart speaker will be released early this year. According to a report in Bloomberg, it was Samsung’s CEO and head of consumer electronics division Hyun-Suk Kim who made this announcement at the tech show.

We should mention that Samsung first teased the Bixby-powered Galaxy Home smart speaker in August 2018 at the launch of its Galaxy Note 9 phablet. Ever since then, the company has delayed the release of the smart speaker a number of times. However, during this time, Samsung did start a public beta test of the Galaxy Home Mini speaker in South Korea. And it is this ‘Mini’ version of the smart speaker that is now set to being released.

Back in August 2019, the company had reportedly said that it is refining and enhancing the Galaxy Home smart speaker prior to launching the device. Coming to Samsung Galaxy Home Mini, the smart speaker comes with the company’s digital assistant Bixby and has the ability to control IoT devices via SmartThings platform. It also functions as a home speaker and uses the company’s AKG audio-brand for the same purpose.

Bloomberg’s report also states that the South Korean technology giant’s aim with the Galaxy Home Mini is to create an assistant that carries out voice commands by the users. With this particular device, the company is not trying to emulate the conversational style of other digital assistants like Apple‘s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa, according to the report.

It is worth noting that as of now, there is still no word about when the bigger sibling — Samsung Galaxy Home — will be released. In fact, Bloomberg says in its report that Samsung has still not decided whether it will be selling it at all.

But even if speak about the Galaxy Home Mini speaker, it should be pointed out that the smart home industry has seen a number of changes since 2018, when the device was actually introduced by the company. The segment is now complete dominated by Amazon and Google and both the technology giants have launched a number of new products since the time Samsung first teased its speaker. So even if Samsung releases its speaker now, it will have a lot of competition to beat in this particular space.

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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