South Korean technology giant Samsung this year launched its Galaxy S10e in bright and punchy colours like Canary Yellow and Prism Green. Of course, there were some conventional colours that the handset was made available in including Black, Blue and White shares. Now, some reports have surfaced online that claim that Samsung Galaxy S10e will soon be available in a bright Red colour and that variant will be called as ‘Cardinal Red’.
We should mention that this is the same colour variant in which Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ got listed in a few markets for sale. So, it is not surprising to see Samsung Galaxy S10e being made available in the same colour too. Now, some renders of the Samsung Galaxy S10e’s Cardinal Red colour variant have surfaced online and the report coupled with them also comes with some vague market availability details.
The company has also made ‘Cardinal Red’ models of Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ official. Both the smartphones are now listed on Samsung’s Switzerland website. Now, it seems like the South Korean technology giant doesn’t want its Samsung Galaxy S10e to be left behind either. The company is reported to be working on a Cardinal Red variant of the Galaxy S10e and now, because of the alleged renders that have surfaced online, we know what the device will look like.
The renders of the Samsung Galaxy S10e Cardinal Red variant have been shared by WinFuture and they show a fiery red coloured smartphone. The shade of the colour that has been used is the same as the one used on Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+. The Red colour on the smartphone extends all the way from the glossy rear panel of the device to the metallic rim as well as the volume rocker keys and Bixby buttons on the handset. The rear camera of the smartphone features a Darker Red Finish.
According to the report, the South Korean technology giant will be selling the Cardinal Red variant of Samsung Galaxy S10e in Western European nations. However, there is no word on whether the smartphone will be launched in other countries, or what its pricing will be. The market availability of Samsung’s upcoming smartphone variant is tipped to begin in the next few weeks. However, the report has also suggested that in some regions, the smartphone will go on sale as soon as next week.
Google Pixel devices are some of the few smartphones which receive the newest upgrades and Android updates as soon as it is out. Now, with the start of June, Google has started rolling out the June Android security patch update for the Pixel smartphones. Other than the new Security patch, the new update also brings bug fixes along with overall performance improvements. This new update will also be received by the newly launched Google Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3a XL. We should mention that this is the first update rolling out for these new devices. Google has put the factory images and the OTA files of the new June Android security patch on its OTA channel. The new update has fixed the boot freeze issue on the Pixel 2-series smartphones.
The new update comes with a number of fixes and improvements and it has also fixed the camera application crashing problem while video recording on the Pixel 3-series. The new update is being rolled out for all three generations of Pixel flagships along with the Pixel C tablet and the Pixel 3a-series. Even though the Pixel 3a-series are not flagships but they are still receiving the new June security patch update. It’s because the users had criticised the company that the new Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL smartphones came with the older March Security patch.
Other fixes the new update brings is the bug fix which earlier caused Netflix application to freeze on the Pixel 2 and the Pixel 3 series smartphones. Other than that, the accuracy of ‘Ok Google’ voice commands have also been improved so that it would respond better. If it wasn’t obvious, the new June Security patch update is based on the Android 9 Pie.
Although the new update should be out for all the Pixel flagship smartphones and the devices mentioned above. But if not, then the users can download the new update for their respective Google Pixel devices through by downloading the factory images for the eligible phone or the OTA files. The OTA files of the update can be found on the Google Developers website from where it can be downloaded and installed.
The new June Security patch update for Pixel smartphones removes three high-level Elimination of Privilege (EoP) vulnerabilities in the framework which existed earlier. The three critical-level Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerabilities in the media framework has also been eliminated in the new update.
American semiconductor maker AMD has announced that the new Apple Mac Pro will have a Radeon Pro Vega II GPU, which is the newest offering from the company. The new GPU from AMD is capable of handling 8K video producing, video effect adding along with other high-end content creation. The new Radeon Pro Vega II GPU is based on the 7nm process technology and it packs high-speed HBM2 memory along with AMD Infinity Fabric Link GPU interconnect technology.
The new AMD Radeon Pro Vega II GPU comes from the AMD Radeon Vega family of GPUs known for their performance and the new graphics unit is no different. As mentioned above, it is build on the 7nm process technology and it has the HBM2 memory which offers a high rate of data transfer speed between the GPUs. The new GPU can provide up to 14 TFLOPS of single-precision floating-point (FP32) performance and up to 28 TFLPOS of half-precision floating-point (FP16) performance. According to AMD, the Radeon Pro Vega II GPU is optimized for powering the demanding professional applications with ease.
Scott Herkelman, corporate vice president and general manager of Radeon Technologies Group at AMD said, “Today’s high-end professional content creation applications are driving an insatiable need for ever increasing levels of processing power and memory. Equipped with Radeon Pro Vega II GPUs, the new Mac Pro delivers the computational horsepower and memory bandwidth to power ultra-high screen resolutions and help dramatically accelerate compute and content creation workloads, enabling creative professionals to focus on unleashing their creativity and delivering amazing results.”
Some of the key elements and features of the new AMD Radeon Pro Vega II GPU are listed below:
It comes with up to 14 TFLOPS of single-precision floating-point (FP32) performance and up to 28 TFLPOS of half-precision floating-point (FP16) performance. It can handle even the most power hungry application with ease.
The new AMD Radeon Pro Vega II GPU comes with support of Infinity Fabric Link GPU interconnect technology which enables the GPU to GPU communications up to 5X faster than the PCIe Gen 3. It can offer interconnect speeds of up to 84 GB/s per direction low-latency peer-to-peer memory access.
Since the AMD Radeon Pro Vega II GPU comes with the HBM2 memory, it can deliver up to 1TB/s memory bandwidth as the HBM2 memory offers high memory capacity and higher data transfer speed. Other than that, it also supports multi-display setups and 8K video.
Announcing the new AMD @RadeonPro Vega II graphics card, coming to the new Mac Pro workstation. Delivering cutting-edge memory bandwidth and compute performance essential for demanding artists and creative enthusiasts.
Dan May, president of Blackmagic Design said, “AMD continues to develop amazing graphics technologies to accelerate workflows for professionals who rely on DaVinci Resolve for faster color correction and editing. Radeon Pro Vega II delivers outstanding performance, especially when DaVinci Resolve is put to work with 8K video footage combined with various filters.”
German audio and electronic maker Blaupunkt has launched a new pair of wireless headphones in India named – BH21. The headphone has Bluetooth v5.0 for connectivity and with the launch of the new headphone, the company has added another audio-based product in its portfolio. Earlier, the company had launched multiple Bluetooth earbuds and earphones, but the Blaupunkt BH21 is the company’s first On-Ear headphones. Here’s a look at the price details and specifications of the newly launched Blaupunkt BH21 Bluetooth headphones:
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Blaupunkt BH21 headphones price and availability
The Blaupunkt BH21 on-ear headphone is priced at Rs 2,999 and it is available on Amazon India for purchase.
At the launch of the Blaupunkt BH21 headphone, Andrzej Cebrat, Managing Director of Blaupunkt said, “In a highly competitive market as ours, the product that wins is the one that connects the customers to the future. In India, Blaupunkt has already achieved a benchmark as a leading player in the range of home audio products. With our century-old legacy of impeccable innovation and 20+ years of experience in India, we are certain that our audio products have raised the bar in the audio products market and we will continue to add high quality products that meet the consumer demands. I am confident; our latest addition BH21 headphones will be equally praised and accepted in the market. With Envent as our India partner for Audio products, we believe that our wireless headphones are a perfect companion for the millennials and Gen Z, with versatile features, advanced technology and above all available at a price range that fits every pocket.”
Blaupunkt BH21 headphones specifications and features
The Blaupunkt BH21 is the company’s first on-ear headphone and as mentioned above, it comes with Bluetooth v5.0 for connectivity. It has a speaker size of 40mm which is normal for the headphones priced at this range. The frequency response of Blaunpunkt BH21 headphones is 20Hz to 20KHz (20,000Hz) and has a sensitivity of 102+3db.
The headphones have a battery capacity of 500mAh and a play time of 24 hours. It takes around 3 hours for the Blaupunkt BH21 to completely charge from 0% to 100%. The build material used on the Blaupunkt BH21 headphones is ABS and it comes with a MIC for taking calls.
Blaupunkt BH21
For controls, there are play, pause, track change, call pick and call drop buttons on top of the Blaupunkt BH21 headphones. The Blaupunkt BH21 headphones come with Turbo Bass Mode which does as its name suggests, it amplifies the bass level to offer a bass-rich sound. The new Bluetooth headphones also come with a unique Equalizer button which will let the user switch between the different audio modes – Blaupunkt Music mode or Turbo Boost Mode. According to the company, the turbo bass mode has come for the first time in the Indian market and it is specially designed for the music-loving Indian audiophiles to offer superior sound quality.
Apple has finally taken wraps off its iOS 13 and iPadOS. So now we have an idea of exactly what new features are we supposed to expect from iPhones and iPads. Here’s a list of 12 features that will be coming to your iPhones and iPads with iOS 13 and iPadOS respectively. Take a look:
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Enhanced, faster performance
Apple has claimed that in iOS 13, unlocking Face ID has become 30% faster. Other than this app downloads and updates have become smaller by 50% and 60% respectively. The company has also said that the app launch speed will be 2X faster in iOS 13.
Dark Mode
The most-awaited software feature among Apple fans is present on the iOS 13. We are talking about the Dark mode. We should mention that this is the biggest visual update that iOS has got since its version 7 was launched. All of the company’s first-party apps will be supported.
A swipe keyboard
If you didn’t like Apple’s own keyboard earlier, you could have downloaded a third party one. However, with the newest update, you may not want any other. In iOS 13, a swiping function has been added to the keyboard. If you have used any keyboard like SwiftKey, Swype, or Gboard, you will be able to use Apple’s Quick Path keyboard too.
Revamped Reminders app
Apple has completely revamped the Reminders app for iOS 13. The app now has ‘Today’, ‘Scheduled’, ‘Flagged’ and ‘All’ filtering options. In addition to this, Apple has added some AI enhancements to the app so now, Reminders would give you suggestions on when you want to be reminded of something. Users will also be able to tag contacts when they open their threads in Messages.
Redesigned Apple Maps
Apple Maps is going to be a big change in iOS 13. The Cupertino-based technology giant says that it has rebuilt the app to provide users with a more comprehensive data. A new feature called ‘Look Around’ will show places in 3D to the users. In addition to this, users would also be able to tap on labels to know more about places.
Sign in with Apple
This is one of the coolest features that have been added by Apple to iOS 13. Users will now be able to login with Apple instead of using their social media credentials to sign in to various web services. And suppose an app insists that you share your email, Apple will also offer to create a new email address use for the app instead. This email ID will automatically forward all the information to your real email ID. Isn’t that so cool for anyone who loves privacy?
Changes in iMessage
Going forward, with iOS 13, users will be able to use WhatsApp like profile pictures and display names in the iMessage app. So, all the contacts will have proper names and pictures. Needless to say, you will control who sees your profile photo. Users will also be able to use your Memoji as a profile picture. We should also mention that Memoji will now have more Bitmoji like customization options.
New tools to edit photos and videos
Apple has introduced a new editing feature for Photos and Videos in iOS 13. Apple will let users edit brilliance, highlights, shadows, contrast, definition, sharpness, white balance, saturation, vignette and noise reduction. Users will also be able to rotate videos on the device to edit them.
The Find My app
Apple has merged its Find My Friends and Find My iPhone apps into an app called ‘Find My’. With the new app, users will be able to access all of Apple’s tracking in one place. So, you can track missing devices as well as family and friends from one app only.
Change in sharing location data
With iOS 13, Apple is also focussing a lot on the privacy of its users. One such feature that the company has added to enhance privacy is that tweaks in sharing location data with apps. Users will now be able to share location with the app just once and then the app will have to ask the user each time it wants the data. This would stop them from having constant access to your location.
Support for external storage
After years of wait, Apple is finally getting this feature. iOS will now have support to be able to import files from SD cards and USB flash drives to the Files app.
Changes in iPad
Apple has introduced an iPadOS at the WWDC 2019, which gets a revamped Home Screen that will show more apps and more functionalities to Split View and Slide Over. With iPadOS, users will be able to use the Apple Pencil in more ways, and iCloud Drive will be able to do folder sharing. Improved text editing and desktop-style browsing with Safari will also be made available with iPadOS.
Google’s cloud gaming system Stadia is the platform with which it decided to enter the gaming industry. Google Stadia was launched in the earlier months by the company, however, the technology giant did not reveal some key information about it. Following this in May, Google had revealed that it would be announcing the launch dates and some other key information about the Stadia soon, however, it didn’t reveal the exact dated when it will be making these announcements. But now, the California-based technology firm has finally revealed the date when it will be announcing the details about Google Stadia. Today, Stadia, through its official Twitter page revealed that it would be hosting its first-ever “Stadia Connect” event on Thursday, June 6 from 9am PDT onwards (9:30pm IST). The event will be held by Stadia where it will announce more details, the pricing and other information about the platform.
Earlier it was thought that more details about Stadia will be revealed by the company at the upcoming E3 2019, but the Stadia Connect event is being held days before the E3 2019. Google Stadia was announced by the company at the GDC 2019 but it didn’t reveal much details about the device. During the last week of May 2019, the company through a tweet hinted that it will be revealing more details about the Stadia in the Summer – most probably at E3 2019, but the event is being held days before E3 and this will give Google a lead over other platforms.
In the tweet, Stadia wrote that it will be revealing the three biggest things about the platform in Summer of 2019 – price of Stadia, game announcements and launch information. Google has also provided a link which will show the live stream of the event.
The California-based technology firm has said that Stadia will support desktops, laptops, TVs, tablets and phones as well so that the players/ gamers will be able to play their choice of games on any device. Google also said that the players won’t have to worry about game updates or downloads and they can play games in up to 4K HDR graphics with frame rates up to 60fps. The company had said that it will be announcing exclusive games for the Stadia and several new features which other platforms and consoles don’t offer.
Google’s Stadia will be taking on Microsoft and Sony who are already two of the biggest names in the gaming industry. And just how it fares against them will be seen once more details and games launches for the Stadia.
South Korean technology giant Samsung has launched the World’s first QLED 8K TV in India named the Samsung QLED 8K. The Samsung QLED 8K offers a number of industry-first features such as 8K AI Upscaling and 8K Quantum processor. It comes with Realm 8K resolution, 8K AI Upscaling, Quantum CPU 8K and Quantum HDR. The Samsung QLED 8K comes in different variants with four screen sizes. Here’s a look at the price details and specifications of Samsung QLED 8K TV:
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Samsung QLED 8K TV price and availability
The Samsung QLED 8K holds a price tag of Rs 10,99,900 for the 75-inch (189 cm) TV while the 82-inch (207 cm) variant of the television costs Rs 16,99,900. There is also a 98-inch (247 cm) variant of the Samsung QLED 8K TV which costs Rs 59,99,900, but this variant will only be made by order. The fourth variant of the Samsung QLED 8K has a screen size of 65-inch (163 cm) and the price of this model has not been revealed yet. However, it will be available in the markets from July 2019.
Other than the Samsung QLED 8K TVs, the company has also launched several other QLED TVs in its 2019 line-up. The 65-inch (163 cm) Q80 QLED TV costs Rs 3,99,900 while the 55-inch (138cm) variant costs Rs 2,09,900. The 75-inch (189 cm) variant of the Q80 model costs Rs 6,49,900.
While the Q60 QLED TV with 55-inch (138 cm) display size costs Rs 1,69,900, the 65-inch (163 cm) variant costs Rs 2,79,900. The smallest of the lot with 43-inch (108 cm) variant cost Rs 94,900 while the largest with 82-inch (207 cm) costs Rs 7,49,900. All the Q80 and the Q60 QLED TVs will be made available in the Indian market from June 2019 onwards.
All the newly launched QLED TVs can be bought from the Samsung Smart Plazas, leading consumer electronic stores and e-commerce platforms. They can also be bought from Samsung’s official online store.
Speaking on the launch, Raju Pullan, Senior Vice President, Consumer Electronics Online Business, Samsung India said, “At Samsung, we’ve worked tirelessly over the years to move the industry forward when it comes to premium picture quality, and the introduction of our QLED 8K line up with 8K AI Upscaling is an integral component as we look to the future of displays. We are thrilled to introduce new QLED 8K TVs that will change the dynamics of ultra-premium televisions and are confident that our consumers will experience nothing short of brilliance in colour, clarity and sound.”
Samsung QLED 8K features
The newly launched televisions in India come with Bixby and Google Assistant that can be controlled by the user using voice. There is also a Far Field Voice Capability feature on the One Remote Control of the TVs that enable the users to use voice commands to control their TV from across the room. The TVs also come with support for iTunes Movies and TV Shows and Apple AirPlay 2. Consumers will be able to make use of their existing iTunes library and browse the iTunes Store.
With support for AirPlay 2, users will be able to play videos, music, podcasts and more on Samsung Smart TVs.
The company has also added an Ambient Mode on its new televisions that lets users apply an interactive background on their device. It will also be able to display artistic content like photos and works of art. The purpose behind this is to ensure that the QLED 8K YV doubles up as an interactive wall feature that blends in with the interiors.
The televisions also come with the One Invisible Connection and One Connect Box that will let users do away with unsightly wires dangling from the device. According to the company, the One Invisible Connection is a single translucent cable that powers a full-sized 8K display and it is barely visible against a blank wall. A number of external devices can also be connected to the TV through a media receiver called the One Connect Box, which also works with One Remote Control.
Coming to the key highlight of the TV, the company has introduced the QLED 8K with its newest offering, which come with 8K AI Upscaling. The company’s Quantum Processor 8K uses AI machine learning and enables the television to transform all pictures into 8K. Samsung QLED 8K TVs make use of the Quantum Processor 8K that creates an even more detailed sound experience by tailoring the audio settings to the specific layout of the room in which the TV is kept.
If you are a OnePlus fan, you would know that OnePlus 7 has gone on its first sale in India today. Although the Chinese smartphone brand launched the OnePlus 7 along with OnePlus 7 Pro in India last month, the Pro version of hit the shelves in the Indian market before OnePlus 7 did. The handset has already gone on sale on Amazon India, OnePlus India’s website and OnePlus exclusive offline stores.
The key highlights of the smartphone are its Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor and its dual rear camera setup. If you are considering to buy the smartphone, we should tell you that it can be bought at Rs 11,099 instead of its starting price of Rs 32,999.
If you want to avail this offer, head to Amazon India to buy the OnePlus 7 smartphone. Opt for the exchange offer on the website under which, you can exchange your old smartphone for the new OnePlus 7 for up to Rs 19,900. The exchange amount varies on different smartphones. If you manage to get an exchange amount of Rs 19,900, the cost of your handset will come down to Rs 13,099.
Other than this, you can get an additional discount of Rs 2,000, provided you pay for your purchase via an SBI debit or credit card. On doing this, the cost of your OnePlus 7 smartphone would come down to Rs 11,099.
We should mention that this is what you will have to pay for the base variant of the smartphone after the two offers are applied. The base variant of OnePlus 7 comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.
But then, these two offers are also available for the 8GB RAM/256GB storage variants of OnePlus 7 smartphone as well. The cost of the high-end model comes down to Rs 16,099.
Other offers that are available on OnePlus 7 include no-cost EMIs and Reliance Jio benefits. The buyers of the handset will get benefits worth Rs 9,300 from Reliance Jio and up to 70% guaranteed exchange price from Servify.
As of now, the smartphone is only available for purchase via Amazon India, OnePlus.in and OnePlus exclusive offline retail stores. The smartphone will also be going on sale via all the partner retail outlets of the Chinese technology brand starting June 14. Pre-bookings of the handset on these platforms will begin later this week on June 7. As of now, there is no word on the launch offers that will be available on partner retail stores.
Asus, the Taiwanese electronic and technology firm unveiled its new gaming laptops in the Asus TUF series, the laptops are named – TUF FX505DT and TUF FX705DT. The new gaming laptops were unveiled in India yesterday and they are powered by the AMD Ryzen CPUs paired with NVIDIA GeForce GTX GPUs. Both the new laptops will be adding to Asus’s increasing products portfolio. Here’s a look at their price details and specifications.
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Asus TUF FX505DT and TUF FX705DT price and details
The starting price of the newly launched Asus TUF gaming laptops is Rs 64,990 and they are available for purchase on popular e-commerce platforms as well as offline stores.
In a statement, Arnold Su, ROG and PC Head at Asus India said, “At Asus, we are glad to unveil the TUF gaming Laptops FX505DT and FX705DT that combine amazing processing power and graphics upgrade with durability. Available at affordable prices, we are affirmative that these laptops will prove to be suitable partners to India’s growing brigade of passionate gamers and multi-tasking individuals.”
Asus TUF FX505DT and TUF FX705DT specifications and details
Both Asus TUF FX505DT and TUF FX705DT laptops come with 120Hz IPS-level NanoEdge display. The TUF FX505DT sports a 15.6-inch Full-HD (2160 x 1080 pixels) resolution display with a screen refresh rate of 120Hz. It packs up to 32GB DDR4 2666 MHz RAM while for storage the TUF FX505DT has 256GB SSD along with 1TB SSHD. As mentioned above, the TUF FX505DT will be powered by the latest AMD Ryzen CPU. For gaming, the newly launched laptop will be powered by the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 with 3G GDDR5 VRAM GPU. It runs Windows 10 OS and packs a 48Whr, 3-cell Li-ion battery.
Speaking of the other offering, Asus TUF705DT packs a 17.3-inch Full HD display with a screen refresh rate of 60Hz. It packs up to 32GB of DDR4 2400 MHz RAM and for storage, it comes with a 512GB SSD along with a 1TB SSHD storage. As its 15-inch counterpart, the TUF FX705DT too will be powered by the latest AMD Ryzen CPU. For gaming, it will pack an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 with 4G GDDR5 VRAM GPU. It runs Windows 10 OS and packs a 64Whr, 4-cell Li-ion battery.
As mentioned above, with the launch of two new laptops Asus has added two new devices to its list of gaming portfolio. And since both these laptops come in the TUF-series, they offer the durability and the toughness which Asus TUF laptops are known to have. Both these newly launched laptops come with military grade MIL-STD-810G certification as well.
Apple kick-started its WWDC 2019 in San Jose, California yesterday. At its developer conference, the company made a number of key announcements. It unveiled iOS 13 that comes with Dark Mode, took wraps off iPadOS, announced new additions to its WatchOS and tvOS, and showcased its all-new Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR. In addition to all of this, there was one more thing that Apple did. The company’s CEO Tim Cook, took a jab at Android, as always.
Before introducing the iOS 13, Cook spoke about Apple’s last year’s iOS 12. He said that iOS 12 has seen tremendous success in the industry and has 97% customer satisfaction. The CEO then went to talk about the adoption rate of iOS 12 saying, “As always, our adoption rate is industry leading as well. Eighty-five percent of the iOS customers are on the latest release. In fact, iOS 12 has been installed on more systems than any version of iOS ever.”
As soon as Cook said all of this, we knew what was coming next. Apple CEO then went on to add very matter-of-factly, “This is in stark contrast to the latest offering by those other guys, which was released before iOS 12. They only have 10% adoption.”
The moment he said this, the slide behind him on the stage changed and it showed percentages of adoption of both iOS 12 and Android Pie. So there really wasn’t a need of guessing who exactly Cook was talking about.
This isn’t the first time that Apple has taken a jab at Android in this manner. It has almost become a sort of a tradition for the Cupertino-based technology giant to slide a humorous remark whenever the two companies can be compared. It is one of the things that Apple does whenever it can, and the company’s fans too look forward to it.
Cook did go on to explain how this high adoption rate was better for both users and developers and then he finally unveiled the iOS 13 at the event.
While what he said was indeed humorous, there are other facts involved in the stark contrast between the adoption rates of the two operating systems too. Firstly, Android is an open source platform and because of this, a number of technology companies use the operating system. Some use stock Android and the others customise it with their skins. But because of this, Android’s user base is far wider than that of iOS.
Secondly, smartphone makers have a very key role in rolling out the latest Android versions to their users. So, Android adoption rate depends a lot on them too. Apple, on the other hand, does not have to worry about any third party smartphone makers rolling out the latest version of their operating system to devices, as iOS is exclusively used in the company’s own devices and is a closed OS.
We would say that considering these two factors, it is very obvious why exactly there is such a big difference in the adoption rates of the two operating systems. We all may judge Google for not doing enough to ensure a wider roll-out, but let’s keep this in mind when we are doing so.
Xiaomi had launched its gaming-centric Black Shark 2 smartphone in India last week. The Black Shark 2 is the first device to be launched by the gaming sub-brand in India. Today, a week after its launch, the Black Shark 2 is set to go on its first ever sale in the country from 12pm (noon) onwards. The smartphone will be exclusively sold on Flipkart with offers, no cost EMIs along with banking discount offers as well. The highlights of the Black Shark 2 are that it is powered by the Snapdragon 855 SoC and packs up to 12GB of RAM. It also comes pre-loaded with lots of gaming-centric features making it one of the best gaming smartphones in the market right now. Here’s a look at its price and sale features:
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Black Shark 2 price and sale offers in India
The Black Shark 2 with the 6GB RAM/ 64GB storage is priced at Rs 39,999 while the top-end variant of the device with 12GB RAM/ 256GB storage holds a price tag of Rs 49,999. It is available in two colour options – Frozen Silver and Shadow Black.
First sale offers on the new Black Shark 2 includes a no-cost EMI from Flipkart along with 10% of banking discount if the customer makes the purchase using Axis Bank Buzz credit cards. As mentioned above, the Black Shark 2 will exclusively be sold on Flipkart and the sale will start from 12pm (noon) today onwards.
Black Shark 2 specifications and features
The Black Shark 2 sports a 6.39-inch Full-HD+ (1080 x 2340 pixels) AMOLED display with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. It is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 SoC paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 2.1 internal storage. The Black Shark 2 packs a 4,000mAh battery with 27W fast charging support.
For imaging duties, the Black Shark 2 features a dual-rear camera setup which comprises of a 48MP main camera paired with a 12MP secondary camera. On the front, there is a 20MP selfie camera with an f/2.0 aperture.
On the gaming part, the Black Shark 2 comes with a plethora of gaming-based features which make it capable of handling any and all games of today with ease. It comes with Liquid Cool 3.0 technology which provides a better heat management. The smartphone has Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Elite Gaming feature which offers the gamers a better and more fluid gaming performance. Other than that, the Black Shark 2 has the pressure-sensing Magic Press technology which can be used as additional and extra controls when gaming. The device also packs dual RGB strips which can be configured to sync with the in-game effects and can be customized as per the user’s needs.
The newly-launched OnePlus 7 smartphone will be going on sale in India for the first time today at 12 pm (noon). The handset was launched along with OnePlus 7 Pro last month but it has taken a bit longer to hit the stores in India. According to the Chinese smartphone brand, OnePlus 7 will be available for purchase on Amazon India’s website, OnePlus.in and OnePlus exclusive offline stores.
The smartphone comes with a waterdrop-shaped notch, Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC and sports a dual rear camera setup. Here’s a look at the sale details, price and launch offers:
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OnePlus 7 price in India, sale details
OnePlus 7 is available in two storage options in India – one with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage and the other with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. While the former is priced at Rs 32,999, the later is available for purchase at Rs 37,999. While the 6GBB RAM variant is available only in Mirror Grey colour option, the 8GB RAM variant can also be bought in a Red colour model that is only exclusive to India and China.
The smartphone will be going on sale starting 12 pm (noon) today on Amazon India, OnePlus.in and OnePlus exclusive offline retail stores.
The device will also be available on all partner retail outlets of the company starting June 14. If you wish to buy the smartphone from there, you can pre-book starting June 7. Coming to the launch offers, OnePlus 7 customers will be getting a discount of up to Rs 2,000 if they pay for their purchase using an SBI debit or credit card. In addition to this, OnePlus 7 customers can opt for no-cost EMIs. The buyers will also get benefits worth Rs 9,300 from Reliance Jio and up to 70% guaranteed exchange price from Servify.
OnePlus 7 specifications and features
OnePlus 7 smartphone sports a 6.41-inch Full HD+ display that has a waterdrop shaped notch on its top to house the selfie camera. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC, the handset packs up to 8GB RAM. The OnePlus offering runs Android 9 Pie skinned with OxygenOS and it houses a 3,700mAh battery. The device comes with up to 256GB of UFS 3.0 storage.
On the camera front, the device features a dual-rear camera setup that consists of a 48MP primary camera and a 5MP depth sensor. For selfies, there is a 16MP front-facing snapper.
OnePlus 7 supports Wi-Fi, GPS, USB Type-C, 3G, and 4G for connectity.
HMD Global recently launched its Nokia 4.2 smartphone in India that is priced at Rs 10,977. At this price point, the smartphone competes with a number of other smartphones from the likes of Samsung, Asus and Xiaomi. But can it match up to them in terms of performance? Read our review of Nokia 4.2 to find out more:
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Nokia 4.2 Design and Display
Design is one of the best aspects of the Nokia 4.2, even though it may remind you a bit of Nokia 6.1 Plus and Nokia 5.1 Plus. If you like your smartphone to have a subtle and minimalistic design, then Nokia 4.2 is something that you will like. However, if you like something chunkier, then you may not be able to appreciate the design of Nokia 4.2. While the device is available in Gloss Pink and Black colour variants, the one that we got for review is dressed in Black. The front, as well as the back panel of the smartphone, is coated with 2.5D glass, making the handset’s design and look premium.
On the rear panel of the smartphone, there is a vertically stacked camera module that comes with two sensors and an LED flash. Beneath this module, a fingerprint scanner is placed and the Nokia branding can also be found here.
The compact form factor of the Nokia 4.2 smartphone ensures that the one-handed usage is no problem at all on the device. The built quality of the smartphone is also very sturdy, so that is another plus.
Among the key highlights of the smartphone is its dedicated Google Assistant button that is placed on the left edge along with a SIM tray slot. While it is a useful addition for anyone who uses the assistant a lot, it cannot be remapped. Another thing that the company had touted is that there is an LED light on the power button of the smartphone. The button lights up each time the handset receives a notification. The power button and the volume rocker keys are present on the right edge. The top edge of the device comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack and a secondary microphone. While at the bottom users will find a microUSB port, a speaker and the primary microphone.
Overall, the look and feel of the Nokia 4.2 smartphone is first-class and it is one among the best-looking devices in the given price segment.
Coming to the display, Nokia 4.2 smartphone comes with a 5.71-inch HD+ screen. The display was a decent one. The colours appear to be accurate, although the viewing angles of the handset could have been better. The images and text appeared to be sharp and clear. The sunlight readability was sometimes problematic, but if you turn the brightness up, it becomes better.
Saying that we definitely have seen much better displays in this price range. The screen of the smartphone performed averagely most of the time and failed to create a mark even though there is nothing too wrong in it. Samsung Galaxy M10 and Galaxy M20, which fall in the same price bracket, offer much better displays than Nokia 4.2.
Nokia 4.2 Performance and Cameras
Before we speak about Nokia 4.2’s performance, here’s a look at its specifications. Nokia 4.2 runs Android 9.0 Pie and features a 5.71-inch HD+ (720×1,520 pixels) a-Si TFT display with 19:9 aspect ratio. Nokia 4.2 is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 SoC and comes with 3GB of RAM. It has 32GB of internal storage and can install a microSD card of up to 400GB.
For imaging duties, the smartphone features a dual rear camera setup with 13MP and 2MP sensors. For selfies and video calls, there is an 8MP front-facing camera. The smartphone houses a 3,000mAh battery.
Speaking of the software, Nokia 4.2 is a part of Google’s Android One programme, much like all other Nokia devices by the company, and as said runs Android 9.0 Pie. You will get features like Digital Wellbeing, Adaptive Battery and Adaptive Brightness in the handset. The device is also promised to get Android Q and Android R updates.
Coming to the performance of the device, the Snapdragon 439 SoC performs basic and everyday tasks with ease. But don’t burden it with too much of multitasking. For instance, we did not see the best performance from the device when we tried watching videos on it while the navigation was on. The smartphone also started heating up each time we tried to multi-task on it.
Gaming was a similar experience. Playing games like Alto’s Odyssey was not a problem on the device, but we have seen other smartphones perform better when it comes to games like PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9: Legends. If you are a regular gamer who plays graphically demanding games on smartphones, probably you can consider some other option.
The call quality of the Nokia 4.2 was good. We faced no problems while making calls even from areas like basements and elevators and could listen to the person we were talking to at all times.
Coming to the cameras, we found the sensors on Nokia 4.2 to do a decent job. The images taken during the day did have accurate colours and were bright. However, the images lacked a certain sharpness. But then, we have to say that the images taken outdoors looked much better than the ones taken indoors. The zoomed-in shots were not the best in class but decent.
But what was actually unsatisfactory were the shots taken at night. They turned out to be grainy and lacked clarity. The front camera mostly worked decently and it did not add the unnatural looking beauty features, which is something we are completely fine with.
Nokia 4.2 smartphone has a 3,000mAh battery that will last you a day with moderate usage. We used the smartphone for calls, watching YouTube videos, navigation, listening to music and browsing the web and we often had to charge it by the end of the day. We suggest having the lite version of social media apps on the handset for best battery use.
Verdict
Nokia 4.2 excels in the design department and it a part of Google’s Android One programme, which means that it will get timely updates. The Google Assistant button and the notification light on the smartphone are also plus points.
However, this is a competitive price point and Samsung Galaxy M10, which is similarly priced, did far better in terms of cameras, multitasking and battery. If these are a priority for you, you would be happier with Samsung Galaxy M10.
However, if you want a stock Android experience and a good-looking smartphone with a glass body, then Nokia 4.2 at Rs 10, 977 is not a bad buy. If you are someone who doesn’t use a smartphone too heavily and only need it for basic things, Nokia 4.2 wouldn’t disappoint you at all.
Huawei has been banned from doing business with the US-based technology firms but that has not stopped it from making its EMUI better. Now, the company has announced that the second batch of the EMUI 9.1 beta version is currently live for testing. For that, the company has announced the names of 14 smartphones which will be getting the new EMUI 9.1 beta update. This new EMUI 9.1 beta update is based on Android 9 Pie. Huawei’s Mate-series and the P-series are among the flagship devices which will be receiving the new EMUI 9.1 beta update. Other than the Huawei smartphones, the sub-brand Honor devices too will be receiving the new EMUI 9.1 beta updates.
Earlier in April 2019, the company has announced that it will release the new and upgraded version EMUI 9.1 to 49 smartphones. It had also started testing the new EMUI 9.1 beta based on Android Pie on devices like Mate 20, Mate 20 Pro, Mate 20 X, Mate 20 Porsche Design edition etc.
On its official Weibo account, the company revealed that the second phase of the EMUI 9.1 beta testing started March 31 onwards and at that time, a total of 14 smartphones from Huawei were eligible for the new update. Those 14 smartphones included: Huawei Mate 10 Pro, Mate 10, Mate 10 Porsche Design, Mate RS Porsche Design, P20, P20 Pro, Nova 3, Nova 3i, Maimang 7/ Mate 20 Lite, Enjoy 9 Plus, Honor 10, Honor V10, Honor Play and Honor 8X.
The users of the abovementioned smartphones can now register for the second phase of EMUI 9.1 beta testing program. They can download the latest build of the Huawei’s own UI based on Android 9 Pie. The official Huawei Club community forum states that only those devices with 6GB or more of free internal storage will be recommended for installing the new EMUI 9.1 beta build. If the memory lacks, then there might be complications in the installation.
In addition to this, according to the company, some older Huawei smartphones such as Mate 9 and the Huawei P10-series will also receive the new update soon. Other than the 14 smartphones mentioned above, the company has also released a list of smartphones which are in line to receive the new EMUI 9.1 beta testing program. Those devices include Huawei Mate 9, Mate 9 pro, Mate 9 Porsche Design, P10, P10 Plus, Nova 4, Nova 4e, Nova 2S, Honor 9 and Honor V9.
But it should be noted that the EMUI 9.1 beta is currently out for the Chinese market only and there is no news about its global availability.
Apple’s WWDC 2019 has started today in San Jose, California. During the keynote of Apple WWDC 2019, the technology giant spoke about all the new software related changes that are coming to its systems. Here, we have listed down the key announcements of the WWDC 2019:
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iOS 13
In iOS 13, Apple has claimed that unlocking Face ID has become 30% faster and that the operating system also promises 50% smaller app downloads and 60% smaller updates. Even app launch speed is said to have become 2X faster. But the key highlight of iOS 13, is the much-awaited Dark Mode. The new operating system comes with a system-wide dark mode. Apple has also added a swipe keyboard. The Photos app in iOS 13 comes with sharing suggestions and the Music app has time-synced lyrics in music. The company has completely revamped Reminders app.
Maps app has now become extremely more detailed. A new feature called ‘Look Around’ has also been added that will show places in 3D. Users can also tap on labels to know more about places. To enhance the privacy of the device, iOS 13 will enable users to share location with the app just once and it will have to ask again each time it wants it.
Users will also be able to login with Apple instead of your social logins to access various services. If an app asks for your email, Apple will also offer to create a new email address to share that instead. This email ID will forward information to your real email ID.
With iOS 13, iMessage will show Animoji or Photo to people whom you message. Needless to say, you will control who sees your photos. The company has also added Memoji stickers feature to iOS 13.
In the Photos app, a number of new editing options have been added for both photos and videos. Photos app will also show you photos of a special day on that day. So suppose it is your sister’s birthday when you open the app, you will be shown her pictures and photos from her previous birthdays on that day.
iPadOS
Apple gave a preview of its iPadOS at the event. As the name suggests, the operating system is only meant for iPads and it gets a new, revamped Home Screen that will show more apps and more functionalities to Split View and Slide Over. Users will be able to use the Apple Pencil in more ways with the iPadOS, and apart from this, the company has also added support for folder sharing to its iCloud Drive. Improved text editing and desktop-style browsing with Safari has also been added.
tvOS
To make the Apple TV more personal, Apple has introduced multi-user support for tvOS. TVOS also supports Apple Music, and with multiuser support, everyone’s choice of music will be available. Furthermore, the lyrics of the songs will also be available. The operating system will also come with support for Xbox.
WatchOS
Apple has introduced new watch faces. These include Gradient face, digital face, California dial, silver face, and tactical chimes.
More apple apps have been added to Apple Watch including Audiobooks, Voice Memo and Calculator (which can also do tip calculations). Apple Watch will now also have Independent apps, so there wouldn’t be a need for installing them on your iPhone. Some of them may not be even available for iPhones. Furthermore, the company is also adding the App Store to Apple Watch.
WatchOS 6 will also come with Activity Trends. You will also be able to see trends for up to 365 days. It will also suggest you what else you can do to be more active. Apple has also added the Noise app to help those with hearing disabilities. For women, watchOS 6 comes with a Cycle tracking app. As the name suggests, this will help women to track their menstrual cycle. The app will also be coming to iPhones. The company has also introduced a new Pride coloured Apple Watch straps.
macOS Catalina
Apple’s macOS Catalina replaces the iTunes with its popular entertainment apps including Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and the Apple TV app. The operating system also comes with a new Sidecar feature enables users to extend their Mac desktop by using their iPad as a second display or as a high-precision input device. Apple has also said that with macOS Catalina, it has added T2 Security Chip support Activation Lock for more security, a ‘One more minute’ feature that enhances the Screen Time, and a number of new improvements to Photos, Safari, Gallery View, and Reminders.
Mac Pro
The new Mac Pro is meant for professional filmmakers and is powered by a 28 core Intel Xeon processor and has 300 watts of power. The system comes with up to 1.5 terabytes of system memory and 8 internal PCI slots and two built-in Ethernet posts. It also has an x16 PCI connector and MPX Module. The machine can support 3 streams of 8K and 12 streams of 4k. It has a 1.4 KW power supply.
Apple Pro Display XDR
The new Mac Pro comes with a new matching display which comes with a 6K Retina resolution and has a cutting-edge polariser that delivers 25% better contrast as compared to a typical LCD display. The new 32-inch 6K Mac Pro display is available in a matte option and an anti-reflective coating. It supports 1000nits of full-screen brightness and 1600nits peak brightness. It can support a contrast ratio is 1,000,000:1 and comes with Thunderbolt 3.
Tools for developers
Besides this, Apple has also unveiled new technologies that make it easier and faster for developers to create powerful new apps. These technologies include SwiftUI, ARKit 3, RealityKit and Reality Composer. With these, developers will be able to create more powerful user interfaces as well as better AR experiences.
Oppo F11 Pro with 64GB storage and Oppo A5 have received a permanent price cut in India. The price cut was announced by the company and both the devices are being sold at their updated prices starting today. The Oppo F11 Pro 64GB was launched in March 2019 and it came with features such as a MediaTek CPU, AI Beauty 2.0 and a dual-rear camera setup.
The Oppo F11 Pro 64GB variant has received a price cut of Rs 2,000 from its original price. Now, the Oppo A5 too was launched in April 2019 and after a month of its launch, it is getting a price cut of Rs 1,000. The Oppo A5 came with features like a Snapdragon SoC, dual-rear camera setup etc.
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Oppo F11 Pro 64GB and Oppo A5 price (revised)
The Oppo F11 Pro with 64GB storage is now selling for Rs 20,990, down from its original price of Rs 22,990. However, the 128GB storage variant of the device still sells for the original price of Rs 23,990.
On the other hand, the Oppo A5 with 64GB storage is priced at Rs 11,990 which is down from its original price of Rs 12,990.
The revised pricing of both the devices is not listed on Amazon India and Flipkart currently. The offline stores are selling both the devices for their revised prices.
Oppo F11 Pro specifications and features
The Oppo F11 Pro sports a 6.53-inch Full-HD+ (1080 x 2340 pixels) LCD display. It is powered by the octa-core MediaTek Helio P70 SoC paired with 6GB of RAM. The F11 Pro runs Android 9 Pie skinned with ColorOS 6. The smartphone packs a 4,000mAh battery with VOOC Flash Charge 3.0 fast charging support.
For imaging duties, the Oppo F11 Pro has a dual rear camera setup which comprises of a 48MP main camera paired with a 5MP secondary camera. On the front, there is a 16MP pop-up selfie camera module.
Other features of the Oppo F11 Pro includes 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS/ A-GPS, and a Micro-USB port.
Oppo A5 specifications and features
Oppo A5, on the other hand, sports a 6.2-inch HD+ (720 x 1520 pixels) FullView display. It is powered by the Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 450 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM. The Oppo A4 supports dual-SIM and runs Android 8.1 Oreo skinned with ColorOS 5.1. The smartphone packs a 4,230mAh battery with no fast charging.
On the camera front, the Oppo A5 sports a dual-rear camera setup which comprises of a 13MP main sensor paired with a 2MP secondary camera. On the front, there is an 8MP selfie camera.
Other features of the Oppo A5 includes 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS/ A-GPS, Micro-USB, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi is all set to launch its Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro smartphones in India within the next six weeks. The company’s Chief Manu Kumar Jain today took to Twitter to announce that the newly-launched Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro handsets will be launched in the Indian smartphone market within the next six weeks. This means that smartphones will be launched in India somewhere in mid-July.
While as of now, there is no word on the price, availability or any of the company’s partnerships in India, the smartphones are expected to be priced in the budget segment of the Indian smartphone market, much like other Xiaomi devices.
Even earlier, Jain had teased the Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro smartphones to launch in India, he did not give any details about when exactly the launch will happen. While now we have an idea about when the smartphones will be launched, there is no official word on the pricing, availability details or launch offers that customers will be able to avail with the smartphones.
Redmi K20, Remi K20 Pro price in India (expected)
In China, the Redmi K20 was launched in two variants – 6GB RAM/64GB storage and 6GB RAM/128GB storage. The 6GB RAM/ 64GB storage of the smartphone is priced at CNY 1,999 (approximately Rs 20,200) and the 6GB RAM/ 128GB storage model costs CNY 2,099 (approximately Rs 21,200). The Redmi K20 was launched in two colour options – Glacier Blue and Flame Red.
Coming to the Redmi K20 Pro, it was launched in four variants – 6GB RAM/64GB storage, 6GB RAM/128GB storage, 8GB RAM/256GB storage and 8GB RAM/128GB storage. While the 6GB RAM/ 64GB storage variant of the smartphone bears a price tag of CNY 2,499 (approximately Rs 25,200), the 6GB RAM/ 128GB storage model can be picked up at CNY 2,599 (approximately Rs 26,200).
The one with 8GB RAM/ 128GB storage of Redmi K20 Pro is priced at CNY 2,799 (approximately Rs 28,200 and the top-end variant of the handset that comes with 8GB RAM/ 256GB storage is priced at CNY 2,999 (approximately Rs 30,200). The Pro version of the smartphone will come in three colour options – Glacier Blue, Flame Red and Carbon Fiber Black.
Even when the two smartphones are launched in India, Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro are expected to be priced similarly. Some reports have also suggested that the Redmi K20 Pro will launch as POCO F2 in India.
Japanese electronics maker Panasonic has confirmed that it is working on its new video-focused version of the full-frame mirrorless camera called the Lumix S1H. The new mirrorless camera’s prototype was showcased at an event in Los Angeles, USA. With the addition of the Lumix S1H, the company will be adding another product to its catalog and it will be the third camera in Panasonic’s new S1 series of full-frame mirrorless cameras. According to the company, the Lumix S1H would be unveiled globally at the Q3 2019.
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Panasonic Lumix S1H price and availability
The Panasonic Lumix S1H has an estimated price of $4,000 (approximately Rs 2,77,680) and as mentioned above, it will be launching at the Q3 2019. Once the mirrorless camera from Panasonic is launched, it will be made globally available.
Panasonic Lumix S1H specifications and features
Panasonic Lumix S1H falls in a similar category as the Lumix S1 and the Lumix S1R professional, full-frame mirrorless cameras. According to the company, the Lumix S1H is the first interchangeable lens mirrorless camera which can shoot 6K videos at 24fps and 5.9K videos at 30fps with an aspect ratio of 16:9. The new video-focused mirrorless camera from Panasonic will also support video recording in multiple aspect ratio like 16:9 and anamorphic 4:3.
Other than that, the company has also said that the camera will be the first in the world to shoot 10-bit 4K and Cinema 4K video at 60fps. It also has a wide colour gamut and it compares against the Cinema VariCam cinema cameras. The new Lumix S1H is also capable of shooting V-Log/ V-Gamut with its wide and dynamic range of 14+ stops. Other than that, the upcoming camera from Panasonic will be able to record non-stop video (under the regular operating temperatures) till the memory card of the camera is full or till the battery depletes.
Other than the details mentioned above, the company didn’t reveal much details about the Lumix S1H such as the ISO range, Card slots, sensor size etc. All the technical specifications and the details will be revealed by the company once it launches at the Q3 2019. Currently, Panasonic had showcased a prototype of the Lumix S1H at the Cine Gear Expo which was held at Paramount Studios, LA, USA. The event ran from May 30 to June 2.
Cupertino based technology giant Apple will be holding its World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC 2019) today. The event will span over five days and will end on June 7. However, today, the most anticipated keynote of the event will be held and the company will be talking about its all major software-focussed developments for 2019. CEO Tim Cook will be present at the keynote among other key executives of the company. Apple’s WWDC 2019 event will take place at its McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California.
As always, Apple will be live streaming the keynote session of its WWDC event via its official website as well as the WWDC app. The WWDC 2019 keynote will begin at 10 am PDT, which is 10:30 pm IST. Here’s everything that you need to know if you want to watch the WWC 2018 keynote live and what to expect from it.
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How to watch the live stream of Apple WWDC 2019 keynote
Apple WWDC 2019 keynote will begin at 10 pm PDT, which is 10:30 pm IST. The Cupertino-based technology giant will live stream its keynote across various channels. Apple TV owners can watch the keynote via the Apple Events app. If you own an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch or a Mac that has the Safari browser on it, you can simply watch the WWDC 2019 keynote live stream via the Apple Events website.
Other than this, the event can also be seen via the WWDC app on any Apple device. Windows users will also be able to watch the keynote, but only via the Microsoft Edge browser. In addition to this. Android users can also watch the event using Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers. We should mention that Apple WWDC 2019 stream required support for MSE, H.264, and AAC.
Apple WWDC 2019: What to expect
There will be a number of key announcements that Apple will be making at the event. Since the services business has become so important and relevant to Apple now, the company will be giving more importance than it usually does to the WWDC 2019.
Apple is expected to give us the first glimpse of the iOS 13, which is said to come with a dark mode. Other than this, the company will also be giving details about its macOS 10.15, Marzipan apps, tvOS, watchOS and some updates about its other services. To know more about what is expected, you can read our detailed story here.
Till now, we have already seen what kind of notches the smartphones come with – regular notch, waterdrop notch, hole-punch notch and no-notch with a pop-up selfie camera. To include the front camera in the smartphones, the notches were somewhat important as they hold the selfie camera and other sensors. There were also some smartphones which came with their own innovative and new ideas to avoid the notch like the Samsung Galaxy A80 with its rotating camera and the Asus Zenfone 6 with its flip-up camera. But now, the Chinese smartphone maker, Oppo has revealed a smartphone with a non-mechanical under the display selfie camera which removes the notch completely without putting any moving parts into the phone.
Oppo’s Vice President, Brian Shen, on the Chinese social messaging platform, Weibo shared a short video which shows a smartphone’s prototype. This prototype smartphone comes with no visible notch and no-pop up selfie camera or moving cameras of that sort. But when the front facing camera icon is tapped, the smartphone opens the front camera even though there is no front camera visible on the smartphone. When the front camera of the prototype is opened, it shows the ceiling of the room it is kept in, the user also hovers his finger above the smartphone, the action is reflected back on the smartphone screen showing that the camera of the smartphone is working and is not just a gimmick.
Oppo’s VP Chen also said that the new smartphone camera technology is still in its early part of development. He said, “At this stage, it’s difficult for under-display cameras to match the same results as normal cameras, there’s bound to be some loss in optical quality. But, no new technology jumps to perfection right away.”
It is true that the under-display camera cannot match the same quality of image as the normal above display cameras. But it should also be noted that, if the new technology is perfected then it can surely replace the current ‘notched’ camera smartphones. And unlike the moving cameras like the pop-up selfie cameras, the under-display camera won’t be prone to damages or wear and tear damage.
The company currently hasn’t revealed when it will be using this technology on a mass-produced smartphone but since the new camera technology is far from perfect, we would have to wait for it to come out for the masses.
For those seeking the perfect, notchless smartphone screen experience – prepare to be amazed. 📲
You are taking a very first look at our under-display selfie camera technology. RT! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/FrqB6RiJaY
Other than Oppo, another Chinese smartphone giant, Xiaomi had also showcased a video of a prototype of Mi 9 where the company’s president said, “No hole, no notch, no pop-up camera.” In other words, Xiaomi is also testing its own version of the under the display camera. But it hasn’t yet revealed when will it be placed in a smartphone or what smartphone will be launched with the new camera technology.
Earlier in January, ahead of the CES 2019, the South-Korean electronics maker LG announced the world’s first 8K OLED TV named – LG OLED88Z9. The TV offers 8K resolution display which the consumer can use to play 8K content. The new 8K thin tube from LG has a resolution of 7,680 x 4,320 pixels and has an OLED screen size of 88-inches.
It is also interesting to note this TV is amongst the first televisions that offers 8K resolution on mainstream television. LG has after months of its showcasing has put the LG OLED88Z9 up for pre-orders in South Korea. Soon, the 8K OLED TV will reach the North American and European markets. News is by the third quarter of 2019 (July – September) it will reach these shores. Although the TV is up for pre-order but its price hasn’t been revealed by the company. But seeing the technology it offers, it will definitely be priced at a premium segment.
When it comes to technical specifications, the new LG OLED88Z9 offers 33 million pixels on the screen and as mentioned above, it offers a resolution of 7,680 x 4,320 pixels. It is also the world’s first 8K OLED TV and supports HDR along with Dolby Vision formats on content. 8K is currently the highest resolution any TV has to offer. 8K TV is 32 times sharper than the regular HD TV, 16 times sharper than the Full HD TVs and offers four times more sharpness and details than the regular 4K TV. But currently there isn’t much 8K content available. Also, do not expect it any time soon. But it should be noted that this is what had happened when the world was first introduced to the 4K technology, there just wasn’t enough content for the 4K TV to play. But now, 4K has become the norm and so will 8K in the future.
There are various online streaming platforms which offer TV Shows and movies to its users in 4K quality. After the 4K, the 4K Blue Ray format has become highly popular. Even YouTube offers some content in 4K. Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 is right around the corner, and it is expected that the Olympics 2020 will be broadcasted in 8K resolution, which will be a first.
The LG OLED88Z9 is a smart TV as well, it comes with support of Google Voice Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Although not much details are known about this new 8K TV but when launched, it will come with all the features a smart TV comes with and many new features as well.
HMD Global is one among the smartphone makers that is known for rolling out software updates timely to its handsets. The company has also ensured that all its Nokia smartphones are a part of Google’s Android One programme. Any smartphone which is under the Android One programme is promised to get timely Android updates for two years and security patches for three years. Now, the company has rolled out the latest Android 9.0 Pie update to its Nokia 3 smartphone, which is one among the entry-level handsets by the company.
We should mention that the smartphone was launched by the company two years ago and this means that HMD Global really sticks to its work when it comes to rolling out updates to its smartphones. HMD Global’s Chief Product Officer, Juho Sarvikas took to Twitter to announce that Nokia 3 smartphone, which was unveiled first in 2017, has started receiving the latest Android 9.0 Pie update. He also said that the company kept its promise of delivering two years of Android updates to the smartphone.
His tweet reads, “The wait is over! Keeping up with our promise of 2 years of Android updates, Nokia 3 (2017) is now officially running on Android 9 Pie! Step up to Nokia smartphones, they Just Keep Getting Better!
A number of new features have come to the Nokia 3 smartphone along with the update. The Android 9.0 Pie update changelog includes new system navigation, adaptive battery, adaptive brightness, and revamped settings and notifications. The update has also got the May Android Security patch to the smartphone. The update is being rolled out over-the-air (OTA) and if you have not already received it, your device will get it shortly.
To recall, Nokia 3 smartphone was launched in India in June 2019 and it was priced at Rs 9,499. At the time of its launch, Nokia 3 smartphone was running Android 7.0 Nougat operating system. But then, it received updates to Android 8.0 Oreo, Android 8.1 Oreo and now, it has finally received the Android 9.0 update too.
Coming to the specifications of the smartphone it comes with a 5-inch IPS LCD display that has an HD resolution. Powered by a quad-core MediaTek 6736 SoC, Nokia 3 comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The smartphone from Nokia comes with support for a microSD card of up to 128GB. The handset houses a 2,630mAh battery. For imaging duties, there is an 8Mp primary camera with an LED flash and there is an 8MP front-facing camera to click selfies and make video calls.
The 6GB RAM version of the Redmi Note 6 Pro smartphone has received its first price cut in India. The company has announced a price cut of Rs 2,000 in India and now it can be picked up at Rs 13,999 from Mi.com and Flipkart. The variant that comes with 4GB of RAM has also got a price slash of Rs 2000 and can now be bought at Rs 11,999. We should mention that the device was launched in November last year, and Xiaomi also launched its successor Redmi Note 7 Pro in February. Among the key highlights of the smartphone are a 19:9 display, a dual selfie camera, P2i water repellent nanotechnology, and a massive 4,000mAh battery.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro’s 6GB RAM/64GB storage variant can now be bought at Rs 13,999 and its 4GB RAM model is now priced at Rs 11,999. The smartphone can be picked up from Flipkart, Mi.com, and Mi Home stores. The company is offering a number of discounts including an exchange offer, no-cost EMI options an Instant Jio cashback of Rs 2,4000 and up to 6TB Jio 4G Data benefits. You can also get an instant discount of 10% if you buy your smartphone from Flipkart using an Axis Bank Buzz credit cards.
Redmi Note 6 Pro specifications
The Xiaomi smartphone features a 6.26-inch Full HD+ display with a 19:9 aspect ratio that is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 14nm processor, Redmi Note 6 Pro comes with up to 6GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage.
For imaging duties, the smartphone comes with four cameras in total. The back panel of Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro houses 12MP+5MP dual rear cameras and the selfie cameras come with two 20MP lenses. The front-facing cameras of the smartphone come with AI Portrait Selfie mode and AI scene detection.
The smartphone houses a 4,000mAh battery that supports Quick Charge 3.0 technology and promises a standby time of 12 days. At the time of launch, Redmi Note 6 Pro had Android 8.1 Oreo skinned with MIUI 10.
We should also mention that most of the specifications of the smartphone are the same as the smartphone’s predecessor, Redmi Note 5 Pro. The specifications that are common between the two smartphones are their dual rear camera setup, the battery capacity and the processor.
Bharti Airtel has strengthened its partnership with ZEE5 and has now announced that Airtel will be offering more digital content to its subscribers. Airtel has upgraded its #AirtelThanks in which it offers a wide range of exclusive benefits. The Airtel Platinum customers will now get unlimited access to the full ZEE5 catalogues and content as a part of the monthly recharge plans. To avail this offer, the subscribers would need to recharge with the Infinity Postpaid Plan of Rs 499 after which they will be available for the benefits #AirtelThanks brings with it.
Shashwat Sharma, Chief Marketing Officer of Bharti Airtel said: “#AirtelThanks has received phenomenal response and we are delighted to bring ZEE5’s exciting content to our Platinum customers as part of the value proposition. We will continue to expand our ecosystem of partners to enable a differentiated experience for our customers.”
The contents which ZEE5 will provide to the subscribers of #AirtelThanks is its VOD (Video on Demand) network content along with the exclusive and new ZEE5 originals. It includes movies, TV shows, music videos, lifestyle shows, kids shows, and plays. Some of the best movies which ZEE5 will be offering to the subscribers of #AirtelThanks – Karenjit Kaur – The Untold Story of Sunny Leone, Rangbaaz, Skyfire, The Final Call, Hutatma (Marathi), Auto Shankar (Tamil), High Priestess (Telugu), Kaafir, Bombers. It is also offering new movies such as Uri – The Surgical Strike, Simmba, Kedarnath, Veere Di Wedding, etc.
The users of Airtel Platinum can claim the free ZEE5 Subscription offer from Airtel Thanks section of My Airtel app. After that, they would need to download the ZEE5 application to receive the premium content of the offer.
Manish Aggarwal, Business Head of ZEE5 India said, “This partnership is in line with our growth strategy as it is a crucial step towards fulfilling our aim to offer new and exciting content. It will strengthen our reach by the potential proliferation of ZEE5 premium content to a wider and new set of audience. We are happy to partner with Airtel, and via similar partnerships we will continue to enhance our offerings with the customer at the center.”
Other than that, the Airtel Platinum customers will also get VIP services like premium content, e-books, device protection along with exclusive invites and priority access to the events and sales.
The new plan is currently live and the Airtel Platinum users can avail the offer to enjoy the full content in various languages on ZEE5.
HMD Global might soon launch the next device in its Nokia 6-series – the Nokia 6.2 on June 6. The Nokia 6.2 is also known as Nokia X71 in some markets. The company last week had revealed that it will be hosting a global launch event on June 6 but it did not reveal what smartphones or devices the company will be launching at the scheduled event, and even the launch venue was not revealed. Now, a tweet by Nokia Anew reports that the company might launch its Nokia 6.2 at the launch event.
Nokia Anew’s tweet reveals that the Nokia 6.2’s pricing will be the same as Nokia 6.1. So we might see the Nokia 6.2’s price at around $290 (approximately Rs 20,200). When Nokia 6.1 was launched in India, it came with a price tag of Rs 16,999 so there is a possibility that the new Nokia 6.2’s price will be the same as its predecessor. It should be noted that HMD Global launched Nokia X71 few weeks ago in Taiwan and according to a tweet, the Nokia X71 is Nokia 6.2 itself with a different name. Rumours suggests that the Nokia 6.2 is the global variant of the Nokia X71.
Nokia 6.2 specifications (expected)
Coming to the specifications, Nokia 6.2 is the global variant of the Nokia X71. So, we may see some changes in their specifications but most of them are expected to remain the same. The Nokia X71/Nokia 6.2 will sport a 6.39-inch Full HD+ PureDisplay with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. It is powered by the mid-range Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 SoC paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The device packs a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, runs Android 9 Pie and it packs a 3,500mAh battery.
For imaging duties, the Nokia 6.2 features a triple-rear camera setup which comprises of a ZEISS-certified 48MP main sensor with an f/1.8 aperture paired with an 8MP 120-degree super-wide angle lens. The third camera is a 5MP depth sensor. On the front, there is a 16MP selfie camera with an f/2.0 aperture.
Nokia 6.2 will be presented soon enough – in spring. So we don't have long to wait. The smartphone will probably be a hit, continuing the tradition of the 6 series. Nokia 6. is the best – selling series.
The price remains at the same level as in Nokia 6.1.#nokia6#exclusive
More details about the device will be made available once it launches few days from now. We would have to wait for a few more days to find out what Nokia has up its sleeve. Stay tuned with us to get regular updates!
