Lenovo-owned Motorola has announced the successor of Motorola E5 smartphone that was launched in 2018. Dubbed Moto E6, the newly-launched handset comes with a number of upgraded features over its predecessor. Initially, the device has been launched by Motorola in the United States and it has been priced below $150. On conversion, this becomes approximately Rs 10,000. Here’s a look at the specifications and other details of the Moto E6 smartphone:
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Moto E6 specifications and features
Moto E6 smartphone packs entry-level specifications and comes with a 5.5-inch HD+ display with a 720*1520-pixel resolution and an aspect ratio of 18:9. The newly-launched handset is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC clubbed with Adreno 505 GPU and is available in two storage variants. While the base variant of Moto E6 has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, the higher-end model has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. The handset will also be able to hold a microSD card in case the user needs more storage.
Moto E6 smartphone will be available in single SIM and dual SIM options and it houses a 3,000mAh removable battery that does not have support for fast charging. The company has also claimed that Moto E6 comes with P2i nano-coating, which means that it has a water-repellent body. We should mention that this does not mean that it has IP certification for water and dust resistance, it should be able to survive rain and minor spillages.
On the imaging front, Moto E6 comes with a 13MP primary sensor that has an f/2.0 aperture and comes with support for PDAF and HDR. The company has also said that the smartphone is capable of recording 1080p 30fps videos. For lowly lit situations, the device has an LED flash. On the front, there is a 5MP fixed focus camera with an f/2.0 aperture that can be used for selfies and video calls.
Moto E6 price and availability
As of now, Motorola has only announced the Moto E6 for the US market and there, it has gone on sale via Verizon. The handset will also be made available via T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, Boost Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Xfinity Mobile and Consumer Cellular.
The unlocked verisons of the handset will also be going on sale later this year vis Amazon.com, Best Buy, B&H Photo and Walmart. Moto E6 will also be going on sale in Canada this year. The cost of the unlocked version of the smartphone will begin at 149.99 USD.
A few days ago, Vivo launched the global variant of its Vivo S1 smartphone in Indonesia. Now, the company is all set to launch the handset in India on August 7. The company has also sent ‘Block Your Calendar’ invites to the media for the event. The Vivo S1 smartphone will come with a Full-HD+ Super AMOLED display and a triple rear camera setup. The smartphone is powered by an octa-core MediaTekHelio P65 SoC paired with 128GB internal storage. It will be the first time that the company will be launching an S series device in the country. Prior to its launch in India, the price and the variants of the Vivo S1 smartphone have been leaked. It seems that the company is planning to compete with its rival Realme X.
According to the website indiashopps.com, the price of the Vivo S1 will start at Rs 17,990. It further reveals that the smartphone will be available in three variants in the country. While all of these will have 128GB of internal storage, their RAM capacities would vary. The base variant of the smartphone will come with 4GB RAM and will reportedly be available at a price tag of Rs 17,990. The other two higher-end models of the device will have 6GB and 8GB of RAM and are said to be priced at Rs 19,990 and Rs24,990. As we mentioned earlier, the smartphone was recently launched in Indonesia and there, it was priced at IDR 35, 99,000(approximately Rs 17,800). Currently, the device available in two colour variants: Cosmic Green and Skyline Blue.
It is expected that the Vivo S1 smartphone will be available via offline as well as online models.
The global variant of the Vivo S1 is powered by an octa-core MediaTekHelio P65 SoC and the smartphone is available in a single variant that has 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The handset features a 6.38-inch full-HD+ (1080×2340 pixels) Super AMOLED display and it runs Funtouch OS 9 based on Android 9 Pie.
The global variant of the device houses a 4,500mAh battery and it comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor. The device measures 159.53×75.23×8.13mm and it weighs 179.5 grams.
Vivo S1 global variant features a triple rear camera setup that includes a 16MP primary sensor with an f/1.78 lens, an 8MP secondary sensor with an f/2.2 wide-angle lens, and third a 2MP sensor with an f/2.4 lens. On the front, it comes with a 32MP that has an f/2.0 aperture.
On the connectivity front, it includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5, USB-OTG, Micro USB, and GPS. The smartphone also has an accelerometer, an ambient light sensor, a compass/magnetometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor.
Well about time, is what we need to begin with. We have been hearing rumours that Intel will bring its own set of graphics cards soon. And now the rumours have been set aside as the company by mistake confirmed they will bring not one or two, but four of its GPUs by next year. This year we have seen healthy competition between NVIDIA and AMD. On most occasions, NVIDIA dominated the circuits, but AMD was quick to respond and also got retribution here and there.
Result of the fight was lowering of the price of the latest and 2nd tier graphics cards world over and in India. This has also been possible because of the rising demand for GPU’s in 2019 as gaming is also booming. But what has made headlines now is the Intel is also going to join the graphics ring with a set of its very own discrete graphics units made for PCs. It is yet to be seen that these discreet units will come for laptops too or not. Intel had accidentally put out a developer version (26.20.16.9999) of its graphics drivers which have different codenames than that found on the onboard graphics units.
The company was quick to take it down, but forums all around went abuzz with the fate, showcasing that indeed the company is set to launch a set of four discreet graphics cards by 2020. The main graphic card would be the new high-end Xe GPU by the company, which will be the top-of-the-line graphics processor by Intel. It will come in three to four variants code named iDG2HP512, iDG2HP256 and iDG2HP128. ‘HP’ in each code implies that these are high-power graphics cards which will be fully functional for desktop use. As said, confirmation for laptop use is still unclear.
As a whole, these graphic units will go directly up against the current generation of GPUs from NVIDIA and AMD. Whatever the case maybe it will be a good fight to watch. In the end, with a third entrant in the graphics arena and that too a big one, the users are bound to be the winners. Hopefully, with the war erupting three-way now, good consumer-friendly prices will be seen in the Indian market in about 6-8 months’ time.
The Lion King has crossed $218.3 million this past weekend. Now, it is all set to cross a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. By garnering these earnings, the film has helped Disney to set an all-time global annual box office record with $7.67 billion and the company has now surpassed its own previous record that it had set in 2016. But then, it is worth pointing out that this is just July. This year, Disney will also be releasing Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Frozen II, and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, and its earnings are set to go further up with all these movies.
The new record that Disney has set has been helped by Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel, Aladdin, and Toy Story 4. It is also worth mentioning that Avengers: Endgame has even become the biggest movie of all time and earned $2.79 billion.
Till now, The Lion King remake has contributed a precise global total to $962.7 million, and since it hasn’t been too many days since the film was released, it will be earning more. As we mentioned earlier, the film made $218.3 million this week. Among this, an estimated of $75.5 million was earned in the US and the rest of the $142.8 million came in from other markets.
The total non-US earnings stand at $611.9 million. The countries that have contributed the most in the non-US earnings are China, the UK, Brazil, France, and Mexico. The Lion King’s earnings from these countries are $114.8 million, $45.1 million, $42.1 million, $40.1 million and $37.1 million. It is also worth mentioning that The Lion King is also set to release in Japan on August 9 and in Italy on August 21.
We should also mention that Disney’s remake of Aladdin has now hit the $1 billion milestone after it grossed an additional $10.1 million this weekend at the worldwide box office. The only two Disney remakes that could do so earlier have been Alice in Wonderland that was released in 2019 and Beauty and the Beast that was released in 2017. These films are likely to be joined by The Lion King soon.
The weekend did not only prove to be a good one for The Lion King. Spider Man: Far From Home, that is co-produced by Marvel Studios, which in turn is owned by Disney, was close to the billion-dollar figure. On this weekend, the film added another $33.2 million and took its global earnings to $1.03 billion.
These things keep happening on social media websites and its partner platforms. The latest news has come from Facebook that is getting rid of the Instant Games tab from its messenger platform. It has only been two years since the largest social media platform, Facebook, added the Instant Games tab to its Messenger platform. The US-based company will migrate the platform fully to the main website and one can access the games from there.
Facebook had announced that it wants to keep the FB messenger platform fast, light and simple for the end-users. Hence, this is a way to keep it just that. The company has decided to remove the gaming platform from it fully so that the messenger platform loads quickly on mobiles. According to the company, the iOS version of the Messenger will first see the removal of Instant Games. This should be followed by Android, however, there is no clarity on the same. The industry is abuzz that the de-rollout of the Instant Games will happen on the Android platform as well. Right after it happens on iOS.
Over that, Facebook has said it will start taking advice from the public during this month and take into account everything for Instant Games. So that there are no issues for the gamers or the platform. Similarly, the company wants to make sure that the migration does not affect developers or gamers in any adverse way with the removal of Instant Games from its messenger.
With the exclusion of Instant Games, we are not very sure how light the messenger will get. Also, when the company owns Whatsapp, the question arises, why don’t they just integrate WhatsApp as the preferred choice on all the platforms – iOS, Android and also the web.
Recently Facebook and WhatsApp faced severe outages. After which, a number of users stated their frustration over the outage. Many protested that they were not able to send or receive any messages. Some even said that they were not able to view/download images on the page and some said they couldn’t upload photos and videos either. So, when migrating Facebook Instant Games, it would need to take special care so that its other platforms do not go for a toss.
Apple always manages to stay in the news. While we have already seen a number of reports about its upcoming iPhones, now a report has surfaced online that says that its iPad line-up is set to grow bigger. We already know that Apple has filed five different models of the tablet.
However, some new regulatory filings have been spotted by AppleInsider and the report on the website suggests that the company may have plans of launching two tablets this year.
As of now, Apple’s line-up has the iPad Mini, iPad, iPad Air, the 11-inch iPad Pro, and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. It was also reported by the website earlier this month that Apple had filed the five models of upcoming iPads with the Eurasian Economic Commission. The latest filing by the company came with two new models.
However, as of now, there is no clarity on what to expect from these iPads. There are some reports that have speculated that Apple may be planning to refresh the 9.7-inch iPad. It is expected to come with 10.2-inch and 10.5-inch iPads that Apple was rumoured to be working upon earlier this year.
A recent report in 9to5Mac also said that Apple is working on a new iPad that comes with 5G connectivity and a foldable display. The report also added that the company will be launching the new iPad in 2020. We should mention that this is also the year in which it is expected to launch 5G-enabled iPhone and its first foldable smartphone.
The information about the 5G-enabled iPad comes from Jeff Lin, who is an analyst at IHS Markit based in London. The report said, “The product would apparently feature MacBook sized screens, which isn’t too much of a stretch given that the iPad Pro already tops out in a 12.9-inch size. However, it is easy to imagine how an iPad mini-sized product that could unfold to 13 or 15-inch screen would be compelling.”
The analyst has also said that the foldable iPad would also have support for 5G cellular radios that will enable fast mobile internet browsing. As of now, none of the company’s devices has support for 5G.
We should mention that while Apple has still not launched its 5G device, a number of its competitors have already announced their 5G offerings. But then, the Cupertino-based technology giant has never really committed to being the first in the industry. It usually first sees how people react to certain new technology and then launches its own offering.
Apple contractors are reported to regularly listen to conversations that people have with the company’s digital assistant Siri in order to improve it. These include secret medical information, drug deals, along with recordings of couples having sex, according to the report that has surfaced online.
The report by Guardian says that the company does not openly reveal this in its consumer-facing privacy documentation. However, it does give a portion of Siri recordings to the contractors that are working for Apple across the world. The report adds, “They are tasked with grading the responses on a variety of factors, including whether the activation of the voice assistant was deliberate or accidental, whether the query was something Siri could be expected to help with and whether Siri’s response was appropriate.”
On the other hand, the company said that it uses the recordings to better understand and recognize what the user says. However, Apple did not openly admit that the recordings are heard by their contractors.
Speaking to Guardian, Apple explained, “A small portion of Siri requests are analysed to improve Siri and dictation. User requests are not associated with the user’s Apple ID. Siri responses are analysed in secure facilities and all reviewers are under the obligation to adhere to Apple’s strict confidentiality requirements.”
In addition to this, Apple has also said that less than 1 percent of every day Siri activations are used for grading, which are normally just a few seconds long.
It should be noted that Siri can also be activated by accident with its ‘wake word’: “Hey Siri”. A whistleblower working for the firm expressed concern about this and said, “The sound of a zip, Siri often hears as a trigger,”. However, the voice assistant service gets accidentally activated in other ways also. For example, if an Apple Watch senses that it has been raised and then hears speech, Siri gets activated even without human intervention.
The whistleblower further added, “There have been countless instances of recordings featuring private discussions between doctors and patients, business deals, seemingly criminal dealings, sexual encounters and so on. These recordings are accompanied by user data showing location, contact details, and app data.”
Apple says in its privacy documents that the Siri data “is not linked to other data that Apple may have from your use of other Apple services”.
“The regularity of accidental triggers on the watch is incredibly high,” the company has said. “The watch can record some snippets that will be 30 seconds – not that long but you can gather a good idea of what’s going on.”
But then, putting two and two together, this certainly raises some privacy concerns. The digital assistant may gather some data that it is confidential to users by being activated accidentally and then, this may be used by contractors.
Apple is not the only one that has employed human supervision for its automatic voice assistants. A few months ago, Amazon was also found to be involved in employing staff that hears some of the Alexa recordings. It has also been reported that Google has employed staff to provide a human oversight to Google Assistant.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is known for making his electric cars as different as possible. Tesla caters to the interest of its target audience by constantly upgrading its vehicles. It is all set to do this once again, as CEO Elon Musk has announced that Tesla cars will soon be able to stream videos from Netflix and YouTube. It is worth mentioning that Musk, even in the past, has always spoken about how in-car displays in Teslas have a lot of potential. They can be used for information as well as entertainment.
We should mention that the company has already unveiled games that drivers can play on the displays. In June this year, it was announced by Bethesda studios at the E3 conference that Tesla drivers will be able to play Fallout Shelter. In addition to this, the electric car maker has also introduced Cuphead and some classic Atari games including Tempest, Pole Position, and Missile Command.
It has also been revealed last week that Tesla drivers would be able to play Chess in the car’s Arcade. However, it should be mentioned that the games only work when the car is parked and players are required to use the steering wheel like the controller.
Even videos can be streamed only when the driver has his Tesla parked. But then, Musk has also said that when self-driving is approved by the regulators, Tesla will enable passengers to stream videos even when the car is moving. However, the CEO has not as yet spoken about the timeline of the release of the feature.
We should mention that the announcement of letting players watch videos in Tesla is not exactly a surprise. During E3 this year, Musk had said that Tesla would soon get the ability to stream YouTube videos. Till now, the displays that are used in Tesla do not have support for HTML5. So as of now, they do not support the feature.
The feature would let people catch up on their favourite TV shows and watch videos in case they are waiting for someone in their car. Also, when the cars start driving themselves eventually, passengers would definitely want something to do in order to pass their time in the car.
But then, we should mention that such a feature will also have its set of concerns. Even if a vehicle can drive itself, it would always require a driver behind the wheel in case something goes wrong. Watching videos in the car may pose a big safety concern for such instances, where the attention of the driver is required on the road and not on a screen.
Redmi K20 Pro, Redmi K20, Redmi 7A, Realme X and Realme 3i are going on sale in India today. This will be the first time that all the five devices will be going on sale simultaneously. If you are interested in buying the handsets, you can head to Flipkart, where they will be available as a part of the Super Flash Sunday sale. Since this is a flash sale, the smartphones will be available till the time the stock lasts.
Flipkart is all set to kick off its Super Flash Sunday Sale at 12 pm (noon) IST and they will be offering a 5% cashback to those who have a Flipkart Axis Bank credit card. In addition to this, no-cost EMI options will be available on the website too. Customers will also be able to get BuyBack Guarantee and Complete Mobile Protection plan if they order their devices today.
As we mentioned earlier, Redmi K20 Pro, Redmi K20, Redmi 7A, Realme X and Realme 3i will be available today for sale at the same time. Just in case you have been planning to get more than one of these devices, it may prove to be a little tough for you. But then, it is worth pointing out that you can also pick up the Redmi K20 Pro, Redmi K20, and Redmi 7A from Mi.com at 12 pm (noon) IST today. Here’s a look at all the sale offers available on these smartphones today:
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Redmi K20 Pro, Redmi K20 price and sale offers
The starting price of the Redmi K20 Pro in India is Rs 27,999, while its higher-end variant with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage costs Rs 30,999. On the other hand, Redmi K20’s 6GB RAM/64GB storage model is priced at Rs 21,999, while its variant with 128GB storage costs Rs 23,999.
As a part of the sale offers, the company is offering double data benefits for Airtel customers with its Rs 249 and Rs 299 prepaid plan. An instant discount of Rs 1,000 is available for those who pay for their purchase via ICICI Bank credit cards. This discount is applicable on EMI transactions too. A 5% cashback can be availed by Flipkart Axis Bank credit card.
Redmi 7A price and sale offers
The base variant of Redmi 7A, that has 16GB of internal storage, is priced at Rs 5,999, while the higher-end model with 32GB storage costs Rs 6,199. Xiaomi is offering a discount of Rs 200 on the two smartphone variants for those who buy them in July. Sale offers on Redmi 7A include a cashback of Rs 2,200 along with a 124GB of additional data through Reliance Jio. To avail the cashback, customers will have to recharge their Jio account with Rs 198 or Rs 299. They will receive the cashback in the form of 44 discount vouchers of Rs 50 each in their MyJio app.
Realme X price and sale offers
The 4GB RAM variant of Realme X is priced at Rs 16,999 in India, while the 8GB RAM model costs Rs 19,999. The sale offers on the smartphone include 5% cashback to Flipkart Axis Bank credit card owners and also on purchases made via HDFC Bank debit cards. A 10% discount is also available on future fashion purchases on Flipkart. There is also an exchange discount of up to Rs 15,500 available.
Realme 3i price and sale offers
The 3GB RAM variant of Realme 3i is priced at Rs 7,999, while the 4GB RAM model costs Rs 9,999. The sale offers on the smartphone include a 5% cashback via the Flipkart Axis Bank credit card. HDFC Bank debit card customers can also avail 5% cashback. In addition to this, an exchange discount of up to Rs 9,500 is also being offered on Flipkart.
Three years back, Reliance Jio entered the telecom sector with the lowest tariffs, and with its entry, a price battle that kicked out among all the other telecom operators. Currently, only two telecom operators are still Reliance Jio: Bharti Airtel and Vodafone-India. Other operators have either shut down or have been forced to merge with their competitors. for instance, Vodafone and Idea Cellular had to merge to continue to exist in the market against Reliance Jio.
As per the user base data of this year’s Q2, Reliance Jio has surpassed Vodafone-Idea to become the country’s largest operator in terms of subscribers in the country. Both the telecom operators recently released its individual on second-quarter figures. According to the data released by Vodafone Idea, its subscribers have declined in the second quarter to 320 million, whereas, Reliance Jio has shown 331.3 million growth in its subscribers by the end of Q2 2019. The most recent TRAI statistics ending May have revealed that in terms of mobile phone subscribers, Jio has become the country’s second-largest operator with 322.9 million subscribers. With this, it has left Bharti Airtel behind as the telecom operator had 320.3 million subscribers in the first-quarter report. According to data released by TRAI, Reliance Jio market share increased to 27.8 percent, whereas Vodafone Idea market share was 33.4%. On the other hand, Bharti Airtel Ltd. market shares went down to 27.6%.
Vodafone-Idea revealed in its earnings report that its user base declined as compared to previous quarter “due to customer churn following the introduction of ‘service validity vouchers’ in the prior quarters.” The telecom operator further said that “high ARPU (average revenue per user) subscriber base remained broadly stable,” and added that it had taken “certain market initiatives to offer a better value proposition to low ARPU customers and to reduce low-end churn.”
In order to perk up its Average revenue per user (ARPU), Vodafone-Idea recently launched superior data plans for its subscribers at Rs 229 and Rs 255. The Rs 229 plan offers unlimited local and STD calling bundled with 2GB data per day. On the other hand, the Rs 255 plan offers unlimited local and STD calling coupled with 2.5GB data per day. These two plans are aimed at making heavy data users upgrade from Rs. 169 and Rs 199 plans. On the other hand, Reliance Jio’s ARPU was Rs. 122, down from Rs. 126.2 in the previous quarter.
Tencent Games has launched its PUBG Mobile Lite in India this week. It is the toned-down version of PUBG Mobile battle royale game and it 2GB of RAM and 2GB of internal storage. With PUBG Mobile Lite, the company is eyeing to get even more number of players onboard as it gets the hardware requirements down. So, even people with entry-level smartphones will be able to play the game. Here, we are listing down the key differences between PUBG Mobile Lite and PUBG Mobile. Take a look:
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Requirements and app size
PUBG Mobile requires 2GB of RAM in order to run at its minimum settings. However, if your device has more RAM, it’s obviously better as the graphics of the game will be more enhanced. On the other hand, PUBG Mobile Lite has been designed especially for entry-level handsets, so it would perform well even with 2GB of RAM. Coming to the app size, PUBG Mobile is 2.04GB and it takes around 2.22GB on the smartphone of the user. PUBG Mobile Lite, as the name suggests, requires much lesser space. It needs 491MB in terms of size and takes 590MB on the device.
But then, it is worth pointing out that the game storage will increase once you begin playing. This is because the game saves user data. Nevertheless, the Lite version of the game will enable users with limited storage on their smartphones to play PUBG.
Game modes, maps and other options
PUBG Mobile Lite has two modes: Classic and Arcade. While Classic only has the Erangle map, Arcade also has War. However, to unlock the War map, users need to cross level 10. Speaking of PUBG Mobile, it comes with Classic, Arcade, and EvoGround modes. While Classic and Arcade have four maps each in PUBG Mobile, EvoGround has three maps.
You will be able to find Erangel, Miramar, Sanhok, and Vikendi in Classic mode. For War, Mini-Zone, Quick Match, and Sniper Training, you would have to go to Arcade. Lastly, EvoGround mode has three maps including TDM: Warehouse, Zombie: Darkest Night, and Zombie: Survive Till Dawn 2.
PUBG Mobile Lite only offers Asia and South America servers right now. On the other hand, the regular smartphone game has Asia, Middle East, North America, South America, Europe, and KRJP servers.
If you play PUBG Mobile, you would be able to choose between Third Person Perspective (TPP) and First Person Perspective (FPP). They both have the ability to make slight changes to the available maps. But then, we should mention that there is no First Person Perspective available for Arcade mode.
Other differences
As of now, PUBG Mobile Lite does not have Cres and Clans. Also, it comes with a new Winner Pass instead of a Royale Pass that PUBG Mobile has. Currently, PUBG Mobile Lite is available for Android only and there is no word on if it will be launched for iOS or not. On the other hand, PUBG Mobile is available for Android as well as iOS.
Taiwanese technology company Asus recently launched its Asus 6Z smartphone in India that comes with a 48MP primary sensor and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC. The handset also has a massive 5,000mAh battery. So, at least on paper, it seems to be a great device. We spent a few days with it to know how well does it perform. Read the rest of our review of the Asus 6Z smartphone to know if it’s worth a buy:
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Asus 6Z design and display
Premium, that is what came to our mind when we first saw the Asus 6Z. The glass body coupled with the full-screen display and the fairly rare rotating camera module makes the handset stand apart in the otherwise crowded mid-range segment. While we have to admit that the smartphone is a little heavy to hold, one cannot really call it bulky. In fact, we thought that its weight only added to its premium appeal.
Asus has tried keeping the design of the device minimalistic, and it is something that we liked. If you like flashy looking phones, maybe you should opt for something with funky colours that has a gradient back panel. Asus 6Z is certainly not that handset. On the contrary, it is elegant, simple, yet beautiful. The front panel is dominated by the display of the smartphone that is outlined by thin bezels. Only the chin is slightly thicker than the rest of the bezels of the smartphone. Looking closely, you will also be able to sport an earpiece on the top along with a small LED.
On flipping over, you will see the curved Gorilla Glass rear panel of the Asus 6Z smartphone. However, the camera module of the handset, that is also its key attraction, is made of plastic and has two sensors and an LED flash housed in it. The camera module rotates to face the user either when the user clicks on the selfie camera button or when facial unlock is triggered. The back panel also has a fingerprint sensor and blue-coloured Asus branding on it.
The right edge of the device has the Power, Volume Rocker and Google Assistant keys placed on it. We should mention that these can be very difficult to get used to. We used the handset for almost a week, but still, we at times pressed the Google Assistant key instead of the volume key while we were on a call. The fact that Power button is Blue in colour and Google Assistant key is textured doesn’t really help either. The left edge has the SIM tray, while the bottom houses the Type-C slot, 3.5mm headphone jack and speaker grilles.
It is worth noticing that the Asus 6Z does not come with an in-display fingerprint scanner, but since it has a regular fingerprint sensor and support for facial unlock, you wouldn’t really miss it.
In a nutshell, we would say that we really liked the design of the Asus 6Z smartphone. It is elegant, beautiful and yet different from others. It stands apart because Asus chose not to make it flashy like a lot of other smartphones, and that is a good thing, according to us. The downsides include the three rather closely placed keys on the right edge of the device and the slippery glass body of the handset. The lack of in-display fingerprint scanner may also be considered as a downside by few, but we were really okay with it.
Coming to the display of the Asus 6Z, it sports a 6.4-inch screen with a Full-HD+ resolution and has support for HDR10, and a minimum brightness of 600nits. The screen of the smartphone is made up of Gorilla Glass 6 and it is slightly rounded on the sides. If you love watching videos, you really are going to like the Asus 6Z.
The display of the device offers plenty of real estate to watch content and the absence of a notch or a punch-hole design makes it even better. The images are crisp and sharp. The colours are vibrant and they remain the same at different viewing angles. The sunlight readability is another plus. The display of the handset didn’t really give us any issue during our time with it. We would say it is one of the best aspects of Asus 6Z.
Asus 6Z performance and cameras
When it comes to the technical specifications of this smartphone, the handset runs Android 9.0 Pie that is skinned with the company’s own Zen UI 6. Asus has also promised that it will be rolling out the Android Q and Android R operating system updates to the handset, when launched. Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 SoC, the device is backed by Adreno 640 GPU and has up to 8GB of RAM. The handset has 256GB of internal storage and users can install a microSD card of up to 2TB.
On the imaging front, there is a rotating camera module that comes with a 48MP primary sensor and a 13MP ultra-wide-angle sensor. The device houses a massive 5,000mAh battery and it comes with support for Quick Charge 4.0. The mobile phone comes with dual speakers and dual smart amplifiers, too.
Talking more about the software of the device, as said, Asus 6Z runs Android 9.0 Pie skinned with ZenUI. But then, instead of being heavily customised the operating system is close to the stock Android. But then, Asus has added some nice tweaks to the smartphone. For instance, you can remove the app drawer, download new icon packs, lock apps using your face, fingerprints or even a PIN and do a lot more. Users also get the option of running two versions of a number of apps on the smartphone. The handset has support for a number of hand gestures too. Asus has also added Game Genie to the device that comes with a usual set of optimisations and adds integrations for social media apps as well as streaming.
Now, let’s talk about the performance of the Asus 6Z. When a device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC and has 8GB of RAM backing it, you can’t really expect anything but an excellent performance from it. Needless to say, the basic day-to-day tasks were a cakewalk. The heaviest of apps open quickly, and multi-tasking on the device was so easy. We played graphic-hungry games while using Asus 6Z for navigation, watched content on the likes of Netflix for hours and used the smartphone extensively. But we did not face a problem with it even once.
The gaming experience on the device was a great one. We spent a lot of time playing Asphalt 9: Legends on it and we did not face any lag. It ran very smoothly. It was only after 45 minutes of continuous gaming that the device started becoming a little warm. But then, that isn’t something that is exclusive to Asus 6Z. Almost all smartphones with glass bodies warm up after heavy gaming or navigation.
The call quality of the device was great. We could even make or receive calls when we were in areas like basements or elevators. We did not encounter a problem with it even once.
The battery life of the Asus 6Z was one amongst the best features of the smartphone. With usage that involved gaming, watching videos, and using social media apps, the handset’s battery lasted a day and a half. This is very impressive, but then, it did not meet the 2-days’ mark that was set by Asus. However, we did not really expect it to last for two days either with such heavy usage.
Another distinguished thing that we should talk about is the sound experience of the Asus 6Z smartphone. The sound produced by the handset can be very loud and very clear at the same time. The smartphone has support for DTS Headphone:X virtual 7.1 surround sound. Whether you play games or you watch videos, the sound on the device will surely enhance your experience.
Now, let’s talk about the cameras of the smartphone, its main USP. Asus 6Z comes with a rotating camera module that has a 48MP Sony IMX586 primary sensor and a 13MP sensor that has a field of view of 125 degrees. The 48MP primary camera of the device produces 12MP images, but then, you also have the option of choosing images of 48MP resolution.
There is no separate selfie camera on the device. Instead, the dual cameras flip to face the user when the selfie mode is activated. The cameras of the handset have a dual-LED flash, laser autofocus and EIS. The primary sensor also comes with the support of an HDR+ Enhanced mode and AI scene detection.
During our time with the smartphone, we did not encounter any problem on using the camera module. It flipped over whenever we tried. However, if you are considering to buy it, just make sure to keep it safe from dust.
Coming to the pictures taken, the quality was superb. Pics had rich colours and a good amount of details. Even when we transferred them to the laptop, their quality did not deteriorate. The shots taken during the day were consistently good, particularly the ones that were taken from the primary camera. However, the ones that were taken from the wide-angle sensor lacked details at times.
Image taken from Primary camera without Night Mode
Skipping to photos taken at night, the performance of the camera became way better when we used the dedicated Night Mode. The primary camera took good shots without it too, but then, they became much better with the Night Mode on. However, the low-light shots taken from the wide-angle sensor without the Night Mode on did have some noise.
Image taken from wide-angle camera without Night Mode
Coming to the selfies taken, both the camera sensors on the device worked very well during the day as well as at night. We managed to click some great selfies during our time with it.
Image taken from Primary camera with Night Mode
To conclude, we will say that while the 48MP primary camera did a great job at all times, the secondary sensor could have been more consistent. But then, it wasn’t bad either.
Image taken from Primary camera with Night Mode
We ran some benchmarks on the Asus 6Z smartphone. It scored 3,54,067 in Antutu and 3,432 and 10,423 in single and multi-core scores of Geekbench. We should mention that the phone prompted to turn on the AI boost mode a number of times during the benchmark tests, but chose not to opt for it while running benchmarks as it may have altered the results.
Verdict
At Rs 31,999, Asus 6Z is definitely a good buy. The smartphone has a lot of pros and there are hardly any cons. The design is elegant and minimalistic, the display is absolutely brilliant, and the performance is one of the smoothest thanks to the Snapdragon 855 SoC. The software of the device is not filled with ads, the gaming experience is good and the battery is long-lasting.
The only two downsides of the Asus 6Z are the fact that it warms up a bit after heavy usage because of its glass body and that its wide-angle camera is not very consistent. But then, the same cannot be said for the primary camera, so these two are not exactly deal-breakers.
WhatsApp is the most popular instant messaging platform on mobiles. Available on both Android and iOS with the ability to access the chats on the web too, the Facebook-owned company will soon bring a new feature to its smartphone platform.
What is the new Whatsapp feature?
Well, it is one of the most sought after features which users wanted to come to WhatsApp. In a first WhatsApp will soon let its patrons use one single account on multiple devices. A report emerged in WABetainfo that says the company is working on a UWP version of the application that will allow this feature to take place. It will be platform agnostic and consumer can use the messaging service with one account enabled on multiple devices.
The current WhatsApp web version should not see any change but the major upgrade will be rolled out to Android as well as iOS devices. Furthermore, the UWP version of the software will work on its own while the web version will need an internet connection on both devices. A definite timeline for the roll out has not been confirmed as yet. But if we go by the past rollouts by WhatsApp, this update should be out in the coming months.
Recently, the Global Head of WhatsApp also announced that UPI payments will be coming to India. Peer-to-peer UPI based payment service will come to India later this year, the company’s Global Head Will Cathcart announced.
Speaking about the rollout, Cathcart said, “To boost digital inclusion in India, we can launch the (Pay) service across the country later this year after meeting regulations.”
A test run of its payments service with one million users in the country was conducted in 2018. This could not fully roll it out because of digital expenses outline and its guidelines. Though, now the WhatsApp Payments service is in its final stage, it will be made available in India soon. So, users will be able to make payment directly from the popular messenger platform.
The age of foldable smartphones has come. While manufacturers like Samsung (Galaxy Fold) and Huawei (Mate X) are taking the lead, the news is that other makers like Apple, LG and Oppo will also bring their own versions of foldable smartphones soon. We saw some fabulous designs from both Samsung and Huawei, but both faced hurdles along the way and it seemed like they were not ready for the public as yet. Samsung has announced that its foldable innovation is ready for sale and seems like same is the case with Huawei.
Reports have emerged showcasing the new design improvements of the Huawei Mate X. First emerged in the Chinese website Weibo, a journalist met Huawei’s CEO Richard Yu at an airport in China. Where the CEO showcased the new improved Huawei Mate X. In the pictures, we can see that a fourth camera is now visible on the camera panel. This seems to be a TOF camera, which earlier might be hidden or has it been recently added as part of improving the device?
Also, the screen of the smartphones seems to be much better and those ugly fold screen bumps seem to be missing. A larger button to unfold the Huawei Mate X can also be seen on the upper foldable part of the smartphone. Over that, the central spine enforcing the Falcon Wing mechanism is now covered with a texture-type material. It could very well be a carbon fibre piece covering it since that is the fad these days to be used on smartphones. We have already seen Carbon Fibre materials on smartphones from OnePlus as well as Xiaomi in the recent past.
With a price tag of over USD 2,500 the Huawei Mate X comes with an 8-inch OLED foldable display, which can fold down to 6.6-inches. It comes with Android 9 OS, but the pictures showcase the Chinese version, hence we do not see the Google Play button there. To speak a little more about its specifications the Huawei Mate X comes with 8GB RAM and 512GB storage. This can be further expanded up to 256GB using a microSD card. A 4,500 mAh battery powers the device. On the camera front, four cameras available on it. Starting from a 40MP lead camera partnered with 16MP ultra-wide lens, 8MP telephoto and the now seen TOF camera. USB Type C is supported along with Bluetooth 5.0 and 5G.
Overall, in the pictures, a lot can be seen on the physical aspects and some are still left. In the coming weeks, the final version of the smartphone will go on sale and the exact details will be out. Right now, the new improvements are welcomed and seems like Huawei is on the right track for the Huawei Mate X’s launch.
Chinese smartphone company Huawei launched its new smartphone Huawei Nova 5i Pro in China. The smartphone will start selling from August 2. Prior to its launch the company officially released the schematic of the smartphone that revealed the quad rear camera setup. The key specifications of the smartphone include a hole-punch display design, too. The smartphone will come up with GPU Turbo support. The company also launched another smartphone named Mate 20 X 5G alongside Huawei Nova 5i Pro. Prior to its launch in China Mate 20 X 5G variant was launched in the UK a few months ago.
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Huawei Nova 5i Pro price
Huawei Nova 5i Pro has been launched in three variants. The newly launched smartphone by Huawei with 6GB RAM with 128GB storage has been priced at CNY 2,199 (approximately Rs 22,000). The second 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant can be purchased at CNY 2,499 (approximately Rs 25,000). While the third 8GB RAM with 256GB storage variant is priced at CNY 2,799 (approximately Rs 28,000). The smartphone will be put on sale from August 2 at the moment the device has been put for pre-bookings on the website of VMall.com.
In addition to this, the company launched the Mate 20 X 5G smartphone together with Nova 5i. The smartphone has been launched in a single 8GB RAM with 256GB storage and can be purchased at CNY 6,199 (roughly Rs 62,000). The device will start selling from August 16.
Huawei Nova 5i Pro specifications and features
The new Chinese smartphone will join with Nova 5, Nova 5 Pro, and Nova 5i that was launched in China last month. Huawei Nova 5i Pro comes with a 6.26-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,340 pixels) IPS display with DCI-P3 colour gamut and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is powered by octa-core Kirin 810 SoC, along with 6GB and 8GB RAM. The smartphone runs on Android 9 Pie with EMUI 9.1.1 on top. Additionally, it comes with a fingerprint sensor on the back panel. The Nova 5i Pro houses a 4,000mAh battery
Coming on the imaging capabilities it features a quad rear camera setup that comes with a 48-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.8 lens, an 8-megapixel secondary sensor with a super-wide-angle lens, a 2-megapixel tertiary camera with a macro lens, and it also includes a 2-megapixel quaternary depth sensor. The setup supports PDAF that comes loaded with features like HDR, night mode, portrait mode, and time-lapse and many more. On the front, it sports a 32-megapixel selfie camera along with an f/2.0 lens that supports AI beauty mode and an HDR feature.
Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, USB Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The smartphone sensors include an accelerometer, ambient light, gyroscope, magnetometer, and a proximity sensor. Seems like a great device on paper.
The Tokyo-based company Sony has launched an Innovative kind of Air Conditioner (AC) that is wearable with your clothes. The portable AC is called Reon Pocket that is smaller in size and lighter in weight. It a portable air conditioner that discharges fresh cool air that a user can wear within their clothes.
The device is lighter as well as smaller than a mobile phone. The cooling device can be used under a shirt. The Portable AC is compatible with Smartphone and it can be connected through Bluetooth connection. The product uses a battery to work. The Reon Pocket AC uses a rechargeable battery when fully charged it can last up to 90 minutes. The rechargeable battery of Reon takes two hours to fully charge.
The company claims that a Peltier element has been used inside the Reon Pocket AC that is more often used in car and wine coolers.
The Sony Reon Pocket reduces the uneasiness due to different temperatures like a hot summer day out, jam-packed train heat up, freezing winter excursion. The Pocket ACs temperature can be adjusted via a smartphone. Its terminal is attached to a pocket in the neck of the special inner wear that can be easily accessed via smartphone using Bluetooth connection. The device can be synced via a dedicated mobile app for adjusting the temperature.
Sony’s Reon Pocket is a crowdfunded project. Till now it received 28,236,670 Yen whereas the target amount is 66,000,000 Yen. The entire set of Reon Pocket that is included with an undershirt that has been priced at 14,080 Yen (approximately Rs 8,992). The innerwear is available in three sizes ‘S’, ‘M’ and ‘L’ and it has been only designed for men that come with a pocket inside which the device is inserted. As said, the Reon Pocket uses lithium-ion battery and it supports Bluetooth 5.0 LE devices, However it not waterproof but dirt, sweat and water droplets can be wiped off using a hygroscopic soft cloth. The product has been launched in Japan only right now.
Telecom Company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has launched two new long term prepaid recharge plans at Rs 1,399 and Rs 1,001. To lure its customers from time to time the company launches new prepaid plans along with attractive offers and giveaways. The company has introduced two new prepaid plans to compete with Rs 1,699 plans from Reliance Jio, Airtel and Vodafone. The new BSNL plans Rs 1,399 and Rs 1,001 offer validity of 270 days. Before we introduce you to the brand new plans by BSNL, they have been initially launched in the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana circles only. However, there are no such details listed about the other circles on the Telco’s website.
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BSNL Rs 1,399 Prepaid Voucher Details
BSNL has launched the Rs 1,399 prepaid plan for its subscribers that offers unlimited local and national calling to any number except in Delhi and Mumbai where you have an MTNL network. Along with that it also brings in unlimited local and national roaming along with calling benefits. Moreover, the subscribers will get up to 1.5GB high speed 3G daily data along with 50 SMS per day. The Rs 1,399 prepaid plan is only available for 90 days of the promotional period starting from July 25.
BSNL Rs 1,001 Prepaid Voucher Details
The succeeding plan launched by BSNL is available for Rs 1,001 and is almost comparable to the Rs 1,399 prepaid plan. Rs 1,001 prepaid plan is more affordable than the promotional plan. It also offers unlimited local and national calling, and 50 SMS per day benefits the same as the Rs 1,399 prepaid plan. It also includes unlimited voice calling to the users except for roaming in New Delhi and Mumbai. In addition to this, the subscribers get 1GB high speed 3G daily data. This prepaid plan is also available for 90 days of promotional period effective from July 25. That means the subscribers will be able to avail of the benefits before October 25. Till now the company has not confirmed when it is planning to launch the plan in other states also, however, both the plans are only valid in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and the company introduced this plan on the occasion of Bonalu Festival.
BSNL STAR Membership Details
The company has also launched a STAR membership for its prepaid subscribers at Rs 498. It offers free unlimited calling along with 30GB daily data included with daily 100 SMS valid till 365 days. In addition to this, the subscribers can recharge with STVs on a discount. The STV 447 will be available for Rs 76, on the other hand, STV 447 will be available for Rs 407
Apple in a deal valued at $1 billion USD with Intel purchased the greater part of Intel’s smartphone modem patents. As per the deal, 2200 Intel employees will join the company alongside intellectual property equipment and leases in order to manufacture its own line of 5G chips in order to diminish its reliance on Qualcomm. In addition to this, the Smartphone maker will now be the owner of 17,000 wireless technology patents that will include a variety of cellular communication standards to modems hence it will now be a more influential competitor across the world. Therefore playing a vital role in global licensing talks between chief 5G patent holders like Huawei Technologies.
Intel CEO Bob Swan said “This agreement enables us to focus on developing technology for the 5G network while retaining critical intellectual property and modem technology that our team has created. We have long respected Apple and we’re confident they provide the right environment for this talented team and these important assets moving forward. We’re looking forward to putting our full effort into 5G where it most closely aligns with the needs of our global customer base, including network operators, telecommunications equipment manufacturers and cloud service providers.”
After this news, Intel’s shares rose 5.7 percent to $55.05. Intel, a leader in the semiconductor industry, will continue to build up modems for the non-smartphone applications, such as PCs, industrial equipment along with self-driving cars.
Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies said “We’ve worked with Intel for many years and know this team shares Apple’s passion for designing technologies that deliver the world’s best experiences for our users. Apple is excited to have so many excellent engineers join our growing cellular technologies group, and know they’ll thrive in Apple’s creative and dynamic environment. They, together with our significant acquisition of innovative IP, will help expedite our development on future products and allow Apple to further differentiate moving forward.”
After the news spread, Apple’s shares rose by 0.1 percent to $207.29. The Cupertino based company has always relied on external suppliers for Modem chips to connect devices. After its dispute with Qualcomm over patent licensing practices Apple chose Intel as its sole source of iPhone modem chips. After its deal with Intel will boost up Apple’s aspiration to manufacture its own modem chips. Apple’s two biggest competitors Samsung and Huawei by now are capable of manufacturing their own modem chips leaving behind Apple. This will speed up the development of producing a modem under Apple, too.
It is also reported that Apple is planning to make use of Qualcomm’s modem technology for a 5G iPhone in 2020 because the smartphone company will not be able to self-supply modem chips till September 2020. So it has collaborated with Intel to start the development of the 5G modem technology all set to be used in some of its devices by 2021.
PUBG Lite has been launched in India. PUBG Mobile Lite is the faster and lighter option of PUBG mobile. The Lite version of the game is now available for download on Google Play Store. A few days backTencent Games has launched the PUBG Lite for PC beta version for the Indian users now it has introduced the PUBG Lite for mobiles in the Indian market. The new Lite variant of the mobile game is compatible with almost all the devices. The motto behind launching the Lite variant is for the convenience of the gamers who own low-end smartphone devices with a lower RAM configuration. Here they offer an uncompromised gameplay experience to all its fans without having to worry about lower settings.
The popular game has managed to attract millions of fans around the world so the company launched the version of PUBG MOBILE Lite that has been built with Unreal Engine 4hence making it compatible with most smartphones. It has also been optimized for the devices with less RAM for the uninterrupted gaming experience. It now comes with a mini-map that has been designed for up to 60 players. The company stated, “PUBG MOBILE LITE features a smaller map made for 60 players, which means faster-paced games that last 10 minutes while still keeping the traditional PUBG style of play.”
Additionally, the size of the PUBG Lite is 400MB that has been built for the handsets that have less space on them. The Lite version of the game is claimed to run smoothly for all the players. The company said the new player who participates will be rewarded with various prizes, in the form of new gears and vehicles.
The new PUBG Mobile Lite detailed features include enhanced aim assist that makes aiming simpler under weak network conditions. The Royal Pass has now been replaced by Winner Pass. The bullet Trail Adjustment feature has been a new inclusion in PUBG mobile Lite that now offers increased bullet speed and no bullet drop effect even during the weak network. Weapon Recoil Suppressionfacilitates better game-control. The Lite version now gets extended the time to kill that improves the survival of the players during fights while encouraging forceful play.
The new Location display features now expose the location of the shooter under the smaller map’s range. Players will be able to heal themselves in all positions except when they are prone. Building density and loot frequency have been increased to go together with smaller maps, too. PUBG Mobile Lite will now come up with improved map quality along with a parachute loading screen. The new Lite version now offers a new weapon in select game modes only, therefore, allowing the players to form new attack and defense tactics.
The Japanese imaging and optical products manufacturer Canon is rumoured to launch the updated models of EOS M6 and EOS M5 mirrorless cameras on August 28. The company is planning to introduce the spanking new DSLR along with two fresh crop-sensor mirrorless cameras on the day. It is rumoured to come up with extraordinary specifications. A new report by Canon Rumors that claims to grab some more information about the upcoming Canon EOS M6 Mark II mirrorless camera. The report reveals the specifications of the said mirrorless camera by Canon prior to its launch.
32.5 mp APS-C CMOS sensor (new sensor technology for higher dynamic range)
DIGIC 8+ Imaging Processor
4K up to 30p (with no crop or 1.3x no pixel binning crop), Full HD up to 180p
If the rumours happen to be true then the original M6’s 24.2MP sensor and Digic 7 engine are going to get better as Canon EOS M6 Mark II is supposed to come up with a 32.5 APS-C CMOS sensor that will be helpful in enhancing the camera’s dynamic range along with a Digic 8+ image processor.
Now the upgraded mirrorless camera will come up with a maximum of 16 FPS (with AE/AF) high-speed nonstop shooting. The original one came with just 7FPS burst speed.
Earlier the camera came with a shutter speed of 1/4000th of a second. Now it is alleged to be launching with an electronic speed of 1/16000 second.
The regular M6 had 1080p video aptitude, the upgraded model is supposed to turn up with un-cropped 4K video recording up to 30fps.
Canon EOS M6
Additionally, the M6 Mark II by Canon is rumoured to skip Canon Log and it will arrive with a new Movie Picture Style feature. Canon Log is the regular component of the Canon’s EOS Cinema series that is intended to capture extra fine points while shooting under low and bright light conditions. The device might also come up with enhanced image stabilisation for smoother video recording. It is also expected that the MII will come up with a new selfie mode and Vlog mode.
In addition to this, the camera will arrive with Dual Pixel AF (auto-focus) with the expanded area along with Eye detect and tacking feature. Moreover, as per the speculated leaks, the M6 Mark II will be supporting an external viewfinder while the device can be charged through USB-C.
However, it is not confirmed that the Canon EOS M6 Mark II mirrorless camera will be launched with the supposed specifications. So, we have to wait till the Company itself unveils the specifications of the alleged camera or we have to hang around till it is officially launched in the market.
As per the Q2 report by Counterpoint, the top five smartphone brand’s shipment rose to 37 million units this year. As per the latest report by Counterpoint research company, new launches, price cuts on older devices and channel expansion across brands are the biggest contributors to the growth of the smartphone’s shipment in the country.
As per the Counterpoint report, the smartphone brands that were selling their devices through offline mode have now shifted to online platforms while launching the online-exclusive series to expand their sales. In the same way, the smartphone brands that came into the Indian market with online-exclusive series have now started getting in touch with the main offline retailers by collaborating with them in order to expand their reach. In addition to it, the smartphone Brands like Xiaomi, Realme, and many more brands are focusing on launching multiple series of their devices in order to expand their latest product range. By accepting this strategy they are expanding their product portfolio in order to broaden their horizons.
In the country, the pricing is another factor that is helping the Smartphone manufacturers to target the consumers. In India, the buyers are moving to Rs 10,000-20,000 price range and this has been the biggest aspect for brands that have played a vital role in contributing to growing sales in the Smartphone segment this year. Tarun Pathak, Associate Director, said, “Brands are focusing on bringing the latest premium level specifications such as notch display, full-screen view, multiple rear cameras, pop up selfie feature an in-display sensor technology in this segment to stimulate consumer demand”
Anshika Jain, Research Analyst at Counterpoint Research said, “The top five brands’ contribution to the total shipments volume reached its highest ever level driven by new launches and hybrid channel strategy. Localization, branding, and innovation will remain to be the next key drivers for growth in a highly competitive market like India. The market will continue to become more concentrated with majority of share controlled by a few brands leading to more number of exits among the long-tail brands in the market moving forward.”
Image courtesy: Counterpoint
As per the research, Xiaomi retained its first position with a 28% share. The shipment of its devices has grown to 6% on year on year by launching smartphones under the budget segment. The smartphone company is also planning to expand its retail policy by investing more in ATL/BTL campaigns. On the other hand, Samsungs sales turned down by 7% year on year. However, during Quarter on Quarter Basis, it has shown 30% growth by refreshing A series and M series. It has also slashed the price of the J series of smartphones. Moreover, A series of Samsung continued to be well-like with Galaxy A10 being the top-selling device for the brand. With the launch of Galaxy M40, the company continued to expand its Amazon exclusive M-series smartphones during the month of June.
However, smartphone brands such as OPPO and Vivo have shifted their focus on online channel expansion strategy. Both the brands have also increased their offline platform incentive by launching mid-range Smartphones A5 and Y91i. To increase its sales the company heavily promoted its products during IPL and Cricket World Cup. While trade ban on Chinese Smartphone brand Huawei shipments declined Year on Year.
Lenovo launched the portable Lenovo Tab V7. The tab comes in two storage options, 3GB RAM with 32GB internal storage and 4GB RAM with 64GB storage. The portable Tablet is also available in a special variant that comes with an IRIS recognition technology for government and enterprises that offers cashless and paperless services in various applications. These include banking, eGovernance services such as passport, taxation, healthcare, and education.
Lenovo India, CEO, and MD, Rahul Agarwal commented during the launch of Lenovo Tab V7“At Lenovo, we listen to our consumers and bring in meaningful innovations that help them do more and achieve more. The Lenovo Tab V7 is the result of our relentless effort of understanding what our consumer needs, decode their requirements and come up with technology that can meet their expectations. The tablet market is showing signs of recovery, driven by the potential demand from sectors like Government, education, banking and finance and as the market leader, we are well-positioned to lead this growth.”
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Lenovo Tab V7 Specifications
The Lenovo Tab V7 features a 17.5 cm (6.9-inch) full HD1080 x 2160 display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. This comes along with81% screen to body ratio. It originates with two front-facing Dolby Audio speakers, too. The device comes with two-way login options, a fingerprint lock on the rear panel and a facial recognition lock on the front of the display. The tablet houses a 5,180 mAh battery. The portable Tab V7 comes with the support of 4G VoLTE for voice calling that is claimed to offer up to 10 hours of local video playback and browsing time along with up to 30 hours of talk time. As for the CPU, itis powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 mobile platform. The tablet is available in two options that can be expanded up to 128GB with the help of a microSD card.
On the design front, it sports a premium metallic rim with 7.89 mm thickness and 195 grams in weight. This makes the Lenovo Tab V7 portable for the user to carry in jacket pockets and mini-bags.
When it comes to imaging, the Lenovo Tab V7 features a 13MP rear camera sporting features like a night shot and panorama camera modes to capture beautiful HDR images. On the other side, you will find a 5MP camera in the front with support for bokeh effects for a perfectly focused selfie.
Lenovo Tab V7 price and availability
The Lenovo Tab V7 can be purchased via Flipkart. The device will start selling on the e-commerce website from August 1. The company stated that Tab V7 will soon be available on other platforms including Amazon.in and Lenovo.com.
The interested buyers can also buy the Tablet offline via Croma, Reliance Digital and Vijay Sales. The tab comes in two storage options 3GB RAM with 32GB internal storage that will be available at a price tag of Rs 12,990 and 4GB RAM with 64GB storage option can be purchased at Rs 14,990.
Oppo A5s price in India has been slashed. The 4GB RAM/64GB storage variant of the smartphone is now available at Rs 11,990. The handset was launched in India in April this year and the 4GB RAM model was made available for purchase only last month. It is worth noticing that this price cut has been announced just a month after the 4GB RAM model of Oppo A5s went on its first sale in India. We should point out that the device is available in two storage variants and it is available at a starting price of Rs 8,999.
After the price cut, the 4GB RAM variant of the Oppo A5s will be available at Rs 11,990. The revised pricing of the smartphone is now reflecting on Amazon India, Paytm Mall, and Flipkart. According to Mumbai-based retailer Manish Khatri, the price cut is also available at offline retailers. Prior to the price cut, the 4GB RAM variant of the smartphone was available at Rs 12,990.
We should mention that the 2GB RAM/32GB storage model is available at Rs 8,990 and the 3GB RAM/32GB storage model can be picked at Rs 9,990 on e-commerce websites.
Amazon India has also listed an exchange offer, no-cost EMI options, an instant discount of 5% on Yes Bank credit cards, an instant discount of 10% on credit card EMI transactions and Axis Bank debit EMI transactions, and a 5% discount on Axis Bank credit EMI transactions and a 5% instant discount to HSBC Cashback cardholders.
In addition to this, a cashback of Rs 600, no-cost EMI, exchange offers, an instant discount of 5% on Yes Bank credit cards, an instant discount of 10% on credit card EMI transactions and Axis Bank EMI payments can be availed via Paytm. In addition to this, a 5% discount on Axis Bank credit EMI payments and an instant 5% discount for HDFC Bank debit cardholders is also available.
Oppo A5s specifications
Oppo A5s runs Android 8.1 Oreo skinned with ColorOS 5.2 and features a 6.2-inch HD+ In-Cell display that has an aspect ratio 19:9. Powered by MediaTek P35 SoC, the handset comes with up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
For imaging duties, the device has a dual rear camera setup with a 13MP primary sensor and a 2MP sensor. In addition to this, there is an 8MP selfie camera. The smartphone houses a 4,230mAh battery.
Huawei’s sub-brand Honor has kick-started its Friendship Days sale for fans on Amazon India. The sale went live on July 25 and it will continue till July 28. During the sale, the company is offering discounts and offers on various Honor devices. As a part of the sale, Amazon is offering an instant 10 percent discount on the EMI payments made through Axis Bank credit or debit cards. Additional bank offers are also being offered during the sale. Here, we have listed some smartphones that are being offered during the sale with exclusive discounts and offers.
Honor View 20
Honor View 20 is available in two storage models. The 6GB RAM/128GB internal storage model of the device that was earlier being sold at a price tag of Rs 37,999 is now being offered at Rs 27,999. The other variant that has 8GB RAM with 256GB internal storage was earlier sold at Rs. 45,999 and can now be purchased at Rs. 31,999. During the sale, 10% instant discount on Axis bank debit EMI transactions and 5% instant discount on Axis bank Credit EMI transactions, 5% Instant discount with HSBC Cashback card is being offered by Amazon India.
Honor Play
Honor Play is also available in two storage variants: 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM. The variant with 4GB RAM with 64GB internal storage earlier cost Rs. 19,999, but during Honor Friendship Day Sale, the smartphone model can be bought for Rs. 12,999. The 6GB RAM with 64GB internal storage variant earlier had a price tag of 23,999 and can now be picked up at Rs. 14,999. During the sale, the company is offering other banks offers and discounts similar to what is offered on Honor View 20.
Honor 10 Lite
Honor 10 Lite comes in two options of 3GB RAM and 4GB RAM. During the Honor Friendship Day Sale, the 3GB RAM with option is available at Rs 9,999. The original cost of the device is Rs. 10,999. On the other hand, the 4GB RAM option is being offered at Rs. 11,999. Normally, the cost of the smartphone variant is Rs. 13,999
Honor 8X
During the Friendship Day sale, Honor 8X is available for Rs 11,999 on Amazon India. The original cost of the device is Rs 14,999. This is the cost of the 4GB RAM variant that comes with 64GB of internal memory storage. On the purchase of the device, a 10% instant discount on Axis bank debit EMI transactions and 5% instant discount on Axis bank Credit EMI transactions are being offered by Amazon India.
Earlier this year, search giant Google introduced an app to help people with hearing impairments. As promised, the company has launched the Sound Amplifier app that assists the people ‘hear better’. The app is now available for Android devices running Android 6.0 Marshmallow and beyond.
In its blog post the company said, “For the 466 million people in the world who have hearing loss, the inability to hear a conversation or the sounds around you can be isolating. Without a clear sound, it’s challenging to connect to the people around you and fully experience the world. And simply asking others to speak louder (or turn up the TV volume) isn’t a helpful solution because people hear more clearly at different audio frequencies.” The app can be downloaded via the Google Play Store.
It is an Android Accessibility app that helps the group of people hear more clearly without having to ask someone to speak loudly or turn the volume up in order to perceive sound more noticeably. Google has stated that “Using machine learning, we sorted through thousands of publicly available hearing studies and data to understand how people hear in different environments and created a few simple controls.”
How Google’s Sound Amplifier app works
Before using the Sound Amplifier app, the user has to first plug in their headphones. It allows the user to modify frequencies to bump up essential sounds as per their needs.
It helps to filter out all the unnecessary background sounds and also helps to amplify the voice of the people that the user wants to hear while sitting with them. In addition to this, the app assists the user to listen to the conversation more clearly in noisy places like restaurants or malls. It also allows the user to personalize frequency levels of sounds coming from a TV without bothering others. It also increases the presenter’s voice at the lecture.
Besides this, Google has also added an audio visualization feature for detecting or enhancing sound by using the Sound Amplifier.
The visualiser helps to give the user an idea about when it detects some sound or someone’s voice so that it can assist them to visualize the changes they are making to it.
Google explains, “Like a volume number on your TV, you know how much the sound is boosted even if you can’t hear it yet.” The app comes added with a couple of new visual updates. The users can easily start the app directly from their smartphone’s home screen instead of heading to Accessibility settings. With the help of reorganized control settings, the user can easily choose between increasing the sound or filter out the background noise.
“Sound Amplifier is the latest step in our commitment to make audio clear and accessible for everyone. And we’ll continue to improve the app through new features that enhance sound for all types of hearing,” Google has added.
