Flipkart is coming up with a new sale called the Flipkart Flipstart Days sale on its platform. The sale will start from May 1 and will go on till May 3. In this 3-days sale, the online shopping platform will be giving discounts and offers on all major product categories. There is also an instant discount of 10% if the purchase is made using Axis Bank Credit or Debit card during the Flipstart Days sale or using EMI transitions.
Flipkart has promised a discount of up to 80% on electronics and accessories during these three days. Before the sale, the e-commerce platform is teasing some of its major highlights and upcoming offers on the sale’s teaser page. It should be noted that the sale will start from 12am (midnight) tonight and will go on till 11:59pm (midnight) of May 3.
Other than discounts, the customers will also get no-cost EMI options along with extended warranty and other exchange offers on most of the products. Some of the highlights of the Flipkart Flipstart Days sale includes up to 70% discount on headphones from JBL, Sony, Boat etc. Other than headphones, power banks will be made available for a starting price of Rs 500 while other mobile accessories will also be sold at a discounted price starting from Rs 99.
The Flipstart Days sale also includes laptops which will be getting discounts and offers. According to the Flipstart Days teaser page on Flipkart, laptops will come with a starting price of Rs 13,990 and it will include major companies such as Asus, Dell, Acer etc. Other than price cuts and discounts, there will also be exchange offers and extended warranty in the sale. But it should be noted that the extended warranty will come with additional charge.
During the Flipkart’s Flipstart Days sale, TVs and home appliances will be getting up to 75% discount. The teaser page of the sale includes the 40-inch Full HD smart TV from Thomson will be available for Rs 17,499. Other than that, Flipkart will also be offering an additional 10% discount on select TVs and laptops.
Moreover, as mentioned above, the discounts will not be limited to just electronics, as Flipkart will be offering discounts and offers on fashion, accessories, home appliances, sports, beauty, home care, furniture etc. And Flipkart has also mentioned that the Flipstart Days sale will not be just limited to just May but it will run every month.
Other than Flipkart, Amazon India is also bringing its Summer Sale starting from May 4 and in it the platform will offer discounts and offers on smartphones, laptops, TVs etc.
Summer is here and so if the scorching heat. And let’s face it, in most parts of India, an air conditioner is a must during this season. Here, we have listed down a few things that you should know in case you are buying a new AC:
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Which type of AC do you want?
When buying an AC, the first thing that you need to decide is what kind of an air conditioner you want. There are several kinds of air conditioners including Central air conditioning, Ductless air conditioner, Window air conditioner, Hybrid ACs and Geothermal Heating & Cooling. With the advancement of technology, we now also have Portable air conditioners.
Be clear about where you want to place it
Before you even consider the type of AC you want, decide where you want it to be placed. The placement of the air conditioner is very likely to affect which type of AC you wish to buy as the size and the requirement will be affected too.
Go for enhanced energy efficiency option
While different types of ACs may be suited to different people according to their needs, one thing that you can do is go for options that have better energy efficiency. With an option like that, you will be able to keep your surroundings cool without having to worry about an exorbitant electricity bill. You can ensure this by picking an AC which has a high rating. Most ACs have ratings between 1 and 5. The higher the rating is, the lesser will be the bill.
Pay attention to the cooling capacity
If your room is 100-120 square feet, you should pick a 1 ton AC and if your room more than 200 sq feet, you should go for a 2 ton one. If you go for an AC whose cooling capacity is not appropriate for your room, you may find it to either be too cold or not effective at all.
Check the components
You must inquire about the quality of components that are used in making your air conditioner. While most companies talk about cool features of the AC, they don’t pay much attention to the components. However, if the components used in an AC are not good enough, it would never be good at cooling.
Does it work in extreme summers?
Another question worth asking when buying an AC is its performance in extreme summers. If the quality of your AC is very good, it will be able to keep you cool regardless of the temperature outside.
Check for noise levels
Noise is not really a problem in most split ACs, but if you are buying a window AC, it may end up disturbing you a lot. So, before you buy an AC, do make sure that you check for the noise levels.
Does the company provide after-sales service?
This is also something that you must consider while buying an air conditioner. If the company you are buying from will provide a good after sales service, it is always a plus because when it comes to ACs, you may need it.
Good brands to consider
If you want an air conditioner, you can consider to buy one from the likes of Carrier, Hitachi, Voltas, Daikin, Blue Star, Mitsubishi, Whirlpool, Samsung, LG and Panasonic. All of them are good and reliable brands when it comes to buying an AC.
This month of 2019 was all about new smartphones launches. In the last 30 days, we have seen a number of launches from companies like Samsung, Redmi, Realme, and Oppo. On the last day of the month, Vivo has launched its new smartphone named Vivo Z3x. Vivo Z3x is launched in the Chinese market and it is an upgrade to the Vivo Z1. The newly launched Vivo smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon CPU, and it also comes with a 16MP selfie camera. Other features of the Vivo Z3x include a Game Turbo Mode and a System Turbo mode.
Here are the pricing details and specifications of the newly launched Vivo Z3x smartphone:
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Vivo Z3x price and availability
The new Vivo Z3x holds a price tag of CNY 1,198 (approximately Rs 12,400) in China for the lone 4GB RAM/ 64GB storage variant. It comes with three colour options to choose from – Red, Black and Purple.
It will go on sale on the official Vivo China online Store staring May 8 but the pre-orders of the Vivo Z3x will start from May 1 itself.
The availability of the device for the Indian market hasn’t been revealed by the company. However, it is expected to make its way to the Indian market in the next few weeks.
Vivo Z3x specifications and features
The newly launched Vivo Z3x sports a 6.26-inch Full-HD+ (1080 x 2280 pixels) TFT display with an aspect ratio of 19:9. Powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 660 SoC, the smartphone comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Vivo Z3x supports dual-SIM (Nano) and runs Android 9 Pie skinned with Funtouch OS 9. The Vivo Z3x comes with microSD card support of up to 256GB and it packs a 3,260mAh battery.
On the camera front, the Vivo Z3x features a dual-rear camera setup which comprises of a 13MP main camera with an f/2.2 aperture paired with a 2MP secondary camera with an f/2.4 aperture. On the front, the Vivo Z3x packs a 16MP selfie camera with an f/2.0 aperture. Other camera features of the Vivo Z3x includes AR mode, Portrait mode, Dynamic Photo along with Beauty mode. It also uses AI algorithms to recognize 22 scenes and around 240 scene combinations.
Other features of the Vivo Z3x includes 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS/ A-GPS, Micro-USB with OTG support, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. While the sensors of the Vivo Z3x include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, fingerprint sensor, and a proximity sensor.
Huawei recently grabbed headlines when it launched the P30 Pro flagship smartphone that has up to 50X digital zoom. The camera-centric Huawei P30 Pro bears a price tag of Rs 71,990 in India and comes with top-of-the-line specifications. When we heard about the outstanding camera feature we knew we had to spend a few days with it to understand it in and out and review it.
We tried to know if the Huawei P30 Pro is really as good as it seems and here’s what we found out in our review of the mobile device:
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Design and Display
The first thing that we should mention about Huawei P30 Pro’s design is that it is claimed to have been inspired by nature. The Chinese smartphone brand has said that it has taken inspiration from elements in nature like salt flats and mineral deposits. We have to admit that it really seems to have worked in its favour as the handset is simply stunning to look at. The gradient back panel of the Huawei P30 Pro has three colours and it is made up of glass. Depending on how you look at the back panel of the smartphone, its colours appear to be swirling. The handset is available in Breathing Crystal and Aurora colour options and we got the former one for review.
Huawei P30 Pro is 158mm tall and 73.4mm wide. With these dimensions, it is big compared to most other smartphones that are launched today. At 192 grams, the handset does seem heavy to hold, but at least for us, that’s not really a bad thing.
The front, as well as the back panels of the smartphone, are made up of glass that is rounded on the sides. The metallic frame of Huawei P30 Pro lies between the two.
On the front, Huawei P30 Pro sports a 6.47-inch OLED display that has a notch on its top. A notable thing about the handset is that it comes without an earpiece. Instead, the entire upper half of the display vibrates to produce sound. Although we were sceptical about this at first, it worked perfectly well during our time with the smartphone.
The screen of Huawei P30 Pro also has an in-display fingerprint scanner, but personally, we preferred to use the face unlock. We aren’t saying that the fingerprint scanner of the handset did not perform well, we just felt that most on-screen sensors are slightly slow in their working as compared to physical fingerprint scanners. Speaking of Huawei P30 Pro’s fingerprint scanner, it worked accurately during our time with it.
The back panel of the smartphone houses the camera module, which comes with three of its four sensors. The fourth Time-of-Flight (ToF) depth sensor is placed right next to the module along with the dual LED flash.
The right edge of the smartphone houses the power and volume buttons and the top has the infrared emitter. The bottom edge of the device has the USB Type-C port, SIM tray and a single speaker. The handset comes without a 3.5mm headphone jack, too. Huawei P30 Pro has the IP68 certification, which basically means that it is water and dust resistant.
To conclude, we would say that Huawei has put in a lot of effort towards the design of the P30 Pro, and it shows. The device looks extremely premium. The back panel is simply beautiful and the front is dominated by the OLED display. Maybe it is too big to hold for some people, nonetheless, it wasn’t too big a problem for us.
Coming to the display of the Huawei P30 Pro, we found it to be really amazing. The colours looked richer than they do on most other devices and the Blacks were deeper. You can choose between a Vivid colour profile and a Standard mode depending on which suits your taste better. In addition to this, you can also control the White Balance.
Needless to say, the image quality was flawless on the device and we spent hours playing games and watching videos because it was such a delightful experience. Some people may not like the notch on the top of the display, but we didn’t find it to be too troublesome. But then, we should point out that the sunlight readability of the smartphone could really be better.
In a nutshell, we would say that the display is another aspect of the smartphone that can be considered as a plus. As we mentioned earlier, some people may prefer a full-screen experience at the given price, but then, that’s also got a lot to do with what your personal preference is.
Performance and Cameras
Let’s begin by talking about the specifications of the Huawei P30 Pro. The smartphone runs Android 9.0 Pie skinned with the company’s own EMUI 9.1 and is powered by Huawei’s Kirin 980 SoC. The handset comes with 8GB of RAM and is available with 256GB of internal storage. For imaging duties, Huawei P30 Pro comes with a quad-camera setup that comprises of a 40MP primary sensor with OIS and f/1.6 aperture, a 20MP wide-angle sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and OIS, an 8MP camera that is equipped with a periscope style zoom system and a ToF sensor.
The key highlight of the device is that it comes with support for HDR+ mode, 5X optical zoom, 10X hybrid zoom and 50X digital zoom. For selfies and video calls, Huawei P30 Pro features a 32MP sensor that comes with AI HDR+ with selfies and video calls. The smartphone houses a 4,200mAh battery and has support for reverse wireless charging.
Huawei P30 Pro is the first smartphone that comes with EMUI 9.1 OS based on Android Pie. The skin does have some improvements over the EMUI 9.0. The visual elements of the UI have been revamped and the company has said that it has now included bigger icons. The handset comes with Huawei’s GPU Turbo 3.0, which enhances the performance of the device while running graphics hungry games like PUBG Mobile, Fortnite.
You will also find Huawei’s Android 9 Digital Wellbeing tool in the smartphone, but it is named as ‘Digital Balance’ by Huawei. The smartphone also has some pre-installed apps like Facebook, Messenger, Camera360, Netflix, Booking.com and some of the company’s own apps like Tips, Ride Mode, Notepad, SOS alerts, etc.
Coming to the handset’s performance, as expected, it was flawless. Considering its price point, we obviously did not expect any lag in the day-to-day usage of the handset. We did a lot of multi-tasking on it and it was a cakewalk to handle it all for Huawei P30 Pro. We often used the device for playing graphics hungry games like Asphalt 9: Legends while the navigation was on. Then too, we faced no lag while. And even though the smartphone has a glass body, it did not heat up during our time with it, not even once. The only thing that did not work perfectly was the in-display fingerprint sensor. While it was accurate, it sometimes worked a little slowly. We wouldn’t really call it a downside, as this is the case with most on-screen fingerprint scanners.
As we have mentioned earlier, we played a number of games on the device. The simpler ones like Alto’s Odyssey ran like a breeze and we could even play the demanding ones like Asphalt 9: Legends without any hiccups. PUBG Mobile also ran smoothly on the smartphone. But then, with the internals that Huawei P30 Pro has, we didn’t expect it to be any different.
Coming to the battery life of the smartphone, the device easily lasts more than a day with moderate usage that involved watching YouTube videos, gaming, using social media apps and making phone calls. We should mention that one thing that can really consume the battery of the device is its camera app. We did not see as much dip in the battery level as we did when we were using the camera app. Not even gaming drained that much juice. However, it is not really a downside considering that the 40W SuperCharger charges up to 60% battery in just 30 minutes.
The call quality of the device was also good. Even in areas like basements and elevators, we faced no problems in making or receiving calls. The voice output was clear at all times.
Finally, let’s talk about the main highlight of the Huawei P30 Pro, its Cameras. The handset comes with a 40MP primary ‘SuperSpectrum’ sensor that comes with an R-Y-Y-B filter for each of its pixel. Other than this, the P30 Pro smartphone comes with a 20MP ultra-wide-angle sensor and a Periscopic optical zoom camera that is actually the real star of the show and adds an entirely new level of capabilities to the device’s camera.
Shot taken from Huawei P30 Pro’s primary cameraShot taken from 5X zoom lens
The camera of the smartphone comes with a 5X optical zoom, a 10X Hybrid zoom and a 50X digital zoom. The fourth camera on the Huawei P30 Pro is a Time-of-Flight (ToF) depth sensor, which works when one is using AR apps on the device or while 3D scanning an object using the camera app. For selfies and video call, there is a 32MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture on the handset that comes with beautification features.
The company has also touted the AI enhancements of the camera app. AI is enabled automatically on the device and much like Huawei’s Mate 20 Pro, it helps in recognizing scenes, objects, landmarks, text and more. Using AI on the camera app, you can also get translations, estimated calorie counts in food, and more.
There are a number of modes that are supported by the camera app of Huawei P30 Pro including Portrait mode, Aperture mode and Pro mode.
If the camera is a deciding factor for you when it comes to making a choice about, which smartphone to buy, you can definitely go for the Huawei P30 Pro. The images clicked by the device are simply spectacular. They have rich colours and capture the tiniest of details. The performance of the camera remains consistent regardless of the lighting conditions. We clicked some beautiful images using the device in the day, as well as at night. Furthermore, indoor photography is also at par with outdoor photography on this mobile phone.
The level of details that the camera can capture was simply amazing. The images remained crisp consistently with the primary sensor, wide-angle sensor or zoomed-in shots. Even the portraits that we clicked using the device were beautiful. Everything was just right, be it the colours, the sharpness or the richness.
We clicked a number of zoomed-in shots on the device too. One thing we should point out here is that when we tried using the 50X zoom on Huawei P30 Pro smartphone, even a slight movement of the hand became very noticeable. Although the company has said that there is a stabilisation feature in the lens, it was still difficult to use.
Shot taken by Huawei P30 Pro’s primary cameraShot taken with 5X zoomShot taken with 10X zoomShot taken with 25X zoomShot taken with 50X zoom
Till 30X zoom, the images turn out to be extremely clear. One may not even be able to guess if these pictures are zoomed in. However, at 50X, the results were not as clear. We noticed a slight distortion in some cases, but then, it did help us capture objects that were really-reeaallllyyy far away from us.
During our time with the smartphone, we also clicked some images of the moon using the device’s camera. They really don’t look like they have been clicked from a smartphone’s camera because they have turned out to be amazingly clear. We are also sharing these images here with you, so you can let us know what you think of them.
Coming to the 32MP selfie camera of the Huawei P30 Pro, it also managed to do a good job. We even tried taking some images from the depth effect and some with beautification on. We were quite happy with the overall results that we got.
Verdict
Huawei P30 Pro is priced at Rs 71,990. At this price, it competes directly with the likes of iPhone XS, Samsung Galaxy S10 and Google the Pixel 3 XL. We would say that if photography is what you look for in a smartphone, you would be very happy with Huawei P30 Pro because its camera is worth every penny.
If you choose Huawei P30 Pro, you will also get a very long-lasting battery life, very smooth performance and amazing build quality and design. While these aspects can be found in other phones too, the camera is the key highlight of the device. Buy it for that and you would be happy to have spent Rs 71,990 on a smartphone.
India based audio equipment maker boAt has released a new range of affordable and wireless headphones in its Rockerz series. The new headphones are named the Rockerz 450 and the Rockerz 640. Both the headphones come at an affordable price point and a 1-year warranty. The Rockerz 450 comes with 40mm dynamic drivers which provides an alternate HD Immersive Audio reality. While the Rockerz 640 also comes with 40mm drivers with enhanced bass mode. Here’s a look at the details of both the headphones:
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Boat Rockerz 450 and Rockerz 640 price and availability
Boat Rockerz 450 is priced at Rs 1,799 while the Rockerz 640 holds a price tag of Rs 2,999. Both the newly launched wireless headphones are available on Amazon India and they come with a 1-year warranty.
Ankush Guglani, Business Head of boat said, “The boAt Rockerz series headphones have been crafted to easily blend into your daily lifestyle, both in terms of fashion and functionality. No matter what your style statement, these headphones are sure to define it with accuracy. You are sure to be transported into a whole new musical heaven with Rockerz 450 & Rockerz 640 headphones.”
Boat Rockerz 450 and Rockerz 640 specifications and features
Boat Rockerz 450 comes with a 40mm dynamic driver and is powered by the WT200S chipset. It comes with Bluetooth v4.2 + EDR and has a charging voltage of 3.7V. The Rockerz 450 supports A2DP, VARCP, HFP and HSPV and it has a working distance of 10 metres. Being wireless, it comes with a 300mAH battery and according to the company, it can offer up to 8 hours of music and talk time. The Rockerz 450 has a standby time of 300 – 400 hours. The headphones can be charged from 0% to 100% in around 3 hours. Other than that, the Rockerz 450 also comes with a 3.5mm audio output.
The newly launched headphones come with soft-cornered matte black finish which makes it comfortable. And since it also has the plush foam and adaptive and adjustable design it can be worn for long duration. When using the wireless mode, the headphones gets its power from the 300mAh battery. However, when it is connected to an audio AUX cable, it doesn’t drain its battery and can be used as regular headphones. The Rockerz 450 comes with onboard controls which can be used to control the music or calls.
On the other hand, the Rockerz 640 is a bigger more premium version of the newly launched headphones. The Rockerz 640 is powered by a BK3266 chipset and comes with Bluetooth v4.2. It also has the same 40mm dynamic drivers with frequency response of 20Hz to 20KHz. The Rockerz 640 also comes with 10 metres working distance and packs a 300mAH battery. According to the company, the Rockerz 640 is capable of giving 12 hours of talk time and music playback and its battery can charge from 0% to 100% in about 3.5 hours.
Other features of the Rockerz 640 includes the enhanced bass mode and LED lit earcups. The newly launched headphones come with foam constructed adjustable headband and ear cups. And similar to the Rockerz 450, the Rockerz 640 also comes with buttons which can be used to control the music and calls. It too can be used as a regular headphones when an AUX cable is connected.
With the rising popularity of the pop-up selfie cameras and full-screen displays that come without notches, many technology companies are jumping on to this bandwagon. The latest smartphone maker to jump on the pop-up selfie camera frenzy is Realme. A video has been posted by the company on its Weibo account which showcases a device with no bezels and a pop-up selfie camera. Although the name of the device has not been mentioned, but just last week, two new Realme smartphones – RMX1851 and RMX1901 – were leaked on TENAA.
Although the RMX1851 holds the official name of Realme 3 Pro and was launched in India earlier this month, the RMX1901 is yet to be named or launched. S, it can be assumed that the smartphone in the teaser video of Realme could be the upcoming RMX190 smartphone.
As we mentioned earlier, the video posted by Realme showcases that the smartphone teased in it has a notch-less and bezel-less display. There is also a centre aligned pop-up selfie camera and a 3.5mm headphone jack present on top of the device. Other than that, the device doesn’t come with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner which could mean that Realme is also adopting the in-display fingerprint scanner with its new device.
Some rumours about the RMX1901 have started surfacing online. Among these, a report says that the upcoming Realme smartphone would sport a 6.5-inch display with full HD+ resolution. It will also reportedly pack a 3,680mAh battery and will run Android Pie skinned with ColorOS 6.0.
However, it has not been confirmed yet if the teased device and the RMX1901 are the same or not. Even the launch date of the smartphone is not known yet. But there is a high possibility that the upcoming device will be launched in the upcoming months. Some speculations also say that the handset will be unveiled in May.
Realme pop-up selfie camera phone
As we mentioned earlier, the company recently released its new gaming-oriented smartphone in India – Realme 3 Pro. It was brought in the market to beat the other ‘Pro’ smartphones. Being a gaming-centric smartphone, Realme 3 Pro comes with some good specifications and features. It sports a 6.3-inch display and is powered by the Snapdragon 710 SoC. And is paired with Adreno 616 GPU which can handle most games like Fortnite with ease. The Realme 3 Pro comes with 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM variants and up to 128GB storage.
Technology giant Google has admitted the reason why it is looking at capturing the mid-range segment of the smartphone market with its next launch. The company says that there is too much competition in the premium smartphone market segment. Google is expected to showcase its new mid-range smartphones from the Pixel range during its I/O 2019 developers’ conference that is scheduled to begin on May 7 and go on till May 9. Numerous reports about Google’s upcoming Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL smartphones have surfaced online which give us a fair idea about what to expect from the two handsets.
At an earnings call with the reporters, Alphabet’s Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat said that sales of Pixel smartphones in Q1 2019 were affected by an industry-wide pressure on high-end handsets. The sales of the company‘s Pixel smartphones have slid down as compared to the same time last year. To be more specific, she said that “some of the recent pressures in the premium smartphone market” led to the fall.
However, she did not mention what these pressures exactly are. But then, it can safely be assumed that she is referring to a heightened competition from the likes of Apple and Samsung. Other than this, the high prices of the Pixel smartphones are also driving away from consumer demand.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai was also present at the call, and he got questioned about whether investors should have concerns that the company’s efforts on the hardware front are not able to do much to impact its overall revenue. In fact, an analyst even openly said whether Pixel devices were representative of Microsoft‘s smartphone business, which we all know failed.
It is worth mentioning that the search giant never breaks out its hardware-related products quarterly earnings report. And in the last quarter, Google’s hardware-related earnings have grown to a revenue of $5.5 billion in spite of the fall in phone sales. This can be due to an increase in the sales of its Chromecast devices, laptops, Nest products, and other devices that it sells.
To recall, Google Pixel 3 was launched at a price that was lesser than flagship handsets from Apple and Samsung. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are touted to come with a best-in-class camera. At Google I/O 2019 that is scheduled for next month, the company is expected to launch its Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a smartphones.
The latest selfie-centric smartphone from Xiaomi – Redmi Y3 – was launched last week in India along with the Redmi 7. And a week after its launch, the Redmi Y3 will be going on its first sale in India today onwards. The sale will start from 12pm (noon) IST today and the handset can be bought from Amazon.in, Mi.com and Mi Home Stores.
The Redmi Y3 is a selfie-focused smartphone and is a successor of the Redmi Y2. The newly launched Redmi Y3 is priced very competitively and it competes with likes of Samsung Galaxy M20 and Realme U1. Some of the major highlights of the Redmi Y3 is its 32MP selfie camera, a Snapdragon CPU, Android Pie OS, a 4,000mAh battery and up to 4GB RAM. Here’s everything that you should know about the newly-launched Redmi Y3 smartphone:
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Redmi Y3 price and availability
Redmi Y3 holds a price tag of Rs 9,999 for the 3GB RAM/ 32GB storage variant while the 4GB RAM/ 64GB storage variant of the device sells for Rs 11,999. It comes in three colour options – Bold Red, Elegant Blue, Prime Black.
As mentioned above, the Redmi Y3 will go on its first sale in India from today 12pm (noon) onwards. Interested customers can purchase the device from Amazon India, Mi.com, Mi Home Stores, Mi Studio and preferred retail partners across the country.
The Redmi Y3 also comes with some launch offers including up to 1,120GB of 4G data from Airtel along with unlimited voice calling.
Redmi Y3 specifications and features
Redmi Y3 sports a 6.26-inch HD+ (720 x 1520 pixels) display that has an aspect ratio of 19:9 along with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on top. Powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 632 SoC, the handset comes with up to 4GB of RAM. The Redmi Y3 runs Android 9 Pie skinned with MIUI 10 and it comes with dual-SIM (Nano) support. As mentioned above, the Redmi Y3 comes with up to 64GB of internal storage and can support a microSD card of up to 512GB. The device packs a 4,000mAh battery.
On the camera front, the Redmi Y3 features a dual-rear camera setup which comprises of a 12MP main camera with an f/2.2 aperture paired with a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, there is the 32MP selfie camera with an f/2.25 aperture. The front camera of the Redmi Y3 also supports EIS, auto HDR, and an AI portrait mode.
Other features of the Redmi Y3 includes 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS/ A-GPS, Micro-USB, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It also features an IR Blaster and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.
South Korean technology giant Samsung has issued a warning to its investors that it will be making less money this quarter. What further adds to this is the company‘s Q1 earnings that were recently shared. They clearly show that the profit has gone down by 60% compared to last year – from 15.64 trillion won to 6.2 trillion won, to be more precise.
However, Samsung has not placed the blame for this slide in profit on its expensive smartphones. Instead, the company has claimed that its Galaxy S10 series handsets saw good sales. Samsung also says that it shipped 78 million phones overall and 5 million tablets in Q1 2019. It further added that the reason behind any weakness in its phone sales is due to the fact that its low and mid-range models cannibalized sales of last years’ Galaxy models.
This does make sense considering that Samsung has been bringing a number of premium features to its mid-range smartphones. Last year’s Samsung Galaxy A9 was the world’s first smartphone to sport a quad-camera setup on its back panel, and the company has added a rotating camera to its recently launched Galaxy A80.
The technology giant has also added that it is expecting to ship more smartphones in Q2 2019.
But it is worth mentioning that the reasons that it has given for the fall in profit are primarily the same as last quarter. The first and foremost reason is that Samsung has seen a fall in the demand for memory chips and a decline in sales of displays. However, the company has also added that it expects this to improve in the second half of the year.
Samsung has said that it expects to see a rise in the demand for flash memory in servers, as well as for smartphones that come with 256GB storage or more. The South Korean technology giant said that it has shipped more processors and models even though the demand for image sensors is not going up any more.
Although the company did not mention its Galaxy Fold smartphone during the earnings call, when quizzed about it, Samsung did say that it would be announcing the new launch schedule for the handset “within the next few weeks”.
In a statement, the company said, “For the second half, despite intensified market competition, Samsung expects smartphone sales to increase led by new models in all segments from the Galaxy A series to the Galaxy Note amid strong seasonality. In the premium segment, the Company will strengthen its leadership through the new Galaxy Note as well as its innovative products such as 5G and foldable smartphones.”
In the midst of all the flagship and mid-range smartphone launches, Oppo has silently brought its A1k smartphone in India. In the past few days, we saw few leaks of the smartphone on the internet and now, without making much noise, the company has now finally launched the Oppo A1k in the country.
Oppo A1k is an entry-level smartphone and it comes with features like a big screen with Gorilla Glass protection, Helio P22 SoC and 2GB of RAM. It has also been priced competitively and it will compete against the likes of Redmi 7, Redmi Y3, Realme C2, Samsung Galaxy M10 to name a few. Here are all the details of the Oppo A1k smartphone that you should know about:
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Oppo A1k price and availability
The Oppo A1k is priced at Rs 8,490 for the 2GB RAM and 32GB storage variant. The newly launched Oppo A1k can be purchased from major offline stores throughout the country but its online availability is currently not known. It comes in two colour options – Red and Black.
Oppo A1k specifications and features
Oppo A1k sports a 6.1-inch IPS LCD HD+ (1560 x 720 pixels) display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection on top. The screen of the Oppo A1k has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and features a waterdrop-shaped notch on its screen. Powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio P22 SoC, the handset comes with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The Oppo A1k packs a 4,000mAh battery with 2X fast charge support but it does not have a fingerprint scanner.
On the camera front, the Oppo A1k comes with a single rear camera that has an 8MP sensor. While the front of the device houses a 5MP selfie camera for clicking selfies and making video calls.
The Oppo A1k runs Android 9 Pie skinned with ColorOS 6.0 out of the box. And although it does not come with a fingerprint scanner it does support face unlock. The device supports dual-SIM cards and it comes with features such as 4GB VoLTE, GPS, A-GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.2. The Oppo A1k also features all the other regular sensors.
Although Oppo has brought out a new budget segment device, it will also face heavy competition from other smartphone makers. But as it sports only 2GB RAM which feels a little too old than what is trending in the market it will make the sales of the smartphone hard.
Now that Apple’s iPad Pro and MacBook lines come with a USB Type-C port, there have been a number of speculative reports about which type of connector will the new iPhones use. And as September approaches, the picture about what to expect from the 2019 iPhones.
A report has now surfaced on Japan-based blog Mac Otakara that claims that the upcoming models of iPhone may not contain USB-C ports. However, the report also adds that the iPhones may ship with a faster 18W USB-C charger as well as a Lightning to USB-C cable. This is applicable to all the three rumoured models of the 2019 iPhones.
This does make sense as the Cupertino-based technology giant may not be very willing to let go of the Lightning yet, but from what it seems like, the company is trying to make the lives of iOS users easier than what it is right now. The fact that Apple has always shipped new iPhones with a 5W cube charger, in spite of the fact that all its models since iPhone 8 come with fast-charging capabilities, is a constant source of frustration for a number of iOS users.
To recall, it was the redesigned iPad Pro that was the first in Apple’s tablet lineup to come with a faster 18W charger. As of now, if one wants to take an advantage of that iPad Pro’s charger with their iPhone, they would reportedly have to buy an 18W charger and the Lightning to USB-C adapter, which costs almost $50.
However, now that Apple is planning to ship that with the upcoming iPhones, it will seriously be very helpful for a number of users in the future. In addition to charging your iPhone more quickly, this will also help users to plug their smartphone into their Mac laptop without having to buy a cable.
We should mention that a number of reports about the 2019 iPhones have surfaced online. Among the most prominent detail that has popped up more than once is that Apple is expected to launch three iPhones this year too. The three upcoming devices by Apple will be successors of iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR.
In fact, even next year, the successor of iPhone XR will not come with an OLED display, if reports are to be believed. Another major detail that has surfaced online is the fact the Apple is planning to add a triple rear camera setup to its iPhone. But then, as of now, it is not clear which among the three iPhones will come with three cameras on its back panel.
Technology giant Google is expected to launch its Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a smartphones at its I/O 2019 event that is scheduled in May. As the date of the Google I/O 2019 developers’ conference draws nearer, more and more leaks about the upcoming smartphones by the company are surfacing online.
Earlier this year, Google Pixel 3a XL handset was spotted on Geekbench’s website, and it was seen that the device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 octa-core processor clubbed with 4GB of RAM. And now, the vanilla variant of Google Pixel 3a has been spotted on the benchmarking website and the handset has a similar set of specifications.
According to the listing on Geekbench, the regular variant of Google‘s Pixel 3a handset will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 670 processor. It is worth noticing that the listing does not confirm the name of the chipset that has been used in the device. But then, it is being speculated that the Pixel 3a smartphone will come with Snapdragon 670 SoC because of the lower benchmark scores than Pixel 3a Lite on Geekbench.
Image courtesy: Geekbench
In addition to this, it has also been disclosed that the Pixel 3a smartphone comes with 4GB of RAM and runs Android 9.0 Pie operating system. The report about the new Geekbench listing first appeared on technology website MySmartPrice.
We should mention that the Google I/O 2019 is the company’s annual developers’ conference and it is all set to begin on May 7 and will go on till May 9. At the event, the technology giant is expected to make a number of software-related announcements and most important among them will be Android Q.
Google has already rolled out two developer beta updates of Android Q on its Pixel smartphones. A number of interesting features have been spotted via these updates including more control over location access, a new Settings Panel API, improved share sheet and better resuming and pausing of apps among others.
However, more number of features are expected to be seen at Google I/O 2019, as the company would obviously be saving the best ones to announce at the event. It is also worth mentioning that the company will be launching hardware for the first time at its I/O conference. While the company has not confirmed the launch on its own, it is being reported since months that the technology giant intends to do this.
Spotify has become one of the first platforms of its kind to reach more than 100 million users on a global scale. According to the company, now more than 100 million users around the globe pay for the Spotify Premium services. With this, Spotify has reached a new milestone by growing the paid subscribers by 32% year-on-year. The company also said that if the free users/subscribers are included in the count, the numbers exceeds 217 million globally.
Spotify and its services were earlier not available in India and the company launched its services in the country only in February 2019. And since the app’s launch in India, more than 2 million Indian subscribers have joined the music-streaming service.
With the increasing popularity of Spotify globally, it has made its mark and is ahead of Apple Music. Apple Music is Apple’s streaming service and it has around 50 million paid users globally. But that is literally just half of Spotify’s current paid subscribers. However, according to the Wall Street Journal, in the US, Apple Music has around 28 million subscribers compared to Spotify’s 26 million. In the US, Apple Music has a lead on the music streaming service race, but on a global scale Spotify is miles ahead of the Cupertino-based tech firm’s music streaming service.
With the growth of the company, Spotify is also focusing more on its podcasts and it has planned to develop a better advertising model for podcasts. Targeting, measurement and reporting capabilities will be included in Spotify’s new advertising model for podcasts. The new model of podcast advertising means that the company will let the podcast producers place different ads in a podcast depending on the user it is targeted towards.
Spotify’s focus towards podcasts could be the result of its acquisition of the podcast companies such as Gimlet Media, Anchor and Parcast. All these podcasting companies offer a more than 1,25,000 podcasting titles on the Spotify’s platform. Spotify has also targeted that by the end of the second quarter, it hopes to have 222 to 228 million users globally while the paid subscribers number reaching towards 107 to 110 million. India is also a big market for Spotify and with its launch in the Indian market, the company hopes to achieve the targeted number.
Earlier, Spotify offered to give away a free Google Home Mini Speaker to every family account subscribers and the company has also said that the voice speakers are an important area for its own growth. But even though the company is growing in the subscribers’ department, it is losing money. Spotify posted a loss of $158.3 million from January to March 2019. If we compare the loss to the same quarter last year, we see that from January to March 2018, the company lost around $188.55 million.
South Korean technology giant Samsung has today expanded its television range with the launch of its Sero TV. Samsung’s Sero is a 43-inch television that, according to the company, has been designed for millennials. Samsung has said that the newly-unveiled TV can pivot between horizontal and vertical orientations. If that sounds weird to you, read on, the company has a fair logic behind the unique design of the television.
According to Samsung, most content on smartphones is vertical, and the company has designed Sero in a way that it can pivot between horizontal and vertical orientations, in order to encourage users to project content from their phones to screens. The logic is a correct one, considering how most people are literally inseparable from their handsets. It would obviously be much better to project vertical content from smartphones to a vertical screen, than to a horizontal one.
The company has also added that the newly-launched television will function as a music streaming hub as well as a good looking piece of furniture. In order to make sure of this, the South Korean technology giant has added 4.1-channel, 60W speakers, a navy stand, and a rear design.
In addition to being used as a conventional TV or to watch content from smartphones, Samsung Sero TV can also work as a huge digital photo frame as well as a music visualizer. The newly-launched television also comes with Samsung’s digital assistant, Bixby. The company has said the Sero will cost 1.89m KRW in South Korea and will go on sale in May.
Samsung’s Sero TV will lie between being a concept device and a real product. The television was showed off in a pop-up store in Seoul today along with some existing Serif and Frame TV ranges. Samsung is adding the newly launched television to what it calls as its lifestyle TV lineup. While it has announced the price and launch date of the Sero TV, the company also calls it a concept.
However, it has also said that it will closely be monitoring the consumer feedback that it will be getting. But then, only time will tell if users like the idea of having a TV that can be used horizontally as well as vertically.
It may make sense for some, but we can guess that some may be sceptical about it too. What do you think of the new Sero TV? Would you like to buy it? Let us know in the comments below.
Weeks ahead of its official launch on May 14, OnePlus 7 has been leaked by the OnePlus Playback music video in which Indian singer Neha Bhasin was seen sporting the device. In the new music video named ‘Meri Odhe Naal’ the singer is seen to be using the device and the front, as well as the back of the smartphone, is visible. The video shows the notch-less and full display of the OnePlus 7, along with the dual-rear camera setup of the handset. The new design showcased in the video matches with the earlier leaked render of the OnePlus 7. Other than this, in another news, the triple-rear camera setup of the OnePlus 7 Pro has surfaced online before the official launch.
In the music video of the OnePlus Playback, the rear panel of the OnePlus 7 is showcased and it shows a design with the OnePlus logo which is similar to the earlier OnePlus 6T. But the front panel of the smartphone has some changes. Instead of housing a dew-drop shaped notch on the display which the OnePlus 6T held, the new device has a full notch-less display which proves that it will house a pop-up selfie camera.
Earlier reports and leaks claimed that the OnePlus 7 will have a water-drop notched display similar to the OnePlus 6T and will have dual-rear camera setup. On the other hand, the OnePlus 7 Pro will come with a pop-up selfie camera with a triple-rear camera setup.
But since the device in the video shows a dual-rear camera setup with notch-less display the prior reports don’t seem to be credible anymore. Unless in the video, the singer shows the rear of the OnePlus 7 while the front of the OnePlus 7 Pro. However, chances of this are very slim, according to us.
We should mention that a leaked image of the OnePlus 7 Pro surfaced online on Slashleaks. In the image, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau can be taking breakfast at a restaurant where a glimpse of OnePlus 7 Pro can be seen too. The clicked image shows a triple rear camera setup onoard the OnePlus 7 Pro.
Both the leaks arrive weeks before the scheduled launched of the OnePlus 7-series on May 14. But before the official launch, the company has started the OnePlus 7 Pro ‘The Lab’ programme to give early access of the device.
Will you be buying one among the smartphones from the upcoming OnePlus range? Let us know in the comments below.
Among the most anticipated smartphones from Samsung for 2019 was its flagship Galaxy S10-series – which includes Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy S10e. And since Galaxy S10 series is now launched, Samsung fans are waiting for the upcoming Galaxy Note 10 phablet by the company. Each year, the South Korean technology giant launches its Galaxy S-series devices in the first half of the year while the Galaxy Note-series devices are launched sometime in August. This year is expected to be no different, but before the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 details about its battery have been leaked online.
According to various leaks, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10 Pro 4G variant will pack a huge 4,500mAh battery. When we compare the smartphone to the last year’s Galaxy Note 9, we see an increase of 500mAh in capacity as the earlier device packed a 4,000mAh battery. The new Galaxy Note 10 Pro 4G is reported to carry the model number N975 while the battery of the handset is carrying the model number EB-BN975ABU. The battery of the device has received certification from the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology. The name of the Galaxy Note 10 Pro was rumoured to be leaked online few days ago.
The new development comes from a tipster on Twitter named Ice Universe who claims that the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Pro 4G carries a model number N975 and it will have 4,500mAh battery. This could be similar to the Galaxy S10 5G variant which comes with a 4,500mAh battery. So, there is a possibility that Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Pro 4G might pack some features and specifications that we have seen in the Galaxy S10 5G variant.
Also, a KC certification of the battery of the rumoured Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Pro 4G with model number EB-BN975ABU has been put online by the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology. There is also a possibility that the Galaxy Note 10 might come in more than one variant – one with model number SM-N970 and the other with SM-N975 as its model number. According to recent rumours, one of the variants of Samsung Galaxy Note 10 might come with a display size of 6.28-inch while the other might sport a 6.75-inch screen.
Similar to the Galaxy S10 5G, there is also a chance that the Galaxy Note 10 too might come in a 5G variant. It is also being speculated that this variant will launch after the regular Galaxy Note 10. We could see different Samsung Galaxy Note 10-series variants, with 4G connectivity and with 5G connectivity. And similar to the Galaxy S10-series, they might come with triple and quad-camera setup.
Facebook-owned instant messaging app WhatsApp has today announced new Cricket Stickers on its platform to celebrate the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 in India. Although as of now, the app is rolling out the official Cricket Stickers pack only for its Android users, WhatsApp for iPhone will also be soon getting them.
WhatsApp has said that it is rolling out the new Sticker pack for users to download so that they can express their excitement about the game during the IPL with them. We have to say, it is a more creative and fun way to be able to talk about cricket with special dedicated features. Stickers on WhatsApp are meant to help users find a new way of expressing their reactions, experiences and moods with their friends. The much-awaited feature came to WhatsApp in October 2018, long after it was available on rival apps like Telegram.
Coming back to the new Cricket Sticker pack on WhatsApp for Android, users will have to download them by going to the Stickers category tab from the emoji section once they open the chat. Once downloaded, the new pack will be available for sharing with all contacts on the WhatsApp app, much like stickers, emojis and GIFs that are already present on the platform.
We should mention that as of now, WhatsApp is only making the Cricket Sticker pack available for users on Android. Users will not have to download a separate app from the Play Store for them, as the stickers would be present in the main WhatsApp app itself. The company has claimed that the pack has various stickers that will include all the emotions and reactions that are related to cricket. So, users will find a sticker to express their mood, no matter what it is.
There are also stickers included in the pack that will help users celebrate their favourite player scoring a century or hitting a six. There is even a sticker that expresses that the user is waiting for his favourite team to reach the ground.
We should point out that the Cricket Stickers pack has already started rolling out, and you will have to update your WhatsApp app to the latest Android version (2.19.115) to get the IPL special stickers. The company has also said that the new Sticker pack will soon be rolled out to iPhone users too. Stickers have seen massive success on WhatsApp since they were launched last year in October.
Chinese smartphone brand Realme’s CEO Madhav Sheth has announced that Realme 1, Realme U1 and Realme 2 Pro smartphones are all set to receive the HyperBoost 2.0 with the ColorOS 6 update. Sheth revealed this piece of news while addressing a user query on video-platform YouTube. It is worth noticing that HyperBoost 2.0 made its debut in India last week along with the newly-launched Realme 3 Pro handset.
The company has touted the feature to enhance the gaming performance of smartphones in real time. However, the company has as of now only announced that the feature is coming to its Realme 1, Realme U1, and Realme 2 Pro smartphones. There is no word about the Realme 2 and Realme C1 handsets.
Answering a user query on YouTube, Sheth said, “HyperBoost will be made available for Realme 1, [Realme] U1, and [Realme] 2 Pro with ColorOS 6 update. HyperBoost will be made available for Realme 1, [Realme] U1, and [Realme] 2 Pro with ColorOS 6 update.”
It is worth mentioning that the Realme 3 Pro smartphone, that was launched in India last week, has the HyperBoost 2.0 feature. The feature is touted to bring TouchBoost to the smartphone, which is claimed to improve the touch response time of the Realme 3 Pro by up to 16.2%. The feature also brings the FrameBoost, which is claimed to enhance the frame rate by up to 38%.
The company has also mentioned that when playing PUBG Mobile, the HyperBoost 2.0 feature will improve the response time of the device by 21.6%.
It is worth noticing that this is not the first time that Realme has announced that a new feature will be coming to its existing smartphones. Last month, the company had announced that it will be rolling out its Nightscape mode to its other devices, which was initially only available on the Realme 3 handset.
However, it is also worth pointing out that Realme has not revealed anything about the date of ColorOS 6’s release. Earlier this month, the company did say that the Android Pie-based ColorOS 6.0 update has been delayed for all its existing smartphones and it will only be available in June.
To recall, Realme 3 Pro runs ColorOS 6.0 based on Android 9.0 Pie and sports a 6.3-inch full-HD+ display. Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor, the handset comes with up to 6GB RAM and Adreno 616 GPU. The smartphone up to 128GB of internal storage and has added a dual rear camera setup with 16MP and 5MP sensors.
Samsung has started rolling out the latest Android 9.0 Pie update to some of its older smartphones. Samsung Galaxy J4, Galaxy J4+ and the Galaxy J6+ are now reportedly receiving the Android Pie updates skinned with One UI. However, Samsung Galaxy J4 is currently receiving the update in the Panama region, the Galaxy J4+ is reportedly receiving the Android Pie update in Thailand, Ukraine, Vietnam. The third device, Galaxy J6+ is reportedly getting the new Pie update in India, Iraq and Germany.
It should be noted that all the three devices earlier used to run the Android 8 Oreo. All the new updates for Samsung Galaxy J4, Galaxy J4+ and the Galaxy J6+ come with the April Android security patch. Currently, the new updates are being rolled out in stages and are limited to certain regions only, they are expected to reach other regions in the coming weeks.
Other than the latest security patch, the updates for all the Samsung Galaxy devices listed above come with bug fixes and major improvements over its previous update. But other than that, Samsung has also included its own One UI to the update of all the above-mentioned devices.
The new update is being rolled out via over-the-air (OTA) package for the Galaxy J4, Galaxy J4+ and the Galaxy J6+. The users of the above-mentioned regions will automatically receive the new updates on their phones. But in case it doesn’t happen, they can download the updates manually. The users of all the said devices can download the update by going to Settings of the phone. Then they need to click on Software Update then to Download updates manually. Once it is done, the phones will automatically search for the new updates when connected to the internet. Also, when the new updates are downloaded, the smartphone needs to be charged for up to 30% to install the updates.
It should be noted that the new update for the Galaxy J4, the Galaxy J4+ and the Galaxy J6+ comes with the new Samsung One UI which would update the previous Samsung Experience UI. And currently, only one of the devices in India (Galaxy J6+) is receiving the Android Pie update but the other two devices will also be receiving the new update in the coming weeks.
If you have been planning to buy a new smartphone, now is definitely a good time. Whether you want to go for a premium smartphone or a budget one, April 2019 saw price cuts being levied on all categories. Here’s a look at the best offers that are available:
In This Article
iPhone XR
Right at the beginning of the month, Apple slashed the price of its iPhone XR in India. The smartphone cannot be picked up at a starting price of Rs 59,900 instead of its original cost of Rs 76,900. If you pay for your purchase via HDFC Bank cards, you will be able to get the device for Rs 53,900 as an additional cashback of 10% is being offered.
Samsung Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy S10e
Samsung launched its Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy S10e in February this year. And recently, the company has announced an additional exchange discount of Rs 9,000 on Samsung Galaxy S10+, while an instant cashback of up to Rs 8,000 and Rs 5,000 is available on Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10e respectively. You can read about the revised pricing of the devices here.
OnePlus 6T
Another good option to consider if you want to buy a premium smartphone is OnePlus 6T. Since the company is now focussing on the launch of its OnePlus 7 Pro handset, it has reduced the pricing of OnePlus 6T to Rs 34,999 for the base variant that has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The 8GB RAM/128GB storage variant of the smartphone is selling for Rs 37,999, and the most high-end model with 8GB RAM/256GB storage costs Rs 41,999. The discount can be availed from Amazon India’s website.
Oppo A7
The Oppo A7 smartphone is now available at a starting price of Rs 12,990 in India. While this is the cost of the 3GB RAM variant, the model with 4GB RAM can be picked up at Rs 14,990. This is the second time that the smartphone has received a price cut in India.
Vivo V15
The recently launched Vivo V15 smartphone is also available at a reduced cost in India. While the device was launched at a price of Rs 23,990, it can now be picked up at Rs 21,990. Other than this, an exchange discount and a 5 percent cashback on SBI and HDFC cards can also be availed on the purchase of the smartphone. It also comes with no-cost EMI and benefits worth Rs 10,000 from Reliance Jio. Bank offers such as 5% cashback on SBI credit and debit cards are also available.
Asus Zenfone Max M1 and Zenfone Lite L1
Both the smartphones from Asus have got a price cut of Rs 2,000 this month. While Asus Zenfone Max M1 is now available at a starting price of Rs 6,999, the Zenfone Lite L1 can be bought at Rs 4,999. The new pricing is live on Flipkart.
Nokia 7.1
HMD Global has revised the pricing of its Nokia 7.1 smartphone in India. While the smartphone was launched at Rs 19,999, it can now be picked up at Rs 17,999. The key highlights of the smartphone are its candy bar design and the fact that it is a part of Google’s Android One programme.
Nokia 6.1, Nokia 2.1 and Nokia 1
The 6GB RAM model of Nokia 6.1 Plus has received a price cut of Rs 1,500 and can be bought at Rs 16,999, instead of Rs 18,499. Ths company has also revised the pricing of its Nokia 1 smartphone from Rs 5,499 to Rs 3,999. In addition to this, Nokia 2.1, which was till now priced at Rs 6,999, can be picked up at Rs 5,499.
Realme 2 Pro
The 4GB RAM/64GB storage and 6GB RAM/64 storage variants of Realme 2 Pro have received a price cut of Rs 2,000 each. While the former can now be picked up at Rs 11,990, the latter costs Rs 13,990.
Realme U1
The discount is only available on two variants of Realme U1. The 3GB RAM/32GB storage version and the 4GB RAM/64GB storage model are now priced at Rs 9,999 and Rs 11,999 respectively and can be bought from Amazon India. This is Rs 1,000 less than the handset’s former pricing.
After the launch of its and Redmi Y3 and Redmi 7 smartphone, Xiaomi hasn’t forgotten about its previous devices. Just a week after the launch of the two smartphones, Xiaomi has started pushing out its MIUI 10.3 stable update for its Redmi 6 smartphones in India. The users of the Redmi 6 reported on the MIUI forum that they have started receiving the new updates for their devices. The new update comes with major bug fixes along with improvements including the April Android Security patch.
The new MIUI 10.3 stable update holds the build number MIUI v10.3.2.0.OCGMIXM and is 279MB in size. The new update brings the Android 9 Pie update to the Redmi 6 and the Redmi 6A with the April Android Security patch. But some users are also reporting that they are receiving the March Android Security patch. On this note, the company is yet to say how to fix this issue and why it is being caused.
The changelog of the new MIUI update shows that the new MIUI 10.3 brings a lot of bug fixes. It has also fixed the bug which earlier affected the calls so that it would take longer time to end. The issue that caused status bar shortcut and the floating notification for calls appear at the same time has also been fixed in the MIUI 10.3. Other than that, the update also solves the problems related to face unlock, sync settings page, low battery warning, call time bubble, media playback volume and notification badges.
To update the device to the latest MIUI 10.3 the users of the Redmi 6 and the Redmi 6A needs to go to Settings, and then to About Phone. Once there, users need to tap on System Updates and then Check on Updates. Once it is tapped, the device will automatically look for the possible updates. Once the update is downloaded, users need to make sure that their device needs to be charged up to 30% for it to be installed.
Other than the bug fixes, the new MIUI 10.3 update also optimises the face unlock, app icons and Mi cloud. It also lets the users of the Redmi 6 and the Redmi 6A enable the floating window for incoming calls while the user is playing a game on his device.
Other than the Redmi 6, Xiaomi had released the new MIUI 10.3.1.0 stable update through the over-the-air (OTA) update for Redmi 4 earlier. The new update on Redmi 4 brings the new MIUI but it comes with the outdated October 2018 Android Security patch.
With Moto Razr 2019, Motorola is bringing the classic Razr foldable phone back from the dead. Moto Razr was one of the most popular and classic foldable phones a decade ago but now the Lenovo-owned company is bringing the 2019 version of the Moto Razr with smartphone capabilities and features. But before its official launch or announcement, a series of new photos have been leaked online showing the Moto Razr 2019 in its full glory. There is also a picture which reveals the in-box contents of the smartphone.
Earlier we saw that the Moto Razr 2019 has received its Bluetooth certification which further proved that the smartphone was in the making and it would be launched in 2019 itself.
Talking about the leaked images, we see that Moto Razr 2019 has a foldable screen which can be bended downwards like a flip-phone. While the in-box contents of the Moto Razr 2019 include earphones, charging cable, charging adapter, screen protector along with a USB Type-C to 3.5mm adapter. Since, the company is providing a Type-C to 3.5mm adapter, it proves that the device won’t be holding a headphone jack. The newly leaked images seem pretty much similar to the ones that had surfaced online earlier which strengthens the launch of the new foldable smartphone.
The new images have been leaked on Slashleaks, and they show that the phone bends forward (unlike any foldable smartphone we have seen till now) and its screen folds in on itself. The Moto Razr 2019 can be flipped open upwards to reveal the screen inside. Also, some previously leaked images of the smartphone reveals that there will also be a secondary small display on the outside of the folded phone. This small screen would show the notifications, calls, time and other important things. The users can also interact with the notifications and stuff from the outside screen as well without opening the main screen.
The bottom portion of the display holds a bulge and a large bezel on which the smartphone folds itself. The bottom thick portion of the upcoming Moto Razr 2019 holds the company’s logo. While at the top of the main display, there is a notch which holds the front camera and other sensors of the Moto Razr 2019.
Coming to the specifications of the Moto Razr 2019, it should be noted that nothing is confirmed at this point. But according to the previous leaks of the Moto Razr 2019, the device will be powered by a Snapdragon 710 SoC paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The Moto Razr 2019 reportedly sports a 6.2-inch (876 x 2142 pixels) display panel. As we mentioned earlier, the front camera of the device being placed in a notch at the top of the display. On the other hand, the back camera will reportedly be placed on top/bottom of the smaller screen on the outside.
Although these specifications are just leaked online, but they too could be true as we have seen multiple times before in the past. But even so, the news should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus has today announced that its upcoming OnePlus 7 Pro smartphone has received an A+ Top Tier Display Rating from DisplayMate. The company has claimed that this makes OnePlus 7 Pro’s screen one among the best smartphone displays that are available currently. It is worth mentioning that DisplayMate is considered to be the world’s leading evaluator of displays and it is known for conducting an advanced series of comprehensive in-depth lab tests and measurements for displays of smartphones.
OnePlus has revealed about this development via a statement that it has shared with members of tech press. The company has said that OnePlus 7 Pro has undergone the most rigorous and comprehensive evaluation processes and it did not only manage to exceed expectations but also to raise the bar for smartphone displays in the industry.
The Chinese technology firm has also said that OnePlus 7 Pro has excelled in various parameters of measuring the effectiveness of display including colour accuracy, brightness, contrast accuracy and pixel density. With this, the smartphone is said to provide a colour accuracy, brightness, contrast accuracy or pixel density, according to the company. OnePlus has also said that users of OnePlus 7 Pro will be able to adjust the colour gamut and colour temperature of the display of the smartphone in order to get the most suitable screen calibration.
In addition to this, OnePlus 7 Pro has also received the ‘Safety for Eyes’ certification from the independent and neutral VDE Testing and Certification Institute. The certification has been given to the handset because it has the ability to filter out blue lights. It also comes with upgraded eye protection features that will enable users to adjust the temperature and brightness so that they feel comfortable while using the device.
It is worth mentioning that OnePlus 7 Pro smartphone is all set to be launched globally on May 14. This will be the first time that OnePlus will be launching its flagship smartphone at three places simultaneously – The United States, Europe, and India. In India, the launch event of the upcoming smartphone is scheduled to take place in Bengaluru.
Besides OnePlus 7 Pro smartphone, the Chinese technology company will also be launching its OnePlus 7 handset. In addition to this, it has also been speculated that a 5G variant of the OnePlus 7 Pro will be unveiled at the event too. But then, there is no word from the company about this so far.
To compete with Reliance Jio and Vodafone, Airtel has rolled out two new recharge plans for its customers. The new offers include two new data-specific plans for the Airtel prepaid customers only. The new recharge plans costs Rs 48 and Rs 98 and they will be available to Airtel subscribers in all telecom circles in India. But it should be noted that Airtel hasn’t listed the two new plans on its official website, but all the third-party recharge applications and websites are offering the new recharge plans.
Earlier, Airtel had launched a new prepaid plan of Rs 248 for first-time Airtel prepaid users. As a part of that plan, Airtel was offering data benefits of 1.4GB daily, unlimited local and STD as well as roaming voice calls. And lastly, it also offers 100 SMS messages daily to its users for a duration of 28 days.
Talking about the new recharge plans of Airtel, the Rs 48 prepaid plan offers its users 3GB of 3G or 4G data for a total of 28 days. While the Rs 98 prepaid plan offers 6GB of 3G or 4G data with a total of 28 days validity. Other than that, the users will also get 10 free national SMS with the Rs 98 repaid plan. They offer less than the other data plan being offered by the company but it should also be noted that Airtel has basically brought out the new plans for the customers who are looking for cheap and affordable data plans.
Similarly, the other plans which are similar to the new data plans brought out by Airtel includes a Rs 29 data plan which offers a validity of 28 days. The Rs 29 data plan offers 520MB of 3G or 4G data to its customers. Other than the offers mentioned above, there are no other data plans which offer a validity of a month at such affordable prices. A data plan of Rs 92 by Airtel comes with a validity of 7 days and it offers 6GB of 3G and 4G data to its customers.
Airtel’s new plans comes days after Reliance Jio revised some of its data plans so that they offered more data at the same price. It also went on to reduce the price of some of its data plans while offering the same benefits they did before.
But it should also be taken into account that the new recharge plans are not listed on Airtel’s official website. Instead, they can be found on the third-party recharge apps and websites.
After facing competition from apps similar to Screen Time, Apple has decided to remove all such applications from its App Store. According to a report by The New York Times, the Cupertino-based technology firm has removed or restricted around 11 of the 17 most popular screen time apps from the App Store. These restrictions also involved parental control applications.
The report also contained data and Apple’s developer interviews from the data firm Sensor Tower which suggests that Apple is trying to get the iPhones and iOS device users to use only Apple’s services and applications. Apple went as far as to order the developers to remove a key feature from their own Screen Time-like application or remove them from its App Store. Apple’s move comes as it wants the users to use its own services rather than using the services of other developers, even if they are better than its own.
Justifying its actions, Apple says that the apps violated its policies such as using the public APIs in an unapproved manner. It also has put a restriction on apps which have been downloaded more than a million times.
An app named Mobicip was told by Apple to change the application or face removal from the App Store. Mobicip sent multiple messages to Apple seeking clarification and submission of a revised app but to no avail. And in the end, the application was removed from the App Store.
Speaking about the latest developments, Apple spokeswoman Tammy Levine said to a daily publictaion, “We treat all apps the same, including those that compete with our own services. Our incentive is to have a vibrant app ecosystem that provides consumers access to as many quality apps as possible.”
It should be noted that this is not the first time Apple has done something unrightful and unjustifiable to its competitor. Earlier, the popular music-streaming service Spotify filed a complaint against Apple claiming that the company was treating it differently and was making it harder for the app to stay on App Store. Apple wanted the users to use its own music streaming service than Spotify and for that they even delayed app updates and app sync of Spotify with other Apple devices.
Apple’s Screen Time keeps a track of the time the users of iOS are using on their devices or certain applications. But the users of iOS report that there are multiple applications which are similar to the Screen Time app and some are even better and come with more number of features, thus they would no doubt choose the other third-party app rather than Apple’s.
