In response to an analyst’s question at Apple’s Q2 2019 earning, CEO Tim Cook said that the pricing action the company took in the Indian market gave better results. Cook noted that the pricing change on some of its iPhone models in India had improved results for Apple in the country. He also said that the company has learnt from its recent Chinese market strategies and it will now cater the Indian consumers accordingly. The CEO also said that India was a challenging market in the short term but Apple is more interested in the long term benefits and potential from the country. And seeing India’s dominance over the smartphone market, Cook’s strategy and viewpoint is fair and profitable for the company on the long run.
About its lessons from China, earlier Apple had to adjust the prices of its products because of the falling sales. Cook also said that Apple has already made adjustments on the pricing to the country and the results after that has been positive. About its products prices in India, earlier Apple had discounted the price of its iPhone XR from Rs 76,900 to Rs 59,990 last month.
Tim Cook was quoted saying, “We have made some adjustments in India and we’ve seen preliminarily some better results there. Everything that we do (referring to pricing actions in China), does advise everything we do in the future so we try to learn the best we can and fold that into our thinking.”
Cook also commented about the importance of the Indian market for his company and he said that Apple is trying to expand its reach in India. To fulfill the local demands of the Indian consumers of iPhones, the company is trying to increase its manufacturing capabilities. The company has also set an assembling plant for the iPhone 7 with its supplier Wistron in Bengaluru. Wistron already assembles iPhone 6s in India but Cook has planned to further increase the manufacturing capabilities in India.
“I think India is a very important market in the long-term. It’s a challenging market in the short-term. But we’re learning a lot. We have started manufacturing there which is very important to be able to serve the market in a reasonable way. And we’re growing that capability there,” the CEO added.
Other than manufacturing plants, the Cupertino-based company is also planning to launch its own branded showrooms in India for which it is talking with the government. “We would like to place retail stores there. And we’re working with the government to seek approval to do that. And so, we plan on going in there with sort of all of our might,” said Cook.
It should also be noted that the Cupertino-based company had earlier said that the company won’t be reducing its products’ prices and it wanted to maintain its ‘premium device’ nametag. But the high prices of the iPhones were not received well in the country and thus after some time the sales of the smartphones in India dwindled. So, changing its strategy and using the lessons from its China’s fall might be a good decision for the company.
Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus is all set to launch its OnePlus 7 Pro and 7 smartphones on May 14. As the day of the launch approaches, the leaks about the two smartphones are increasingly surfacing online. And now, a set of photos have emerged online that show OnePlus’ Bullets Wireless 2 headphones and Warp Charge 30 Car Charger retail boxes.
The OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 headphones look like the successor of the Bullets Wireless headphones that were launched last year. The other product that can be seen – Warp Charge 30 Car Charger – is speculated to get the company’s Warp Charge 30 technology that the company introduced with its McLaren Edition smartphone last year.
The images were first shared by YouTuber Linus Tech Tips on Twitter and were later reposted by tipster Ishan Agarwal. They show the retail packaging of the upcoming Bullets Wireless 2 and Warp Charge 30 Car Charger.
While the actual devices are not visible, the retail boxes have the images of a car charger and wireless headphones made on them. As of now, there is no word on whether these accessories will be bundled with the upcoming smartphone or they will have to be bought separately.
Current speculations suggest that the two will have to be bought by customers and they will not be bundled with the OnePlus 7 Pro or OnePlus 7 smartphones.
The Chinese smartphone company recently confirmed that it will be hosting an event on May 14 to launch its much-awaited and talked-about OnePlus 7 Pro and OnePlus 7 smartphones. The smartphones will be launched simultaneously in the United States, India and Europe. It is the first time that the company will be launching its flagships smartphone at three places at the same time. OnePlus is expected to reveal the details about the accessories during the launch event of the handset.
According to various reports, OnePlus 7 Pro will come with a 6.7-inch QHD+ (1440×3120 pixels) display with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The device is said to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor and will come with up to 12GB of RAM. OnePlus 7 Pro will have 256GB of UFS 3.0 storage and the company has hinted that it will sport a triple rear camera setup. Coming to OnePlus 7, it is said to feature a 6.4-inch full-HD+ (1080×2340 pixels) display and sport a dual camera setup on its back panel.
With the start of the fifth month of 2019, Flipkart’s Flipstart Days has gone live with a number of discounts and bundled offers. The Flipstart Days sale is live from May 1 and will go on till May 3 and during this time, the online e-commerce platform is offering great deals on electronic products. The electronic products on which discounts can be availed include laptops, speakers, headphones, smartwatches, smart speakers and many other products. The customers will also be getting a 10% instant discount if the purchase is made using Axis Bank credit or debit cards during the sale. But the customers who were waiting for deals on smartphones will be disappointed as the Flipstart Days sale doesn’t bring any deals on handsets.
During the Flipstart Days sale, you can avail huge discounts and lucrative offers on laptops. Currently, gaming laptops are being sold at a starting price of Rs 53,990 on Flipkart while Ultrabooks can be purchased for a starting price of Rs 38,990. Customers who wants a basic laptop can get one for a starting price of Rs 13,990.
Other than this, a discount of up to 70% is available on headphones and speakers from major players like Sony, JBl, Skullcandy and other famous brands. During the sale, the e-commerce platform is also giving its customers up to 65% discounts on Bluetooth speakers.
The fitness enthusiasts will be delighted knowing that the Flipstart Days sale is offering discounts on fitness bands and smartwatches. The Apple Watch Series 3 42mm is being sold at Rs 25,900 during the sale while the 38mm watch dial of the same series is being offered at Rs 23,900. There are plenty of more fitness and smart fitness devices that are being offered during the Flipstart Days sale.
In the gaming department, the e-commerce platform is offering consoles and games at a discounted rate. During the Flipstart Days sale, the customers can buy gaming consoles bundled with games at a discounted price. Other than the normal discounts, there will also be exchange discounts and other payment offers bundled with the purchase of the console. Popular gaming consoles like the Sony PS4 and the Xbox One are available in the ongoing sale.
On its teaser page of the sale, Flipkart had also mentioned sale and discounts on smart home devices, and keeping its promise it is giving Google Home and Google Home Mini on discount. The Google Home is being offered at Rs 7,999 instead of Rs 9,999 while the Google Home Mini is being sold at Rs 3,999 instead of its original price of Rs 4,999.
For more details about the ongoing sale, you can visit the Flipkart’s official website or app.
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt will be leaving Alphabet’s board in June this year. He has been a part of the company’s board since the last 18 years. A year back, Schmidt had stepped down from his role of executive chairman of Google’s parent company Alphabet.
It is worth mentioning that Schmidt’s exit from the company comes at a time when Google is struggling with an internal turmoil over its involvement with the US military contracts, its potential of making its way to China for business, and reported issues of sexual misconduct.
During his time at the company, Schmidt has always been one among the key players. Eric Schmidt first joined the Google board in 2001 and then was made the CEO of the technology giant. He was given the role of the CEO of Google to get business expertise to the company that was being built by co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. He remained the CEO of the company for a decade. In 2011, he stepped down from the post and became the executive chairman of Google.
After 18 years of board mtgs, I'm following coach Bill Campbell's legacy & helping the next generation of talent to serve. Thanks to Larry, Sergey & all my BOD colleagues! Onward for me as Technical Advisor to coach Alphabet and Google businesses/tech, plus…..
Seven years later in 2018, Schmidt stepped down from that role as well and became a regular board member.
Alphabet has issued a press release today in which the company has said that Schmidt would not be seeking a re-election to the board when his current term comes to an end on June 19. The technology giant has also added that he will continue to be a “technical advisor” Alphabet which, we should mention, is a role that he has had since last year.
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt said that he is stepping down from his position so that “the next generation of talent” can serve. He further spoke about what he will be doing next. Schmidt would now be seen teaching more and he will work on Schmidt Futures, his philanthropic organization. He also said that he would be using his role as a ‘technical advisor’ to “coach Alphabet and Google businesses.”
It is worth mentioning that Schmidt has played a big role in making Google what it is today. However, if we talk about recent years, his presence at the company has not been appreciated as much as it was earlier.
Six months back, a report in The New York Times said that Schmidt has been involved in sexual misconduct at the company. The same report also talked about a $150 million payout to Andy Rubin, who created Android during his time at Google, while a sexual misconduct inquiry was going on.
This was followed by multiple executives naming Schmidt in a lawsuit that accused the company of covering up sexual harassment.
The Redmi Note 7 was launched in February this year and it is touted as one of the best budget devices in the Indian market. Just two months after its launch, Xiaomi has started rolling out a new update to the smartphone. The new features that come with the update include an AI camera, floating windows for calls while gaming and more other controls over notifications. In addition to this, the new update brings the April Android Security patch.
The new MIUI update for the Redmi Note 7 holds the version number MIUI v10.3.5.0.PFGMIXM and it brings a host of new features, bug fixes and other major improvements over its previous update. Other than the features and improvements mentioned above, the new update for the Note 7 also comes with face unlock feature, system issue fixes, notification and battery information issue fixes. There are also improvements made over the camera of the Redmi Note 7 along with lock screen and many other.
Talking more about the new update of the Redmi Note 7 we see that it brings new camera modes for the AI camera of the smartphone. Other than that, the new MIUI update has also brought with it the April Android Security patch which is the major points of the update. In addition to this, the issue with the camera app which used to shut down automatically when it was closed and opened in the video mode has also been fixed.
Prior to this, the users of the Redmi Note 7 had complained about the face unlock feature, where the device was kept on lock screen even after being unlocked. In the new MIUI v10.3.5.0.PFGMIXM update that issue has been fixed and other improvements have been made to the face unlock feature of the Redmi Note 7. The users of the device can now restrict the notification shade from opening on the lock screen. They will now be able to choose to see the floating windows for incoming calls while gaming. According to the users who has already received the update, there is a redesigned start page in the Mi Cloud app along with many software issue fixes.
The new stable MIUI update will be available for the users of the Redmi Note 7 in the coming days. Although the device will remind them of the arrival of the new update, if it doesn’t, they can check for the new update manually as well.
Yesterday, Realme had put out a teaser video which showcased a smartphone with a pop-up selfie camera and notch-less display. Although the company hadn’t said anything about the device but it will be the first Realme smartphone with a pop-up selfie camera. Just a day later, Realme’s close rival Redmi has also released a teaser video of its upcoming flagship device which will feature a pop-up selfie camera. Although we did see some leaks and rumours about what the upcoming Redmi flagship device will look like but now it is more certain that the handset is in development and it will feature a pop-up selfie camera.
The teaser video was released by Xiaomi on Chinese social networking platform Weibo which showcased a Redmi smartphone with full notch-less display and a pop-up selfie camera. The video was also merged with the Avengers Endgame trailer and it also showcased some of the earlier Redmi devices such as the Redmi 7, Redmi Note 7 and the Redmi Note 7 Pro. It might be a promotional video partnered with Marvel Studios but it is the first time the official smartphone teaser has been released by Redmi.
The confirmation of the upcoming Redmi flagship smartphone was also teased on Redmi’s official website. Xiaomi’s VP Manu Kumar Jain had also teased about the upcoming Redmi smartphone saying that it will be powered by the newly launched Snapdragon processor, which in this case is the Snapdragon 730 SoC.
Talking about the newly launched Snapdragon CPUs we see that Qualcomm recently launched the Snapdragon 730 SoC and the Snapdragon 730G SoC. Both the CPUs are based on the 8nm process and have 8 Kyro 470 cores paired with an Adreno 618 GPU. Earlier devices which were powered by the new Snapdragon CPUs were the Samsung’s Galaxy A80 which comes with Snapdragon 730G SoC. Although the Galaxy A80 has been launched by the company but it has not yet made its way to the Indian market. But we can see its availability in the coming weeks.
And even though Redmi is set to come up with its new flagship smartphone, the name of the device hasn’t been confirmed yet. Realme and Redmi have been competing a lot in India. With both the companies now launching smartphones with pop-up selfie cameras, the battle between the two is all set to get more intense. Till now, we have only seen pop-up selfie cameras in devices from Oppo and Vivo. But in just two weeks, OnePlus will also be launching its first smartphone with an elevating selfie camera.
Samsung Galaxy A70 smartphone has gone on sale in India today. The smartphone was unveiled by the company last month and at the time of the launch, the company had said that Galaxy A70 will be going on sale in India on May 1. If you are interested in buying the Samsung Galaxy A70 smartphone, you can head to Flipkart, Samsung online shop, Samsung Opera House and retail stores.
The pre-orders of the handset started on April 20 and went on till April 30. The key highlights of the Samsung Galaxy A70 include a 20:9 display, a triple rear camera setup, a massive 4,500mAh battery and an in-display fingerprint scanner. Here’s everything that you need to know about the smartphone’s sale in India:
In This Article
Samsung Galaxy price and launch offers
Samsung Galaxy A70 is available only in 6GB RAM/128GB storage variant in India that costs Rs 28,990. The handset is available in Black, Blue and White colour options. The device is available for purchase via Flipkart. Later during the day, interested customers will also be able to pick it up from Samsung online shop, Samsung Opera House, and retail stores.
As a part of launch offers, customers will be able to get a cashback of Rs 2,000 on purchases made on Flipkart via ICICI Bank credit cards. As of now, no offers with the handset have been listed on Samsung’s online shop. The smartphone was launched globally in March and made its way to India in April.
Samsung Galaxy A70 specifications
Samsung Galaxy A70 runs Android Pie skinned with One UI and sports a 6.7-inch full-HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity-U display that has an aspect ratio of 20:9. Powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor, the smartphone comes with 6GB of RAM and has 128GB of onboard storage. The device can also hold a microSD card of up to 512GB.
For imaging duties, Samsung Galaxy A70 has a triple rear camera setup that comprises of a 32MP sensor with an f/1.7 aperture, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor with an f/2.2 aperture, and a 5MP depth sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. The new offering from Samsung comes with a 32MP front-facing camera that can be used to click selfies and video calls.
Samsung Galaxy A70 houses a 4,500mah battery that has support for 25W Super-Fast Charging technology. The handset comes with an in-display fingerprint scanner and has support for Widevine L1 certification that enables HD video streaming.
It’s that time of the year when Facebook tells the world what it has up its sleeve for the next year to come. The social media giant has shared an outline of what all it intends to do at this year’s F8 developer conference. Here, we have listed down all the new features and updates that are coming to Facebook and its products like Instagram, Messenger and Oculus. Take a look:
In This Article
Facebook Groups and Events are getting revamped
In a recent announcement, Facebook said that it will be downplaying News Feed and at its F8 developer conference, it gave us a better insight into its plans. As a part of FB5 update, the social media giant will highlight groups and events. The platform will now have a prominent groups tab and will offer you a personalised feed from the groups that you are part of instead of the regular updates from friends. Even when you will be on other parts of Facebook, updates from Groups will show up. A new feature called ‘Meet New Friends’, which will connect strangers who have something in common.
Instagram will start hiding public likes
Instagram is getting a new ‘Create Mode’ on its platform which will make it easier for people to share content other than just photos and videos. The app will also be getting a feature that will let users shop on the platform itself. In addition to this, Instagram will also be testing a feature in Canada which will completely hide the public likes from users’ posts.
Messenger will start focussing on ‘Close Friends’
Facebook Messenger is also set to change. You will now be able to set status messages or share photos with your trusted friends. Facebook is beginning in these changes in order to make it easier for people to arrange an offline meeting session. On iOS, Messenger app will now be taking less space on your device as the new version will only be 30MB in size. Facebook will soon also be launching desktop apps for Mac and PC.
Facebook will help you meet new people for dating
Facebook first spoke about its dating service last year. At this year’s F8, the social media platform said that it will be rolling out its service to 14 more countries. The company has introduced a feature called ‘Secret Crush’ which enables the user to create a list of friends on Facebook they like. If one of these friends also use the feature and add the user to their list, Facebook will notify both of them about the match.
New Oculus products will be out next month
Facebook has now opened pre-orders for its Quest and Oculus Rift S headsets. The new headsets are touted to replace the external tracking cameras with a more user-friendly system. Both the headsets are priced at $399 each and will begin shipping in 22 countries on May 21.
Samsung Galaxy A50 was launched as the top-end variant of the Galaxy A-series. But that, of course, changed after the launch of Samsung Galaxy A80. Nevetheless, the smartphones comes with some very impressive specifications like a big battery, a big Super AMOLED display, a top-end Exynos CPU and a rainbow-like back panel.
Two months after its launch, Samsung has released a major software update for its Galaxy A50 smartphone. The new update brings major changes over its past UI, as well as several bug fixes along with other major improvements over its older UI. The new update for the Galaxy A50 has added Live Focus effect along with Beauty Video Mode to enhance the imaging results of the smartphone. It also brings the April Android security patch.
It should be noted that the update also comes with Bixby Routines which was earlier introduced in the top-end Galaxy S10-series earlier this year. Samsung Galaxy A80 also comes with Bixby Routines. Much like Google Assistant, the feature helps the user of the smartphone to perform certain tasks with voice commands.
The new update also brings the April Android security patch for the Galaxy A50. Other than that, there is also improved in-display fingerprint scanner. The South Korean tech giant has also provided overall stability improvements on the Galaxy A50 with its newest major update. The new update also brings a 68-degree angle of view for the front camera along with enabled Live Focus effect and Beauty Video Mode which works both with the front as well as back cameras.
There is also Call and Messages Continuity feature in the new update and as mentioned above, improvements in the in-display fingerprint scanner and overall improvement of the Galaxy A50 have also been added.
To new update is in 666MB in size and to update their devices, the users of Samsung Galaxy A50 can head to Settings>Software Update>Download Updates Manually.
Also, earlier this month Samsung had already brought a new update which fixed the issue in Galaxy A50’s Smart View Connectivity feature. The company has also brought a new update earlier which fixed the new in-display fingerprint scanner.
A number of people are willing to go to great extents to get likes on social media. This holds particularly true for Facebook-owned photo-sharing app Instagram. But now, it seems like the platform itself is going to change that. At the F8 developer conference, Instagram has announced that it will begin testing a new feature that will hide users’ public like counts from their posts.
The test will begin later this week, and initially, it will only be limited to Canada. Instagram has specified that likes will be hidden from the Feed, permalinked pages as well as on profiles. The photo-sharing app has said that it wants its followers to “focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get.”
With this change being tested, only the person who owns the account will be able to see how many likes a particular Instagram post has got.
While this is the first time that Instagram has openly acknowledged working on the feature, reports about it have surfaced online in the past too. Earlier this mode, code hunter Jane Wong had posted screenshots of the feature. Back then, the photo-sharing app had denied when asked if this feature was being tested.
A spokesperson from Instagram had cleared the air when the screenshots surfaced saying, “We’re not testing this at the moment, but exploring ways to reduce pressure on Instagram is something we’re always thinking about.”
But now we know that the company wanted to make this announcement during the F8 developers’ conference.
As of now, it is not clear whether this feature will be rolled out to other regions globally. However, it is bound to completely change the way people use the app.
While likes can boost people’s mood and morale, they can also do the exact opposite if the content that has been posted doesn’t do well. And then, people do all sorts of things to get likes on the app.
This has particularly gone up with the increasing number of micro-influencers on Instagram. To get more number of likes, people have started posting photos that are doctored with or content with too much nudity.
These posts may manage to get ‘Likes’ on the photo-sharing platform, but that does not make them interesting. By removing the concept of ‘Likes’ publically from its platform, the company may be looking to put an end to content like this.
This step will also lead to people posting only the content that they actually want to share with their followers and not anything for the sake of more ‘Likes’.
Popular video-sharing app TikTok is now finally back on Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store in India. This step has been taken after the Madras High Court lifted ban on the Chinese video app last week. Prior to this, the TikTok app was delisted from both the app stores after the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court issued an order to the Centre to get it removed.
The ruling came after a PIL was filed against the social media app saying that TikTok escalated pornography and child abuse. However, later on, the ban was lifted when TikTok agreed that it will monitor content on its platform and ensure that pornographic videos are not uploaded on it.
Once the ban was imposed by Madras High Court, the TikTok app was unavailable on Google’s Play Store as well as Apple‘s App Store. It has been reported that the developer of the application – Beijing Bytedance Technology Co – had to bear a financial loss of up to $5,00,000 per day. The company also said that the ban put more than 250 jobs at risk.
We should mention that these financial losses include destruction in the value of its investments and loss of commercial revenue of the app. ByteDance had also said to the court that the ban would result in the reputation and goodwill taking a hit with advertisers as well as investors.
According to the company’s plea that it submitted to the court, “Banning has had adverse impact on the user base of this app, losing close to 1 million new users per day…It is estimated that approximately six million requests for downloads could not be effected since the ban came into effect.”
While the ban got lifted last week, the app was still unavailable to download from the App Store and Google Play Store until now. The Chinese app is now available to download from both the app stores. So, in case you haven’t downloaded it and wanted to try it out, you can now head to the app store to get the app.
According to Sensor Tower, TikTok had 88.6 million users in Q1 2019 in India. The ban on the Chinese social media and video sharing app has in general become a cause of concern for the social media industry in India as they may have the same fate if content on their respective platforms is not regulated.
Celebrating one-year of its foundation, Chinese smartphone brand Realme is celebrating its first anniversary with discounts on some of its best-selling handsets. The Realme 2 Pro and Realme U1 are going to receive a discount of Rs 1,000 during the company’s first anniversary sale. This sale will start from May 2 and will go on till May 4. Other than the older devices, the newly launched Realme 3 Pro with the 3GB RAM/ 64GB storage variant will also go on sale. The company has also announced a 15% discount customers pay for their purchase using MobiKwik, 10 free Realme 3 Pro along with Rs 1 Crore giveaway through a promotional game.
Other than the deals mentioned above, the company is also bringing a limited-period offer of Re 1 Super Deals which would be applicable on the Realme 2 Pro, Realme Buds, and the Realme Tech Backpack during the sale. The first-anniversary sale of Realme will go live on the Realme website, Amazon India, Flipkart and other offline stores across the country.
As mentioned above, the first anniversary sale of Realme will offer Rs 1,000 discount on the Realme 2 Pro and Realme U1. So, the Realme 2 Pro will sell at a starting price of Rs 10,990 while the Realme U1’s base variant will bear a price tag of Rs 8,999. Other than the price cut, Realme will also be giving a 15% additional discount if the purchase is made using the MobiKwik app.
Other than that, Oppo’s former sub-brand will also be holding the Re 1 Super Deals Feast during the 3-days sale. The Super Deals Feast take place in four rounds and it will start at 12am (midnight) of May 2. As a part of the Super Deals Feast, the company will be bringing 10 units of the Realme 2 Pro at Re 1 while 100 units of the Realme Buds will also be available at Re 1 at 9am. The company will also bring 60 units of the Realme Tech Backpack at Re 1 at 8pm. And lastly, the Realme C1 will also be available with Complete Mobile Protection (CMP) at Rs 99, but this will only be limited to Flipkart. Moreover, the company has claimed that it will bring prizes worth Rs 1 Crore in the first anniversary of Realme sale.
Furthermore, the newly launched Realme 3 Pro, the latest offering from Realme will also be going on sale from 12pm (noon) on May 3. The newly launched device will also get an additional 15% discount if purchased using MobiKwik application.
Chinese smartphone maker Huawei recently launched its flagship P30 Pro smartphone in India. And now, in order to provide “most premium and exclusive service to customers” to the customers of Huawei P30 Pro smartphone in India, the company has announced its VIP services.
With VIP Services, in case an issue arises with a user’s Huawei P30 Pro, they will be able to avail free pick and drop service for their device across India. The company has also said that another major highlight of the services will be record speed turnaround time and “fast and best-in-class repair time.” In addition to this, the handsets will only be taken to Huawei’s VIP Customer Contact Centre for repair.
In order to avail the VIP service online, customers can access the dedicated IVR/ toll-free number or book an appointment via the Hi Care App or Huawei’s website.
Speaking on the VIP service feature, Tornado Pan, Country Manager (Huawei Brand), Consumer Business Group, Huawei India, commented, “Customer delight and satisfaction forms the core of our very DNA, be it in terms of product innovation or service delivery. The VIP service is yet another step on our part to provide the best-in-class service to our esteemed consumers across India. The offer is applicable for all variants of the Huawei P30 Pro devices, irrespective of the purchase method, online or retail. Also, as long as the customers have purchased the specific device model, they are eligible to avail the VIP services within the specified warranty period.”
“India is a very important market for Huawei and such services are the perfect embodiment of our commitment to providing only the very best experience to the Indian market. We would like to further enhance the overall experience of our premium products with exclusive offerings like this.” he added.
We should mention that currently, VIP services are only available for Huawei P30 Pro and Huawei Mate 20 Pro (review) smartphones. All of Huawei’s exclusive service centres offer the VIP service. The company has also deployed dedicated professional support agents for its Huawei’s contact center for the VIP services.
It is worth noticing that Huawei P30 Pro (review), the company’s camera-centric handset, has received a new update which has improved its cameras, in-display fingerprint scanner, audio-video synchronization and the display. The smartphone also has integrated the latest Google security patches to the security of the smartphone.
Huawei P30 Pro is the first ever smartphone to come with 50X zooming capabilities in its cameras.
Well-known American networking hardware maker Netgear has launched its Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 Router with the fastest Wi-Fi to Speed Home Networking in India.
The company claims that it delivers higher speed and greater bandwidth and offers a broad range of household networking and small business needs. The newly launched routers are named – Nighthawk AX4 and Nighthawk AX8. Here’s a look at the pricing details and specifications of the newly launched devices:
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Netgear Nighthawk AX4 and Nighthawk AX8 Price and availability
The Nighthawk AX4 4-stream AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 router from Netgear is priced at Rs 29,999 while the Netgear Nighthawk AX8 8-stream AX6000 Wi-Fi 6 Router comes with a price tag of Rs 39,999.
Both of these newly launched Tri-band Wi-Fi routers can be purchased from authorised Netgear partners along with other reseller channels and e-commerce portals.
Speaking at the launch, Marthesh Nagendra, Country Manager of India & SAARC, NETGEAR said, “With the increasing number of Wi-Fi devices in our home network, it is has become critical for NETGEAR to provide a solution where each device gets the Wi-Fi bandwidth it needs so that you can get the quality connected experience that you deserve. The NETGEAR AX Nighthawk delivers super-fast Wi-Fi with better coverage and, more importantly, has the power and capacity to handle the dozens of devices in the typical congested smart home.”
Netgear Nighthawk AX4 and Nighthawk AX8 specifications and features
The Nighthawk AX4 gives a Wi-Fi speed of up to 3Gbps and is powered by an AX optimized dual-core CPU which powers the smart home automation. Its network is powerful enough to support ultra-smooth 4K UHD streaming, online gaming and much more. The Nighthawk AX4 comes with a 4-stream Wi-Fi with up to 600Mbps + 2400Mbps for ultra-fast wireless speeds. Also, it has powerful amplifiers which covers the network throughout the medium sized homes.
On the other hand, the Nighthawk AX8 provides Wi-Fi speeds up to 6Gbps. It has 8 Wi-Fi spatial streams – four in the 2.4GHz band and the other four in the 5GHz band. The company has claimed that the newly launched Nighthawk AX8 is capable of offering up to four times the device capacity as compared to typical 2×2 AC Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi router also comes with Multi-Gig Internet which enables the customers to get more than 1 Gbps of the internet through aggregation.
NETGEAR Nighthawk AX4
Patrick Lo, Chairman and CEO of NETGEAR commented, “At NETGEAR we strive to push our boundaries with innovative technology and solutions. The previous Wi-Fi iterations have been largely about enhancements to speed, the AX Wi-Fi 6 router promises a number of other benefits such as lower battery consumption, ability to serve multiple users and devices at the same time and most notably increased capacity and reduced latency.”
According to the company, today’s houses are dealing with a number of connected devices all connected to the Internet – PC, laptops, smartphones, Home Speakers, cameras etc. And according to Netgear, its new Tri-band routers users ultra-fast Wi-Fi 6 is helpful in connecting all the household devices while providing them with proper network.
Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi’s recently launched smartphone Redmi Note 7 Pro has finally got support for Fortnite. Earlier this month, the company had announced that it was working with Epic Games and Qualcomm so that its smartphone started supporting popular battle royale game Fortnite.
And the company has kept its promise. Today, Xiaomi India’s MD, Manu Kumar Jain has announced that Redmi Note 7 Pro smartphone will finally be able to support Fortnite. Xiaomi has rolled out the MIUI 10.2.10.0 update for its smartphone, and this update will get the support for the popular battle royale game. It is worth mentioning that after getting support for Fortnite, Redmi Note 7 Pro now directly competes with the Realme 3 Pro, which was launched with support for the game earlier this month.
Jain took to microblogging website Twitter to announce that Redmi Note 7 Pro users will finally be able to play Fortnite on their smartphones. It is worth mentioning that this comes less than two weeks after the Chinese smartphone company announce that it is working with Epic Games and Qualcomm for this. The company wanted to get Snapdragon 675 SoC, which is used in Redmi Note 7 Pro, certified for Fortnite compatibility.
So, if you have a Redmi Note 7 Pro smartphone, you would have to make sure it runs the MIUI 10.2.10.0 build if you wish to play the game on it. However, we should mention that the update seems to be rolling out in a phased manner as of now. In addition to this, some users who have received the update claim that the changelog does not mention Fortnite, but instead, only talks about a few bug fixes.
We should also point out that Xiaomi has not mentioned about the graphics settings at which users will be able to play Fortnite.
It is also worth mentioning that getting Fortnite support to Redmi Note 7 Pro has a lot to do with the company’s rivalry with Realme. Realme’s CEO Madhav Sheth had taken a jab at Redmi Note 7 Pro, by saying that unlike some ‘Pro’ smartphones, Realme 3 Pro has support for Fortnite.
Xiaomi was quick to react to this and said that the reason for this was the smartphone’s processor – Snapdragon 675 SoC – did not have support for the game. However, the company worked with Epic Games and Qualcomm to make sure that the processor for the certification for the battle royale game. But then, we should also mention that Fortnite is a very graphics-heavy and demanding game, so only having support for it does not mean that users will get a seamless experience too.
Airtel was recently seen launching new prepaid plans and recharge packs for its loyal customers. And now similar to Jio’s Savaan, Bharti Airtel has launched its new music streaming application – Wynk Tube. According to the company, the new music streaming service was designed keeping its 200 million smartphone users. But the main focus of the Wynk Tube is towards the Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns and villages of the country. Similar to how Reliance Jio has acquired Saavan, Bharti Airtel’s Wynk Tube is also an extension of the original app – Wynk Music.
Currently, the Wynk Tube provides Hindi, Punjabi and Bhojpuri songs and since it is focused mainly for the Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns and villages, the choice of music is justified. The company also claims that the Wynk Tube application can work in the most basic smartphones, it can even work in smartphones with 1GB or less RAM and Android Go or Android Lollipop and higher.
Since it is an extension of the original application, the Wynk Tube comes in a 5MB size but Google Play Store mentions it to be of 6.6MB. During its first stage, it provides access in English and Hindi languages, however, Airtel claims that the app will provide access to more languages in the future including Bhojpuri, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu. The Wynk Tube not just provides audio but video streaming support as well in the same interface. The preferred mode – audio or video – can be chosen with a single click.
The newly launched Airtel’s Wynk Tube like other apps of its kind recommends music according to the user’s preference by using machine learning algorithms to give the recommendations and deliver a personalised experience. It also comes with a Google Voice powered search feature.
Its interface is not new as it shows three tabs Home, Trending and My Music, which is similar to regular Wynk app. To play music from Home and Trending the user need to be connected to the internet. While the My Music lets the user play music without internet as it plays music from his own phone. The user can also make playlists based on the music of his choice – offline or online. The user also has the ability to change the download quality of the music when he wishes to download the music to his phone. The default choice is HD to which the users can set to High or Medium or Low. When streaming, the user can also set the quality to auto which will then set the quality according to the network.
Bharti Airtel has claimed that its newly launched music app has more than 40 lakh songs and music videos. The app can be downloaded from Google Play Store.
We all remember what a nightmare Samsung went through in 2017 when Galaxy Note 7 smartphones across the world were exploding because of the issue in their batteries. The entire incident not only drew a lot of flak from users and hurt Samsung’s reputation, but even a ban was placed on the device to make sure people were safe. It took Samsung a few years to build back its reputation as a reliable brand. However, seems like the technology giant’s nightmare is back with Samsung Galaxy S10 5G.
According to a report that has surfaced online, Samsung Galaxy S10’s 5G variant has exploded in its home country. A Korea-based user has posted photos of his mutilated and damaged handset on a forum. He has also written about the incident in Korean, which says that the smartphone got lit on its own. When the user then dropped the handset, it burst into flames and exploded.
It is worth noticing that this case is slightly different from what happened with Samsung Galaxy Note 7. And also more dangerous and worrisome. This is because in case of Galaxy Note 7, the explosion was triggered when the smartphone was put on charging. However, in this case, it just happened on its own, may be because the device heated up too much.
In the images that have been shared by the user, it can be seem that the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is extremely damaged and both its front and back panels are affected.
The user has also shared that he immediately took the device to the Samsung Care Center, but then, he was not even offered a replacement or a refund by the company for the damaged handset. According to various reports, this the first incident when the smartphone exploded. Considering this, we can take this to be a one-time case too.
We should mention that this is the first 5G smartphone by Samsung to hit the shelves. According to the South Korean technology giant, the introduction of Galaxy S10 5G is a key milestone in the company’s research and development and it comes with “breakthroughs like the world’s first-gigabit speed 5G transmission, the first 5G handover between multiple cells.”
Samsung has also promised that the Galaxy S10 5G will come with speeds that are roughly up to 20 times faster than 4G networks. The company also said that consumers on 5G network will be able to download a full season of a TV in just a few minutes. In addition to this, with 5G, people would be able to play graphics-rich cloud games, stream 4K video with no lags and enjoy enhanced VR and AR experiences.
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:
In This Article
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.
