Steelbird SBA-1 HF motorbike helmet with mobile audio launched in India
In case you are driving a bike and get an emergency call in the midst of it, it is impossible to pick it up, isn’t it? Well, this problem would now be solved with the Steelbird SBA-1 HF helmet. The SBA-1 HF is battery less, and provides high-quality sound on top of powerful performance. The helmet connects to your phone with the help of an AUX cable so that you can drive, talk or listen to music at the same time. The SBA-1 Hands Free has a single directional microphone that helps in noise cancellation.
There are speakers in the helmet, on the other hand don’t have a noise cancellation feature that helps the rider to hear outside sound, and thus be aware of the road around him. Due to easy access to the single directional microphone, riders can use Google Assistant very conveniently. There is a dedicated button to help you call and disconnect which easily accessible on the helmet. This helps you from not getting distracted while riding the motorcycle.
The helmet incorporated waterproof mechanisms with IP5 water-resistant hands-free parts. With the single direction MIC, none other than the voice of the rider is transmitted to the other side. The company claims that the Steelbird SBI-1 HF helmet manages the sound in such a way that the rider can coordinate well with the sounds outside. Thus, without hampering the ride, the helmet is able to execute its voice technology properly.
There is an Innovative ventilation system equipped with an air intake in the chin guard, frontal and top area. It also includes two rear extractors for recycling air inside the helmet. A Polycarbonte Anti Scratch Coated Visor Quick Release Visor mechanism kit has been incorporated for the comfort of the rider. The Steelbird SBA-HF Helmet comes in three colour options—red, black and white. Size variants range from 58cm to 60cm and is priced at Rs 2,589. It can be picked up from their website or offline dealers.
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Realme 3 smartphone to sport a 48MP primary camera: Report
Last week, Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi launched its Redmi Note 7 smartphone that sports a 48MP rear camera. And now, a report has surfaced online which suggests that Oppo‘s sub-brand Realme will be following the suit and it has plans to incorporate a 48MP camera in its upcoming Realme 3 smartphone.
Xiaomi‘s smartphone was not only appreciated for its camera specification, but also for its affordable price. Although the device is not expected to be launched in India before February, it has definitely got the rival companies to work on their offerings considering that Xiaomi has been dominating the budget segment of the Indian smartphone market for quite some time now.
So it’s not entirely surprising that Realme has plans to launch the Realme 3 smartphone with a 48MP primary camera. And this information was revealed by none other than the company’s CEO Madhav Sheth.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Realme CEO Madhav Sheth said that the company’s Realme 3 smartphone could launch as early as Q1 2019 and he hinted that like Realme U1, the upcoming device could also be aimed at those who are obsessed with clicking selfies. This information is directly in-sync with the company’s plans to incorporate a 48MP primary camera, because the Chinese smartphone brand may be looking to launch a photography-centric smartphone.
Sheth also told The Indian Express that Realme also has plans to launch exclusive offline experience stores in the second half of 2019.
We are looking forward to the release of the smartphone and it will surely be interesting to see which among Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 7 and Oppo’s Realme 3 mobile manages to woo the targeted customers.
Realme’s current lineup in India includes Realme U1, Realme 2, Realme 2 Pro, and Realme C1. Interestingly, all of the company’s smartphones are priced between Rs 8,000 and Rs 20,000.
Although Realme is Oppo’s sub-brand, it is trying to create its own identity in the budget segment of the Indian smartphone market and is primarily targeting the youth with its products. Most of the smartphones by the company have been appreciated to offer powerful specifications at an affordable price point.
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Nokia 9 PureView launch date delayed again
The Nokia 9 PureView was supposed to debut at the end of this month. However, HMD Global has postponed it to the period of Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019. This is to say, that the Nokia 9 PureView will be launched at the end of February now. To recall, the smartphone has been rumoured to release since last year, but HMD Global delayed the launch due to production line issues. On this pretext, there was a Nokia_Leaks tweet the other day that claimed that the smartphone would now launched during the MWC.
The launch delay reportedly occurred due to problems with its penta-lens camera. Another tipster said that HMD Global would send invitations if it schedules the launch event this month, which now seem unlikely. Nokia 9 PureView is expected to come with five camera sensors at the back and will feature a notch-less, PureDisplay panel. Also, there will be an in-display fingerprint sensor. The Nokia 9 PureView would experience cut-throat competition from Samsung Galaxy S10. The S10’s highlights include thin-bezel displays, newer design language and 5G support.
The penta-lens camera of the Nokia 9 PureView could have five Zeiss-branded camera sensors and dedicated low-light technology to illuminate the images. Just like other Nokia phones, this one will also have Google’s Android One branding. A few days ago, HMD Global leaked renders of the upcoming Nokia 6.2. From what we know, the smartphone is going to come with two RAM variations, that is 4GB and 6GB. It will be powered by a mid-range Snapdragon 632 SoC and will come with a 12MP dual-camera setup at the back.
The Nokia 6.2 is also supposed to debut during MWC. To talk about the specifications more, the Nokia 6.2 will sport a 5.9-inch QHD+ PureView display. Plus, the device will come with a fingerprint scanner. It will house a 4,150mAh battery and will run on Android 9.0 Pie.
Hopefully, this is the last time we will see the Nokia 9 PureView getting delayed. Seems like MWC will be the time all the big smartphones will be making their debut, except Apple.
Image courtesy: LoveNokia
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Honor 10 Lite with dual rear cameras, Android Pie launched in India: Price and specifications
Huawei’s sub-brand Honor has today unveiled its Honor 10 Lite smartphone in India. It is worth noticing that the device was previously launched in China in November last year and in India, it will be available for purchase via Flipkart and Honor’s online shopping store.
Honor 10 Lite sports a 24MP selfie camera that comes with AI enhancements and is powered by HiSilicon Kirin 710 processor. The device runs android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box and sports a ‘dewdrop’-shaped notch on its display. Here are the pricing details and specifications of the newly launched device:
In This Article
Honor 10 Lite price in India
Honor 10 Lite mobile is available in 4GB and 6GB RAM options in India. While the former is priced at Rs 13,999, the latter bears a price tag of Rs 17,999. Both the variants can be bought in Midnight Black, Sapphire Blue and Sky Blue colour options. We should mention that among these, the Sky Blue coloured variant comes with a gradient finish on its back panel. The device can be picked up from either Flipkart or HiHonor India store starting 12 am on January 20. As a part of launch offers, Honor 10 Lite buyers will get a Jio cashback of Rs 2,200 and a Cleartrip voucher worth Rs 2,800.Honor 10 Lite specifications
Honor 10 Lite smartphone can hold dual nano-SIM cards and runs Android 9.0 Pie with EMUI 9.0 baked on top. The device features a 6.21-inch full-HD+ display which has a dewdrop-shaped notch on top, a pixel density of 415ppi and a screen-to-body ratio of 91%. Honor 10 Lite comes with a TUV-certified eye care mode which, according to the company, can reduce the blue light effect from the display and hence, decreases the strain on users’ eyes. Honor 10 Lite smartphone is powered by a HiSilicon Kirin 710 processor clubbed with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM and a GPU Turbo 2.0 technology. The mobile phone has 64GB of internal storage and can hold a microSD card of up to 512GB. For imaging duties, there is a 13MP primary camera that has an f/1.8 aperture and a 2MP secondary sensor. On the front panel, there is a 24MP front-facing snapper with an f/2.0 aperture that can be used to click selfies and video calls. The camera app of the newly-launched device has AI scene recognition that is claimed to recognise eight different scenes including sky, beach, plant, flower, snow, room, stage and night. The cameras are also said to have AI-based facial recognition. The smartphone houses a 3,400mAh battery and comes with 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.2, 3.5mm audio jack, and GPS for connectivity. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.OnePlus is taking over Apple’s spotlight in India
iPhones sale reportedly fell short from 3.2 million in 2017 to 1.7 million in 2018 in India. This drastic fall, if calculated is a 50% difference between the two years. This is reportedly owed to the rise of OnePlus in the competition of the premium smartphone segment. On one hand, Apple lost its credibility over the $400 price band. On the other, OnePlus reached its highest shipments during the end of third quarter of 2018. Another sad thing about Apple is that the latest models, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR are priced very high even for loyal Apple customers in India.
The blame of iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR price hike cannot be completely given to Apple. It is also because of the weak rupee that has relatively hiked the prices of goods. Tarun Pathak, associate director of Counterpoint said, “The $1,000-plus price tag for new (iPhone) models—even after the offers—was too much for the buyers. So, the older generation iPhones which used to drive volume were hit by Android flagships and new ones were costly.”
Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple observed on Jan 2 that the market of his company was bleak—especially in China. And therefore—in order to compensate for its weak Chinese market—it is aiming to set a strong foothold in India. Rushabh Doshi, research manager at Singapore-based market research firm a Canalys, in a report on QZ said, “At the beginning of 2019, Apple began reining in distribution to ensure strict price control across all channels. Online retailers were no longer able to subsidise costs of the device heavily to ensure growth in GMV (gross merchandise value), thereby hurting sell-through and demand of the expensive iPhones.”
In order to counter the price hike, Apple intends to make its phones more affordable, the ones which will be manufactured in India. The cost savings would eventually be passed on to customers or used for channel expansion and marketing. 2018 was the year of a less costly iPhone, the iPhone XR, the other two models did not fare well in India in many Asian markets because of it high price. Hopefully with these smartphones being manufactured in India by Foxconn and Apple, the price can come down considerably for them to again become buyable. Otherwise OnePlus has a very strong chance to gain more ground over Apple during 2019.
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Samsung to launch three Galaxy A-series smartphones with in-display fingerprint sensors in 2019: Report
South Korean technology giant Samsung has started catching up with various trends of the smartphone industry and at the same time, it has started setting trends too. For instance, it launched Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) last year, which is the world’s first smartphone to come with a quadruple rear camera setup. This was followed by the launch of Samsung Galaxy A8s, which is the first ever smartphone to sport a punch-hole display to house the selfie camera.
However, until now, the company does not have a smartphone that comes with an in-display fingerprint scanner and all prior reports said that the feature will be seen on Samsung Galaxy S10 mobile. And now, a new report has emerged that says the on-screen fingerprint sensor will be seen on Galaxy A-series devices too.
According to a report in Korea-based ET News, the technology giant will be launching three Galaxy A-series smartphones this year that will sport an in-display fingerprint scanner. The three smartphones are said to be the Samsung Galaxy A90, Galaxy A70, and Galaxy A50. From just their names, Samsung Galaxy A90 seems to be the most powerful of the three.
The source quoted by ET News says that Samsung has already got suppliers onboard for the sensor and modules and it plans to launch the smartphones in Q2 2019. It has also been reported that Aegis Technology will be manufacturing the sensor module of the new devices by Samsung and that the in-display fingerprint scanners will be optical in nature and not ultrasonic. We should mention that the on-screen fingerprint sensors being used in Samsung Galaxy S10 models are reportedly ultrasonic.
The report further goes on to tell that the mass production will be handled by Partron and Mcnex.
Samsung has not only planned the launches of Galaxy A90, Galaxy A70, and Galaxy A50 smartphones in 2019. It has been reported that the company plans to launch six other smartphones during the year. Among all the smartphones that will be launched, Galaxy A-series devices will sport multiple rear cameras and some of them will feature Time of Flight (ToF) 3D sensors.
The South Korean technology giant has plans to grow its market share in the mid-range category of smartphones. So, the company’s strategy involves offering flagship features at an affordable price.
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Apple’s COO claims that Qualcomm refused to provide chips for 2018 iPhones
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Apple said that last year, Qualcomm refused to provide chips to the Tech giant because Qualcomm was sued by it back in 2017, according to news sources. Jeff Williams, the COO said that the chipmaker forced Apple to use Intel modems exclusively in iPhone XS Max, iPhone XS, and iPhone XR. This shows that the decision was not made by Cupertino, the California-based iPhone maker. In spite of trying to negotiate with Qualcomm multiple times, Williams said, he failed.
And consequently, he was forced to use modems built by Intel. iPhone makers have been using Qualcomm chipsets for quite some time now. As such, the rift between the two parties must have costed Apple with a lot of adjustment issues. On the other hand, quoting Qualcomm from 2017, we get a contrary picture. In 2017, the chipmaker said in a statement to Bloomberg news, “We are committed to supporting Apple’s new devices consistent with our support of all others in the industry.”
It claims that it had already “tested and released to Apple” the modems for being incorporated in the iPhones. On Monday, Apple said that Qualcomm had contacts with other chip providers in order to manufacture chips. This has its own pros and cons for Apple. Firstly, it has helped the company to cut down costs. Secondly, due to possibility of an issue/disagreement with any one chip provider it should be prudent and wise enough to provide a contingency plan.
Though Jeff Williams said that Qualcomm had stopped providing it chipsets during 2018, he admitted that the chipmaker continued to assist it for its older phones. The government has reportedly blamed Qualcomm to misuse its position and forcing customers to use its products and squeeze them for high patent licensing fees.
Recently, it has been known that Apple’s AirPower wireless charging mat might be in production. Based on the ChargerLAB tweet, it has been tipped that Apple has already started manufacturing the AirPower wireless charging mat.
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Samsung’s 5G smartphone to be named Galaxy S10 X: Report
Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ smartphones have been making headlines for months now. And the latest report talks about the 5G variant of the smartphone. According to Korea-based publication ETNews, Samsung‘s first 5G-enabled smartphone will be called Galaxy S10 X. It is worth noticing that ‘X’ in the name of the device reportedly stands for 10, since the Galaxy lineup turns ten this year. However, that’s not all that it denotes. It also stands for ‘experience’ and ‘expand’, according to the report.
Samsung Galaxy S10 X will be launched in late March in South Korea and will be unveiled only after other Galaxy S10 variants are launched. The report also says that the ‘fully-loaded’ model will cost between KRW 1.6 million to KRW 1.8 million ($1,425-$1,600).
Contrary to other reports, it has also been said that there will not be a separate Unpacked event at the MWC, which could mean that the 5G variant of the device will be launched on February 20 along with other Galaxy S10 models and the foldable phone. However, we don’t think this piece of information is true considering that Samsung has already announced the Unpacked event for February 20 and there is no other word about the 5G variant being launched on the said date.
It has previously been reported that Samsung Galaxy S10 X will come with a 6.7-inch display that will have an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner embedded on it. The smartphone will reportedly come with a quadruple camera setup on its back panel, much like Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018). Samsung Galaxy S10 X is expected to house a 5,000mAh battery and will reportedly come with more than 10GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. However, it is worth noticing that there is a possibility that 1TB storage means 512GB of internal storage and 512GB of microSD card capacity.
On an unrelated note, the company also hinted yesterday that it may launch its foldable phone Galaxy F along with the three Samsung Galaxy S10 variants on February 20. Samsung has placed two Galaxy Unpacked event banners at Place de la Concorde in Paris. The banners said ‘Unfolding the future’, which can be taken as a direct hint that the company will be seen launching the foldable phone along with other Galaxy S10 models at the event.
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Kumbh Mela 2019: Airtel TV app gets a dedicated channel to stream the event
Bharti Airtel has today introduced a dedicated channel to live-stream the Kumbh Meal 2019. The Airtel TV app now has a special channel that has been dedicated to the Kumbh proceedings to get users all the live updates from the event to the screen of their smartphones. Airtel, in its press statement, said that it has tied up with VR devotee to bring this exclusive content to those who use their app.
VR Devotee is said to be India’s leading devotional content provider. According to the telecom major, wherever Airtel users may be, they will be able to see the proceedings to Kumbh because of this tie-up. If you are interested in watching the Kumbh Mela 2019, you should know that this VR Devotee powered channel is live on the Airtel TV already and it will keep running till March 4, 2019. In order to watch this content, you must have the Android or iOS version of the Airtel TV app installed on your device.
That’s not all. As a part of the partnership with VR Devotee, Airtel is also putting up special kiosks at the venue in Prayagraj. At these kiosks, visitors can go to get virtual reality based immersive experience. We should mention that VR Devotee has earlier partnered with over 200 major temples and spiritual leaders in India to live stream events like Mysuru Dusshera, Mahamasthakbhisheka, Ganesh Visarjan, etc.
Speaking about the partnership, Sameer Batra, CEO of Content and Apps, Bharti Airtel said, “Kumbh is amongst the biggest and most important events in India and we endeavour to bring it closer to our customers. Airtel TV app will allow users to enjoy the Kumbh experience on their smartphones anytime and from anywhere in fast emerging Digital India. We invite Airtel customers to enjoy this special digital experience on Airtel TV app and also discover a wide range of exclusive and exciting content including 400 LIVE TV channels and over 10,000 movies and shows.”
It is worth mentioning that Airtel TV app has content in 15 languages including Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi, Oriya, Assamese, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Gujarati, Urdu and French.
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Google Pixel 3 Lite XL to come with Snapdragon 710 SoC and 6GB of RAM: Report
Google has been in news for having two more Pixel 3 smartphones under production for quite some time now. And with each new report that surfaces online, the more credible this information seems to be. And now, the benchmark score of a new smartphone in the Pixel series has surfaced online on Geekbench and it reveals some of the key specifications of the device. The listing makes it look like the first ever pure-play mid-range smartphone from Google’s Pixel series.
On Geekbench, a listing under the name of Foxconn Pixel 2 XL comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor and is backed by 6GB of RAM. Various media reports suggest that this smartphone could be the mid-range Lite Pixel variant by Google.
However, we should also mention that this defies the report that suggested that Pixel 3 Lite and Pixel 3 Lite XL smartphones will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 670 processor and not have as much as 6GB of RAM. It is also worth noticing that the names of the smartphones have not been confirmed as yet.
Coming back to the listing, with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 710 SoC, Google’s upcoming smartphone would be more affordable than the current Pixel models, and the plus point is that we’ll get this without compromising too much on the processing power of the device.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 710 is primarily used in mid-range handsets like the Nokia 8.1 Plus. However, what is interesting is that in spite of the smartphone being powered by a processor that is not as high-end as the one that powers the current Pixel devices, the upcoming smartphone will come with a bigger RAM. While the current Pixel smartphones have 4GB of RAM, the upcoming handset is shown to have 6GB of RAM.
The Geekbench listing also shows the single-core and multi-core scores of the smartphone, which are 1805 and 5790 respectively. We should also mention that Foxconn, which is best known for manufacturing iPhones, is handling the production of Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL smartphones. If this listing is indeed correct, we expect Foxconn to even produce the upcoming Pixel smartphone by Google.
Image courtesy: Geekbench
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However, we should also mention that this defies the report that suggested that Pixel 3 Lite and Pixel 3 Lite XL smartphones will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 670 processor and not have as much as 6GB of RAM. It is also worth noticing that the names of the smartphones have not been confirmed as yet.
Coming back to the listing, with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 710 SoC, Google’s upcoming smartphone would be more affordable than the current Pixel models, and the plus point is that we’ll get this without compromising too much on the processing power of the device.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 710 is primarily used in mid-range handsets like the Nokia 8.1 Plus. However, what is interesting is that in spite of the smartphone being powered by a processor that is not as high-end as the one that powers the current Pixel devices, the upcoming smartphone will come with a bigger RAM. While the current Pixel smartphones have 4GB of RAM, the upcoming handset is shown to have 6GB of RAM.
The Geekbench listing also shows the single-core and multi-core scores of the smartphone, which are 1805 and 5790 respectively. We should also mention that Foxconn, which is best known for manufacturing iPhones, is handling the production of Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL smartphones. If this listing is indeed correct, we expect Foxconn to even produce the upcoming Pixel smartphone by Google.
Image courtesy: Geekbench
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