Deal: OnePlus 6 to be available at Rs 29,999 for five days
If you are planning to buy the OnePlus 6, we have some good news for you. You can buy the smartphone for Rs 5,000 less than its actual price at Rs 29,999, during the Amazon Great Indian Sale. The Amazon Great Indian Sale is scheduled to begin on October 10 and will go on till October 15. So you have five days to purchase the OnePlus 6 (review) at a discounted price. OnePlus launched its flagship device earlier this year at Rs 34,999 and it is the first time that the company is offering it at a discounted price.
It is worth noticing that only the 64GB variant is listed for a discount on Amazon. This could mean that only that variant is available at a lower price, however we would have to wait for the sale to begin to know exactly.
Offering the phone at a discounted price makes sense as the company is all set to launch its next flagship – OnePlus 6T – on October 17. This will give the company a chance to clear stocks rapidly. After the launch of OnePlus 6T, the company is likely to discontinue its previous flagship if it remains true to its philosophy of focussing on one device at a time. Prior to this, OnePlus was never known for offering discounts on its devices during such sales. We have mostly seen the company offer cashbacks and exchange discounts before this.
We can probably credit this move to the competition the company has received from Xiaomi’s Poco F1. A strategy change was inevitable to move sales.
While OnePlus 6 at Rs 29,999 is definitely a good buy, one can also wait a few days for the OnePlus 6T, to get additional features like in-display fingerprint sensor, a display with waterdrop shaped notch and a bigger 3700mAh battery.
To recall, OnePlus 6 features a 6.28-inch FHD+ Full Optic AMOLED display that comes with a 19:9 aspect ratio. Powered by Qualcomm’s latest processor, Snapdragon 845, OnePlus 6 was launched with Android 8.1 Oreo skinned with company’s own OxygenOS 5.1. However, it recently received an update for Android 9.0 Pie. OnePlus 6 comes with a 16MP Sony IMX519 sensor and a 20MP Sony IM376K sensor on its back panel. For selfies and video calls, there is a 16MP front facing snapper. The smartphone also houses a 3,300mAh battery.
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LG V40 ThinQ with five cameras launched: Price, specs and more
After being silently unveiled by LG last week, the V40 ThinQ has gone official with a launch event in New York. The successor to the V30 smartphone that we saw last year, LG V40 ThinQ comes with five cameras. It has a triple rear camera setup and dual front facing snappers. The newly launched smartphone from LG has high end specifications including Snapdragon 845 processor and IP68 water and dust resistance. Here’s a look at the price and specifications of the device.
LG V40 ThinQ price
LG V40 ThinQ is priced at $899.99 and will be available in Aurora Black, Moroccan Blue, Platinum Gray and Carmine Red colour variants. The price of the smartphone may vary with the mobile carrier. It will be going on sale in the US starting October 18.
LG V40 ThinQ specifications
The LG V40 ThinQ features a 6.4-inch QHD+ OLED FullVision display that has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor paired with 6GB RAM, the smartphone runs Android 8.1 Oreo. On the storage front, it has 128GB of internal storage and can hold a microSD card of up to 2TB.
For imaging duties, LG V40 ThinQ sports five cameras with a triple rear camera setup and two selfie cameras. The rear cameras of the smartphone include a 12MP sensor with f/1.5 aperture, 1.4-micron pixel size and 78-degree viewing angle, clubbed with a 16MP ultra-wide angle sensor with f/1.9 aperture, 1-micron pixel size, and 107-degree viewing angle. The third sensor in the triple rear camera setup is a 12MP telephoto lens that has a f/2.4 aperture, 1-micron pixel size, and 45-degree viewing angle. The rear cameras also come with Dual Phase Detection Auto Focus, HDR, and a third generation AI Cam mode that can recognise up to 19 subjects. It also has four optimised filter options.
The dual front camera setup comes with an 8MP primary sensor with f/1.9 aperture and 1.4-micron pixels and a 5MP sensor with f/2.2 aperture, 1.4-micron pixels.
The LG V40 ThinQ smartphone comes with a Triple Preview feature that enables users to take three simultaneous shots from the three rear cameras. Users can then select the best shot from the three shots taken.
The smartphone houses a 3,300mAh battery and supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 and fast wireless charging. Connectivity options of the smartphone include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS, NFC, USB Type-C, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
LG V40 ThinQ mobile also includes a rear facing fingerprint sensor and also comes with face recognition. It has a Boombox Speaker and 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC tuned by Meridian for enhanced audio and features DTS:X 3D Surround Sound.
Prior to LG V40 ThinQ, we saw a triple rear camera setup in Huawei’s flagship of the year – P20 Pro smartphone. While LG has used three different lenses in its smartphone, the Huawei P20 Pro sports a 40 MP RGB 1/1.7-inch sensor, clubbed with a 20 MP monochrome sensor and an 8MP telephoto lens.
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Microsoft Surface Event: 5 announcements you should know about
Technology giant Microsoft has unveiled its new line-up of Surface products at an event in New York. The new range of products from the technology company includes updates to the current laptop line and Surface Headphones. Microsoft has also launched the laptops in a new colour this time.
Here are the updates from Microsoft’s event that you should know about:
- Surface Pro 6 and Surface Laptop 2 Microsoft has announced its Surface Pro 6 laptop/tablet hybrid at the event. The updated laptop comes in a new matte black colour and Intel 8th generation processor. The company claims that its battery can last for 13.5 hours. Other than this, Microsoft also showcased the second generation Surface laptop that sports a 13.5-inch display and comes with an Alcantara fabric keyboard cover. It is powered by eighth generation quad-core processor and is claimed to have a battery life of 14.5 hours. While the Surface Pro 6 is priced at $899, the Surface Laptop 2 costs $999. The pre-orders of the laptops have started already and they will start shipping on October 16.
- Surface Headphones The newly launched Surface Headphones by Microsoft come with built-in digital assistant — Cortana. The over the ear wireless Bluetooth headphones have the volume and noise-cancellation buttons built into the ear cups. The headphones also have an automatic pause and play feature that stops the audio when the user takes them off. The Surface Headphones can be charged by a USB Type C cable and are said to have a battery life of up to 15 hours. Priced at $349, the headphones have gone on pre-orders. However, their date of shipping has not been confirmed by the company.
- Surface Studio 2 Microsoft also unveiled Surface Studio 2, which is its creative focused device. It features a 28-inch display and has a 50% improved graphic performance. It has an inbuilt Xbox Wireless and is compatible with Surface Dial. Surface Studio 2 bears a price tag of $3,499 and its pre-orders have begun. It will be shipped on October 16.
- App Mirroring With App Mirroring, users can cast their Android screens on their Windows 10 device. The user will have to go to Your Phone app, then select an app from their smartphone that they wish to use on their Windows 10 device. The feature will be available for both Android and iOS.
- Surface All Access The Surface line-up is set to get an All Access program. This will let customers club a Surface device with accessories and Office 365 for $24.99 per month for two years. This should surely make it easier for Windows users to get the device and programs of their choice as they can pay for it in installments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrRGsoUGGHg For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube
Moto E5 Plus, Moto X4 get a price cut in India
If you have been planning to buy a budget smartphone, there is some good news for you. You now have the option of buying the Moto E5 Plus and Moto X4 at cheaper prices in India as the company has announced an official price-cut on both the devices. While Moto X4 was launched in India last year, the Moto E5 Plus was unveiled this year in July along with Moto E5.
With the festive discount, Moto E5 Plus is available on Rs 10,999, while earlier it was priced at Rs 11,999. The 3GB RAM and 4GB RAM versions of Moto X4 have both got a price cut of Rs 2,000 and are now available at Rs 13,999 and Rs 15,999 respectively. While the 3GB RAM variant was earlier priced at Rs 15,999, the 4GB RAM version costed Rs 17,999.
However, there is no word on whether the price cut is a permanent one or it’s just an offer rolled out by the company for the festive season.
Lenovo-owned Motorola has announced that the offer is applicable at all Moto Hubs and retail stores in the country. With the offer on the two Moto smartphones, customers can avail Rs 3,000 cashback via Paytm Mall. They will also get no cost EMIs through Bajaj Finserv and can avail Home Credit on all Motorola smartphones.
To recall, the Moto E5 Plus features a 6-inch HD+ Max Vision IPS LCD display and has an aspect ratio of 18:9. The Android 8.0 Oreo based smartphone is powered by 1.4GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor clubbed with 3GB RAM. For imaging duties, there is a 12MP rear camera and a 5MP front facing snapper. Moto E5 Plus comes with 32GB of internal storage and can hold a microSD card of up to 128GB. The smartphone comes with a massive 5,000mAh battery.
Speaking of Moto X4 smartphone, it sports a 5.2-inch full-HD LTPS IPS display and is powered by a 2.2GHz octa-core Snapdragon 630 processor paired with 3GB/4GB/6GB RAM. Note that the 6GB version of the Android 7.1 Nougat based Moto X4 is not available at a discounted price. The smartphone comes with a dual rear camera setup with 12MP+8MP sensors. For selfies and video calls, there is a 16MP front facing camera. The smartphone is available in two storage variants — 32GB and 64GB — and can hold a microSD card of up to 2TB. Moto X4 houses a 3,000mAh non-removable ‘all-day’ battery.
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OnePlus 6T render reveals a water-drop notch and no triple-rear camera setup
Smartphones from OnePlus have always managed to create stir before their launch. And OnePlus 6T is surely not an exception. Speculations about the device have been piling up since the last few weeks now and one among the prominent rumours is the one that claims that OnePlus 6T will sport a triple camera setup.
However, that may not be the case as the latest leak suggests otherwise.
According to the renders spotted by winfuture.de, the OnePlus 6T will sport a dual rear camera setup like its previous flagship OnePlus 6. We will have to wait some more before we see a triple rear camera setup on a OnePlus device. Which we were hoping could be the case this time.
The latest leak seems to be in-line with a teaser of OnePlus 6T that was recently aired on TV. The teaser showed Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachan holding the OnePlus 6T and his finger covered the portion of the phone where the third camera sensor should have been.
However, it is almost confirmed that the upcoming OnePlus 6T would come with an in-display fingerprint sensor and a water-drop notch. OnePlus 6’s notch took up about a third of the top of the display of the device. In comparison, OnePlus 6T’s notch will just enough to wrap around the selfie camera of the smartphone.
Also note that the render does not show OnePlus 6T smartphone with a normal fingerprint sensor on its hardware.
With an in-display fingerprint sensor and a water-drop notch onboard, we can assume that the device will be nearly bezel-less — much like the Vivo Nex mobile. The only difference will be that Vivo Nex smartphone did not have a notch at all.
Most specifications of the device are likely to remain the same as OnePlus 6 since the smartphone is supposed to be just an upgrade from the company.
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LG unveils its new range of AI-enabled speakers in India
LG Electronics has unveiled its new line-up of speakers that feature Artificial Intelligence and Meridian Audio.
The newly launched audio devices include the PK series and the LG XBOOM AI ThinQ WK7. While the LG PK3 is priced at Rs 10,990, the PK5 costs Rs 14,990 and the PK7 bears a price tag of Rs 22,990. Speaking of the LG XBOOM AI ThinQ WK7, it is priced at Rs 27,990.
LG has partnered with UK-based Meridian Audio to deliver an enhanced sound experience to music lovers. For those who don’t know, Meridian Audio makes high-fidelity audio components.
Speaking about the launch, Younchul Park, Director-Home Electronics, LG Electronics India said, “As technology is pervasive and ever-changing, we have been witnessing a lot of exciting trends coming our way, one of which is definitely AI. With this evolving trend, we are happy to present the new range of speakers equipped with this technology.”
LG’s new XBOOM AI ThinQ WK7 has a cylindrical form factor with grilles wrapped around the body and it measures 135mm x 210.7mm x 135 mm.
The speaker from LG is among the first products to come with Google’s new Android Things platform built-in. With this, users will be able to get information, weather updates, check their schedule on calendar, make phone calls and control smart home devices.
The speakers in LG’s PK series come with a handle that makes them more portable. The speakers come with grilles in the front that lets users see their dual tweeters and woofers.
The speakers come with dual passive radiators that are claimed to give a better bass performance without using any additional power or speakers.
The PK series also come with voice command feature. Users can control the speaker with their voice by just pressing a button and activating their phone’s voice assistant.
The new range of speakers from LG are weather and splash proof — which means they can easily be used near the pool or under sprinklers.
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iPhone XS users report of ‘charge-gate’
The world saw Apple iPhone XS and XS Max last month. Shortly after that, the new iPhones hit the shelves in various markets around the world and millions of fans bought them. As everyone has got more familiar with the new Apple iPhones over the past few weeks, issues are being reported by some users of the phone.
Some users have claimed that iPhone XS don’t charge automatically when it is plugged in the power source and one needs to interfere manually to initiate charging. There are some, who have also referred to this issue as ‘charge-gate.’
On September 24, a user complained about this issue on Apple’s Communities portal. His post read, “I connect the Lightning cable to my phone to charge and most of the time it’s automatically charges. However I’ve noticed several times plugging the phone in and no charge comes up. Tried unplugging and plugging back in, sometimes it’ll work.” The user further said that he has to illuminate the screen for making the charging icon pop up and that keeping the device untouched hasn’t helped. He has stated that he only used Apple branded cabled to charge his phone and concluded by saying that the issue could be related to the port or software.
A number of other users commented on the post saying that they were also facing similar issues. Some users also came up with problems relating to different configurations and colour variants of iPhone XS Max. A thread on Reddit was also created — but that doesn’t only talk about iPhone XS and XS Max having this problem, but further throws light on other devices from Apple with similar issue.
A user on Reddit said, “My iPhone X did this also, so it’s not just the iPhone XS. I chalked it up to their USB security updates.” There are comments on the said Reddit thread that talk about these charging issues on older iPhone models like iPhone 6S and iPhone 7 Plus. A report in 9to5Mac has added that users have reported about a similar issue on iPad models too.
After these claims were made by users, popular YouTube channel Unbox Therapy decided to put the new iPhones to test to see if there actually was a problem. While iPhone X and XS smartphones responded normally to the Lightning cable, the iPhone XS Max did not. It only displayed the charging icon on the screen when it was tapped to wake.
Till now, there has been no word from Apple regarding the ‘charge-gate’ issue.
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Elon Musk agrees to resign as the Chairman of Tesla
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has agreed to step down as the Chairman of the electric car maker and pay a fine of $20 million under settlement reached with Securities and Exchange Commission. Musk has been asked to resign from the post of Chairman within 45 days and will not be able to take the role back at the company for the next three years.
However, he would be able to retain his position as Tesla’s CEO. The SEC has also charged the electric automaker with “failing to have required disclosure controls and procedures relating to Musk’s tweets.” The company has agreed to settle this charge — which means that both Tesla and Elon Musk will be paying $20 million separately as fines. According to SEC, these will be “distributed to harmed investors under a court-approved process.”
The electric automaker is also appointing two new independent directors to its board and a lawyer will be hired to keep an eye on Elon Musk’s communications and tweets.
This basically means that Elon Musk, who until now used Twitter frequently to unveil new products and talk about various updates, will be more restricted with his tweets about Tesla.
Speaking on the matter, Stephanie Avakian, co-director of the SEC’s enforcement division said, “The total package of remedies and relief announced today are specifically designed to address the misconduct at issue by strengthening Tesla’s corporate governance and oversight in order to protect investors.”
As a part of the agreement, Elon Musk does not have to admit or deny the allegations made by the SEC.
The settlement marks the starting of a new era of corporate governance for Tesla — which according to some shareholders is currently very tightly controlled by Elon Musk and those who are closely aligned to him.
Last year, the electric automaker had added James Rupert Murdoch, the CEO of Twenty-First Century Fox, and Linda Johnson Rice, Chairman and CEO of Johnson Publishing Company to its board in an attempt to diversify it. Other members of the board include Robyn Denholm, Brad W Buss, Antonio Gracias and Ira Ehrenpreis.
A complaint by the SEC had been filed on Thursday alleging that Elon Musk had lied in his tweets on August 7 where he claimed that he had a “funding secured” for the private takeover of Tesla at $420 per share. Just a week after the tweet was posted, federal securities regulators had reportedly sent a subpoena to Tesla. Following this, charges against Musk were filed just 6 weeks later.
The complaint by the SEC said that Elon Musk had violated anti-fraud provisions laid down by the federal securities laws. The commission had demanded the court to fine Musk and bar him from taking up the post of an officer or director of any public company.
Elon Musk on the other hand has been quotes saying that these charges are “unjustified action” and have left him “deeply saddened and disappointed.”
The company and the board have issued a statement in which they support Musk.
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Image: Elon Musk Twitter
Nikon launches its full-frame mirrorless cameras in India
Japanese technology company Nikon on Wednesday launched Nikon Z7 and Nikon Z6 full-frame mirrorless cameras along with Nikkor Z series lenses in India. Although the two cameras look identical, they differ in terms of megapixels, ISO range and focus points.
While Nikon Z7 and Nikkor Z camera lenses are scheduled to go on sale in India starting September 27, the Nikon Z6 will hit the shelves later in November. The Nikon Z7 body-only costs Rs 2,69,950, while the price of Nikkor Z 24-70mm F/4 S + Mount Adapter FTZ Kit is Rs 3,26,950, the Nikkor Z 24-70mm F/4 S Kit bears a price tag of Rs 3,14,950, and the Nikon Z7 + Mount Adapter FTZ Kit is priced at Rs 2,81,950.
The price of Nikon Z6 body-only is Rs 1,69,950, and the Nikon Z6 + Nikkor Z 24-70mm F/4 S + Mount Adapter FTZ Kit bears a price tag of Rs 2,26,950. Speaking of the Nikon Z6 with Nikkor Z 24-70mm F/4 S Kit and the Nikon Z6 + Z6 Mount Adapter FTZ Kit, the former costs Rs 2,14,950 while the latter is priced at Rs 1,81,950.
Coming to the standalone cost of camera lenses and mount adapter, the Nikkor Z 24-70mm F/4 S bears a price tag of Rs 78,450, the Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.8 S is priced at Rs 66,950, the Mount Adapter FTZ costs Rs 19,950 and the price of Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S is Rs 50,950.
The Nikon Z mount system comes with mirrorless cameras along with a large diameter mount and compatible ‘NIKKOR’ lenses and accessories. The Z mount system offers an entire range of high-performance lenses including a f/0.95 lens — which is the fastest in the company’s history.
The newly launched mount adapter is also compatible with NIKKOR F mount lenses — which adds to the number of choices for those who love photography.
The company also has plans to unveil new lenses that would extend its range of high-performance ‘NIKKOR Z’ lenses.
Speaking at the launch, Sajjan Kumar, Managing Director, Nikon India said, “The new products are designed to deliver a new standard of optical excellence embodying the technological brilliance in new mount and optics, yet retaining our renowned legacy, the mirrorless cameras brings imaging to new heights and challenges the norm. With features that offer creative possibilities the cameras deliver an unparalleled standard of optical brilliance that are sure to delight a photographer’s fancy. Packed with powerful features, all the products showcase Nikon’s legendary craftsmanship that will empower users to expand the realm of photographic capabilities.”
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Fujifilm X-T3 compact mirrorless camera launched in India: Price, specs and more
After being launched globally this month, the Fujifilm X-T3 has made its way to India. The mirrorless camera falls in the premium segment and competes with latest announcements from rivals like Nikon and Canon.
The Fujifilm X-T3 body-only costs Rs 1,17,999 and the 18-55mm lens kit bears a price tag of Rs 1,49,999. The X-T3 accessory has to be bought seperately at Rs 25,999. T
he compact mirrorless camera by Fujifilm comes with a newly-developed back-illuminated 26.1MP X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor clubbed with a X-Processor 4 image processing engine. According to Fujifilm, the processing speed of the camera is nearly 3 times faster than that of the models that are currently available. The company also claims that Fujifilm X-T3 is the first ever APS-C mirrorless camera that can capture 4K/60fps 10-bit videos.
The X-Processor 4 image processing engine used in Fujifilm X-T3 allows the camera to carry out functions like ‘Color Chrome Effect’ and ‘Monochrome Adjustment’. And the 26.1-megapixel X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor sports 2.16 million phase detection pixels — which, according to the company, are 4 times the pixels present in current models. This expands the phase detection AF area to the entire sensor — which means that phase detection AF can accurately be used even on subjects that are placed away from the centre of the frame of the camera.
The low-light auto-focus limit has also increased from -1EV to -3EV. This enables the camera to use phase detection AF even in areas that are lowly-lit.
The Fujifilm X-T3 compact mirrorless camera features a high-resolution 3.69-million-dot EVF that comes with a high magnification ratio of 0.75x. While the display time lag is 0.005 seconds, the camera has a refresh rate of approximately 100 frames per second.
The newly launched mirrorless camera also has a ‘Sports Viewfinder mode’ that enables it to capture subjects that are moving. There is also a new ‘Pre-shoot’ feature which enables the camera to begin shooting a scene when the user half-presses the shutter button and record it when the button is completely pressed.
The company has said that the camera sensor has a 1.5 times faster read speed than that of other models. It is because of this that the camera can do fast 17ms reading of 4K/60P video. Furthermore, with reduced rolling shutter distortion, camera can better record fast-moving subjects.
Speaking on the launch of Fujifilm X-T3, Mr Haruto Iwata, Managing Director, Fujifilm India said, “It is a proud moment for us to announce the much-awaited Fujifilm X-T3 mirrorless digital camera in the same year which marks our 10th anniversary in India. As we celebrate this success today, we are also gearing up for the next big leap towards new goals, one of which is to achieve 30% Market Share in the Indian Mirrorless Market in the next 3-4 Years. X-T3 is our step towards that endeavor and we at Fujifilm are confident that the new X-T3 will receive the same recognition and acceptance received by its predecessors. We strongly believe that in the next five years demand for mirrorless cameras will surpass that of DSLRs. We will continue to bring the best of technology and innovation to our consumers at the best possible price point.”
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