Oppo F11 Pro to launch soon in India, will come with a 48MP primary camera

Chinese smartphone brand Oppo recently launched its K1 smartphone in India. And just a few days after the launch of the Oppo K1, the smartphone maker is gearing to refresh its F series in the country. Various reports have emerged that says that Oppo is planning to launch its F11 and F11 Pro smartphones in India in the first week of March. We should also mention that the same handset will reportedly be launched in China with a different name – Oppo R19. Today, the company has confirmed that it will indeed be launching the Oppo F11 Pro, and has further said that the handset will come with a massive 48MP primary camera. However, there is no word on the launch date of the smartphone. The company also posted a teaser image of the upcoming smartphone on Twitter with the caption “Brilliant Portraits in Low Light with the 48 MP Camera. Coming Soon. #OPPOF11Pro”. On the image, a dual rear camera is shown coupled with text ’48 megapixel’. The image also says ‘Get it right. In low light. Coming soon.’  From this, we can derive that Oppo is all set to launch a photography-centric smartphone in India with 48MP primary sensor. Speaking further about the upcoming device‘s camera, Oppo has said that in order to get clear images in dimly lit areas, its F11 Pro smartphone will come with Super Night Mode feature. The Super Night Mode feature will work like Oppo’s AI Ultra-Clear Engine which, according to the company, optimizes the camera experience of the device by including AI Engine, Ultra-clear Engine, and Color Engine. Other than this, the mode in Oppo F11 Pro will be able to recognise scenes and will be adept in image-stabilization during long exposure, low-light performance, and skin brightening.
We should mention that this week, technology website 91mobiles also shared an alleged press image of the Oppo F11 Pro. In the image, Oppo F11 Pro can be seen sporting a full-screen display and does not come with a selfie camera on the front panel. This can mean that the device may come with a pop-up selfie camera like Vivo NEX.
oppo_f11_pro_render
Image courtesy: 91mobiles
Furthermore, the handset’s chin is also shown to be almost negligible in the image. On the camera front, the smartphone is shown to have a dual rear camera setup in a strip-like module that looks a lot like the one we have seen in the teaser video of Vivo V15 Pro. Other than the cameras, the back panel also houses the fingerprint sensor and Oppo branding. We should mention that the smartphone was earlier speculated to come with a pill-shaped cut-out on its display on the top right corner to house its dual selfie cameras. However, in the press renders that have surfaced online, this punch-hole cut-out cannot be seen. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Huawei Mate 20 Pro review: High-end performance

Chinese smartphone brand Huawei recently launched its flagship smartphone Mate 20 Pro in India. The smartphone is touted for its exquisite design, triple rear cameras, powerful Kirin 980 processor and so much more. You name a feature, and Huawei guarantees that Mate 20 Pro can excel in it. We spent a few days with it, to find out if the smartphone is really that great. Read the rest of our review to know if Huawei Mate 20 Pro should be your next buy:

Design and Display

Everything about Huawei Mate 20 Pro‘s design is premium. The smartphone looks absolutely stunning with its curved display and gradient metallic back panel. The two merge with each other seamlessly at the thin edges. At first, it may remind you of the Samsung Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+, but Huawei Mate 20 Pro does have a personality of its own. Huawei has said that its flagship device comes with a ‘hyper-optical pattern’ on the glass that enhances the grip of the user. It also reduces the number of fingerprints that the smartphone catches while being used. We have to admit that Huawei Mate 20 Pro does not catch as many fingerprints as other glass smartphones.  Over that, we – found it to be less slippery. Considering we almost accepted the fact that all smartphones with glass bodies are fingerprint magnets and can easily slip, Huawei Mate 20 Pro – made a mark by not being either. Huawei Mate 20 Pro 5 While the front is dominated by the display that comes with a notch on top and an on-screen fingerprint sensor, the back panel has shades of three colours on it—Blue, Purple and Black. The lightest of all shades, Blue, starts from the top, followed by Purple at the middle and Black towards the bottom. The rear panel houses the square camera module that has three sensors and an LED flash. At the bottom is where the Huawei branding can be found. We loved the three-tone pattern on metallic back panel of the device. Also, Huawei makes its flagship stand out with the square camera module. During our time with the smartphone, it didn’t catch any scratches, and we think that’s a big plus. The power and the volume rocker buttons are placed on the right edge of the smartphone and we loved how Huawei has made the power button Pink. The colour is in contrast with the shades used on the rest of the smartphone’s body. But then, instead of looking out of place, it actually makes the smartphone look more stylish. The bottom edge houses the USB Type C port along with the SIM tray and IR emitter is placed at the top. You would notice that Huawei Mate 20 Pro does not have a 3.5mm headphone jack or a speaker grille. This is because Huawei has used the USB Type-C port as an outlet for sound and the earpiece for audio playback in the smartphone. However, we should mention that this doesn’t deteriorate the quality of sound on the Mate 20 Pro, although if you try to listen to music while charging your smartphone, the sound is not as loud as it is otherwise. Huawei Mate 20 Pro 7 We should mention that Huawei Mate 20 Pro has support for the company’s NM card format, which can be used for more storage. For those unaware, the NM card is smaller than a microSD card and can be inserted in the second SIM card slot. However, as of now, there is no word on when it will be made available. In a nutshell, Huawei Mate 20 Pro ‘s design is extremely premium and the device manages to stand out with its three-toned pack panel, square camera setup and curved display. Coming to the display of the newly launched Huawei Mate 20 Pro, it was simply a delight to use it. The screen of the device is 6.39-inches diagonally, so if you love watching videos and TV shows on your smartphone, be ready to be hooked to Huawei Mate 20 Pro. We found ourselves binge-watching videos for hours because of the high quality of the images projected. Huawei Mate 20 Pro 12 Huawei Mate 20 Pro has an OLED display with QHD+ resolution and it has support for HDR. Thanks to the top-notch display specifications of Huawei Mate 20 Pro, the colours were very rich, the blacks were deeper than what we have seen on other flagships. And the curved screen has- 86.9% screen-to-body ratio, ensuring an incredible viewing experience for its user. One of the finer nuances that Huawei has taken care of is that unlike most other smartphones, the chin at the bottom of the display is very small, which is something we like. There is a ‘Natural Tone’ option in the Display Settings of the smartphone, which makes the device’s display adjust its colour temperature based on the ambient light. Furthermore, you can select the Colour mode and temperature of the display on your own and switch on Eye Comfort to filter out the blue light. The latter proved to be useful when we used the device for some late-night reading. Huawei Mate 20 Pro 4 Huawei Mate 20 Pro has an in-display fingerprint scanner, and rather than being placed towards the bottom of the smartphone, as we saw in Vivo NEX and OnePlus 6T, it is more towards the centre. We liked the performance of the on-screen fingerprint sensor as it mostly could recognise our fingerprint. The only exception to this was once when we tried unlocking the device with our moist finger. But then, we loved the ripple effect that is created on the smartphone each time it is unlocked. Apart from unlocking the device, the fingerprint scanner can also be used to access some locked apps. To sum it all up, we would say that Huawei Mate 20 Pro has one of the best displays among the smartphones that we have used in the last few months. No matter what content you watch on it, it will all be a visual treat for the eyes.

Performance and Cameras

Before we start talking about the performance of the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, lets us run you down through its specifications. The smartphone runs Android 9.0 Pie skinned with EMUI 9.0 out of the box and is powered by the company’s flagship HiSilicon Kirin 980 processor clubbed with 6GB RAM. The smartphone comes with 128GB storage as we mentioned earlier, uses a Nano-memory card of up to 256GB for more storage space. On the camera front, Huawei Mate 20 Pro comes with a triple rear camera setup that comprises of a 40MP primary wide-angle sensor with f/1.8 aperture, a 20MP ultra wide-angle sensor with f/2.2 aperture, and an 8MP 3X telephoto sensor with f/2.4 aperture. The camera app of the device has support for Optical Imaging Stabalization, too. Huawei Mate 20 Pro 6 On Huawei Mate 20 Pro’s front panel, there is a 24MP RGB selfie camera that has an f/2.0 aperture and it has support for 3D facial unlocking. This smartphone houses a 4,200mAh battery that supports 40W SuperCharge technology and 15W fast wireless charging technology. The smartphone also comes with a provision for wireless reverse charging, so it can be used to charge other Qi wireless devices. Now let’s talk about the software and the operating system of the Huawei Mate 20 Pro. One of the key features of the new EMUI 9.0 skin by Huawei is that digital wallets, flashlight, calculator and other useful features, and apps can be accessed directly from the lock screen of the smartphone. Another very interesting feature that has been added is in the camera app of the smartphone. Huawei Mate 20 Pro mobile comes with HiVision, which is the company’s answer to Google Lens and can be used to identify objects, count the calories in food items, find similar objects online to shop, scan QR codes and translate the text. Huawei Mate 20 Pro has support for a number of gestures. Like swiping left will take you back to the previous screen, swiping up from the bottom will take you to the Home Screen, and you can access Google Assistant by swiping upwards from the corners. Huawei Mate 20 Pro also comes with Android 9 Pie’s Digital Wellbeing feature, however, since the device has a skin of its own, it has been named as Digital Balance. The feature gives you a daily report about your app usage and can also be used to limit your screen time. There is an option called ‘Bedtime’ that turns the screen to greyscale after the pre-set time. The mobile device also comes with a Password Vault that saves all the login credentials for your apps. According to Huawei, to ensure user privacy, the passwords are stored locally on the smartphone and not digitally. You can also find some gaming-centric features like ‘Game acceleration’ and ‘Uninterrupted gaming’ in the AppAssitant section that can be found in the Settings of your device. This will ensure that the device gives its best while gaming and you aren’t disturbed by notifications. Huawei Mate 20 Pro 3 Huawei Mate 20 Pro comes with some pre-installed apps like Facebook and Netflix, which can be removed if the user doesn’t think he requires them. Moving on, we would say that Huawei Mate 20 Pro is quite a power performer. The company’s new Kirin 980 SoC can literally handle anything starting from multitasking, to heavy gaming and even hours of streaming videos. Even high graphics games like PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9: Legends run very smoothly on this smartphone. Even after prolonged gaming and navigation (which we often did together), the smartphone didn’t heat up or even warm up a bit. Most people would expect this from a flagship smartphone, but considering Huawei Mate 20 Pro is not powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 processor like most other high-end Android devices, we weren’t sure about it till we started using it. While we have already spoken about the in-display fingerprint scanner of the smartphone, another feature that deserves your attention is 3D face recognition, which we think is quite brilliant. Regardless of the lighting conditions, the 3D face unlock feature worked very quickly. We even tried to use it in a room that was pitch dark and -surprisingly it worked. Huawei Mate 20 Pro camera sample The biggest highlight of the smartphone: Its triple rear camera setup is what everyone is talking about. So we spent a little extra time with it to understand it in and out. As we mentioned earlier, Huawei Mate 20 Pro has a 40MP primary sensor, a 20MP wide-angle sensor and an 8MP telephoto sensor. According to Huawei, the default settings of the 40MP primary sensor is such that it combines four pixels into one. So basically, you will get a 10MP image from it. However, you can change these settings and shoot at a complete 40MP resolution too. camera sample- Huawei Mate 20 Pro The camera app of the smartphone is extremely easy to use and it is very simple to toggle between the three cameras. Huawei Mate 20 pro image In well-lit conditions, Huawei Mate 20 Pro can focus on an object very quickly and can automatically detect objects, and scenes to switch modes according to what it sees. We noticed that the colours were a little enhanced in the images, but they didn’t look artificial at all. In fact, they somehow made the images look better. And when you point the camera towards a person, the app automatically switches its mode to Portrait. huawei mate 20 pro images 2 Coming to the 20MP wide-angle sensor, you can use this mode to click various landscape shots. Although the images that we took with this sensor were very clear and sharp, they were not as great as the ones taken with the primary sensor. However, we did like some of the shots that we managed to take with the ‘Super Macros’ mode turned on. Huawei mate 20 pro camera sample comparison (1) We are really impressed by the 8MP telephoto lens of the smartphone that supports up to 3x zoom. We clicked some very clear zoomed-in images using it and they were extremely sharp with almost no noise.
huawei mate 20 pro images 3
An image taken with 3X zoom enabled
The cameras of the smartphone clicked some very high-quality images with excellent colours, sharpness and clarity. The details, exposure and white balance were just right. What’s more, the sensors managed to retain their performance in dimly lit areas too, without compromising on the focusing speed. camera sample- Huawei Mate 20 Pro 2 Coming to the 24MP selfie camera of the smartphone, it left us with a bag of mixed feelings. In well-lit conditions, it did an excellent job. The images taken were simply amazing, had accurate colours and were as clear as the ones taken by rear cameras. We even liked how we had the ability to choose Bokeh patterns and use personalised beautification features. However, in dimly lit conditions, the quality of the images somehow goes down. It didn’t match up to the rear cameras of the device, and we expected slightly better in terms of clarity of the images. We should also mention that Huawei Mate 20 Pro can be used to shoot 4K videos at 30fps and slow-motion videos at up to 960fps. Now, let’s talk about the 4,200mAh battery of the smartphone. We used the smartphone for streaming videos, binge-watching YouTube, playing games, navigation via Google Maps for hours and so much more. However, even with usage like that, the battery could easily last more than a day. Even when the battery is less than 20%, you would be able to use the device for navigation and playing music for an hour.  How many smartphones can do that? The smartphone comes with a feature called Super Charge, with which it can charge from 0 to 96% in an hour. No, we are not exaggerating. A unique ability of the device is that it comes with reverse wireless charging. So, it can act as a wireless charger and charge other devices that support Qi wireless charging.  However, we couldn’t test this feature during our time with the smartphone. We ran benchmark tests on the smartphone, too. While it scored 3,273 and 9,828 in single and multi-core scores of Geekbench, it managed a 2,76,067 in Antutu. All of them indicating high-end performance. Huawei Mate 20 pro geekbench

Verdict and Final Thoughts

Huawei Mate 20 Pro is one of the most powerful performers in the premium smartphone market right now. The mobile device cannot disappoint you in any aspect. Although it comes with an exorbitant price tag of Rs 69,990, it doesn’t seem unreasonable considering the number of features this smartphone has to offer. Unless you are a Samsung or Apple loyalist, you can totally go for the Huawei Mate 20 Pro. It’s a powerful performer that has amazing cameras, a great display and stunning looks. Pros
  • Stunning design and display
  • Amazing rear cameras
  • Powerful performance
Cons
  • In-display fingerprint sensor could have been more consistent
  • Selfie camera can be better in dimly lit conditions
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Realme C1 (2019) is now available via Open Sale on Flipkart

After Realme hosted the third flash sale of the Realme C1 (2019), an open sale for the same has been introduced. The open sale is happening in India and is being conducted through Flipkart. The smartphone is available at a price of Rs 7,499 for its 2GB RAM variant and Rs 8,499 for its 3GB RAM variant. Both models come in Deep Black and Ocean Blue colour options. The sale was announced on Tuesday through the twitter account of Madhav Sheth, the CEO of Realme. The smartphone was launched a month back in India. To recall, the Realme C1 (2019) sports an IPS 6.2-inch 720×1,520 resolution display with an aspect ratio of 19:9. The smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 chipset and has a dual rear camera setup. This includes a 13MP and a 2MP sensor. On the front, there is a 5MP sensor meant for clicking selfies. Connectivity options include WiFi 802.11, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, FM Radio and micro USB 2.0. The device comes in two colour options—black and blue and packs a 4,230mAh battery. The mobile weighs 168 grams.
The Realme C1 (2019) is the competitor of the Samsung Galaxy M10 that was launched recently. The Samsung Galaxy M10 sports a 6.22-inch 720×1,520 resolution with an aspect ratio of 19:9. The smartphone comes in 2GB and 3GB RAM versions. These have 16GB and 32GB internal storage, respectively. The dual rear camera setup includes a 13MP and a 5MP sensor. On the other hand, the front camera includes a 5MP sensor meant for clicking selfies. Connectivity options include WiFi 802.11, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, FM Radio and microUSB 2.0. realme c1 The smartphone is powered by a 3,400mAh non-removable battery. The Samsung Galaxy M10 has couple of sensors too, including accelerometer and a proximity sensor. The handset runs on Android 8.1 Oreo skinned with Experience 9.5. The measurements of the mobile phone is 155.6 x 75.6 x 7.7mm and it weighs 163 grams. Coming back to the Realme C1 (2019), since it is an open sale, it should go on till stocks last. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.  

Nokia 9 PureView and Nokia 1 Plus specifications leaked ahead of MWC launch

The Nokia 9 PureView has been in a lot of rumours lately. Loads of renders have been posted, which have given us a rough idea about what the phone is going to be like. A lot about its technical specifcations has already been said. Also, a lot of people might have already weighed the pros and cons of the product to decide whether or not to buy it. Lately, there has been another leak by Google, which confirms its past leaks and rumours about the Nokia 9 PureView. The leak approves that the device will feature a 6-inch display and will run  Android Pie out-of-the-box. The leak has also revealed that the smartphone will come in a single RAM variant of 4GB and will fetch internal storage of up to 128GB. Also, it is said that a fingerprint scanner will be incorporated which will lack ‘Zero-touch Support’.  Nokia 9 Pureview will come with 18W fast charging and telephony support, in all likelihood. Another leak has surfaced on Google Play, which revealed some specifications of the Nokia 1 Plus along with the Nokia 9 PureView. Here, the Nokia 1 Plus with the codename ANT and the Nokia 9 PureView with the codename AOP come to light. The Nokia 1 Plus tech specs will include 480×960 resolution display with 4x ARM Cortex-ARM (1,500 MHz) CPU. Also, the smartphone will include Imagination Tech PowerVR GE8100 (570 MHz) GPU, 213 DPI and 1GB RAM.
To recall, another upcoming HMD Global phone, the Nokia 3.2 has been listed on US FCC. According to the leak, the Nokia 3.1 successor will be part of the Android One programme like many other Nokia phones. Other things which have been revealed, are a 5.2-inch display. As far as the RAM is concerened this smartphone will be available in two versions—2GB and 3GB.  While the former variant will get 16GB onboard storage, the latter will get 32GB internal storage. Connectivity options may include Bluetooth v4.2, WiFi 802.11. It is also expected that the Nokia 3.2 will be powered by a 3,000mAh battery. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.  

Apple’s terms for its upcoming subscription news service faces opposition from publishers: Report

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Apple is coming with tons of products and services in the future, and one of them is the upgraded Apple News subscription service. It is being called the Netflix of News and Magazines. Although we have reported about this earlier today, we’ll tell you about Apple’s upcoming service in case you are unaware. It will be Apple’s take on delivering news and magazine content to its subscribers. The service will be announced on 25th March and it will be Apple’s first big announcement this year. It was last year when the company acquired a paid subscription app called Texture, which provides unlimited access to a large range of magazine publications for a monthly fee to its subscribers. According to reports Apple Inc is planning to merge Apple News with Texture, and the result will be the upgraded Apple News service. Currently, Apple news provides news to its users free of charge, but after the announcement of the upgraded news platform, it won’t be free anymore. A report on Buzzfeed stated that there will be different paid options for the users to choose from just like Netflix and according to their choice of plan they will get what they opted for.
Users might be charged $10 (Rs 700) per month to avail Apple News service. The company has also released some screenshots of what the upgrade of the News service would look like on top of iOS 12.2 beta. However, the pricing of the service is not final as there have been reports that the company has had some disagreements with other news publishers. This was about the revenue being divided between Apple and the news publishers. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, several publishers are not happy with Apple’ plans to keep about half of the revenue from the upcoming news subscription service. So this means that the proposed pricing of the service is not yet final and may be changed later if the Cupertino-based technology giant is not able to come to an agreement with the publishers. We should also mention that a media report has also speculated that Apple may have to change the date of the launch of its upcoming news service if the disagreement is not solved timely. And since Apple hasn’t as yet made an official announcement about it, we cannot entirely rule out the possibility of this happening. As of now, Apple has not commented on the matter. With the recent drop in sales of iPhones that the company has faced, it has started focussing on services business, which has continued to grow consistently.
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Sony Wena smartband to be released, it is not your usual smartband

Sony is not as active as some of its competitors in the smartphone and smart wearables market. Its last smartphone was Sony Xperia XZ3 launched in 2018. While its last smart wearable, an Android Wear Watch, was released back in 2014. Since then it hasn’t released any smart wearables in the market at all. But the company is going to change that, as it is planning to launch a new smart wearable, and no, its not a smart watch, its a hybrid smartwatch. The new wearable by Sony is called the Sony Wena straps, which allows the user to connect it with their existing watch, turning it into to a smartwatch. Its like an advanced version of Xiaomi’s Fitness band. This smart wearable will bring smart features to your wrist. Sony Wena will allow the user to do cardless transactions, contactless payments, keep a track of your fitness and also will inform you if your phone receives any notifications. There is a display on the back of the wrist band so that the user can see all the notification from the Wena.
Sony Wena comes in two different styles – Wena Wrist Active, which comes in a silicone option designed for fitness freaks. While the other is called the Wena Wrist Pro, it is a more premium design of the Wena and will most likely have a metal strap. The Wena Weist Active comes with more health features than its other variant. Some other features on this device is the step tracking, inbuilt GPS and also a heart rate tracker. With these many features present onboard, it will give a tough competition to the other fitness bands in the market. And as stated earlier, the band will have to be paired with a smartphone, so all the data of the band will be able to sync with fitness apps like Apple Health or Google Fit. The band is compatible with both Android and Apple smartwear products. But if a user doesn’t own a smartwatch or hook it to another watch, they can use Sony’s new watch faces which it is releasing alongside the smart band. But the watch faces won’t have any smart features in them, they will be dependent on the Wena, they will just be monitors to see and use Wena’s features. The watch faces come in three designs – Mechanical, Quartz and Solar. The pre-orders of these devices are available in some countries like the UK but the company has still not revealed a release date for the product there or in other countries. Following UK, the next countries in line to receive the smart wear might be US or Australia followed by rest of the world. The pricing of Sony Wena Wrist Active is $450 (Rs 31,700 approx) and the Wena Wrist Pro is a bit costlier at $510 (Rs 35,900 approx). If the user wants to buy the watch faces as well, they start at $130 (Rs 9,100 approx) and go up to $580(Rs 40,900 approx). There is also an option to buy both Wena and the watch face together as a bundle.
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Samsung Galaxy S10’s software features leaked, may have HDR10+ video recording, 1080p super slow motion and more

The leaks of an upcoming smartphone these days is not just limited to its images and design, many features of the smartphone also get leaked before its launch. The latest to be the victim of features leak is the Samsung Galaxy S10 series. The features that have come to light include Full-HD Super Slow Motion, Best Shot, HDR10+ video recording, flaw detection improvements, super steady video recording and scene optimiser with Ultra-Wide Angle support. We are going to briefly explain each – feature of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S10 so that you have a rough idea about what all of them do.

1080p Super Slow Motion

Initially we found out that a code showing support for recording Super Slow-mo videos in FHD (1080p) resolution has been added. To recall, the Super Slow-mo feature was incorporated in the Samsung Galaxy S9, which allows you to take 0.2 seconds of 960fps video at 720 in automatic mode. Either this, or you can take 0.4 seconds of 480fps video at 720p in manual mode. This feature will produce more detailed slow-motion videos as it has a bump in resolution to FHD. The South-Korean tech giant will take videos in environments in low-light conditions.

0.8 second Super Slow Motion

There will be support for capturing 0.8 seconds at standard quality and 0.4 seconds at high quality. Samsung Galaxy S10 will reportedly have 0.4 seconds of 960fps and 0.8 seconds of 480fps which can be enhanced to 960fps via its software.

Best Shot

There will be a feature for Best Shot too, which is meant to help you click perfectly aligned shots. The Samsung Galaxy S10 will automatically hit the shutter when it detects a shot is being lined up. You don’t need to click the shutter button anymore. Pretty neat if you ask us.

Bokeh effects for Live Focus

The Bokeh effects will help the Samsung Galaxy S10 to blur, colour point, mono, slide, light, spin, vintage and zoom. Blur will be the normal bokeh blur and colour point will turn the blurred background into black and white, whereas mono will make the entire picture black and white. Side light, on the other hand, will add an effect of a light on the side of your face, and spin will spin the light around the background. As of now, it is not known what vintage and zoom are going to do.

Document scanning

Document scanning was released by Adobe when Samsung added third-party plugins for Bixby Vision. The smartphone company is incorporating the document scanning support into the camera of the Samsung Galaxy S10. The camera will use AI that will show a button which will help you click pictures of documents without distortion. Other features include HEIF Format pictures, dual capture with wide-angle, flaw detection upgrades, scene optimiser upgrades and super steady video. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.  

Instagram is testing its Direct Message feature for web on mobile and desktop

Facebook-owned photo-sharing app Instagram has always maintained a priority for the mobile platform. So, it’s not uncommon to see new features coming to Instagram’s app first and then, if they are hit with the masses, they make their way to the desktop version of the photo-sharing platform too. Following the same suit, another key feature of the Instagram app is now being tested on its web on mobile and desktop versions. We are talking about the Direct Message feature. The news of the Direct Message feature being tested on the web on mobile and desktop versions of Instagram was first shared by app researcher Jane Manchun Wong on Twitter. He even shared a screenshot of the feature along with his tweet. If you have ever used the desktop version of Instagram, you would know that as of now it’s very minimal and has comparatively fewer features than the mobile app. For instance, there is still no way to directly upload photos on Instagram’s desktop version and it even got support for browser notifications in September last year.
And there are some features, like adding stories, which are still not available on the mobile web or desktop versions of Instagram. We should mention that although Stories can be viewed in both of these versions of Instagram, they can only be added via the mobile app. And we don’t expect this to change too, as Instagram has said that it doesn’t have any “plans to let users upload photos or stories from the desktop.” Considering this, getting the Direct Message feature is a big step forward for Instagram’s web version. After the company introduced the ability to send GIFs on Direct Messages in September last year, this is the big piece of news about the feature that we have got. We should mention that Instagram has built a standalone messaging app called Direct, which is being tested in six countries since 2017. Direct Message feature coming to Instagram’s web version points towards the increased importance the Instagram team is giving to promote messaging among users on the platform. Or probably Instagram has seen that the feature is being used a lot and is now testing it on the web version to make it more user-friendly.
instagram direct message feature for web
Image courtesy: Twitter, Jane Manchun Wong
The move could also be related to Facebook‘s decision to merge Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram DMs into one platform. We would have to wait to find out. But for now, we can be happy about the desktop version of Instagram becoming more user-friendly.
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OnePlus 6T, OnePlus 6 get deeper integration with Google Duo with latest updates

Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus has started rolling out the latest OxygenOS updates for its OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T smartphones. While OnePlus 6 is getting the OxygenOS 9.0.4 update, the company’s latest smartphone – OnePlus 6T – has started receiving the OxygenOS 9.0.12 update. We should mention that even though the updates have different numbers, their changelogs are the same. The only exception is that OnePlus 6T (review) is getting optimizations for its display, while OnePlus 6 (review) won’t be receiving them. A very key feature that the updates get to OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T is deeper integration with Google Duo. Once the updates are installed, OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T users will be able to make video calls directly from the Phone and Messages app using Google Duo.
We think that this would make things easier as currently, most of us have to first go to WhatsApp, Messenger or Skype to make video calls. While it is very simple to make video calls via these apps, having the option in the Phone app where we go to make regular phone calls, is definitely a welcome change. Other than this, the OxygenOS 9.0.4 and OxygenOS 9.0.12 updates also get general bug fixes and system improvements to OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T smartphones. They also come with the January 2019 Android security patch. However, we should point out that Google has already rolled out the security patch for February, so this may be considered as disappointing for a few. The company has also spoken about the updates in detail on its official forum. Like it usually does, OnePlus is rolling out the OxygenOS 9.0.4 and OxygenOS 9.0.12 updates as over-the-air updates and they will first be sent to a small percentage of users. A broader roll-out will happen in a few days or weeks. If you own a OnePlus 6 or a OnePlus 6T, and you don’t receive the update in the next few days, you can check for it on your smartphone manually. To check for an update manually, head over to Settings of your device, and then click on System. In the System menu, you can check for the latest update and install it by going to System updates. Update: OnePlus has announced that it will bring native Google Duo support to OnePlus 3, OnePlus 3T, OnePlus 5, OnePlus 5T smartphones in the near future too. The feature will come to the devices via an upcoming OxygenOS update.
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Motorola Moto G4 Plus starts getting Android 8.1 Oreo update

Unlike many of the recent Motorola smartphones, which have received the Android Pie update, the Moto G4 Plus is not among them. The latest event surrounding it is that it has started receiving the Android 8.1 Oreo update. The apprise is going to automatically come to the smartphone so you don’t need to do anything manually. To recall, Motorola initially did not include the Moto G4 and the Moto G4 Plus in the update schedule, back in September 2017. A few days later, the company clarified that it might launch the Android 8.1 Oreo update for the Moto G4 Plus, but did not give a confirmation in this regard. It seems that it took a long time for Motorola to launch this update for its smartphone.

Motorola G4 Plus specifications

In terms of technical specifications, the Motorola G4 Plus sports a 5.5-inch 1,080×1,920 display with an aspect ratio of 16:9. The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 617 SoC. The Motorola Moto G4 Plus comes in three RAM variants—2GB, 3GB and 4GB. The 2GB variant come with 16GB onboard storage and the other two variants bring along 32GB and 64GB onboard storages respectively. There is a dedicated microSD card slot, which helps the device to store up to 256GB data. The main camera at the rear has a 16MP sensor and the front camera meant for taking selfies has a 5MP sensor. Connectivity options include WiFi 802.11 Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, FM Radio and a microUSB 2.0 port. The Motorola Moto G4 Plus houses a 3,000mAh non-removable battery. The device comes in two colour options, namely black and white. The handset has multiple sensors which includes fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro and proximity sensor. Very recently, we have come to know that Android Pie is being rolled out for the Motorola Moto Z3 Play. To recall its specifications, the smartphone sports a Super AMOLED capacitive 6.01-inch touchscreen. It has a dual rear camera setup that comprises of a 12MP and a 5MP sensor. The selfie camera on the front comes with an 8MP sensor. The device just has a single RAM variant of 6GB paired with 128GB of internal storage.

Microsoft to launch Hololens 2 at MWC 2019

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Hololens is a virtual reality smart-glass developed by the tech giant Microsoft. In simpler terms it is a computer on your head, but there are no wires like the ones found on the VR gaming headsets. Neither it is bulky like a computer. It looks like something from a sci-fi movie. The glasses are compact in size, but proves to be useful in many fields. We have seen AR in cameras of smartphones, but the Hololens makes those AR look like child’s toy. It can project virtually anything in its display so that the user who is wearing the Hololens can see the ‘object’ in real time without the object actually being in real. Hololens 1 was released back in 2016 and it became an instant hit thanks to its futuristic design and applications. Now following the lineup, Microsoft is planning to launch Hololens 2 at the upcoming MWC 2019. The company has released a video teaser for the Hololens 2, the trailer is funky and is full of flying stuff, and melting ice.
Earlier on Monday, the creator of Hololens 1 and head of Microsoft’s mixed-reality efforts, Alex Kipman tweeted a video that teased Hololens 2. The video is trippy, cryptic and ends with a date, 24 February 2019. In MWC 2019, the CEO of Microsoft Satya Nadella along with Julia White, Corporate VP in-charge of Microsoft Azure and Alex Kipman are scheduled to address the crowd and will give a keynote. “We have a lot of exciting things to talk about at MWC 2019,” a Microsoft spokesperson said, so we can expect much from the tech giant. If one is lucky, we could see some new technology spring up, which the company has been working on in secret. As said, released in 2016, Hololens 1 came packed with hologram-like 3d graphics capable of projecting in real time. There were many great things about the Hololens and it was one of a kind, but it too had some technical limits. The successor of Hololens might get good improvements over its predecessor. It should come with better processor, advanced controls, better graphics projection, better field of view as well as eye-tracking. There are many applications of Hololens, it can be used in field of science, graphic design, military training, and video games. We for one are quite excited to hear about this news.

Apple to hold an event on March 25: Here’s what it plans to launch

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Cupertino-based technology giant Apple held its last event in October 2018 when it launched its much awaited iPad Pro. And rarely does the company stay out of the limelight for its new products and services for long. If you have been waiting to hear what Apple plans to unveil next, we should tell you that a new report has surfaced online that claims that the company will be making its first big announcement of 2019 on March 25. The technology company is reportedly planning to hold a special event on March 25 at Steve Jobs Theatre on its Apple Park Campus where it will announce its news subscription news service. The report about Apple’s upcoming event first surfaced on BuzzFeed News. However, don’t get your hopes too high to see new hardware from the company at the event. According to the report, the next-generation AirPods or the new iPad Mini would not be present at the March 25 event. And it’s way too early to expect the new iPhones too be showcased. We would have to wait for September to see those.
The sources quoted in the report said that Apple plans to keep the event focused on subscription-services, however, they didn’t say anything about the company’s upcoming stand-alone video streaming service which, according to previous reports, will be launched this year. To be more specific, a report in Information said that Apple will be launching the service in April this year. So it is very likely that Apple may launch the two services at the same event. We should mention that Apple has been holding product events in March for a long time. So, the news of the company planning to hold an event on March 25 isn’t exactly a surprising one. However, another thing we should point out is that the report also mentioned that there is a chance that the final date could shift a bit. If it happens, it will primarily because of the publisher pushback that Apple is getting on the revenue-sharing terms of the ‘Netflix for news service’ that it is planning to launch. According to reports, Apple has plans of claiming half of the proceeds of the subscription fee that will cost users $10 per month. The other half will be given to publishers based on how many people read their stories. However, the publishers are reportedly not very happy with the terms that have been put forward by Apple.
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Microsoft is helping LinkedIn with its new live video streaming service – LinkedIn Live

Software giant Microsoft is now getting involved in live video streaming via its ownership of the professional social networking platform LinkedIn. LinkedIn is launching a new service called LinkedIn Live for its 600 million users. The service will enable users of the platform to live stream video content and it will start rolling out this week. However, it is worth mentioning that as of now, the service is only available in beta and that too, only for those who have an invite to use it. We should also mention that the service is being rolled out almost 18 months after LinkedIn started supporting videos. With LinkedIn Live, users will be able to stream thing like Q&As, conferences, earning call, events, award ceremonies, product announcements and other such corporate happenings. If you are wondering what is Microsoft‘s role in this, we should tell you that the company will be supporting LinkedIn Live via its Azure Media Services and will provide all the important encoding technology that will help videos stream on the platform seamlessly.
For the video-streaming service, LinkedIn is also partnering with Wirecast, Switcher Studio, Wowza Media Systems, Socialive, and Brandlive. With all these onboard, LinkedIn will be able to enable content creators to access experienced broadcasting streaming services. In an interview with TechCrunch, Pete Davis, Director of product management at LinkedIn shed light on the new service by saying, “Video is the fastest growing format on our platform right now, and the one most likely to get people talking. Live has been the most requested feature.” But as of now, there is no word on when LinkedIn will be making its new service available to all 600 million users. Users can, however, sign up to get the new service via a contact form on LinkedIn. In the video streaming space, LinkedIn will be facing competition from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Twitch among other services. But LinkedIn is optimistic and thinks that the kind of content it will have on its platform will interest its user base. There wouldn’t be any latest TV shows or games on LinkedIn Live, instead, it will have content that will interest professionals on the platform.
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WhatsApp is now getting a revamped Settings section in its latest beta update

Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp has received a new beta update that has got a redesigned ‘Settings’ menu with a different layout to the app. Additionally, the messaging app has also got new icons for a number of tools. The update has now started rolling out to beta testers of the Android version of WhatsApp and its build number is v2.19.45. According to reports, the redesigned Settings menu with the new layout and other changes that are included in the beta update will soon be made available to all Android users via a stable update. The new interface of the Settings menu of the app will have options like Account, Chats, Notifications, Payments, Data and storage usage and Help sections and they will be written one below the other in a vertical format. These submenus in Settings, like Accounts and Chats, have been tweaked in the latest beta update as well.
However, we should mention that the latest beta update only changes the UI of the app, and doesn’t add any new features. whatsapp settings screenshot But then, this is a very welcome change as the Settings menu of the app has not been revamped for a very long time. The new UI is being rolled out as a part of the beta update v2.19.45 and if you wish to try it out, you can do so by becoming a beta tester. Read our step-by-step guide on how you can become an Android beta tester for WhatsApp here. Alternatively, you can become a beta tester by installing the APK by downloading it from APKMirror. While this means getting all WhatsApp updates before anyone else does, we should also mention that it also means having to update your app more often than others and at times, the beta updates can also add bugs in your device. If you don’t think it’s worth it, you can wait for the stable update to be rolled out and you can get to experience the new UI then. Anyway, it’s just a change in the user interface and it doesn’t really improve the functionality of the app, so it’s not like you will be missing out on anything big.
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Gmail’s right-click menu is getting some useful options soon

Gmail is definitely one among the most popular services by Google. And maybe that it why, Google has constantly added more and more features to it over the years to make it more powerful and useful. While Gmail was initially just a simple email service, it now has a number of features that make it far more superior to other services. Google has just added another change to Gmail with which, you can access some useful features by just going on the right-click menu. We should mention that these features would first roll out for G Suite users and would then come to regular Gmail users too. With the new options coming in, users would be able to perform various functions by right-clicking on an email or a conversation. The options include replying, forwarding, searching for emails from the sender or with the subject of the conversation, moving the email to a particular label or opening the email in a new window. However, these options can differ depending on whether you have the conversation mode on or not.
Google has mentioned in its blog post that in the next few weeks, all G Suite owners will have access to this feature. Furthermore, it will fully roll out to all users by February 25. It is worth noticing that users would not have to do anything to activate this feature as it will be enabled on its own as default. Once it gets rolled out to all, users would just have to right click on a conversation or an email to access new options. Like most other features of the email service, once this feature is rolled out to G Suite users, it is likely to reach regular Gmail users too. Once rolled out, the features would help save time by reducing the number of steps to perform various tasks. Compared to the steps that we have to follow now, the feature that’s coming in would make things far simpler. It has also been reported that Google is working to bring certain ‘Inbox by Gmail’ features to the Android client, and they are supposed to enhance the functionality of the email service and make it more user-friendly.
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LG Q9 One launched: Price, specifications and more

LG is out with its new LG Q9 variant. This variant is known as the LG Q9 One that sports a display notch and runs on Android Pie skinned with Android One programme. Other key highlights of the smartphone are, that it is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC and comes with water resistant capabilities. The device has a thicker bezel at the bottom and a wide notch at the top, in order to house sensors.  At the back, there is a single rear camera setup with LED flash. Also, there is a rear fingerprint sensor in the centre.

LG Q9 One technical specifications

The smartphone sports a 6.1-inch QHD+ 1,440×3,120 display with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and pixel density of 564ppi. As mentioned, the smartphone runs on Android Pie, it is part of Google’s Android One programme and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC. The LG Q9 One has a single RAM variant of 4GB coupled with 64GB of onboard storage. With a microSD card, the device can hold up to 2TB of additional storage. The smartphone bears a 16MP sensor at the back and an 8MP sensor on the front. The device packs a 3,000mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3 support. Connectivity options include Bluetooth v5.0, NFC, WiFi 802.11, FM Radio and USB Type-C port. The device measures 153.2×71.9×7.9mm and weighs 156 grams. The LG Q9 One is the new variant of the LG Q9 that was launched a month back. To recall, the LG Q9 runs Android 8.1 Oreo and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 SoC. This smartphone has a 16MP main camera and an 8MP selfie camera. The device has 4GB RAM with 64GB onboard storage. This storage can be expanded via a microSD card slot by up to 512GB. Connectivity options include Wifi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC, FM Radio and USB 3.1.

LG Q9 One pricing and availability

The LG Q9 One is priced at KRW 599,500 that is roughly Rs 37,900. It comes in Moroccan blue colour. The Indian date of launch is still unclear, but by the looks of it can come to India in this quarter. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

 Swiggy will now deliver home essentials, along with restaurant food

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Swiggy, an online food delivering service on Tuesday announced that it would be expanding its business and is now going to deliver home essentials as well. Earlier it had tied up with restaurants only to deliver food and beverages.Now it has tied up with stores to deliver groceries, fruits, vegetables, baby care items, health products and much more, the company said in a statement. It would deliver “categories such as fruits and vegetables, kiranas and supermarkets, florists, baby care, health and supplements among others. Today’s announcement takes Swiggy to categories beyond food, where we hope to deliver the same level of delightful experiences to consumers for their everyday needs,” Swiggy’s CEO Sriharsha Majety said. This new service is named ‘Swiggy Stores’ and just like its food delivering app, it too will be accessible via the mobile app. Although it is a first step towards the delivery of home goods by the company, other companies have been doing it  from before. BigBasket and Grofers is an example of such service.
Swiggy has to compete with big market share holders like BigBasket, which has the Chinese MNC AliBaba backing it up. Over that the Badshah of Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan, is its brand ambassador.  So, it can be said that BigBasket has already made a name for itself and has most of the market share presently. So, Swiggy has to do a better job than its competitor if it were to survive in the market. Swiggy currently operates in more than 80 major Indian cities through its mobile app and website. It surely has a base from its food delivering service so it doesn’t have to start from scratch. Last week Swiggy bought an Artificial Intelligence (AI) named Kint.io that uses machine learning, deep learning and computer vision to recognize objects. Swiggy would use the AI for the Swiggy Stores service, too. According to the company the next step would be to spread its reach to every store in every Indian city. The merchants who would partner with them would also be able to get new customers and this in turn will help their business, too. To the delivery partners, the company would give them a new and  additional way of getting more income. Founded in 2014, Swiggy is serving in a lot of cities, delivering food from over 60,000 restaurant, which is a big achievement for the company. Will they be able to make a mark in the competitive “kirana” sector as well? We will come to know in a few quarters.
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Vivo unveils iQoo sub-brand in China, will soon be launched in other countries

Today, vivo has unveiled its new iQoo sub-brand in its home market. It is anticipated the like other smartphone companies, Vivo is going to use this sub-brand to target a specific customer type or price segment. The announcement of this new profile took place via a Chinese website called Weibo. The iQoo sub-brand is going to join the likes of Poco, Redmi, Nubia, Zuk and Honor. The post by Weibo doesn’t clearly picture the sub-brand. It gives a futuristic feel, which provides a speculation that Vivo may have created iQoo to focus on 5G and flagship devices priced around CNY 5,000 (Rs 53,000+). Spark Ni, the senior Vice President of Vivo said, “Vivo has evolved from a follower to a leader in the tech and lifestyle industry. Through the new branding, we hope to redefine the brand’s positioning in technology and innovation and express our brand vision of ‘enjoying the extraordinary’ with young consumers around the world through Vivo’s unique visuals and creative spirit.” According to industry insiders, the new Vivo iQoo sub-brand will also make its way into countries like India. However, they were also unclear on the timelines. Much of it will be dependent upon the type of smartphones the company launches under this brand.
Also, there has been news that the Vivo V15 Pro is going to launch on February 20. We recently wrote about an Amazon listing that revealed key highlights of the smartphone. The Vivo V15 Pro will feature 32MP pop-up front camera for selfies and video calls. A triple rear camera setup would be seen at the back panel. This setup is going to comprise of a large 48MP primary sensor. Apart from this, the Vivo V15 Pro is going to sport a bezel-less Super AMOLED screen. The smartphone is going to be powered by Adreno 612 GPU and will come with  6GB RAM. This – will be coupled with  128GB internal storage. When it comes to imaging, along with the 48MP camera sensor, the smartphone will also have an8MP and a 5MP sensor with enhanced autofocus. Vivo V15 Pro The expected price of the Vivo V15 Pro is Rs 31,990. To speak of the pricing, the Vivo V11 and V11 Pro have received price cuts a few days ago. The former received a price cut of Rs 1,000, which made it cost come down to Rs 19,990 from Rs 20,990. The Vivo V11 Pro on the other hand, received a price cut of Rs 2,000. While it earlier costed Rs 25,990, it can now be purchased at Rs 23,990. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Samsung announces huge discount on Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy S9+ prior to Valentine’s Day

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Prior to the launch of the Galaxy S10 at the Samsung Unpacked event,  scheduled for February 20,  the company is dropping the price of its premium smartphones. Samsung Galaxy S9+ and the Galaxy Note 9 that were  the flagships of 2018 are now available at a discount along with cashbacks. This move of dropping the price also comes before Valentine’s day, as part of Samsung’s ‘Best Days’ offer. On the purchase of Samsung Galaxy Note 9 the users will get instant cashback. When buying with a HDFC credit or debit card the consumer can also avail cashbacks and discounts. Apart from the cashbacks Samsung is giving additional discount up to Rs 9,000 on exchange with another smartphone. In the Best Days offer, the Korean company is also cutting price of its Galaxy Watch, which  comes at a price of Rs 24,990. Samsung has revealed that the top variant of Galaxy Note 9, which has 8GB RAM and 512GB storage is now available at Rs 77,900. This was originally priced at Rs 84,900. The customers would get an instant cashback of Rs 7,000. While Samsung Galaxy S9+’s 64GB variant is selling for Rs 57,900, which was earlier priced at Rs 64,900.
Similarly, the other variants of the Galaxy S9+ also received Rs 7,000 price cut. The 128GB version of Samsung Galaxy S9+ is now selling at Rs 61,900 and the 256GB variant of the phone is selling at Rs 65,000.  Users can get additional discount on the smartphones if they use HDFC credit or debit cards. On use of the said cards  buyers can get additional cashback of Rs 6,000 on the purchase of Galaxy Note 9 and Rs 4,000 cashback on the purchase of Galaxy S9+. There is also a special offer for the upcoming Valentine’s day where the cashback amount has been increased to Rs 8,000 for Galaxy Note 9 and Rs 6,000 for Galaxy S9+. If the customer exchanges his old Samsung smartphone to buy Note 9 or S9+ then they would get an additional discount of Rs 9,000. But the offer doesn’t end here. the company also announced that if the customers buy any of the abovementioned smartphone’s 128GB or 512GB variants then they can avail a discount on the Galaxy Watch, too. They could get the watch for Rs 9,999, while the original price of the Galaxy Watch is Rs 24,990.
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Xiaomi’s foldable smartphone will come out soon

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Just like Samsung, Xiaomi is also working on its own version of a foldable smartphone. The phone is still in its early designs, but concept renders are out now. A video of the conceptual phone was also released where the company’s founder can be seen using the Xiaomi’s foldable phone. According to a report on LetsGoDigital, where the company issued official statement, the company described its upcoming foldable smartphone. They also gave information about the development and design of this device. Over that, Xiaomi has also stated what challenges they faced when they were working on the foldable phone and the flexible screen. The business also  also spoke about the MIUI interface, which would  be present on the foldable mobile. The interface is in development too and will be seen running on it at the time of launch. Glimpses of how MIUI would react to the phone and its screen were also showcased. According to the company officials, they are working with a supplier to develop the smartphone. The suppliers name has was not revealed.
Unlike Samsung’s folding phone, which has only one folding screen, the Xiaomi’s foldable phone will have two foldable screens. These fold outwards unlike Samsung’s inward folding smartphone. Xiaomi’s dual folding screen will curve back to wrap the rear of the phone. Developing a UI for such a complex screen is tricky that’s why they have been working on an upgraded MIUI user interface, which can support the foldable design. The phone when folded would look like a  regular phone, but when unfolded it would turn into a tablet with thin bezels. The apps and contents of the screen too would change according to the large screen size. Report of a camera on the smart is still unclear. Also, there was no sign of it in any of the leaked videos. There is a possibility that the back of the phone where the screen wraps might hold a camera. However, no official statement has come out from the company on it. The bottom of the phone has a USB Type-C charging port while the top has a button, which might be the power button . The ear piece is placed under it. If Xiaomi releases its foldable phone this year then it would compete directly with Samsung Galaxy F. No doubt, both the companies have their own ideas of what their foldable phones would look like and be able to do . Whatever the case might be,  these new smartphones would be a fresh sight for sore eyes.
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Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro, Redmi 6, Redmi Note 5 Pro and Mi TV 4A are available on a discounted price

Xiaomi has announced the ‘I Love Mi Days’ sale and it is now live on Mi.com, Amazon India and Flipkart. This sale has probably been announced at the pretext of Valentine’s day. The devices which are part of the discount are  Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro, Redmi 6, Redmi Note 5 Pro and the Mi Band HRX Edition. The Redmi Note 6 Pro that originally  came with a price tag of Rs 13,599 for its 4GB RAM variant, will now come at a reduced price of Rs 12,999. Its higher end variant comes at a discounted price of Rs 14,999.

Amazon, Flipkart and Mi.com are also offering no-cost EMI plans on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro in addition to the exchange discounts and bank offers. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro, for its 6GB RAM variant has received a temporary price cut. Over that, the 6GB RAM version of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is available at Rs 12,999 instead of Rs 16,999. Next, the Xiaomi Redmi 6 can now be purchased at a cost of Rs 8,499. Its original price was Rs 10,499, which means a Rs 2,000 discount is what users can avail on this mobile device. The Xiaomi Mi Band HRX Edition has also seen a price cut. It can now be bought at a discounted price of Rs 1,299.
Lastly, the Xiaomi Mi TV 4A Pro, has experienced a price cut in all three shopping portals. On Flipkart, the discount has been implemented on the 43-inch and 49-inch variant. On Mi.com, the discount has been established on the 43-inch variant. In case of Amazon, the discount is on the 49-inch model. The price reduction in case of the 43-inch and 49-inch model is Rs 22,999 and Rs 30,999 respectively. The “I Love Mi Days” sale is concluding on February 13, 2019 in all three shopping portals. To recall, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro sports a 6.26-inch 1,080×2,280 display with an aspect ratio of 19:9. It runs on Android 8.1 Oreo skinned with MIUI 9. The smartphone comes in three RAM variants 3GB, 4GB and 6GB. While the 3GB variant comes with 32GB onboard storage, the other two variants have 64GB onboard storage. There is a dual rear camera setup which comprises of a 12MP and a 5MP sensors. On the other side, the dual front camera meant for taking selfies comprises of a 20MP and a 2MP sensors. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

OnePlus 5G smartphone’s prototype to debut at MWC 2019

A number of smartphone makers are expected to launch their 5G smartphones at the upcoming Mobile World Congress that is scheduled to begin on February 25. Samsung, LG, and Huawei are just a few of the companies that will be seen taking wraps off their 5G devices and lineup at the tech show in Barcelona. Now, a report has surfaced on XDA Developers that suggests that Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus will also be seen launching a smartphone that comes with the newest standard of cellular mobile communications. We should mention that we would not be surprised if this happens as OnePlus CEO Pete Lau was quoted saying last year at the Qualcomm Snapdragon Tech Summit that the company will be launching its 5G enabled smartphone in 2019. He further said that the 5G smartphone by OnePlus will cost $200 or $300 more than its 6T smartphone. Keeping in mind that OnePlus 6T is priced at $549, the 5G smartphone by the Chinese handset brand will be priced around $750 or $850. Needless to say, OnePlus’s 5G smartphone will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 mobile platform and X50 modem, since 5G connection would need both.
It is worth noticing that OnePlus has also said that the 5G smartphone that it will be launching this year will not be a part of its regular flagship lineup. Instead, OnePlus will be launching it as a part of a separate range altogether. The company has said that it will be doing this because it wants to main its strategy of launching flagship smartphones at affordable prices. According to a report that had surfaced on CNET in December, the 5G smartphone by OnePlus will first be launched in the UK and the company has partnered with EE for the same. Furthermore, the report also said that OnePlus’ 5G smartphone will be launched as early as the end of May. Samsung is also expected to launch the 5G smartphone this year for which it has partnered with Verizon. Other smartphone makers that are expected to launch their 5G smartphones this year are Oppo and Xiaomi. However, we would have to wait till the MWC 2019 to begin to get the official dates of their respective smartphones.
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Sony Xperia XA3 images leaked, will sport a dual camera system

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Sony is known for making smartphones with good cameras and screen, but currently is not too active in the smartphone market. Its last launched smartphone was the XZ3, which was launched back in August of 2018. But recently, a video has surfaced online that leaked the company’s newest smartphone, the Sony Xperia XA3. The Sony Xperia XA3 is rumoured to have an aspect ratio of 21:9 with CinemaWide display. The leak was reported on sumahoinfo.com where the phone was seen with an unusually tall display and slim bezels. The display might come with a full-HD+ 1080×2560 resolution. It is not the first time the images XA3 has been leaked online, images of the phone with tall display had been surfaced earlier as well. The leaked phone has a dual camera setup with LED flash which is in line with the previously leaked images of the phone. According to the rumours, the back camera setup might have a 23MP primary shooter paired with an 8MP secondary sensor.
The CinemaWide display being featured on Sony XA3 was originally thought to be featured in the next flagship of Sony’s XZ smartphones, the Sony Xperia XZ4. Both these phones are allegedly going to be showcased at the MWC 2019. There might be two variants of Sony XA, the XA3 with screen size of 5.9-inches and the XA3 Ultra with screen size of 6.5-inches. A leaked video also shows three physical buttons on the right side of the Sony Xperia XA3, which could be a power button and volume rocker keys. There is also a fingerprint scanner between the power and the volume buttons. This means the company has put the scanner on the side of the phone like it did with some of its earlier phones. The Sony Xperia XA3 might come in four colour options, Black, Pink, Silver and Blue, with a USB Type-C port. It might have bottom firing speakers on each side of the charging port. Over that, this mobile will come with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660SoC putting it in the mid-range segment. It could be paired with a 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 64GB storage, and should have the latest Android version 9.0 Pie. The release date of the phone is not revealed yet. But since Sony is holding a press event at MWC 2019 we might get to hear more about the Xperia Sony XA3, Sony XA3 Ultra and maybe also the Sony XZ4.
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Samsung Galaxy S10 will sport a Ceramic colour along with other hues

The top end model of the Samsung Galaxy S10 series, the Samsung Galaxy S10+ is expected to launch with a ceramic colour, apart from its ususal colours. FTP Shop, a Vietnamese retailer, claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S10+ is going to come at a cost of VND 30,990,000 that is roughly Rs 94,643. The same retailer has listed the smartphone with 8GB RAM coupled with 512GB internal storage. However, there are rumours about this smartphone to carry a 12GB RAM coupled with 1TB internal storage, too. Though the 12GB RAM has not been confirmed  right now, rumours mills ar churning it could be a possibility. The 1TB storage has been confirmed, as Samsung announced a 1TB UFS chip for its upcoming phones last month. Nevertheless, it is not known whether the Samsung Galaxy S10 models are the only ones to get this storage. It is pretty obvious that the cost of the variant with as much as 1TB storage is going to be very high.
Also, FTP Shop listed the non-ceramic Galaxy S10 with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. Recently, the Samsung Galaxy S10E was similarly leaked. From what we know, one of the colour options which the smartphone is going to have is canary yellow. News reports released this render of the smartphone, which shows it comes with a metallic frame and an Infinity-O display. There is a glossy back panel on the the Samsung Galaxy S10E, which is coloured in canary yellow. Also, at the back there is a dual rear camera setup that are stacked horizontally and at the right side of it, there is a Samsung logo. In the renders, we see that there is a fingerprint scanner at the right edge.The volume rocker and a dedicated Bixby button can be seen on the left edge of the smartphone.
Samsung Galaxy S10e
Image courtesy: /Leaks
The Samsung Galaxy S10E is rumoured to measure 142.5×70.5×8.1mm and sport a 5.8-inch display. Amongst all the smartphones, which are part of the Samsung Galaxy S10 series, this one is supposed to be the smallest. The Samsung Galaxy S10 on the other hand is expected to come with a 6.1-inch display with dimensions of 149.9×71.6×8.1mm. It goes without saying the Samsung Galaxy S10+ is the most premium one of the pack. The handset is said to sport a display measuring 6.4-inches. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Google Maps to come with AR for better navigation

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Google Maps is a blessing for most of us, as it helps us to not lose our way while we are travelling. If you have an Android smartphone, we are sure you would have used the app at least at some point when you wanted to know the right directions to a place. With Google Maps, there is not much of a possibility of getting lost, unless you are directionally-challenged. It even has a built-in compass which always points in the right direction. Now, Google is set to make its app more useful by adding AR (Augmented Reality) to Google Maps. The new feature has been named ‘Global Localization’ and it combines Google Street View with Visual Positioning and then binds them with machine learning. Although this feature in Google Maps was showcased back in 2018 Google I/O, Google has now decided to release a beta version of the app for select individuals who are Local Guides. These Local Guides are a group of reviewers of the Google Maps platform and they will be testing the beta version to see if the app is working as it is supposed to work. According to Google, the app needs ‘more testing’ before it is released for the users. This feature makes it easier for the user to know where he is and in which direction he is facing. With the feature, if the user points his smartphone’s camera to places, buildings or streets the app, using the machine learning, tells the user the exact location and name of the place. And it also shows the user in which direction to turn by pointing a big, bold arrow towards the destined location. Also, the actual live map will be shown at the bottom of the screen. Once the destination is in sight of the camera it would mark it with a big red identifier like Google Maps’ destination does.
Currently, it is in its beta phase but we are expecting to release soon. And its future implications could be tremendous, as Google Maps with AR may come to wearables too, which would make travelling to new places much easier and reduce the possibility of getting lost close to zero.
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