Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 finally available in open sale via Flipkart
The wait is finally over for the ones who were coveting the ZenFone Max Pro M2. The smartphone has started selling on Flipkart. There are three RAM variants and all of them are available via flash sale on the Indian ecommerce website. Let us first introduce you to price and then the specifications of the phone.
Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 Price
As mentioned, the Asus ZenFone Max M2 has three RAM variants. The 3GB variant costs Rs 12,999, the 4GB variant costs Rs 14,999 and the 6GB variant comes at Rs 16,999. While the 3GB and 4GB RAM variants are still available, the 6GB RAM variant is listed as sold out already. However, you can register on the e-commerce website in order to get notified when the smartphone will be in stock once again.
Launch offers include no-cost EMIs up to Rs 14,900 for exchange of an old device. This also includes discounted rates for Flipkart’s Complete Mobile Protection programme that is available at Rs 399.
Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 Tech Specs
Now we come to the phone specifications. The three RAM variants—3GB, 4GB and 6GB come with an on-board storage of 32GB, 64GB and 64GB respectively. In case of all three variants the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2, will have a microSD card slot that can expand the storage up to 2TB.
The handset will run on Android 8.1 Oreo out-of-the-box. It sports a 6.26-inch full-HD+ display touchscreen with a resolution of 1,080×2,280 pixels. This display screen of the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 has an aspect ratio of 19:9. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 CPU and sports a dual rear camera of 12MP and 5MP. On the front, for selfies, there is a 13MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, 1.12-micron pixels, and an LED flash module.
Connectivity options of the phone include 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v5.0, FM Radio, GPS/ A-GPS, a 3.5mm headphone and a microUSB port. The gadget is powered by a 5,000mAh battery and its dimensions are 157.9×75.5×8.5mm. Sensors include a fingerprint, accelerometer, ambient, digital compass, gyroscope and a proximity sensor. Also, the Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 is quite light with its weight being 175grams, considering it has a 5,000 mAh battery inside.
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Facebook Messenger may soon get the ‘dark mode’
A few weeks back, Google acknowledged it that the battery life of an Android smartphone can last longer if you enable dark mode on your device. While the piece of information did prove to be very useful for those who were unaware, the trouble is that not all Android smartphones have the ability to enable dark mode. If your smartphone is one of them, you can enable the dark mode on certain apps which support it.
Till now YouTube, Android Messages, Twitter and Pocket were among the popular apps that supported the dark mode. And now Facebook Messenger is reportedly all set to join the bandwagon. According to Android Police, app-teardown expert Jane Manchun Wong posted on Twitter that the Android version of Facebook’s Messenger app is currently testing the dark mode.
https://twitter.com/wongmjane/status/1048227405951692801/photo
However, the test is being done on a limited number of users and that too in select countries. Although there is no word from either Facebook or Wong about which regions are included in the test, technology website TechRadar has mentioned that the social networking giant is conducting the test on users of its Messenger app in the United States and Australia.
Coming back to what Wong said about the new dark mode on Facebook Messenger, it can be enabled by users via a dedicated toggle for the setting in the app’s ‘Me’ section.
It is worth noticing that since the mode is currently being tested, it is not complete and changes are being made to it. And in-app ‘work in progress’ message is prompted by Facebook that says, “While we put the finishing touches on dark mode, it won’t appear everywhere in Messenger.”
We should also mention that the dark mode has started rolling out on Messenger after some recent changes that have been in done in UI by the company. These include a reduction in the number of tabs and toning down of some clunky design elements.
As of now, there is no word on when Facebook Messenger’s dark mode will be rolling to other regions, but we are surely looking forward to it considering that it helps saves battery.
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Price cut: PS4 Slim, PS4, PS VR get a lower sale price post GST drop
Tech giant Sony has established a permanent discount on a plethora of products which includes PS4 Slim, PS4 Pro and PS VR. This is happening after there has been a GST reduction on electronics that apparently includes video game consoles, too. A new MRP for both 500GB and 1TB PS4 Slim versions is out now along with the PS4 Pro 1 TB console.
Over that, many retailers and sub-distributors have informed that there will be discounts for numerous PS4-related accessories. These accessories include PS VR, DualShock 4 controller, PS4 Aim Controller, PS 4 Platinum Wireless Headset, PS4 Wireless Stereo Headset, PS4 vertical stand and the PS4 Twin Pack. Now let us get to price drops and introduce the discounted prices of all these gadgets to you. The PS4 Slim 1TB which earlier costed Rs 36,490 will now be sold at a discounted price of Rs 33,650.
The PS4 Slim 500 GB is now priced at Rs 28,580 where it was earlier sold at Rs 30,990. The PS4 Pro 1TB will be available at a discounted price of Rs 38,710 from Rs 41,990 (its earlier amount). The PS VR (version 2) can now be purchased at Rs 28,580 where its erstwhile price was Rs 30,990. The PS VR Mega Pack, which costed Rs 34,290 earlier can now be bought at a lower price of Rs 31,600.
Coming to the discounted prices of the PS4 controllers and headsets. The DualShock 4 (standard and camo variants) whose MRP was Rs 5,490 will now see a price reduction of Rs 440 and the new price is set at Rs 5,050. The same is the case with the PS4 Aim Controller, which had the exact same MRP and now costs Rs 5,050. The PS4 Wireless Stereo will cost Rs 7,363 from a previous amount of Rs 7,990. Lastly, the PS4 Twin Pack which was priced at Rs 6,990 earlier, will now come at Rs 6,450.
Seems like 2019 has started with a great discount bang. A lot of gadgets are now available at a discount like the Xiaomi Mi TVs and now the Sony PS4 consoles.
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Vivo NEX Dual Display’s new variant to come with Snapdragon 710 SoC and 8GB RAM: Report
Chinese smartphone maker Vivo really gave us a beautifully designed and futuristic looking device when it launched the Vivo NEX (review) earlier this year. And a few weeks back, it launched an even more beautifully designed Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition smartphone in China. As the name suggests, the biggest highlight of the smartphone is that it comes with two displays.
While its front panel is dominated by a 6.39-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED primary display, there is a 5.49-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display at the back panel of the device. The logic behind having two displays becomes clearer on noticing how the smartphone does not have any selfie camera and instead comes with a triple rear camera setup on the back. With this, it is easy to understand that the second display can be used to see ourselves when clicking a self-portrait from the cameras.
And now, a new report about the Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition has emerged on GizmoChina which says that the smartphone has been spotted on TENAA. The listing on TENAA states that Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor and comes with 8GB of RAM. We should mention that these values are different from the model that was launched by the company in China, as the initial variant came with Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC and 10GB of RAM.
According to the TENNA listing, the 8GB RAM variant of Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition will house a 3,425mAh battery and will run Android 9.0 Pie out of the box. It should be noted that the design of the smartphone will not be changed. We should also mention that two models of the smartphone – Vivo V1820A and Vivo V1820T – were listed on the certification website and both had similar specifications.
To recall, Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition features a 6.39-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED primary display that has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and a secondary 5.49-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display which dominates the back panel of the device.
As we mentioned earlier, the initial version was powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor paired with Adreno 630 GPU and 10GB of RAM. The device came with 128GB of internal storage.
The handset runs Android 9.0 Pie skinned with Funtouch OS 4.5 and houses a 3,500mAh battery with 22.5W fast charging support. On the camera front, there is a triple rear camera setup with 12MP Dual PD Sony IMX363 sensor, a secondary 2MP night vision camera with 2.9μm pixel size and a 3D TOF camera.
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Xiaomi announces price cut for Mi TV 4A 32, Mi TV 4C Pro 32 and Mi TV 4A Pro 49 in India
Good news for Xiaomi fans, as now you can get a Mi television at discount in the new year. Xiaomi has announced price cut for the Mi TV 4A 32 and Mi TV 4C Pro 32. These price cuts are on the backdrop of the recent reduction in GST from 28 percent to 18 percent for TVs up to 32-inches. The Mi TV 4A 32 has received a price cut of Rs 1,500 and the Mi TV 4C Pro 32 for Rs 2,000.
And that is just not it. The Mi LED TV 4A Pro 49 model will also experience a price reduction of Rs 1,000. However, this price cut is based on the recent US dollar moderation. The Mi TV 4A 32 and Mi TV 4C 32 Pro which were earlier priced at Rs 13,999 and Rs 15,999 will now cost Rs 12,499 and Rs 13,999 respectively.
Also, to talk to about their MRP, they were respectively priced at Rs 15,999 and Rs 16,999. Now with the reduction of GST the new MRP is Rs 14,499 and Rs 14,999. To reiterate, the Mi TV 4A 32 received a discount of Rs 1,500 and the Mi TV 4C Pro 32 for Rs 2,000.
The Mi TV 4A Pro 49 on the other hand experienced a price discount of Rs 1,000, as said earlier. Before, where it was priced at Rs 31,999 it will now cost Rs 30,999. Raghu Reddy, Head of Categories and Online Sales, Xiaomi India said in a statement, “We are thrilled to share this wonderful news with our Mi Fans. Mi TVs have gained massive love and popularity among Mi Fans and customers in India. Redefining smart TV experience, Mi TVs deliver high quality with great specs comprising of the customized PatchWall which integrates the best of content.”
Continuing with his commentary of Xiaomi’s success story, he said, “All of this is available to Mi Fans at a truly honest pricing with consistent, incredible experience across all Mi TV models. This eventually led us to become the number 1 smart TV brand in India with Mi TVs crossing over a million sales mark in merely nine months since their launch this year.”
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Moto G6 Plus set to get the Android 9 Pie update in India
Motorola has been in news for the last few weeks for its upcoming Moto G7 smartphones. But today, we have some news for Moto G6 Plus owners. The smartphone maker has shared the Android Pie changelog on its official India website. So this means that we can soon expect the smartphone to get the much-awaited Android update. According to the changelog shared by Motorola, all the core Android Pie features will be included in the software update and it will also come with the December 2018 Android security patch.
The Android 9.0 Pie update is expected to get gesture-based navigation system to Moto G6 Plus which have earlier been seen on Google’s Pixel smartphones. Other than this, enhancements like adaptive battery, adaptive brightness, improvements in security and a refined Doze mode will also make their way to the smartphone. The Settings app of the handset will also get redesigned and post the update, will have a colourful icon.
In a nutshell, we will get to see all the core features of Android 9.0 Pie update. The changelog was first spotted by users on Reddit. As we mentioned earlier, the update also gets the December 2018 Android security patch to Moto G6 Plus mobile.
The smartphone maker has mentioned on its support page that users should install the latest Android update on their Moto G6 Plus when the battery of their handset is at least 50% charged and they are recommended to begin the download only when their device is connected to Wi-Fi.
Android 9.0 Pie update is expected to roll out to Moto G6 Plus smartphones in the next few days. The update will roll out in a phased manner and users will see a notification on their smartphone when they receive it.
You can also check for the update manually in the Settings of your Moto G6 Plus smartphone. Head to Settings, then go to System and click on System updates.
To recall, Moto G6 Plus was launched in India in September this year and at the time of the launch, it was powered by Android 8.0 Oreo. Globally, the smartphone was launched in April along with Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play devices.
It is worth noticing that the news of Android Pie coming to Moto G6 Plus comes just days after Motorola‘s One Power smartphone received the update. Reports also suggest that the company has pushed out the update to its Moto X4 smartphones in select regions.
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Samsung Galaxy M10’s FCC certification reveals its key specifications
Samsung has a number of interesting launches lined up for this year. While the company’s Galaxy S10 is being spoken about for months now, reports about its Galaxy M series smartphones have also started emerging since the last few weeks. Just a few days back, a report had claimed that Samsung Galaxy M series smartphones’ global launch would be held in India in January 2019. And now, the South Korean technology giant’s Galaxy M10 smartphone has reportedly passed through FCC certification.
With this listing, a number of key specifications of the device have also been confirmed. We should mention that Samsung Galaxy M10 is one among the many handsets that will be launched by the company, as it has also been reported that the smartphone maker will unveil Galaxy M20, Galaxy M30, Galaxy M40 and Galaxy M50.
Speaking of the FCC listing which was first spotted by Nashville Chatterclass, it has revealed that the Galaxy M10 smartphone will run Android 8.1 Oreo and will feature a 6.02-inch display. However, the overall screen size of the smartphone will be 6.5-inches. Samsung Galaxy M10 is said to be powered by the company’s own Exynos 7870 processor and will come with 3GB of RAM. According to the listing, the smartphone will be available in 16GB and 32GB internal storage options and will be able to hold a microSD card slot of up to 64GB. The FCC listing also says that the upcoming handset will house a 3,400mAh battery and will come equipped with Bluetooth v4.2. The measurements of the smartphone are said to be 155.7×75.8mm.
According to previous rumours, Samsung Galaxy M10 mobile will be available in Blue and Dark Grey colour options and will have a fingerprint scanner on its back panel. On the camera front, the smartphone is expected to come with a dual rear camera setup with 13MP and 5MP sensors. As we mentioned earlier, the Galaxy M series smartphones will be making a debut in India this and reports have suggested that they will come with Infinity-V displays. Although some reports say that Samsung will be launching four smartphones, others have also spoken about the company planning to launch the Galaxy M50. However, we will have to wait to see which one among the two is true.
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Realme plans to expand offline sales to 150 Indian cities in 2019
China-based Oppo sub-brand, Realme has decided to expand its business through offline sales in India. This would encompass 150 cities and the sales would start occurring in 2019. The offline retailers to whom this task is being given referred by the company as “Real Partners”. Realme has promised to provide value added customer experience and that the retail outlets will have all the company’s models.
Madhav Sheth, the CEO of Realme India said, “With the new offline stores, we are extending our sales channels reaching out to our offline customers in every region. This is the extension of our sales strategy and ultimate target of ‘Realme for Every Indian.” To count the number of retail stores which are being covered in 150 Indian cities, there are 20,000. Earlier, Realme had an exclusive partnership with Reliance stores for offline sales of its products.
The company claims that it has sold in 130 cities, and in more than 1,300 Reliance Digital and My Jio stores. Sheth said, “Realme as a young brand is committed to delivering the best consumer experience to our customers. Strengthening our commitment, we are expanding our footprints to meet the rapidly growing customer demands.”
To recall, the smartphone Realme last launched in India was the Realme U1 back in November 2018. The phone is powered by a 3,500mAh battery and weighs 168grams. Connectivity options include WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, USB OTG, Micro-USB, FM, Active 4G, 3G and 4G. The smartphone at the same time has multiple sensors like Face Unlock, Fingerprint sensor, compass, proximity sensor, accelerometer, ambient light sensor and gyroscope.
Dimensions of the handset are 157x74x8mm. The device is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and runs on Android 8.1 Oreo. It is powered by a Mediatek Helio P70 Octa-core processor. 3GB RAM and 4GB RAM are its RAM variants that come with storage options of 32GB and 64GB respectively. A microUSB slot can expand the smartphone’s storage up to 256GB. Primary camera consists of a 13MP plus 2MP shooters and a selfie camera on the front covers 25MP.
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Fitbit Charge 3 launched in India: Price and specifications
Smart-wearables maker Fitbit has launched some interesting smart wearables this year. And the latest among these to be launched in India is Fitbit Charge 3 fitness tracker. Much like previous fitness trackers by the company, Fitbit Charge 3 is placed in the premium price tag and comes at a starting price of Rs 13,990. A special edition of the Fitbit Charge 3 will also be launched soon at a price of Rs 15,999.
Fitbit Charge 3 is said to be one among the most focused fitness trackers of the year. The fitness tracker comes with an improved design and sports a small touchscreen display that can adjust to ambient brightness automatically. Fitbit Charge 3 has a 24/7 heart rate monitor that helps users track calories burnt, optimize their workouts and uncover trends that can enable them to achieve their health and fitness goals. In addition to this, the fitness tracker can track sleep. Users can also see how much time they spent in different sleep stages. And in case a user isn’t sleeping as much as one should, he will also get some personalized insights to improve his sleeping pattern.
Fitbit Charge 3 comes with 15 exercise modes including running, biking, yoga, circuit training, swimming, etc. It also has features for female health tracking. So women who are using Fitbit Charge 3 can use it to track their periods, record certain symptoms and predict ovulation period. Besides this, Fitbit Charge 3 can also detect workouts on its own and can be used to track various activities including steps, floors climbed, distance, calories burned and more. The fitness tracker also uses the smartphone’s GPS during outdoor activities so that it can accurately track your pace and distance. It also provides users with their stats so that they can track their improvement over time. And if you buy the special edition fitness tracker from Fitbit, you will also be able to use it for payments as it comes with built-in NFC. The company has its own Fitbit Pay that enables users to pay via its devices.
The fitness tracker is compatible with over 200 Android and iOS smartphones or devices. According to the company, with a single charge, Fitbit Charge 3 can last up to 7 days. The fitness tracker will show notifications from the smartphone it is connected to and an upcoming update will enable it to make quick replies. There are a number of fitness apps that are present on the Fitbit Charge 3.
Other accessories that can be used with the fitness tracker will also be sold in India. They are fall in the range of Rs 2,990 to Rs 4,490. Interested buyers can pick up the tracker from all major online and offline retail stores.
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Huawei Y7 Pro (2019) launched: Here is what the phone’s specifications look like
The Huawei Y7 Pro (2019) has been launched in Vietnam today. No sooner did the Chinese smartphone brand launched its P Smart (2019) that it came up with its more affordable sibling. Yes, the Huawei Y7 Pro (2019) is comparatively more affordable than the P Smart (2019).
Let us get down to the specifications of the phone. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor and has a 6.26-inch LCD panel screen with HD+ resolution. The Huawei Y7 Pro (2019) screen has an aspect ratio of 19:9 and has a waterdrop notch design that will give its users a wider screen to play with. The smartphone only has one RAM variant which is 3GB and has an internal storage of 32GB. MicroSD card slot is also on board to expand memory further.
Dual camera consists of a 13MP shooter with f/1.8 aperture and a 2MP depth sensor. Front camera is 16MP that is meant for selfies. Connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.2 and 2.4 GHz WiFi. The Huawei Y7 Pro (2019) houses a 4,000mAh battery. It will run on Android Oreo skinned with EMUI 8.2. In terms of phone security, the company has implemented a facial unlock instead of a fingerprint sensor.
The price of Huawei Y7 Pro (2019) is 170$ (Rs 11,850 approx). The handset is available in blue and black colour variations. The Huawei Y7 Pro (2019) is visually a lot similar to the P Smart (2019). The P Smart (2019) has a Hisilicon Kirin 710 octa-core chipset. Just like the Y7 Pro, this one has a single RAM variant of 3GB which comes along with 64GB on-board storage. A microSD card slot can expand the phone’s storage up to 512GB.
There are dual rear cameras of 13MP and 2MP and the front camera comprises of an 8MP shooter that is meant for taking selfies or video calling. The handset runs on Android 9.0 Pie skinned with Huawei’s EMUI 9.0 update. Connectivity options include WiFi 802.11, hotspot, FM radio, microUSB 2.0, NFC and GPS.
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This is when your LG smartphone will get the Android Pie update
A number of companies have started sending out timely Android updates and security patches. While all of Nokia smartphones launched were a part of Google’s Android One programme, and OnePlus made sure that it sent out very timely updates for its devices, LG is still lagging behind in this aspect.
Unfortunately, the company still struggles to deliver major Android software updates to its smartphones outside South Korea timely. A major reason for this is that LG’s UX software has very heavy customizations so that obviously causes a problem to send timely updates to any devices.
So, if we speak about Android Pie update, a number of flagship smartphones from most major smartphone makers have either already got it, or the update is being rolled out to them in a phased manner. However, in LG’s case, the only device that has received an official stable Android Pie based update is G7 One. But then, we should also point out that LG G7 One is a part of Google’s Android One programme, and thus runs stock Android. So basically, it comes without the heavily customized LG UX.
Another device by the company to at least get the Android Pie beta in select markets is LG G7 ThinQ. If you happen to own this device and are thinking when it will get the Android Pie update, then we have some news for you. The South Korean consumer electronics maker has officially released its Q1 2019 update roadmap and, according to it, LG G7 ThinQ smartphone is expected to get an official Android Pie update in the first quarter of 2019. Although LG has not mentioned it, reports suggest that the update will begin rolling out in South Korea.
However, if the roadmap brings this happy news for LG G7 ThinQ smartphone owners, it also gets bad news for those who own other devices. This is because they may have to wait for long before they get the Android Pie update. So if you own the LG V40 ThinQ or last year’s LG G6, they will only get some bug fixing updates during this time, but there is no word on when they will get the Android Pie update.
In fact, there is no word on whether they will be getting the update at all or not. But one thing is certain – those who own these devices will have to at least wait till Q2 2019 to get the Android Pie update. And by then, it is very likely that Google would have at least given us a first look at the Android Q.
It is also worth noticing that LG V30 was not mentioned in the roadmap at all. So if you own the smartphone, we wouldn’t get your hopes high by saying anything about expecting the update.
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Nubia Red Magic Mars RNG Edition launched: Here is all you need to know
The new variant of the Nubia Red Magic Mars has finally come out. It is the Nubia Red Magic Mars RNG Edition that has just been launched in China. RNG refers to the dedicated branding of Chinese eSports club Royal Never Give Up. Unlike the prior version that has a simpler convex-styled back, the RNG version has a back panel with signatures of various RNG team members.
The Nubia Red Magic Mars RNG Edition comes with two RAM variants which are 8GB and 10GB. The phone is coming with a price tag of CNY 3,299 that is roughly Rs 33,500 for its 8GB RAM variant. On the other hand, the 10GB RAM is coming for CNY 3,888 which is roughly Rs 39,500. The 8GB RAM and 10GB RAM variants have an on-board storage of 128GB and 256GB respectively.
The phone comes in three colour options that is black, camouflage and flame red. To talk about the technical specifications, the Nubia Red Magic Mars RNG Edition will have a 6-inch full HD+ display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. Resolution of the phone screen is 1,080×2,160 pixels. The handset will run on Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box and is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC.
There is a single rear camera of 16MP along with f/1.8 aperture and phase detection autofocus (PDAF). Also, there is an 8MP camera sensor at the front with a f/2.0 aperture. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS/A-GPS, USB Type-C and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Nubia Red Magic Mars is powered by 3,800mAh battery that supports fast charging. Also, the dimensions of the phone are 158.25x75x9.85mm and it weighs 193 grams.
Over that, there is a DTS 7.1 channel 3D surround sound integrated with an RGB LED panel. Sensors include fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity and compass. Last but not the least, there is liquid and air-cooling technology within this device that can increase CPU performance up to 70 percent. This also leads to reduction of the temperature by up to 13.2 degrees. There is no news that this smartphone will come to India. Even if it does, it will be late to the party as smartphones like Asus ROG phone and OnePlus 6T have already made niche for themselves here.
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Top 16 smartphones launched in India in December 2018
December saw a number of smartphone launches in India. From OnePlus’ fifth anniversary smartphone to Meizu’s comeback devices, the month saw an action-packed one. Here we are listing down all the smartphones that were launched in the country during this time:
OnePlus teamed up with racing giant McLaren for its fifth-anniversary smartphone. OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition comes with the McLaren’s logo embedded on it and the side edges of the device are Papaya Orange in colour. The smartphone has a massive 10GB RAM and supports company’s Warp Charging technology. Priced at Rs 50,999, OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition comes with a subtle carbon fibre pattern underneath its glass back panel and has an Orange charging cable instead of a signature Red one.
Priced at Rs 26,999, the Nokia 8.1 smartphone features a 6.18-inch full-HD+ display that has an aspect ratio of 18.7:9. Nokia 8.1 runs Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box and is a part of Google’s Android One programme. The smartphone is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor and it comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. There is a dual rear camera setup onboard with 12MP and 13MP sensors and Nokia 8.1 comes with a 20MP selfie camera too. The smartphone houses a 3,500mAh.
The month also saw the launch of the Oppo R17 and R17 Pro smartphones. While the former is priced at Rs 34,990, the latter costs Rs 45,990 in India. Coming to the specifications, Oppo Rs 17 Pro runs Android 8.1 Oreo skinned with ColorOS 5.2, features a 6.4-inch full-HD+ display, has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage and sports a triple rear camera setup with 12MP, 20MP and a TOF 3D stereo sensor. The device features a 25MP AI front-facing snapper and is the first to come with the company’s Super VOOC flash charging technology in India. Coming to Oppo R17, most of the specifications remain the same. The differences include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 processor, a 16MP and 5MP dual rear camera setup, and a smaller 3,500mAh battery.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 is certainly among the best smartphones that were launched this month. And we personally thought that it gives a tough competition to all the handsets that are currently ruling the budget segment of the Indian smartphone market. The device has a 6.3-inch Full-HD+ display, is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor and comes with 3GB/4GB/6GB of RAM. The device has a dual rear camera setup with 12MP and 5MP sensors and a 13MP selfie camera. The smartphone houses a 5,000mAh battery and its base model is priced at Rs 12,999 in India.
Meizu made a comeback in India this month with three smartphones – M16th, M6T and C9. While the Meizu M16th is priced at Rs 39,999, the M6T costs Rs 7,999 and C9 bears a price tag of Rs 5,999. Meizu M16th features a 6-inch full HD Super AMOLED display and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 SoC clubbed with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The device has a dual rear camera setup with 12MP and 20MP sensors and its front panel houses a 20MP selfie camera. Speaking of Meizu M6T, the handset sports a 5.7-inch HD+ display and is powered by a MediaTek MT6750 processor coupled with up to 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. The smartphone has 13MP and 2MP dual rear cameras and an 8MP front-facing snapper. There is also a 3,300mAh battery onboard. The entry-level Meizu C9 smartphone has a 5.45-inch HD+ display and is powered by a quad-core Unisoc SC9832E processor. It has a 13MP primary camera, an 8MP selfie camera and has a 3,000mAh battery onboard.
Asus Zenfone Max M2 comes in 3GB RAM/32GB onboard storage and 4GB RAM/64GB internal storage options. While the former is priced at Rs 9,999 and the latter bears a price tag of Rs 11,999. The device comes with a 6.3-inch HD+ IPS LCD display and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 processor. The Android 8.1 Oreo-based smartphone houses a 4,000mAh battery and comes with 13MP+2MP dual rear cameras and an 8MP selfie camera.
Micromax also launched two smartphones in the budget segment this month. Called Micromax Infinity N11 and N12, the two smartphones share most of the specifications and are priced at Rs 8,999 and Rs 9,999 respectively. The smartphones come with a 6.19-inch HD+ display and are powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio P22 processor. While Infinity 12 packs 3GB RAM, Infinity 11 comes with 2GB of RAM. Both the smartphones house a 4,000mAh battery and feature 13MP+5MP dual rear cameras. While the bigger sibling has a 16MP selfie camera, Infinity N11 has an 8MP front-facing snapper.
Coolpad launched three devices in the Indian smartphone market this month – Mega 5, Mega 5M, Mega 5C. All three are entry-level smartphones and the most expensive of them is Coolpad Mega 5, which is priced at Rs 6,999. Coolpad Mega 5 features a 5.7-inch HD+ display, is powered by 1.5GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6739 processor and has 3GB of RAM. The Android 8.1 Oreo-based smartphone comes with a 13MP+0.3MP dual rear cameras and houses a 3,000mAh battery. Coolpad Mega 5C, on the other hand, has a 5.45-inch HD+ display and runs the 1.3GHz quad-core processor clubbed with 1GB RAM. On the camera front, it has a 5MP primary camera and a 5MP selfie camera. Speaking of Coolpad Mega 5C, it has a 5-inch HD display and is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor clubbed with 1GB RAM. The smartphone has a 2,000mah battery and it comes with a 5MP primary camera along with a 2MP selfie camera.
Samsung launched an Alpine White coloured variant of its Galaxy Note 9 smartphone. While there is no change in the specifications of the device, it will only be available in 128GB storage model and cost Rs 67,900. Prior to this, it was available in Ocean Blue, Midnight Black, Metallic Copper, and Lavender Purple colours.
Samsung Galaxy S9+ also got its own new coloured variant – Polaris Blue. The new coloured variant is available only in the 64GB storage variant and bears a price tag of Rs 64,900. Before this, the smartphone was only available in Blue, Black, Purple, Red, and Sunrise Gold colours.
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[td_smart_list_end]
In This Article
OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition
OnePlus teamed up with racing giant McLaren for its fifth-anniversary smartphone. OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition comes with the McLaren’s logo embedded on it and the side edges of the device are Papaya Orange in colour. The smartphone has a massive 10GB RAM and supports company’s Warp Charging technology. Priced at Rs 50,999, OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition comes with a subtle carbon fibre pattern underneath its glass back panel and has an Orange charging cable instead of a signature Red one.
Nokia 8.1
Priced at Rs 26,999, the Nokia 8.1 smartphone features a 6.18-inch full-HD+ display that has an aspect ratio of 18.7:9. Nokia 8.1 runs Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box and is a part of Google’s Android One programme. The smartphone is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor and it comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. There is a dual rear camera setup onboard with 12MP and 13MP sensors and Nokia 8.1 comes with a 20MP selfie camera too. The smartphone houses a 3,500mAh.
Oppo R17 Pro and R17
The month also saw the launch of the Oppo R17 and R17 Pro smartphones. While the former is priced at Rs 34,990, the latter costs Rs 45,990 in India. Coming to the specifications, Oppo Rs 17 Pro runs Android 8.1 Oreo skinned with ColorOS 5.2, features a 6.4-inch full-HD+ display, has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage and sports a triple rear camera setup with 12MP, 20MP and a TOF 3D stereo sensor. The device features a 25MP AI front-facing snapper and is the first to come with the company’s Super VOOC flash charging technology in India. Coming to Oppo R17, most of the specifications remain the same. The differences include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 processor, a 16MP and 5MP dual rear camera setup, and a smaller 3,500mAh battery.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 is certainly among the best smartphones that were launched this month. And we personally thought that it gives a tough competition to all the handsets that are currently ruling the budget segment of the Indian smartphone market. The device has a 6.3-inch Full-HD+ display, is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor and comes with 3GB/4GB/6GB of RAM. The device has a dual rear camera setup with 12MP and 5MP sensors and a 13MP selfie camera. The smartphone houses a 5,000mAh battery and its base model is priced at Rs 12,999 in India.
Meizu M16th, M6T and C9
Meizu made a comeback in India this month with three smartphones – M16th, M6T and C9. While the Meizu M16th is priced at Rs 39,999, the M6T costs Rs 7,999 and C9 bears a price tag of Rs 5,999. Meizu M16th features a 6-inch full HD Super AMOLED display and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 SoC clubbed with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The device has a dual rear camera setup with 12MP and 20MP sensors and its front panel houses a 20MP selfie camera. Speaking of Meizu M6T, the handset sports a 5.7-inch HD+ display and is powered by a MediaTek MT6750 processor coupled with up to 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. The smartphone has 13MP and 2MP dual rear cameras and an 8MP front-facing snapper. There is also a 3,300mAh battery onboard. The entry-level Meizu C9 smartphone has a 5.45-inch HD+ display and is powered by a quad-core Unisoc SC9832E processor. It has a 13MP primary camera, an 8MP selfie camera and has a 3,000mAh battery onboard.
Asus Zenfone Max M2
Asus Zenfone Max M2 comes in 3GB RAM/32GB onboard storage and 4GB RAM/64GB internal storage options. While the former is priced at Rs 9,999 and the latter bears a price tag of Rs 11,999. The device comes with a 6.3-inch HD+ IPS LCD display and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 processor. The Android 8.1 Oreo-based smartphone houses a 4,000mAh battery and comes with 13MP+2MP dual rear cameras and an 8MP selfie camera.
Micromax Infinity N11 and N12
Micromax also launched two smartphones in the budget segment this month. Called Micromax Infinity N11 and N12, the two smartphones share most of the specifications and are priced at Rs 8,999 and Rs 9,999 respectively. The smartphones come with a 6.19-inch HD+ display and are powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio P22 processor. While Infinity 12 packs 3GB RAM, Infinity 11 comes with 2GB of RAM. Both the smartphones house a 4,000mAh battery and feature 13MP+5MP dual rear cameras. While the bigger sibling has a 16MP selfie camera, Infinity N11 has an 8MP front-facing snapper.
Coolpad Mega 5, Coolpad Mega 5M, Coolpad Mega 5C
Coolpad launched three devices in the Indian smartphone market this month – Mega 5, Mega 5M, Mega 5C. All three are entry-level smartphones and the most expensive of them is Coolpad Mega 5, which is priced at Rs 6,999. Coolpad Mega 5 features a 5.7-inch HD+ display, is powered by 1.5GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6739 processor and has 3GB of RAM. The Android 8.1 Oreo-based smartphone comes with a 13MP+0.3MP dual rear cameras and houses a 3,000mAh battery. Coolpad Mega 5C, on the other hand, has a 5.45-inch HD+ display and runs the 1.3GHz quad-core processor clubbed with 1GB RAM. On the camera front, it has a 5MP primary camera and a 5MP selfie camera. Speaking of Coolpad Mega 5C, it has a 5-inch HD display and is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor clubbed with 1GB RAM. The smartphone has a 2,000mah battery and it comes with a 5MP primary camera along with a 2MP selfie camera.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Alpine White
Samsung launched an Alpine White coloured variant of its Galaxy Note 9 smartphone. While there is no change in the specifications of the device, it will only be available in 128GB storage model and cost Rs 67,900. Prior to this, it was available in Ocean Blue, Midnight Black, Metallic Copper, and Lavender Purple colours.
Samsung Galaxy S9+ Polaris Blue
Samsung Galaxy S9+ also got its own new coloured variant – Polaris Blue. The new coloured variant is available only in the 64GB storage variant and bears a price tag of Rs 64,900. Before this, the smartphone was only available in Blue, Black, Purple, Red, and Sunrise Gold colours.
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[td_smart_list_end] Nokia 9 PureView press renders leaked
There has been a recent leak of the Nokia 9 PureView through a press render. The render shows that the smartphone is the first one to come with a penta-lens camera setup. Though the phone was supposed to arrive today, HMD Global postponed its launch date due to production line issues. The smartphone was rumoured to debut in the last week of December, however now has a date of somewhere in the end of January 2018.
Tipster Evan Blass leaked a press render about the Nokia 9 PureView, which tells us quite a lot about it. We know that the handset is coming with a penta-lens camera setup at the back and would have an in-display fingerprint sensor. The Nokia 9 PureView has an Android One branding on the back as well. So, it would probably run on Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box with upgradability to Android Q in the coming year.
More details from the leak tells us that the mobile phone will come with a thin-bezel with a super slim display panel. This display does not have any curved edges that sets it apart from numerous Samsung and other flagship smartphones launched in 2018. There is no display notch in the front panel of the Nokia phone as well. And also, there is a metal frame with glass panels covering the front and back sides of the phone.
Reports suggest that there is only one 8GB RAM variant which has an on-board storage of 256GB. Earlier the Nokia 9 PureView had a nickname called ‘Olympic’ and now, as tipster Blass has informed, it is called ‘Beholder’. The reason behind the launch postponement is, like we said, due to production line issues, especially with the complex penta-lens camera setup.
Some previous insights claim that the Nokia 9 PureView will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC. There could also be single and dual-SIM options available. Connectivity options would include WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, 3G and 4G LTE. The smartphone will probably come with a 5.9-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1,440×2,560 pixels. It will have 5 cameras at the back with one of them having a 22MP sensor, along with a 12MP front camera meant for selfies. Over that, the device will house a 3,800mAh battery.
Image courtesy: Android Pure
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New York City cops to fly a drone over New York City for security purposes this New Year’s Eve
Police will keep a watchful eye for the first time in New York during New Year’s Eve. This will happen with the help of a police drone. The New York City police deployed 7,000 police officers, bomb-sniffing dogs and 200 blocker trucks filled with sand. Since this technology is going to stay very high above the ground level, it will make it difficult for the pedestrians to spot them. The quadcopter drone will be controlled by the police and will provide a massive view of the entire ground level area.
This will help police to easily identify criminals if any suspicious activity is taking place. Though there are no apparent threats, the police have ensured that it will do its duty, which is why this air patrol is taking place. Also, the police said that they will spot any unmanned vehicles in the air which are not authorised.
Drones are kind of new to the New York Police and they had announced it only a month back. Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill commented on the Drones that time. He said in a statement that the police “must always be willing to leverage the benefits of new and always-improving technology.” Some drones can zoom into objects using camera lenses and can map an area in 3D with the help of thermal-imaging.
The introduction of drones isn’t surprising considering that they have been in huge demand by local advocacy groups who wanted to draw attention to the need for the protection of individuals’ rights and privacy. The NYPD has been trying to enhance its technology for quite some time for better execution of its duties. For example, the department gave up 36,000 Windows phones in order to start working on iPhones. Also, they introduced body cameras to the force so that they could provide greater accountability for their actions. They have established this target that they would provide one camera to each and every officer on the force by the end of 2019.
Hopefully with the Drone guidelines coming into effect in India as well, the same system can be picked up city police here in India as well. This will definitely reduce crime.
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iPhone XS Max catches fire, owner planning to sue Apple: Report
The year certainly wasn’t a good one for Apple. After seeing a drop in sales in various parts of the world including India and having some iPhones banned in China and Germany, it seems like the Cupertino based technology giant will have to look at another pressing matter. A new report has surfaced online which claims that an iPhone XS Max, owned by Ohio-based man Josh Hillard, caught fire and exploded while it was inside his pants.
According to iDrop News, the rather shocking incident took place on December 12 when Hillard was near Columbus, Ohio. Hillard said that he noticed thick smoke coming from his iPhone XS Max and also suddenly started feeling a “large amount of heat” clubbed with a burning sensation on his skin. He reportedly rushed and took off his pants where he had placed his iPhone XS Max and a fire extinguisher had to be used to put out the flames of the burning smartphone.
Hillard said that he took the remains of his burnt iPhone XS Max to an Apple Store on the same day, but he wasn’t provided satisfactory customer service. It has been reported that he was made to answer questions for nearly 20 minutes by an employee at the Apple Store and then had to wait for 40 minutes before he could return his iPhone to the company.
Hillard claims that the Apple Store manager told him that his iPhone XS Max had to go to the company’s engineering team for analysis, as that was the only way for him to get his smartphone replaced.
After this, he returned home and called the Apple Care to inform them about the entire incident. While Apple did provide Hillard with a replacement unit, he feels that this does not make up for what happened to him. Hillard is also seeking compensation for his clothes and shoes that were damaged and also for the wireless service which he couldn’t use while he was being questioned by Apple employees.
The report in iDrop News says that Hillard plans to file a lawsuit against Apple. As of now, Apple has not commented on any issue regarding iPhone XS Max exploding. There is also no clarity on what made the iPhone catch fire in this case, but we’ll update you if and when we get to know.
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Xiaomi Mi 9 and Mi Mix 4 might come with triple rear cameras and a Snapdragon 855 chipset
What a year end it has been, with a plethora of leaks this December, another one has come to light. The upcoming Xiaomi Mi 9 and Mi Mix 4 are leaked to have triple rear cameras. This has been tipped by a research note from GF Securities of Hong Kong. In their performance market report, they said that Mi 9 would be the first smartphone have triple rear cameras by the company. In terms of the Mi 4, it is going to have a periscope lens that will allow greater optical zoom. Moreover, this smartphone won’t be needing more space in the chassis (at least on the thickness axis).
Both phones have been leaked to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor. The fact that both these phones will have the latest CPU is not surprising because they will be Xiaomi’s flagship devices. Rumours say, that the Mi 9 will have 5G connectivity too, so the ones who will possess the MI Mix 3 won’t be the only ones to be privileged with 5G.
Recently, another Xiaomi phone, the Poco F2 was leaked on Geekbench, along with its specifications. The phone is supposed to run Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box skinned with Xiaomi’s latest MIUI 10 update. The phone evidently will have Snapdragon 855 processor considering that its predecessor, the Poco F1, is powered by a Snapdragon 845 SoC.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 was accidentally listed on Flipkart a few days ago and Flipkart did not rectify this mistake until 15-year old tipster, Ishan Agarwal tweeted about it. The device will probably be powered by a Snapdragon 636 Processor. The screen resolution of the smartphone will be 2,280×1,080pixels and will come with an aspect ratio of 19:9.
Two RAM variants include 4GB and 6GB with an internal storage of 64GB. The device would be powered by a 4,000mAh battery. As far as the rear camera arrangement is concerned, this mobile will have 12MP and 5MP dual rear cameras. The 4GB and 6GB RAM variants will come for a price of Rs 13,999 and Rs 15,999 respectively. In the recent turn of events, we have noticed a lot of phone leaks of the Chinese smartphone brands. Now we only need to see when they come to life and if they meet consumer expectations when they are launched.
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How to click the perfect selfie in any type of light conditions
Selfie, a millennial fad which was named as the word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries in the year 2013, has indubitably ginger up the social media. No second thought about its popularity, which comes to in play in any smartphone in a form of some fancy application. We love to click a self-portrait snap and post it on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and a plethora of such apps, which are gushed with a myriad of selfies everyday. What else could be better than expressing yourself with a single click from your smartphone camera? Noted, no aid requisite. An alternative to this joy has not been found yet. But, the question is how to click a perfect selfie, that would help you stand out of the crowd? Fret not, we are here to help you out with the same. And no matter if you are old or new to the selfie game, the following tips will help you along the way to become a selfie expert, just like Karan Johar.
In This Article
Defining perspective:
Indeed, a picture is worth a thousand words. The perspective of the photo defines the subject. A low angle shot, with the camera below eye level, makes you look dominating and authoritative while a high angle shot, with the camera above eye level, makes you look meek. Notice, a shot from eye level makes the photo look more realistic, while the prior two are used to add a dramatic twist to your photo. Test each shot out and pick the best one that suits your style.Playing with lights:
A studio light setup is not always available to us. However, that does not mean you cannot use the regular room lights or a study lamp available around the house to shoot that coveted selfie. Points to remember, hard lights help in casting a sharp shadow, differentiating them with highlights, whereas soft lights help in making diffused shadow and smooth edges. Thus, avoid front flash when you want smooth edges in your photograph.Splash of colours:
The trending coloured LEDs, popularly known as fairy lights are widely used for bokeh, adding an aesthetic sense to the photograph. If you are taking a selfie with it, use of flashlight would add a different colour to the photo. Avoid them in such cases.Dealing with dim lights:
Always take a raw selfie. You may not like it at first place but editing it wisely will probably give you a better result. Editing a filtered selfie often end up with burned as well as blurred image. You surely don’t want to be trolled for a selfie failing to recognise you. Don’t you? Make sure you use flashlight sparingly.A perfect sun-kissed selfie:
To get that dreamy sun-kissed selfie always remember the source of light should be used to enhance not to burn the composition of your face. While taking selfie also ensure that the shadow of your hand should not cast on your face. If bearable as well as suitable, open your eyes and glee for a happy morning selfie face, for sure that could light up anybody’s day. Indubitably, taking a good selfie has never been a monotonous job, rather a hobby of many. It may get tricky sometimes to click a perfect selfie. However, forbidding your senses while taking a selfie might put you in trouble someday. Besides, never push yourself to smile, after all, it all about expressing yourself not pretending to be what you are not. Don’t forget trying the sassy pout(s). For inspiration check out some of the selfies taken by Shahrukh Khan or Karan Johar on Instagram. They are the pout masters! For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.Google’s Android Messages app gets this much needed ‘Truecaller feature’
For months now, rumours about Google working on a spam protection feature for its Android Messages app have been surfacing online. And now, a report has emerged on Android Police that says that Google has started rolling out the spam protection feature to some of its users. After testing it for a few days, the company will roll the feature out to the masses.
As of now, it is being said that it is a server-end rollout of the spam protection feature. So, when your device gets the feature, you will be informed about it via a notification message. To manually activate the feature, you can head to the Settings of your smartphone, then select the option of Advanced Settings and then choose Spam Protection. You need to make sure that this option is enabled in order to make the spam protection feature work in Android Messages.
Post this, the feature will start alerting you about spam messages that you receive. Personally, we think that this is a much-needed feature as currently, our Android Messages app is full of spam messages, and we are sure that a majority of the people would agree with us on this.
It is also worth noticing that a section was discovered on Google’s support help site some time back which is said to have gone live prematurely. The section explained how the new spam protection feature will function while keeping the user’s privacy intact. According to Google’s support help website, on enabling the feature some information about the messages will be sent to the company. However, the company has assured users that the content of their messages like the phone number or the message body will not be read.
When users enable the feature, they will see this alert message beneath the Enable Spam Protection toggle. However, we should also point out that it has not been explained how this feature works at the back-end. But then, it is worth noticing that if you report spam messages manually, the entire message will be submitted to Google including the phone numbers and the contents of the message reported.
Although the feature sounds to be a useful one, if you are someone who is concerned about your data on the Messages app, you would rather keep the spam protection feature off. Till we get some more details about how this feature works, it’s a tough choice that we have to make between privacy and spam.
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Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Android Pie update is expected to come on January 15
The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 beta program is ongoing and Samsung released a new Note 9 beta update recently. Therefore, it is safe say that the January update which Samsung had planned for Galaxy Note 9 seems to be on track. According to Samsung Turkey, users will have the update in their phone by January 15.
The Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy Note 8 will receive Android Pie update exactly a month after Note 9 update, that is 15th February. Samsung Turkey usually changes its update roadmaps. And considering that it was very fast in rolling out the update for the Galaxy S9, it lays more weight to the speculation that the Android Pie for Note 9 is going to roll out by mid-January.
To recall its specifications, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 comes with a super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen. The screen is 6.4-inch wide and it has a resolution of 1,440x,2960 pixels. The smartphone is protected by a corning gorilla glass 5. The handset is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor in some parts of the world while others have it running Exynos 9810 chipset. This is combined with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage with the option to expand it further using a microSD card.
The dual rear camera setup on this smartphone comprises of two 12MP sensors and the front camera is powered by an 8MP sensor meant for selfies. Connectivity options of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 include WiFi 802.11, hotspot, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and USB 3.1. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 houses a non-removable battery of 4,000mAh and comes in a lot of colour options. Price of the mobile is Rs 67,900 on Indian e-commerce stores. It has many sensors which include iris scanner, fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate and SpO2. Also, messaging options include SMS, MMS, Email, push Email and IM.
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Samsung Galaxy A50 to house a 4,000mAh battery: Report
South Korean technology giant Samsung’s upcoming smartphone Galaxy A50 will house a massive 4,000mAh battery, according to a new report that has surfaced online. The report also says that Samsung Galaxy A50 will sport a 24MP primary camera. However, there is no information about other shooters on its back panel.
Furthermore, it has also been revealed that Samsung Galaxy A50 smartphone will be powered by the company’s own Exynos 7 9610 processor, which comes with a CPU with four Cortex-A73 cores and four A53s. The smartphone is said to have 4GB of RAM clubbed with either 64GB or 128GB of internal storage. The upcoming offering by Samsung will run Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box.
While the reported battery capacity of the smartphone is good, it is lesser than the 5,000mAh battery that we will see in the company’s Galaxy M20 handset. Another thing we can derive from the specifications is that Galaxy A50 will be launched after the Galaxy S10 smartphones. This is because Samsung usually launches its flagship devices with the new Android version first and the rest of its smartphones follow. This is particularly true for mid-range smartphones from Samsung, and Galaxy A50 happens to be one of them.
Although we fully expect it to be launched in the first half of 2019, picking out a particular month will be tough right now. We would have to wait to know more about the launch date of the device.
Samsung’s Galaxy A50 smartphone is also expected to come with wireless charging as well as an in-display fingerprint scanner, as the company has said that it plans to bring the two technologies to its mid-tier devices. However, it has also been reported that the fingerprint sensor the company will use would be optical in nature and not ultrasonic.
While we have seen optical fingerprint sensors in the likes of Vivo Nex, Oppo Find X and OnePlus 6T smartphones, we will get to see an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner in Samsung Galaxy S10. An interesting fact that has been reported about Samsung Galaxy S10 is that 30% of its screen will be covered with the fingerprint sensor. So, touching anywhere on that area of the display will unlock the device. This is something we are really looking forward to using when the smartphone launches next year.
Image courtesy: GalaxyClub
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Samsung’s Galaxy A50 smartphone is also expected to come with wireless charging as well as an in-display fingerprint scanner, as the company has said that it plans to bring the two technologies to its mid-tier devices. However, it has also been reported that the fingerprint sensor the company will use would be optical in nature and not ultrasonic.
While we have seen optical fingerprint sensors in the likes of Vivo Nex, Oppo Find X and OnePlus 6T smartphones, we will get to see an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner in Samsung Galaxy S10. An interesting fact that has been reported about Samsung Galaxy S10 is that 30% of its screen will be covered with the fingerprint sensor. So, touching anywhere on that area of the display will unlock the device. This is something we are really looking forward to using when the smartphone launches next year.
Image courtesy: GalaxyClub
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Netflix in-app subscriptions to be discontinued for new and old iOS consumers
Netflix has decided to stop its in-app subscriptions from now on. The reason being, it is finding very inconvenient that Apple takes a chunk of the profits which the app developer earns from subscriptions made by iOS users. To quote Netflix, it “no longer support(s) iTunes as a method of payment for new members.”
From now on, iOS Netflix users have to subscribe to it through a web browser. They would no longer be able to pay for subscriptions on the basis of the app. The current users can still access the app to pay for a few billing periods. However, new subscribers and subscribers who stopped subscribing but are planning to return, cannot use the app based subscription anymore.
This is a bit sad for users as they could use the Apple billing info to pay for subscriptions until now. This was a very convenient process. Earlier, Netflix was obliged to pay 30 percent of its yearly revenue to Apple. This share declined to a 15 percent eventually.
The backdrop being that app developers complained about Apple’s massive demands on their profits. And this led to the implementation of the 2016 policy that allowed them greater share in their profits. Netflix’s decision is not a new story considering that Spotify has also removed its in-app subscriptions to evade Apple’s share of its revenue.
App developers have been complaining about enormous demands they encounter on their revenue in the Apple ecosystem. This is not the first time Netflix is stopping its in-app subscriptions. Earlier it stopped in-app subscriptions through Google Play, which fed on a certain chunk of its money. Google has faced quite a lot of criticism because of this. Also, Epic games, the developer of Fortnite maintains its distance from Google Play in order to maximize its profits.
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Essential phone to be discontinued, however Essential is making a new one
The Essential phone is being discontinued as announced by the company yesterday. A source has spotted that the phone is no longer available on the website. However, there is some good news in store for you. Despite Essential cancelling its previous phone, the company is planning to manufacture a new one. This one in all likelihood would use AI to answer emails and text messages.
An Essential spokeswoman talked about the launch of this new phone whose did not want to be named. Here is what she said, “We are sold out of Essential Phone on essential.com and won’t be adding any new inventory. We are now hard at work on our next mobile product and will continue to sell accessories and provide speedy software updates and customer support to our existing community.”
The company has experienced many changes and due to many reasons, its success declined. This includes poor initial sales, camera woes, layoffs. There have been serious scandals like data breach and even worse, alleged sexual harassment charges against Essentials founder, Andy Rubin. Moreover, in one instance, the Essential Phone 2 had been shelved and the company was almost sold.
In spite of such losses it made a comeback by launching software updates regularly for the Essential phone faster than its competitors. It provided major discounts to attract more customers and launched a snap-on $149 headphone jack accessory.
Now that the phone has been discontinued, we are anticipating what the new one has got to show us. The company hasn’t yet announced its launch date and we are waiting for when tipsters are going to leak its information.
To recall, the Essential Phone came in a single 4GB RAM variant with 128GB internal storage. There is a single rear camera of 13MP and a front 8MP camera meant for selfies. Connectivity options included WiFi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.0, hotspot, GPS, NFC and USB Type-C. It has an LCD capacitive touchscreen that is protected by a corning Gorilla Glass 5. Dimensions of the smartphone were 141.5×71.1×7.8mm and it weighs 185grams.
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Last few days to get your iPhone battery replaced by Apple at Rs 1,500: All that you should know
We all remember Apple admitting to slowing down its older iPhones to prevent unexpected shutdowns. Following the public outrage, the company had slashed the prices of replacing iPhone batteries that were out of warranty. While normally the price of getting an iPhone battery that’s not in warranty replaced is nearly Rs 6,500, for a limited time, it could be done for Rs 1,995.
However, that limited time is now about to be over as the deadline for getting these batteries replaced at a discounted price is December 31, 2018. So if you have an iPhone that has an out-of-warranty battery that is eligible to be replaced, we recommend you should do it within the next three days.
You can book an appointment online at Apple website to get your battery replaced and then visit the nearest Apple service centre to get the battery of your iPhone replaced. Even if you go to a service centre without booking an online appointment, it shouldn’t necessarily be a problem, but you may have to wait longer.
Your iPhone will first undergo some diagnostic checks and will be inspected for physical damage. If it clears these tests, only then will you be able to get the battery of your iPhone replaced. However, that too wouldn’t happen immediately. You will get a call from the Apple service centre within the next 2-3 days and you will have to visit the centre once again. On visiting the centre, you will be able to get your iPhone’s battery replaced within an hour or so.
The smartphones which are eligible for the out-of-warranty battery replacement programme by Apple include iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. If you have any of these iPhones and you think that it needs a battery replacement, head to the nearest Apple service centre now and get it replaced before the deadline approaches.
As we mentioned earlier, you can avail the discount on getting the out-of-warranty batteries replaced till December 31, 2018, which is the day after tomorrow. After that, it will again cost you Rs 6,500 to get your iPhone’s battery replaced, whereas now, you can get it for just Rs 1,995.
For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.