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.
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Xiaomi’s POCO F2 with Android Pie gets listed on Geekbench
Rumours and reports about Xiaomi’s POCO F2 smartphone have started surfacing online. As the name suggests, the smartphone is the successor of the company’s POCO F1 smartphone, which garnered a lot of appreciation for offering high-end specifications at an affordable price. The upcoming Xiaomi POCO F2 has been spotted on Geekbench and the listing has given us an insight into its key specifications.
According to the Geekbench listing, the smartphone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 processor and will run Android 9.0 Pie out of the box. Interestingly, POCO F1 also recently received an update to MIUI 10 based on Android 9.0 Pie. And since POCO F1 was launched with Snapdragon 845 SoC, it was expected that Xiaomi will launch the POCO F2 smartphone with the latest Snapdragon 855 processor.
Xiaomi POCO F1 was launched in the Indian smartphone market in August this year to compete with Asus ZenFone 5Z and OnePlus 6 at a price of Rs 21,999. Recently, Xiaomi slashed the price of the smartphone by Rs 1,000. In fact, when OnePlus 6T was launched, the company also started its ‘Do the maths’ campaign on social media to promote the fact that it is offering similar high-end specs at a much more affordable price. While some appreciated it, others believed that OnePlus 6T was indeed a much better smartphone.
Coming back to the Geekbench listing, it revealed that POCO F2 smartphone will be available in 6GB RAM and 8GB RAM variants. Xiaomi’s upcoming device has scored 2,321 and 7,564 in the single and multi-core scores of Geekbench. It is also worth mentioning that the Geekbench listing carries December 28 as the upload date.
The Geekbench listing of Xiaomi POCO F2 was first spotted by Nashville Chatter. Earlier this week, the Chinese smartphone brand launched the 6GB RAM/128GB storage model of its POCO F1 Armoured Edition smartphone. The has already gone on sale in India and is priced at Rs 23,999. If you are someone who is likely to use more storage in a smartphone, you can opt for the top-of-the-line variant of POCO F1 Armoured Edition that comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage.
Image Courtesy: Nashville Chatter
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Xiaomi POCO F1 was launched in the Indian smartphone market in August this year to compete with Asus ZenFone 5Z and OnePlus 6 at a price of Rs 21,999. Recently, Xiaomi slashed the price of the smartphone by Rs 1,000. In fact, when OnePlus 6T was launched, the company also started its ‘Do the maths’ campaign on social media to promote the fact that it is offering similar high-end specs at a much more affordable price. While some appreciated it, others believed that OnePlus 6T was indeed a much better smartphone.
Coming back to the Geekbench listing, it revealed that POCO F2 smartphone will be available in 6GB RAM and 8GB RAM variants. Xiaomi’s upcoming device has scored 2,321 and 7,564 in the single and multi-core scores of Geekbench. It is also worth mentioning that the Geekbench listing carries December 28 as the upload date.
The Geekbench listing of Xiaomi POCO F2 was first spotted by Nashville Chatter. Earlier this week, the Chinese smartphone brand launched the 6GB RAM/128GB storage model of its POCO F1 Armoured Edition smartphone. The has already gone on sale in India and is priced at Rs 23,999. If you are someone who is likely to use more storage in a smartphone, you can opt for the top-of-the-line variant of POCO F1 Armoured Edition that comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage.
Image Courtesy: Nashville Chatter
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If you use an extremely old smartphone, we have some bad news for you. This is because, in the next three days, WhatsApp may stop working on your smartphone. The Facebook-owned instant messaging app will not support certain operating systems and devices post-December 31. So in case you are using WhatsApp on one of those devices, it’s may be time for you to buy a new smartphone. Here’s a look at all the handsets on which WhatsApp will stop working after December 31:
In This Article
Nokia S40
Nokia’s S40 series, which is also known as Series 40, did see a lot of success in the Indian market. In fact, in 2012, the company had announced that it sold over 1.5 billion Series 40 phones in the country. But when Android smartphones came to the smartphone market, it directly hit the sales of Nokia S40 series. The company then stopped selling these devices in the country. However, if you are still using WhatsApp on one of these phones, it will stop working after December 31. However, if you like feature phones, you can opt for the JioPhone, JioPhone 2 or Nokia 8110 4G, as they all have support for WhatsApp. It is worth mentioning that all these feature phones run on KaiOS and got support for WhatsApp and YouTube earlier this year.Certain Android smartphones
Feature phones are not the only ones that will suffer. Some Android smartphones will also stop supporting WhatsApp. The popular instant messaging app will stop working on smartphones running on Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread and older after February 1, 2020. So, only devices with Android 4.0 and above will have the ability to run WhatsApp. But then, reports suggest that only 0.3% of the Android smartphones are running on Gingerbread platform, so not many users will be impacted.Certain iOS devices
WhatsApp is not only ending support for certain Android smartphones. Some iOS devices will be impacted too. Post-February 2020, devices running on iOS 7 and older versions will not be able to run WhatsApp. So, if you want to continue using WhatsApp, you should update before the deadline arrives. 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.Sony Xperia XA3 Plus price and colour variants leaked, expected to be unveiled at CES 2019
The Consumer Electronics Show is all set to take place in Las Vegas in January 2019. And like every year, a number of new innovations and devices will be showcased at the show. And Sony Xperia XA3 series is reported to be one of them. The successor to the Sony Xperia A2 range, Xperia XA3 and Xperia XA3 Ultra smartphones are said to have received certification in Russia this month. And now, the colour variants and price of Sony Xperia XA3 Plus, which will also be a part of the lineup, have surfaced online.
The smartphone is expected to be unveiled at CES 2019 next month along with other Sony Xperia XA3 and Xperia L3 smartphones, according to a report by Android blog DroidShout. Reports have also quoted a source saying that the upcoming smartphone will be priced at EUR 519 and will be available in Black, Gold, and Silver colour variants.
Coming to the specifications of the upcoming smartphone, it will reportedly come with a 6-inch display that will have full-HD+ resolution and is said to be powered by a processor from the Snapdragon 600-series.
Earlier reports claimed that Xperia XA3 Ultra will be launched with Xperia XA3 and Xperia L3. However, the latest report says that the company is planning to unveil the Xperia XA3 Plus smartphone. However, it is worth noticing that this doesn’t mean that Xperia XA3 Ultra won’t be unveiled at CES 2019 because it would be highly unlikely that Sony would keep just one variant under wraps while launching all the others in the lineup. Besides, considering that the smartphone in question has already received its certification in Russia this month, the chances of it not being unveiled with the other three devices are extremely slim.
Renders of Sony Xperia XA3 and Xperia XA3 Ultra show that the smartphones come with thin bezels and have the fingerprint sensor embedded on the side edge. The devices look like they have glass back panels and they still haven’t ditched the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Speaking of Sony Xperia L3 smartphone, it has been reported that the smartphone has a 5.7-inch HD+ display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. The device will run Android 9.0 Pie out of the box and will sport a dual rear camera setup.
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Samsung Galaxy M-series smartphones to come with Infinity-V displays
This week saw a report surfaced online which claimed that South Korean technology giant Samsung is all set to launch its Galaxy M-Series smartphones in India January 2019. And now, another report in IANS has emerged that says that the M-series smartphones will come with Samsung’s Infinity-V displays and will be up to 6.4-inches in size. Furthermore, it has also been revealed that the smartphones will batteries that are larger than any that we have seen on Samsung devices yet.
According to IANS, the smartphone giant is expected to launch four smartphones in India in its Galaxy M series – Samsung Galaxy M10, Galaxy M20, Galaxy M30, and Galaxy M40. A different report claims that these smartphones by Samsung will be known as Galaxy M1, Galaxy M2, Galaxy M3, and Galaxy M4.
It has also been said that Samsung will be launching its Galaxy M50 or Galaxy M5 smartphone in India along with these four smartphones, however, as of now, this is just a speculation.
With its Galaxy M series, Samsung is said to be working on replacing its current Galaxy J and Galaxy On series in India. It is worth noticing that the two series dominated the budget and mid-range segments of the Indian smartphone market before the likes of Xiaomi saw success in India.
The report in IANS went on to say that the launch of Galaxy M smartphones in India is followed by months of research and development carried out by the company in the country to consolidate its position in the market and to launch smartphones aimed at millennials.
This year saw Samsung revamp its Galaxy A series with Galaxy A7 (2018) and Galaxy A9 (2018) smartphones. While the former sports a triple rear camera setup, the latter is the world’s first smartphone to come with four cameras on its back panel.
Next year will be an interesting one for Samsung as, besides Galaxy M series, it will be seen launching its tenth-anniversary special Galaxy S10 smartphones. The South Korean smartphone will also be seen launching its foldable phone in 2019, which it earlier showcased at its developer conference last month.
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Haier expands its washing machine range in India
Haier has expanded its washing machine range in India with the launch of its all-new HWM100-678NZP 10kg Top Load Washing Machine that comes with 360-degree waterfall technology. According to the company, the HWM100-678NZP washing machine has been designed with features that cater to all the laundry needs of Indian households. And as we just mentioned, it comes equipped with the company’s 360-degree waterfall technology that is claimed to offer deeper cleaning with extra care to the fabrics.
The newly launched washing machine has silent and steady operations and has a big screen that provides more efficient user controls. The washing machine has a direct motion inverter motor that accelerated the machine’s longevity and also saves time and energy used by up to 30%.
Haier’s HWM100-678NZP washing machine has an Oceanus wave drum that creates a stronger water flow that ensures deep cleaning and less abrasion.
In addition to this, the HWM100-678NZP washing machine from Haier comes with soft fall technology on its lid. This enables ‘smart and slow’ closure in the washing machine. Besides this, the washing machine also has a shock absorption feature that helps in preventing accidents.
Speaking on the occasion of the launch, Mr Eric Braganza, President, Haier India, said, “With the launch of our new washing machine with 360-degree waterfall technology, we are expanding our existing range with an innovative product that delivers a comprehensive washing experience to our consumers. We at Haier, constantly look at addressing our user’s needs and introduce new innovations for great user experience. To offer a wholesome washing experience to our customers, we have designed this model with advanced features to deliver unbeatable cleanliness and extra care to their clothes.”
Haeir’s new washing machine has been designed with artistic motifs on its titanium grey coloured body. The newly launched washing machine has a curved body and comes with smooth edges and the company says that these two allow easy user access around it. The company is offering a lifetime warranty on the washing machine’s motor and Haeir has promised an excellent customer service experience for its buyers. Haier HWM100-678NZP 10 kg washing machine is priced at Rs 43,750 in India.
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How to connect a computer to TV
In case you want to watch your favourite movies on a big screen or want to listen to music in loud volume, connecting your TV to your computer is a nice option. But, in case you have no clue as how to go about it, this is where we come in. Before we begin with this, let us introduce you to the kind of wires/connectors through which your computer or PC can get connected to your TV. There are three kinds—HDMI, DVI and VGA cables.
VGA is the oldest cable amongst all of them, usually termed as analogue cable. This works in older generation of computers as they have ports compatible with this one. In case you are using this, then you also need to connect your device with an audio cable because otherwise, you won’t have sound. This port does not provide audio. The same can be said for the DVI port. It is a newer generation port, however doesn’t support audio with the exception of a few.
The HDMI is the newest port type, also known as High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI). This one supports high definition video and audio, all available through a single cable. Now let us get to the real deal. Since, nowadays most devices have HDMI ports we will introduce it first. This is how you connect your computer to a TV via HDMI:
- There would be an HDMI port in the computer and one in the TV. Plug in your cable to connect both the devices. Often times in recent LCD, LED TVs there is an HDMI cable or extender attached to it. In this case you simply need to find it (it is located on the left side of the TV, usually) and connect it.
- The next step is to press the input button on your TV remote and select ‘HDMI’ out of the options which appear on your TV thereon
- Now right click on your computer. Display Settings>Detect>Identify>Duplicate these displays. The ‘Duplicate These Displays’ button is meant to replicate the computer screen on your TV.
- Once you click on that, end the process by clicking on ‘Apply’ and your TV would be showcasing exactly the same thing on your computer.
- There would be two connectors at the end of the DVI/VGA cable. Those two ends will help you connect your computer to the TV. The ports in both the devices are the same so you don’t need to go through the trouble to find which end of the wire is supposed to fit where.
- Now you need to connect both the devices with an audio cable. The ends of this cable are similar to a 3.5mm headphone plug. Plug in one end of the cable in the audio jack of the computer. The other end is supposed to go inside the TV’s audio-in port.
- Just like in case of the HDMI connection, you have to change the input of the TV using the remote. Only difference is that this time you have to select the DVI or VGA input depending upon your cable type.
- Now right click on your computer. Select ‘display settings> detect>Identify> Duplicate these displays.
- Once this is over click on ‘Apply’ and your TV would replicate the same screen which is there in your computer.
Google Pixel 3 Lite and Pixel 3 XL Lite are likely to launch in spring of 2019
The Google Pixel 3 Lite and Pixel 3 XL Lite will launch sooner than you think. As reports suggest, they would probably launch in spring of 2019. The rumour was sparked when Google signed a deal with Verizon. The pricing and launch date are not yet known and we will come to light in the coming months. Previously the Pixel 3 Lite and 3 XL Lite have been reportedly spotted in renders, too.
Industry insiders recon that these smartphones will be cheaper than the regular versions of the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. Hence these could come with a price tag of USD400 or USD500 (Rs 28,000 to Rs35,000 approx). According to some past reports the Google Pixel 3 Lite and Lite XL are said to have 4GB RAM and 32GB on-board storage. Unfortunately, the Pixel 3 Lite would not have a microSD card slot. Also, there is no word that the Pixel 3 XL Lite would come with a microSD card, too.
Over that, there is a single 12-megapixel rear camera on both phones combined with a front camera of 8MP. The Pixel 3 Lite would have a 5.5-inch display and the Pixel 3 XL Lite would feature a 6-inch display. Screen resolution of the mobile device is 1,080×2,160 pixels and comes with an aspect ratio of 18:9.
A recent ARCore APK teardown had also revealed the codenames of the upcoming Google Pixel smartphones as ‘Bonito’ and ‘Sargo’. Though these handsets come in the mid-range category of mobiles, they are expected to offer enhanced photography experience just like some of the more expensive ones do. Also, both of them are expected to have a polycarbonate construction. The smartphones are said to carry a Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 or Snapdragon 710 SoC. And they would reportedly have a traditional 3.5mm headphone jack.
Connectivity options of the Google Pixel 3 Lite and 3 Lite XL include WiFi 802.11, hotspot, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC and USB 3.1 Type-C. The handset will house a 2,915mAh non-removable battery. This seems a to be a bit less, but with USB Type-C port, the smartphones are likely to have the fast charging feature.
It would run the latest Android Pie operating system. Like its kin, we are expecting Google Pixel 3 Lite and 3 Lite XL to come in various colour options. Since Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have not created a large fanbase for themselves, will these two new models be able to turn the fortunes around of the smartphone business by the search giant.
Image courtesy: 91mobiles and Onleaks
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Android 9 Pie smartphones list: Will your mobile get the Android 9 update?
Google has been rolling out the Android Pie update since August. While some smartphones were quick to get it, others are still waiting for it. Is your smartphone one of them? Find out in our list if it will be receiving the latest Android update or not:
Google
Smartphones from Google had to be the first ones on our list. While Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL were launched with the Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box, the Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL and Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones have got the latest Android update too.
One thing we really love about Nokia smartphones is the fact that they are all a part of Google’s Android One programme – which means that they will get timely Android updates and security patches. Nokia 7.1 was launched in India with Android 9.0 Pie. The latest Android update has started rolling out to Nokia 6.1, Nokia 6.1 Plus and Nokia 8 (Beta). The company’s flagship smartphone, Nokia 8 Sirocco is also scheduled to get the update. Since Nokia 3, Nokia 3.1, Nokia 5.1, Nokia 5, and Nokia 6 are also a part of Android One, they will be getting the update too.
OnePlus is another company that has started sending timely Android updates and security patches to its devices. The company’s latest offering – OnePlus 6T – was launched with Android Pie and the smartphone maker’s other flagship of the year – OnePlus 6 – also got the update before its successor was launched. OnePlus has been rolling the update out to OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T users in a phased manner and the company’s OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T smartphones will also be getting the latest Android update.
The next one on our list is Xiaomi. While Xiaomi’s Mi A2 Lite smartphone has already got the Android 9.0 Pie update, the POCO F1 has got the beta update and the Mi Max 3 is promised to get it.
Now let’s talk about smartphones from Samsung. A lot of smartphones from Samsung will be getting the latest Android Pie update. The update has already started rolling out to Samsung Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy S9 Plus and Galaxy S9 smartphones. It will also be coming to Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy A8 (2018), Galaxy A8+ (2018), Galaxy A7 (2018), Galaxy A9 (2018), Galaxy J4, Galaxy J4+, Galaxy J6, Galaxy J6+, Galaxy A8 Star, Galaxy J7 (2017), Galaxy J7 Duo and Galaxy J3 (2017).
A number of smartphones from Huawei will be getting the latest Android update. The latest Huawei Mate 20 line-up that comprises of Mate 20 Pro, Mate 20 and Mate 20 X smartphones was launched with Android 9.0 Pie out of the box. However, till now, only Huawei Mate 20 Pro has been launched in India. The update has also started rolling out to Huawei P20, P20 Pro, Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro, Mate 10 Porsche Design and Mate RS Porsche Design.
The next company on our list is Huawei’s sub-brand Honor. Honor 10, Honor View 10 and Honor Play smartphones are currently getting the Android Pie update in a phased manner. The latest Android update will also come to Honor Mate 9 smartphone.
Speaking of Sony’s smartphone line-up, Sony Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact are running the Android 9.0 Pie, and Xperia XZ Premium, Xperia XZ1, Xperia XZ1 Compact are receiving the update in a phased manner. Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium is also promised to get the update.
The only LG smartphone that has received the Android Pie update is LG G7 One. Besides this, there is no information from the company about which smartphones will be getting the update.
The next one on our list is HTC. The smartphone maker hasn’t started rolling out the Android Pie update to any of its smartphones yet, but HTC U12+, HTC U11, HTC U11+ and HTC U11 Life are promised to get the update.
Motorola smartphones continue to be loved devices. While the Android Pie update has already been rolled out to Motorola One Power, it is currently reaching Motorola One and Moto X4 users in a phased manner. Moto Z2 Force, Moto Z2 Play, Moto G6 Plus, Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play are also scheduled to get the update.
None of the Vivo smartphones has received the Android Pie update yet. However, the smartphones that are eligible to get the update include Vivo X21, Vivo Nex and Vivo V9.
As far as Oppo goes, only its Find X smartphone is expected to get the Android Pie update yet. There is no word about the others.
Realme recently tweeted that all its smartphones that have been launched in India so far will be getting the Android Pie update. These include Realme 1, Realme 2, Realme 2 Pro, Realme C1, and Realme U1 smartphones.
Just a few days back, Asus Zenfone 5Z smartphone started receiving the Android 9.0 Pie update. Besides this, Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1, Zenfone Max Pro M2 and Zenfone Max M2 will also be getting the update.
Last but not the least, the latest Android update will also be available for some Android Go smartphones including Nokia 1, Nokia 2.1, Moto E5 Play, Huawei Y3 2018, ASUS ZenFone Live L1, LAVA Z50 and Micromax Bharat Go.
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In This Article
Smartphones from Google had to be the first ones on our list. While Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL were launched with the Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box, the Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL and Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones have got the latest Android update too.
Nokia
One thing we really love about Nokia smartphones is the fact that they are all a part of Google’s Android One programme – which means that they will get timely Android updates and security patches. Nokia 7.1 was launched in India with Android 9.0 Pie. The latest Android update has started rolling out to Nokia 6.1, Nokia 6.1 Plus and Nokia 8 (Beta). The company’s flagship smartphone, Nokia 8 Sirocco is also scheduled to get the update. Since Nokia 3, Nokia 3.1, Nokia 5.1, Nokia 5, and Nokia 6 are also a part of Android One, they will be getting the update too.
OnePlus
OnePlus is another company that has started sending timely Android updates and security patches to its devices. The company’s latest offering – OnePlus 6T – was launched with Android Pie and the smartphone maker’s other flagship of the year – OnePlus 6 – also got the update before its successor was launched. OnePlus has been rolling the update out to OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T users in a phased manner and the company’s OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T smartphones will also be getting the latest Android update.
Xiaomi
The next one on our list is Xiaomi. While Xiaomi’s Mi A2 Lite smartphone has already got the Android 9.0 Pie update, the POCO F1 has got the beta update and the Mi Max 3 is promised to get it.
Samsung
Now let’s talk about smartphones from Samsung. A lot of smartphones from Samsung will be getting the latest Android Pie update. The update has already started rolling out to Samsung Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy S9 Plus and Galaxy S9 smartphones. It will also be coming to Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy A8 (2018), Galaxy A8+ (2018), Galaxy A7 (2018), Galaxy A9 (2018), Galaxy J4, Galaxy J4+, Galaxy J6, Galaxy J6+, Galaxy A8 Star, Galaxy J7 (2017), Galaxy J7 Duo and Galaxy J3 (2017).
Huawei
A number of smartphones from Huawei will be getting the latest Android update. The latest Huawei Mate 20 line-up that comprises of Mate 20 Pro, Mate 20 and Mate 20 X smartphones was launched with Android 9.0 Pie out of the box. However, till now, only Huawei Mate 20 Pro has been launched in India. The update has also started rolling out to Huawei P20, P20 Pro, Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro, Mate 10 Porsche Design and Mate RS Porsche Design.
Honor
The next company on our list is Huawei’s sub-brand Honor. Honor 10, Honor View 10 and Honor Play smartphones are currently getting the Android Pie update in a phased manner. The latest Android update will also come to Honor Mate 9 smartphone.
Sony
Speaking of Sony’s smartphone line-up, Sony Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact are running the Android 9.0 Pie, and Xperia XZ Premium, Xperia XZ1, Xperia XZ1 Compact are receiving the update in a phased manner. Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium is also promised to get the update.
LG
The only LG smartphone that has received the Android Pie update is LG G7 One. Besides this, there is no information from the company about which smartphones will be getting the update.
HTC
The next one on our list is HTC. The smartphone maker hasn’t started rolling out the Android Pie update to any of its smartphones yet, but HTC U12+, HTC U11, HTC U11+ and HTC U11 Life are promised to get the update.
Motorola
Motorola smartphones continue to be loved devices. While the Android Pie update has already been rolled out to Motorola One Power, it is currently reaching Motorola One and Moto X4 users in a phased manner. Moto Z2 Force, Moto Z2 Play, Moto G6 Plus, Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play are also scheduled to get the update.
Vivo
None of the Vivo smartphones has received the Android Pie update yet. However, the smartphones that are eligible to get the update include Vivo X21, Vivo Nex and Vivo V9.
Oppo
As far as Oppo goes, only its Find X smartphone is expected to get the Android Pie update yet. There is no word about the others.
Realme
Realme recently tweeted that all its smartphones that have been launched in India so far will be getting the Android Pie update. These include Realme 1, Realme 2, Realme 2 Pro, Realme C1, and Realme U1 smartphones.
Asus
Just a few days back, Asus Zenfone 5Z smartphone started receiving the Android 9.0 Pie update. Besides this, Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1, Zenfone Max Pro M2 and Zenfone Max M2 will also be getting the update.
Android Go smartphones
Last but not the least, the latest Android update will also be available for some Android Go smartphones including Nokia 1, Nokia 2.1, Moto E5 Play, Huawei Y3 2018, ASUS ZenFone Live L1, LAVA Z50 and Micromax Bharat Go.
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. A new version of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro accidentally listed on Flipkart, error rectified later
A new version of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro was accidentally listed on Flipkart’s page. This came to light after a tipster posted about this error on twitter yesterday. This reportedly happened due to a susceptible mistake by someone in designing templates for Flipkart. No sooner did the tipster tweeted about this mistake that Flipkart removed this post from its website.
The new Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro was also spotted on many benchmark platforms. What we know from them is that the phone is supposed to have a Snapdragon 660 processor. On basis of which, the new Redmi Note 6 Pro is going to compete with Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 and the Realme 2 Pro. These phones too are powered by a Snapdragon 660 processor with their price starting at Rs 12,999.
Whereas the earlier version of the Redmi Note 6 Pro is powered by a Snapdragon 636 processor and is priced at Rs 13,999. With the leaks and now a sudden template showing up on an Indian commerce website it seems like there indeed is a Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 version and will come to light soon.
Coming to the specifications of the current Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro, it has a 6.26-inch notch display with an aspect ratio of 19:9. Also, the screen resolution is 2,280×1,080 pixels. The two RAM variants include 4GB and 6GB, an internal storage which can store up 64GB of data. The 4GB version costs Rs 13,999 and the latter can be picked up for Rs 15,999.
The Chinese smartphone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo skinned with Xiaomi’s MIUI 9. Dual rear cameras comprise of 12MP and 5MP sensors. The dual front cameras are on this mobile phone which consists of a 20MP and 2MP sensors. The mobile device is powered by a 4,000mAh non-removable battery. Connectivity options include WiFi 802.11, hotspot, FM Radio, GPS, Infrared port and microUSB 2.0. The mobile comes in four colour options i.e. black, blue, rose gold and red. Last but not the least, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro has a fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, gyro, proximity and compass.
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Motorola P40 renders and 360-degree video leaked
In the last few weeks, we have seen a number of renders and leaks of the upcoming Moto G7 series. The smartphone maker is back in news again, but this time it’s because of a different device. Motorola is also working on ‘P’ series smartphone that it will be launching in 2019. The upcoming device is the successor of Motorola P30 smartphone and will reportedly be called Motorola P40.
Technology website 91mobiles collaborated with @Onleaks has published some render images and a 360-degree video of the Motorola P40 smartphones. Although Motorola P30 never hit the international markets, it has been reported that the company will launch its P40 smartphone with Motorola One branding.
The renders show Motorola P40 with a hole in the display for the selfie camera. It is worth noticing that this will be the first smartphone from Motorola to do so. Much like Samsung Galaxy A8s, Huawei Nova 4 and Honor V20 smartphones, Motorola P40’s display cut-out will be placed on the top left of the device. The smartphone will sport a 6.2-inch display, and since there is a display hole present onboard, the device has ditched the notch to give users a full-screen experience. The renders show the bezels on the sides of the display to be thin, however, the chin at the bottom is slightly thick as it comes with Motorola branding.
According to the renders, the left edge houses the SIM tray, while the right edge has the power and volume rocker buttons sandwiched on it. The bottom edge of the device is shown to have a USB Type-C port, a speaker grille and the mic. The report by 91mobile confirms that Motorola P40 will come with a 3.5mm headphone jack and that it will be placed on the top edge of the smartphone.
The back panel of the upcoming smartphone appears to have 3D curved edges and is shown to be made of glass, as it looks highly reflective. The rear panel houses the vertically stacked dual rear cameras along with two LED flash units. One among the dual rear cameras of the smartphone is reported to be a 48MP primary sensor. The fingerprint scanner of the smartphone is embedded in the Moto dimple at the back and the Android One logo lies beneath it. The report also points out that Motorola P40 will measure 160.1×71.2×8.7mm and will be around 10mm thick.
Image and video courtesy: 91mobiles, @Onleaks
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Technology website 91mobiles collaborated with @Onleaks has published some render images and a 360-degree video of the Motorola P40 smartphones. Although Motorola P30 never hit the international markets, it has been reported that the company will launch its P40 smartphone with Motorola One branding.
The renders show Motorola P40 with a hole in the display for the selfie camera. It is worth noticing that this will be the first smartphone from Motorola to do so. Much like Samsung Galaxy A8s, Huawei Nova 4 and Honor V20 smartphones, Motorola P40’s display cut-out will be placed on the top left of the device. The smartphone will sport a 6.2-inch display, and since there is a display hole present onboard, the device has ditched the notch to give users a full-screen experience. The renders show the bezels on the sides of the display to be thin, however, the chin at the bottom is slightly thick as it comes with Motorola branding.
According to the renders, the left edge houses the SIM tray, while the right edge has the power and volume rocker buttons sandwiched on it. The bottom edge of the device is shown to have a USB Type-C port, a speaker grille and the mic. The report by 91mobile confirms that Motorola P40 will come with a 3.5mm headphone jack and that it will be placed on the top edge of the smartphone.
The back panel of the upcoming smartphone appears to have 3D curved edges and is shown to be made of glass, as it looks highly reflective. The rear panel houses the vertically stacked dual rear cameras along with two LED flash units. One among the dual rear cameras of the smartphone is reported to be a 48MP primary sensor. The fingerprint scanner of the smartphone is embedded in the Moto dimple at the back and the Android One logo lies beneath it. The report also points out that Motorola P40 will measure 160.1×71.2×8.7mm and will be around 10mm thick.
Image and video courtesy: 91mobiles, @Onleaks
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Chinese sub-brand of Huawei, Honor is reportedly going to launch its new model, View 20 on 22nd January. The tip off about its launch has been known through a teaser via Amazon. On the basis of the leak, it has been known that the smartphone would be available exclusively on Amazon India once it is out. This is reminiscent of the Honor 10 launch as it was also exclusively available on Amazon.
The teaser has revealed quite a few things about the smartphone. We know that ahead of its launch, it will come in three colour options. Those are black, red and blue. The pricing is not known yet. But our guess is that it should be in the mid-budget segment of smartphones. Reports also suggest that the Honor View 20 is supposed to sell in Paris initially before the global sale begins.
Recently, the Chinese sub-brand has launched the Honor V20, View 20’s variant, in China itself. And we know that the handset is 6.4-inches wide diagonally, has an IPS LCD screen and supports 2,310×1,080 pixels Full HD+ screen resolution. To talk about the specifications in detail, the Honor V20 offers a screen to body ratio of 91.82 percent and a pixel density of 382ppi.
The smartphone runs on Android 9.0 Pie and is powered by a HiSilicon Kirin 980 Octa-core processor. The smartphone will come with 8GB RAM coupled with 256GB of internal storage. At the same time, there is a microSD card slot with a memory expansion limit of 400GB. The handset is powered by a 4,000mAh non-removable battery.
There is a dual rear camera setup of 48MP Sony IMX568 sensor and the Honor V20 comes with a selfie camera of 25MP upfront. MP3 and WAV ringtones are supported on this smartphone. The mobile also comes with a loudspeaker and 3.5mm jack. Connectivity options include WiFi 802.11, hotspot, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC, Infrared port, and USB type C. Also, there is a fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity and compass sensors available on this device.
In all probability, the Honor V20 and View 20 would be the same devices with different names according to the countries they are being sold in. However, there might be slight change in each according to the area of sales.
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Why Instagram tried the horizontal feed only for a few hours
Popular photo-sharing app Instagram completely changed its user interface for a few hours, only to change it back again. With the new user interface, users had to horizontally swipe through posts on Instagram, rather than scrolling down the way they normally do. This change was first being tested out with a small number of users, the way it is always done. However, it sparked outrage among users, who absolutely did not like the new design. A number of them even spoke about the change in the Facebook-owned app on various social media platforms.
To be more specific about the update, the redesigned app required users to tap right in order to see pictures from friends, replacing the vertical feed. It was very similar to how Stories are viewed on Instagram.
A very pressing problem with the update that users faced was that if users inadvertently tapped on a picture in the middle instead of the right to go on to the next, it automatically got liked. Considering one was expected to tap left to go to a previous picture, in the middle to like it and on right to move on to the next photo, was a bit too confusing for some users. A progress bar was also added to the revamped app which showed users how far they had gone in their feed.
To put it in a nutshell, users did not like the new user interface and were very expressive about it on social media. Some even complained about it on Instagram head Mosseri’s Instagram account. Probably this was the reason that the photo-sharing app decided to roll back the previous design of the app.
Mosseri then took to Twitter to talk about the new design of the app. He explained how this was actually supposed to be a very small test, but it went ‘broader’ than what the company had intended to. He also said that the horizontal design of Instagram has been rolled back and users can restart their apps to see the old vertical feed again.
https://twitter.com/mosseri/status/1078322176070021121
The official Instagram account on Twitter also apologised for the change in design. In the tweet, the company said that the design change was a bug, and said that they have fixed the ‘issue’.
Although it is unclear whether we’ll get to see this design change in future as a permanent change, the chances of it seem quite unlikely considering that Instagram listened to user complaints and decided to go back to its previous design. Earlier this year, Snapchat new design also garnered a lot of negative reviews from users, but CEO Evan Spiegal decided to stick to it anyway. The company, as a result, lost a number of users post the redesign. 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.Due to a bug, some users saw a change to the way their feed appears today. We quickly fixed the issue and feed is back to normal. We apologize for any confusion.
— Instagram (@instagram) December 27, 2018
A lot of Samsung smartphones will soon be upgraded to Android Pie: Is your device one of them?
Recently, through the Samsung Members app, the company has released a roadmap to show which device will receive the coveted Android Pie update and when. The update has started rolling out for the Galaxy S9 and S9+ which are major flagship phones of Samsung. The schedule for these phones to receive Android Pie is January next year. And in February the Samsung phone which will be upgraded to Android Pie is Galaxy Note 9.
Subsequently, the Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note 8 will receive software update during March. In April the devices which will receive software updates are Galaxy A8+, Galaxy A7, Galaxy A9 and Galaxy Tab S4 10.5. The Android Pie roll out for Galaxy J4, J4+, J6 and Galaxy A8 Star is scheduled for May, 2019. Then in August, the Galaxy J7 Duo is planned to get the update.
September will see the Android Pie rollout for Samsung Galaxy J3, which was launched in 2017, and Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 9.7. The latest version of Android will come out on three tablets during September. These tablets include Galaxy Tab A(2017), Galaxy Tab Active 2 and Galaxy Tab A 10.4. The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge which underwent major Android upgrades won’t be receiving Android Pie. To be precise, they are not part of the roadmap revealed in Samsung Members app.
The Galaxy S7 was launched with Android 6.0 Marshmallow and until now has received upgradation to Android 8.0 Oreo. As mentioned, it is one of Samsung phones, which underwent major software updates and is not slated to get the new OS upgrade. The smartphone comes with a 4GB RAM with storage variants of 32GB and 64GB of data. It has a 5.1-inch touchscreen and comes with a resolution of 1,440×2,560 pixels.
The phone is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4 and smartphones physical dimensions are 142.4×69.6×7.9mm with an overall weight of 152 grams. There is a single rear camera on it consisting of a 12MP sensor and the contraption also houses a 5MP selfie camera. Connectivity options include WiFi 802.11, hotspot, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, NFC, and microUSB 2.0. Coming back to the Samsung roadmap, though the dates have been specified, it cannot be said with surety that the above-mentioned dates are going to be the right on the buzzer. But, going by Samsung’s last efforts to upgrade their mobiles OS they will more or less release on time, if not before.
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Nokia 5.1 Plus starts receiving Android 9.0 Pie update
As confirmed by HMD Global, the Nokia 5.1 Plus has started receiving Android Pie update. The smartphone was launched with Android 8.1 Oreo out-of-the-box this September in India. It came with an MRP of Rs 10,999 and then eventually experienced a permanent price cut of Rs 1,000. This brought down the price of the phone to Rs 9,999.
The rollout of the Android Pie update is said to be similar to that of the rollout in case of Nokia X5. The update in the Nokia 5.1 Plus is supposed to be available globally in a phased manner. Also it is an OTA (Over The Air) update so one doesn’t need to update their phones manually. It will automatically come to your phone with time. The new update is going to bring about features such as Adaptive battery, Adaptive Brightness and more. Its size is supposed to be 1,214.4MB and is coming with a version number v2.09B.
The rollout is a part of Android One Programme, which brings about timely updates and stock Android Interface. The smartphone is also going to be introduced to a December 2018 Android Security Patch.
Talking about the specifications of the Nokia 5.1 Plus, it has dimensions of 149.5x72x8.1mm. The smartphone weighs 160 grams and is powered by an octa-core Mediatek Helio P60 processor. The CPU has dual 4 cores running at 1.8GHz each. As mentioned, the Nokia 5.1 Plus was launched with Android 8.1 Oreo and now is finally upgradable to Android Pie. The smartphone has a 5.86-inch touchscreen with 79.6 percent screen to body ration. The touchscreen supports HD+ graphics.
The handset comes with a dual rear camera setup which comprises of 13MP and 5MP. The selfie camera on the other hand is of 8MP. There are two RAM variants—3GB and 4GB which come with internal storage of 32GB and 64GB respectively. A microSD card slot is also available on the Nokia 5.1 Plus, which has the capacity to store up to 400GB of files. Connectivity options include WiFi 802.11, hotspot, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, FM Radio and USB 2.0. Also, it is noteworthy that the handset has a fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, gyro, proximity and a compass.
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iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR may become more affordable in 2019, here’s why
Cupertino based technology giant Apple took the definition of pricey smartphones to a different level last year when it launched the iPhone X. While a number of loyalists were left baffled with the exorbitant pricing and decided to go for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, some opted for the tenth-anniversary edition inspire of the high cost. And this year, the prices went even higher with iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. Even the base model of the two smartphones bear a price tag of over Rs 1 lakh. And the supposedly ‘affordable’ iPhone XR is also priced at over Rs 70,000.
Soon after the latest lineup of iPhones went on sale in India, reports started surfacing online that iPhone sales have seen a decline. Some media reports said that Apple is set to see the first full-year fall in revenue in the country and others claimed that the company has cancelled production of iPhone XR, which it thought would have better sales than iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max when it was launched. While the sales of iPhone XR never escalated, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus did start selling well after the launch of the latest iPhones. So maybe for consumers, they were the real affordable iPhones.
However, Apple may be coming up with a strategy to change the fate of its latest iPhones in India. According to a report in the Economic Times, Apple plans to start the production of its latest iPhones in India. The report quotes sources who have stated that Apple will be partnering will Foxconn to manufacture the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR in the country. The smartphone giant may also start manufacturing the iPhone X in the country in order to lower the price of the device.
The report further reveals that Foxconn will be manufacturing these iPhones at Sriperumbudur plant located in Tamil Nadu. According to Reuters, Tamil Nadu’s Industries Minister M C Sampath has said that the iPhone manufacturer will be investing Rs 25 billion in the Sriperumbudur plant in order to accommodate the manufacturing of the new iPhones. It is worth noticing that Foxconn also manufactures devices for Xiaomi in India.
Till now, a contributory factor in the high pricing iPhones was the import duty that Apple had to pay. However, with iPhone manufacturing coming to India, we can expect the pricing of the smartphones to fall.
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iPhone XR contributed to 32% of iPhone sales during its first month
Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (or CIRP) has released a report that sheds light on how well iPhones were sold as compared to one another. It is worth noticing that since Apple doesn’t disclose the number of units sold anymore, it has become tough to estimate how well an iPhone is selling. But then, this year some reports have claimed that the new iPhone lineup did not sell as much as it was expected to, so naturally, there is more eagerness to find out how well did they really do.
According to the CIRP report, iPhone XR (review), which is touted to be the ‘affordable’ iPhone of the year, made up for about 32% of the iPhones that were sold during the first month of its launch. Speaking of the other two iPhones that were launched this year – iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max – they collectively contributed to around 35% of Apple market share.
This year, Apple tweaked its approach when it launched the iPhones. The more expensive iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max were released first and the ‘affordable’ iPhone XR followed a month later. This may have been done to attract iOS loyalists to upgrade to the most high-end phones that were available.
If you compare this to last year, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus – which were relatively more affordable than Apple’s tenth-anniversary edition – were made available exactly after the launch, while iPhone X hit the shelves a month later. And iPhone X contributed to 30% of the iPhone market share during its first month of launch and did better than in sales as compared to iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.
The report also said that 82% of the customers upgraded from older iPhones while 16% switched from Android smartphones. In 2017 86% upgraded from iOS and 11% switched from Android mobiles.
However, the 2017 iPhones managed a 69% total iPhone market share, while the latest lineup yielded a 65%. We should mention that these numbers have been estimated based on a survey that involved 165 participants and was conducted after the release of iPhone XR, within a month of its launch.
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