Coolpad Cool 3 with Android Pie, dual rear cameras launched in India: Price and specifications

Coolpad launched its three Mega smartphones in India in December last year and now, it has further expanded its portfolio in the country with its Cool 3 smartphone. The Coolpad Cool 3 smartphone bears a waterdrop-shaped notch on its display, comes with a dual rear camera setup and has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The handset runs the latest Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box, which we think is a big plus, especially considering its price. Here’s a look at the pricing details of the smartphone and its specifications:

Coolpad Cool 3 price in India

The newly launched Coolpad Cool 3 smartphone is only available in one storage option in India, which has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage. The smartphone is priced at Rs 5,999 in India and is available in Midnight Blue, Ruby Black, Ocean Indigo, and Teal Green colour variants. It can be bought via online as well as offline channels, but as of now, there is no word on the date of availability.

Coolpad Cool 3 specifications

Coolpad Cool 3 smartphone runs Android 9.0 Pie and has support for dual SIM cards. The handset features a 5.71-inch HD+ display that has a screen resolution of 720×1500 pixels and is powered by the 1.3GHz octa-core Unisoc processor. The Coolpad Cool 3 smartphone comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage and can also hold a microSD card of up to 128GB. For imaging duties, the newly launched device comes with a dual rear camera setup with 8MP and 0.3MP sensors. It also has a 5MP selfie camera on its front panel that is housed in a waterdrop-shaped notch. For enhanced security, the Coolpad Cool 3 smartphone has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and it also has support for face unlock feature. The handset is backed by a 3,000mAh battery and for connectivity, it comes with Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi, 4G VoLTE, and more. Speaking at the launch of the smartphone, Fisher Yuan, President, Coolpad Group and South Asia said, “Coolpad is set to disrupt the budget smartphone segment in India with a stylish design, stunning specs along with superb quality. We are looking forward to offering our consumers a delightful experience and we will launch a range of affordable smartphones this year to build our presence in India.” For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

India ranks first in the Digital Maturity global rankings according to Dell

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Dell Technologies Digital Transformation released an Index today according to which India is the most digitally mature country in the world by gaining the highest digital maturity score. Dell Technologies collaborated with Intel and Vanson Bourne surveyed 4,600 business leaders (director to C-suite) from mid to large-sized companies across the globe to score their organizations’ transformation efforts. The study revealed that emerging markets are the most digitally mature with the top three countries India, Brazil and Thailand in the global ranking. All three of the countries belong to the developing nations. In contrast, developed markets and the developed nations slipped behind with Japan, Denmark and France receiving the lowest digital maturity scores. In the two-year comparison built on the DT Index II (DT Index I launched in 2016) highlights India’s steady progress. Digital Leader’s and Digital Adopter’s percentage has increased in India, compared to globally there’s been no progress at the top and almost four in 10 (39%) businesses are still spread across the two least digitally mature groups on the benchmark (Digital Laggards and Digital Followers).
But still businesses in India have a lot of work to do. The Indian leaders are more aware of the need to prioritize digital transformation throughout their organization. 91 out of 100 percent business leaders in India believe that digital transformation should be more widespread, compared to 78% globally. Also, 48% of the leaders believe they’ll struggle to meet the changing customer demands within five years, compared to 51% globally. Michael Dell, chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies says, “In the near future, every organization will need to be a digital organization, but our research indicates that the majority still have a long way to go. Organizations need to modernize their technology to participate in the unprecedented opportunity of digital transformation. The time to act is now.” According to the Index, India has grown tremendously in these two years (2016-2018) in the digital maturity. Among the benchmark groups were Digital Leaders, Digital Adopters, Digital Evaluators, Digital Followers and Digital Laggards. In Digital Leaders group the global percent in 2016 was 5% and today it still is the same, but India was 8.3% in 2016 and today has grown to 12%. In Digital Adopters group, global percent in 2016 was 14% and today its 23%, whereas India in 2016 was 29% and has grown to 34% today. Similarly, in Digital Evaluators group, global percent in 2016 was 34% and today its 33%, but in 2016 India was at 37.3%, which has increased to 40% today. In the Digital Followers group we see that in 2016 the global percent was 32%, which reduced to 30% in two years whereas, in 2016 India was at 20.7% which reduced to 14% today. And lastly, in Digital Laggards group, the global percent in 2016 was 15% and today its 9% and India’s percentage in 2016 was 4.7% which reduced to 2% today. The most digital mature countries according to the ranking are: India, Brazil, Thailand, Mexico and Colombia. And the least digitally mature countries are: Japan, Denmark, France, Belgium and Singapore in that order. But the achievements of India were not easy. And there were some barriers to digital transformation success in India. Those barriers were: Data privacy and security concerns, Regulation and legislative changes, Lack of the right in-house skill sets and expertise, Information overload and Weak digital governance and structure. According to the Index, the top technology investments for the next one-three years in India are Cybersecurity, Internet of Things tech, Multi-cloud environment, Artificial Intelligence and Computer Centric Approach. “Organizations in India have reached a momentous intersection where technologies and business meet together to create a new and improved digital world,” said Rajesh Janey, President and Managing Director- Enterprise, Dell EMC, India. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.    

10 things you can do to get the most out of your PlayStation 4

While we all know that PlayStation 4 can be used to play some excellent games, there’s a lot more than you can do to enhance your gaming experience. Here are 10 such tips that you can follow to get the most out of your Sony‘s gaming console:

Subscribe to PlayStation Plus

Playstation 10 This is one of the must-dos for anyone who owns a PlayStation 4. The paid service allows you to play various multiplayer games online and the first time you subscribe; you will get 15 months instead of a year. Subscribing to PlayStation Plus will also get you some exclusive discounts and access to cloud storage, in addition to two free games every month.

Add friends to play games with them

Playstation 6 If your friends love gaming as much as you do, then you can add them to your friend list. For doing this, you click on ‘Friends’ on the main menu, search for their username and then press ‘Add to Friends.’ You can also link your account to your Facebook and Twitter accounts to play games with various contacts you have on the platforms. Once you add somebody as your friend, you will be able to message them, share screenshots, view trophies that they have won, etc.

Get more storage space

Playstation 2 Although PlayStation 4 provides you 1TB of hard drive space, it can get used up pretty quickly if you are an avid gamer. However, you needn’t uninstall your favourite games to install some new ones. To get more storage space, you can either use an external hard drive or pay for upgrading your PS4’s internal storage drive.

Make it more secure with a passcode

Playstation 7 If you wish to add an extra layer of your security to your PlayStation account, you can set up a passcode by going to your login settings. This feature particularly comes handy if you share your gaming console with other people living in your house who also have their accounts on it. By doing this, you can make sure that no one else has access to your account and your progress remains untouched. Also, you don’t want your flat-mates to use up the storage space on your account, particularly if you paid for it.

Broadcast your gameplay on other services

Playstation 5 With PlayStation 4, you can very easily broadcast your gameplay on services like Twitch and YouTube. For doing this, all you have to do is press on the Share button on your controller, click on Broadcast Gameplay and then select the service you wish to broadcast your gameplay on. You would have to follow some setup instructions and your gameplay would be shared on the social channel of your choice.

Play games on your PC with PlayStation Now

Playstation If you use the PlayStation Now service, you would be able to stream PS3 and PS4 games to play them on your computer. And you can do this by paying $99 for the service. As the service streams games, you don’t have to worry about them taking up space on your hard drive. Furthermore, your progress in the game will be synced on all your devices that you use to play games.

Get PlayStation experience on-the-go

 Playstation 11 If you are a total gaming junkie, you can actually download the PlayStation app on your smartphone to get the console-like experience no matter where you are. The app is available for both Android and iOS and using it, you can download games on your console remotely, message your friends, and share your thoughts in various online communities.

Link your Spotify account to your console

Playstation 8 If you like to club gaming with music, you would be happy to know that you actually have the option of downloading the Spotify app from PlayStation Store and link it to your gaming console. With this, you can have Spotify running in the background as you play your favourite games.

Get to know more about your trophies

Playstation 3 Everyone wants to get as many PlayStation trophies as possible. And which gamer does not want the Platinum trophy. If you wish to track how many trophies you have earned so far, you can go to the ‘Trophies’ section in the main menu and see all the trophies you have won and the games you got them for. Here, you can also find out how many other players have won those trophies so far, and compare them to the ones your friends have won.

Transfer data from your PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 4 Pro

Sony pumps up the capacity of PlayStation Plus Cloud from 10GB to 100GB If you have upgraded your gaming console from PS4 to PS4 Pro, you would have to shift all the data from our old device to the new one. You can do this by using an Ethernet cable to connect both the consoles to your router. However, before doing this, you must make sure that both your consoles have the latest firmware installed on them. After this, log in to your PS4 Pro using your PSN and you would then see a prompt asking you what all data you would want to transfer. Remember, the lesser data you will move, the lesser time it will take to transfer. You can back up as much data as you can on the cloud before you begin this process to keep it short and simple. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. [td_smart_list_end]

Google to help more than 900 million people to counter hearing loss using Android

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The tech giant Google is bringing two new features to its Android platform that will help around 900 million people worldwide. Those two features are in the form of two Android applications called Live Transcribe and Sound Amplifier. And they work pretty much in the way what their names suggest. According to the WHO (World Health Organization) by year 2055 more people will suffer from hearing loss than ever, so this move from Google will help those users. Talking about the app, the Live Transcribe app will take the real-world speech and turn it into real-time caption with the help of the microphone present in the phone. And the Sound Amplifier app will filter the sounds, it will then augment and amplify it in the environment around the user. It also increases the low frequency sounds without over-boosting the loud sounds. These apps are fully customizable according to the needs and requirements of the user. With the help of toggles and sliders present in the app users can minimize distractions in the background and reduce noise. The good news is that the users won’t have to wait for days or months for these apps because the Live Transcribe app’s limited beta version and the Sound Amplifier app will be available on the Google Play Store from today itself. Also, these apps will be pre-installed on Google Pixel 3.
According to a report on Android blog post, Google showed how both these apps can be used and also highlighted the efforts of Dimitri Kanevsky, a research scientist who has been working on speech recognition and communications technology for the past 30 years. Dimitri himself is deaf from his early childhood, but he didn’t let that stop him. Instead he helped in increasing the accessibility of technology that he relies on. Being deaf Dimitri Kanevsky carried multiple devices along with him in the past and most of those devices were costly. So to counter this problem he came up with a solution, to use cloud-based automatic speech recognition to display spoken words on the screen, and using this idea a prototype was built. And the final result is the Live Transcribe that turns speech into real-time captions by the use of smartphone’s microphone. In turn making it easier for deaf people to communicate with one another. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Asus OMG! Days sale set to begin on Flipkart: Discounts on Asus Zenfone 5Z, Zenfone Max Pro M2, Zenfone Max M2, Zenfone Lite L1, and Zenfone Max Pro M1

Taiwanese smartphone company Asus is all set to begin its OMG! Days on Flipkart tonight at 12:00 am. With the sale, Asus wants to celebrate the milestone of selling more than two million devices in the country in 2018. The sale will begin tonight and will go on till February 9. As a part of Asus OMG! Days, the company will be offering deals on Zenfone Max Pro M1, Zenfone Lite L1, ZenFone 5Z, ZenFone Max Pro M2 and ZenFone Max M2 smartphones. Here’s a look at all the deals and discounts that you can avail on Flipkart during the sale:

Asus Zenfone 5Z

This is one among the best deals that you can avail during the Asus OMG! Days. The company is offering a discount of Rs 8,000 on all the variants of Asus Zenfone 5Z (review) smartphone. This means that the smartphone’s base variant with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage can be picked up at Rs 21,999, while the 6GB RAM/128GB storage and 8GB RAM/256GB storage models can be bought at Rs 24,999 and Rs 28,999 respectively. The device was launched to compete with OnePlus 6 and is powered by the Snapdragon 845 processor.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2

The recently launched Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 (review) smartphone offers very powerful specifications, especially considering its price. And with the sale, it has now become an even better buy. Asus has announced a discount of Rs 1,000 on all the three variants of the smartphone. So, its base variant, with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage is available at Rs 11,999, while its 4GB RAM/64GB storage and 6GB RAM/64GB storage models can be picked up at Rs 13,999 and Rs 15,999 respectively. The smartphone sports a 6.3-inch Full-HD+ display is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 processor and houses a 5,000mAh battery.

Asus Zenfone Max M2

A discount of Rs 1,000 is also available on all the variants of Asus Zenfone Max M2 smartphone. The recently launched device’s 3GB RAM/32GB storage variant can be bought at Rs 8,999 and its high-end model with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage can be picked up at Rs 10,999. The smartphone features a 6.3-inch HD+ IPS LCD display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 processor. It houses a 4,000mAh battery and runs Android 8.1 Oreo.

Asus Zenfone Lite L1

The Asus Zenfone Lite L1 smartphone is available for Rs 4,999 during the sale. This means that there is a discount of Rs 2,000 on the original price of the device. To recall, Asus Zenfone Lite L1 features a 5.5-inch HD+ display and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 425 processor clubbed with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. For imaging duties, there is a 13MP primary camera and a 5MP selfie camera. Asus Zenfone Lite L1 houses a 5,000mAh battery and runs Android Oreo (Go edition).

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1

During the sale, you can pick up the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 (review) at a starting price of Rs 8,499. The 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM models of the smartphone will be available at Rs 10,999 and Rs 12,999 respectively. The smartphone, that was launched by Asus last year, received positive reviews for its powerful specifications, big battery and smooth performance. To recall, Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 smartphone comes with a 5.99-inch Full HD+ display, is powered by Snapdragon 636 processor, run Android Oreo and house a massive 5,000mAh battery. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Be the creator of OnePlus’s new UI feature and win a OnePlus 7

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OnePlus announced that it wants the users to pitch for a new feature for the company’s OxygenOS and OnePlus will implement it. The company is running a Product Management Challenge (PMC Challenge) in which it is asking the users for their best ideas, new UI features, they would want to have in their smartphones. And if the pitched idea wins the challenge the company will implement it in their phones. The winner will also receive prizes by the company including a OnePlus 7 smartphone. To enter the competition, the user needs to come up with something new that he would want to implement in the OnePlus’s OxygenOS. Once it is done, they will need to submit it in the form of a product requirement document. The process is same as a real OnePlus employee would need to do, they need to go through a simplified version of the process the OnePlus product managers go through every day. The formatting instructions, information and details about the challenge is given on the OnePlus forum. But, it is not as simple as it sounds, if a user wants to participate in this challenge, they need to prepare a PRD which is the Product Requirements Document and they need to answer these questions: Who are the users? What is the proposed function? What is the user value? If there are any existing comparable function in the smartphone industry then how is the proposed feature superior?
The challengers will also need to include the details of the feature, what the feature is and explain the logic behind to prove it. Also, they need to provide sketches that follow the flow of the interface. The winners of the challenge will get the new OnePlus device, which launches with their feature in it. Not only that, they will also be flown to the launch event and will be treated like a VIP. The deadline for submissions is 22nd February 2019. Looking at this, we do feel that the OnePlus 7 launch will either be in March or April, 2019. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Prepaid war between Airtel, Jio and Vodafone heats up: Here is the best they have to offer?

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The giants of Telecom sector – Airtel, Reliance and Vodafone are always competing against each other by bringing new and exciting plans for their users. The plans these companies introduce always try to beat the competition to get more user base. In Indian Telecom sector everything changed after the arrival of the 4G network. Recharging of 2G and 3G plans was once a lot of pain. Over that, they offered limited data, the users had to always keep an eye on their data usage to not exceed the limited data. Now it all seems to be a thing of the past, as 4G’s arrival has changed everything in the Telecom market. Now most companies are offering data packs and voice calling features at a reasonable price. Apart from monthly plans, the companies are also including quarterly, yearly or other long-term plans with good benefits. Today, we are comparing the best recharge plans from Reliance Jio, Airtel and Vodafone with more than 28 days validity. Check them out. Reliance Jio’s long-term Prepaid plans and offers: Jio offers 1.5GB of 4G data daily for 70 days along with additional benefits like unlimited calling and 100 SMS everyday for Rs 349. And for Rs 398 it gives 70 days of 2GB 4G data with similar benefits. Jio’s Rs 399 prepaid plan offers 1.5 GB 4G data for 84 days with additional calling and SMS benefits. And on a recharge of Rs 448, the consumers can get 2GB 4G data with additional benefits. For the 91 days plan Jio has two plans, which give different data benefits. The Rs 449 prepaid plan gives 1.5 GB of 4G data daily while the Rs 498 prepaid plan gives 2 GB of 4G data daily with similar benefits. For Rs 1,699 Jio offers 1.5 GB of 4G data everyday for one year (365 days) with unlimited voice calling and 100 SMS per day.
Airtel long-term Prepaid plans and offers: Airtel offers 84 days of 1 GB of 4G data on a recharge of Rs 399 with additional benefits. These include unlimited national calls and 100 national SMS daily. Rs 448 recharge will give 1.5 GB data daily for 82 days with additional benefits similar to Rs 399 plan. Recharge of Rs 499 gives the user a validity of 82 days with 2GB of 4G data with unlimited national calls and 100 national SMS daily. For the long-term plan, Airtel’s Rs 1699 prepaid recharge plan gives 1GB of 4G data with unlimited national calling and 100 national SMS daily for one year (365 days). Vodafone’s long-term Prepaid Plans and offers: Like Jio, Vodafone offers Rs 398 prepaid recharge plan offers 1.4 GB 3G/4G data every day for 69 days. The plan includes other benefits like unlimited local, STD and national roaming calls and 100 SMS daily. Vodafone has five other prepaid recharge plans that give daily 3G/4G data for 84 days with additional benefits like unlimited local, STD and roaming calls and 100 SMS per day. Rs 399 plan gives 1 GB data daily, Rs 458 plan gives 1.5 GB data daily, Rs 479 plan gives 1.6 GB data daily, Rs 511 plan gives 2 GB data per day and Rs 569 plan gives 3 GB data daily. But, they all are limited to a period of 69 days. The consumers can choose a prepaid plan as per their data needs. Vodafone also added a Rs 509 prepaid recharge plan that gives 1.5 GB 3G/4G data daily for 90 days with unlimited calls and 100 SMS’s daily. Vodafone also has the old Rs 529 plan that offers exact similar benefits. Lastly, Vodafone’s Rs 1699 prepaid recharge plan gives the consumer 1 GB 3G/4G data daily for one whole year (365 days). The plan also includes unlimited local, STD and roaming calls within India and 100 SMS per day throughout the plan validity. With all these recharge plans so competitively priced they all basically offer the similar things and benefits. The consumers can opt for the data plan or the Telecom company as per their need and availability. Also, check the network connectivity in your locality and area of work. If the network is bad or not working in the area, then do not go for the service provider, no matter how cheap the plan is. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.    

Samsung Galaxy M20 review: The budget king

It has been a while since we have seen budget smartphones from Samsung, which are aggressive in all aspects. Probably why their position was disturbed in the Indian market. However, 2019 is telling a different story for them and in the very first month the Korean major has gone ahead and launched two new smartphones, which cater to the younger generation. Called the Samsung Galaxy M10, whose review can be read here, and the Samsung Galaxy M20, these smartphones are built by the company in India, for India, to regain lost ground. They are not only priced aggressively, but they also bring with them a set of good to great specifications. Over that, you do get that Samsung branding that says a lot. Don’t forget the good service Samsung has throughout India, which makes up for a great after sales. This is a good mix for any consumer who wants to pick up a smartphone that can easily last them for 1.5-2 years or more. We played around with the Samsung Galaxy M20 for a little while to understand if this smartphone will strike the right cords with the millennials in India? Read the rest of our review to find out.

Design And Display

First step, the design of the smartphone. If you have not seen the unboxing video of the Samsung Galaxy M20, then no problems, let us take you through the design of the smartphone first. As soon as you take the smartphone out of the box, it screams look at my beautiful 6.3-inch display. Samsung has some of the best displays in the business and they have incorporated another great one on this mobile device. More on it in the second half of this section. The build quality is very Samsung. Dressed in Blue this smartphone comes with a Waterdrop Notch design, the first to be seen on any Samsung Smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy M20 is an India first innovation, so things have been designed on the smartphone keeping the youth of India in mind. Which is why you will see the price on the lower end of the spectrum too. Since the camera is placed in the waterdrop notch, the ear speaker grille has been pushed upwards to the top edge of the device. The screen is almost edge to edge and with minimal chin area. The display is a bit raised and comes out of its shell, which is a given, as it has a super large 5,000 mAh battery inside. All this is packed in decent looking plastic shell, which has the volume rocker and power buttons on the right side. The dual SIM tray is placed on the left, which can also accommodate a micro SD card with 2 NANO SIMS at the same time. The bottom part of the Samsung Galaxy M20 has the speaker grille, USB Type-C charging ports and 3.5mm audio jack. The top head of the device has the second pinhole microphone. At the rear, Samsung has placed a large fingerprint reader, vertically stacked dual cameras with flash and the Samsung branding. Yes, the rear does attract its fair bit of smudges, but most in the category do that. If you look closely at the bottom part of the rear panel, you will get see the made in India branding there. Moving over to the display of the Samsung Galaxy M20. We must say it left us awestruck. It is a great display to own in this price bracket. We loved every bit of it. The 6.3-inch FHD+ Infinity V display not only looks good, but has the best moving imagery to show. With 409PPi and aspect ratio of 19.5:9, this smartphone is built with an aim to provide great movie and game experience to its users. And we played a lot of it on this smartphone. YouTube videos and downloaded movies look exceptional on it. The games look vibrant and there is minimal ghosting. Sunlight legibility is also nice and one can easily read text and Whatsapp messages under direct sunlight. In a nutshell, the screen of Samsung Galaxy M20 does perfect justice to all the facets one wants from a display in a Smartphone. Namely videos, imagery, daylight readability and gaming.

Performance And Cameras

Now let’s talk about its under the hood performance. The Samsung Galaxy M20 comes with an Exynos 7904 chipset, which has 1.8GHz dual core plus 1.6GHz Hexa-core CPUs (Cortex A73 + A63). This is partnered with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage (the one we are testing). There is one more version available that has 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. The storage is expandable using a microSD card up to 512GB. The graphics are powered by Mali-G71 GPU. As said before the Samsung Galaxy M20 comes with a huge 5,000 mAh battery inside which on our tests kept it alive for two days. This included a lot of gaming, watching YouTube videos, a lot of phone calls over 4G network with GPS and Wi-Fi on at all times. If that was not enough stress for this smartphone we kept the Bluetooth on too, for couple of hours in the car, synced with the car stereo. The Samsung Galaxy M20 kept doing what is does best, performing. We threw everything at it including the kitchen sink and it came out with flying colours. It can handle games pretty well too. We played PUBG as well as Asphalt 9 on it and the gaming performance was top notch. It did get slightly warm at times, but quickly cooled down as soon as we switched off the game. The touchscreen combined with Android Oreo (Android 9 update will come in a few months’ time), is a treat to work with. The Samsung Galaxy M20 responds well to every tap and swipe. Samsung has given a separate app drawer in the system, which is a good thing. The bloatware on the OS is minimal and some of it can be removed easily. The fingerprint scanner at the back works really well and the screen opens up before you can say Galaxy. Over that, the smartphone has Face unlock feature as well, which when tested did a good job. Coming to the sound of the device, the single speaker we felt was slightly under powered. However, we were mostly on our trusted headphones so it didn’t matter much to us. But to some it might be a bit tricky, since a pair of headphones do not come in the box. Dolby Atmos is supported on the Samsung Galaxy M20 and it does enhance the sound to quite an extent when using a headphone. The voice quality of the Samsung Galaxy M20 is pretty nice, too. We used it while travelling and, on most occasions, we were able to hear the other side clearly. They too were able to hear us clearly, barring few sectors where Vodafone does not work properly. Quick charge function is also there in this smartphone, but we rarely required it since the battery is so big. On the benchmarks the Samsung Galaxy M20 scored 1,08,449 points on AnTuTu. On Geekbench it scored 1321 points on single-core and 4,153 points on multi-core CPU test. It also scored 3,762 marks when it came to Geekbench’s computing test. Coming to the cameras. The Samsung Galaxy M20 sports a dual rear camera setup comprising of a 13-megapixel primary sensor with an aperture size of 1.9 and secondary ultrawide sensor of 5-megapixel. They are quite a duo. We were able to squeeze out some exceptional shots during the day time and also in low light. At night we used the flash and it brought back good details to the images. There are lot of imaging modes available in the Samsung Galaxy M20. These include Beauty, Panorama and our favourite the pro mode. This gave us a lot of power over our shots. The images come out to be vibrant with good sharpness. The videos too come out great, however 4K videos cannot be shot with this smartphone. The selfie camera is also great for taking snaps. The front camera has been placed in dead center of the top of the mobile and it can take lovely snaps during the day. At night if you want better clarity from the snaps, then our suggestion is to keep the screen flash on. This projects a bit of light on your face and the camera can grasp more of the object in front of it. Smart stickers mode is also available on both the cameras, which add fun stickers to your images. Something the younger snapchat using generation would love. Verdict And Final Thoughts At a price of just Rs 12,990 for the 4GB version, Samsung has outdone themselves. We have said this before and we will say it again, this is the comeback smartphone for them. We have seen its competition jittering already and scrambling for cover. As this is the phone that will bring Samsung back in to the game. If you want a smartphone with great performance, display, has an exceptional battery life and superb rear cameras, go for Samsung Galaxy M20 in a blink of an eye. Pros: Excellent display Brilliant rear cameras Great value for money Cons Loud speaker could have been better Headphone in the box would have been perfect
For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Samsung Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy S10E get certified by US FCC

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As Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphones’ launch draws closer, more and more reports about the upcoming handsets are surfacing online. Prior to getting launched on February 20, all the three models of Samsung Galaxy S10 series – Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy S10E (Galaxy S10 Lite) – have received the US FCC certification. And with this, we now know that the smartphones would be available for sale in the United States. However, this is not the only latest report about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphones. A variant of Samsung Galaxy S10+, which is powered by Exynos 9820 processor, has been spotted on Geekbench. It is worth noticing that this model of Samsung Galaxy S10+ scored a marginally higher single and multi-core score than the Snapdragon 855-powered variant of the Galaxy S10+. The Samsung Galaxy S10+ variant that has been spotted on Geekbench comes with model number SM-G975F and we should mention that its benchmarking was first reported by DroidHolic.
Coming back to the US FCC certification, it mentions three models of Samsung Galaxy S10 – SM-G970U (Galaxy S10 E), SM-G973U (Galaxy S10) and the SM-G975U (Galaxy S10+). This means that all the three models that are set to launch this month have passed the connectivity and safety requirements that have been set by the regulatory body and hence, can be launched in the United States. Furthermore, the US FCC certification documents also reveal that the handsets will have support for Bluetooth LE, NFC, and Wi-Fi 6. It has also been revealed that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphones will come with ‘Wireless Power Transfer’, which basically means that the handsets will be able to “receive or transmit an AC power signal through magnetic induction (MI) or magnetic resonance (MR).” In simpler words, the feature is something like the reverse wireless charging that we saw on Huawei Mate 20 Pro. We should mention that this is in-line with previous reports that Samsung Galaxy S10 devices will be able to wirelessly charge other smartphones (provided they have support for wireless charging). Samsung is all set to launch its Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy S10E smartphones on February 20 this month at an event in San Francisco. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Express yourself more with new Animojis in iOS 12.2 Beta

Apple just announced new Animojis for iOS 12.2 Beta, which can be used in messages and Face Time apps. These animal emojis or Animojis have four characters that include a shark, a giraffe, an owl and a boar. The Animojis are designed to work on devices with TrueDepth camera system and this feature can be found in the new iPhone and the iPad Pro models. Emoji (E=picture + moji=emotion) are the ideograms or smileys which are used in electronic messages and web pages. These come in various genres which include facial expressions, common object, places and types of weather. They are like emoticons but they paint a picture instead of using typographics. And similarly, Animoji are the animal representation of emoji, animal pictures or animation are used to create the Animoji. Apple uses their iPhone’s camera to recreate a digital picture of a person’s face and then animating them in such a way that they resemble smiley faces or show emotions. And Animojis function in similar manner where animals are animated to express the state of mind. So, Emoji/Animoji are animated 3D characters, which the user can control with their faces.
Creating an Animoji is not as easy as it sounds as when an Animoji is used, the TrueDepth camera analyses more than 50 muscle movements in different areas of the user’s face. The camera detects the movement of the eyebrows, cheeks, chin, eyes, lips, eyes, tounge and mouth. All these movements and expressions are then translated to the Emoji/Animoji characters making them reflect or imitate the user’s emotion or expression. The created Animoji then can be shared on chatting apps or messaging apps as stickers which are still Animoji or videos that are moving Animojis. They can be used in the Effects in Messages and the user can use them instead of their own faces when FaceTiming with someone. These Animojis were introduced in 2017 with the iPhone X. And at that time there were 12, but with time Apple added more Animojis and new characters for the users to play with. As of right now there are 24 Animojis including the four new ones. The existing Animojis include monkey, cat, robot, alien, ghost, t-rex, koala, tiger, bear, dragon, lion, unicorn, rooster, bunny, panda, pig, poop, fox, dog and skull. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Samsung Galaxy S10E official renders are out

The Samsung Galaxy S10E renders are finally out. The smartphone has got two cameras at the back, instead of three which are on the other two S10 smartphones. On the front, there is just one selfie camera which resembles the one incorporated in the regular S10. Furthermore, instead of the in-display fingerprint sensor on the side frame wherein, there is a small indent. Also, you can find the power button doubling as a fingerprint reader. You can find a small button under the volume rocker that is dedicated to the Bixby button. To recall, there was a listing that was recently revealed that confirms that the Samsung Galaxy S10+ will come with a 12GB RAM along with 1TB storage. However, the variant is going to come in very less quantity. Also, we have come to know that this model is supposed to come with a triple rear camera setup. Furthermore, it will also be incorporated with a dual selfie camera setup. According to a tipster, the premium variant of the Galaxy S10+ will sport two front cameras and three rear snappers. According to another leak, the Samsung Galaxy S10 will run the company’s new One UI software. Furthermore, the smartphone is going to have two 3.5mm headphone jacks and in terms of colour options, it will include White, Black and Sea Green. The report also says, that it just might be possible, that some of the models might also be available in Blue and Yellow colours. It has also been stated the smartphones are going to go on sale from March 8, 2019.
To talk about the regular Samsung Galaxy S10, it will come with a 6.1-inch display and a single selfie camera. It is worth noting at this point, that the smartphone will feature a triple rear camera setup. Now to talk about the pricing, the Samsung Galaxy S10 is going to come for 929 Euros that is $1,066 (about Rs 76,000). This is, in case of the 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. When it comes to the 8GB RAM and 512GB internal storage, the cost of the smartphone is 1,179 Euros that is $1,352 (Rs 97,000 approx). For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Realme C1 (2019) to go on sale in India today: Price, launch offers and specifications

Last month, Realme launched two new variants of its Realme C1 smartphone. While one of the newly launched variants comes with 2GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage, the other comes with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. Interestingly, the two variants were launched on the same day as Samsung Galaxy M20 and Galaxy M10, and they are priced in a way that they pose as competitors to the new handsets by Samsung. The Realme C1 (2019) will be available for purchase via Flipkart starting 12 pm today. Here’s a look at the pricing, launch offers and specifications of the Realme C1 (2019):

Realme C1 (2019) price and launch offers

While the 2GB RAM/32GB storage variant of Realme C1 (2019) is priced at Rs 7,499, the 3GB RAM/32GB model bears a price tag of Rs 8,499. Both the variants of the smartphone will be available via Flipkart starting 12 pm today. As a part of launch offers, Realme is offering an instant discount of Rs 600 to those who would pay for the smartphone via Axis Bank credit and debit cards. Additionally, customers will also get a Complete Mobile Protection plan for Rs 99.

Realme C1 (2019) specifications

Apart from the change in RAM and storage, the specifications of Realme C1 (2019) are the same as the smartphone launched last year. To recall, Realme C1 is a dual SIM smartphone that runs Android 8.1 Ore skinned with ColorOS 5.1. The handset sports a 6.2-inch HD+ display that is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass panel and comes with an aspect ratio of 19:9. Powered by octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor, Realme C1 comes with Adreno 406 GPU and has up to 3GB of RAM and up to 32GB of storage. It can also hold a microSD card of up to 256GB. For imaging duties, there is a dual rear camera setup with 13MP and 2MP sensors that comes with an LED flash. On its front panel, Realme C1 houses a 5MP sensor that can be used for selfies and video calls. Both the cameras of the smartphone come with Ai enhancements. Realme C1 is backed by a 4,230mAh battery and comes with 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS, Micro-USB, and a 3.5mm headphone jack for connectivity. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Samsung Galaxy M20, Galaxy M10 to go on sale in India today: Price, launch offers and more

Last month saw the launch of Samsung Galaxy M20 and Galaxy M10 in India. And today, the two budget smartphones are going on sale for the first time in the country. Samsung Galaxy M20 and Galaxy M10 will be available for purchase on Amazon India and Samsung’s online store starting today at 12 pm. It is worth noticing that India is the first country where Samsung has launched the Galaxy M20 and Galaxy M10 smartphones and the company also said that the devices have been manufactured at its Noida facility. With the two smartphones, Samsung plans to regain its position in the budget segment of the Indian smartphone market. Here’s a look at the pricing, launch offers and specifications of Samsung Galaxy M20 and Galaxy M10 smartphones:

Samsung Galaxy M20, Galaxy M10 price and launch offers

Samsung Galaxy M20 is available in two storage variants in India – one with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage and the other with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. While the former model is priced at Rs 10,990, the latter costs Rs 12,990.
Speaking of Samsung Galaxy M10, the device will be available in 2GB RAM/16GB storage and 3GB RAM/32GB storage variants. While the base model will bear a price tag of Rs 7,990, the high-end model will cost Rs 8,990. Coming to launch offers, Samsung has partnered with Jio to offer ‘double-data’ on its Rs 198 and Rs 299 recharge plans to Galaxy M20 and Galaxy M10’s customers.

Samsung Galaxy M20, Galaxy M10 specifications

Samsung Galaxy M20 sports a 6.3-inch FHD+ Infinity-V display and is powered by the company’s own Exynos 7904 octa-core processor clubbed with the aforementioned RAM and storage options. For imaging duties, it has a dual rear camera setup with 13MP and 5MP sensors and for selfies and video calls, there is an 8MP front-facing snapper. Samsung Galaxy M20 houses a 5,000mAh battery that has support for 15W fast-charging and runs Android Oreo skinned with Samsung Experience UI. Coming to Samsung Galaxy M10, it features a 6.2-inch HD+ Infinity-V display and is powered by an Exynos 7870 octa-core processor. It has the same dual rear cameras as Samsung Galaxy M20, but for selfies and video calls, there is a 5MP front-facing snapper. The device is backed by a 3,400mAh battery. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Coolpad to launch its Cool 3 smartphone with a dew-drop notch display today

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The Chinese tech company Coolpad is going to launch its Cool 3 smartphone in India today, February 5, 2019. The company had shared a teaser for the phone since the beginning of the month. Before the launch of the phone, the company had revealed some major highlights of the phone along with its price. The Coolpad Cool 3 will probably sell under Rs 6,000. And under that price range, Coolpad will be giving its users the dewdrop notch display, which is definitely a surprise. The notched display was seen in the teased image released by the company. Also, the phone will be running Android 9.0 Pie out of the box, which comes across as a double whammy. The notch has been brought to the entry smartphone segment by companies like Redmi and Realme, but this will be the first time Coolpad is bringing a notched display smartphone in this price category. The company is known for giving good spec phones at a very affordable price, so the Cool 3 will be no exception. The phone will have a glossy back panel with many colour options to choose from. The specifications of the phone hasn’t been revealed by the company yet. The spec sheet will be released by the company with the phone itself.
Coolpad’s last smartphone in India was the Coolpad Mega 5A, which came with a 5.45-inch HD display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. It sported a fingerprint scanner at the back and at the front was the face unlock feature. It was powered by the 1.3GHz quad-core processor paired with 2GB of RAM along with 16GB of storage. The storage could further be expanded by up to 128GB. The Coolpad Mega 5A had a dual rear camera setup of 8MP and 0.3MP camera along with a 5MP camera at the front. It had a 2,500mAh battery and ran on Android 8.1 Oreo. With the release of Cool 3 the company wishes to give the consumers good features at an affordable price. So, people who want a simple phone with a notched display and good specs, but don’t want to spend too much money can look forward to it. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Realme U1 can now be purchased from offline stores

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The Realme U1 was launched today for sale in offline markets by the company. The Realme U1 was launched back in November 2018, but it was sold only through online shopping platform Amazon. Now the company has launched it for offline stores as well and it is currently available in 2,500 stores across 30 cities, which according to the company will eventually reach 100 cities by March 2019. With the purchase of Realme U1 the customers will receive benefits worth Rs 5,750 and up to 4.2TB of Jio 4G data that is only applicable with prepaid Jio recharge plan of Rs 198 and Rs 299. About the offline expansion, Madhav Sheth, Chief Executive Officer of Realme India said, “Considering the rapidly growing customer demand towards Realme U1 we are making the device available at our offline stores.  Initially the device was available for sale exclusively in Amazon.in and saw a phenomenal response. The initiative is to fulfil our commitment to deliver best consumer experience to our customers.” Recently the company also announced the expansion of their offline sales to 150 cities in 2019. Realme plans to start with two top cities of India, which will gradually move towards the target of 150 cities through phases. Collaborating with offline retailers who will be known as Real Partners the brand wishes to give a value addition to customer experience. In January 2019, Realme started with 10 cities across the country and later will add 50 cities every quarter. With the expansion of the company’s reach in cities, it hopes to establish 20,000 outlets throughout the country. And these retail outlets will have all the models of the smartphones launched by the brand.
To talk about the smartphones technical specifications, the Realme U1 comes with MediaTek Helio P70 SoC and has an AI 25MP front facing camera.  The dual rear camera comprises of a 13MP and 2MP setup. It has a 3,500mAh battery and has a 6.2-inch display, which is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. It has two variants, a 3GB RAM + 32GB storage version which will is priced at Rs 11,999 and a 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant priced at Rs 14,499. As far as the OS is concerned, it runs on Android 8.0 Oreo with ColorOS on top. Earlier, Realme had gotten into a partnership with Reliance stores for offline sales of its product. And currently Realme is being sold at more than 1,300 Reliance Digital and My Jio stores across 130+ cities. The new brand which was launched back in May of 2018 has seen a steady growth and has gotten good customer base too because of their feature-packed affordable smartphones. And till now in less than a year’s time the company has launched five phones: Realme 1, Realme 2, Realme 2 Pro, Realme C1 and Realme U1. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Samsung Galaxy S9+ price cut by up to Rs 7,000: Here is how to avail the offer

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Last year launched Samsung Galaxy S9+ got a price cut before the Samsung Unpacked event where the company will release and reveal its new products for 2019. These price cuts are valid in the Indian offline market only. All the variants of the Galaxy S9+ (Galaxy S9+ 64GB, Galaxy S9+ 128GB and the Galaxy S9+ 256GB) got their prices slashed by up to Rs 7,000 of their original prices. Earlier, the phones were sold on online shopping platforms like Flipkart and Amazon at similar prices. The base variant of Galaxy S9+ with 64GB storage is now sold at Rs 57,900 which was earlier priced at Rs 63,900. And similarly, the higher variants of the Galaxy S9+ received price cut as well, the 128GB variant of Galaxy S9+ now is available for Rs 61,900 instead of Rs 67,900 and the 256GB variant of the S9+ now sells for Rs 65,900 instead of Rs 71,900. These new prices were introduced by the company weeks before the Samsung Unpacked Event where the Galaxy S10 and the Galaxy S10+ will be launched. These upcoming phones are the successors to 2019’s Galaxy S9 and S9+. And it is being said that apart from releasing the regular S10 and the S10+ the company will also release Galaxy S10e or Galaxy S10 Lite which will be a smaller variant of the regular S10 with mid-level specs. Releasing a lite version of the flagship is a good step to get more consumer base for the smartphone.
It is already known that the S10 and S10+ will be priced between Rs 70,000 to Rs 1,30,000 for the top-end variant. But the lite version will be cheaper than the regular model. There is news that the company will also release a 5G powered smartphone during the event. Recently Samsung rolled out Android 9.0 Pie with One UI on top update for the S9, S9+ and other Samsung phones. Samsung Galaxy S9+ comes with Exynos 9 Octa core processor and has a 6.2-inch Super AMOLED screen. It has dual rear camera setup of 12MP + 12MP with an 8MP camera at the front. It has a 3,500mAh battery with fast charging and USB Type C port. So, for people who wanted to buy the S9+ this might be the right moment to do so, as the top variant of the phone is also cheaper than the upcoming S10 phones. Or, they can wait to get their hands on the successor of the S9. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Top smartphones that you can buy under Rs 10,000 in India

Are you planning to buy a new smartphone that is priced under Rs 10,000? Here’s a list of ten value-for-money smartphones that you can consider:

Samsung Galaxy M10

samsung galaxy m10 The budget smartphone has been launched by Samsung last month and it is available in 2GB RAM/16GB storage and 3GB RAM/32GB storage options that are priced at Rs 7,990 and Rs 8,990 respectively. Samsung Galaxy M10 runs Android 8.1 Oreo and sports a 6.2-inch HD+ TFT display. Powered by Exynos 7870 processor, Samsung Galaxy M10 13MP+5MP dual rear cameras and has 5MP selfie shooter. The device houses a 3,400mAh battery that lasts more than a day with moderate usage.

Realme C1 2019

realme c1 Realme launched two new RAM/storage variants of its C1 smartphone on the same day as Samsung launched its Galaxy M1 smartphone. While the 2GB RAM/32GB storage model costs Rs 7,499, the 3GB RAM/32GB storage versions is priced at Rs 8,499. Realme is known for packing powerful specifications in its budget smartphones and Realme C1 is no different from others. The smartphone features a 6.2-inch HD+ display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor. The device sports 13MP+2MP dual rear cameras and has a 5MP camera for selfies. It houses a massive 4,230mAh battery.

Micromax Infinity N12

micromax infinity n12 (2) Priced at Rs 9,999, Micromax Infinity N12 smartphone features a 6.19-inch HD+ display and is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio P22 processor clubbed with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. Micromax Infinity N12 mobile has a dual rear camera setup with 13MP and 5MP sensors and a 16MP selfie camera on its front panel. The smartphone is backed by a massive 4,000mAh battery and runs Android 8.1 Oreo. For this price segment, the specifications in the smartphone are good and it comes with a flashy red back panel that looks quite stunning.

Asus Zenfone Max M2

 asus-zenfone-max-m2 Asus ZenFone Max M2 was launched along with Zenfone Max Pro M2 in December last year. It is among Asus’ big battery budget smartphones and its 3GB RAM/32GB storage model costs Rs 9,999. The device sports a 6.3-inch HD+ IPS LCD display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 processor. Asus Zenfone Max M2 runs Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box and houses a 4,000mAh battery. FA dual rear camera setup with 13MP and 2MP sensors is also present on the smartphone and for selfies and video calls, it has an 8MP front-facing snapper.

Meizu C9

meizu c9 Meizu made a comeback in the Indian smartphone market last year with three smartphones and its entry-level C9 was one of them. Meizu C9 sports a 5.45-inch HD+ display and is powered by a quad-core Unisoc SC9832E processor. The smartphone runs Android Oreo and comes with 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage. On the camera front, there is a 13MP AF camera on the back panel and an 8MP selfie camera. Meizu C9 smartphone also houses a 3,000mAh battery and is priced at Rs 5,999. For an entry-level device, the smartphone packs good specifications.

Lenovo K9

Lenovo also made a comeback in the Indian smartphone market with its K9 smartphone, which is priced at Rs 9,999. Lenovo K9 features a 5.7-inch HD+ display and is powered by 2.0GHz MediaTek MT6762 octa-core processor clubbed with 3GB RAM. It has 32GB of onboard storage and can also hold a microSD card of up to 128GB. For imaging duties, Lenovo K9 comes with a dual rear camera setup with 13MP+5MP sensors. The device also has dual selfie cameras with 13MP+5MP sensors. Lenovo’s new smartphone runs Android 8.1 Oreo and is backed by a 3,000mAh battery.

Infinix Hot S3X

Infinix Hot S3X Infinix Hot S3X smartphone is priced at Rs 9,999 and features a 6.2-inch HD+ LCD display and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 430 processor clubbed with Adreno 505 GPU. The device by Infinix has 3GB RAM and 32GB of storage onboard and can hold a microSD of up to 128GB. On the camera front, that smartphone comes with 13MP+2MP dual rear cameras and for selfies, it has a 16MP front-facing snapper with 4-in-1 big pixel. For this price range, that’s an excellent selfie camera. Furthermore, the smartphone runs Android 8.1 Oreo skinned with a custom XOS and packs a 4,000mAh battery.

Asus Zenfone Lite L1

asus zenfone max m1 Asus Zenfone Lite L1 smartphone comes with a price tag of Rs 6,999 in India. The smartphone features a 5.45-inch HD+ LCD display and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 430 processor. The device has a 13MP primary camera and a 5MP selfie sensor. It is backed by a 3,000mAh battery and packs 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage.

Nokia 3.1 Plus

Nokia 3.1 Plus While HMD Global launched the Nokia 3.1 Plus at Rs 11,499 in India, it received a price cut and is now available at Rs 9,999. Nokia 3.1 Plus sports a 6-inch HD+ IPS display and is powered by MediaTek HelioP22 processor clubbed with 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage. It can also hold a microSD card of up to 400GB, and in this price segment, this is rather rare. The smartphone runs Android Oreo and among its key highlights is the fact that it is a part of Google’s Android One program. For imaging duties, Nokia 3.1 Plus has 13MP+5MP dual rear cameras and for selfies, there is an 8MP front-facing snapper present on it. The device houses a 3,500mAh battery.

Asus Zenfone Max M1

asus-m1-and-L1 Asus Zenfone Max M1 smartphone is another budget device by Asus on our list. Honestly, we love the company for offering powerful specifications in their budget and entry-level smartphones. Asus Zenfone Max M1 is priced at Rs 8,999 and features a 5.45-inch LCD screen with HD+ resolution and has Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 430 processor running on it. The smartphone has a 13MP primary camera and an 8MP front-facing snapper. It comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage and houses a 4,000mAh battery. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. [td_smart_list_end]

Samsung Galaxy M10 review: Can give its competition a run for their money

Samsung has just launched its Galaxy M20 and Galaxy M10 smartphones in an attempt to take its crown back from Xiaomi. The younger sibling – Samsung Galaxy M10 – starts at Rs 7,990 and is among the most affordable smartphones right now with decent specs. We spent a few days with the device to know whether the price is the only highlight that it has, or it has some other features worth talking about too. Read the rest of our review to find out:

Design And Display

Let’s begin by talking about the design of the Samsung Galaxy M10. The key highlight of the smartphone is its display that comes with a waterdrop-shaped notch on the top to house the front camera. This is the first smartphone by Samsung that comes with this type of design. And right above it, the earpiece of the device is placed. Thin bezels outline the entire screen of the Samsung Galaxy M10. Only the chin is slightly broader than the rest of the bezels, but we have to say, the Infinity-V display looks really appealing. The rest of the body of Samsung Galaxy M10 is made of plastic, but in no way does it make the smartphone’s quality look bad. The curved edges and corners of the handset make one-handed usage very easy and the smartphone’s compact design just helps further. On flipping over, you will see the plastic back panel of the Samsung Galaxy M10 that houses the dual rear cameras, LED flash and Samsung branding. It is worth noticing that the speaker grille of the smartphone is also placed on its back panel. The audio doesn’t sound clear when the phone is lying on its back because of the speaker grille being placed on the rear panel. This problem is not there in its elder sibling the M20 since its speaker lies next to the charging port at the bottom. samsung galaxy m10 7 The plastic body of the Samsung Galaxy M10 also means that it is prone to getting smudges and fingerprints, however, it wasn’t too noticeable an issue for us. The right edge of the device has the power and volume rocker buttons sandwiched on it and the left edge has the SIM tray. The bottom edge has the microUSB port, the 3.5mm headphone jack and the microphone and the top edge only has the secondary microphone placed on it. Another thing we should mention is that Samsung Galaxy M10 does not have a fingerprint scanner and it only comes with a Face Unlock feature. However, considering that its face unlock works very accurately – even in the dark – we didn’t miss the fingerprint sensor at all. To conclude, we would say that Samsung Galaxy M10 has a simple, minimalistic design, yet is good to look at. Maybe it’s not for someone who likes their smartphone to have a flashy look, but we personally found it appealing to look at especially considering the price range. Coming to the 6.22-inch HD+ TFT display of the smartphone, it is another aspect of the Samsung Galaxy M10 we liked. The images projected were reasonably sharp and the colours were accurate. They remained consistent when we viewed them from different viewing angles. For the price point, watching YouTube videos and playing games on Samsung Galaxy M10 wasn’t a bad experience, but don’t expect too much from it either. The sunlight readability of the device could definitely be better than what it is. The smartphone does give the option of turning on the Bluelight Filter for the display, but the tones became too warm for our taste when we enabled it. samsung galaxy m10 3 To sum it up, we would say that there are more positive points about Samsung Galaxy M10’s display than the far and few adverse ones. And whatever the downsides are, they didn’t create too much trouble for the user, so one can easily live with them.

Performance And Cameras

Coming to the specifications, Samsung Galaxy M10 is powered by an octa-core Exynos 7870 SoC processor coupled with up to 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The smartphone houses a 3,400mAh battery and comes with 5W charger in the box. The device runs Android 8.1 Oreo skinned with Samsung Experience 9.5 UI. Samsung Galaxy M10 comes with some pre-installed apps like the company’s native apps, some apps from Microsoft and Daily Hunt. We should mention that not all of these can be uninstalled, which is some might not like. You can use two versions of popular apps like WhatsApp on the smartphone as it comes with a dual-messenger feature. Another very interesting feature is the lock-screen Stories, which shows you different photos when the device’s screen is locked. samsung galaxy m10 4 Speaking of Samsung Galaxy M10’s performance, it mostly worked well when used for day to day tasks. The apps launched quickly and it was easy to toggle between multiple apps. Even when we used the device for simultaneous tasks at a time, it could take it. And considering the price point of the device, it is definitely a plus. For instance, we often used the device for gaming and navigation simultaneously while we were on our way to work. And in spite of being used for both, it did not show any lag and didn’t heat up, too. For gaming duties, this smartphone could have definitely could do better. Games like Alto: Odysee ran well, however graphical hungry game like Asphalt 9, did show signs of stress at times. Nevertheless, we enjoyed most of it thanks to its superb screen. The battery of the device was among its best features. With usage that involved clicking photos, watching YouTube videos, playing games and some rather long phone calls, it lasted more than a day. We didn’t have to charge it again till the next afternoon, which is very impressive. samsung galaxy m10 image Coming to Samsung Galaxy M10’s cameras, they left us with a bag of mixed feelings. The 13MP primary sensor works reasonably well, but you shouldn’t expect anything too great from it. The photos are decent with accurate colours, but at times they appeared too sharp. The shots that we actually liked were the ones in which the Live Focus mode was on. If you try to zoom in and click a picture, it may turn out to be too grainy. We managed to take some interesting shots with the 5MP wide-angle lens, but they too seemed too sharp at times.  samsung galaxy m10 image 3 We should also mention that the images taken in lowly lit areas lacked some clarity. The front camera of the device worked well most of the times and managed to spew some decent selfies in well-lit conditions. In dimly lit conditions, the selfies became a bit grainy.
samsung galaxy m10 image 4
Image taken from the 5MP ultra-wide camera.
Before we conclude, we’ll mention what this smartphone scored on the benchmarks. While Samsung Galaxy M10 scored 64,422 in Antutu, it got 725 and 3,653 in single and multi-core scores of Geekbench 4.

Verdict And Final Thoughts

Samsung Galaxy M10’s starting price is Rs 7,990. And at this price, it is definitely a very good buy. The smartphone has an elegant design, a very powerful battery which easily lasts more than a day, an accurate face unlock feature and a reasonably good display. For most day to day tasks, it works well. The cameras and the gaming experience could have been better, but then, we have repeatedly said that at this price point, we can’t expect the device to be great in all departments and it’s not fair to expect too much from it. If your usage is too heavy, you may want to expand your budget a bit and go for its bigger sibling the Samsung Galaxy M20, but if you are a moderate user looking to buy a budget smartphone with good battery life and great touchscreen, Samsung Galaxy M10 is a very good option to consider. Pros
  • Modern design
  • Long lasting battery
  • Accurate face unlock
Cons
  • Average cameras
  • Average gaming experience
  • Cannot handle heavy usage
For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Nokia’s new leaked phone will run on Android One

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Recently a new Nokia phone was spotted on the USA FCC website, which reveals some of the phone’s major specifications and design related parameters.  According to the branding on the phone’s back it is an Android One device which the FCC update said. This mysterious phone was listed under model number TA-1157 of Nokia comes with a dual rear camera setup on its back with LED flash. Over that, it also has a fingerprint scanner on the back, it is positioned in the middle of the phone just like other Nokia phones. Leak of this Nokia phone was spotted by Slashleaks. He also revealed some detailed description of TA-1157. According to the FCC update, the phone is 148.95mm in length, 71.3mm in width and 165.1mm diagonally. It will also have Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and will also support LTE bands 1,3,5,7,8,20,28,38,40 and 41. Taking a closer look at the leaked picture of the phone it can be said that the device will have an NFC antenna around the camera sensor setup. It should be noted that there is no official statement from the company about this phone or its model name. But it will come in two variants, one of them will have 2GB RAM with 16GB storage, while the second will have 3GB RAM with 32GB storage. The phone will also have a microSD card slot to increase the storage space further. The Nokia TA-1157 will also have 3,000mAh battery. But this phone will be running on Android One just like Nokia 6. So it will be another addition to Nokia’s Android One entry-range family of smartphones.
There is a possibility that TA-1157 will be revealed or launched at MWC 2019, which is right around the corner. And judging by the spec sheet of the phone it can be said that this will be the successor of Nokia 3.1 or Nokia 5.1 which have similar spec sheet. About its pricing, looking on its specs it can be said that this phone will be aimed at the entry-segment and will have a price tag between Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Google has taken down 29 photo-editing apps from Play Store; here’s why

Questions about Google’s quality controls for apps come up time to time when more applications with adware and malware are found lurking on the Play Store with numerous downloads. And this has just happened all over again as security research firm Trend Micro has found as many as 29 apps on the Google Play Store that were being used to make people download malware as well. We should mention that the apps found with malware were photo-editing applications and they have now been taken down from the Google Play Store by the search giant. According to Trend Micro’s blog which sheds light on the issue, the security research firm “discovered several beauty camera apps (detected as AndroidOS_BadCamera.HRX) on Google Play that are capable of accessing remote ad configuration servers that can be used for malicious purposes.”
The apps that are available with malware on Google Play Store include Pro Camera Beauty, Emoji Camera, Selfie Camera Pro, Photo Editor, Art Effect, Wallpapers HD and Prizma Photo Effect. We should mention that these apps don’t give any indication whatsoever to the user about malicious content and redirects that they come with. It has been reported that some of these apps even downloaded a video player that played pornographic content and some others redirected users to phishing websites that ask for users’ personal information. Being a part of the popular genre of photo-editing apps, these apps have reportedly been downloaded millions of times. The report in Trend Micro also said that a large number of downloads originated from Asian countries, and particularly from India. Another big issue with these apps is that they went on doing their malicious activities unless they were deleted by the users. As a word of advice, we would add that in spite of Google having quality checks in place, you must inspect the app that you download yourself. If you feel that an app is hindering the working of your smartphone or is taking you to another website when it’s not supposed to, you should uninstall it and report it on Google Play Store. Also, don’t download third party apps if your device has the particular functionality in-built. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Intex refreshes its wireless mice range, launches new 3D, 4D and 6D wireless mice

Intex Technologies launched new choice of 3D, 4D and 6D wireless mice. They range from 800 to 2000 DPI which mean their sensitivity varies according to the given DPIs. The company launched the mice range to broaden their IT accessory product portfolio for the current year. Ms.Nidhi Markandey, Director of Intex Technologies said, “Intex’s approach has been to continually bring wider range of products as per the changing needs of the customers and to have a stronger connect with them. The new range has been especially designed for the people who will not compromise on a good mouse for their computer / laptop. These mice are designed to ensure best hand fit, comfort and efficiency for the users.” The launch included 5 wireless mice whose price ranges from Rs 360 to Rs 499. With these new range of wireless mice, the consumer can choose the products according to their needs. All these mice come in red, black and blue colour options.
According to the company these mice are ergonomically designed so they can be used by a variety of hand sizes. The body and shape of the mice is good for a claw or hybrid claw/palm grip. And they have an optical sensor which would work well on hard and cloth mouse pads as well. Talking about the buttons, they have 3D/4D/6D buttons which are placed in such a way that they reduce repetitive forearm twisting. These will also be comfortable for arms and put less stress on the muscle while browsing the internet or using the mouse. The scroll wheel of all the mice have a rubbery finish for better efficiency and control. The models which were released are as follows: 1. Intex Mouse Wireless M-100 – 1200 DPI, 3D Mouse which comes in Red and Black. 2. Intex Mouse Wireless M110 – 800-1200-1600 DPI, 4D Mouse which comes in Red and Black. 3. Intex Mouse Wireless M250 – 800-1200-1600-2000 DPI, 6D Mouse, Anti-Slip rubber scroll wheel, Ideal for work, study and sport function, it comes in Blue and Black. 4. Intex Mouse Wireless M200 – 800-1200-1600 DPI, 4D Mouse which comes in Black. 5. Intex Mouse Wireless M210 – 800-1200-1600 DPI, 4D Mouse and it too comes only in Black. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

WhatsApp for iOS starts receiving the much-awaited authentication feature

Instant messaging app WhatsApp has started receiving a much-awaited and talked-about feature for its iOS users. The authentication feature, about which reports have been circulating online for months, has now started rolling out to all iOS beta users. The feature is a part of the new 2.19.20.19 beta update and has been published via TestFlight beta program. We should mention that the authentication feature for WhatsApp was first spotted by WABetainfo, which is a Twitter account that keeps a tab on beta updates for WhatsApp. According to WABetainfo, the new WhatsApp update comes with a fingerprint lock which can be used to make the app more secure. The feature has been introduced in order to make conversations on WhatsApp safer than they are right now. It is worth noticing that we are not talking about encryption here since WhatsApp already has end-to-end encryption, but what we mean is that no one other than the WhatsApp account owner would be able to access their messages.
Let’s face it: We have all been in a situation where someone asks whether they can use our smartphone, and we have to hand it to them hoping they wouldn’t open our WhatsApp. With this feature, we wouldn’t have to worry about anyone else reading our chats, as they wouldn’t be able to open the app. While as of now the feature is only available for iOS beta users, it is expected to come on Android too. Another thing worth mentioning is that if you own an iPhone X or a newer model, you would be able to use the Face ID. For iPhones that are older than that, the company lets users set up a TouchID or a passcode. To enable the authentication feature, you can go to WhatsApp Settings in your smartphone and then head to Account, following which you have to click on Privacy. Here, you will find the newly rolled out feature. Furthermore, WhatsApp will not have the access to users’ security data, as the fingerprint or face unlock data will be encrypted on the iPhone and extracting it will not be possible. You can get the feature by downloading the 2.19.20 beta update for iOS. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Apple iPhone SE’s successor might be in the works

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Apple Inc might be planning to launch three variants of iPhone this year. The company’s annual launch includes the iPhone and iPhone Max’s variants, but this year there is a chance that Apple might bring a new and updated model of iPhone SE. Apple iPhone SE 2 will be the upgraded version of iPhone SE, which is the budget-oriented model of the regular iPhones. Apple iPhone SE was introduced by company back in March 2016 and it was a small budget phone launched for people who wanted to have the Apple brand in their pocket. The phone had the latest hardware packed in a small body housing a 4-inch screen. The original iPhone SE packed the A9 processor and had 2GB of RAM, a 12 MP camera and a battery of 1,624mAh. It had a glass and aluminum built with front finger-print sensor like the regular iPhones. The iPhone SE currently sells for Rs 17,999 on Flipkart. The iPhone XR was an unofficial replacement of the iPhone SE but according to the report the company might still launch an iPhone SE version 2. The selling price of the SE has been dropped by Apple so it might be trying to clear the inventory for a newer model of iPhone special edition. Apple and iPhones has always been popular with fans for many of its features and for the brand itself. And the SE was released as a cheaper version of regular iPhone so that more people could afford to buy an Apple. There are rumors that the newer iPhone SE might have a glass back to support wireless charging and might also come with two cameras in the front for face unlock.
In the current market, the iPhone XR which was released in 2018 is doing better than the top-end variants, the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max. And that might also be the reason we might see the newer iPhone SE 2 sooner. The company hasn’t given an official statement about the new model of the iPhone SE but because of the phone’s popularity the company might just release it with the rest of the iPhones. We might see the release of the iPhone SE 2 at the annual Apple iPhone launch event in September where we might also get to see the successor of iPhone XS and XS Max. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Gmail for Android to get new features like pinned messages, reminders and more

Search giant Google keeps on adding features to its various services that make them more useful for users. And now, according to reports that have surfaced online, the technology giant is testing some new inbox features like pinned messages, reminders and category bundles. According to 9TO5Google, “a screenshot shared by a Redditor today (Saturday) claims to show an internal build of the revamped Gmail for Android with the new features.” Last year in September, an addition of bundles was announced by Google to help users deal with multiple messages at one time. This is an organizational feature that was first introduced back in 2014 that gets similar emails together so that users can archive them in mass or expand it to go through them.
The report further said that if the screenshot shared on Reddit is reliable, the technology giant is working on reminders that users will be able to create and schedule quickly. In addition to this, the ability to only show pinned items in the feed will also be added. To recall, in 2018 Google rolled out the revamped version of Gmail. Since the service has started, this was the biggest overall that it received and it added features like Smart Reply, Email Snoozing, Nudges that remind you to follow up with an email, Scheduling emails, and hover actions. Among these, Smart Reply and Scheduling emails are two features that were awaited for since a very long time and most of the features that Google rolled out to Gmail last year have been appreciated by the masses. The report that talks about the upcoming features, says that the Reddit user also mentioned that ‘there is still plenty of work to be done’. It also went on to say that the screenshot represents only one among the ‘different design iterations’ that was worked on and that it’s very early to talk in detail about these changes. In an unrelated piece of news, Google has announced that it will now officially be closing down its social networking platform Google Plus on April 2 this year. All the profiles and pages on the social networking platform will be deleted on the same day, and because of this, Google has also shared information on how people can save their data before it’s gone forever. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Vivo V11 and Vivo V11 Pro price cut in India

Today, Vivo has dropped the price of two of its smartphones. This includes the Vivo V11 and the Vivo V11 Pro. While the former has received a price drop of Rs 1,000, the latter has received a price cut of Rs 2,000. The Vivo V11 that was earlier priced at Rs 20,990 can now be purchased at a cost of Rs 19,990. The V11 model earlier also received a price decline of Rs 2,000. Where it initially costed Rs 22,990 it came down to Rs 20,990. On the other hand, the V11 Pro model has experienced its first price cut. Where it earlier costed Rs 25,990, it has effectively come down to Rs 23,990. Both Flipkart as well as Vivo e-store are selling these smartphones at this discounted rate. To recall, the Vivo V11 comes with a LTPS IPS LCD 6.3-inch capacitive touchscreen. The screen resolution is 1,080×2,280 pixels and the aspect ratio for the same is 19:9. The smartphone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo skinned with Funtouch OS 4.5. It is powered by Mediatek Helio P60 processor and comes with a 4GB and 6GB RAM. The 4GB variant brings an internal storage up to 128GB whereas the 6GB RAM variant has storage option of up to 128GB. The storage can be expanded to 256GB via a microSD card. The Vivo V11 Pro sports a 6.41-inch 1,080×2,340 display with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The device runs on Android 8.1 Oreo skinned with Funtouch OS 4.5. It is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 SoC and has a single RAM variant of 6GB. However, there are two storage options avialable. This includes 64GB and 128GB. With the help of a microSD card, users can expand the memory till 256GB. When it comes to its camera, the handset has a dual rear camera setup that comprises of 5MP and a 12MP sensors. The selfie camera on the other hand has a single sensor of 25MP.
Connectivity options include WiFi 802.11, dual-band, WiFi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, FM Radio and microUSB 2.0. The Vivo V11 Pro houses a 3,400mAh battery that is non-removable. The smartphone comes in four colour options—starry night, dazzling gold, nebula and supernova red. For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on TwitterFacebookand Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel.