Another tweet by Micromax says shows a notched smartphone with a dual rear camera setup and an LED flash on its back panel. Along with the tweet, the company has written, “The countdown is on.” A different hashtag has been used with this tweet – #NotchAboveTheRest. https://twitter.com/Micromax_Mobile/status/1073208079368413184 As of now, no details about the upcoming Micromax smartphone have surfaced online, so we would have to wait till we have more to tell you. The handset will be Micromax’s seventh smartphone to launch in 2018. It is worth noticing that the company had previously said that it plans to launch 13 smartphones between September 2018 and March 2019. The last smartphone to be launched by the company was Micromax Bharat 5 Infinity Edition which sports an 18:9 FullView display, runs Android Ore (Go Edition) and houses a 5,000mAh battery. Before Bharat 5 Infinity Edition, the handset maker had launched its Micromax Spark Go smartphone that featured a 5-inch FWVGA display, packed a 2,000mAh battery and was powered by Android Oreo (Go Edition). 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.We are excited, the countdown has begun. #AboveTheRest pic.twitter.com/Egtv7oeeUM
— Micromax India (@Micromax__India) December 12, 2018
Micromax’s ‘notched’ smartphone with dual rear cameras to launch on December 18
Last month Micromax announced its first Google-certified Android television in India and now, the home-grown consumer electronics maker is all set to introduce a new smartphone in the country. It will be the first-ever smartphone by the company to sport a notch on its display. Considering the most smartphones by Micromax fall in the budget segment, it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that the notch design phone will fall in the same category too.
Micromax is planning to unveil the device in India on December 18 and the company has sent a save-the-date invite to members of tech press in the country. The poster has an outline of the smartphone that is set to be launched and it shows curved corners of the device along with a notch on the display. It is worth noticing that while waterdrop-shaped notch has garnered a lot of popularity off late, the on the smartphone in Micromax’s poster is like the notches we have seen on iPhones.
We should also point out that Micromax has tweeted about its upcoming device along with a teaser image that shows a notch on the top of the smartphone’s display. Along with the tweet, Micromax has used the hashtag #AboveTheRest and it is being speculated that this could point towards the device being unveiled in a new lineup by the company. The teaser image of the smartphone shared by the company says, “Does the powerful excite you?”
Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 6 and Nokia 5 start receiving December security update
HMD global has started releasing the security update of Nokia 6, Nokia 8 Sirocco and Nokia 5. According to the changelog of the said devices, the security update for Nokia 8 Sirocco is 80MB in size and for Nokia 5 and Nokia 6, it is 100MB.
It is worth noticing that Android 9.0 Pie hasn’t yet been rolled out for the Nokia 5 and Nokia 6. The same goes for Nokia 8 Sirocco, even though it is a flagship device. However, since HMD global has started a public Beta test of Android 9.0 Pie for Nokia 8, it will probably receive the update soon.
Nokia’s site security update tracker–from where people check the when their phone’s update would come–has become obsolete because it shows update only until 13th November. The site was previously very useful to people as they could check for updates from time to time.
Speaking of the features of the aforementioned phone, Nokia 5 sports a 13MP main camera and an 8MP selfie camera, houses a 3000mAh battery and comes with a 5.2 inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen. And Nokia 6 has a display screen of 5.5 inches, an 8MP selfie camera and 16MP main camera. The smartphone houses a battery of 3000mAh. Speaking of Nokia 8 Sirocco, it comes with 6GB RAM, is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, and features a 5.5-inch QHD pOLED display, and a 3260mAh battery.
Recently, HMD Global launched its much-awaited Nokia 8.1 in India. The smartphone sports dual rear cameras with 12MP and 13MP sensors and Zeiss optics and has a 6.18-inch PureDisplay. Unlike the aforementioned devices, the brand new Nokia 8.1 was launched with the latest version of Android 9.0 Pie.
The newly launched Nokia 8.1 it comes with a Snapdragon 710 processor and is available with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage The screen, which is 6.18-inch, comes with an aspect ratio of 18.7:9. The smartphone can support microSD cards of up to 400GB and houses a 3,500mAh battery.
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Xiaomi Redmi 6A price slashed, now available starting Rs 5,999
Xiaomi has reduced the price of its smartphone, Redmi 6A. The company had increased the price of its smartphone last month to Rs 6,599 and Rs 7,999 for the base model and 32GB variant respectively. Now with the wake of 2018, it has again revised back the price back to what it was originally – Rs 5,999 for 16GB model and Rs 6,999 for its 32GB variant. You can buy the smartphone at its ‘discounted’ price via Amazon India, Xiaomi’s official website and Mi Home stores.
Speaking about the specifications of Xiaomi Redmi 6A smartphone, it has a 5.45-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 720×1440 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18:9. The smartphone houses a 3,000mAh battery and sports a 13MP primary camera and 5MP selfie camera. Connectivity options of the smartphone include 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth, dual SIM card slots and GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack and microUSB port. Xiaomi Redmi 6A runs Android 8.1 Oreo skinned with MIUI and is powered by a MediaTek Helio A22 SoC clubbed with 2GB RAM. It comes with 16GB/32GB internal storage and can hold a microSD card of up to 256GB. The smartphone houses a 3,000mAh battery.
The increase in price occurred due to the depreciation of the rupee value which happened a month back. The value of the Indian currency depreciated by 15 percent compared to the dollar.
Commenting on the price cut of Redmi 6A, Xiaomi has been quoted said, “Extending our celebrations further post festive season while ending the year on an exciting note, we are thrilled to announce that our Redmi 6A will witness a price drop, going back to the original price. Redmi 6A will now be available at its initial price of INR 5,999 for 2GB+16GB variant and INR 6,999 for 2GB+32GB variant. The new prices are effective from 13 December 12 Noon onwards across all platforms.”
Speaking further about the pricing of its products, Xiaomi said that the costs of its products have been genuine and it claims that its customers are very satisfied with them.
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This is how much all the models of Samsung Galaxy S10 will cost
Samsung Galaxy S10 is surely among the most awaited smartphones of 2019. Reports and rumours about the smartphone lineup have been surfacing online for weeks now. The South Korean technology giant’s upcoming flagship lineup will reportedly come with four variants and among these, one is a 10th-anniversary model. A fresh report in Gizmodo UK has surfaced which reveals the pricing details of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphones.
The report cites a source at a “major tech retailer” and talks about three models of Samsung Galaxy S10. According to the report, Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite will come with a 5.8-inch display and 128GB onboard storage will bear a price tag of GBP 669 in the UK. On converting this to Indian currency, it becomes approximately Rs 60,500. It is worth noticing that the reported cost is lower than Samsung Galaxy S9, which was launched in the UK at a starting price of GBP 739 (approximately Rs 66,800).
Speaking of the regular Samsung Galaxy S10 model, it is expected to sport a 6.1-inch screen and according to the report, the 128GB variant of the mobile phone will bear a price tag of GBP 799 (approximately Rs 72,200), and the 512GB storage model will cost GBP 999 (approximately Rs 90,300). Coming to 128GB model of Samsung Galaxy S10+, it is being said that it will go on sale in the UK at GBP 899 (approximately Rs 81,200), and the 512GB model of the same smartphone will be available for purchase at GBP 1,099 (approximately Rs 99,300).
But that’s not all. The report in Gizmodo UK also speaks about the 1TB variant of Samsung Galaxy S10+, which will reportedly be available in the UK GBP 1,399 (approximately Rs 1,26,400). There is a possibility that this is the special 10th-anniversary edition Galaxy S10 model that is reported to sport a 6.7-inch display and feature six cameras. The special edition Samsung Galaxy S10 may also come with 5G connectivity.
According to Gizmodo UK, Samsung will be launching its upcoming flagship lineup at a dedicated event that will be held right before the Mobile World Congress 2019 begins. To be more precise, the Samsung Unpacked event is reportedly scheduled for February 20.
Other features of the upcoming lineup will include an Infinity-O Display, an on-screen fingerprint scanner and the ability to wirelessly charge other devices. The last feature we mentioned is reportedly named as Powershare.
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Best smartphones of 2018
With the year coming to an end, we have listed down the best smartphones that were launched. These include smartphones across all price segments – be it premium, mid-range or entry level. If you have been planning to treat yourself with a smartphone as the year ends, you can pick one among these options:
September saw the launch of Apple’s 2018 iPhone lineup. Besides, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, the Cupertino based technology giant launched the iPhone XR, which is supposed to be its affordable variant. iPhone XR features a 6.1-inch LCD screen and comes with a 12MP wide angle rear camera. The smartphone is available in three storage options — 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB. Its battery life is said to be 1.5 hours more than that of iPhone 8 Plus. Powered by A12 Bionic processor, iPhone XR runs iOS 12 software.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 features a 6.4-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity display and is powered by Exynos 9810 processor. The device is available in 6GB RAM/128GB storage and 8GB RAM/512GB storage options. Users can also install a microSD of up to 512GB. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 houses a 4,000mAh battery and sports a dual rear camera setup that has a 12MP wide-angle autofocus sensor and a 12MP telephoto autofocus sensor. For selfies and video calls, there is an 8MP autofocus sensor. The Android 8.1 Oreo-based smartphone comes with an upgraded S Pen and supports Dex. Samsung Galaxy Note 9’s starting price in India is Rs 67,900.
Google’s flagship of the year sports a 5.5-inch FHD+ flexible OLED display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. Google Pixel 3 comes with 4GB of RAM, Adreno 630 GPU and is available in 64GB and 128GB storage options. The smartphone runs Android 9.0 Pie out of the box and is touted to come with Pixel Visual core and Titan M Security Module. For imaging duties, Google Pixel 3 features a 12.2MP dual pixel single rear camera that has support for features like autofocus with dual phase detection, OIS, EIS and spectral & flicker sensor. The smartphone comes with dual front cameras with an 8MP wide-angle sensor and an 8MP secondary sensor with 75-degree field-of-view. It is available in India at a starting price of Rs 71,000.
Huawei Mate 20 Pro runs Android 9.0 Pie skinned with EMUI 9.0 and sports a 6.39-inch QHD+ curved OLED display. The smartphone comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor and is powered by the company’s flagship HiSilicon Kirin 980 processor clubbed with 6GB RAM. Huawei Mate 20 Pro offers 128GB storage and can hold microSD cards of up to 256GB. Huawei Mate 20 Pro features a triple rear camera setup that is comprised of a 40MP primary wide-angle sensor, a 20MP ultra wide angle sensor, and an 8MP 3X telephoto sensor. For selfies and video calls, the smartphone houses a 24MP RGB selfie camera that supports 3D facial unlocking. Huawei’s latest flagship houses a 4,200mAh battery that supports 40W SuperCharge technology and wireless reverse charging, which enables it to be used to charge other Qi wireless devices. In India, the smartphone is priced at Rs 69,990.
OnePlus 6T is surely among the most popular smartphones of the year. The smartphone is available in 6GB and 8GB of RAM and comes in 128GB and 256GB storage options. OnePlus 6T’s starting price in India is Rs 37,999 and it boasts of features like 6.41-inch optic AMOLED display, Snapdragon 845 processor with Adreno 630 GPU, a 16MP selfie camera and 3,700mAh battery. The smartphone has the same set of dual rear cameras as OnePlus 6 but comes with additional modes. OnePlus 6T comes with a waterdrop-style notch on its display and the Android 9.0 Pie based smartphone has an on-screen fingerprint sensor.
The next one on our list is Asus’ answer to OnePlus 6 that was launched earlir this year. Asus Zenfone 5Z has a 6.2-inch full HD+ IPS display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor clubbed with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. The smartphone is available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB storage options. Asus Zenfone 5Z’s base model in India costs Rs 29,999 and the most high-end one bears a price tag of Rs 36,999.
With Vivo NEX, we saw a very futuristic looking smartphone by the Chinese smartphone brand that came with an almost full-screen experience and had a pop-up selfie camera. The smartphone is among the first few which ditched the notch and it sports a 6.59-inch FHD+ super AMOLED ‘Ultra Fullview’ display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset clubbed with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. Vivo NEX sports a dual rear camera setup with 12MP and 5MP sensors and has an 8MP selfie camera. The smartphone is priced at Rs 44,990 in India.
The world’s first smartphone to come with four rear cameras, Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) is available at a starting price of Rs 36,990. Among the key features of the smartphone are its 24MP+10MP+8MP+5MP rear cameras, a 24MP selfie camera, 6.3-inch full-HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity display and its 3,800mAh battery.
Priced at Rs 15, 999, Nokia 6.1 Plus is surely among the best budget smartphones we saw this year. The Android 8.1 Ore-based handset comes with a 5.8-inch full-HD+ display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor clubbed with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The smartphone by Nokia comes with 16MP+5MP dual rear cameras and a 16MP selfie camera. It houses a 3,060mAh battery.
This one is another good budget option you can consider buying. Moto G6 comes at a starting price of Rs 13,999 and sports a 5.7-inch FHD+ IPS touchscreen. Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 CPU, the smartphone comes with either 3GB or 4GB RAM and is available in 32GB and 64GB storage options. Moto G6 features 12MP + 5MP dual rear cameras and houses a 3,000mAh battery.
If you want a smartphone with a big battery, then Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 is the right choice for you. The smartphone is available in 3GB RAM/ 32GB internal storage and 4GB RAM/64GB onboard storage options and comes at a starting price of Rs 10,999. Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 sports a 5.99-inch full-HD+ IPS Full View display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor. The key highlight of the device is its 5,000mAh battery.
Honor 8X is another budget smartphone that you can consider. It is available with 4GB or 6GB RAM and comes in 64GB and 128GB inbuilt storage options and the base model costs Rs 14,999. The smartphone sports a 6.5-inch fullView display and is powered by an octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 710 processor. Honor 8X comes with dual AI camera setup on its back panel with 20MP and 2MP sensors.
Apple’s flagship smartphones feature an OLED HDR Super Retina display and are powered by the A12 Bionic processor. While the display of iPhone XS is 5.8-inch in size, iPhone XS Max sports a 6.5-inch screen. The smartphones come with a dual rear camera setup with a 12MP wide-angle lens and a 12MP telephoto lens. There is also a 7MP TrueDepth camera for selfies. The new iPhones are available in 64GB, 128GB, and 512GB storage options and run iOS 12. While the cost of iPhone XS starts at Rs 99,900 in India, iPhone XS Max is available at a starting price of Rs 109,900.
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In This Article
iPhone XR
September saw the launch of Apple’s 2018 iPhone lineup. Besides, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, the Cupertino based technology giant launched the iPhone XR, which is supposed to be its affordable variant. iPhone XR features a 6.1-inch LCD screen and comes with a 12MP wide angle rear camera. The smartphone is available in three storage options — 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB. Its battery life is said to be 1.5 hours more than that of iPhone 8 Plus. Powered by A12 Bionic processor, iPhone XR runs iOS 12 software.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 features a 6.4-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity display and is powered by Exynos 9810 processor. The device is available in 6GB RAM/128GB storage and 8GB RAM/512GB storage options. Users can also install a microSD of up to 512GB. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 houses a 4,000mAh battery and sports a dual rear camera setup that has a 12MP wide-angle autofocus sensor and a 12MP telephoto autofocus sensor. For selfies and video calls, there is an 8MP autofocus sensor. The Android 8.1 Oreo-based smartphone comes with an upgraded S Pen and supports Dex. Samsung Galaxy Note 9’s starting price in India is Rs 67,900.
Google Pixel 3 XL
Google’s flagship of the year sports a 5.5-inch FHD+ flexible OLED display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. Google Pixel 3 comes with 4GB of RAM, Adreno 630 GPU and is available in 64GB and 128GB storage options. The smartphone runs Android 9.0 Pie out of the box and is touted to come with Pixel Visual core and Titan M Security Module. For imaging duties, Google Pixel 3 features a 12.2MP dual pixel single rear camera that has support for features like autofocus with dual phase detection, OIS, EIS and spectral & flicker sensor. The smartphone comes with dual front cameras with an 8MP wide-angle sensor and an 8MP secondary sensor with 75-degree field-of-view. It is available in India at a starting price of Rs 71,000.
Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Huawei Mate 20 Pro runs Android 9.0 Pie skinned with EMUI 9.0 and sports a 6.39-inch QHD+ curved OLED display. The smartphone comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor and is powered by the company’s flagship HiSilicon Kirin 980 processor clubbed with 6GB RAM. Huawei Mate 20 Pro offers 128GB storage and can hold microSD cards of up to 256GB. Huawei Mate 20 Pro features a triple rear camera setup that is comprised of a 40MP primary wide-angle sensor, a 20MP ultra wide angle sensor, and an 8MP 3X telephoto sensor. For selfies and video calls, the smartphone houses a 24MP RGB selfie camera that supports 3D facial unlocking. Huawei’s latest flagship houses a 4,200mAh battery that supports 40W SuperCharge technology and wireless reverse charging, which enables it to be used to charge other Qi wireless devices. In India, the smartphone is priced at Rs 69,990.
OnePlus 6T
OnePlus 6T is surely among the most popular smartphones of the year. The smartphone is available in 6GB and 8GB of RAM and comes in 128GB and 256GB storage options. OnePlus 6T’s starting price in India is Rs 37,999 and it boasts of features like 6.41-inch optic AMOLED display, Snapdragon 845 processor with Adreno 630 GPU, a 16MP selfie camera and 3,700mAh battery. The smartphone has the same set of dual rear cameras as OnePlus 6 but comes with additional modes. OnePlus 6T comes with a waterdrop-style notch on its display and the Android 9.0 Pie based smartphone has an on-screen fingerprint sensor.
Asus Zenfone 5Z
The next one on our list is Asus’ answer to OnePlus 6 that was launched earlir this year. Asus Zenfone 5Z has a 6.2-inch full HD+ IPS display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor clubbed with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. The smartphone is available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB storage options. Asus Zenfone 5Z’s base model in India costs Rs 29,999 and the most high-end one bears a price tag of Rs 36,999.
Vivo NEX
With Vivo NEX, we saw a very futuristic looking smartphone by the Chinese smartphone brand that came with an almost full-screen experience and had a pop-up selfie camera. The smartphone is among the first few which ditched the notch and it sports a 6.59-inch FHD+ super AMOLED ‘Ultra Fullview’ display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset clubbed with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. Vivo NEX sports a dual rear camera setup with 12MP and 5MP sensors and has an 8MP selfie camera. The smartphone is priced at Rs 44,990 in India.
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018)
The world’s first smartphone to come with four rear cameras, Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) is available at a starting price of Rs 36,990. Among the key features of the smartphone are its 24MP+10MP+8MP+5MP rear cameras, a 24MP selfie camera, 6.3-inch full-HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity display and its 3,800mAh battery.
Nokia 6.1 Plus
Priced at Rs 15, 999, Nokia 6.1 Plus is surely among the best budget smartphones we saw this year. The Android 8.1 Ore-based handset comes with a 5.8-inch full-HD+ display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor clubbed with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The smartphone by Nokia comes with 16MP+5MP dual rear cameras and a 16MP selfie camera. It houses a 3,060mAh battery.
Moto G6
This one is another good budget option you can consider buying. Moto G6 comes at a starting price of Rs 13,999 and sports a 5.7-inch FHD+ IPS touchscreen. Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 CPU, the smartphone comes with either 3GB or 4GB RAM and is available in 32GB and 64GB storage options. Moto G6 features 12MP + 5MP dual rear cameras and houses a 3,000mAh battery.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1
If you want a smartphone with a big battery, then Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 is the right choice for you. The smartphone is available in 3GB RAM/ 32GB internal storage and 4GB RAM/64GB onboard storage options and comes at a starting price of Rs 10,999. Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 sports a 5.99-inch full-HD+ IPS Full View display and is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor. The key highlight of the device is its 5,000mAh battery.
Honor 8X
Honor 8X is another budget smartphone that you can consider. It is available with 4GB or 6GB RAM and comes in 64GB and 128GB inbuilt storage options and the base model costs Rs 14,999. The smartphone sports a 6.5-inch fullView display and is powered by an octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 710 processor. Honor 8X comes with dual AI camera setup on its back panel with 20MP and 2MP sensors.
Honourable mention: iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
Apple’s flagship smartphones feature an OLED HDR Super Retina display and are powered by the A12 Bionic processor. While the display of iPhone XS is 5.8-inch in size, iPhone XS Max sports a 6.5-inch screen. The smartphones come with a dual rear camera setup with a 12MP wide-angle lens and a 12MP telephoto lens. There is also a 7MP TrueDepth camera for selfies. The new iPhones are available in 64GB, 128GB, and 512GB storage options and run iOS 12. While the cost of iPhone XS starts at Rs 99,900 in India, iPhone XS Max is available at a starting price of Rs 109,900.
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[td_smart_list_end] Flipkart Honor Days Sale: Discounts available on Honor 10, Honor 9 Lite, Honor 9i and more
Huawei’s sub-brand Honor and e-commerce giant Flipkart are holding the Honor Days Sale, which begins today and will go on till December 16. As a part of Honor Days Sale, six smartphones by the company can be bought at discounted prices on Flipkart.
These include Honor smartphones in the budget as well as the premium segment. Prices of Honor 10, Honor 9i, Honor 9 Lite, Honor 9N, Honor 7S, and Honor 7A smartphones have been reduced for this week and the discounts on the handsets range from Rs 1,000 to Rs 8,000.
It is worth noticing that the two companies also collaborated earlier this year to offer discounts to customers with Honor Days Sale. The previous sale by the two companies was scheduled from November 26 to November 29.
Let’s start talking about the offers that are available on Honor mobiles on Flipkart. Honor 10 smartphone, which is normally priced at Rs 32,999, can be bought at Rs 24,999 during the Flipkart Honor Days Sale. The smartphone has a discount of Rs 8,000 on its original price.
Honor 9i smartphone is also available at a reduced price on the e-commerce website. While it was earlier priced at Rs 14,999, it can be picked up at Rs 11,999 till Sunday this week. The price of Honor 9i has been slashed by Rs 3,000 by the company for the said time period.
Honor 9 Lite comes in two storage variants. While one comes with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage, the other has 4GB RAM and packs 64GB of onboard storage. The former is priced at Rs 14,999, while the latter costs Rs 10,999. But during the sale, they can be bought at Rs 11,999 and Rs 9,999 respectively.
You can also buy the Honor 9N smartphone at a reduced priced during the Flipkart Honor Days Sale. Normally, the 3GB RAM/32GB storage model of the smartphone costs Rs 11,999 and the 4GB RAM/64GB storage variant is priced at Rs 13,999. This week, you can buy the two models at Rs 8,999 and Rs 10,999 respectively.
There are discounts available on Honor’s entry-level smartphones too. Honor 7S, which earlier came at a price tag of Rs 6,999 is now available at Rs 5,999, and Honor 7A smartphone is also available at a reduced price of Rs 7,999.
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Samsung Notebook 9 Pen laptop announced: All that you need to know
The updated version of the Samsung Notebook 9 Pen laptop is finally out. The newly launched Samsung laptop comes in two variants – one with 15-inch display and the other with 13-inch screen. Both the displays of the laptop have a resolution of 1080p. The key feature of this new model is an upgraded S Pen that, according to Samsung, comes with half the latency and is two times faster than the previous model. The new S Pen by the South Korean technology giant comes with multiple user replacement tips that would enable users to customise different drawing styles.
Most other specifications of the laptop are expected to be the same as its predecessor. The battery life of the laptop’s predecessor did not garner much appreciation, so we will have to wait to find out if that has been improved in the upgraded Samsung Notebook 9 Pen laptop. The new laptop by Samsung runs Windows 10 software and its dimensions are 348x229x15.4mm. The price of the Samsung Notebook 9 Pen laptop is expected to be announced at CES 2019 which will be held in January. However, there is no official word on when exactly the technology giant will make further announcements about the laptop.
The laptop has a convertible design and comes with drawing app support and distinct graphics. With these features, the company seems to have aimed it at artists and graphic designers who are required to move around with their laptops.
Considering the S Pen, it is reminiscent of a lot of Samsung’s expensive gadgets. One of the prominent ones is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 which was launched back in mid-October and is a flagship model. To recall, the tablet comes with a 10.5 super AMOLED display with narrow bezels and has an aspect ratio of 16:10. It is powered by a bulk battery of 7,300mAh which helps it to last for a very long duration with one-time use. Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 features four speakers by AKG and Dolby Atmos immersive sound technology. In India, it is priced at Rs 57,900.
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OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition with 10GB RAM launched in India: Price, specifications and more
Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus has launched its fifth-anniversary special smartphone in India – OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition. The smartphone was unveiled globally on Tuesday and got launched in India a day later. It is the most premium model of OnePlus’ current lineup and comes with 10GB RAM and Warp Charging technology. As the name suggests, the smartphone maker partnered with racing giant McLaren for its special edition smartphone. The back panel of OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition comes with the racing company’s logo on it and the side edges of the smartphone are Papaya Orange in colour. Here’s a look at the pricing details and specifications of the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition:
In This Article
OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition price in India
OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition is only available in 10GB RAM/256GB storage configuration and is priced at Rs 50,999 in India. The special edition smartphone will be going on sale in the country starting December 15 and will be available for purchase on Amazon India and OnePlus India’s website. You can also pick it up from OnePlus exclusive offline stores. A special sale of the newly launched device will also be held on December 13 at the OnePlus Experience Store in Connaught Place, New Delhi. The company is offering launch offers to customers on its 5th anniversary special OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition. These include a cashback of Rs 2,000 on EMI transactions done via Axis Bank cards, a cashback of Rs 1,500 on all transactions done via Axis bank credit or debit cards, up to 6 months of no-cost EMI on buying the smartphone from Amazon India, OnePlus’ official website and OnePlus offline stores. You can also exchange your old OnePlus handset and get an additional discount of Rs 3,000. A discount of Rs 2,000 is also available on exchange of other devices on Amazon India, OnePlus India and OnePlus offline stores.OnePlus 6T features and specifications
The new mobile by OnePLus comes with a subtle carbon fibre pattern that has been used beneath its glass back panel that houses that Speedmark McLaren logo on it. The logo is made of F1 AA-grade carbon fibre that has been designed by McLaren. The edges of the special edition OnePlus 6T have McLaren’s signature Papaya Orange colour on them and the charging cable of the smartphone is also Orange instead of Red. OnePlus 6T McLaren comes with new Warp Charge 30 charging technology that offers 30W fast charging capabilities. The company has claimed that it can offer a day’s worth of change in 20 minutes. Apart from RAM and storage, other specifications of the smartphone remain the same as OnePlus 6T’s (review). As we mentioned previously, OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition comes with 10GB RAM and 256GB onboard storage. Other specifications of the device include OxygenOS based on Android 9.0 Pie, 6.41-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display, Snapdragon 845 processor, 16MP+20MP dual rear cameras, 16MP selfie camera and 3,700mAh battery. 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.Honor 8C review: Solid built meets smooth performance
Huawei’s sub-brand Honor recently took the wraps off the first ever smartphone to come with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 632 processor – Honor 8C. The smartphone has a 4,000mAh battery and the company has touted its cameras AI enhancements to be the best. We spent a few days with Honor 8C smartphone to know if it manages to make a mark in the already overcrowded budget segment. Read the rest of our review to know if Honor 8C is the right buy for you:
If you don’t like the notch of the device, you can hide it using an option in the Settings menu. Flip over, and you’ll see the plastic back panel of the smartphone which looks extremely glossy. It is worth noticing that the back panel of the device is prone to getting fingerprint smudges, but the smartphone comes with a plastic cover in the box which will help you with this problem.
The fingerprint scanner of Honor 8C mobile is embedded on the back panel of the smartphone. The dual rear cameras and the LED flash are vertically stacked on the top left of the back. While ‘AI Camera’ is written right below it, the Honor branding is on the bottom left. We should point out, that like Honor 8X, the dual rear cameras are not in a single module and are placed separately on the device. Another thing that is similar between the two devices is that the AI Camera and Honor branding can only be read properly on holding the device in landscape mode.
While the left edge of the smartphone houses the SIM tray which has two nano-SIM slots and a dedicated microSD card slot, the right edge has the power and volume rocker buttons. The bottom edge has a micro-USB port, the primary microphone and a speaker grille. The secondary microphone and the 3.5mm headphone jack are placed on the top. In a nutshell, Honor 8C has a decent design and like we said decent built quality.
Coming to the display of the smartphone, the Honor 8C features a 6.26-inch HD+ (720×1520 pixels) TFT IPS LCD screen that has an aspect ratio of 19:9. The display of the device was reasonably good. The images displayed were sharp and clear. The colours showcased were accurate and vibrant and they remain consistent at different viewing angles. You may have to manually adjust the brightness, as the default wasn’t bright enough.
We got the former for review, which is priced at Rs 12,999. Both the variants of the Honor 8C smartphone can hold microSD cards of up to 256GB. Honor 8C houses a 4,000mAh battery to power the device. The connectivity options on the device include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, a Micro-USB port and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Speaking about the software of the device, Honor 8C runs Android 8.1 Oreo with a layer of Honor’s EMUI 8.2 on top. There are a number of features available because of this, but then there is bloatware too. You’ll find some Google apps and some Honor’s own native apps on it. For instance, the device has Gmail, Google Chrome and Android Messages, but the Dialer and Gallery are Honor’s.
Apps like Facebook, Netflix and Camera 360 come pre-installed and there are a number of Honor’s own apps. What covers up for it is the one-handed mode on the device and its ability to run two accounts of the same app at the same time via a feature called App Twin.
The performance of Honor 8C, during our time with it, was mostly good. The smartphone handles day-to-day tasks with ease, considering that it falls in the budget segment. We launched and switched between multiple apps and Chrome tabs during our time with it, and we did not see hardly any lag in Honor 8C’s performance. To push it further, we used navigation via Google Maps in PIP mode and watched YouTube videos simultaneously. Honor 8C handled that with ease too. In spite of the multi-tasking, the smartphone didn’t warm up.
Gaming was another good aspect of the smartphone, especially when compared to other budget smartphones. We played games like Temple Run 2 and Alto’s Odyssey, and Honor 8C took it well. Heavier games like Asphalt 9 could have been better, but then, we didn’t expect a budget smartphone to run them as flawlessly as handsets with better processors do.
The call quality of the smartphone was good. There was no problem with the reception and we managed to make calls in areas like basements too. The face unlock feature worked perfectly in well-lit areas, and dimly lit areas it was mostly good. The fingerprint sensor of the device was extremely quick and accurate. It detected our finger even when it was moist.
The battery of Honor 8C was undoubtedly its best feature. The 4,000mAh battery of the smartphone lasts an entire day with heavy usage involving social media, YouTube videos and gaming. If your usage is moderate, it’ll last more than a day. It took us around two hours to completely charge the device.
For imaging duties, Honor 8C has a dual rear camera setup with 13MP and 2MP sensors and an 8MP fixed focus camera on its front panel. The camera app of the smartphone supports the Pro mode that enables users to adjust the exposure, shutter speed, white balance and more.
Honor 8C is touted to detect 22 different types of objects and more than 500 types of scenes. The smartphone also has an AI mode, much like the Honor 8X. The images that we took in well-lit conditions were sharp and had a reasonable amount of details. We liked the photography on the device. But then, we did feel that the AI mode oversaturate the images taken.
While some may like it, we prefer to have more natural looking colours in pictures taken. The images in dimly lit areas could have been better too. Some of them lacked clarity and looked dull. In fact, in dimly lit conditions, AI helped us click some better images. However, we still observed some noise in the images taken.
The selfies taken were mostly good, but in dimly lit areas, the selfie camera’s performance suffered too. The selfie camera of the device also has a beauty mode that does improve the quality of the images taken. The low-light performance of the selfie camera could have been better as well.
We ran some benchmark tests on the device, where it scored 1,04,098 in Antutu, it managed 1,277 and 4,801 in Single and Multi-core scores of Geekbench 4.
In This Article
Honor 8C design and display
We’ll begin by talking about the design of Honor 8C. The body of the smartphone is completely made of decent quality plastic. Honor 8C is tall, yet it is slim enough for easy one-handed usage. Although the smartphone felt solid to hold and we liked its overall look and feel, it doesn’t feel premium when compared to other smartphones in the same range. Since others are made of glass and metal. But, in the budget segment, it’s not exactly the primary concern for anyone. The front is dominated by the 6.26-inch display that has a notch on top, which houses the earpiece and selfie camera. We should mention that the borders outlining the display of Honor 8C smartphone are not as slim as the ones we have seen on other smartphones lately. The chin is the thickest of all and the difference is quite noticeable.
If you don’t like the notch of the device, you can hide it using an option in the Settings menu. Flip over, and you’ll see the plastic back panel of the smartphone which looks extremely glossy. It is worth noticing that the back panel of the device is prone to getting fingerprint smudges, but the smartphone comes with a plastic cover in the box which will help you with this problem.
The fingerprint scanner of Honor 8C mobile is embedded on the back panel of the smartphone. The dual rear cameras and the LED flash are vertically stacked on the top left of the back. While ‘AI Camera’ is written right below it, the Honor branding is on the bottom left. We should point out, that like Honor 8X, the dual rear cameras are not in a single module and are placed separately on the device. Another thing that is similar between the two devices is that the AI Camera and Honor branding can only be read properly on holding the device in landscape mode.
While the left edge of the smartphone houses the SIM tray which has two nano-SIM slots and a dedicated microSD card slot, the right edge has the power and volume rocker buttons. The bottom edge has a micro-USB port, the primary microphone and a speaker grille. The secondary microphone and the 3.5mm headphone jack are placed on the top. In a nutshell, Honor 8C has a decent design and like we said decent built quality.
Coming to the display of the smartphone, the Honor 8C features a 6.26-inch HD+ (720×1520 pixels) TFT IPS LCD screen that has an aspect ratio of 19:9. The display of the device was reasonably good. The images displayed were sharp and clear. The colours showcased were accurate and vibrant and they remain consistent at different viewing angles. You may have to manually adjust the brightness, as the default wasn’t bright enough.
Honor 8C performance and cameras
Before we start talking about the performance of Honor 8C, we’ll take you through the rest of the specifications. The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm’s new 14nm Snapdragon 632 processor and comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Another storage variant with the same RAM and 32GB of onboard storage is also available for purchase.
We got the former for review, which is priced at Rs 12,999. Both the variants of the Honor 8C smartphone can hold microSD cards of up to 256GB. Honor 8C houses a 4,000mAh battery to power the device. The connectivity options on the device include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, a Micro-USB port and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Speaking about the software of the device, Honor 8C runs Android 8.1 Oreo with a layer of Honor’s EMUI 8.2 on top. There are a number of features available because of this, but then there is bloatware too. You’ll find some Google apps and some Honor’s own native apps on it. For instance, the device has Gmail, Google Chrome and Android Messages, but the Dialer and Gallery are Honor’s.
Apps like Facebook, Netflix and Camera 360 come pre-installed and there are a number of Honor’s own apps. What covers up for it is the one-handed mode on the device and its ability to run two accounts of the same app at the same time via a feature called App Twin.
The performance of Honor 8C, during our time with it, was mostly good. The smartphone handles day-to-day tasks with ease, considering that it falls in the budget segment. We launched and switched between multiple apps and Chrome tabs during our time with it, and we did not see hardly any lag in Honor 8C’s performance. To push it further, we used navigation via Google Maps in PIP mode and watched YouTube videos simultaneously. Honor 8C handled that with ease too. In spite of the multi-tasking, the smartphone didn’t warm up.
Gaming was another good aspect of the smartphone, especially when compared to other budget smartphones. We played games like Temple Run 2 and Alto’s Odyssey, and Honor 8C took it well. Heavier games like Asphalt 9 could have been better, but then, we didn’t expect a budget smartphone to run them as flawlessly as handsets with better processors do.
The call quality of the smartphone was good. There was no problem with the reception and we managed to make calls in areas like basements too. The face unlock feature worked perfectly in well-lit areas, and dimly lit areas it was mostly good. The fingerprint sensor of the device was extremely quick and accurate. It detected our finger even when it was moist.
The battery of Honor 8C was undoubtedly its best feature. The 4,000mAh battery of the smartphone lasts an entire day with heavy usage involving social media, YouTube videos and gaming. If your usage is moderate, it’ll last more than a day. It took us around two hours to completely charge the device.
For imaging duties, Honor 8C has a dual rear camera setup with 13MP and 2MP sensors and an 8MP fixed focus camera on its front panel. The camera app of the smartphone supports the Pro mode that enables users to adjust the exposure, shutter speed, white balance and more.
Honor 8C is touted to detect 22 different types of objects and more than 500 types of scenes. The smartphone also has an AI mode, much like the Honor 8X. The images that we took in well-lit conditions were sharp and had a reasonable amount of details. We liked the photography on the device. But then, we did feel that the AI mode oversaturate the images taken.
While some may like it, we prefer to have more natural looking colours in pictures taken. The images in dimly lit areas could have been better too. Some of them lacked clarity and looked dull. In fact, in dimly lit conditions, AI helped us click some better images. However, we still observed some noise in the images taken.
The selfies taken were mostly good, but in dimly lit areas, the selfie camera’s performance suffered too. The selfie camera of the device also has a beauty mode that does improve the quality of the images taken. The low-light performance of the selfie camera could have been better as well.
We ran some benchmark tests on the device, where it scored 1,04,098 in Antutu, it managed 1,277 and 4,801 in Single and Multi-core scores of Geekbench 4.
Verdict and final thoughts
The smartphone excels in some areas but fails to make a mark in others. The design is decent but common, the display is reasonably good, the performance of the device with multitasking included is smooth, and the battery is the key highlight. The built quality of the device and its accurate fingerprint sensor are a plus too. On the downside, the smartphone comes with bloatware and its camera’s low-light photography is not at all impressive. For us, the performance of any device is the most important and Honor 8C is good as far as that goes. And the battery life makes it even better. At Rs 12,999, you wouldn’t regret buying it. Just don’t expect that cameras to do an outstanding job. Pros – Solid built, Lasting battery, Smooth performance Cons – Average low-light photography, Bloatware, cluttered software 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 not to operate in China, says Sundar Pichai
The CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai has declared that he has no plans to launch Google in China. He said that he would be very straight forward about this and has no setbacks in this regard. His main objective is to provide users with information which according to him is a fundamental right. Since in China, he cannot operate freely in terms of the above, he would rather not operate there.
China has a strong censorship policy, which includes digital censorship. Google used to operate in China until 2010. After China’s censorship policy began, it started to compromise with freely communicating information to netizens that is deeply rooted in the company’s core values.
“We have no plans to launch in China. We don’t have a search product there. Our core mission is to provide users access to information and getting access to information is an important human right” Pichai said.
A congressman, David Cicilline said that since Google’s resignation to operate in China after the strict censorship rules became active, the state of the country hasn’t changed in this regard. Earlier when Google was planning to relaunch in China through an app by negotiating with the censorship rules, it was protested against by human rights activists, and some Google employees.
When Cicilline asked Sundar Pichai that whether he has any plans to operate in China by conforming to the censorship rules, Pichai asserted “Congressman, I commit to engaging one of the things which is important to us as a company. We have a stated mission of providing users with information and so we think it’s in our duty to explore possibilities, to give users access to information and I have that commitment but you know as I said earlier on this, we will be very thoughtful and we will engage widely as we make progress.”
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Samsung gets caught promoting its smartphone via iPhone again
Just days after Apple fans got a chance to troll Samsung, the South Korean technology giant has landed itself in a similar situation all over again. And believe it or not, it’s for exactly the same reason. Earlier this month, it was reported that a tweet on Samsung Nigeria’s Twitter account, which was promoting the display of flagship tablet Galaxy Note 9, was actually posted by an iPhone.
Unless someone is living under the rock, they would know that whenever a tweet is sent out through Twitter’s iOS app, ‘via Twitter for iPhone’ gets automatically written right beneath it. It happens by default and one cannot disable it. But Samsung‘s marketing team seems to forget this time and again.
This time, the exact same thing was done by Samsung India. Samsung Mobile India posted a tweet promoting the camera of Galaxy A9 (2018) mobile. And interestingly, ‘via Twitter for iPhone’ is written right below it.
Famous YouTuber Marques Brownlee took a screenshot of this and shared it with his followers on Twitter. It is worth noticing that he was also the first person to catch Samsung Nigeria’s tweet. We should also point out that Samsung India has now deleted the tweet. In another incident last month, Samsung Saudi Arabian Twitter handle had promoted the Galaxy Note 9 via Twitter’s iOS app too. That makes a total of three incidents in two months, and if you ask us, that’s quite a lot. One thing we can be sure of is that there are people in Samsung’s team who are responsible for promoting its products but are themselves using iPhones. And we don’t have to state the fact that Apple and Samsung arch rivals. Furthermore, such incidents are not limited to the online space. To recall, a few weeks back, Russia’s Kseniya Sobchak was spotted using an iPhone X during a television interview. Sobchak has been hired by Samsung to promote their smartphones in her country by using them publically. Whenever there is an agreement of this sort between an influential person and a company, that individual is not supposed to use the company’s competitor’s products in public. Due to this, it was reported that Sobchak had to pay Samsung $1.6 million after her interview. 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.Guys. It's super public now. What are you doing pic.twitter.com/vaUOd3mVPO
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) December 12, 2018
Mortal Kombat 11 season pass and premium edition leaked
The release date of Mortal Kombat has been fixed, April 23, 2019. This game would be available on PS4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch. An event scheduled for the games fans is 17th January. It appears that the information regarding Mortal Kombat 11 Premium Edition (as the name is now escaped) has leaked thanks to GameStop Italy. The special edition would contain a game and a steel case as revealed by GS Italy. Details regarding the Battle Pass have been removed, however, this game’s edition revalation is still available on GameStop Italy’s website.
A translation of the GameStop listing on Mortal Kombat fan site said, “Mortal Kombat is back and is more fit than ever in this new and fantastic evolution of the iconic title. Users can customise the variants of their fighters down to the smallest detail, gaining unprecedented control over the aesthetics of the characters. The new graphic engine renders in the smallest details every crushed skull and torn heart, immersing yourself completely in the action of the bloodiest scenes. In addition, the new list of fighters includes unpublished characters and the Klassics of the series, protagonists of fantastic movies in the story mode of the epic saga that has been going on for more than 25 years.”
There will also be a strong multiplayer feature geared towards e-sports like an improved matchmaking and rewards system. In Mortal Kombat premium edition one would get six characters, six battle passes, steel case and a copy of the game.
One important thing to note here is that pre-ordering the game would help you gain access to the Mortal Kombat 11 beta as bonus.
This game series was announced at The Game Awards 2018. Also, a written statement for the title indicates that the maligned gear system from Injustice 2 will make a comeback soon. Seems like fans are in for a treat with this game. One would get to see the old roaster back in action along with a bunch of new characters joining the ranks. It will be one action packed game that should provide excellent graphics as well as a brilliant multiplayer mode.
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OnePlus 6T McLaren edition to launch in India today, watch the livestream here
The brand new OnePlus 6T McLaren edition is all set to launch today at an event held in Mumbai. OnePlus 6T has always launched flagship phones and this one is no different. Just like others it might create a huge fanbase. “The Salute to Speed” event is being organised to mark the fifth anniversary of OnePlus and it has been sending invites for the same since a week to ten days now.
However, if you can’t watch attend the event, you can always watch it’s livestream. The event will happen in Mumbai at 6:00PM(IST). Just head to the official YouTube channel of OnePlus and you’ll find the video there itself. For your convenience we have posted the link to the video for you here:
Similar to the normal edition of OnePlus 6T, the One Plus 6T McLaren edition as few differences that sets it apart. To begin with it comes with 10GB RAM, this makes it the first smartphone to have this much memory here. It runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC and has an internal storage of 256GB. It also has a ‘Warp Charge technology’ which helps it fast charge rapidly with a 30W charger. It is the rebranded version of ‘Dash Charge’.
In terms of its appearance, it comes with a Orange colour scheme. It has a carbon fibre patter under the smartphones glass rear panel. The charger and USB-to-3.5mm audio dongle come with a dual tone colour scheme, too.
It has a display 6.41-inch Full HD+ Optic AMOLED with a resolution of 1,080×2,340 pixels. Also, it has a waterdrop notch, which increases the screen to body ratio. A fingerprint sensor is there as well under the screen, just like the one found on OnePlus 6T. In terms of camera it sports a dual-lens rear camera with a 16MP and a 20MP sensor. The front facing camera is of 16MP, which can be used for selfies and video calls. The smartphone is powered by a 3,700mAh battery.
Its dimensions are 157.5×74.8×8.2mm and weighs 185grams. And yes, it runs on the Android Pie 9.0 which is the latest OS by Android. Connectivity options include WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth and GPS. Messaging options include SMS, MMS, Email, Push Email and IM.
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Sundar Pichai explain why Googling the term ‘idiot’ leads to pictures of Donald Trump
Questions regarding the authenticity of Google came up after Donald Trump’s pictures showed up by typing ‘idiot’ in the Google search engine. Questions such as whether Google is biased towards conservatives popped all around. The enquiry came from Rep. Zoe Lofgren(D-CA) who was trying to refute the idea of Google trying to manipulate search results.
Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google gave a long explanation to absolve himself and his team of any allegations of tainting a politician’s image. He said, “Any time you type in a keyword, as Google we have gone out and crawled and stored copies of billions of [websites’] pages in our index. And we take the keyword and match it against their pages and rank them based on over 200 signals — things like relevance, freshness, popularity, how other people are using it. And based on that, at any given time, we try to rank and find the best search results for that query. And then we evaluate them with external parameters, and they evaluate it to objective guidelines. And that’s how we make sure the process is working.”
He is trying to describe Google as a third person to all these events, that it has nothing to do with tainting the image of Trump. Third person in the sense, that it only relates keywords with websites based on things like relevance, freshness popularity etc. Rest it has no hand in anything.
It is not a new thing considering that in the mid-2000s George Bush’s pictures used to appear as a result of typing “miserable failure”. Technically, these kinds of occurrences happen on the basis of a process called “Google Bombing”. What happens is that outside parties toying with Google search results.
SEO tactics often result to such blunders which is why search engine companies become the scapegoat. People probably upvoted or linked posts with the word “idiot” to images of Trump which happened at a mass level which led to this.
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Bomb threat in Facebook building, staff evacuated
For any company security of its employees is of utmost importance. That is why most companies have a red button located in the boss’s cabin in case natural disasters, bomb threats or other security issues. On Tuesday night, there was a bomb threat at Facebook’s Menlo Park campus, which houses both Instagram and Facebook staff. They were immediately evacuated after the threat. A bomb squad was alerted, which instantly came into action, but after search they didn’t find any suspicious article.
The news of the explosive being kept in the building came from the New York Police Department Crime Stopper unit. Local authorities were informed after this. The Menlo Park police department warned people to avoid staying in the building’s vicinity today.
The NBC Bay Area posted information about the bomb threat. It said that the tip off about the possibility of the bomb being in the building was first given by New York’s crime stopper unit to the officials in the Bay area. It is after then that local police of the Menlo area were alerted and jumped into the scene to evacuate the staff out of the Facebook office swiftly.
A few months back, there was a gunfire at YouTube’s office too, which left three people injured and one dead. The reportedly dead person was the perpetrator herself. She was identified as Nasim Najafi Aghdam. The motive behind her crime was unknown however, a YouTube video on January showed her claiming that YouTube had “discriminated and filtered” her content which resulted in a loss of her time and money.
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HyperX Launches Alloy FPS RGB Gaming keyboard in India
A new gaming keyboard has been launched by HyperX, a subsidiary of Kingston Technologies, which is called the Alloy FPS RGB. The keyboard features a solid steel alloy framework in a compact design that gives enough space to the mouse and mousepad. The keyboard is backed by two years of warranty and can be bought from the HyperX network of retail and e-retail outlets in India
Coming at a price of INR 12,900 the Alloy FPS RGB Keyboard features Kailh Silver Speed mechanical key switches that results in a shorter key time travel and less actuation force for faster gameplay. With this feature HyperX is augmenting its line of Alloy FPS keyboards. The Kailh Silver key switches have passed 70 million key presses ratings.
Gamers would love this feature. A unique game mode leads to disabling of the Windows key to prevent gameplay interruptions, 100 percent anti-ghosting and full N-Key rollover functionality. The Alloy FPS RGB features an easy access USB charging port which is located at the back of the keyboard. Along with this, the keyboard comes with a detachable braided cord.
The keyboard’s unique feature is going to provide gamers with a unique and exciting gaming experience. As Marketing Director of HyperX India, Vishal Parekh while talking about the Kailh Silver Speed key switches puts it, “These switches are designed with a shorter actuation point for ultra-rapid responsiveness and faster gaming performance resulting in less fatigue, making it ideal for gamers looking for an advantage over their rivals.”
The in-built software, NGenuity provides LED lighting and per key RGB customization, too. A special game mode is also present on HyperX alloy FPS RBG keyboard. Over that, three custom lighting profiles can be saved directly on the on-board memory of this keyboard for on-the-go lighting and macro settings.
Another noteworthy factor of this keyboard is that it can be very suitable to both amateurs and professionals. The Alloy FPS RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard has the following key specifications:
- Type: Mechanical
- Backlight: RGB (16,777,216 colors)
- Light effects: Per key RGB lighting and 5 brightness levels.
- On board memory: 3 profiles
- Connection type: USB 2.0 (2 USB connectors)
- Polling rate: 1000Hz
- Media control: Yes
- Game Mode: Yes
- OS compatibility: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7
- Key switches: Kailh Silver Speed
- Dimensions:
- Weight (Keyboard with cable): 1100g
Instagram has brought the new voice messaging feature in its DMs
There has been a lot of activity happening around Instagram lately. Recently it launched the feature of “close friends” wherein people can choose whom they want their posts to show. This is useful for those users who don’t want to publicise their posts and want only a handful of people to see them at certain occasions. It’s competitor, Snapchat has also introduced new features to stay at par with it and increase its users to reach more advertisers.
Instagram has also taken steps towards cyber bullying and fake following. In terms of fake following it has told users the steps to evade it. First the user needs to log out of their account and then reset their password and their work would be done.
Before that it had introduced “Nametags” for people to find friends easily on its site. Under this feature, by the use of name tags one can easily find people related to them. So many unique features it has introduced in the recent past, but this time it has introduced something very common considering it is available in almost every social networking sites. It is the voice-note feature.
Social media sites like Facebook, Whatsapp have had a voice messaging feature since long and now it is a very usual means of online communication. But better late than never, the saying goes. Instagram has just introduced its voice messaging feature which can be used in personal chats.
There is a microphone button and a trash button in Instagram chat window. For recording your voice, you need to tap the microphone button and hold it until you record your voice entirely. In case you find the recording unsuitable you can use the trash button to delete it.
Instagram which is the branch of Facebook is known for picture displaying of images and fan following. The voice feature is not quite the insta-thing is what we feel. However, some users who are majorly on Instagram and do communicate with their fans or friends there, they might just want to use this feature.
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Vivo NEX 2 with dual displays, Lunar Ring launched: Price and specifications
This year saw the launch of the futuristic-looking Vivo NEX (review) and Oppo Find X smartphones. Both the smartphones were widely appreciated for their design and were among the first to provide a nearly full-screen experience to customers. Without wasting much time, Chinese smartphone brand Vivo has launched the successor of its NEX smartphone that we saw this year. Called Vivo NEX 2, the smartphone has been launched at an event in Shanghai today and it comes with two displays and a triple rear camera setup. Here are all the key details about the newly launched Vivo NEX 2:
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Vivo NEX 2 price
Vivo NEX 2 comes with a massive 10GB RAM and has 128GB internal storage. In China, the smartphone is priced at 4,998 Yuan (approximately Rs 52,096) and it will go on sale in its home-country starting December 29. As of now, there is no word on its availability in India.Vivo NEX 2 specifications
Coming to the specification of the smartphone, Vivo NEX 2 comes with a bezel-less main display that measures 6.39 inches and a secondary one that is 5.49-inches in size. The secondary display has a Lunar Ring which lights up to alert users about notifications. Both the screens of the smartphone use Super AMOLED technology and come with in-display fingerprint scanners. Vivo NEX 2 comes with three primary cameras including a 12MP primary Sony IMX363-based sensor, a 2MP secondary sensor and a TOF (time of flight) 3D sensor with an f/1.3 aperture. According to the company, the TOF 3D camera adds point-to-point distance measuring and it also secures the facial recognition that used in unlocking the device. The camera also adds personalized beautification to Vivo NEX 3, which also has support for Portrait mode and AR experiences. Having three rear cameras at the back and a secondary display means that one can click selfies from the primary cameras itself. Vivo NEX 2 mobile is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor clubbed with 10GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. These internals make it one among the most powerful Android smartphones that can be bought currently. The smartphone houses a 3,500mAh battery – which is lesser than its predecessor’s 4,000mAh battery – and runs Android 9.0 Pie skinned with Vivo’s FunTouch OS out-of-the-box. 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.The Huawei Enjoy 9 has a Snapdragon CPU over Kirin and lacks a fingerprint sensor
Huawei is the one of the leading manufacturers of smart devices that has been catering to customers since a long time. It works in four key domains—telecom services, IT, smart devices and cloud services. A watered-down version of the Huawei Enjoy 9 Plus (which was launched in China in October this year) will launch tomorrow. It is called the Huawei Enjoy 9. It has a 6.26-inch 720×1,520px IPS LCD screen and sports a 13MP f/1.8 + 2MP f/2.4 aperture depth-sensing dual camera with an 8MP f/2.0 aperture selfie camera.
The smartphone comes in two memory options. First is the 3GB + 32GB version and the other is 4GB + 64GB variant. However, both come with a Snapdragon 450 chipset with no choice of Kirin available. It has an Android 8.0 Oreo and on top of that it has EMUI 8.2 software. The Enjoy comes with a 4,000mAh battery, which will ensure that your phone lasts for a long time. Also, it comes with a dedicated microSD card slot that can store up to 512GB of files.
The mobile phone is available in black colour and along with it, there are three gradient Aurora colours—blue, red and purple. The phone is supposed to launch in China on 12th December. However, Huawei hasn’t disclosed the price of the phone as of yet.
Connectivity options include WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Wifi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth (4.2, A2DP, LE), GPS, microUSB 2.0. Messaging options include SMS, MMS Email, Push Email and IM HTML5. The phone’s dimensions are 158.9x 76.9x 8.1mm and weighs 168grams. In terms of sound options, it has a loudspeaker, 3.5mm jack, vibration; MP3 and WAV ringtones.
And yes, it also has the multitouch feature. It starkly differs from Huawei Enjoy 9 Plus as it has a waterdrop notch that gives the users more screen space on the mobile phone. The Huawei Enjoy 9 Plus on the other hand has a simple notch. Let’s see how well it competes with other brands of the same segment in the market.
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Whatsapp has launched the group calling button for iPhone
Whatsapp messenger is out with a new update of making easy group calls on iOS. The development was initially part of an iOS beta, which was released last month. This update also has a feature to play consecutive voice messages in a sequence. One at least needs to have iOS 8.0 or a later version for this update to work.
It brings a new group calling button to the interface that is next to the name of groups, once the chat is opened. The new group calling button was previously spotted in iOS beta version 2.18.110.17. The beta update was provided to the iPhone users via TestFlight. In addition, this feature has a New Group call shortcut, which comes with the ‘New Call screen’. This gives users the option of selecting three contacts for a call. Consumers can select any contact from the phone instead of specific groups of Whatsapp.
The new group calling button is situated next to the group names in your chat window, too. Once you visit it you can select the number you’d like to call. There is option for you to either voice call or video call. One thing to note is that the native group calling support on Whatsapp has a limit of four callers on one call.
Also, Whatsapp for Android would add the new group calling-focused features soon. The New Group Call shortcut wasn’t available for testers until recently. It was spotted in Android beta late last month. In order to avail this upgraded beta version, users need to download the latest Whatsapp version. The official changelog specifies that this update has the ability to play consecutive voice messages in a sequence. Also, this started rolling out with the sticker integration in October.
Whatsapp might launch the same feature for Android phones in the coming weeks. It will be good to see how useful this update users find. Over the years, Whatsapp has launched a lot of updates which has proved to be useful to users. Recently, the dark mode has also been launched in which one can switch their Whatsapp screen to dark mode in order to save battery and prevent harming the eyes.
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In pics: OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition launched
To celebrate its fifth anniversary, OnePlus has launched a special edition of its flagship smartphone OnePlus 6T (review). As the name suggests, the company has launched OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition in partnership with racing giant McLaren. But unlike previous OnePlus special edition smartphones, OnePlus 6T McLaren comes with a change in some specifications too. Take a look at the newly launched smartphone and read on to know what all has changed:
The smartphone comes with 10GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. And it is the first OnePlus smartphone to come with such massive RAM & storage configurations.
OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition comes with Warp Charging technology. According to the company, this makes the smartphone charge from 0 to 50% in just 20 minutes. So you can really bid goodbye to your battery woes.
OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition comes bundled with a 30W Warp charger in the retail box. What’s more, instead of the Red coloured charging cable that OnePlus smartphones usually come with, OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition has an Orange coloured cable.
The glossy back panel of OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition has a carbon fibre pattern beneath it that shows up whenever the smartphone is under direct sunlight. There is a McLaren logo on the back is said to break the light falling on it into different colour patterns.
Thankfully the entire smartphone isn’t Papaya Orange in colour. Instead, OnePlus opted for a more understated look. While the body of the smartphone is Black, the side and bottom edges have the signature Papaya Orange colour.
Besides this, the smartphone retains all the other specifications of OnePlus 6T including Optic AMOLED display, a dual rear camera setup on the back panel, a 16MP selfie camera, and Snapdragon 845 processor. It has been launched globally today and is priced at $699 in the United States and costs £649 in Western Europe.
OnePlus 6T’s McLaren Edition is all set to launch in India tomorrow. Stay tuned with us to know about the pricing and availability of the device.
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The first OnePlus smartphone to pack 10GB RAM
The smartphone comes with 10GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. And it is the first OnePlus smartphone to come with such massive RAM & storage configurations.
Comes with Warp Charging technology
OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition comes with Warp Charging technology. According to the company, this makes the smartphone charge from 0 to 50% in just 20 minutes. So you can really bid goodbye to your battery woes.
Has a new charger and cable
OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition comes bundled with a 30W Warp charger in the retail box. What’s more, instead of the Red coloured charging cable that OnePlus smartphones usually come with, OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition has an Orange coloured cable.
A fancier back panel
The glossy back panel of OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition has a carbon fibre pattern beneath it that shows up whenever the smartphone is under direct sunlight. There is a McLaren logo on the back is said to break the light falling on it into different colour patterns.
A new colour
Thankfully the entire smartphone isn’t Papaya Orange in colour. Instead, OnePlus opted for a more understated look. While the body of the smartphone is Black, the side and bottom edges have the signature Papaya Orange colour.
Rest of the specifications remain the same
Besides this, the smartphone retains all the other specifications of OnePlus 6T including Optic AMOLED display, a dual rear camera setup on the back panel, a 16MP selfie camera, and Snapdragon 845 processor. It has been launched globally today and is priced at $699 in the United States and costs £649 in Western Europe.
To launch in India on December 12
OnePlus 6T’s McLaren Edition is all set to launch in India tomorrow. Stay tuned with us to know about the pricing and availability of the device.
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.
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[Video] Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 Unboxing, First Impressions and Camera Shots
![[Video] Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 Unboxing, First Impressions and Camera Shots](https://www.gadgetbridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/maxresdefault-5-768x432.jpg "[Video] Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 Unboxing, First Impressions and Camera Shots")
The Specifications of the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 includes a Qualcomm snapdragon 660 chipset with AIE and clocks at 1.95GHz. The Adreno 512 GPU is on it, too. This phone is available in 3 memory storage variations, which are basically, 3GB RAM/32GB storage, 4GB RAM/64GB Storage and 6GB RAM/64GB storage. The one we are holding has 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, and seems to be quite slick in terms of performance.
Price starts at Rs 12,999 and the upper variant is priced at Rs 16,999.
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Google+ will shut down four months earlier, in April 2019
Google had already decided to shut down Google+ after the discovery of a new data leak. It was anyway supposed to close it down by August 2019, however, at the pretext of the leak it has decided to close it down by April next year. According to Google this leak impacted the data of 52.5 million users which includes email address, name, occupation, age etc.
In October, there was news of another leak of data to web developers which had been happening for three years. The bug was discovered in March but wasn’t publicised until October. This time leak was discovered by Google itself after which It was live for six days – between 7th November and 13th November.
David Thacker, Google’s vice president of project management said a few words in this regard. In a blog post he wrote, “With the discovery of this new bug, we have decided to expedite the shut-down of all Google+ APIs; this will occur within the next 90 days.” He further wrote, “In addition, we have also decided to accelerate the sunsetting of consumer Google+ from August 2019 to April 2019. While we recognise there are implications for developers, we want to ensure the protection of our users.”
Google began notifying users and enterprise customers about this bug who had been impacted by it. Its discovery was based on a standard testing procedure and it has no evidence of if the hackers got access to the user’s information deliberately or inadvertently.
Google however plans to continue its Google+ with the ones who have subscribed to the G Suite service. Thacker wrote, “We understand our ability to build reliable products that protect your data drives user trust. We have also taken this seriously, and we continue to invest in our privacy programs.”
Data leaks have become ubiquitous. Recently it has been known that many apps are used by companies to track user’s location and this happens 14,000 times a day. Measures to curb this have been given by a few sources. With so many leaks in the backdrop it is less surprising that Google would announce the closure of something as big as Google+.
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PUBG Mobile 0.10.0 update: Everything that’s new
If you are addicted to PUBG and play the game on your smartphone, you must be waiting for snow terrain map Vikendi. And now, your wait is about to be over. According to leaked patch notes obtained by multiple websites, the Vikendi map is coming to PUBG Mobile on December 20. In fact, the map was available for a day to beta Android and iOS users on December 10. Prior to that on Friday, XDA Developers claimed that it had obtained the patch notes for PUBG Mobile 0.10.0 update. And this revealed that the Vikendi map would go live on December 20 at 5.30am IST, but it would only be available in matchmaking after 24 hours of being rolled out.
Yesterday, an announcement was made by PUBG developer on the game’s official Discord channel that the Vikendi Map would be rolled out in bets starting 1.30pm IST on December 10 and would be available for Android and iOS users for 24 hours. Besides this, the map has been available on Public Test Servers for PC for a week now, and its versions for PS4 and Xbox One are expected to surface soon too.
Other than this, the update will get a new snowmobile vehicle that will be exclusive to the map along with a snowball fight feature that can be used in Vikendi’s Spawn Island.
Apart from this, PUBG Mobile’s 0.10.0 update enables cross-server matchmaking. On turning it on, users will be able to match with players of the same tier who are playing the game on different servers. This would mean a reduction in waiting times and could enhance the performance of the players.
Other than this, PUBG Mobile now has support for Arabic and it will give users a chance to collect all daily rewards at once with the new update.
Other updates that have been added in the game include a Snow theme, player’s ability to report suspicious behaviour while spectating and some security enhancements. Players who repeatedly exit matches right after they start playing will now get banned from finding new matches for a particular period of time, provided they have the updated version of the game.
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Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2, Zenfone Max M2 launched in India: Price, specs and more
Taiwanese consumer electronics maker Asus has today launched its Zenfone Max Pro M2 and Zenfone Max M2 smartphones in India. The newly launched smartphones from Asus were launched in Russia last week and their key highlight is their battery capacity. While Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 houses a 5,000mAh battery, Zenfone Max M2 packs a 4,000mAh battery. Here are the specifications and pricing details of the two smartphones in India:
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