Google Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL set to launch in India on October 22: Report
Google is all set to unveil its flagship smartphones of the year — Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL — today at an event in New York. Along with the launch of the smartphones, the technology giant’s Pixel slate tablet, a new Chromecast and Google Home Hub will also get showcased.
Just before the global launch of the devices, a report has surfaced online that says that Google’s flagship smartphones will be launched in India this month itself. According to MySmartPrice, Google will be holding a media event to launch the two smartphones in India on October 22. Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are expected to go on pre-orders in the country soon after they are launched formally.
The report further stated that Google will be selling its devices on Flipkart, much like Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. However, there is no word on the specific availability and pricing details.
Scheduled to launch today, Google Pixel 3 series is expected to feature a design that will be similar to its predecessors. The smartphones will reportedly come with IP68 certification — making them dust and water resistant. The Pixel 2 series by Google, on the other hand, had IP67 certification.
Reports have also suggested that Google Pixel 3 will feature a 5.5-inch display, whereas the Pixel 3 XL will sport a 6.3-inch screen. The smartphones will be powered by the most powerful processor in the world — Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845. Both Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will come with 4GB of RAM and have two storage variants — 64GB and 128GB. However, the presence of a microSD card slot seems unlikely.
For imaging duties, Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are expected to sport a 12.2MP primary camera that will come with AI powered features. The devices will reportedly have a ‘Top Shot’ feature that will work similarly to Samsung Galaxy Note 9’s Scene Optimizer. For selfies and video calls, the smartphones will reportedly feature an 8MP front facing snapper. Google’s flagship smartphones of the year will run its latest Android 9.0 Pie out of the box.
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Amazon Great Indian Festival sale: Deals on Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S9, Galaxy A8+ and more
Just after Samsung announced a slew of offers for Flipkart Big Billion Days sale, the technology giant is now giving deals and discounts to its fans on Amazon too. Amazon India’s festive season sale — Great Indian Festival — is scheduled to begin tomorrow and it will continue till October 15. And Samsung has announced some discount offers for customers who are planning to shop from the sale.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 — which is company’s flagship phablet from last year — will be getting a price cut of Rs 30,700 for five days and will be available at Rs 43,990 during the Great Indian Festival. The device can be purchased at No Cost EMI options along with free screen replacement and assured buyback.
To recall, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 features a 6.3-inch QHD+ Super AMOLED Infinity display and is powered by Samsung Exynos 8895 processor clubbed with 6GB RAM. Like other phablets in the Note Series, Galaxy Note 8 comes with an S Pen. It has 12MP+12MP dual rear cameras along with an 8MP front facing snapper. It has 64GB of inbuilt storage and can hold a microSD card of up to 256GB. The smartphone houses a 3300mAh battery and has support for wireless charging.
Customers can also buy the Samsung Galaxy A8+ at a reduced price during Amazon India’s festive season sale. During the Great Indian Festival, the smartphone will be available at Rs 23,990, which is Rs 17,910 less than its launch price.
Among the most attractive deals available is the discount on Samsung’s current flagship smartphone — Galaxy S9. The 64GB variant of Samsung Galaxy S9 will be available at a discount of Rs 19,600 during the sale. While it was launched at Rs 57,900, it can be bought for Rs 38,300 during the five days of Great Indian Festival.
Samsung Galaxy S9 smartphone comes with a 5.8-inch touchscreen display and is powered by a 1.7GHz octa-core processor clubbed with 4GB RAM. The smartphone packs 64GB of internal storage and can hold a microSD card of up to 400GB, too. Samsung Galaxy S9 packs a Super Speed Dual Pixel 12MP autofocus camera with OIS and has an 8MP front shooter for selfies. The device houses a 3,000mAh battery.
Discount offers are available on Samsung’s On series too. The 4GB RAM/64GB internal storage variant of Samsung Galaxy On7 Prime will receive a price cut of Rs 4,000 and will bear a price tag of Rs 10,990. Galaxy On7 Pro and Galaxy On5 Pro smartphones will also be available at a reduced price. While the former can be picked up for Rs 6,790 after a discount of Rs 2,700, the latter’s will cost Rs 2,000 less and customers can buy it at Rs 5,990.
Furthermore, buyers will get an instant discount of 10% if they pay for their purchase via SBI debit and credit cards.
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Facebook launches Portal to make video calls easy
Social networking giant Facebook has launched a smart speaker that it says has been designed to make video calls easy. The device is known as Portal and its price starts at $199. The high-end version of Portal is priced at $349. The signature feature of Portal is its wide-angle camera that automatically keeps users in focus even if they move around in the room.
The newly launched device is available on Facebook.com, Amazon and Best Buy and it will begin shipping in US early next month. However, the high price and the limited functionality of the device may make it difficult for Portal to compete with devices from Amazon and Google. Facebook‘s involvement in the data breach of its 87 million users wouldn’t help either.
Smart speakers from Amazon and Google have been widely appreciated in the industry and both are available for less than $100. Users can use their voice command to make the devices from Amazon and Google search the web for them, play music, read out news and do so much more.
With Portal, Facebook may be eyeing to stop users from using other chat and video calling apps on other speakers. It may also be looking for a new and completely controlled environment to sell ads — which is its main way of making money.
Around 400 million people call each other via Facebook Messenger each year. In spite of being so popular, the service is absent from Amazon and Google’s smart speakers.
The social networking giant expects to woo the users with the presence of its widely used service and Portal’s touchscreen.
Additionally, Portal’s camera uses artificial intelligence to recognize body shapes. This can be a huge selling point for the device considering that users will be able to stay in the frame without having to adjust the device.
Speaking on the launch, Rafa Camargo, Facebook’s vice president who is monitoring Portal said, “Our goal is to make you feel present in the same space as the person at the other end.”
Portal’s microphones and camera shuts off with a tap of a button and users can lock it using a passcode, the company has said. It further clarified that voice and video calls that will be made on the device will be encrypted and their contents will not be stored. Users can call anybody they wish to, provided both are using FB Messenger.
The device from Facebook comes with Amazon’s digital assistant Alexa, too. It handles the search queries that are made by the user while Amazon collects audio files of requests that are made.
While the base variant of Portal comes with a 10-inch display, the high-end version sports a 15.6-inch screen. Both will showcase photos and notifications from Facebook and videos from Food Network. Other than this, there are very few other apps present on it.
Other features will be available to users while they are making calls, which includes listening to music on Spotify. Like many devices from Amazon, Portal runs the open source version of Android.
Prior to this, Facebook had forayed into hardware with Oculus virtual reality headset and a phone that it developed with HTC.
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Google Plus to shut down after breach of 5 lakh users’ data
Google has announced that its shutting down the consumer version of its social networking website Google Plus — a competitor to Facebook that the technology giant launched in 2011. This update came right after the announcement that a bug in Google Plus may have exposed the data of up to 5,00,000 users to external developers. The bug was reportedly present in Google Plus’ systems for more than two years.
The technology giant said in blog that first discovered and patched the leak in March this year. The company goes on to say that at that point in time, it had no evidence of breach of any data or that any developer was in knowledge of the bug.
After the announcement, shares of Google‘s parent company, Alphabet Inc, were down 1.5% at $1150.75.
According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Google had chosen not to reveal the bug with its API (Application Program Interfaces) because it feared scrutiny by regulatory authorities.
Google has said that analysed the issue and looked for the kind of data involved, if there was any evidence of misuse, whether users who had to be informed could be identified accurately, and if any actions could be taken by the developers.
The company further said that, “None of these thresholds were met in this instance. We found no evidence that any developer was aware of this bug, or abusing the API, and we found no evidence that any Profile data was misused.”
Going by the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, if users’ personal data is compromised, a supervisory authority needs to get informed about the breach by the company within 72 hours. The only exception to this is a case where the breach was not likely to result in a risk to users’ rights and freedom.
Speaking on the matter, Geoffrey Parker, an engineering professor at Ivy League college Dartmouth said, “It seems like the downside risk of having a story that says they intentionally hid information about a major breach from users is bigger than the upside of avoiding scrutiny. I wonder if there wasn’t more depth to the internal debate.”
The technology giant said that the software bug in its social networking website gave external developers a potential access to private data of the users between a major revamp of the platform in 2015 and March 2018 — when the issue was finally discovered.
However, only static data including name, email address, occupation, gender and age was affected.
The report in The Wall Street Journal states that a memo was prepared by Google’s legal and policy staff which was shared with the senior executives of the company. It stated that disclosing the data breach would lead to “immediate regulatory interest” — much like Facebook did after user information from the platform got leaked to Cambridge Analytica.
According to The Wall Street Journal, after the internal committee had decided on their course of action, Google Chief Operating Officer was told not to inform the users about the data breach.
Google also faced criticism for not sending a top executive to a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on September 5 which was held to discuss what measures can be taken to stop foreign influence in US Elections. The hearing was attended by Facebook‘s Chief Operating Officer and Twitter’s Chief Executive. But Google’s top lawyer was rejected as a witness by the committee and an empty chair was left for the company during the hearing.
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Google updates its Developer Policy to restrict apps that can request Call log and SMS permissions
Ever installed an app from Google Play Store that has asked for multiple permissions? And have you felt that the apps that you have installed may not require as much information as they ask for? We all have been there and felt this at some point in time. And Google seems to have taken a note of this too.
The technology giant is updating the Google Play Developer Policy to protect user information. Apps are only supposed to ask for information that helps in making them function. But that doesn’t always happen. A number of apps request for far more information than required and this often includes user’s call log and SMS application.
It is worth noticing that the dialer and SMS application in your smartphone often carries a lot of sensitive information like your phone number, your call history and also the personal information of people you have contacted. When we allow apps to access our call logs and SMS app, we basically allow them to access all this information as well.
The new change in Google Play Developer Policy will let only default phone and SMS apps to access this information.
This is being done to restrict access to one or two apps at a given time. So even a widely used app like Facebook Messenger — which currently can access users’ SMS conversations — would not be able to do it anymore. Unless, of course, the user sets it as the default app on their phone.
So even if you have given permissions to a number of apps without investing much thought into it, the only app you actually use will be able to access your information.
Developers have been given 90 days from day of policy update to issue updates to their respective apps. Post that, the updated Developer Policy will get enforced on its own.
Google has also posted an article on its Help Center for developers in order to help them find alternatives to these permissions.
This move by Google is a welcome one, as most users give permissions to apps that they install nonchalantly. However, this may cause some inconvenience to users. For instance, till now, various apps used SMS permissions to read OTPs that the user received via text message. But, with the new policy coming in, the users will have to put in this information themselves. It’s not too much pain, but it’s always difficult to let go of an easy way to do things when you are used to it.
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Google Pixel 3 XL is being sold in Hong Kong ahead of official launch
The world is waiting for the launch of Google Pixel 3 smartphones which is scheduled for Tuesday, October 9. But according to reports, in Hong Kong a retailer has been selling Google Pixel 3 XL already for a few days.
A few days ago, a review of Google Pixel 3 from Hong Kong had surfaced online. In fact, a few months back, reviews and hands-on videos of the upcoming smartphone also went up online when it was reported from Eastern Europe that some units of Google Pixel 3 XL were stolen. The report also said that in order to buy one Pixel 3 XL unit, one had to pay $2,000 on the black market. And that’s exactly the same amount one has to pay to buy a unit in Hong Kong right now.
According to a report in Engadget, which had borrowed a unit from the website that had reviewed the smartphone, a mobile retailer in Hong Kong has been selling the Google Pixel 3 XL HK$15,880. When converted, that becomes $2,030 — which is almost double of what the Google Pixel XL 3 will cost if reports about the device are correct.
An image shared by Engadget shows the Pixel XL 3 retail box. The image has a pair of Pixel USB-C earphones, USB-C to 3.5mm and USB-C to USB-A, a USB-C cable to charge the smartphone and a couple of dongles.
As of now, there is no clarity on why a store in Hong Kong started selling the smartphone a few days prior to its launch. But Google seems unable to control the stores that are supposed to sell its devices this year.
A report surfaced online a few days back that claimed that Best Buy sold a third-generation Chromecast unit — which, like Google Pixel 3 XL, has not officially been launched yet.
A number of reports about Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have surfaced online. The devices are expected to feature larger screens and according to leaks, Pixel 3 XL will sport a notch on its display. Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will also reportedly have wireless charging and sport dual selfie cameras. Other than this, Google is expected to give some clever software features to its smartphones.
Image courtesy: Engadget
An image shared by Engadget shows the Pixel XL 3 retail box. The image has a pair of Pixel USB-C earphones, USB-C to 3.5mm and USB-C to USB-A, a USB-C cable to charge the smartphone and a couple of dongles.
As of now, there is no clarity on why a store in Hong Kong started selling the smartphone a few days prior to its launch. But Google seems unable to control the stores that are supposed to sell its devices this year.
A report surfaced online a few days back that claimed that Best Buy sold a third-generation Chromecast unit — which, like Google Pixel 3 XL, has not officially been launched yet.
A number of reports about Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have surfaced online. The devices are expected to feature larger screens and according to leaks, Pixel 3 XL will sport a notch on its display. Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will also reportedly have wireless charging and sport dual selfie cameras. Other than this, Google is expected to give some clever software features to its smartphones.
Image courtesy: Engadget
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Flipkart Big Billion Days sale: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro to be available at Rs 12,999
If you are planning to buy a smartphone, now is a very good time for you. With festive season sales beginning on Amazon and Flipkart, there are a number of smartphones that can be bought at reduced prices for a few days. And the latest smartphone to join the discount bandwagon is Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro.
Prior to this, Xiaomi also announced a discount of Rs 7,000 on its bezel-less smartphone Mi Mix 2 during Flipkart’s Big Billion Days sale. Smartphones from other companies which will be available on a discount are Samsung Galaxy S8, Infinix Note 5, Nokia 5.1 and 6.1, and more.
Speaking of Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro, the smartphone is receiving a price cut of Rs 2,000 during the Flipkart Big Billion Days sale. Launched at Rs 14,999, Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro will be available for Rs 12,999 during the sale. Other than this, buyers will be able to avail an additional discount of 10% if they pay for their purchase via HDFC Bank credit cards and debit cards.
Xiaomi’s budget smartphone is considered to be one among the best smartphones in the segment. The reduced price only makes it a more attractive buy for interested customers.
To recall, Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro features a 5.99-inch FHD+ display that has an aspect ratio of 18:9. Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor paired with 4GB RAM, the smartphone has 64GB of onboard storage. For more storage, users can install a microSD card off up to 128GB.
For imaging duties, the smartphone comes with a dual rear camera setup that has a 12MP primary sensor and a 5MP secondary sensor. There is also a 20MP front facing snapper for selfies and video calls.
When it was launched, Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro mobile came with Android Oreo skinned with MIUI 9. But now, it has been updated to MIUI 10.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro comes with the Face Unlock as well as a fingerprint sensor and houses a 4,000mAh battery. Connectivity options of the smartphone include dual SIM card slots, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
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BlackBerry KEY2 LE launched in India: Price, specs and more
Optiemus Infracom, the manufacturer and distributer of BlackBerry smartphones, has announced that the newly BlackBerry launched KEY2 LE smartphone will be available exclusively on Amazon India’s website starting October 12.
The smartphone was launched globally by TCL back in August during the IFA 2018. BlackBerry KEY2 LE smartphone comes with the company’s signature QWERTY keyboard and is said to be made for ‘physical keyboard enthusiasts’.
Other than this, the BlackBerry KEY2 LE comes with Snapdragon 636 processor and 4GB RAM, sports dual rear cameras and runs Android 8.1 Oreo. Here’s a look at the price, availability and detailed specifications of the smartphone:
Specifications
The BlackBerry KEY2 LE features a 4.5-inch full-HD+ IPS LCD display that has an aspect ratio of 3:2 and a pixel density of 434ppi. Powered by a 1.8GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor clubbed with 4GB RAM, the smartphone packs 64GB of internal storage and can hold a microSD card of up to 256GB. The dual SIM smartphone runs Android 8.1 Oreo and houses a 3,000mAh battery that comes with 18W Quick Charge 3.0 support.
For imaging duties, the BlackBerry KEY2 LE sports a dual rear camera setup with 13MP primary sensor with f/2.2 aperture and a 5MP secondary sensor with f/2.4 aperture. On the front panel, there is an 8MP fixed focus camera that comes with LCD selfie flash and full-HD recording.
The smartphone includes 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS/ A-GPS, GLONASS, FM radio, and USB Type-C with OTG for connectivity.
Price and availability
BlackBerry KEY2 LE is priced at Rs 29,990 in India and will exclusively be available at Amazon India’s website starting October 12. While the smartphone was initially launched in Atomic, Champagne and Slate colour options, now, it is also being shipped in a Space Blue variant.
Speaking on the launch of the smartphone, Optiemus Infracom’s Executive Director, Hardip Singh said, “Security and privacy are becoming priorities in our data-dependent world and at Optiemus, we are committed to offering our customers a trustworthy mobile experience. We are delighted to launch the BlackBerry KEY2 LE, further strengthening our portfolio of the most secure smartphones in the country.”
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Moto G7 leaked render, video show waterdrop display notch, dual rear cameras
Last week, tipster Evan Blass tweeted that Lenovo-owned Motorola is planning to launch a bigger smartphone lineup in its Moto G series next year. While we saw the company launching three smartphones this year, namely Moto G6, Moto G6 Play and Moto G6 Plus, next year’s Moto G7 lineup will come with four smartphones. Right after this news came out, an image of Moto G7 has surfaced online through CAD-based renders and a video.
The renders and the video that have been leaked by OnLeaks in collaboration with MySmartPrice, show a display that sports a waterdrop style notch on the top. There is also a dual rear camera setup and a bump on the back panel that has enough space for an LED flash module.
The back panel also seems to have the Motorola logo that is likely to house a fingerprint sensor. The fingerprint scanner looks similar to the one we saw on Motorola One Power.
As seen in the leaked images, the design of the Moto G7 seems very different from company’s this year’s flagship — Moto G6. The presence of the waterdrop style notch on the display will offer a higher screen-to-body ratio than the one we saw in Moto G6. Motorola branding can also be seen on the chin at the bottom of the display.
The back panel of the device has a glossy finish and sports dual rear cameras that reportedly come with 16MP and 5MP sensors. There is also an LED flash module at the back of the smartphone. The leaked renders also show a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB Type C port and a speaker grill.
According to recent reports, Moto G7 will sport a 6.4-inch full-HD+ display and will be powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 660 processor clubbed with 4GB RAM and 64GB on internal storage. For imaging duties, the smartphone is said to offer a 12MP selfie camera and it will house a 3,500mAh battery.
However, it is worth mentioning that the renders have only revealed the design of Moto G7 and we can expect to see a change in other three smartphones that are being launched with it. Moto G7 is reportedly scheduled to launch next year along with Moto G7 Plus, Moto G7 Play and Moto G7 Power.
Image courtesy: OnLeaks, MySmartPrice
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OnePlus 6T goes on pre-orders via Amazon India
We still are a few days away from the launch of OnePlus 6T, but if you are a fan, you’ll be happy to know that the device has already gone on pre-orders on Amazon India. First spotted by MySmartPrice and Android Pure, the smartphone is available for pre-booking till October 30.
Buyers also get additional benefits like free Type C earphones and Rs 500 Amazon Pay balance.
OnePlus India had tweeted yesterday that the company has an ‘exciting announcement’ to make regarding their next flagship device. Following this, a Twitter user replied with a screenshot of the page of Amazon India’s app that shows the phone listed for pre-orders.
OnePlus India had tweeted yesterday that the company has an ‘exciting announcement’ to make regarding their next flagship device. Following this, a Twitter user replied with a screenshot of the page of Amazon India’s app that shows the phone listed for pre-orders.
Reports have also suggested that OnePlus 6T on Amazon India’s All Deals segment under its Today’s Deals section. On booking the smartphone via Amazon India’s website, users will get a cashback worth Rs 500 in the form of Amazon Pay balance. Other than this, there are reports that claim that buyers will get the Type C earphones by the company. OnePlus’s upcoming flagship device, OnePlus 6T, is scheduled to launch globally on October 17. The ‘Notify Me’ page for OnePlus 6T has been live on Amazon India since last month. The smartphone is expected to sport a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with an aspect ratio of 19:9 protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. The display of the smartphone will come with a waterdrop style notch and an in-display fingerprint sensor — much like the Vivo Nex and Vivo V11 Pro. Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, OnePlus 6T will run Android 9.0 Pie. The smartphone reportedly houses a 3,700mAh battery. Reports also suggest that the smartphone will come without a 3.5mm headphone jack. The upcoming flagship by OnePlus is said to come with a dual rear camera setup, but as of now there are no details available about the sensors that are used. There has been no word on the sensor of the front facing snapper too, but we do know that it will support the Face Unlock feature. The company has confirmed that OnePlus 6T is not going to be water/dust resistant as it would not receive any IP certification. Update: The company has officially announced the pre-orders of OnePlus 6T smartphone. Pre-bookings of the smartphone begin on October 9 at 12 noon on Amazon.in, Croma outlets and OnePlus offline stores. OnePlus 6T is set to launch in India on October 30 and will go on open sale starting November 2. Customers who pre-book the smartphone will get a pair OnePlus’ new Type C Bullet earphones that cost Rs 1,490 and they would also receive Rs 500 as Amazon Pay balance once they complete their purchase of OnePlus 6T. Customers can also buy an Amazon.in e-Gift Card worth Rs 1,000 that they can redeem to buy the OnePlus 6T during its open sale. Image Courtesy: MySmartPrice For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.Check back in 24 hours for an exciting announcement. #OnePlus6T pic.twitter.com/mIeveZ0n6H
— OnePlus (@oneplus) October 7, 2018
Flipkart Big Billion Days sale: Deals available on Nokia 5.1 Plus, Nokia 6.1 Plus
Last week saw the launch of Nokia 7.1 by HMD Global in London. Prior to that, the company had rolled out its Nokia 5.1 Plus and Nokia 6.1 Plus smartphones in India. Both the smartphones have a glass back panel, come with a notch on their displays and are a part of Google’s Android One Program. This basically means that both the smartphones will get timely Android updates and security patches for two years since the date of their launch.
While the Nokia 5.1 Plus is priced ta Rs 10,999, the Nokia 6.1 Plus costs Rs 15,999. If you have been planning to buy either of the two smartphones, now is definitely a good time. With the upcoming Big Billion Days sale on Flipkart, both the smartphones will be getting a price cut of up to Rs 1,000.
Flipkart’s Big Billion Days sale is scheduled to begin on October 10 and will go on till October 14. During this time, a number of smartphones will be available at discounted prices including Samsung Galaxy S8, Infinix Smart 2, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2, Asus Zenfone 5Z and more. And now, Nokia devices have joined the bandwagon too.
The Nokia 5.1 Plus — which is priced at Rs 10,999 — will be available at a discount of Rs 500. This means that you can buy the device for Rs 10,499. Speaking of Nokia 6.1 Plus, it is available at a discounted price of Rs 14,999 — Rs 1000 less from its launch price.
Other than this, HDFC bank credit and debit card users will be able to avail an instant discount of 10% and buyers can also get a mobile protection plan starting at Rs 99.
To recall, Nokia 5.1 Plus sports a 5.8-inch HD+ display that has an aspect ratio of 19:9. Powered by MediaTek Helio P60 processor, the smartphone comes with 3GB RAM and has 32GB of internal storage. Nokia 5.1 Plus comes with a dual rear camera setup with 13MP and 5MP sensors coupled with an 8MP front facing snapper for selfies and video calls. The smartphone houses a 3,060mAh battery.
Coming to Nokia 6.1 Plus, it features a 5.8-inch full HD+ display with an aspect ratio of 19:9. It is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 636 processor and comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. Much like Nokia 5.1 Plus, the smartphone houses a 3,060mAh battery and for imaging duties it comes with 16MP+5MP dual rear cameras. For selfies, there is a 16MP front facing snapper.
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7 things to expect from the Google Pixel 3 event
Google is all set to roll out its new Pixel smartphones tomorrow. Besides the new Pixel line-up, we’ll also get to see new products from its Home and Chromecast segments. Needless to say, there have been a number of leaks that revolve around what the technology giant has up its sleeve for its October 9 event. Here, we have made a list of everything one can expect to see at the Google Pixel 3 event:
One thing we can be sure of is that Google will be launching its new flagship smartphones at its upcoming event. The technology giant has always chosen to unveil its new smartphones at its October event, so one doesn’t have to be an insider to expect Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL at Google’s October 9 event. A number of rumours and leaks about the two smartphones have surfaced online. On the hardware front, we are expecting the devices to sport larger screens and Pixel 3 XL may come with a notch on its display. The smartphones are also said to come with wireless charging and dual selfie cameras. The second front camera will have the ability to click wider selfies. Other than this, the technology giant is expected to give a software upgrade to its phone like it did last year.
Leaks suggest that Google is adding wireless charging to its Pixel smartphones this year, and the company is also expected to roll out a new wireless charging stand for it. The stand is likely to keep the smartphone erect as it charges, so that it’s easier for the user to see the screen. The smartphone can then display important updates while being on the charging stand.
While there is no clarity on whether the company will roll out new Home speakers, Google may unveil a smart display which will showcase information from Assistant. This will be Google’s answer to Amazon’s Echo Show, but it will come with its own set of differences. Firstly, Google Home Hub wouldn’t have a built-in camera for video chatting. And secondly, it would have support for YouTube — which would certainly be a big reason for some users to buy it.
We have come across numerous rumours on the internet that talk about an upcoming Google branded Chrome OS tablet or the Google Pixel Slate. It has been reported that the upcoming device comes with a detachable keyboard, 16GB of RAM and Intel i7 processor. There may be another affordable option that will come with 7th Gen Intel processor. Reports also suggest that Pixel Slate will support USB Type C and a fingerprint sensor — a first for Chromebooks.
An update is reportedly coming to Pixelbook too. Since the number of rumours around this new device have been very limited, all we can expect is an upgrade in specifications, a newer processor and an update in RAM. The Pixelbook 2 is also expected to sport a 4K display — which surely will be among the major updates.
It has been a few years since the last Chromecast was launched, we wouldn’t be wrong to expect an upgraded one at the coming Google event. According to FCC filings, the third generation Chromecast will support improved Wi-Fi. It is also expected to come with Bluetooth, although as of now it isn’t clear how that is supposed to add to the functionalities. A small design update is also expected. Other than this, there hasn’t been any word on the device.
Google may not be best known for its hardware, but the reason its products have managed to make a mark is because of its software features. Although there have been leaks around the software updates, we will most likely see a lot more at the event that we don’t know about yet. We are fully expecting a few features that will make Assistant smarter, for instance. But we will have to wait for the event tomorrow to know exactly what the technology giant has up its sleeve.
Image courtesy: 9to5Google, About Chromebooks, Android Headlines.
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In This Article
Pixel 3 and 3 XL smartphones
One thing we can be sure of is that Google will be launching its new flagship smartphones at its upcoming event. The technology giant has always chosen to unveil its new smartphones at its October event, so one doesn’t have to be an insider to expect Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL at Google’s October 9 event. A number of rumours and leaks about the two smartphones have surfaced online. On the hardware front, we are expecting the devices to sport larger screens and Pixel 3 XL may come with a notch on its display. The smartphones are also said to come with wireless charging and dual selfie cameras. The second front camera will have the ability to click wider selfies. Other than this, the technology giant is expected to give a software upgrade to its phone like it did last year.
A wireless charging stand
Leaks suggest that Google is adding wireless charging to its Pixel smartphones this year, and the company is also expected to roll out a new wireless charging stand for it. The stand is likely to keep the smartphone erect as it charges, so that it’s easier for the user to see the screen. The smartphone can then display important updates while being on the charging stand.
Google Home Hub
While there is no clarity on whether the company will roll out new Home speakers, Google may unveil a smart display which will showcase information from Assistant. This will be Google’s answer to Amazon’s Echo Show, but it will come with its own set of differences. Firstly, Google Home Hub wouldn’t have a built-in camera for video chatting. And secondly, it would have support for YouTube — which would certainly be a big reason for some users to buy it.
Pixel Slate tablet
We have come across numerous rumours on the internet that talk about an upcoming Google branded Chrome OS tablet or the Google Pixel Slate. It has been reported that the upcoming device comes with a detachable keyboard, 16GB of RAM and Intel i7 processor. There may be another affordable option that will come with 7th Gen Intel processor. Reports also suggest that Pixel Slate will support USB Type C and a fingerprint sensor — a first for Chromebooks.
Pixelbook 2
An update is reportedly coming to Pixelbook too. Since the number of rumours around this new device have been very limited, all we can expect is an upgrade in specifications, a newer processor and an update in RAM. The Pixelbook 2 is also expected to sport a 4K display — which surely will be among the major updates.
An updated Chromecast
It has been a few years since the last Chromecast was launched, we wouldn’t be wrong to expect an upgraded one at the coming Google event. According to FCC filings, the third generation Chromecast will support improved Wi-Fi. It is also expected to come with Bluetooth, although as of now it isn’t clear how that is supposed to add to the functionalities. A small design update is also expected. Other than this, there hasn’t been any word on the device.
Software upgrades
Google may not be best known for its hardware, but the reason its products have managed to make a mark is because of its software features. Although there have been leaks around the software updates, we will most likely see a lot more at the event that we don’t know about yet. We are fully expecting a few features that will make Assistant smarter, for instance. But we will have to wait for the event tomorrow to know exactly what the technology giant has up its sleeve.
Image courtesy: 9to5Google, About Chromebooks, Android Headlines.
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[td_smart_list_end] Motorola One Power next Flipkart sale to begin on October 11
Last month saw the launch of Motorola One Power in India and yesterday, the smartphone’s first flash sale took place on Flipkart. The company has now announced that Motorola One Power smartphone will be available for purchase in an open sale which is scheduled to begin on October 11 at 12:01am IST. The smartphone will be available on the e-commerce website as a part of Flipkart’s Big Billion Days sale.
The Lenovo-owned smartphone manufacturer has said that for the open sale more stock of the smartphone will be available. At the previously held flash sale, 100 units of the smartphone were sold per second.
Price and availability
Motorola One Power costs Rs 15,999 and at this price, it competes with the likes of Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 (review) and Nokia 6.1 Plus. The smartphone is exclusively available for purchase on Flipkart.
Since it is available as a part of Flipkart’s Big Billion Day sale, 10% instant discount is available on purchases done with HDFC debit and credit cards and on EMI transactions. A 50% buy back policy is also available at Rs 149.
Specifications
Motorola One Power smartphone features a 6.2-inch full-HD+ (1080×2280 pixels) LCD Max Vision display that has an aspect ratio of 19:9. The dual SIM smartphone is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor that is backed by the Adreno 509 GPU. Motorola One Power comes with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage and can hold a microSD card of up to 256GB. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo and the company has said in a statement that the smartphone will soon be getting an update to Android 9.0 Pie.
It is also worth mentioning that the smartphone is a part of Google’s Android One program – which promises timely Android updates and security patches for two years from the date of the launch.
For imaging duties, Motorola One Power sports dual rear cameras with 16MP and 5MP sensors which have support for 4K video recording. The smartphone houses a 5,000mAh battery and supports 15W Moto TurboPower charging.
Connectivity options of the smartphone include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, USB Type-C, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
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Moto G7 lineup rumoured to launch with four smartphones next year
The Moto G series have always managed to create a stir. This year, we saw three smartphones in the Moto G6 series, namely Moto G6 (review), Moto G6 Play and Moto G6 Plus. Although we are months away from the launch of Moto G7 lineup, but rumours about the smartphones that are scheduled to launch next year are already creating a buzz.
Renowned tipster Evan Blass, who talks about unannounced developments on his Twitter handle, has revealed that four smartphones will be launched in the Moto G7 series next year including Moto G7, Moto G7 Plus, Moto G7 Play and Moto G7 Power.
https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/1047904728989032449
If Blass’ tweet is true, then next year’s Moto G series lineup will have more models than we saw this year. The new Power model in the Moto G7 lineup may boast of a massive battery.
Some specifications of the upcoming Moto G7 have also been leaked. The smartphone is expected to feature a 6.4-inch full HD+ (1080×2340 pixels) display and will be powered by an octa-core processor. Moto G7 will reportedly sport dual rear cameras with 16MP and 5MP sensors and will run Android 9.0 Pie out of the box. The smartphone will come with 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage. For selfie lovers, there will be a 12MP front facing snapper. Moto G7 will be backed by a 3,500mAh battery and could possibly support Turbo Charge fast charging technology. The device is also expected to come with a fingerprint sensor.
The hardware details of the other three smartphones is not yet known.
All the four smartphones are expected to launch early next year. A couple of leaked images of the upcoming smartphone have also surfaced online which show a waterdrop notch on top of the phone’s display, dual rear cameras and a fingerprint sensor on the back panel.
To recall, the company launched the Moto G6 and G6 Play in June this year followed by Moto G6 Plus in September. Moto G6 sports a 5.7-inch FHD+ IPS touch screen and is powered by a 1.8GHz octa-core Qualcomm snapdragon 450 processor. The smartphone features a dual rear camera setup with 12MP+5MP sensors and houses a 3,000mAh battery.
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Flipkart Big Billion Day sale: Deals available on Infinix Smart 2 and Note 5
Flipkart is back with its festive season sale. And like every year, there are a slew of offers and deals that can be availed on buying various consumer electronic gadgets. After Samsung announced discount offers on its smartphones including Galaxy S8 and Galaxy On6, electronics maker Infinix has rolled out its list of smartphones which will be available at reduced prices during the sale.
Infinix Mobile’s Smart 2 and Note 5 smartphones will be available on a discount at Flipkart’s Big Billion Day sale that is scheduled to start on October 10. Both the smartphones are getting a price cut of Rs 1,000 starting from October 11 to October 14. While Infinix Smart 2 will be available at Rs 4,999, customers will be able to buy the Infinix Note 5 for Rs 8,999. Currently, the smartphones are available at a price of Rs 5,999 and Rs 9,999 respectively.
To add to the festive season offers, customers will be able to avail an additional 10% discount if they pay for their purchase via credit or debit cards from HDFC.
Infinix Smart 2 smartphone sports a 5.45-inch Full View HD+ display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. Powered by 1.5GHz quad-core processor clubbed with 2GB RAM, the smartphone comes with 16GB of internal storage and can hold a microSD card of up to 128GB. Infinix Smart 2 packs a 13MP primary camera and an 8MP selfie camera. The smartphone houses a 3,050mAh battery and comes with a facial unlock. It is available in four colours — Sandstone Black, Serene Gold, Bordeaux Red and City Blue. It also a part of Google’s Android One program — which promises timely Android updates and security patches for at least two years from the date of the launch.
Speaking of Infinix Note 5, it features a 5.99-inch touchscreen display and is powered by 2GHz octa-core processor coupled with 3GB RAM. The smartphone has an internal storage of 32GB and can hold a microSD card of 128GB. For imaging duties, Infinix Note 5 packs a 12MP camera on the rear panel and boasts of a 16MP AI front facing snapper for selfies and video calls. The smartphone has a 4,500mAh battery and like Infinix Smart 2, it is also a part of the Android One program.
Buyers will have plenty of colour options to choose from as Infinix Smart 2 is available in Sandstone Black, Serene Gold, Bordeaux Red and City Blue colours and the Infinix Note 5 is available in Ice Blue, Milan Black and Berlin Grey.
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Lenovo K8 Note successor may launch in India on October 16
It has been more than a year since Lenovo launched its last smartphone in India. But don’t be disappointed.
The Chinese technology company has sent out media invites for a launch event in New Delhi that is scheduled to take place on October 16. The invite nowhere mentions the name of the smartphone the company intends to launch. In fact, all that it says is ‘The Killer Returns’.
Based on this, it won’t be wrong to assume that Lenovo plans to unveil the successor of Lenovo K8 Note. For those unaware, Lenovo K8 Note was the last smartphone in the company’s K Note series and it was launched in India August 2017.
The smartphones in this particular series are often referred to as ‘Killer Note’, and because of this, Lenovo’s invite points towards the launch of a new K Note Series smartphone on October 16.
Although no information about the handset has been revealed, the invite shows a metallic frame and rounded corners. We will have to wait till mid-October to know what exactly does the company have up its sleeve.
Note that the Chinese consumer electronics company has launched other smartphones in its K-Series post the launch of K8 Series. However, none of them were launched in India.
Globally, Lenovo is all set to launch Z5 Pro smartphone in China. The smartphone is expected to come with a slide-out camera like the one we saw on Oppo Find X and it has been reported that it will sport an in-display fingerprint sensor too.
So, we can also expect a rebranded variant of the same at the October 16 event too, but there’s a stronger chance of seeing a smartphone from the K-Series.
Smartphones from the K-Series have always been a part of the mid-budget segment. So, if Lenovo does launch the successor of K8 Note, we can expect it to be priced between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000.
Other than this, nothing else can be speculated about Lenovo’s upcoming device at the moment. We would have to wait for the launch date to be sure of the company’s plans. Till then we will keep updating you about other details of the upcoming smartphone that will surface.
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Huawei Mate 20 to come with a waterdrop notch and triple rear camera setup: Report
Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei’s upcoming flagship phablets Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro are set to launch at an event in London on October 16. And as the launch date approaches, a number of leaks have revealed a lot about the phablets’ specifications, features and design. And now, the alleged press renders of Huawei Mate 20 have surfaced online. The smartphone in the renders can be seen sporting a waterdrop shaped notch on its display and a fingerprint sensor on its back panel.
Specifications
The images and specifications leaked by tipster Roland Quandt of WinFuture.de reveal that Huawei Mate 20 will feature a 6.43-inch full-HD+ TFT LCD display that has an aspect ratio of 18.7:9. The notch on the smartphone is smaller than that of Huawei Mate 20 Pro’s and that may be because Mate 20 will not come with laser sensors for facial recognition.
Huawei Mate 20 is expected to be powered by an octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 980 processor and will be available in three storage options — 4GB RAM/64GB storage, 6GB RAM/128GB inbuilt storage and 8GB RAM/512GB of onboard storage. Storage options will vary in different markets and according to different network operators. The smartphone is expected to house a 4,000mAh battery and will come with a nanoSD card slot with a capacity of 128GB.
The upcoming smartphone from Huawei will come with a triple rear camera setup with a 40MP primary sensor. The details of the other two sensors have not been disclosed yet. Unlike its older sibling, Huawei Mate 20 will come with a 3.5mm jack.
It has also been reported that the smartphone may not be launched in all markets, but it will launch in Germany at a starting price of EUR 750. The cost of Mate 20 Pro, on the other hand, will start from EUR 850.
Another report that had emerged in Israel has claimed that the smartphone will be priced at ILS 3,000 and Mate 20 Pro will bear a price tag of ILS 4,000.
The Chinese technology company also has plans to launch its first smartphone in India with Kirin 980 processor in Q4 2018. The said smartphone may be from the Huawei Mate 20 series, but we will have to wait till the launch to be sure about the same.
Image Courtesy: WinFuture.de
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Windows 10 October 2018 update may put you at the risk of losing your files
Earlier this week, technology giant Microsoft released the latest Windows 10 October 2018 update. But much to the company’s dismay, some users have reported serious issues they have encountered since they received the update.
There are user complaints on Microsoft‘s own support website, and threads on Reddit and other forums which state that some users, after upgrading to the October 2018 Update, had their files like documents and photos deleted. Some even reported that their entire profile got wiped out.
Some users have found a temporary solution to the reported problem, but currently there is no clarity on why this issue is arising.
It is worth mentioning that Microsoft has not yet started pushing this update out to Windows Update, so only those who themselves visit Windows Update and check for updates will be able to install it as of now.
Since a lot of people may not choose to do that, it is safe to assume that a majority of the users are not using the Windows 10 October 2018 update. But even then, the number of people who have reported these issues is shocking.
The technology giant is investigating these reports, but since these early issues have cropped up it is currently not recommended to install the Windows 10 October 2018 Update. At least not till a fix for the said bug is found.
And in case you just can’t wait to get the new features on your system and are choosing to install the latest update in spite of the issue that are getting reported by users, it is extremely necessary for you to take a back-up of all your files.
While programs and apps can be re-installed, but in case your files get wiped out from your system, you may not have a way of recovering them unless they are live elsewhere.
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This is when your Nokia smartphone will get an Android 9 Pie update
HMD Global this week launched its Nokia 7.1 smartphone. And at the launch, the company gave away detailed information about when exactly will other Nokia smartphones be getting the Android 9 Pie update.
Recently, HMD Global’s Nokia 7 smartphone got updated with the latest Android version and the update is expected for other Nokia smartphones too, as they come under Google’s Android One program.
At the event, the company has confirmed that the Android 9 Pie update will be coming to handsets including Nokia 6.1, Nokia 6.1 Plus, Nokia 8 and Nokia 8 Sirocco.
The smartphones running on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 600 SoC series — namely Nokia 6.1 and Nokia 6.1 Plus — will be getting the update first. The Android 9 Pie update will come to both the smartphones in October.
The Nokia 8 and Nokia 8 Sirocco (review) will be getting the latest Android version update in November. However, no dates have been disclosed by the company for the release of these updates. In the last few years, all the Nokia smartphones that have been launched fall under the Android One program — which promises timely Android updates and security patches for at least two years from the launch day of the smartphone.
The company has also said that it plans to roll out the Android 9 Pie updates to Nokia smartphones other than the ones it mentioned.
Speaking of the most recently launched smartphone by HMD Global — Nokia 7.1 runs Android 8.1 Oreo.
Like other Nokia smartphones that have launched recently, Nokia 7.1 is also a part of Google’s Android One program – which means that it will also be getting an update to Android 9 Pie soon. The company has confirmed this at the launch event of the smartphone and the update is expected to come to the phone next month.
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Flipkart Big Billion Day sale: Deals on Samsung Galaxy S8, On6, A7 and other smartphones, tablets you should know about
If you have been waiting to buy a smartphone from Samsung, you really have a reason to look forward to Flipkart’s upcoming festive season sale. The technology giant is rolling out discount offers on a number of its smartphones that will be applicable during Flipkart’s ‘The Big Billion Days’ sale, which is starting on October 11.
Samsung‘s last year’s flagship smartphone — Galaxy S8 — is going to get a price cut of Rs 20,000 and will be available for Rs 29,990 during Flipkart’s sale. It is worth noticing that the offer will only be available on the 64GB storage variant of the device.
To recall, Samsung Galaxy S8 comes with a 5.8-inch Infinity display and has a bezel-less design. The smartphone also has Samsung Pay and supports Samsung’s digital assistant Bixby.
Other than this, Samsung Galaxy On6 smartphone will be available at a reduced price too. While it is currently available at Rs 14,490, during the sale one can buy it for Rs 11,990.
Other smartphones from Samsung that will be getting a discount are Galaxy J3 Pro, Galaxy On Max and the 64GB storage variant of Galaxy On Nxt. While earlier they were priced at Rs 8,490, Rs 16,900 and Rs 16,900, their prices will be reduced to Rs 6,190, Rs 11,990 and Rs 9,990 respectively.
Samsung Galaxy A7 — the company’s first smartphone with triple rear cameras — will also be going on sale at a price of Rs 23,990.
Tablets from Samsung will too be available on a discounted price. Samsung Galaxy Tab A T355Y — which is currently priced at Rs 16,500 — will be available for Rs 11,999. The company’s flagship tablet — Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, which is available for Rs 38,500, can be bought at Rs 21,999 during Flipkart’s sale.
The company is also slashing the price of its smartband Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro. Currently, the smartband is priced at Rs 13,490, and during the sale it will be available at Rs 8,999.
It is worth mentioning that all these smartphones will be available at no cost EMI. A 10% instant discount can be availed if the purchase has been made via HDFC Bank debit or credit card. Seems like Samsung us going all out this festive season. However, we would have loved to see a discount on the latest flagship smartphones by Samsung as well.
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Xiaomi begins local manufacturing of Mi LED TVs in India
Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi has been dominating the Indian smartphone market for a reasonable time now. And this week, the company has announced that it will now be manufacturing its Mi LED TVs in India.
The technology giant has joined hands with Noida based Dixon Technologies to begin manufacturing of Mi LED TVs in India at a facility in Tirupati. The facility has been inaugurated by Andhra Pradesh’s chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
Speaking on the occasion of the inauguration, N. Chandrababu Naidu said, “I have a vision of making Tirupati an IT Hub, offering a one-stop solution for leading electronics players encompassing the entire life cycle of and ecosystem in electronics from design to death.”
He further added, “I am delighted to welcome Xiaomi, the undisputed leader of ‘Smart TVs’ in India, along with Dixon Technologies to the holy city of Tirupati and to the family of other leading electronics players that will help showcase the state as an example of transparent governance.”
The Mi LED TV manufacturing plant is spread across 32-acres and will appoint over 850 people to work there. According to Xiaomi, the factory will have the ability to produce 1,00,000 Mi LED TVs per month by Q1 2019.
Xiaomi’s Vice President and Managing Director of its India operations, Manu Jain said, “After a successful smartphone journey, we are beginning a new chapter with Mi LED TV manufacturing in India. We are already the number one ‘Smart TV’ brand in India, and we hope that with our increased focus on local manufacturing, we would be able to increase our supply and reach out to many more Mi Fans.”
Xiaomi’s plant will start local manufacturing with Mi LED Smart TV 4A 80cm (32-inch) and Mi LED Smart TV 4A 180cm (43-inch).
According to market research firm IDC’s “Worldwide Quarterly Smart Home Device Tracker 2018Q2”, Mi LED TV is the top ‘Smart TV’ brand in India. In 2015, Xiaomi announced that its plans to manufacture smartphones in India and today, the company claims to have six smartphone manufacturing plants in the country.
It has manufacturing plants in Sri City, Sriperumbudur and Noida. Its power bank plant is also located in Noida. The Chinese smartphone company has said in a statement that over 95% of its smartphones sold in India are made in the country itself.
With the introduction of its air and water purifiers, projectors, security cameras, televisions and kitchen equipment, Xiaomi has also forayed into the smart home category in the country.
Xiaomi has four Mi Home Experience Stored in India — in Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai. Overt thay, the company also has 36 Mi Home stores in the country and with the aim of growing its offline network, it eyes to expand that number to 100 this year.
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Comparison: LG V40 ThinQ vs Huawei P20 Pro
If you are someone who loves technology, you must be delighted this year with the launch of smartphones with multiple cameras. Earlier this year, we saw the launch of Huawei P20 Pro which sports a triple rear camera setup coupled with a front camera for selfies and video calls.
The smartphone reportedly surpassed the newly launched Apple iPhone XS Max in DxOMark ratings. While Apple’s flagship only managed a 105, Huawei P20 Pro scored 109.
And this week, LG rolled out its flagship of the year V40 ThinQ smartphone that comes with a total of five cameras – three on the back panel and dual front facing snappers.
Although the smartphone is yet to launch in India, it has already created a stir with its most talked about feature of five cameras. Photography enthusiasts are waiting to try it themselves. If you are one of them and want to buy either of the two smartphones, the choice must be a tough one.
And if you are indeed finding yourself facing this tough choice, then we are here to help you by comparing all the specifications of both the devices. Read our comparison of the two photography-centric smartphones and decide which one is the right buy for you:
LG V40 ThinQ: 6.4-inch QHD+ OLED FullVision display
Huawei P20 Pro: 6.1-inch full HD+ OLED display
LG V40 ThinQ: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor
Huawei P20 Pro: Octa-core Kirin 970 processor
LG V40 ThinQ: 12MP sensor with 78-degree viewing angle + 16MP ultra-wide angle sensor with 107-degree viewing angle + 12MP telephoto lens with 45-degree viewing angle
Huawei P20 Pro: 40MP RGB sensor + 20MP monochrome sensor + 8MP camera with 3x optical zoom
LG V40 ThinQ: 8MP+5MP dual front cameras
Huawei P20 Pro: 24MP front facing snappers
LG V40 ThinQ: 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage
Huawei P20 Pro: 6GB RAM and 128GB of onboard storage
LG V40 ThinQ: 3,300mAh battery
Huawei P20 Pro: 4,000mAh battery
LG V40 ThinQ: Up to 2TB
Huawei P20 Pro: Not applicable
LG V40 ThinQ: Android 8.1 Oreo
Huawei P20 Pro: EMUI 8.1 based on Android 8.1 Oreo
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[td_smart_list_end]
In This Article
Display
LG V40 ThinQ: 6.4-inch QHD+ OLED FullVision display
Huawei P20 Pro: 6.1-inch full HD+ OLED display
Processor
LG V40 ThinQ: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor
Huawei P20 Pro: Octa-core Kirin 970 processor
Primary camera
LG V40 ThinQ: 12MP sensor with 78-degree viewing angle + 16MP ultra-wide angle sensor with 107-degree viewing angle + 12MP telephoto lens with 45-degree viewing angle
Huawei P20 Pro: 40MP RGB sensor + 20MP monochrome sensor + 8MP camera with 3x optical zoom
Selfie camera
LG V40 ThinQ: 8MP+5MP dual front cameras
Huawei P20 Pro: 24MP front facing snappers
RAM and storage
LG V40 ThinQ: 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage
Huawei P20 Pro: 6GB RAM and 128GB of onboard storage
Battery
LG V40 ThinQ: 3,300mAh battery
Huawei P20 Pro: 4,000mAh battery
Support for microSD card
LG V40 ThinQ: Up to 2TB
Huawei P20 Pro: Not applicable
Operating system
LG V40 ThinQ: Android 8.1 Oreo
Huawei P20 Pro: EMUI 8.1 based on Android 8.1 Oreo
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[td_smart_list_end] Instagram makes it easy to find and follow people with ‘Nametags’
When we think of posting a picture on social media today, we inevitably think of Instagram. The Facebook-owned photo-sharing app is getting stuffed with new features — and some of them have been inspired by its rival Snapchat.
The latest such feature to be rolled out is Nametag. With Nametag, Instagram wants to make it easier for its users to find and follow people they know. And interestingly, it is basically Instagram’s version of Snap Codes that we have earlier seen on Snapchat. The feature is being rolled out to both Android and iOS versions of Instagram.
So now, instead of asking people for their Instagram handle, users can now share and scan each other’s nametag. To access the feature, users will have to go to the Menu of their apps that appears on top right of their profiles. After that, they should select the option of ‘Nametag’.
Nametag can also be personalised by touching anywhere on the screen or tapping the button at the top to try other designs. These include various colours, emojis or selfies with different stickers. Once you decide your nametag, you can either have your friends scan it or share it with them via text messages or on social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp. This can be done by just pressing the arrow on top right of your nametag.
And if you wish to scan someone else’s ‘Nametag’, you can swipe right to go your app’s camera, hover over the nametag and hold down on your screen. You can also scan someone else’s Nametag by tapping ‘Scan a nametag’ option that will appear when you view your own nametag.
Besides Nametag, Instagram is also known to be testing a new “school communities” feature. As the name suggests, the feature makes it easier for Instagram users at the same university to find and follow each other. However, users will have to add their school and graduation year to their profile for it to work. If users are a part of any particular organization like a sports team or a sorority, they can add that too.
It is worth mentioning that this concept is similar to the Networks feature from Facebook‘s early days.
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Nokia 7.1 with PureDisplay technology, Zeiss-branded camera lenses launched: Price, specifications and more
HMD Global has unveiled Nokia 7.1 smartphone at an event in London. Nokia 7.1 is the successor to the company’s Nokia 7 smartphone that we saw last year and has been launched right after Nokia 6.1 Plus and Nokia 5.1 Plus. The smartphone comes with PureDisplay screen technology and Zeiss-branded dual cameras.
Nokia 7.1 mobile will be available in two colour variants — Gloss Midnight Blue and Gloss Steel. In global markets, the smartphone will be available starting October. In Europe, the base storage model of Nokia 7.1 is priced at 299 Euros and the higher storage model costs 349 Euros.
While there is no official word about the smartphone‘s availability in India, HMD Global is hosting an event here on October 11. So we wouldn’t be wrong to expect the smartphone getting launched then.
Specifications
The Nokia 7.1 features a 5.84-inch FHD+ IPS LCD display that has an aspect ratio of 19:9. Nokia 7.1 comes with PureDisplay screen technology which — according to the company — ensures a more immersive viewing experience and enhances contrast with HDR10 support. HMD Global is calling Nokia 7.1 the first ever Nokia smartphone to come with the said technology that allows users to view vibrant videos on various apps that support HDR content. Nokia 7.1 mobile can also convert SDR content to HDR in real-time.
The front and the back panel of the smartphone are covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The design comes clubbed with dual-anodised Series 6000 aluminium frame that has diamond cut edges. The back panel also houses the dual camera setup and the fingerprint sensor. Powered by 1.8GHz Snapdragon 636 processor, Nokia 7.1 smartphone comes in two storage variants — one with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage and the other with 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage. Both the variants can support a microSD card of up to 400GB.
The dual rear camera setup of the smartphone comes with a 12MP+5MP sensors. While the primary sensor comes with f/1.8 aperture and 1.28 micron pixels, the secondary sensor has depth support. Both the cameras come with Zeiss-branded lenses. For selfies and video calls, there is an 8MP front facing snapper that has an aperture of f/2.0.
Nokia 7.1 houses a 3,060mAh battery and runs Android 8.1 Oreo. Note that the device is a part of Google’s Android One program — much like other Nokia smartphones that have been launched this year. This means that users will get timely Android updates and security patches. HMD Global has also promised an Android 9 Pie update for Nokia 7.1 soon. The newly launched Nokia 7.1 is ARCore certified — which means that it has the ability to run a number of AR apps that are found in Play Store.
Connectivity options of the smartphone include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC, USB Type-C, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Besides a fingerprint sensor, the smartphone also has an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, electronic compass, gyroscope and a proximity sensor.
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Truvison TW2462 24-inch gaming TV launched in India: Price, specs and more
The Indian television market has seen a number of new entrants in the last few months. Chinese technology firm Xiaomi launched its Mi TV 4C Pro and Mi TV 4 Pro models last month and prior to that, we saw the launch of new televisions from Blaupunkt.
And now, the European consumer electronics and appliances company Truvison has announced that it is expanding its television line-up in the country. The company has today introduced TW2462 24-inch Gaming TV in India. Called as an affordable LED television by Truvison, TW2462 24-inch Gaming TV is claimed to come with a high performance engine and is supposed to give a faster response for streamlined user experience.
According to Truvison, TW2462 24-inch Gaming TV has been designed to add versatility to consumers’ gaming experience.
The television sports a glossy finish and features a 24-inch Full HD 1080p IPS LED panel which is said to offer an enhanced contrast and better colour reproduction. It is the first television to be sold in the country to come with built-in NES games.
The firm said in a statement that TW2462 24-inch Gaming TV has improved the response time and contrast ratio for better gaming experience.
It comes with A+ grade panel and a resolution of 1080p clubbed with a wide colour enhancer. The corporation claims that these three together ensure that the integrity of the picture is always deep and detailed, perfect and pure. It is also said to create perfect blacks with an infinite contrast ratio along with instantaneous response time and fast moving scenes.
This gaming television has two USB ports and one HDMI input and includes a 20W speaker that has support for Dolby Digital Sound.
The company has also claimed that the gaming TV has one among the lowest power consumption in the market because of its customized back-light mode. If you wish to buy the Truvison TW2462 24-inch Gaming TV, you can buy it for price of Rs 10,990. The TV set is already available at leading retail stores.
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