Author: Vipul Vij

Asus Zenfone 5Z Available To Buy Via Open Sale Starting Rs 29999

On 4th July, Asus launched its latest flagship device, the Asus Zenfone 5Z in India. The smartphone retails for a starting price of Rs 29999 and is available in three variants. With a competitive price and flagship specifications, the Zenfone 5Z has a lot going on for it, especially when compared to the OnePlus 6. The device has gone on sale via Flipkart and to everyone’s satisfaction, the smartphone is available via an open sale.

Flash sale has peeved a lot of Indian consumers over the past couple of years. Xiaomi still does it with most of its smartphones and OnePlus used to do it till not very long ago. The Asus Zenfone 5Z will be available at all times for consumers to buy. This essentially means that the OnePlus 6 has no advantage over the 5Z, in terms of accessibility at least. At this price, it was expected that Asus would go the Zenfone Max Pro route and sell the latest flagship smartphone via flash sales.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro

The Asus Zenfone 5Z has a 6.2 inch Super IPS+ display with a 2246 x 1080 px resolution. This translates into a 19:9 aspect ratio, just like the OnePlus 6 which also has a 19:9 aspect ratio.

Buy The Zenfone 5Z Here

Under the hood, the smartphone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset. The flagship chipset is coupled with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. In India, the Zenfone 5Z will retail in three models, one with 64GB of storage, the second one with 128GB storage coupled with 6GB of RAM. The third variant has 256GB of onboard storage and 8GB of RAM. The onboard storage will be expandable up to 2TB via a microSD card which will use up the second SIM slot.

The Zenfone 5Z has all the features of a flagship smartphone. Moreover, it severely undercuts the OnePlus 6 and Honor 10 in terms of pricing. The OnePlus 6 retails for Rs 34999 while the Honor 10 is priced at Rs 32999. At a starting price of Rs 29999, the Zenfone 5Z gives consumers a lot to think about before buying their next flagship smartphone.

July 9, 2018
Xiaomi Mi A2 Will Launch With Up To 6GB Of RAM, 128GB Onboard Storage

The Xiaomi Mi A2 has been subject to a lot of speculations over the past few weeks. With the Mi 8 launch in the past, the Mi A2 is the next big smartphone to launch in global markets, especially India. The successor to the Mi A1 has been highly anticipated in India and will be one of the most sought-after budget devices. A new leak has revealed the colour and storage variants of the Mi A2 which will be available in India and other countries.

According to the leak, the Xiaomi Mi A2 will be available in four variants. The most affordable one will have 4GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage, the second on the list will have 64GB storage and the same RAM. The third variant on the list will have 6GB of RAM and 64GB storage while the most premium variant will have 6GB RAM and 128GB of onboard storage.

Must Read: Xiaomi Mi 8 Could Launch In India In July

It is worth noting that the Mi A2 will essentially be the recently launched Mi 6X but, with stock Android. It does appear that Xiaomi has tweaked things for the global variant since, in China, the Mi 6X did not launch in a 32GB storage variant. This also means that we might see the beloved 3.5mm headphone jack make an appearance on the Mi A2. The Xiaomi Mi 6X does not have a headphone jack and in India, this might not go down well with the consumers.

Mi 6X Pink Variant

Another aspect of the Xiaomi Mi A2 revealed in the leak is the colour options. The smartphone will be available in Gold, Blue and Black colour variants in India. In China, the Mi 6X also available in a Red and Pink colour variant which might not make their way to the Indian market. However, looking at the marketing strategy of many smartphone makers, Xiaomi could launch a special red colour edition a couple of months after the Mi A2 launch.

While the company has not officially confirmed the launch of the Xiaomi Mi A2, a July 25th launch is scheduled in Spain. The Mi A2 is expected to be the star of the show while the Mi Band 3 could also see its global unveiling.

July 9, 2018
OPPO Find X To Launch In India On July 12th

A truly bezel-less smartphone is the dream we all have. We have seen smartphones mimicking the look of a bezel-less smartphone but, we are still quite a distance away from that sweet 100% screen-to-body ratio. But, that doesn’t mean smartphone makers aren’t making advancements toward that future. OPPO, the popular Chinese smartphone maker is the new entrant to the race for the highest screen-to-body ratio with the OPPO Find X. The unique smartphone was recently launched in China and is set to launch in India on July 12th.

The highlight of the OPPO Find X is its design. To achieve a high screen-to-body ratio, the company decided to move the front camera behind the display. However, we still don’t have the technology to embed a camera under the display. To counter that, the company took a page from the Vivo NEX S handbook and went for a pop-up camera. However, unlike the NEX S, the pop-up mechanism houses both the front camera and a rear facing dual camera setup.

Face Unlock Mechanism

Interestingly, the OPPO Find X misses out on a fingerprint sensor. It instead uses Face Unlock which is a bit more advanced than the software-based Face Unlock found on modern day devices. This means that the camera would pop-up a lot more than the NEX S. Hence, the durability of the mechanism can be questioned. OPPO conceded that the pop-up mechanism was tested to 300,000 slides, and the company says that the average person unlocks their phone 100-150 times a day. This means that durability won’t be an issue for at least 5 years.

Must Read: Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 With Pop-Up Front Camera Revealed In Promotional Poster

With the slider doing the bulk of the heavy lifting usually dedicated to the bezels, the front of the smartphone is almost entirely made of a 6.4 inch OLED display with a 2160 x 1080 px resolution. The company claims that the screen-to-body ratio stands at 92.5%.

Under the hood, the smartphone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset coupled with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Powering the smartphone is a 3730 mAh battery with support for VOOC fast charging. Out of the box, the smartphone will run Android 8.1 Oreo with ColorOS 5.1 on top of it.

The sliding module houses a 16MP and a 20MP rear facing dual camera setup. The smartphone is capable of recording 4K videos at 30fps but, we know that the chipset can handle 4K videos at 60fps. The camera on the front is a 25MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture.

The OPPO Find X retails in Europe for 999 Euros which translates to about Rs 80000. However, that is not how the pricing of smartphones is done and the device could launch at a lower price in India. The pricing will be announced at the launch event is just a few days.

July 6, 2018

Xiaomi Mi 8 SE Vs Huawei P20 Lite- Specs Comparison

Xiaomi recently launched the Mi 8 and the Mi 8 Explorer Edition at an event in China. While the two flagship devices grabbed deserved headlines, the Mi 8 SEwas also unveiled at the same event. The new budget smartphone from Xiaomi is likely to launch in India in the coming months as the company prepares the Mi 8 launch for India as well. If launched in India, the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE will compete with the Huawei P20 Lite for the best smartphone for Rs 20,000.

The Huawei P20 Lite was launched in India along with the Huawei P20 Pro. Just like the Mi 8 SE, the P20 Lite was overshadowed by its bigger sibling. However, the P20 Lite continues to be one of the best smartphones for the price range. The P20 Lite is priced at Rs 19999 in India. The Xiaomi Mi 8 SE is priced at CNY 1,799 (Rs 19000 approx.) for the 4GB RAM variant and CNY 1999 (Rs 21000) for the 6GB RAM variant.

Buy The Xiaomi Mi 8 SE Here

The Mi 8 SE has a 5.88 inch Super AMOLED display with a 2248 x 1080 px resolution. The aspect ratio is 18.7:9, which is the same as the Mi 8. The P20 Lite, on the other hand, has a 5.84 inch LTPS IPS LCD display with a 2280 x 1080 px resolution. Both the smartphones have glass on the front and back with an aluminium frame.

The P20 Lite runs on the HiSilicon Kirin 659 chipset which is coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The Mi 8 SE, however, runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chipset. It is worth noting that the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE is the first-ever smartphone to be powered by Qualcomm’s new mid-range chipset. The Mi 8 SE is available in two variants, one with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage and the other one with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage.

Both the smartphones stray away from the popular stock Android interface. The P20 Lite runs EMUI 8.0 on top of Android 8 Oreo while the Mi 8 SE runs MIUI 9.5 on top of Android 8 Oreo. The P20 Lite is powered by a 3000 mAh battery with support for SuperCharge. The Mi 8 SE is powered by a 3120 mAh battery with QuickCharge 3.0. Both the devices have a USB-C port which is great in budget phones, especially. The Xiaomi Mi 8 SE does miss out on a headphone jack.

The Xiaomi Mi 8 SE has a 12MP RGB sensor with an f/1.9 aperture mated with a 5MP depth sensor with an f/2.0 aperture. To the front is a 20MP camera with a 2-micron pixel size and f/2.0 aperture. The P20 Lite has a 16MP primary sensor with an f/2.2 aperture coupled with a 2MP depth sensor. On the front is a 24MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture. Both the front and back cameras record 1080P videos while the front camera also has 3D Portrait Lighting, similar iPhone’s Portrait Lighting.

The Xiaomi Mi 8 SE is a popular choice in India. Its pricing and specifications suit the Indian market as well, something Xiaomi would be aware of. The P20 Lite offers a great design and specifications and is readily available in India. Huawei would hope that Xiaomi doesn’t launch the Mi 8 SE in India and the P20 Lit continues to have a free run at the 20K category.

Specs

Specifications	Xiaomi Mi 8 SE	Huawei P20 Lite
Price	CNY 1,799 (Rs 19000 approx.) 4GB RAM CNY 1999 (Rs 21000) 6GB RAM	Rs 19999 (4GB RAM)
Display	5.88 inch Super AMOLED	5.84 inch LTPS IPS LCD
Display Resolution	2248 x 1080 px 18.7:9 aspect ratio	2280 x 1080 px 19:9 aspect ratio
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 710	HiSilicon Kirin 659
Processor	Octa-core 4 x 2.36 GHz Cortex-A53 4 x 1.7 GHz Cortex-A53	Octa-core 2 x 2.2 GHz Cortex-A75 6 x 1.7 GHz Cortex-A55
RAM	4GB/6GB	4GB
Storage	64GB/128GB Not expandable	64GB Hybrid microSD card slot, expandable up to 256GB
Battery	3120 mAh QuickCharge 3.0	3000 mAh SuperCharge
Primary Camera	12MP RGB f/1.9 5MP depth sensor f/2.0	16MP RGB f/2.2 2MP Depth Sensor
Primary Camera Video	4K @ 30fps	1080P @ 30fps
Secondary Camera	20MP f/2.0 1080P @ 30fps	24MP f/2.0 1080P @ 30fps
Add-Ons	Fingerprint Sensor Face Unlock	Fingerprint Sensor Face Unlock

July 5, 2018

Reliance JioPhone 2 Launched In India For Rs 2999

Almost a year after announcing its first-ever feature phone, Reliance Industries Limited has unveiled the JioPhone 2. The new smart feature phone will retail for Rs 2999 from August 15th and is an upgrade over the JioPhone. In 2017, the JioPhone grabbed the headlines for being “effectively” free of cost. The JioPhone 2, however, will be marketed as a smarter alternative to the JioPhone.

One of the highlights of the JioPhone 2 will be its support for popular applications like YouTube, WhatsApp and Facebook. The JioPhone will get a FOTA update on August 15th which will also bring in support for these applications. RIL has also made it clear that the JioPhone won’t be phased out now that its successor has launched. The JioPhone will co-exist and continue to be the effectively free phone.

JioPhone

Must Read: Spotify Lite Being Tested For Emerging Markets Like India

One of the key changes in the JioPhone successor is the keyboard layout. The JioPhone 2 features a QWERTY keyboard, made popular by BlackBerry and Nokia phones in the pre-Android and iPhone days. RIL says that this decision stemmed from the customer feedback which also called for a horizontal viewing display. The JioPhone 2 serves both the purposes and is powered by a 2000 mAh battery. In terms of connectivity, the JioPhone 2 has 4G, VoLTE, VoWiFi, 3.5G, 2G, WiFi, LTE Cat4 DL, Radio, Bluetooth, GPS, and NFC.

Out of the box, the JioPhone 2 will run KaiOS, based on Firefox OS. Google recently invested US$22 million in the platform and the OS should benefit from that. Google apps might be coming to the platform as well in the future. Apart from that, Google had announced that the JioPhone will soon get Google Assistant, and the same can be expected for the JioPhone 2.

Must Read: YouTube Will Remind Users To ‘Take A Break’ With New Update

The JioPhone 2, at a price of Rs 2999 and all the benefits of Jio should be a great deal for people still in the feature phone ecosystem. The presence of apps like YouTube should benefit the consumer and the platform as well since there are millions of feature phone users in India still.

July 5, 2018
Samsung Galaxy Note9 Might Get A Huge Upgrade After All

In the second half of 2018, Samsung will host one of the three most anticipated global launch events. On August 9th in New York, the Samsung Galaxy Note9 will be unveiled. By the leaks of it, the Galaxy Note9 doesn’t look like much of an upgrade over the Galaxy Note8. The design is expected to remain similar while the specifications will get the usual upgrade. However, it appears that the S Pen will get a huge upgrade over its previous version.

The documentation filed by Samsung with the FCC reveals that the S Pen will have Bluetooth connectivity. This is a feature we haven’t seen in the stylus before and should open a huge prospect for the S Pen and its usage. A popular Samsung leaker, Ice Universe also delved into the possible feature of the S Pen.

The Galaxy Note9 SPen can be used to control long-range self-timer, control music playback, because it is a Bluetooth device, it will do something unrelated to the pen. pic.twitter.com/WPS83xUskq

— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) July 1, 2018

As mentioned in the tweet, the S Pen for the Galaxy Note9 will do much more than editing or writing notes. Thanks to Bluetooth, it can be used to control music playback and timers, among other things. The S Pen could also be paired with third-party devices that can use a stylus, or have features that can be controlled with a button. The button could also be used to trigger Bixby. And maybe, Samsung will get rid of the Bixby button although, renders suggest otherwise.

Must Read: Samsung Galaxy Note9 Leaked Specifications Reveal A Disappointing Upgrade Over Note8

Apart from the S Pen upgrade, the Galaxy Note9 will follow in the footsteps of the Galaxy S9. The Galaxy S9 for a mere incremental upgrade over the Galaxy S8 and similarly, the Galaxy Note9 will also be an incremental upgrade. That is if the leaks so far turn out to be true. Nothing is official until Samsung’s launch event kicks off in just over a month’s time.

July 5, 2018
OnePlus Considered Ditching The Headphone Jack, OnePlus 6 Prototype Suggests

The OnePlus 6 was launched in India on 17th May at a starting price of Rs 34999. Apart from its specifications and design, one thing a lot of consumers were satisfied with, was the presence of the headphone jack. OnePlus continues to be one of the last few smartphone makers to stick with the beloved 3.5mm headphone jack as the industry, at large, prepares us for a wireless future. However, OnePlus did consider removing the headphone from the OnePlus 6.

OnePlus recently showed off a slew OnePlus 6 prototypes to PCMag. Apart from the range of colour variants on display, an interesting aspect was that some prototypes did not have a 3.5mm headphone jack. Considering that OnePlus also launched its first-ever pair of Bluetooth earphones, it isn’t a giant leap to assume that removal of the headphone jack was discussed. And this poll might have helped tip the decision in favour of the headphone jack.

https://twitter.com/getpeid/status/973745407208468485

With the Bullets Wireless earphones being praised for their price to performance ratio, it does seem like the company is preparing its loyal users for a headphone jack-less OnePlus device. However, it is anybody’s guess for now when that will happen. The OnePlus 6T is expected to launch in the fourth quarter of 2018 but, it is not likely that the company will pull the plug on the headphone jack so soon.

Must Read: OnePlus 6 Red Edition Launched For Rs. 39,999

OnePlus Bullets Wireless

The colour variants on display also give us an insight on how many prototypes a company goes through before choosing one variant. OnePlus even had a colour shifting variant like the Huawei P20 Pro on display. However, one of the engineers conceded that it was never a part of the discussion about the OnePlus 6 colour variants. It was merely a representation of what the engineering team was capable of producing.

Apple’s decision to remove the headphone jack in 2016 was not a very popular one. However, two years on and the industry, more or less, has complied. OnePlus will also soon get rid of the port as it increases its Bluetooth accessories portfolio.

July 5, 2018
Xiaomi Mi A2’s About Section Leaked In Live Image

The Xiaomi Mi A2 is one of the most anticipated budget smartphones in India. Its predecessor, the Mi A1 was one of the best budget devices of 2017 hence, a lot is expected from the Mi A2. Xiaomi appears to be moving at its own sweet pace in making the smartphone official even though we have had a number of leaks confirming almost everything there is to know. A new leaked image reveals the ‘About’ screen of the Mi A2, revealing the Android version it’ll run and a few other details.

The image confirms that the Mi A1 successor will indeed be the Mi A2 and not Mi A1 (2018) which many suspected. This makes sense for Xiaomi especially if the company wants to make this a prominent series of smartphones in India. Just changing the year in the moniker of the device will be cumbersome. The image also confirms that the Mi A2 will run the latest version of Android, Android 8.1 Oreo.

Must Read: Xiaomi Mi A2 Running On Snapdragon 660 To Launch In India Soon

We already know that the Xiaomi Mi A2 will essentially be the Mi 6X but, with stock Android. This means that the smartphone will run on the Snapdragon 660 chipset. The image is also in line with this assumption. The Mi A2 will have bezels like the Redmi Note 5 Pro and the one in the leaked image has white bezels around the display.

The Xiaomi Mi A1 was launched in India in September 2017. However, the Mi A2 is expected to go on sale in India in the month of August. This means that the smartphone should be announced sooner rather than later. With the budget smartphone market seeing new entrants like the Realme 1 and Asus Zenfone Max Pro, Xiaomi will have to nail the pricing of its Android One smartphone.

July 5, 2018
Asus ROG Gaming Smartphone Launch In India Confirmed

Asus has launched its latest flagship smartphone, the Zenfone 5Z in India. While the device is impressive, hands down its most attractive quality is its price. It will go on sale in India on 9th July at a starting price of Rs 29999. Another Asus device that has grabbed the headlines recently is the Asus ROG gaming smartphone, which was recently announced at Computex in Taipei. It has now been confirmed that the new gaming smartphone will launch in India in Q3 of 2018.

Speaking at the launch event of the Zenfone 5Z in New Delhi, Asus CEO Jerry Shen conceded that Asus has plans on launching the ROG phone in India in the third quarter of 2018. This essentially means that the device will launch in India before September ends.

For sure, we will launch the ROG phone here in India. I cannot tell you the exact date, but it will arrive in Q3. It is already Q3, so we have three months to do so.

From the images of the smartphone, at least, the Asus ROG phone looks like a quintessential gaming device. The ROG logo at the back has RGB lights which can be customised and be used as a notification light as well. The all-glass build is in line with modern flagship smartphones. The fingerprint sensor has a unique shape and gives off a very gamer vibe. Even the speakers have a unique placement, to make sure the sound is muffled while playing games in landscape mode.

The Asus ROG (Republic Of Gamers) smartphone has a 6 inch AMOLED display with a 2160 x 1080 px resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. Unlike the Zenfone 5Z, the ROG smartphone does not have a notch. Asus has certainly worked a lot on the display of its gaming device. The screen has a 1ms response rate, 1000:1 contrast ratio and a 108.6% DCI-P3 colour gamut. Moreover, thanks to a distinct image processing chipset, the display has HDR playback capabilities.

Under the hood, the Asus ROG smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 845 chipset specifically overclocked to 2.96GHz (compared to 2.8GHz). The overclocked chipset is coupled with 8GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and 512GB of UFS onboard storage. To deal with the overheating caused due to intensive usage (something the phone is built to do), it has a vapour cooling system called GameCool. It uses a copper heat spreader and a 3D vapour chamber to transfer heat away from the processor and disperse it evenly around the body of the device.

Powering the smartphone is a 4000 mAh battery which charges via a USB C port. Out of the box, the ROG smartphone will run Android 8.1 Oreo. Apart from the USB C port and a headphone jack at the bottom, the device also has an accessory port on the left in the centre. This port can be used for charging the device while gaming so that the cable doesn’t hinder your gaming experience. This is a very smart move by Asus. The port can be used to connect AeroActive Cooler accessory.

To the back of the device is a 12MP primary sensor coupled with an 8MP secondary sensor. The dual camera setup is capable of recording 4K videos at 30fps. The front of the device houses an 8MP camera. There are no details about the pricing of the Asus ROG smartphone as of now. However, it is expected to be priced at around Rs 60000, considering the high-end specifications and the over the top features it possesses.

July 5, 2018

Asus Zenfone 5Z Vs OnePlus 6 Vs Honor 10- The Ultimate Flagship Killer

Asus has launched a new flagship smartphone in India, the Asus Zenfone 5Z. At a starting price of Rs 29999, it is the most affordable smartphone in India running on the latest Snapdragon 845 chipset. The Taiwanese smartphone maker has nailed the pricing for the Indian market as the Zenfone 5Z competes with the OnePlus 6 and Honor 10. All three smartphones are marquee devices for their respective companies in the Indian market and feature flagship-grade specifications.

As has been the industry trend for a while now, all three smartphones have an all-glass build and design. Despite the similar build quality, all three smartphones feature a different finish on the glass. Essentially, the devices have a unique way of reflecting light and no two devices have a similar implementation here. It is hard to differentiate here and would boil down to personal preferences. The OnePlus 6 does have more colour options to choose from, recently launching the OnePlus 6 Red Edition.

The Asus Zenfone 5Z has a 6.2 inch Super IPS+ display with a 2246 x 1080 px resolution. The OnePlus 6 has a 6.28 inch Optic AMOLED display with a 2280 x 1080 px resolution while the Honor 10 has a 5.84 inch IPS LCD display and the same resolution. The OnePlus 6 has an AMOLED display which is known for producing more accurate colours.

Where the Zenfone 5Z and OnePlus 6 feel similar, the Honor 10 stands out. The Honor 10 runs on the HiSilicon Kirin 970 chipset with 6GB of RAM. The other two run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset. The flagship chipset is coupled with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. Both the OnePlus 6 and Zenfone 5Z are available in three storage variants, 64GB, 128GB and 256GB.

Ever since the launch of the iPhone X, Face Unlock has been a fairly talked-about feature in smartphones. None of the devices miss out on jumping on that bandwagon but, it is software-based and not the most secure authentification way. The fingerprint sensor on the Zenfone 5Z and OnePlus 6 is placed on the back, albeit, different shapes. The Honor 10, on the other hand, has an invisible ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that can also detect a wet finger. It is also front-facing since it is housed inside the chin of the smartphone.

While most of the flagship specifications are similar to each other, these smartphones hugely differ when it comes to the optics. The Honor 10 has a 16MP RBG primary sensor and a 24MP secondary monochrome sensor. The OnePlus 6 takes a different route with two RGB sensors. It has a 16MP Sony IMX 519 sensor and a 20MP Sony IMX 376K sensor. The newly launched Zenfone 5Z has a 12MP primary sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and an 8MP wide-angle secondary sensor with a 120º field of view.

As a result of drastically different implementations, the cameras on these smartphones have their own advantages. However, it is worth noting that both the OnePlus 6 and Zenfone 5Z feature OIS and EIS while the Honor 10 misses out on both the features. The Honor 10 also doesn’t record 4K videos at 60fps.

At a price of Rs 29999, the Asus Zenfone 5Z is the most affordable flagship smartphone in India. It also holds its own in front of the OnePlus 6 and Honor 10, on paper, at least. We will soon be comparing the three devices in depth for a much clearer winner.

Specs

Specifications	Asus Zenfone 5Z	OnePlus 6	Honor 10
Price	Starting Rs 29999	Starting at Rs 34999	Rs 32999
Display	6.2 inch Super IPS+	6.28 inch Optic AMOLED	5.84 inch IPS LCD
Resolution	2246 x 1080 px 18.7:9 aspect ratio DCI-P3 Colour Gamit	2280 x 1080 px 19:9 aspect ratio sRBG, DCI-P3 Colour Gamit	2280 x 1080 px :9 aspect ratio 432 ppi
Battery	3300 mAh QuickCharge 3.0	3300 mAh Dash Charge	3400 mAh SuperCharge
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Octa-Core 4×2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold 4×1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Octa-Core 4×2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold 4×1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver	HiSilicon Kirin 970 Octa-Core 4 x 2.36GHz 4 x 1.8GHz
RAM	6GB, 8GB	6GB, 8GB	6GB
Storage	64GB, 128GB, 256GB Expandable up to 2TB	64GB, 128GB, 256GB Not expandable	128GB Not expandable
Primary Camera	12MP Sony IMX 363 f/1.8 1.4-micron 8MP Wide-Angle 120º FOV	16MP Sony IMX 519 f/1.7 1.22-micron 20MP Sony IMX 376K f/1.7 1.0-micron	16MP RGB f/1.8 24MP Monochrome
Primary Camera Video	4K @ 60fps 1080P @ 240fps	4K @ 60fps 1080P @ 240fps 720P @ 480fps	4K @ 30fps
Secondary Camera	8MP f/2.0 84º FOV EIS	16MP Sony IMX 371 f/2.0 EIS	24MP f/2.0 AI Beauty Mode Portrait Mode
Add-Ons	Fingerprint Sensor Face Unlock	Fingerprint Sensor Face Unlock	Ultra-sonic fingerprint sensor Face Unlock

OnePlus 6 Gallery

Honor 10 Gallery

Asus Zenfone 5Z

July 4, 2018

Unboxing The Asus Zenfone 5Z
Asus has launched its new flagship smartphone, the Asus Zenfone 5Z in India. Astonishingly enough, the smartphone will retail for a starting price of Rs 29999, which is considerably cheaper than the OnePlus 6. The Zenfone 5Z has all the features for a 2018 flagship smartphone and will go on sale in India via Flipkart on 9th July. It is worth noting that there is a flat Rs 3000 discount upon using an ICICI Credit/Debit card, bringing the price down to Rs 26999 for the base model.

Asus recently launched the Zenfone Max Pro, a budget smartphone which runs on the Snapdragon 636 chipset. The smartphone has done well in India and the company would expect the same from its flagship device. So, let’s unbox the Asus Zenfone 5Z and see what we get inside the box!

[section label=”Unboxing”]

Inside the box of the Asus Zenfone 5Z
- Asus Zenfone 5Z
- Wall Charger
- USB-C Cable
- ZenEar Pro Earphones
- Documentation
- Sim Ejector Tool
- Clear Case
[section label=”First Impressions”]

The trend of an all-glass design has really caught up in 2018. Even budget smartphones like the Honor 9 Lite, Moto G6, Nokia X6 sport an all-glass design and the Asus Zenfone 5Z is no different. The device will be available in Midnight Blye and The glass on the back has a unique finish which reflects the light in a very different manner. This is common with Asus smartphones and the Zenfone 5Z looks like a premium smartphone. The aluminium frame means that the device has a solid build.

The dual-camera is placed vertically on the top-left corner. This design choice, again, has become very common ever since the iPhone X was launched in September 2017. There is a small camera bump which can be negated using the clear case found inside the box. Talking about accessories found inside the box, Asus talked a lot about the ZenEar Pro earphones that will retail with every Zenfone 5Z unit in India. We will be testing the earphones out and talk about it in detail in our full review.

The Asus Zenfone 5Z has a 6.2 inch Super IPS+ display with a 2246 x 1080 px resolution. This translates into a 19:9 aspect ratio, just like the OnePlus 6 which also has a 19:9 aspect ratio.

Under the hood, the smartphone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset. The flagship chipset is coupled with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. In India, the Zenfone 5Z will retail in three models, one with 64GB of storage, the second one with 128GB storage coupled with 6GB of RAM. The third variant has 256GB of onboard storage and 8GB of RAM. The onboard storage will be expandable up to 2TB via a microSD card which will use up the second SIM slot. The fingerprint sensor is placed on the back of the device in a central location.

As is with a flagship device these days, the Asus Zenfone 5Z has a dual-camera setup on the back. It consists of a 12MP primary sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and 4-axis OIS. The secondary 8MP sensor has a wide-angle lens with a 120º field of view. This implementation is different from a lot of other flagship devices which usually have a telephoto or a monochrome lens. The OnePlus 6, for example, has two RGB sensors. The notch houses an 8MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and an 84º field of view.

[section label=”Conclusion”]

At the first glance, the Zenfone 5Z appears to be a worthy affordable flagship smartphone. The price of the device sweetens the deal for sure but, does it hold its own against the OnePlus 6? We will find out in our full review which will soon be up on our YouTube channel.
July 4, 2018
Asus Zenfone 5Z With A Notch, Running On Snapdragon 845 Launched In India Starting Rs 29,999

Asus has launched the Zenfone 5Z in India at a starting price of Rs 29999. The new affordable flagship smartphone will be sold via Flipkart exclusively and go on sale on 9th July. It is worth noting that there is a flat Rs 3000 discount upon using an ICICI Credit/Debit card, bringing the price down to Rs 26999 for the base model. The Asus Zenfone 5Z enters India’s affordable flagship segment and will be up against the likes of OnePlus 6 and Honor 10.

The Zenfone 5Z has all the makings of a flagship smartphone of 2018. The infamous notch also makes an appearance on the device. The notch, unlike the Xiaomi Mi 8, does not have any special sensors housed inside. The notch, however, allows the company to use a bigger display without drastically increasing the overall footprint of the smartphone.

The Asus Zenfone 5Z has a 6.2 inch Super IPS+ display with a 2246 x 1080 px resolution. This translates into a 19:9 aspect ratio, just like the OnePlus 6 which also has a 19:9 aspect ratio. With so many different aspect ratios prevalent in the market, it will become harder for content creators to cater to everyone’s needs.

Under the hood, the smartphone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset. The flagship chipset is coupled with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. In India, the Zenfone 5Z will retail in three models, one with 64GB of storage, the second one with 128GB storage coupled with 6GB of RAM. The third variant has 256GB of onboard storage and 8GB of RAM. The onboard storage will be expandable up to 2TB via a microSD card which will use up the second SIM slot.

The fingerprint sensor is placed on the back of the device in a central location. The company also spoke about the ZenEar Pro earphones which will be included in the retail box. This is something most affordable flagship devices don’t include in their packaging and Asus has in fact, claimed that its earphones are of premium quality.

As is with a flagship device these days, the Asus Zenfone 5Z has a dual-camera setup on the back. It consists of a 12MP primary sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and 4-axis OIS. The secondary 8MP sensor has a wide-angle lens with a 120º field of view. This implementation is different from a lot of other flagship devices which usually have a telephoto or a monochrome lens. The OnePlus 6, for example, has two RGB sensors. The notch houses an 8MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and an 84º field of view.

The Zenfone 5Z has all the features of a flagship smartphone. Moreover, it severely undercuts the OnePlus 6 and Honor 10 in terms of pricing. The OnePlus 6 retails for Rs 34999 while the Honor 10 is priced at Rs 32999. At a starting price of Rs 29999, the Zenfone 5Z gives consumers a lot to think about before buying their next flagship smartphone.

July 4, 2018
OnePlus 5, 5T Get Support For Project Treble With The Latest OxygenOS

OnePlus has been in the news of late for more than just the OnePlus 6. The company recently promised three years of service for every OnePlus smartphone. This includes software updates for 2 years and an extended year of security patches. The company has now taken a step further by including support for Project Treble in the latest OxygenOS Beta update for the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T.

OnePlus 5

OnePlus has been publically sceptical about Project Treble. No OnePlus smartphone, up until now, supported Project Treble. In one of its AMAs (As Me Anything), OnePlus explained that the possibility of customers’ devices becoming bricked was too much of a risk. It even confirmed that the OnePlus 5 and 5T would not receive this feature.

Partitions were not required for Android N and previous versions of Android, all of our current devices do not feature a partition. According to our tests, if we were to modify the partition layout via OTA there is a risk that devices will brick during the partitioning.

Project Treble is Google’s effort at reducing the time it takes for OEMs to receive the new OS and optimise it for its devices and then push out the update. A few months ago, Android received a new Vendor Interface, which is largely what Project Treble is about. The VI’s aim is to separate the “Vendor Implementation” (that is, “the device-specific, lower-level software written in large part by the silicon manufacturers”), from the Android OS framework.

OnePlus 5T

The new VI is supposed to sit between the Android OS framework and Vendor Implementation. And the new VI will be validated by a Vendor Test Suite (VTS), which is analogous to the Compatibility Test Suite (CTS) that Google has been using for API testing of apps. The VTS ensures forward-compatibility of the VI.

Software updates for major Android smartphone makers like Samsung have been painstakingly few and far between. With Project Treble, Google wants to shorten that process. OnePlus now, appears to be onboard with Google’s initiative and is definitely a good news for OnePlus users. This also means that future smartphone owners have another reason to consider buying a OnePlus device since not many smartphone makers are known for providing timely software updates.

July 4, 2018
Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 With Pop-Up Front Camera Revealed In Promotional Poster

The smartphone industry is moving towards that ultimate bezel-less smartphone. It looks more and more likely that a smartphone maker will soon unveil a working prototype of a futuristic smartphone and a few companies are at the forefront of that. Vivo recently launched the NEX S, based on its Vivo NEX concept with a pop-up front camera to further reduce the size of the bezels. It appears that this could be a trend that will catch on and Xiaomi might be the next in line. The Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 is rumoured to launch with a pop-up front camera to attain a very high screen-to-body ratio.

A new image posted on Weibo appears to be a promotional poster of an upcoming Xiaomi smartphone. In the image, the pop-up camera is clearly visible, although, the name of the smartphone is nowhere to be found. However, Xiaomi’s Mi MIX lineup has been the company’s outlet for futuristic designs and pushing that screen-to-body ratio to its limits. The Mi MIX 3 could well beat OPPO Find X’s record for the highest screen-to-body ratio if the rumours turn out to be true.

Must Read: Xiaomi Mi 8 SE Running On Snapdragon 710 Officially Launched

While the design looks aesthetically pleasing and does help smartphone makers reduce the top bezel (or the bottom bezel in Xiaomi’s case), it has its sceptics. It is not a secret that having moving parts in a smartphone can be a recipe for a disaster waiting to happen. There are plenty of scenarios where moving parts can be cumbersome, and not to forget, expensive. The Vivo NEX S and OPPO Find X look great but, how they fair in the long run is yet to be seen.

Over the years, Xiaomi has become famous for its reliable hardware and software. If the company does go ahead with a pop-up camera, it’s fair to assume that it would be a well thought out decision. What this will do to the affordability of the Mi MIX lineup is anybody’s guess as of now.

July 4, 2018
Unboxing The OnePlus 6 Red Edition
OnePlus has launched the OnePlus 6 Red Edition in India. The new limited edition colour variant will only be available in the 8GB RAM/128GB storage model and retail for Rs 39999. This essentially means that consumers won’t have to pay extra money for the swanky new red colour. The device will go on sale on 16th July via Amazon and OnePlus.in.

This is not the first time that OnePlus has launched a new “limited edition” colour variant of a flagship smartphone. The company launched a Soft Gold OnePlus 5 in August 2017. A few days after launching the OnePlus 5T, the company unveiled the OnePlus 5T Lava Red which went was sold worldwide as well. The new OnePlus 6 Red is another marketing tactic in order to bolster sales which are bound to slow down after the initial burst.

[section label=”Unboxing”]

Inside the box of the OnePlus 6 Red Edition
- OnePlus 6 Red Edition
- Wall Charger
- USB-C Cable
- Documentation
- Sim Ejector Tool
- Clear Case
[section label=”First Impressions”]

The OnePlus 6 Red looks really good. That is how you sum up this smartphone. The device has a distinct red colour, unlike the Lava Red OnePlus 5T or even the iPhone 8 Product RED. The dark red colour blends in with the black front and maintains the premium look and feel of the OnePlus 6. The silver chrome around the camera module and fingerprint sensor is a nice touch as well.

As is with a special edition colour variant, everything inside the OnePlus Red Edition remains the same as the other variants. The new Red Edition joins Midnight Black, Silk White, Mirror Black, and Avengers Edition in the list of OnePlus 6 variants sold in India. We have checked out all the colour variants of the OnePlus 6 so far except Midnight Black. Fair to say that the Red Edition of OnePlus 6 does not disappoint.

The OnePlus 6 has a 6.28 inch Optic AMOLED display with a 2280 x 1080 px resolution. The aspect ratio is 19:9 which means it is slightly taller than the OnePlus 5T.

The 6 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset which has an octa-core processor clocked at 2.8GHz. Coupled with the flagship chipset is either 6GB or 8GB of RAM with three storage options of 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. The storage is still not user-expandable just like every other OnePlus device. The fingerprint sensor is still placed on the rear but, it has a more oval shape this time around.

Powering the device is a 3300 mAh battery with Dash Charge support. Dash Charge continues to be one of the fastest charging technologies and could be the reason why OnePlus did not think that wireless charging was necessary here. Out of the box, the OnePlus 6 runs Android 8.1 Oreo with OxygenOS on top. The smartphone has gesture support. The company has announced that users will be able to download Android P Developer’s Preview from the OnePlus website soon.

The dual-camera on the OnePlus 6 includes a 16MP Sony IMX 519 sensor and a 20MP Sony IMX 376K sensor. Both are RGB sensors and have an f/1.7 aperture with OIS, another first for a OnePlus device. The cameras also record 4K videos at 60fps which is a great feature for content creators. To the front of the smartphone is a 16MP Sony IMX 371 sensor with an f/2.0 aperture and EIS which records 1080P videos.

[section label=”Conclusion”]

The OnePlus 6 Red Edition is just another option for OnePlus 6 suitors. With devices like the ASUS Zenfone 5Z and Xiaomi Mi 8 expected to launch in India soon, OnePlus would hope for this new colour variant to reinstate the OnePlus 6’s position as a top flagship smartphone in India. However, it’ll be interesting to see how the smartphone will fair once its potential competitors are launched in India.
July 3, 2018