Author: AdityaT

HTC 10 evo to Launch in India Tomorrow

HTC is all set to launch the HTC 1o EVO in India tomorrow, the company also sent out invites earlier this week. The new evo is designed much like the HTC 10 but features a IP57 splash and dust resistant body. The HTC 10 evo was sold as the HTC 10 bolt in the US market with Sprint as the network carrier.

The new HTC 10 ev0 will revive the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset but will ship with Android 7 out of the box. The phone has a 3200 mAh battery and will support quick charge 2.0 via a USB Type C port.

The display on the HTC 10 evo is a 5.5 inch 2560 x 1440 px Super LCD 3 display with a Pixel density at 534 ppi (pixel per inch). The evo has 3 GB RAM and 32 GB Storage and can accept upto 2TB microSD cards. The phone also supports flex storage.

The phone has interesting features in built like a selfie panorama and thanks to Android 7 out of the box it also will work flawlessly with multi-window multi-tasking.

With a 16 MP 4k capable camera and an 8 MP front camera the HTC 10 evo completes the optics. But, the real question is, why is HTC bringing such dated specs to a new smartphone. The HTC 10 evo is set to replace the HTC One A9 which was a fantastic mid-high ranger smartphone from the company last year.

November 23, 2016
Xiaomi Mi Mix Nano is a 5.5 Inch, Smaller Bezel Free Mi Mix

The Mi Mix which gathered a lot of attention at the time of launch seems to have a little brother hiding somewhere in China. According to new images that have leaked a new Mi Mix Nano that has a 5.5. inch almost Bezel-free display as opposed to the 6.4 inch display seen on the full size Mi Mix. According to the images, the phone seems to be powered by Snapdragon 821, identical to the Mi Mix, with a 2.53 GHz processor and 4 GB RAM with 64 GB of storage.

The MiUi 8 shown in the images is running on Android 6.0, but may shift to Android 7.0 Nougat by the time this phone actually hits the market, if at all. The Mi Mix Nano will feature a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080p Display in a frame of a 5 inch phone, thanks to the large 91% screen to body ratio.

The Mix Mix Nano will reportedly have a 16 MP camera on the rear along with a bottom placed 5 MP front camera. The Mi Mix nano will feature QC 3.0 a piezoelectric earpiece along with a metal alloy body as opposed to the ceramic found in the full size Mix. The Mi Mix was also recently spotted in a white colour.

November 22, 2016
Lenovo Zuk Edge Will Launch with Snapdragon 821 and 6 GB RAM

The Lenovo Zuk brand has been popular for making budget phones to take on the likes of OnePlus and Xiaomi. With recent news of Lenovo marketing all their smartphones with the Moto branding, it appears that Zuk will remain to take on the budget giants.

New leaks from a Chinese certification authority, TENaA show that the Zuk Z2151 aka Zuk Edge will have a 5.5-inch full-HD (1080×1920 pixels) display, while running on the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor clocked at 2.35GHz alongside optional 4GB or 6GB RAM variants.

The Zuk Edge, despite the name, is not going to have an EDGE display like the Samsung S7 Edge. The phone is expected to run Android 6.0 with ZUI 2.0 but that may change by the time the phone is launched.

Storage wise the phone is expected to offer 32 GB and 64 GB, but seeing how OnePlus recently upped the storage to 128 GB in its OnePlus 3T, it is expected that the Zuk Edge might also offer 128 GB with the 6GB RAM variant.

November 18, 2016
Samsung Will Launch A Galaxy S8 Plus with the Galaxy S8 To Make Up for the Note 7

Samsung will launch two Galaxy S8 models according to new rumours in an attempt to make up for the Note 7. The Galaxy S8 Plus will feature a larger 6.2 inch display which will retain the edge design but will also increase the screen to body ratio of the phones quite a lot to somewhere upwards of 85%. The Galaxy S8 will remain a 5.5 inch phone but will also have an edge design.

Reports of Samsung launching the phones early seem to have been dismissed as the launch refresh cycle boots back to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona end February 2017. South Korea’s Electronic Times reported this month that Samsung will be the sole contract manufacturer of Qualcomm Inc’s high-end Snapdragon 830 chips using 10-nanometre production technology, and these processors will be used in half of Samsung’s next Galaxy S smartphones expected to launch in early 2017.

Rumours are also pointing to a fingerprint sensing display and bezel less design which will put the fingerprint scanner behind the glass instead of in a button. Samsung will also add a dual lens camera in the Galaxy S8 Plus much like the iPhone 7 plus offering zoom capability and a depth effect.

Samsung has also designed a new battery process to ensure battery safety and prevent exploding phones. This tech will fist be used in the Galaxy S8 and S8 plus then to be later moved to other devices in their lineup.

November 10, 2016
Lenovo Will Use the “Moto” Branding On All Future Smartphones

To differentiate its hold on the market, Lenovo will now brand all future smartphones with the Moto branding while the PC/Laptop business will continue with the Lenovo branding. Smartphone sales for the company were US $ 2 billion less Year on Year, which has possibly let to the decision.

However the company has seen a 20 % increase on the quarter and claims that 70% of the revenue still remains from its computing business. the future of existing brands under the Lenovo name like “Phab,” “Zuk,” and “Vivo” etc are presently unknown.

Lenovo recently launched thee Moto M in china with a fingerprint sensor at the back, which could possibly be the first rebranded Lenovo product. Chances are that the Moto M will make its appearance in India in the coming weeks.

Lenovo on the other hand launched the Phab 2 Plus in India yesterday, without any news of the change.

November 9, 2016
With the Surface Studio Microsoft just made the Most Creative Desktop Ever

Microsoft may have just launched the most creative Desktop PC ever. For a price of $2999 the 28 inch Desktop comes with what Microsoft is calling a PixelSense display a resolution of 4500 x 3000 (192 PPI), which still does not beat the iMac 5K screen but there is something extra. The screen supports a 10 point multitouch capacitive input and also takes inputs from the surface pen.

You will get an option of 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB RAM and a choice between 6th Generation Intel Core i5 or i7 chips. The hardware comes loaded with Windows 10 Pro and has a tiny desktop footprint. The hinge of the main unit folds down to become more “Surface” like, and graphics get options betweenNVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M 2GB GDDR5 or GTX 965M 2GB GDDR5 or GTX 980M 4GB GDDR5 depending on which combination of hardware you buy. You also get to choose between a 1 TB or a 2 TB Hybrid HDD with Rapid tech. With the Surface Sudio you will get the Surface Pen, Surface Keyboard and Surface Mouse in the box. The surface dial which you will see in the video below is an extra US $ 99.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzMLA8YIgG0

October 27, 2016
Watch the Mi Note 2 Launch Here Live

Xiaomi will launch the Mi Note 2 today and you can watch the stream below. The company has already claimed that the Mi Note 2 has two dual sided curves, much like the S7 Edge. Other features include a 5 inch 2k QHD Super AMOLED display manufactured by LG. The new smartphone will be based on the Snapdragon 821 SoC and will feature an iPhone like 3D touch interface.

Expected pricing of the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 is CNY 2,799 ($415, Rs. 27800) for the base variant and CNY 2,999 ($445, Rs. 30000) for the 6GB + 128GB variant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b2YZl6Pwuo

October 25, 2016
Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Has a Snapdragon 821 and Dual Cameras

Xiaomi has launched really exciting products in 2016 but the company is no where near stopping.

Leaks of the new Mi Note 2 from Xiaomi have the world excited. According to the new images, the Mi Note 2 will have a 5 inch 2k QHD Super AMOLED display manufactured by LG and not by Samsung. The display will also showcase force touch or a 3D touch interface much like the iPhone 6s and 7 according to the image, but it could simply be the under glass fingerprint sensor.

The Mi note 2 will be based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC much like the Google Pixel. Varints will allow users to decide RAM and Storage combos of the device, between 4GB + 64GB and 6GB + 128GB.

There will also be a 4100 mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support over the USB Type-C port. Like previous leaks indicated the phone will also have dual camera modules with one 23MP Sony IMX318 plus the 12MP Sony IMX378. If you are already missing the IRIS scanner from the Note 7 the Mi Note 2 will have that too.

Newer pricing estimates bring the price to CNY 2,799 ($415, Rs. 27800) for the base variant and CNY 2,999 ($445, Rs. 30000) for the 6GB + 128GB variant. The Mi Note 2 will also be the first smartphone to feature an Edge display outside of Samsung’s stable officially.

October 21, 2016
Samsung is Offering Alternatives and Freebies to Note 7 Preorder Customers in India

Samsung India is finally informing the Preorder customers that the Note 7 will not be going on sale in India, and is offering up replacement devices along with freebies to keep its consumers happy. If you did order a Note 7 in India, you will get a pick of either a Galaxy S7, or S7 Edge device, along with a free VR Headset, wireless earphones and gift card of Rs 3300.

This will only happen if you decide not to get a full refund on the Note 7, which by the way is also an option.

Please visit the retailer or online portal from where you had pre-booked your Galaxy Note7 to avail the above offer. In case you do not wish to avail the offer, you can get full refund of the pre-booking amount from your retailer or online portal.

Samsung claims that on purchase of Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge, you will get the following benefits:

· Samsung will ship the new Samsung Gear VR to you absolutely free

· Samsung will also ship a Samsung Level U – Stereo Wireless Headset absolutely free

· Samsung would be gifting you an Oculus VR content voucher worth INR 3,300 approx. ($50)

All S7 and S7 Edge buyers who avail this offer will also get One Time Screen Replacement for a period of 12 months from date of activation of their devices. If you were looking for an alternative to the Note 7 Samsung may have just made the deal sweet enough for most buyers to bite. However, it will still take time to repair the bad karma around the Note 7 and it’s explosive batteries.

October 15, 2016
Samsung Will Dispose The Note 7 Not Refurbish Them

Samsung has confirmed that they will be putting the Note 7 to rest the old fashioned way. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 units will be completely disposed off, as it seems Samsung wants no reminder of its failings. Samsung has already adjusted its quarterly estimates to account for $2 billion in losses.

The reality is that, short of Apple’s new recycling initiatives, smartphones are not really recycled. They end up in landfills causing huge environmental damage. Samsung has in all manufactured over 2 million Note 7s, and inefficient manufacturing along with no plans of smartphone recycling make the difficult-to-mine rare earth elements, like gold, silver, copper, platinum and aluminium among other components irrecoverable.

Now those with interest in mining phones should start hunting up dumping grounds where Samsung will lay the Note 7 to rest, however, it it is anything like Atari’s story, they might just show up in the future.

October 13, 2016
Samsung Kills Note 7 Production After Replacement Units Catch Fire

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 has turned in the Achilles’ heel for the South Korean electronics giant, leading to irreparable damage to the company’s reputation.

The new smartphone which was touted by many as being the best Android Smartphone of the year initially started to catch fire while charging. The company then issued a global recall of the smartphone, which in itself was poorly executed, while reports of more Samsung phones, including the Galaxy S7 Edge, Core Prime and some other previous models of Galaxy Note catching fire and exploding emerged.

The flagship of the year may officially be dead Click to Share

Earlier Airline authorities FAA and even the DGCA in India had banned the Note 7 to the extent that the phone had to be kept off during the flight, while replacement units, ones with the green battery icon could be used.

However, a replacement unit of the Galaxy Note 7 with a green icon, exploded aboard a US flight last week. This makes even the replacement Note 7 units unsafe.

Samsung, while temporarily, has killed the production of its Note 7 handset, and may dispose 2.5 Million Recalled phones along with 1 million replacement units it had manufactured. While the company is still struggling to recall the 2.5 million phones that are already out in the world, Samsung officials shrugged off reports of overheated batteries, calling the incidents “isolated cases” related to issues of mass.

The Galaxy Note 7 replacement process has also been stopped, meaning, you no longer can replace your affected Galaxy Note 7 phone with a new replacement Galaxy Note 7 with a green charging indicator.

Many Galaxy Note 7 handsets sold via non official channels remain in countries like India, where a process to recall them has not ben instated, making the handsets a risk to several consumers who continue to use the phones.

October 10, 2016
Your Samsung Washing Machine May Explode Too Warn US Feds

What appears to be an excellent street of horrible luck for the South Korean tech giant, Samsung, the latest news paints a poor picture for the home appliances division .

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a warning that models of Samsung top-loading washing machines have safety issues.

This comes after several disgruntled Samsung Washing machine owners who suffered the “explosion” in their homes, in some cases with parts flying all across the living room, in other ripping the wall of their garage. According to the suit filed by the complainants, Some washing machines, vibrate violently under heavy loads, causing the tub to “become unfastened, resulting in a dramatic centrifugal explosion that destroys the machine and nearby property.”

Three independent women from Texas, Indiana and Georgia have filed the suit, and claim that Samsung has been aware of the problem for many years and has done little or nothing to warn the consumers.

According to the warning by the CPSC people use only the delicate cycle to wash bedding and water-resistant and bulky items because the lower spin speed “lessens the risk of impact injuries or property damage due to the washing machine becoming dislodged.”

An investigation revealed that 21 people have reported to the CPSC that their machine exploded or blew apart since last year, according to ABC News. Samsung and the CPSC are advising consumers to use the delicate cycle only when washing bedding and bulky items.

Samsung’s website offers the following statement:

In rare cases, affected units may experience abnormal vibrations that could pose a risk of personal injury or property damage when washing bedding, bulky or water-resistant items

And also goes on to say, that its consumers of the washing machine “have completed hundreds of millions of loads without incident since 2011.”

This incident comes right after the Note 7 explosion fiasco faced by the company, which has reduced not only the market value of the company but the public morale towards the brand as well.

September 29, 2016
Sony Xperia XZ Launched in India For Rs. 49990

Sony has launched their flagship Xperia XZ in India for a price of Rs. 49,990. The phone was globally launched at IFA in Berlin last month and will go on sale in India on 10th of October.

The Sony Xperia XZ is designed using a new metal finish called Alkaleido, This material is extremely smooth and premium to touch, and even more easier to wipe clean. The Sony Xperia XZ is also IP65/68 certified which means that you can get back in the pool.

The XZ comes after the XA which was launched earlier this year with somewhat mediocre specs, however the Xperia XZ changes that with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset, 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of Storage. The Sony handset does get Dual SIM capability using a hybrid sim slot which will accept a 256GB microSD.

The hero for Sony however in the Sony Xperia XZ is the new 23 MP Exmor RS sensor which has three focus modes, including on sensor, Laser autofocus and RGB-IC focus. The camera also shoots 4k Video and slo-mo video.

September 29, 2016
Pixel and Pixel XL Leaked by Case Makers

Ahead of the 4th Oct official release for Google Pixel and Pixel XL set to replace the Nexus brand, Case makers are outing accessories for the phones, and renders show us an up-close look at the two phones. The phones which are very identical to the HTC One or iPhone in terms of design language will be available in two sizes. According to leaks the phones will also have a dual material design ; a unibody Aluminium shell with a glass half insert.

Large fingerprint scanners sit in the back of the phones along with a G from the Google Logo. Specs wise both phones are expected to have Snapdragon 820 chipsets, 4 GB of RAM and 12 MP main + 8 MP front cameras. The Pixel XL will offer up a large screen 5.5 inch display with QHD resolution (whereas the Pixel will show up in a 5 inch 1920 x 1080 px size ) and a large battery according to reports. The mindset that Nexus phones are cheap, will also be removed as the Google Pixel phones will not be cheap, but will offer a clean Android experience. The phones are expected to start at a $649 price tag and come in 32 GB and 128 GB storage options.

The Pixel phones were earlier also spotted in the Nest Outdoor camera commercial in the Netherlands.

September 24, 2016
100,000 Moto E3 Power Sold on Day 1

In what is claimed to be the largest ever sale, Flipkart sold over 100,000 Moto E3 power handsets. Lenovo launched the Moto E3 Power with a large 3500 mAh battery for Rs. 7999 earlier this week.

The Moto E3 Power is a revision to the Moto E Gen 2 which was a highly successful device from the company. The Moto E3 is just Rs. 1000 cheaper than the Moto G4 Play launched last week.

In case you are wondering which phone will be better for you, check our comparison below.

September 21, 2016