Samsung is all set to reveal whatever little is left to the secrecy of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S9. The successor to the highly successful Galaxy S8 will be launched later this month. According to reports the price of the Samsung Galaxy S9 will be £789 in the UK, which is a cool £100 more than the price of the Samsung Galaxy S8 when it launched in 2017.
A higher price tag could mean a few things; Samsung has some really interesting and unique technology in the next flagship. Perhaps more understandably Samsung is trying to reach in Apple’s price segment to get a share of the premium customers.
Renders
A direct conversion of that price would land the smartphone in India at price starting Rs. 72000. At a price of roughly US$ 1100 Samsung will directly compete with the Apple iPhone X in the US. However, if the past data is to be regarded, Samsung will sell the Galaxy S9 at lower prices in other countries.
Samsung Galaxy S9 Price in India
In India we expect the S9 to sell for Rs. 69,000. Considering Samsung’s Make in India initiatives to allow for some tax and pricing benefits. Despite a lower price, the net amount which in countries like India must be paid outright remains out of reach for many.
Samsung will sell fewer units of the smartphone due to this high price, but will still remain profitable as the margins will remain good for the company.
After the Global Launch, Samsung will almost immediately launch the Galaxy S9 in India, You may also expect some offers at launch, including an inclusion of a free wireless charger and Samsung’s new VR headset.
Aadhar, the unique identification number allotted and maintained by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) was started in 2009 and is the largest database of privacy information including biometrics that include fingerprints, and iris scans of billions of Indians. The database also includes pictures, addresses and private information of all the individuals registered on the database.
It is estimated that over 1.2 Billion people have already resisted for the Aadhar number, however, it has not been without problems. Initially there was political push back for the Unique ID system which was intended to allow Indian residents easy access to social programs for healthcare, education, and general welfare. However the program received a major push under Prime Minister Narender Modi and BJP’s political reign in the Center since 2014.
130 Million records of the Aadhar number were reportedly breached in Q1 of 2017, while UIDAI had claimed that they had rectified the breach, the data of this leak was already out on the Internet, available as access records for the millions of accounts.
A journalist at the Tribune Newspaper, claims to have bought access to a User Name and Password that allowed him unrestricted access to details for any of the more than 1 billion Aadhaar numbers created in India thus far. More importantly, this was provided in less than 10 minutes over a WhatsApp chat, after a PayTM transfer of a mere Rs. 500.
Lo and behold, you could enter any Aadhaar number in the portal, and instantly get all particulars that an individual may have submitted to the UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India), including name, address, postal code (PIN), photo, phone number and email.
Interestingly the Tribune team claims to have paid another Rs 300, for which this remote agent provided “software” that could facilitate the printing of the Aadhaar card after entering the Aadhaar number of any individual.
Claiming more damage, the Tribune , which started investigation into this matter reveals that the racket has been ongoing for over six months and over 1 lakh illegal users have had access to this database for a lowly price of a mere Rs. 500 / US $ 8 (approx). The WhatsApp groups gained access to the records thanks to being able to tap into over 3 lakh village-level enterprise (VLE) operators hired by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, who were willing to part with their access for a small payout.
Even though, the VLE were rendered Idle in November of 2016 while their jobs were removed, they continued to have access to the large databases available on their access systems. The Tribune further claims that the hackers seemed to have gained access to the website of the Government of Rajasthan, as the “software” provided access to “aadhaar.rajasthan.gov.in”, through which one could access and print Aadhaar cards of any Indian citizen.
With the Government, Banks and Telecom Providers harassing individuals to link their Aadhar numbers with their accounts and services, the breach of privacy is unprecedented. The case against the invasion and lack of security around the right to privacy of Indians is already pending in the Supreme Court of India with a hearing expected in Feb 2018.
Here is the Full Chat between the journalist and agent below.
12:30 pm: This correspondent posing as ‘Anamika’ contacted a person on WhatsApp number 7610063464, who introduced himself as ‘Anil Kumar’. He was asked to create an access portal.
12:32pm: Kumar asked for a name, email ID and mobile number, and also asked for Rs 500 to be credited in his Paytm No. 7610063464.
12:35 pm: This correspondent created an email ID, [email protected], and sent mobile number ******5852 to the anonymous agent.
12:48 pm: Rs 500 transferred through Paytm.
12:49 pm: This correspondent received an email saying, “You have been enrolled as Enrolment Agency Administrator for ‘CSC SPV’. Your Enrolment Agency Administrator ID is ‘Anamika_6677’.” Also, it was said that a password would be sent in a separate mail, which followed shortly.
12:50 pm: This correspondent had access to the Aadhaar details of every Indian citizen registered with the UIDAI.
The UIDAI has responded to The Tribune’s story by claiming it to be “misreporting” and baseless, however, the publication has responded with concrete facts on the matter which can be read here.
After the launch of the iPhone X several manufacturers have shown off their phones via leaks, including one smartphone from Oppo which could very well also be the next OnePlus flagship the OnePlus 6. However, with FaceID being a feature made up of confusion and doubt this manufacturer has made the perfect iPhone X clone, complete with Notch and all. The phone also offers up the added advantage of the in-screen fingerprint sensor, a technology that was widely expected in the iPhone X, but never made it to the phone in time. The next iteration of the iPhone may see this technology, however, that has not stopped manufacturers in China from beating Apple to the market.
The Leagoo S9 pro as the device is named also uses the name of the upcoming Samsung flagship. The phone is rumoured to have a Helio P40 chipset complete with 8 GB of RAM and 64 GB of on board storage. The screen designed like the display on the iPhone X is of a 6.21 inch size in a form factor smaller than the Samsung Galaxy S8+ while still using an AMOLED display manufactured by Samsung themselves.
The Leagoo S9 pro is also rumoured to sport a 5000 mAh battery, however, that seems highly unlikely.
OnePlus is finally seeding the OxygenOS Beta 3 to OnePlus 5 owners who will be able to enjoy the face unlock feature that the OnePlus 5T features. A lot of OnePlus 5 owners were upset about the software based FaceUnlock being featured only on the OnePlus 5T and the company, as promised, has brought down the feature to the OnePlus 5 as well.
The FaceUnlock on the OnePlus 5T and now the OnePlus 5 allows users to unlock their phone as soon as they click the power button. While this feature is quick and reliable, it does not work at all in low light environments and it is not as secure as the dot encrypted hardware based FaceID unlock of the iPhone X.
The new update also contains several bug-fixes and improvements on 5G WiFi connectivity issues. and is available here.
For those not registered or interested in testing out the beta OS, the final version is expected to be pushed via an OTA update to owners of the OnePlus 5 smartphone, in the next two to three weeks.
Apple has long been rumoured to be be working on a TV subscription streaming service to be integrated into their “TV” app on iOS devices and on the Apple TV. With Netflix already at the top of the list of subscription-based streaming services. Apple may likely be setting its eyes on the acquisition of Netflix. An analyst claims that there is a 40% likelihood that Apple will acquire Netflix now that US President Trump’s corporate tax cut has been passed.
The cut in corporate taxes, along with a one-time allowance for companies to repatriate cash stored overseas without a major tax hit, will give Apple a much larger cash surplus to buy new companies. Apple has over $ 250 Billion in available cash, which is stored in tax havens outside of the US, which the company will now be able to bring back to the US thanks to the new tax cuts.
Apple’s list of potential acquisitions contains a few companies, but Netflix tops this list according to the Analysts. This list includes companies like Activision, Electronic-Arts, Take-two, Hulu, Disney and even Tesla. However this was written before Disney’s acquisition of Fox’s studio and TV assets.
Apple will need to pay only 10% to bring this cash back to America, and Netflix acquisition could cost the company as much at US $ 75 Billion . Still leaving the company strong with 2/3rds of their existing cash and with this number increasing at the rat of US $ 50 Billion each year, Apple could be eyeing other potential investments.
This move will also allow Apple to establish a stronghold in the streaming space the company has been eyeing for several years. With Apple Music service already a huge success, a movie/tv series streaming service will only add to Apple’s revenue.
Apple made the Lisa computer before the Mac was ever conceived, and it was a huge deal for apple, as it contained the original graphical user interface which has today become the foundation for operating systems including those on smartphones. People who were keen to test this out, had to source a working Lisa computer and then extract the software and run it on an emulator.
However, in 2018, things are about to get easier and free. The Computer History Museum will publish the source code of the Lisa computer for free in 2018, Apple has already given its nod for the release and is assisting and verifying the Lisa code for the museum.
The Lisa computer ran the Motorola 68000 processor which was the bran behind the processing powers of the operating system. While the computer itself was named after Steve Jobs’ eldest daughter, it was extremely expensive for the time it cost almost US$10,000 at the time and eventually ended up being a bust.
The OS remains an integral piece of computing history and the first mouse based user interface to be available on a personal computer. It was also the reason behind the big fight between Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, as Steve believed that Microsoft had stolen the lisa OS code for use in MS windows.
Apple has had massive success with its budget iPhone SE, especially in markets like India. The iPhone Se is one of the strongest selling phones, and with massive discounts on online sites like Amazon and Flipkart, the iPhone SE continues to be a good seller. However, Apple has plans the retire the raging iPhone SE and replace it with an aptly named iPhone SE 2. The launch of this new iPhone will also kick off Apple’s India manufacturing at Wistron at full swing. The iPhone SE 2 is rumoured to be completely assembled in India to be supplied to the other parts of the world as well.
Specs wise Apple is said to remove some of the highlight features of the iPhone 8 and iPhone X. Do not expect the iPhone SE 2 to feature wireless charging, an OLED display, Face ID or even an edge to edge display. However, Apple is expected to use a better resolution display than that on the iPhone SE, along with the A10 Fusion processor, and a bigger 1,700 mAh battery. Apple is also expected to improve capacities to 64 GB and 128 GB variants along with the ability to capture 4K at upto 60fps on the new HEVC formats. Apple is also expected to use 2GB RAM and enable fast charging on the iPhone SE 2, features which are relatively cheap to include and are well appreciated by buyers
The Wistron plant in Bengaluru, which was established early this year, has been producing iPhone SEs for India. But production for the iPhone SE 2 is expected to be ramped up as Apple may supple other regions with the India made units.
Price wise Apple is expected to keep in the Rs. 30,000 (US$ 400-500) region for an iPhone SE 2 outright. The iPhone SE may see a Feb-Mar 2018 launch with availability at the same time. Apple is also expected to launch Product RED versions of the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and the iPhone X early 2018.
The Motorola Moto X4 comes to India for a price of Rs 20999 for the 3GB RAM variant and Rs 22999 for the 4GB RAM variant , after an unexpectedly long wait. Is the new Moto X series phone the right sequel to the popular Moto X Play and Moto X Style?
[section label=”Build Quality and Design”]
Build Quality and Design
The design of the Moto X4 is pretty impressive, with a glass front and 3D curved glass back, the phone has a rigid aluminium frame and is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 with Native Damage Resistance. The Moto X4 is also IP68 water resistant, making it a really interesting proposition in the present price bracket.
The matte-finish frame feels excellent in the hand and the curved back fits comfortably in your palm. The cameras are placed in the notorious Moto round camera bump, however is well protected by a metal lip around the glass. The phone is offered up in two colors the Super Black and the Sterling Blue, both are interesting shades of their respective base colors and make the device look premium. Motorola has also placed all markings on the bottom of the phone next to the USB – C connector, making the device look clean.
The displays do have a top and lower bezel, but they are put to use with the large forward fitting speaker and front flash, along with the Fingerprint sensor which sits below the screen.
[section label=”Unboxing Video “]
Watch our unboxing video here-
[section label=”Hardware”]
Hardware
The Moto X4 has a 5.2 inch screen and while Motorola has used OLED displays in their phones frequently, the Moto X4 continues to use a 1920 x 1080 px LTPS IPS LCD display. Inside the Moto X4 has the Snapdragon 630 chipset with the Adreno 508 GPU. The 2.2 GHz oct core chipset manages to deliver impressive daily performance. Options of 3 / 4 GB of RAM and 32/ 64 GB of Storage (respectively) along with a 3000 mAh battery with Moto TurboPower charging.
The chipset does have FM radio capabilities and DUAL SIM support along with VoLTE for Indian networks.
The forward firing speaker is loud and clear, we would have liked the dual stereo speakers Moto has used in the past, but this single one works well. The dimply is vibrant and bright with excellent color accuracy and viewing angles. The display is easily readable indoors and out and offers a 10 point multi touch just as most smartphones nowadays.
Consumption of content will be a plenty with the loud speaker and good looking display the responsiveness of the device also enhances the multimedia experience. A few customisations for the display are available, a color mode and adaptive brightness come standard. Also standard is a display size modifier to allow for larger or smaller fits and icons.
The sound output from the 3.5mm jack and the included earphones are impressive, adding a pair of high quality headphones will also offer better results.
[section label=”Performance and Gaming”]
Performance and Gaming
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 chipset ( mid-high range chipset) works well on the Moto X4, paired up with the 4 GB RAM variant that we tested the phone offers impressive perforce for gaming and day to day usage. Multi tasking and peak task management along with RAM management is good with the stock Android and despite using the phone for over 4 weeks we found no slow down from the UI.
Games run well, including graphic intensive games manage to run at full graphics with impressive frame rates and no lag from the gaming experience. The forward firing speaker also helps the gaming experience, and whether you play arcade or intense games, the experience is pretty satisfactory.
[section label=”Android and Moto Experience”]
Android and Moto Experience
The Moto X4 runs a pure Android 7.1 ROM, with minor customisations from MOTO and a custom Camera APP. The user experience is lag free and pretty much as good as a pixel device. The Moto app has some interesting additions including the Moto Key which almost ever user for Moto X4 will learn to love. Much like Touch ID and Face ID the Moto Key on the Moto X4 will allow users to store passwords and sensitive information on the secure part of the Snapdragon 630 chip encrypted with the users fingerprints. This also will allow access into a windows computer, acting as a portable fingerprint reader for your laptop or desktop. The app available to download for Windows allows several more customisations.
The single button navigation also opens up more display real-estate and its gesture based experience is truly something that one can get used to .
The Moto X4 will be updated to Android Oreo soon claims the company, this will also enable Bluetooth 5.0 which is an OS dependant update, and the phone presently offers Bluetooth 4.1. But you do get the muti speaker connectivity because Bluetooth 5.0 hardware exists in the device, You can pair upto 4 different bluetooth speakers sync them up and have your own little party.
[section label=”Cameras”]
Cameras
The Moto X4 is made up of dual cameras at the rear, with one 12 MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture and Dual Pixel AF while the other an 8 MP wide lens camera with an f/2.2 aperture.A huge improvement in the dual camera experience of the Moto X4 from previous Moto devices. With one Wide sensor the camera is able to do a lot more in the same space.
Wide Angle
Normal Shot
Wide Angle
Normal Shot
The HDR on the camera is really impressive offering up good levels of contrast on both the highs and mids. The dynamic range is pretty flexible and can be left in automatic for some interesting image results from the camera.
HDR On
HDR Off
The depth mode is a lot more accurate and fine tuned as well. Selecting out elements from the depth shot and editing them on the in built app allows for background replacement/blur or monochrome effects which can reproduce a lifelike shot.
Spot Colour (Red)
Normal Shot
Video capture from the phone with a resolution of 4k at 30 fps is good as well, we do miss stabilisation on the video capture which makes video caught by shaky hands, well “shaky!”
Both in video and images you get precise color saturation and sharp images, also assisted with the dual AF offered by the 12 MP primary camera. Additionally the manual mode assists in delivering more precise controls for the Photo Nerds in us.
[section label=”Phone and Battery”]
Phone and Battery
With support for all Indian networks on the 660 chipsets modem, and a robust Antenna on the Moto X4 call performance was top notch, with no call drops in weak network areas. The use of a three mic setup improves noise cancellation on the other end of the call and the earpiece is nice and loud. It is worth noting that the included headset also works with the noise cancellation microphones, and the earphones offer a full and impressive sound stage for music and voice calls.
Battery life will range from 4 hours of screen on time to 11 hours of screen on time depending on what your usage patterns look like. On an average the phone lasts a full day and then some, but in scenarios where you may need extra battery the TurboPower charger can juice you up for a good 5-7 hours of usage in about 15 minutes.
[section label=”Conclusion”]
Conclusion
Despite pretty big top and bottom bezels, the Motorola Moto X4 has a premium design and robust build quality a rigid frame and most importantly is the only phone in this price range with IP68 water proofing. The dual cameras are a lot more refined and offer up some interesting picture and video capabilities. Call quality and battery life on the Moto X4 delivers its due and the phone offers up a full experience. The phone is also kept in an interesting price bracket which leaves a good wiggle room for other brands whose flagship chipset based phones are 5-8 thousand in the north.
For the price and for IP68 alone the Moto X4 may just be the right phone in this price bracket, and with a lack of serious competition in this price range, Motorola may just reap the benefits of their pricing strategy. We would have liked to see a larger battery, an OLED display and stereo speakers. But the current arrangement is good at the price and we don’t really have that much to complain about.
In the market for a phone for Around Rs. 20000? give serious thought to the Moto X4.
The iPhone has been one of my two primary devices for many years. When Apple announced the iPhone X back in September the biggest concern as a potential iPhone X user was the lack of the two main things that had been engraved in my muscle memory; the home button and the Touch ID.
The iPhone X has a new modern edge to edge design, and with this the iPhone X also loses the home button, the most iconic iPhone feature since the launch of the first iPhone. Using an iPhone required a lot of interaction with the home button and Touch-ID sensor which was also placed in the home button since the iPhone 5s. And it was this high usage of the sensor and button , that made Apple change the fragile physical button with a press mechanism with a more long lasting pressure sensitive sensor with no physical movement. This potentially means that the home button on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 will last you as long as the phone is functional.
The Touch ID is also engraved into muscle memory, on an iPhone the Touch ID does a lot more than simply allow access to the phone, it allows access and security to auto-fill forms, logins for apps and passwords for the iCloud Keychain. TouchID is also fused with banking apps and security wallets to enable access. Apple Pay is one of the most common use case scenarios where the Touch ID is used frequently and it is pretty seamless as a payments system.
Being a fan of physical and tactile keys, I was already disappointed that Apple had removed the physical button with a seamless pressure sensitive glass on the iPhone 7. But, since Apple had added a Taptic Engine inside the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 the feeling of pressing button does remain for each time you press the home button, at least when the phones are powered on.
With the iPhone X, I was pretty sure that getting used to an iPhone without Touch ID and more importantly without a home button would be rather disastrous, and time consuming. But, I couldn’t have been more wrong. The iPhone X has a natural feeling design, and even though that tiny bar at the bottom may appear to have no significance apart from being a design/visual cue, it seems to do a lot more. Only a few minutes into the usage of the iPhone X and the need of the home button seems to fade away. It also helps that apple has made the animations and the transitions very detailed and smooth. iOS 11 for the iPhone X is also designed to fully make use of the large screen real estate using the edges in different areas differently. In Apple’s words “It just works”.
Face ID on the other hand is something you will take some time with. The fact that you have to look at your phone before you unlock it means, that reaching the home screen from the lock-screen seems to take longer. Normally due to muscle memory you would place your thumb on the iPhone’s Touch ID before you even looked at the display, and would have found your phone already at the home screen by the time you glanced at the screen. This prior action would make the unlock process feel faster than the time it takes for Face ID to unlock, simply because now you have to stare at the phone while it unlocks.
Face ID is also surprisingly good, works in pitch darkness and even in bright light, in sunlight the phone does see IR interference from the sunlight and thus would require you to bring the phone closer to the face, but it works. It however is not ideal, not after how simple it was to unlock with Touch ID.
The home button, however, is something that I have happily forgotten, and only realised this when I picked up my iPhone 8 Plus and attempted to swipe up to reach the home screen. This just after spending 24 hours with the iPhone X .
Apple announced the tenth anniversary iPhone X along with the iPhone 8and iPhone 8 Plus at a launch event on the 12th of September. As good as the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are, they just could not capture the imagination of the consumers like the iPhone X did. Billed as the true successor to the original iPhone launched in 2007, the iPhone X is the first major departure from the signature iPhone design we’ve become accustomed to seeing over the years. It is the first iPhone to lose the home button since the iPhone was first ever launched. It has a near bezel-less design and what is poised to be an iconic “notch” on top that houses the true depth FaceID cameras and all the necessary sensors. The iPhone x is available in two sizes 64 GB and 256 GB
Inside the box:
iPhone X
Documentation
Earpods
Sim ejector tool
Lightning to 3.5mm jack converter
Wall charger
First impressions
The iPhone X has a 5.8-inch 2436 x 1125 px OLED True Tone Super Retina display. The phone runs iOS 11.1 and is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery which charges through the Apple signature lightning port placed at the bottom of the phone or via wireless charging. Because of the all-glass design, the iPhone 8 also has wireless charging. Under the hood, the smartphone has the Apple A11 Bionic chipset with a neural engine, a hexacore processor, 3GB of RAM and storage options of 64GB, and 256GB. The small bezels mean there is no physical home button, which is now replaced with gestures for navigation. Siri is activated by pressing the now larger lock/unlock button. The iPhone X is also IP67 certified for water and dust resistance, and wireless charging.
The iPhone X has dual 12-megapixel rear cameras, and it’s equipped with dual optical image stabilization. The sensors are both larger and faster, according to Apple, and the main camera is equipped with a wide angle lens and has an f/1.8 aperture while the secondary telephoto lens has an f/2.4 aperture. In between the two cameras is a quad-LED True Tone flash. Both the front and back cameras have the portrait mode. The rear cameras have the portrait lighting feature, just like the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.
Lenovo K8 series owners will be happy to hear that Lenovo has officially announce update plans for the devices to receive Android 8.0 Oreo update. The excitement ends there as the timeline for these updates is a long time away.
The timeline has been announced by Lenovo, and the K8 series is expected to get the update June-July 2018 during which time Google should be announcing Android 9.0.
The K8 will be the first of the series to get Android Oreo according to the company’s post, which will roll out in June of 2018, while the K8 Note and K8 Plus are slated for an update in July of 2018.
The Lenovo K8 Note was launched in August for a price of Rs. 13999 while the K8 and K8 plus saw subsequent launches. The K8 Plus remains a flipkart exclusive while the other two handsets are on sale on Amazon.in
While most companies are pushing updates in a timely manner, and Xiaomi has set an end of the year timeline for their Mi A1 and Mi Mix 2, The company is yet to roll out any updates to the Mi Mix original which is still on MiUI 8.
The Update will be available as an OTA update to devices and will be rolled out across eligible Lenovo K8 / plus/ note devices at the same time.
What many will take as a safety solution, a location sharing feature that will share your location live with anyone you enable this feature with, hits the worlds most popular messaging application, WhatApp. With this new capability users can share their live location via a message help their friends/loved ones track them live.
Since all communicating between two parties is encrypted, WhatsApp claims this private location sharing will remain secure and encrypted for the privacy protection of the users.
The feature will go live across platforms whether iOS or Android and users will be able to initiate it though the location shirring menu in their apps. Whats even more interesting is that, if in a group chat, several members share their location, it will be seen in a common map.
How to Activate Live Location:
As an incremental update the feature will automatically show up within your app if your hardware ( smartphone) supports this feature.
How to Share Live Location:
Open a chat with the person or group you want to share with.
Under “Location” in the attach button, there’s a new option to “Share Live Location.”
Choose for how long you want to share and tap send
Each person in the chat will be able to see your real-time location on a map
And if more than one person shares their Live Location in the group, all locations will be visible on the same map.
Once done you can stop sharing the location by tapping the “Stop Sharing” button
Live Location is available on both Android and iPhone and will be rolling out in the app in the coming weeks.
A recently leaked series of images and video that show glances of what was supposedly the “Ultra Pixel”, claiming that there will be in fact three pixel devices, the Pixel , the Pixel XL and the Ultra Pixel to compete with the iPhone 8 , the iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X.
However, the leak has now been put to rest from the designer who designed the concept and made the render video. Youtuber BRECCIA who was the “leaker” of the “Ultra Pixel” has just put out a video on how the world believed his concept, and was also proud that big international Youtubers were considering his designs to be real.
Prolific leakers @evleaks and @Onleaks had denied the possibility of the “Ultra Pixel” and at the end of it all, this ended up being a big troll in the face of today’s online journalism which has become more mainstream than most would expect.
Also, ” Ultrapixel” is an HTC trademark, and even though Google has an Ongoing deal with HTC, that won’t be finalized for many months, and Google will not be able to use HTC’s trademark.
Re: “Ultrapixel”
“Does not exist. Only the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL…on Oct 4.”
Not often do you get devices that give you simple joy of portability. While on one end of the spectrum Smartphones are getting bigger, the need for sleeker and more portable laptops is one that only ultra-light notebooks like the MacBook Air, HP Envy and Lenovo Yoga have been able to solve.
This new entrant in the space tackles the problem in a different respect all together, The GPD Pocket is one laptop that has received 3.5 million dollars in funding on Indiegogo and it hasn’t stopped there. The laptop is available for a price that is just shy of US $ 500 or approximately Rs. 31000 but offers a full Windows 10 experience.
Build Quality and Design
With no marks or logos on the actual hardware the GPD pocket’s sleek unibody magnesium design makes it good to look at. the boxier than your usual ultra light, and that is because it is not ultra or light. At almost 20mm thick and weighing it at 500 gm the GPD pocket will most likely not fit in your pocket.
The build is robust and extremely satisfying, unibody design, a strong hinge and copper radiator cooled internals.
The Samsung Galaxy Note8 has already received record-breaking pre-orders in the United States and South Korea. In India, Samsung’s new flagship device, the Galaxy Note8 will launch on September 12th and according to the company over 250,000 people have already registered on Samsung India’s official website.
Samsung India’s website accepts registration by collecting contact information. This registration does not require any financial transaction and is different from a pre-order. In comparison the Galaxy S8 and S8+ had received 150,000 Pre-orders (not registrations) when they were launched in India earlier this year. How many of the 2.5 lac people, already registered with Samsung,will buy the phone is yet unknown. The Galaxy Note8 is the first note series smartphone to sell in India in always two years, since the launch of the Note5. While Samsung had taken registration for the Note7 last year, the company never launched the phone in India due to its global recall. The high number of Note8 registrations is also said to be due to the large number of Note loyalist waiting to upgrade from their dated Note5 devices. Samsung will bundle the first few orders of the Galaxy Note8 with its DeX dock and data offers to excite the customer, and also to introduce them to the new DeX dock which is an upgraded version of the DeX dock launched with the Galaxy S8 and S8+. The Note8 also features the Bixby assistant, with a dedicated button like the Galaxy S8 and S8+, however, Bixby voice is not available in India yet.
Samsung’s Note lineup has always been unique, and is presently the only smartphone which sells with a stylus as a bundle. The Pen was designed and utilised in the Note series by the South Korean manufacturer because the company wanted to make and sell a phone to the business buyer. However, after several launches of the Note series of phones, the consumer audience has accepted and appreciated the Note phones as a flagship, due to the design and materials used in the phone along with some of the features it offers.
The Note8 just like every Note phone before it includes a S Pen. But, the S pen is not an ordinary stylus and has a lot of features that make it unique. Smart Select, which allows you to easily select, clip and copy the content that you like. A new addition to the Note8 is the ability to send .gif messages drawn using the S Pen, which will playback to the recipient in the way you draw them, much like those seen on iMessage. The Screen Off Memo, allows users to quickly jot down important notes and details, when the phone is locked with the screen off, this is activated automatically when the pen is removed from the Note8. The S Pen is closely linked to the Note8, so the phone will remind you to pick if your S Pen if you leave it behind. The Note8 also activates a S Pen specific menu each time you pull the Pen from the device. These features mixed with the iP68 certification of both the S-pen and Note8 can draw the consumers toward shelling out the extra money Samsung is asking for the Note8.
Samsung has a lot riding on the Galaxy Note8, especially considering the bad press the company got from the Note7 last year. The new note has a 12MP dual-camera setup, one of which has a wide lens and the other a telephoto. The telephoto lens allows a user to zoom in loss-lessly for an upto 2x magnification. The use of dual camera allows for the ability to blur out the background for professional looking bokeh effect shots, something that seems to be common in smartphones in 2017. This is much like effects seen on past dual camera phones all the way from the iPhone 7 Plus to the new Mi Ai with devices from companies like Huawei and OnePlus offing similar functionality. The Samsung Galaxy Note8 also records 4K videos at 30 FPS along with high speed video at a lower resolution. The front camera has an 8MP sensor with an f/1.7 aperture and also records 4K UHD videos at 30 FPS.
The Note8 is expected to launch in India in only one of the three storage variants available globally, the phone will subsequently go on sale after the September 12th launch. With a high expected launch price (Rs. 74999) and not a lot of unique differences in the new Samsung Galaxy Note 8, buyers may opt for the Samsung Galaxy S8+ with identical features (sans S Pen) and a much lower price of Rs. 65,999.
