Author: Mukund Krishna Kumar

Xiaomi Launches Mi Pay Mobile Payment Service In India

With online payments and mobile wallets becoming the most favoured and popular method of payments in recent years, more and more companies are stepping into this arena. With Paytm, Google Pay and PhonePay already ruling the Indian market, a new player was nowhere in sight. However, in a surprising move, smartphone giant Xiaomi has now launched their mobile payment service. It is called Mi Pay and the beta testing for the same is now going live.

Mi Pay

The Mi Pay service is a platform that is supported by ICICI Bank and PayU in India. With the service you can make payments using UPI, debit cards, credit cards and internet banking. It also allows you to pay bills or do mobile and DTH recharges. It also includes phone bills, electricity bills and water bills. The service has been cleared by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for large group usage.

The beta testing will soon be available for MIUI users, according to Xiaomi. You can sign up for the beta testing for the same here. The company also announced that the service will support all leading credit and debit cards at the time of the launch.

Additionally, Xiaomi highlights the advantages that Mi Pay has over other payment services. They say that the best feature is the deep integration with MIUI. This makes transferring amounts to contacts and vendors very easily. Mi Pay will also be integrated with Contacts, SMS, Scanner as well as App Vault in MIUI. According to the company, al user-generated data will be kept in a highly encrypted format ‘within the India- based cloud infrastructure’. The company has also provided an extensive guide to using the service.

Also Read : Complete Motorola G7 Series Renders Leak Online

Xiaomi’s Expansion

With this, Xiaomi has stepped out from your homes and into your bank account. Over the years, it has taken gradual steps to ensure that it is not just a smartphone brand but a lifestyle choice foe consumers. Xiaomi now provides everything from toothbrushes to air purifiers, to t-shirts. In fact, there are more than 200 Xiaomi products which are not available in India right now, which can expand the company’s reach. What the future holds for a company like Xiaomi and where it will be in the next couple of years is sure something to watch out for.

December 21, 2018
Apple Accepts Some iPad Pros Ship Slightly Bent, Calls It ‘Normal’

The iPad Pro 2018 was introduced last month. The new iPad carries a brand new design language and a killer performance, which is worthy to even replace a laptop, in some cases. The new design features slim bezels on all sides and the lack of a home button. The rectangular build sure does look great, but ran it to some problems soon after its release. Users started complaining that the new iPad Pro can be easily bent, thus comprising the integrity of the device. Now, Apple has confirmed that some of the iPads may ship bent. But they do assure customers that this will not affect the performance of the device.

The ‘Bendgate’

Apple says the the bend is a side effect of the manufacturing process involved in making the iPad Pro. A cooling process involving the iPad Pro’s metal and plastic components, results in this bend. They say that this should not worsen over time or negatively affect the performance of the device. Most interestingly, Apple does not consider this to be a defect. This is not limited to just one variant and both the 11 inch and 12.9 inch model of the iPad Pro can exhibit this.

The statement from Apple is not something that they have admitted to on their own. This is a response to many customers after they took to social media to state that their iPad Pro’s developed a slight bend, without any rough usage or mistreatment of the device. Users also said that they had never applied any extra stress to the iPad Pro.

Also Read : Upcoming OnePlus Device Leaks, Shows Off Brand New Design

Recently, a video by Jerryrigseverything showed him bending the iPad Pro into half without much of an effort. However, Apple still stands by the quality of its iPad Pro. A lot of experts also said that the video was a bit biased and is more of a publicity stunt. Apple claims that the device is extremely thin and is spread over a large surface area, therefore making it more susceptible to this issue. However, no one has reported this issue causing any issued in the working of the device and the iPad Pro is still the best tablet in the market right now.

December 20, 2018
Upcoming OnePlus Device Leaks, Shows Off Brand New Design

Shortly after the launch of the OnePlus 6T, the company announced that other than the next flagship, they will be launching a 5G handset, which will belong to an entirely new lineup. Now, a leak gives us the first look at the alleged OnePlus 5G device. While some may argue that this could be the OnePlus 7 as well, the chances of the same seem to be slim as the 5G phone will launch before the OnePlus 7.

The biggest change we can notice right off the bat is the brand new design language. The rear of the phone houses a circular camera module. While the image is not clear enough to see whether it sports dual or triple rear cameras, we can expect something innovative emerging from this camera setup. It is possible that OnePlus might be experimenting with the newly announced Sony sensor for mobile phones. Sony had announced a 48 MP camera sensor earlier this year. The giant camera module reminds us of the Lumia phones with the unbelievably high resolution.

The edges of the phone also seem to me more squarish when compared to the present OnePlus phones. There are two colours of the phone seen in the image, one being white and the other being red. Seeing the these are not conventional OnePlus colours, it is evident that this is a special edition phone. However, it is also highly possible that this leak could not be so credible. Either the employee who took this picture is out of a job for leaking this phone, or the company has done this on purpose, as most companies do these days.

Also Read : Why Indian Smartphone Brands Lost To Their Chinese Counterparts

The OnePlus 5G phone will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset, paired with the X50 5G modem. The OnePlus 7 will also run on the Snapdragon 855 but will not have the X50 modem. Instead, it will have the 4G X24 modem.

December 20, 2018
Google Is Reportedly Shutting Down Its Controversial Chinese Search Engine Project

Google’s Project Dragonfly has been one of the most controversial issues associated with the company in modern times. It is a ‘secret’ project taken by the internet giant to set up a search engine in China. While that seems like a pretty normal thing, it drew a lot of flak. This was due to the fact that this search engine was allegedly going to help the Chinese government ‘spy’ on users and censor and control content. But now, reports suggest that Google might have internally shut down this project.

Project Dragonfly

The news of the apparent shutting down of Project Dragonfly brought a lot of cheer and joy from organisations around the world. A lot of people believed that the project aided censorship and surveillance. Which added to the already ongoing Human Rights violations in China. Recently, Google CEO Sundar Pichai was also subjected to a Senate hearing, which dwelled into whether Google has been censoring and controlling content and spying on people.

While the Senate Hearing did not bring out a judgement that might have affected Google’s decision, it seems that the entire movement against the project could have motivated the company to do so. In fact, an open letter signed by 200 engineers from Alphabet Inc, which is Google’s parent company might have added to the already existing internal conflict regarding the project. Even members of Google’s privacy team were repeatedly shut out from meetings regarding Project Dragonfly.

Also Read : Why Indian Smartphone Brands Lost To Their Chinese Counterparts

Google’s Move

All the dispute rose due to a website, 265.com. This had been purchased by Google way back in 2008. The company then used it for ‘market research’. They allegedly used it to see what Chinese users searched for on Baidu and then went ahead to build a prototype of Dragonfly based on this information. Despite all the issues, the project was one of the key efforts of Google, and receiving backing from most of its top executives. Now that the project has been shut down, we can believe that it is a move in the direction of protection of a users data and the safeguard of freedom on the internet.

December 19, 2018
AT&T Will Start Its Mobile 5G Network In The US On December 21

2018 has not yet come to a close and the 5G race is already on! Despite 4G not strengthening its roots in most of the countries, many smartphone manufacturers and telecom companies are jumping on to the next big thing in connectivity. AT&T, one of America’s leading telecom operators, is starting its 5G mobile network this week and this marks the start of a new era.

The service will start on the 21st of December and the 5G network will be made public in 12 cities across the US. These include a ‘first batch’ of cities which are Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Louisville, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, San Antonio and Waco, Texas. The first batch title indicates that the rollout will spread to more cities soon. Additionally, AT&T has announced that it will have two Samsung 5G phones next as well, with the first one launching in the early parts of 2019. The company also has offers lined up for early adopters of the latest technology. They are offering free hotspot and data for select consumers and users for at least 90 days.

The 5G Future

5G connectivity will not just limit itself to phones. It will result in opportunities such as self-driving cars, better gaming and a potential replacement to home broadband. However, it is more important for companies to develop proper infrastructure for the same. The presence of 5G infrastructure and 5G capable phones will propel the technology forward.

Also Read : Nubia Red Magic Gaming Phone Launched In India

At the same time, the chances of getting 5G in India soon look very slim. Despite the world moving forward, we still struggle to get proper 4G coverage in most cities of India. Being one of the world’s largest smartphone markets, it is high time that India catches up with the pace at which the rest of the world is moving forward.

December 19, 2018
Apple iOS 12.1.2 Update Brings Fix For eSIM Activation Bugs

The eSIM was one of the features bought in with this year’s lineup of iPhones. The feature now enables the iPhones to be dual-SIM, something that had been missing from the Apple flagship devices for a long time. However, the eSIM feature did take its sweet time to reach users, and came with its own set of bugs and issues. Now, Apple has pushed out the iOS 12.1.2 update which not only brings a way to expand the eSIM capabilities of the phone, but also fixes issues with eSIM activation.

The release note for the update says that it fixes bugs with eSIM activation for iPhone XR, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. This issue was being reported by users around the world, and now is being addressed with the latest update. The update also fixes a few more things, which have to do with the issues affecting Apple in China as well. This had to do with the fact that select iPhone devices did not allegedly comply with the patent regulations set by Qualcomm. This would result in a ban in the sale of certain iPhone models, and can hurt Apple’s sales pretty bad, as China is its third largest market.

The iOS 12.1.2 is compatible with all iOS 11 compatible devices. This includes iPhone 5s or later, iPad mini 2 or later and 6th generation iPod touch or later. The update will be prompted automatically, however Beta testers might need to unroll their devices for the update to appear.

Also Read : eSIM Technology Explained : Why Do More Phones Not Have It

What Is eSIM?

The eSIM is an electronic SIM card, as the name suggests. It replaces the physical SIM cards which are used in smartphones these days. This allows for a lot of space inside the phone to be freed up, whcih can be used to incorporate other technology. As manufactures are looking to make phones sleeker, while sitting phones with more technology, eSIM is a great way to do the same. The eSIM also has another interesting feature. For example, you can register a number of eSIM cards on your phone, giving you the ability to switch between carriers without the need to swap out physical SIM cards every time.

December 19, 2018
Indian Air Force Successfully Tests Its First Plane Powered By Biofuel

With the advancement of technology and the need for more fuel to power everything around us, manufacturers are turning to greener alternatives to do the same. Over the past few years, we have seen huge growth in the sector of eco-friendly automobiles. The same drive has spread to a larger industry, that of aviation. Earlier this year, SpiceJet had tested India’s first commercial flight which ran on biofuel. Now, the Indian Air Force has also stepped into the same arena. It has successfully tested its first military aircraft, flying using biofuel.

Painting The Skies Green

The test was carried out using an AN-32 transport aircraft and the Indian Air Force plans to use this biofuel powered An-32 for the flypast during the republic day parade. This was a step closer towards the same. The test was carried out by Test Pilots from the Aircraft Systems and Testing Establishment (ASTE). But it must be noted that the entirety of the fuel used was not biofuel, and only 10% biofuel was used along with conventional aviation fuel. This is similar to the SpiceJet flight which used 25% biofuel and 75% aviation fuel.

The successful test was done with the help of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP). The fuel is made from Jatropha oil sourced from the Chattisgarh Biodiesel Development Authority (CBDA). It was then processed at the IIP facility in Dehradun. The Indian Air Force plans to have transport aircrafts flying with biofuel by 2021.

Also Read : SpiceJet Operates India’s First Biofuel Driven Flight

The test also added India’s name to a very elite list of countries which has done so. This includes the USA , which had done similar tests on transport and fighter aircrafts as well. The Indian Air Force added that they plan to expand this capability to their fighter jets as well. This includes the MiG 29 and the Su-30 MKI fighter jets.

December 18, 2018
LG To Launch A TV Which Rolls Up Like A Piece Of Paper

Earlier this year, LG had showcased a Television which rolls up just like a movie poster. The company demonstrated the rolling mechanism and its multiple uses. While the technology had grabbed many eyeballs, not many expected it to come into production, especially not this soon. Now, reports suggest that LG will be launching a production variant of the same next year.

The need for a breakthrough innovation has been long due in the TV industry and LG might have just cracked the code with this one. The TV that has been demonstrated is a 65-inch rolling display with a retracting panel that is operated using a remote. At the press of a button, it emerges out of a base which houses it and also automatically rolls back down.

The uses of such a display are many, as envisioned by the company. The biggest advantage is that of adjusting aspect ratios. You can quickly switch from a 16:9 aspect ratio to a 21:9 aspect ratio. Depending on the nature of content and how you prefer to watch it. The large 65-inch screen will ensure that you get a great viewing experience. Even with a part of the screen rolled down. Adding to this is the 4K resolution that the display offers, which claims to give a great cinematic experience.

Also Read : Samsung Granted Patent For 3D Hologram Display

The base at the bottom is to hide the technology behind the display, according to company officials. The TV sports an OLED display, which will fold more easily than traditional LCD panels. The company also hopes that this boosts their share in the TV market, and also sets them apart from their competition. With not so much happening in this segment over the past few years, we are excited to see how this product will find a place in the homes of consumers when it goes on sale next year.

December 18, 2018
Mi A2 And Poco F1 Get Android Pie

The Xiaomi Mi A2 has officially become the first phone by the smartphone manufacturer to receive the Android 9 Pie update. The rollout was first limited to a few Mi A2 devices. But, will start reaching almost all devices from the 18th of December. Additionally, the Poco F1 has also started recieving an update for MIUI 10, which brings in a lot of big fixes as well.

Mi A2

The rollout of the Pie update started a few days back and other Xiaomi devices have also been receiving scattered updates. This includes the Mi A2 Lite as well. A global rollout is expected to start in January 2019. However the original Mi A1 is yet to receive any definite date for the update. But, users should not be disheartened as some Mi A1 users had also reported receiving the update. Since these devices are part of the Android One program, it is but natural for them to receive the Android Pie update first.

Poco F1

The Poco F1 has started receiving a stable update for MIUI 10 based on Android Pie. This update was also reported by multiple users last week. The update brings big fixes to the Poco F1 along with google Lens integration. It also fixes several issued with Android Auto. A few other bug fixes are mentioned below.

The update fixes the setting for turning off the screen automatically and also fixes the issues with the phone’s microphone. However, a lot of users are still reporting some issues even after the latest update. These include a Ambient display option in the settings, which apparently doesn’t work at all times. Some users also reported a touch lag. Other users also reported that the Google Assistant wasn’t responding to the “Ok Google” command at times. The company has mentioned that it will be releasing updates with fixes for these issues soon.

Also Read : Xiaomi Redmi 7 Listed On TENAA

While a select few Xiaomi phones have started receiving the latest Android 9 Pie operating system, majority of their phones are still running on older versions of Android. With most users having mid-range or budget smartphones from the company which do not get speedy updates, it is imperative that the smartphone giant does something about to speed up this process.

December 18, 2018
OnePlus 7 Will Be One Of The First Phones To Run On The New Snapdragon 855

The Qualcomm Snapdragon Technology Summit 2018 is already underway and a lot of big announcements have been made. On the first day, Qualcomm had announced their new Snapdragon 855 SoC, with 5G connectivity. Now, smartphone manufacturer OnePlus has announced that their next flagship, presumably the OnePlus 7, will be the first smartphone to be running on the Snapdragon 855 SoC. They also announced that they will be the first to bring a 5G smartphone to Europe in partnership with EE.

The Next Flagship

Announcing that they ‘only make flagship smartphones’, they said that the Snapdragon 855 is the ‘best and only choice’ for their upcoming flagship. The company also announced their partnership with UK based carrier EE, to bring the first 5G enabled to Europe. While the announcements are really exciting for OnePlus fans, they also hint at the fact that we will be seeing a 5G OnePlus phone, powered by the 855, pretty soon. This means that the launch of the next OnePlus flagship is not too far away.

With companies like Samsung, Xiaomi and many others lined up to release phones with the new Snapdragon 855 and those with 5G support, OnePlus will have to hurry up production in order to be the first. Samsung is set to launch their 10th anniversary Galaxy S10 in the early parts of 2019. There are reports that this will be a 5G enabled phone, running on the latest 7nm SoC.

Snapdragon 855

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 is the latest flagship from the company and is manufactured using the 7 nm process. This makes it faster and more power efficient. It also features support for the X50 modem by Qualcomm, hence giving it 5G abilities. The 855 also features a fourth-generation multi-core AI engine. This will offer upto 3 times the AI performance, compared to the 845. It also features the world’s first Computer Vision Image Signal Processor for better photo and video capabilities. Along with this, it also has the new Snapdragon Elite gaming platform for advanced gaming abilities. Qualcomm also announced their new 3D Sonic Sensor, which is an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor for in-display fingerprint scanners.

Also Read : Apple Patents Design For Interchangeable AirPods With Biometrics And Brand New Design

It is also noteworthy that OnePlus was the only smartphone manufacturer who was invited to talk during the Snapdragon Summit. This, along with the fact that they will be the first to feature this new chipset, point toward the exclusivity that they enjoy from Qualcomm. What this translates for consumers, will be seen in time.

December 6, 2018
Apple Patents Design For Interchangeable AirPods With Biometrics And Brand New Design

The AirPods are the most popular accessory manufactured by tech giant Apple, till date. A pair of wireless earbuds, which connect to your device via Bluetooth, they are one of the most, of not the most popular wireless earbuds. Additionally, they also have Siri connectivity and of course, the excellent design and build quality from Apple. However, the AirPods have been long overdue for an upgrade. This upgrade seems to be near. A recent report stated that we will get to see upgraded AirPods next year. However, a patent by Apple has given us insight as to what the AirPods might look like in 2020 and beyond.

The Patent

The new patent talks about interchangeable AirPods, which will use biometric sensors to make this come true. According to the patent, this will give the AirPods the ability to fit into any ear, regardless of the orientation. This is a step closer to the ‘Golden Bud’ fit Apple had dreamt of, years back. The term refers to a pair of earbuds which will be the perfect fit, for any user. Regardless of the shape and size of their ear.

Apple did go through a lot of steps to ensure the the design of the existing AirPods gives the most universally fitting shape. But there is always room for improvement. The patent describes that the earbuds will be configured with one or more biometric sensors. If at least one of the sensors is pressed up against a portion of the ear, it can then use biometrics to detect which side it is. This will allow to configure and alter the settings for that ear. Hence, the issue of having to see which goes into the left ear and which goes into the right will be eliminated.

New Design

From the images in the patent, we can see that the new AirPods will be totally different in design. They will be more compact, similar to the PixelBuds in terms of size. The patent also included a foam ring which will apparently expand to establish contact with the skin. This is done as some part of the earbuds need to be in contact with the skin to carry out the biometric processes. The company could have chosen plastic, but the foam ring will be more convenient and easier on the user’s ears.

This could also result in a lesser cost of manufacturing and replacement for the AirPods. As now Apple would not have to manufacture Left or Right side specific components. However, whether that will translate to the retail prices of the AirPods is still not known.

Also Read : Vivo Nex S2 Pics And Hands-On Video Leak

As is with every leak and patent, it is best to take this news with a pinch of salt. We might not see this technology for a while and it is also possible that it may never come into production, as is the case with many patents. But with the demand for the AirPods on the rise, we hope that Apple does implement these new features.

December 5, 2018
Qualcomm Announces The Snapdragon 855 SoC With 5G Support

In the Snapdragon Tech Summit 2018 which started yesterday, Qualcomm officially announced its next flagship processor, the Snapdragon 855. The Snapdragon 855 is the successor to the highly popular Snapdragon 845, which is found on almost all the Android flagship devices from 2018. The new 855 is manufactured using the 7nm process, which offers better battery life and improved performance. Along with the chipset, Qualcomm also announced the Snapdragon Elite Gaming platform and the 3D Sonic Sensor.

The 855

Contrary to earlier reports, the chipset bears the 855 title and not the 8150 title. Although, previous reports were not inaccurate as the 8150 was the internal name of the mobile platform. The chipset is manufactured using the 7 nm process which is the new standard for flagship processors now. The Hisilicon Kirin 980 by Huawei and the A12 Bionic by Apple are 7nm chipsets have already entered production and are featured in the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and the new lineup of iPhones respectively.

The 855 is also 5G ready and is compatible with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X50 modem, in order to do so. 5G technology is almost here and many countries and companies are actively testing their 5G devices and networks. It is safe to say that 2019 will be the year of 5G devices. However, the rollout will be slow and countries like India might get proper 5G infrastructure only towards the end of 2019.

Additionally, Qualcomm also said that the Snapdragon 855 features their fourth-generation multi-core AI engine. This offers up to 3 times the AI performance when compared to the Snapdragon 845. The 855 also features the world’s first Computer Vision Image Signal Processor (CV-ISP). This will offer new features in terms of photo and video capture. The 855 also features the Snapdragon elite Gaming platform , which will offer a new set of features to enhance the mobile gaming experience.

What’s More

At the event, the company also announced the Qualcomm 3D Sonic Sensor. This is an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor. Until now, all the smartphones featuring an in-display fingerprint sensor, use an optical sensor. The ultrasonic sensor uses ultrasonic waves to authenticate the fingerprint. Compared to optical sensors, this is much more secure and can even work while in contact with oil, dirt and water.

Also Read : World’s Most Powerful GPU, Nvidia TITAN RTX Announced

This is not all, Qualcomm will reveal more features of the Snapdragon 855 as the summit progresses. However, we have already gotten a taste of haw the new flagship processor from Qualcomm is about. It offers improved AI, camera and gaming performance and brings improvements to connectivity and security. Performance upgrades are also expected to be announced during the second day of the summit.

December 5, 2018
Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 Plus Running Android 9 Pie Spotted Online

The Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 Plus was launched a few months back by the Chinese electronics giant. It is the larger, 10.1 inch variant of the Mi Pad 4. During the time of its release, the device was running on Android 7, but then Xiaomi quickly updated it to Android 8 Oreo, within a few days of its launch. Now, a Mi Pad 4 Plus has been spotted on Geekbench, running on Android 9 Pie.

The Geekbench listing reveals that the Pie update for the tablet is around the corner. Considering the fact that Xiaomi ship their devices with their own custom UI, it is safe to assume that this will be running on the latest MIUI 10 which features advanced AI capabilities and UI improvements such as gesture navigation. The Android 9 Pie update will surely bring a lot of improvements to this tablet. On Geekbench, the tablet got a single-core score of 1642 and multi-core score of 5854.

Specifications

The Mi Pad 4 Plus has a 10.1 inch IPS LCD display with a 1920 x 1200 px resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio. The device has got fairly thick bezels on all sides and features a home button on the bottom of the screen. It runs on the Qualcomm snapdragon 660 SoC with the Adreno 512 GPU. It has 4 GB of RAM with 64 GB and 128 GB storage options. However, the Mi pad 4 Plus does not support any memory expansion.

Also Read : Alleged Samsung Galaxy S10 5G Prototype Seen In Video

The device sports a 13 MP single rear camera and a 5 MP from facing camera. The front camera also supports Face Unlock for securely unlocking the device. Additionally, the device also has a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button to unlock the device. Under the hood, it packs a 8,620 mAh battery, which claims 16 hours of video playback. The device features Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 and a USB Type-C port for connectivity, along with 4G LTE support. Additionally, there is not word about the Indian launch of the tablet as of now.

December 4, 2018
Alleged Samsung Galaxy S10 5G Prototype Seen In Video

Samsung’s upcoming flagship, the Galaxy S10 is one of the most awaited smartphones right now. Expected to be launched in the early part of 2019, the Galaxy S10 has already been a subject to numerous leaks. These include reports about four different Galaxy S10 models, including a 5G variant. Now, a video has surfaced, in which the alleged 5G Galaxy S10 has been showcased.

The video is from what seems to be a 5G testing station in South Korea. The device in focus is being used by an executive from SK Telecom. They are using it to launch their 5G service in South Korea. In the video, a person is making a video call to demonstrate the speeds that can be achieved by the network, while using 5G. The most interesting aspect of the video is however, the smartphone which is being used for this demonstration.

The 5G S10

This unknown smartphone is obviously enclosed within a protective case to hide its design. However, there are two distinct factors which point toward the fact that it is a variant of the upcoming Galaxy S10. The first is the horizontal triple camera setup on the back, which is barely visible in the video and the 5G support.

The protective case of the phone is hiding what is probably the most important aspect of the phone, the display. The display is said to be truly bezel-less, without the use of a notch or a pop-up/sliding camera. Samsung has never implemented a notch on any of its smartphones. And this will be the next big upgrade in terms of design language from the company. The phone is also expected to feature a camera cut-out, like that of the upcoming Galaxy A8s. While there were reports of Samsung developing an in-display front facing camera to avoid using even the cut-out, this does not seem viable as of now. We might see that technology sometime in the future.

What’s More

A recent tweet by the famous leaker iceuniverse on Twitter has also mentioned that one of the variants of the Galaxy S10 might feature dual front cameras. This would give a really unique placement to the camera cut-out and it will be interesting to see how Samsung pulls this off.

Also Read : Dual-Screen Vivo Nex S2 To Launch On December 11

The Galaxy S10 is expected to launch in three, if not four variants. These include a Galaxy S10 Lite, Galaxy S10 and a Galaxy S10+ variant. There are also talks of a Galaxy S10 Beyond X variant. This will supposedly have a 6.7 inch display with four rear cameras and dual front cameras.

Click here to read everything there is to know about the Galaxy S10.

December 3, 2018
Updated Apple AirPods To Launch In Early 2019

The Apple AirPods are one of the most popular wireless earbuds on the market right now. They are stylish, have Siri support and offer great portability as well. However, an upgrade to the earbuds has been long pending. And Apple needs to do this to ensure that they are at par with their competitors and what they offer. A latest report from famous Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo has detailed that we will see an updated version of the AirPods early next year. He also said that we will also see a completely redesigned model in 2020.

The New AirPods

Ming Chi Kuo is known for his extremely accurate predictions about Apple products, from iPhones to MacBooks. In his latest reports, he states that an updated AirPods, with a wireless charging case and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity will hit the stands in the early parts of next year. This model will feature upgrades as well. Though it is not clear at this point as to what those upgrades are.

This wireless charging case is seen in the marketing image of the AirPower mat. Nothing about the AirPower mat has been revealed by Apple, despite the tech giant announcing it way back in September 2017. Additionally, the wireless charging case might be available as a separate accessory. Which customers can use with their existing AirPods as well.

The report also details that the AirPods will face dramatic growth in the coming years. Predictions say that the number of units sold will rise to over 100 millions n 2020, compared to the 16 million units in 2017. The report also details that these are Apple’s most popular accessories ever.

Also Read : Apple Extends Return Period For The Apple Watch 4

The new, redesigned AirPods might be seen in 2020. These might include improvements such as sweat resistance as well. However, judging by the accuracy of his Kuo’s reports, we can expect to see a new version of the AirPods, early next year. The AirPower mat might also make a surprise appearance.

December 3, 2018