Author: Sushant Talwar

Samsung’s Concierge Service for Galaxy S7 and S7 edge Explained

Samsung’s Indian arm announced the flagship Galaxy S7 and S7 edge smartphones for Indian markets today. Samsung’s new flagships for 2016 come bearing a similar design scheme and slightly bumped up specs when compared to the Galaxy S6 range of devices from last year.

The S7 and S7 edge which have been priced at Rs 48,900 and Rs 56,900 in India are being positioned as devices for an audience that values premium features and services over increased cost. Samsung in a bid to increase its profit margins has over the past couple of years tried to position its Galaxy S series range as devices which are more than just phones but are in fact status symbols.

In a continuation of this strategy, Samsung India has decided to launch the Galaxy S7 range of devices with the “Samsung Concierge Service.” It is essentially a platform that provides the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge owners a set of exclusive and premium services which are deeply integrated into the My Galaxy app.

Samsung’s Concierge service which has been rolled out for the premium S7 and S7 edge owners is Samsung’s way of raising customer service to another level and brings with it four unique benefits.

My assistant

This feature of the Samsung Concierge service works as a personal assistant, helping you with daily tasks such as booking tickets for movies, web check-ins, and amongst other things arrange for pick up and drop services.

Fast track service

Samsung has revealed that under the Samsung Concierge service platform, owners of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge will get preference at thousands of Samsung service centers over other Samsung devices, thereby putting an end to waiting for your turn at service centers if you’ve spent money on Samsung’s flagship devices.
Pick up and drop Service

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge owners can avail benefits of pick and drop service in case their phone needs servicing. The particular service, for now, is available across 19 cities in India, and the service also includes providing a replacement handset at your door in case one is needed.

Live chat

It is an intuitive chat based service where owners of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge can have access to Samsung representatives 24×7 for any queries they might have regarding their phones.

March 8, 2016

Samsung Launches Galaxy S7 and S7 edge in India Starting Rs 48,900

Amidst much fanfare, Samsung has launched its top of the line, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge devices in India today. The flagship phones on which Samsung is resting a lot of hope will hit Indian markets from 17th of March, 2016 for a price of Rs 48,900 for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge will start retail for Rs 56,900. Pre-bookings for the phones begins from today. Samsung has also announced that it’s throwing in a free Gear VR headset on all pre-bookings. The phones will be available in three color options, Black Onyx, Gold Platinum and Silver Titanium.

Samsung’s latest S series phones come with a promise of great performance and best in market specs all draped in a beautiful metal frame covered by Gorilla Glass 4 at the front and back. Both these phones are an extension of a growing effort by Samsung to bring phones with more than just great internals to the market, as it wants the consumers to “rethink what phones can do”.

Galaxy S7 S7 Edge - iGyaan Hands On 4

The Galaxy S7 comes equipped with a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED Quad HD display(1440 x 2560), while the more premium S7 edge brings to the users a beautiful 5.5-inch curved Quad HD display(1440 x 2560) which effortlessly melts into the phone’s metal frame to create an elegant looking device. Samsung has decided to bump up the battery on the phones, with the S7 getting a 3000mAh battery pack while the S7 edge getting an upgraded 3600mAh battery.

Galaxy S7 S7 Edge - iGyaan Hands On 15

Both the phones share the rest of the specs including the on board Exynos 8890 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB internal storage. Both the S7 and S7 Edge feature ‘Dual Pixel’ cameras with 12MP f/1.7 aperture rear camera for better low-light photography and a 5MP front which might just see Samsung dominating the camera department this year.

Both the devices also come with an Always-On display which consumes less than 1% power per hour. The phones come with IP68 rating and are dust and water-proof. The phones also come with a liquid cooling setup to keep the S7 and S7 edge cool during those long gaming sessions. The S7 series also brings with it the Vulkan API and a dedicated “Game Launcher” for an unparalleled gaming experience on a mobile device.

Galaxy S7 S7 Edge - iGyaan Hands On 31

Moving over to the design, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge follow the same design language as their S6 counterparts. The S6 devices of last year were beautifully crafted phones and Samsung made a smart move not to change that. Only the standard 5.1-inch S7 will have a curved edge at the back rather than a flat one seen on in the S6. Samsung hasn’t changed the exteriors too much but has simply refined it. It has added a MicroSD tray, and also reduced the camera bump at the back by 1.25mm in a bid to maintain a sleek profile.

Specs	Galaxy S7	Galaxy S7 Edge
Display	5.1-inch Super AMOLED QHD display	5.5-inch curved AMOLED QHD display
Resolution	2560 x 1440 pixels	2560 x 1440 pixels
Processor	Exynos 8890	Exynos 8890
GPU	Mali T880	Mali T880
RAM	4GB	4GB
Storage	32GB/ 64GB	32GB/ 64GB
Rear Camera	Dual Pixel 12MP with f/1.7 aperture	Dual Pixel 12MP with f/1.7 aperture
Front Camera	Dual Pixel 5MP	Dual Pixel 5MP
Expandability	via MicroSD	via MicroSD
Battery	3000mAh battery	3600mAh battery
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC
OS	Android 6.0 Marshmallow	Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Price	RS 48,900	Rs 56,900

March 8, 2016

Watch the Launch of The Galaxy S7 And S7 Edge in India Live

Samsung is all set to launch its much-awaited Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge phones for markets in India at a press event in Delhi which will start at 12 in the afternoon on 8th of March,2016. Going into 2016, India remains an important market for the South Korean tech giant, and as such a lot is riding on the duo of flagship phones whose pricing for India will be announced tomorrow.

The Galaxy S series devices which are the best that Samsung has to offer brings to its fans this year the S7 and S7 edge smartphones that are high on specs and look beautiful when it comes to design. Both the phones share under-the-hood specs such as the on board Snapdragon 820/Exynos 8890 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB internal storage but differ when it comes to the display size which goes up from 5.1-inch QHD present on the S7 to 5.5-inch QHD found on the S7 edge. The latter also comes packing a 3600mAh battery, while the former is equipped with a 3000mAh pack.

Watch the live stream of the launch event for India here.

Specs	Galaxy S7	Galaxy S7 Edge
Display	5.1-inch Super AMOLED Quad HD display	5.5-inch Curved AMOLED Quad HD display
Resolution	2560 x 1440 pixels	2560 x 1440 pixels
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor
GPU	Adreno 530	Adreno 530
RAM	4GB	4GB
Storage	32GB/ 64GB	32GB/ 64GB
Rear Camera	Dual Pixel 12MP with f/1.7 aperture	Dual Pixel 12MP with f/1.7 aperture
Front Camera	Dual Pixel 5MP	Dual Pixel 5MP
Storage Expandability	MicroSD	MicroSD
Battery	3000mAh battery	3600mAh battery
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC
OS	Android 6.0 Marshmallow	Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Price	TBA	TBA

March 8, 2016

iTron, The “World’s Fastest Charging PowerBank” is Here

Battery woes have slowly, but surely, become the Achilles heel of power hungry smartphones of today. For all the great powers that these mini computers possess, none of it is of any good if they run out of juice, and then take ages to charge again, crippling your productivity.

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

iTron, a Kickstarter project, which proudly calls itself “the world’s fastest recharging portable battery” promises to save the day for all power hungry smartphones around the world, with the speed of the Flash. The hardware here is a geek’s delight that sees a portable charger/dock that employs proprietary technology to charge the 9000mAh iTron in 18 just minutes.

To put things in perspective, it can store enough power in its kitty to charge an iPhone 6(1800mAh) on the go in just about three odd minutes. The iTron comes with 3 USB ports to charge multiple devices at a time, and also comes with fast charging support for QC 2.0 compatible phones. Additionally, the iTron promises to be good for at least 1000 recharge cycles and is claimed to have been made with safety in mind as it comes with eight protection mechanisms.

The project is in its last stage of funding, and the product is expected to be up for sale starting May 2016 for a price of around $150( Approx Rs 10,000).

March 7, 2016
DJI Phantom 4; An Evolution In Drone Tech

One of the biggest names in drone manufacturing, DJI, has taken the veil off the Phantom 4, and it brings with it a host of cool features to make it a consumer favorite. The China-based company already controls 70% of the drone market, and with this new autonomous drone that will retail for $1399(Approx Rs 95,000) DJI only expects its market position to grow only stronger.

The Phantom 4 houses within its body 4 new sensors that allow it to detect objects up to 50 feet away, and makes it capable of being aware of its surroundings and avoid crashes by stopping before impact. The DJI Phantom 4 can also be programmed to stick to a particular path without input from the pilot.

New modes such as the “Tap Fly” provides the user with the functionality to send destination directions to the drone by tapping on the live view display. Another amazing feature added to the Phantom 4 is “Active Track.” Using this feature, the pilot can touch on a target upon which the drone will recognize the person or object and track it in flight using the camera automatically.

The Phantom 4 also comes with an improved design which helps it go faster without the rotors getting in the shot and a sport mode that allows the drone to move at faster speeds.

With the Phantom 4, DJI has tried to create a drone that learns from its predecessors and comes to the market as a product which with the use of its computerized vision software and onboard sensors tries to minimize the chance of human error from the equation. The Phantom 4 can essentially pilot itself, rather than being dependent on the user for every single action and hence makes for a brilliant choice if you’re looking to get yourself a new drone.

March 7, 2016
Bitcoin Transactions Face Massive Delays; Currency’s Design Flaws Exposed

Flash back five years and Bitcoin, the crypto-currency that so tantalized techies and excited investors were on the rise, but it is a completely different state of affairs today for this digital currency of the future. Its core community is at war with each other and ordinary consumers still don’t care about this supposedly revolutionary form of money.

Now making things more difficult for Bitcoin, the currency is facing a new issue which could spell doom for its existence. As of now, time taken for Bitcoin transactions to be processed has increased dramatically resulting in funds being stranded, and organizations are not accepting transactions in the cryptocurrency.

The current problem is not something that has hit the community out of the blue, as many within the community who use or work on the currency have been pointing out this looming issue for some time. The problem relates to how transactions are processed on the Bitcoin system, the decentralized, distributed ledger technology that manages transactions of the currency.

Bitcoin’s design which is capable of processing at best only seven transactions per second hit its capacity limit, leading to a backlog of stranded transactions being built up. Currently, there were about 20,000 Bitcoin transactions waiting to be processed.

The Bitcoin currency transaction design is as such that many of these transactions will go faster than other, depending on how much the transaction is deemed worth of in monetary terms. Transactions on Bitcoin can be put ahead in a que by adding a fee to the Bitcoin transaction, essentially meaning that those who didn’t pay such a fee or a sufficiently big fee may have to wait hours and in the current situation days for a transaction to complete.

Bitcoin’s overall capacity has hence become a major problem for its existence. Stopgap measures to increase the capacity have been suggested and implementation of it might hardly be months away, but will only delay the inevitable.If things have to be fixed, then the voices coming from the user community needs to be heard and a radical rethink of the currency’s design needs to be looked at.

March 5, 2016
Augmented Reality: How Far Have We Come?

Technology today is improving at a rapid pace. A quick look at our workplaces and homes would reveal that many things that we take for granted today were not possible 10 years ago even after the concerted efforts of the best tech minds.

As digital technology continues to grow deep into every into every aspect of our daily lives, It’s only a matter of time before it starts to replace our plain old visual experiences with something a little more engrossing, and here is where the Augmented Reality(AR) will find its opportunity.

The concept of Augmented Reality was coined In 1992 by researcher Tom Caudell .It’s an experience that supplements the real world with a virtual layer of extra information. It is the seamless blending of virtual reality and real life which when executed correctly creates content that blends in with the real world. With Augmented Reality, users are able to interact with virtual contents in the real world, while being able to distinguish between the two at all times.

Virtual Reality’s lesser loved cousin, Augmented reality, has been around for some time now and has in the past tried to find real world applications in Defence, Healthcare, and Education sectors. But unlike the former the tech industry has yet to come up with a concrete plan to unleash its full potential and increase its reach while keeping costs down, but all that is about to change very soon.

2016, as many analysts predict, might be the year for Virtual Reality, but AR is making solid strides towards walking hand in hand, if not over taking it. Microsoft HoloLens, Meta 2, Project Tango are but a few ideas that the tech industry has in mind to bring Augmented Reality to the mainstream.

Microsoft’s take on AR is the hologram-themed augmented reality glass which to quite an extent is the true augmented reality concept that will, ideally, have wearers interact with screens and full-color virtual objects wherever they are. This tech will blur the lines between real and virtual, merging them seamlessly into one to enrich the experience of our daily lives with extra content.

Though the HoloLens project is still at a nascent stage, demos reveal users fixing light switches with the help of virtual assistants through the Skype AR app. The HoloLens also allows you to take an augmented-reality trip to Mars, seeing what a rover might see, projected entirely on the floor in front of you.

Another AR project, Meta, in its second iteration will look to replace monitors from your life.This move if carried out correctly will be both economical and productive. It can also usher in a new era of privacy and security allowing a user secure viewing of content while still being around people. Meta has the capability to produce an infinite number of tabs and screens working at the same time all in front of you like images on a wall with the only bottleneck being your own field of view.

Most promising of the upcoming lot though is the Magic Leap project. The industry estimates this idea to be so big that they have already managed to secure $1.4 Billion in funding at a Kickstarter level, and is already valued at $4.5 Billion. The Magic Leap head mounted device will use a camera to show you the room or environment you’re already in but seamlessly layering in computer-generated objects which would suddenly see a dragon breaking through the wall, or the user fighting a Pokemon battle in the middle of the room against another friend in the room.

Several other uses of Augmented reality are also being explored in the form of Google’s Project Tango which can draw 3-D maps of a room the user is in and detail how a piece of custom furniture or a new wall running through it look in it.

Augmented reality is full of potential, and these are but a few of the applications of this budding technology. Industry big shots believe that AR has more of a potential that VR and could outgrow VR significantly in the coming years. With hardware finally mature enough to support the dream of Augmented Reality many suggest the future might be closer than we think. A future more exciting and fun than you and us could even dream of right now.

March 5, 2016
Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge to Launch in India as soon as 10th March

In latest news, sources who have been accurate in the past, have revealed to iGyaan that the long wait for Indian customers for the recently launched Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge may finally be coming to an end as the South Korean tech giant’s premium offerings might be available in India as soon as 10th March, 2016.

This information falls in line with the previous information provided to us about the S7 series launching before 15th of March in the country. According to the previous reports, the Galaxy S7 will start retailing in the country at Rs 55,000, while the more premium Galaxy S7 edge with a curved display and bigger battery will hit stores with a price tag of Rs 64,000 in Indian markets.

Coming to the specs, The S7 is equipped with a Super AMOLED display with QHD resolution. Two SoC configurations are offered here– one being the new Exynos 8890 and the other being Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820. The device comes with 4GB of RAM and upto 64GB of internal storage as well as a MicroSD card slot this time around and the battery is bumped upto 3000mAh. A fingerprint sensor is housed in the home button.

The S7 Edge comes with a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with QHD resolution. The same SoC configuration as in the Galaxy S7 powers the device along with 4GB RAM and a maximum of 64GB storage. Importantly, the battery on the S7 edge has also been bumped upto a respectable 3600mAh battery pack.

On the camera front, Samsung this year has tried to take its camera up a notch which is why it’s using a new Britecell technology for the Galaxy S7 for better low-light photography. Both the S7 and S7 Edge feature ‘Dual Pixel’ cameras with a 12MP with f/1.7 aperture rear camera and a 5MP front. Samsung has boasted of exceptional low-light captures with the Galaxy S7 devices and it may just dominate the camera department once again this year.

March 5, 2016
LeEco Le1s Sells 200,000 Handsets, Shatters Industry Sales Records

LeEco which recently entered the Indian market with its extremely cost effective product Le1s into the Indian market has today revealed the result of its disruptive moves. The company’s bang for buck smartphone, the Le1s which has gone through the paces of three flash sales has now become India’s top selling mobile phone online.

According to information disseminated by LeEco, the company has set a new record of sales in the country by selling more than 200,000 units of the Le 1s in the India within a month, which it claims to be a new record. LeEco further revealed that received a total of 20,28,000 registrations for the handset which is also a record in itself. To to top things off, the company also received a record-breaking total of 2,20,000 orders for the Le1s within the span of 31 seconds.

Responding to this development, Atul Jain, COO, Smart Electronics Devices, LeEco India said,

We are deeply humbled by the response we have received from our Indian consumers which has helped us achieve this leading industry position in such a short span of time. LeEco is in the true sense a game changer purely because of its disruptive business model and a user-centric ecosystem providing consumers a chance to experience disruptive technology at its best

March 4, 2016

Spec Battle: Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 vs Lenovo Vibe K4 Note vs LeEco Le1s

The smartphone market in India is heating up like never before. With the Indian mobile phone market turning into the next frontier for most smartphone makers, we’re currently witnessing phone manufacturers launch devices with great under the hood specs for extremely competitive prices.

At the forefront of this battle for supremacy to win over the burgeoning budget smartphone market has been Xiaomi, exchanging punch for punch with the likes of Lenovo and LeEco which have already declared India a priority market for their products.

In the latest blow to its competiton, Xiaomi has unveiled the much anticipated Redmi Note 3 in India today. The phablet which comes with decent specifications will be available in two variants of 2GB RAM with 16GB of inbuilt storage, while the other is 3GB RAM and has 32GB storage. The pricing is set at a very competetive, Rs 9,999 and Rs 11,999 for the two variants.

The phone with its spec sheet and the price is a direct competitor to phones like LeEco Le 1s and Lenovo Vibe K4 Note which themselves come as brilliant propositions under the sub-Rs 12000 bracket. Let’s find out which of these three is the winner when it comes to the spec table.

Specification	Xiaomi Redmi Note 3	LeEco Le 1s	Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
Display	5.5-inch Full HD Display	5.5-inch Full HD Display	5.5 inches Full HD Display
Resolution	1920×1080(403 ppi)	1920 X 1080 (403 ppi)	1080 x 1920 pixels (~401 ppi pixel density)
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 SoC	2.2 GHz MediaTek’s Helio X10	Octa-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU	Adreno 510	VR G6200	Mali-T720MP3
RAM	2GB/3GB	3GB	3 GB
Storage	16 GB, 32 GB	32GB	32 GB/ 64 GB/ 128 GB
Expandability	microSD, up to 128 GB	N/A	microSD, up to 128 GB
Rear Camera	16 MP, f/2.0, phase detection autofocus, dual-LED	13 MP, High-Definition, f2.0 aperture, ISOCELL technology, PDAF, 4K video	13 MP, f/2.2, phase detection autofocus, dual-LED
Front Camera	5 MP, f/2.0, 1080p	5 MP	5 MP
Battery	4050mAh	3000mAh	3300 mAh battery
Connectivity	4G+, Wi-Fi 802.11ad, VoLTE, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC, VoLTE	dual SIM slots, 4G LTE support, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, 3G, 4G	dual SIM slots, 4G LTE support, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, 3G, 4G
Operating System	Android 5.1.1 Lolipop with MIUI 7	Android 5.1 with custom EUI running on top	Android OS, v5.1 (Lollipop)
Price	Rs 9,999/ Rs11,999	Rs 10,999	Rs 11.999

March 3, 2016

Xiaomi Announces Mi 5 Coming to India in April

On the sidelines of the Redmi Note 3 India launch in New Delhi, Xiaomi’s VP, Hugo Barra, took off the lid over the company’s plans to bring their flagship, Mi 5 to India. To a thunderous applause of over 8000 fans at the Talkatora stadium, Barra revealed that Xiaomi had already gotten over 16 million registrations for the Mi 5 in China, and that next it plans to bring the flagship phone to Indian users in a month’s time.

Along with this, Hugo Barra also revealed the company’s plans to sell in the country a beautiful looking Mi Bluetooth Speakers for Rs 1999 and soon to be commercially announced Mi Powerbank which can hold a charge of up to 20,000mAh.

The Xiaomi Mi 5 upon launch in the country will be available in three variants. The Mi 5 (32 GB storage and 3 GB RAM) is priced at RMB 1999 (Approx Rs 21,000), the Mi 5 64 GB variant is priced at RMB 2299 (Approx Rs 24,000) and the Mi 5 Pro with 128 GB storage and 4 GB RAM will be available for a price of Rs 2699 (Approx Rs 28,500).

The three variants will be run by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 64-bit quad-core chipset. The Mi 5 comes equipped with a Sony IMX298 16 megapixel sensor with dual-tone LED flash, PDAF, OIS, and 4K video recording. It sports a 4 megapixel front camera with 2um pixel size. It has a 3000 mAh battery with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 technology. Panel on all the variants will be 5.15-inch QHD IPS display.

March 3, 2016

Xiaomi Launches Redmi Note 3 in India

Xiaomi has finally unveiled its Redmi Note 3 phablet in India at an event held at the Talkatora Stadium in Delhi on 3rd March 2016 which saw 8000 Mi fans attend the launch event. This device which has already been launched in China has been highly awaited in India for some time now. Xiaomi which didn’t bring the predecessor to the Redmi Note 3, the Redmi Note 2, to India will look to stir up the market with its latest offering.

The Redmi Note 3 is an extension of a growing effort by Xiaomi to focus on design and produce beautiful looking phones. This device comes with a full-metal unibody design, with a 5.5-inch 1080p display with pixel density of 403 ppi adorning the front of the phone. It will be available in silver, gold, and gray color options.

The Redmi Note 3 is powered by a Snapdragon 650 SoC that comes with an Adreno 510 GPU. The phablet will come in two variants of 16GB storage with 2GB of RAM, and 32GB storage with 3GB of RAM. Both variants will come packing a non-removable 4,050mAh battery to keep them going through the day.

Coming to the camera, both the variants are equipped with a 16MP rear unit with f/2.0, phase detection autofocus, dual-LED flash and a 5MP front shooter. The Redmi Note 3 also brings with it a fingerprint scanner that can be used to click pictures with both the front and the back camera.

On the connectivity front, the phone comes with dual sim connectivity, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth v4.1, A2DP, LE, VoLTE and supports fast battery charging tech. It also runs Android 5.1.1 Lolipop with MIUI 7 skin out of the box. The device with its infrared sensor can also be used as a universal remote for devices in your home.

The pricing of the phone is pretty competitive and for all the impressive under the hood specs the price point of Rs 9,999 for 2GB/16GB variant and the Rs 11,999 for the 3GB/32GB variant is indeed a blockbuster. The phone will go on sale starting 9th march 2 PM in its first flash sale on Amazon, but will later be expanded to offline and other online partners.

Specs	Xiaomi Redmi Note 3
Display	5.5 inches Full HD Display
Resolution	1920 x 1080
Dimensions	150 x 76 x 8.7 mm
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 SoC
GPU	Adreno 510
RAM	2GB / 3GB LPDDR4
Storage	16GB / 32GB flash storage
Rear Camera	16 MP, f/2.0, phase detection autofocus, dual-LED
Front Camera	5 MP, f/2.0, 1080p
Expandability	128GB via microSD
Battery	4050mAh
Connectivity	4G+, Wi-Fi 802.11ad, VoLTE, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC, VoLTE
OS	Android 5.1.1 Lolipop with MIUI 7
Price	Rs 9,999/ Rs11,999

March 3, 2016

Apple’s iPhone 7 to Skip 16GB for a Possible 256GB Variant

In news that will excite, as well as disappoint apple fans world over, the Cupertino-based tech giant according to latest reports is all set to bring its next flagship, iPhone 7 in an all new 256GB variant. What the company is going to skip on in returm is the 16GB storage variant.

This move will miff users in growing markets such as India who planned on buying the cheaper 16GB variant of the upcoming phone. The phone is expected to come in 32GB, 64GB,128GB and 256GB variants .No pricing details for the variants is avaialble currently.

Coming to the phone itself, the iPhone 7 is expected to come with an all new design scheme, and is expected to not come with a headphone jack. The phone will also be seeing a new full body speaker chamber that is expected to improve sound quality. For the rest of the specs, the phone will come with 2GB RAM,and the same TFT-LCD display. The processor on the phone should be the A9 SoC.

March 3, 2016
iPhones to get OLED Displays in 2017

According to reports from coming out of China, Cupertino-based tech giant, Apple, had reached out to rivals Samsung and LG towards the end of 2015 to strike a deal to produce OLED panels for Apple. Reports further claim that this deal with the South Korean tech companies could well run over $12 billion.

These Oled displays are expected to be for an iPhone 7s that Apple could launch in 2017, or could also be for the upcoming iPhone 7 if Apple plans to push back the date of launch a bit. The iPhone 7 is expected to come groundbreaking tech innovations and is looked as a device that Apple is banking heavily after the sub-par performance of the company in 2015.

OLED displays produce better colors, darker blacks, and offer more energy efficient operations than LCD panels have done in the past. Samsung has used AMOLED panels for many different Galaxy phones in the past several years, and probably it is time Apple also goes for the same displays.

Source

March 3, 2016
India Gets First Smart Self Cleaning Toilets

In what is a first for the country, 183 self-cleaning public eToilets have been installed in the city of Chennai. These toilets which are spread out through the city of Chennai can be located through mobiles using an Android app which not only tells you the location but also gives the user functionality to rate them, offer feedback and even suggest new places where they should be installed. Making the service truly connected, officials from the Greater Chennai Corporation use another app to remotely monitor hygiene levels, usage figures, and water availability at each toilet.

These toilets are fully automatic, and the toilet cleans itself before entry and after use. They come equipped with sensors for exhaust fan and light. The toilets flush with only 1.5 litres of water after 3 minutes of use, and with 4.5 litres if the usage period is longer. It also washes the floor automatically after five or ten rounds.

To top things off, these toilets are eco-friendly and waste treatment is carried out using anaerobic biodegradation. One of its models, the e-Lite 14, is powered by solar panels to eliminate the use of electricity.

Cost of these toilets are a bit on the upper side, at approximately Rs 4,50,000, but these could very well be great solutions to our cities sanitation and hygiene problems.

March 2, 2016

Author: Sushant Talwar

Specs

Galaxy S7

Galaxy S7 Edge

Specs

Galaxy S7

Galaxy S7 Edge

Specs

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3