Redmi is one of the most renowned company in the Asian market. The company is a Xiaomi subsidiary and has historically focused heavily in the mid to affordable segment of smartphones. It has seen massive success in these ranges, especially with the Note series. Now, its latest entry named Redmi Note 8 has its designs leaked which showcases a quad camera setup.
Redmi Note 8
The new camera setup would be a first in Redmi’s series of mid range smartphones. The company’s General Manager shared a post on Weibo which had a video that confirmed the mass production of a 64MP quad camera smartphone. Previously, we had separately reported on a 64MP camera on a Redmi device and a rumour on the Note 8. Now, it seems that it might just be one and the same.
According to a leaked render, the rear of the smartphone features a vertical camera setup that consists of quad camera sensors. It is identical to the mass production video of a smartphone shared online. Hence, it seemingly confirms that the Redmi Note 8 will feature a 64MP quad camera setup. Notably, the confirmation of the 64MP quad camera smartphone arrived half a month prior but didn’t reveal the name.
Design
The image leaked of the Redmi Note 8 portrays a vertically stacked triple camera module flanked by a fourth sensor on the left side. On top of the lone fourth sensor is a dual tone LED flash. The back carries the signature Redmi branding with a “designed by Xiaomi” tag. It can be observed that the left of the device houses the the volume rockers while the right features the power button. Furthermore, there is no indication of a rear mounted fingerprint scanner. So, it is likely to feature an in display fingerprint scanner.
The Redmi Note 8 will arrive in gradient colour schemes, as seen in the image. Additionally, the Note 8 Pro variant could be the first smartphone to sport the Helio G90T SoC which is a gaming centric chipset. Unfortunately, the exact launch date and specifications regarding the Note 8 are still a mystery. The smartphone is yet to be made official with any announcements either so users could take this report with a grain of salt. More updates are expected to arrive soon, so stay tuned.
OnePlus is known for keeping close to popular media and trends. Previously, the company had unveiled a Star Wars version of the OnePlus 5T which enabled pseudo holographic easter eggs. Since then, the company has collaborated with other big names, such as Marvel, for its Avengers edition as well. Now, it was discovered a while back that the Fnatic game mode has a hidden Easter Egg that gives three unique wallpapers.
OnePlus 5T: Star Wars Edition
Fnatic Game Mode
Fnatic is an esports organization which trains and has many teams for different games that compete professionally at international levels. Fnatic as an esports name is one of the best and most renowned in the industry. It has collaborated with OnePlus for many esports related tournament and even made an appearance in the latter’s smartphones. OnePlus with its latest iterations (OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro) introduced Fnatic Gaming mode which enhanced the gaming experience on its flagships. The easter egg went unnoticed for a while now but has been finally uncovered
OnePlus 6: Avenger’s Edition
Steps To Get The Fnatic Easter Egg
Open Settings to get to Utilities and then Gaming Mode.
Locate Fnatic Game Mode and click on it.
Now, users will be taken to the Fnatic mode which has the logo of the organization. Tap on it 5 times.
After this, users will get a type prompt in which they must input “alwaysfnatic” without the quotes.
You’re done! Just select view in wallpapers to add the new wallpapers on your default stock gallery to apply them.
It should be noted that the feature is also available on OnePlus 6 and 6T owners. However, you must update your smartphone to the latest OxygenOS 9.0.16 build. The feature was first found on the latest generation from OnePlus but the predecessors are now compatible as well. Check out the new feature and let us know in the comments section down below if you liked it.
After almost a year, OnePlus has finally decided the official name for its range of smart televisions. OnePlus TV had its nomenclature decided after taking in naming entries from its community forums. The smart TV has been in the works for a while now and its name was confirmed today by a spokesperson through official channels.
In the announcement, OnePlus also revealed the logo for OnePlus TV. It is the signature OnePlus logo found on its range of smartphones alongside the word “TV.” The post shared on the OnePlus Community forum site/app thereon went to describe the reason for the logo design as well. Apparently, the company was inspired by the classical art forms from the Hindu culture, the mandala, and ancient Greek temples.
Additionally, the company is keeping its promise and awarding the winners of its “Name It” contest with various contestants. Those that participated and suggested the name OnePlus TV will receive prizes with the first person suggesting it receive a big surprise.
Unfortunately, the news regarding the OnePlus TV gives out no additional features. It is almost anti-climatic considering it has been a year since its announcement and we have only been given just the official branding. Previously, the Chinese brand was found to be certified with Bluetooth SIG which implies Bluetooth connectivity as well. Furthermore, certain reports have pointed to both LCD and LED display panels on the OnePlus TV lineup.
It is rumoured that the OnePlus TV will arrive in sizes between 43 to 75 inches and will launch around September end. Unfortunately, the reports are still unconfirmed and will have to wait for an official announcement for more details. Stay tuned for updates that are expected to be available in the arriving weeks.
Previously, Amazon had mistakenly revealed to the world, the pricing and specifications regarding a Motorola smartphone. The device in question was the Moto One Action which was accidentally listed on its site before an official launch. Now, the mishap has been repeated once again with a different smartphone, the upcoming Moto One Zoom.
Moto One Zoom
The highlighting feature of the Moto One Zoom is clearly its camera. It has a quad rear camera setup with the main sensor having a resolution of 48MP. Furthermore, the camera features OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) alongside a telephoto lens. According to the leaked images, the label on the back reveals an 81mm telephoto lens with a 3x zoom. On the other hand, the 13mm lens is an ultrawide angle lens while the final camera is most likely to be a depth sensor.
The Moto One Zoom features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 675 SoC which is faster than the Exynos 9609 found in the One Action and One Vision. It has 128GB of internal storage which is coupled with 4GB of RAM. It also supports memory expansion via a microSD card bu the expansion capacity is unknown as of now. Moreover, it features a 3.5 mm headphone jack which several flagship devices have done away with.
Price, Availability & OS
Notably, the Moto One Zoom will not be a part of the series signature ‘Android One’ program for some undisclosed reason. Instead, the company has included a special Alexa integration and other Amazon customizations. It implies that an Amazon exclusive online partnership can be expected in certain regions.
According to the listing, the Moto One Zoom is priced at EUR 400 (approx. INR 31,700) which we feel is quite expensive. In comparison, the Redmi Note 7 Pro with similar specs is currently available for INR 13,999. Hence, we will have to wait and see if the company confirms this price or drops it prior launch. It is also expected to arrive in multiple colours out of which purple and grey have been confirmed. Unfortunately, the launch date has yet to be announced but an imminent launch is expected. Stay tuned for more information that is should arrive soon.
In 2019, it is fairly common to see most smartphone featuring noticeably thin bezels than what was the norm before. Smartphone now features a lot of new designs to achieve all time high average of the screen to body ratio. A few OEMs employ notched display to house the camera and essential sensors while a few go for punch hole camera. Now, Motorola is reportedly working on an upcoming smartphone with a notchless display which is likely to feature a pop-up camera.
Moto One Vision
Design
Motorola, for the most part, has dropped a lot of the thick chins and bezels on its current generation of smartphones. The company’s latest releases reflect this with the punch hole designs found on the Moto One Vision and Moto One Action (upcoming). According to the leak, an image of an unknown Motorola smartphone was shared on Twitter. In the image, we observe a smartphone which has minimal bezels on the top and side. Notably, the bottom has a slight chin which also houses the company’s branding.
The right side of the Motorola smartphone features the volume rockers and power button while the left is seamless. It is speculated that the smartphone is likely to feature a pop-up camera mechanism for selfies. Unfortunately, the finer details regarding the smartphone are still at large. Furthermore, the leak hasn’t specified anything apart from giving us the first look of an upcoming device.
Motorola is set to launch a few smartphones in the arriving weeks. Moto One Zoom is one of them and so is the Moto One Action. We have covered both smartphone and know the general design, however, Moto One Macro is still a mystery. Hence, it is quite possible that the One Macro or another yet to be revealed smartphone will feature a pop-up camera.
The Realme 3i is finally going on sale today (13th August 2019) at 12 pm (IST). The smartphone was unveiled on 15th June alongside Realme X and is a budget offering from the company. It is a watered-down variant of the Realme 3 which was launched back in March. Now, the smartphone is available for purchase through the company’s official website and on Flipkart.
Realme 3i Specs
On the front, Realme 3i sports a 6.22-inch display that has an HD+ resolution. It also features a waterdrop notch up top which houses the selfie camera. The rear panel of the Realme 3i accommodates the dual rear camera setup, Realme branding and a slightly recessed Fingerprint sensor. The rear camera setup consists of an f/1.8 aperture equipped 13 MP sensor and a 2 MP sensor. The smartphone also supports Nightscape mode which allows in capturing well-lit images even in places which are dark or have poor lighting conditions
The Redmi 3i features the Helio P60 SoC, an Octa-Core CPU, with Mali-G72 MP3 GPU. The device is powered by a large 4,230 mAh battery which can be charged with 10 watts of maximum power. It runs on Color OS 6.0 which is built on top of the latest Android 9.0 Pie. For connectivity, the Realme 3i include Dual 4G VoLTE, 802.11 ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, 3.5 mm audio jack and Micro USB port for charging and data transfer.
The Realme 3i is available in three colour options which include Diamond Black, Diamond Blue and Diamond Red. It is offered in two storage variants for which the price is as follows:
3 GB RAM + 32 GB ROM – Rs 7,999
4 GB RAM + 64 GB ROM – Rs 9,999
The smartphone also accepts memory cards up to 256 GB via the dedicated microSD slot and is available for purchase as of right now. Buyers can buy the smartphone from Flipkart or through Realme’s official website.
Since the past month, Realme had been teasing a couple of exciting new features for its upcoming range of smartphones. It includes a 64MP camera handset which will make it debut in India alongside a quad camera setup. Previously, we had confirmed, for the most part, that it would be the Realme 5 series. Now, the official launch date has finally been revealed on the online shopping site Flipkart.
Realme 5
The company is promoting the upcoming sale with the “Join the real 5quad” tagline. The image features a quad-camera module which was already confirmed previously in the Realme event earlier this month. Furthermore, while we had speculated that the camera would be a 64MP primary shooter, it has now also been confirmed to not be the case. The 64MP shooting smartphone will arrive just before 27th October on Diwali. It implies that the Realme 5 will have a smaller sensor which is likely to be a 48MP sensor.
Launch Date & Specs
Unfortunately, the devices in question are shrouded in mystery. Realme 5’s exact internal specs are still unknown and it seems that it will only be unveiled at the time of its launch. Furthermore, the camera module is expected to house an ultra-wide-angle lens, Super Macro camera and a depth sensor alongside the primary shooter. The smartphones will launch at 12:00 pm (IST) and are expected to be priced similar to its predecessor’s Realme 3. Number 4 is considered unlucky in China and is hence skipped.
The relatively new brand Realme has quickly grown in size to become one of the top 10 smartphone brands in India. The company has made a notable impact on the affordable and mid-range segments in the country and is one of Xiaomi’s biggest competitors. Its upcoming generation will have many new and exciting features and should help in growing the company’s userbase. Stay tuned for more updates regarding Realme 5 series.
It was previously reported that Apple is planning on launching multiple variants of its 2019 iPad Pro. The devices are expected to feature notable improvements over their predecessors and add better overall functionality with iPadOS. Now, it is reported that one of the iPad Pro variants will feature a triple camera setup at the rear, a first for the company or any tablet in general.
iPadOS
Till now, photography is the one department which wasn’t exactly the focus of Apple iPads. However, it may soon change with the upcoming iterations. According to multiple sources, Apple is expected to add additional sensors in both iPad Pro and base iPad. The 10.2 inch iPad is rumoured to feature a dual-camera setup while the Pro variant will receive three image sensors. Earlier this year, the company updated its existing iPad Mini and iPad Air and is expected to bring new versions of iPad and iPad Pros by year-end.
The 2019 iPhone is also receiving a similar upgrade with its square triple camera module. The base iPad will probably feature the dual-camera system similar to 2019 iPhone XR while the flagship sensors will also be found on the iPad Pro. The new sensors will enable the smartphone to utilize their augmented reality functionality better. Furthermore, it is expected that the new camera setup will include a telephoto and wide-angle lens alongside the primary sensor.
The upgrades will be a notable improvement considering this is Apple’s first attempt at a better photograpic experience on the iPad. Historically, every model of iPad that have been released has always featured a decent performing single camera. It is yet to be seen if the front camera also features a notable upgrade. More information is expected to arrive soon, so stay tuned.
PUBG Mobile is one of the most successful smartphone games currently available. The game reached a large player base extremely early after its initial launch and is now dabbling in the competitive scene as well. In July, the PUBG Mobile Club Open (PMCO) 2019 finals were held in Berlin. It had worlds best players battle it out for victory including Indian teams as well. In the event, Tencent Corp also announced Erangel 2.0, a step towards the PUBG Story.
What’s new?
In the video shared, the company will be making major changes in the overall changes in the visual design of PUBG Mobile. We can observe a lot of changes in the map which is demonstrated with Yasnaya Polyana, Mylta Power and Prison. However, it is not yet confirmed if the new changes will affect PUBG Mobiles performance since the additions seem graphically taxing. At first glance, the following changes are noticeable:
The maps now feature more overgrown grass and flora taking over roads and towns.
Speaking of towns, they now seem more lifelike and actually feel as they were occupated in the past.
The maps now feature a lot of military vehicles from the past and impacts that portray its war-torn past.
The overall details surrounding the map see a lot more depth included in PUBG Mobile.
Notably, the overall mood is more vibrant with a big switch from deciduous to an evergreen type of environment.
Previously, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, the original PC version, was slated to receive a massive overhaul to its first map. The changes were being introduced to also include a narrative direction to the massively popular game. It would also be a part of the games season 4. Now, PUBG Mobile is also following suit with a similar update. The new update is apparently made to bring the map more in line with the others whilst linking a supposed backstory. According to the teaser, the PUBG map is based on a war-torn reality and the “battlegrounds” are a sport to be the last survivor. Hence, we can soon expect PUBG Mobile to also include a narrative which is arriving soon on PUBG for PC.
2019 has been one of the best years for gamers. The PC market is booming and lowest ever pricing on consoles have made gaming more affordable. Furthermore, the options for game choices have risen as well. The year-end is generally where the biggest names alongside the most number of games are released. So here are our Top 10 upcoming AAA games to keep a note on:
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
It has been about 12 years since the original Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare released. Earlier this year, Activision gave many gamers a glimpse of hope at the revival of the beloved series with a reboot of a new pedigree. The upcoming game is simply being referred to as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and seeks to spiritually carry forward the original series message on the global rising tensions. It features the signature first-person shooting mechanics that the game is widely known for in its multiplayer and campaign modes. Notably, the game is the target of many controversies regarding its portrayal of reality so the single-player might just be the highlight of this entry.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One
Release Date: 25th October 2019
Doom: Eternal
In 2016, ID Software released Doom 2016 which was a soft reboot of the original series. The first person run and gun game is one of the progenitors of the genre itself. In other words, the legendary status that the series holds is ubiquitous amongst gamers worldwide. Now, the studio is all set to release the sequel to the popular title aptly named as Doom: Eternal. The game will feature fast-paced action, crisp shooting mechanics and a lot of gore. So gamers beware!
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch
Release date: 22nd November 2019
Death Stranding
Death Stranding is an upcoming game made by the legendary game creator Hideo Kojima. It is his first game after parting ways with Kojima productions and the beloved Metal Gear franchise. The game features many A-Grade Hollywood stars like Norman Reedus from the Walking Dead series and has already generated a lot of hype. The game will be an action/thriller title and will feature breathtaking visuals in open-world settings. Its story is still a mystery but its teasers videos have intrigued the world all the more.
Platforms: PC (TBC), PlayStation 4
Release date: PS4 – 8th November 2019, PC – TBC (To Be Confirmed)
Control
Do you remember the failed game Quantum Break? Well, it’s unimportant if you don’t but the game had laid the foundation for a lot of mechanics that will be featured in Control. The title is heavily being marketed under the Ray Tracing capabilities of NVIDIA’s RTX Series graphics card and features gorgeous visuals. It has mechanics that bend the actual fabrics of reality, time and space whilst squeezing in a third-person shooter. The trailers seem promising. Remedy Entertainment, the studio behind Max Payne and Alan Wake, has made a title that will make even the best gaming rigs break a sweat.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One
Release Date: 27th August 2019
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint
The latest entry in the popular franchise Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon is arriving with the Breakpoint. Ubisoft Montreal, one of the largest game studios and publishers, showcased the game on E3 2019. It also features known Hollywood star Jon Bernthal who is most famously known for his role as The Punisher. The game will feature the tried and true Ghost Recon mechanics that include futuristic gadgets and technology. It is an RPG styled shooter which will be set on a large map with objectives that can be cleared according to players’ will.
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One, Google Stadia
Release Date: 4th October 2019
Gears of War 5
Gears of War series is one of the fan favourites titles from the Xbox console. It was popular since the original Xbox 360 and was renowned for its gruesome and morbid settings and tense shooter style gameplay. Many loyal fans who were surprised with the storyline of the previous titles are in for another surprise. In the game, the protagonist shifts from JD Phoenix to former sidekick Kait. It is yet to be seen how gamers react to the gameplay but for now, it is still got us waiting for a chance to mow down the locusts again.
Platforms: PC, Xbox One
Release Date: 10th September 2019
Borderlands 3
After too long a wait, Gearbox studios is finally giving gamers the third entry in the Borderlands franchise. The third game follows a philosophy similar to its predecessors with the renowned co-op style quirky looter shooter genre. The post-apocalyptic settings combined with diverse enemies which are a mix of humans and mutants promises fun gameplay overall. It also features a bevvy of new guns that will have you equipped for the most gruelling of situations as well.
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release date: 13th September 2019
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
EA’s Star Wars title have been the target of a lot of controversy for its predatory monetary practices. The company in its last-ditch effort has announced Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order but here is the catch. It is being developed by Respawn Entertainment, the studio behind the popular battle royale game Apex Legends. It is a third-person based single-player game which aims at breathing life to the iconic Star Wars universe. The protagonist is a hiding Jedi that aims to live through Order 66 that has him painted as a target by the Imperial Army.
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release date: 15th November 2019
The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds is a game that takes heavy influence from many past AAA titles. However, it does not mean that isn’t a breath of fresh air for us. The game is a first person RPG from Obsidian Entertainment which is famous for Fallout: New Vegas. To best describe the game, combine Fallout series settings and space exploration. It is highly recommended to be tried out if you are a fan of Borderlands, Rage or even Fallout. Players will encounter all sorts of species that will either be hostile or extremely welcoming. Be on the lookout for this one.
The last game is one of the personal favourites in this list. GTFO is a Co-Op centric first-person shooter with great visuals and emphasis on team play. In other words, you and your friends get to have a survival shooting experience together. A great game for hours of fun and is noticeably influenced by Left 4 Dead 2. You’ll need nerves of steel and Shroud-like aim for this one.
In the past couple of years, game streaming has becoming massively successful. Twitch, one of the largest streaming platform, has offered many people a chance to showcase their skills or personality. Now, Discord is offering much of the same functionality, but to those that wish to have a closed and smaller viewership with Go Live.
Discord
Discord is a voice chat application that is extremely popular amongst gamers. It is an online voice chat application that allows for commnication between teammates or friends whilst they are playing a game. One of the reasons for its popularities is its quirky UI which is filled to the brim with features. It is available for Android, iOS and Windows. Hence, it a great app even gamers that play PUBG Mobile on their smartphones.
Go Live
Previously, users could share their gameplay with their friends in private calls. Now, Discord is introducing the much need feature named Go Live that makes the same possible but for a broader audience. No, it is not turning into the next Twitch like Mixer. It is just allowing for a more closed and interactive experience for its large userbase. It is an exciting new feature and holds potential for a lot of fun to critique your friends in game skills.
The feature can be accessed after joining any channel in the app and is an extension to he screen sharing feature mentioned above. The streams quality is automatically set at 720p but paid subscribers are offered more options. Nitro Classic subscribers will be able to stream on 1080p at 60fps while Nitro subs are able to stream on 4K at 60fps.
The Go Live update is available for both the desktop app or directly via the browser website. Unfortunately, the feature is yet to be announced for Android. It is expected to arrive on the 15th August 2019. Discord is an application which free and also offers a premium service as well. Here is a link to the app for those who wish to try it out. Stay tuned for more.
In January of 2019, Samsung introduced its new Galaxy M series range of smartphones. The main focus of this lineup was to regain its lost market share in India’s highly competitive budget segment. Currently, the affordable segment has the most selling units for any company and is dominated by the likes of Xiaomi. Now, the South Korean giant is reportedly launching the Galaxy M90 in Q4 of 2019 to keep its lineup robust during holiday seasons as well.
Samsung Galaxy M40
Rumoured Specifications
Previously, Samsung had launched the Galaxy M40 in June which was its most expensive iteration yet. The smartphone features the Snapdragon 675 SoC and is the most powerful entry in the series. Going by the name scheming, it can be assumed that the Galaxy M90 will be the apex predator in this lineup which may feature Snapdragon 730 SoC. The same chipset is also found in the Galaxy A80.
Samsung Galaxy A80
Furthermore, Samsung Galaxy M90 is expected to feature a bigger display, larger battery and larger storage options in comparison to existing M series smartphones. It is also believed to feature a triple of quad-camera setup on the rear. Samsung is known for its Android 9 Pie based One UI and the M90 will likely feature the same. Notably, Android Q is just around the corner and the device will probably receive an update a couple of months post its launch to One UI 2.
Samsung Galaxy M30
Diwali Launch
According to the report, Galaxy M90 will arrive in multiple variants including SM-M905F. It is also confirmed to be internally codenamed as R6. Unfortunately, the exact specifications of the device are still a mystery, although, its launch is expected to happen around Diwali. It implies that the Samsung handset may arrive just prior to the end of November.
Samsung needs to make an impressive impact with the Galaxy M90 to stay competitively viable in this segment. It will need to price the device accordingly as well considering Xiaomi has just launched its Redmi K20 series. Xiaomi generally drops prices for its smartphone during holiday sales as well, so Samsung should be wary of its pricing. Conclusively, it remains to be seen if Samsung introduces a well featured-packed phone or a really affordable one to stay relevant.
In 2019, the smartphone industry saw a bump in the overall megapixel count for smartphone cameras. The latest models featured 48MP sensors while most flagships from 2018 didn’t even cross the 20MP mark. Xiaomi is now seeking to take things a step further with components supplied by Samsung. The latest innovation is seeing the South Korean giant push the bounds once again with a 108MP sensor. It trumps the company’s unreleased 64MP GW1 camera sensor as well.
This just in! Two big pieces of news from Xiaomi's Images of the Future Conference: Redmi and Samsung Electronics jointly announced a 64MP camera Xiaomi and Samsung Electronics teased an upcoming 100MP ultra high-resolution camera RT if you're excited for this new era of cameras! pic.twitter.com/f88OpJfdIS
A few companies like Realme and Xiaomi will employ the GW1 Samsung sensors on their upcoming smartphones. Samsung’s GW1 sensor features ISOCELL Plus technology which uses the large megapixel count to help reduce noise and improve overall image quality in low light scenarios. It is speculated that the Mi Mix 4 will feature the new camera module and will be available by the end of 2019.
Mi Mix 4
Xiaomi Smartphone With 108MP Sensor
Xiaomi went on Twitter to boast of the capabilities of the sensor and also to announce the collaboration. According to the tweet, Samsung is confirmed to be working on a 108MP sensor that will debut in an upcoming Xiaomi smartphone. It has the highest resolution of any smartphone camera to date with a picture resolution of 12032 x 9024px. Notably, it is still capable of capturing 27MP images even with 2x digital zoom. The massive sensor size of the camera will enable it to capture to detailed and well exposed even in low light.
It remains to be seen how the camera actually performs in real-life testing. Although, it does sound extremely promising. The upcoming 64MP camera Xiaomi smartphone is expected to arrive in Q4 of 2019. Unfortunately, it is more uncertain regarding when the 108MP sensor would actually be seen. It is expected that the sensor could be seen in certain flagships in Q3-Q4 of 2020 or in early 2021.
On 17th July 2019, Xiaomi launched its long-awaited Mi A3 smartphone. The mid range device made its debut in Spain and succeeded the Mi A2 which was launched in the year 2018. Previously, it was uncertain if the device would see an Indian launch. Now, a launch date for the same has been revealed, the device will be sold from 23rd August 2019.
Xiaomi Mi A3
Similar to its predecessors, the latest iteration is also Android One certified which means it is guaranteed to receive major software updates for two years and security updates for three years. The Xiaomi Mi A3 is based on the Mi CC9e but unfortunately features no real upgrades. It means that it also sports a 6.01 inch OLED display with a 1560 x 720px resolution; a downgrade from the Mi A2 that featured a 1080p panel. The device is equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 665 Soc which is paired with 4GB of RAM. Internal storage is offered in two variants including 64GB and 128GB. It also supports memory expansion up too 256GB via a microSD card.
One of the key defining features of the device is undoubtedly its triple rear camera setup. The Xiaomi Mi A3 sports a 48MP primary camera alongside 8MP wide-angle lens and a 2MP depth sensor. The front of the device houses a 32MP camera sensor for clicking selfies. It is capable of recording 4K videos at 30fps with the rear camera. Furthermore, the front camera only supports capturing 1080p videos at 30fps. Slo-Mo recording is also present on the device.
Additionally, Xiaomi’s Mi A3 has another significant upgrade over its predecessor which is the larger 4030mAh battery. The handset is capable of 18W fast charging, however, only a 10W power adapter is bundled in the box and the former must be bought separately. Xiaomi listened to last years criticism and brought back the 3.5mm headphone jack which was absent in the last years Mi A2.
The Xiaomi Mi A3 is currently available in Europe and is priced at EUR 249 (approx. INR 19,300) for the 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM variant while the 4GB RAM + 128GB ROM version is priced at EUR 280 (approx. INR 21,600). It is offered in three different colour variants that include ‘Just Blue’, ‘More Than White’ and ‘Kind of Gray’. Reportedly, an Indian launch date for the Xiaomi Mi A3 will be on 23rd August 2019. Unfotunately, we can only wait for an official company announcement to cement the claim, so stay tuned.
At Realme’s Camera Innovation Event on 8th August, the company gave out a few features to be expected on its upcoming smartphones. The brand which was previously an Oppo subsidiary has grown to be one of the top 10 company since its relatively short run in the industry. Now, the brand has confirmed that its next-gen Realme Pro and Realme X series of the smartphone will feature quad cameras. They are also confirmed to launch before Diwali.
The company’s official Twitter handle and a few of its top executives have been pushing the phrase dare to leap. The “leap” was to describe the jump to quad-camera technology. In the event, the company confirmed that the Realme 3 and X series will have successors that feature quad cameras. Notably, Realme X was just launched in July and is speculated to receive a Pro variant soon. Previously, a 64MP smartphone had been teased by the company that was speculated to be the Realme 5 or 5 Pro.
Realme X
In April, it was reported that Realme would soon launch a flagship smartphone with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 or 855+. It now remains to be seen which device in the various lineups features the top end mobile chipset. After the event, the company also shared its future plans on Twitter. According to the images shared, the quad cameras are set up in a vertical manner on the top left on all three series. Furthermore, the images also hint at an in-display fingerprint scanner since no physical sensor is visible on the rear.
The new Full-Function Quad Camera System on our smartphones will be packed with various features like Ultra Resolution, Super Wide Angle, Ultra Macro and Ultra Nightscape to provide our users an excellent camera experience.#LeapToQuadCamera#realme#CameraInnovationeventpic.twitter.com/HxFteRN0wK
Furthermore, Realme has also unveiled camera features such Ultra Resolution, Super Wide Angle, Ultra Macro, Telephoto Lens, Portrait Mode, Expert Mode, Panorama Mode, Ultra Nightscape Mode and Chroma Boost. Unfortunately, the exact launch date of the smartphone is still uncertain. However, we can expect them to launch sometime between now and October 27th 2019. It remains to be seen if the latest iterations launch together or separately.
