Author: Vipul Vij

Unboxing The Honor 10
Honor has launched the Honor 10 at an event in London. The Honor 10 will be available in two variants. The Honor 10 will be available in only one variant in India. The smartphone will have 6GB RAM and 128GB storage and will be priced at Rs 32999. The Honor 10 will be available via Flipkart exclusively.

Succeeding the popular Honor 9, the Honor 10 has flagship specifications and an all-glass design. The smartphone also features a notch on the display like a lot of other modern-day Android smartphones. The colour variants are also very interesting with the Honor 10. Two of the colour variants have a dual-tone colour of blue and pink and in the images at least, looks pretty fantastic. The fingerprint reader like expected is not embedded inside the display, instead, it is an invisible ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that can also detect a wet finger.

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Inside the box of the Honor 10
- Honor 10
- Documentation
- Sim Ejector Tool
- Wall Charger
- USB C Cable
[section label=”Initial Impressions”]

The Honor 10 takes a lot of design cues from the Huawei P20 Pro. The notch on the display is the same size as the P20 Pro and the all-glass design is reminiscent of the Huawei flagship smartphone. Right off the bat, you’ll realise that this a slippery phone thanks to its build quality. The glass finish means that the back of the device is also a fingerprint sensor. It is best adviced to either use a case or a skin for a better grip.

The front of the smartphone is dominated by the 5.84 inch IPS LCD display with a 2280 x 1080 px resolution. The notch can be hidden using software which will turn the display into an 18:9 aspect ratio.

Running everything under the hood is the company’s own flagship SoC, the HiSilicon Kirin 970. That is coupled with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage. The flagship chipset can handle anything you throw at it and day-to-day usage is a breeze. The Honor 10 runs a highly customised version of Android 8.1 Oreo. For users who crave an app drawer and stock Android, there is always the Pixel Launcher.

Powering the smartphone is a 3400 mAh battery which charges via a USB C port. It is worth noting that despite having a glass back, the smartphone does not support wireless charging. It is SuperCharge compatible which should charge the phone faster than usual.

Honor has also touted AI capabilities of the Honor 10. AI seems to have become a very marketable term for smartphone makers these days. According to Honor, AI 2.0 can detect dynamic pictures more accurately. The phone’s AI 2.0 can also process Prisma-like image effects twice as fast as the iPhone X.

The smartphone has a dual-camera setup on the back, consisting of a 16MP RGB sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and a 24MP Monochrome sensor. The rear cameras record 4K videos at 30fps. The notch on the display, along with the sensors and an earpiece, also houses a 24MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture. The front-camera only records 1080P videos at 30fps.
May 15, 2018
Honor 10 Launched In India For Rs 32999

Huawei’s sub-brand Honor launched the Honor 10 in China on April 19th. At an event in London on May 15th, the company globally launched its new flagship smartphone. The Honor 10 will be available in only one variant in India. The smartphone will have 6GB RAM and 128GB storage and will be priced at Rs 32999. The Honor 10 will be available via Flipkart exclusively.

Like a lot of Android smartphones in 2018, the Honor 10 also has a notch on the display. The notch is smaller compared to the iPhone X and resembles the notch found on the Huawei P20 Pro and LG G7 ThinQ. The smartphone has an all-glass build with an aluminium frame giving it a premium and modern look.

Must Read: Lenovo’s Next Flagship Smartphone Will Be Tailor-Made For Notch Haters

The colour variants are also very interesting with the Honor 10. Two of the colour variants have a dual-tone colour of blue and pink and in the images at least, looks pretty fantastic. The fingerprint reader like expected is not embedded inside the display, instead, it is an invisible ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that can also detect a wet finger. It is also front-facing since it is housed inside the chin of the smartphone.

The Honor 10 has a 5.84 inch IPS LCD display with a 2280 x 1080 px resolution. The 19:9 aspect ratio will come in handy when users decide to hide the notch, forcing the display into a conventional 18:9 aspect ratio.

The new flagship smartphone runs on the HiSilicon Kirin 970 chipset, the same chipset found on the Huawei P20 Pro. The chipset is coupled with 6GB of RAM with 128GB of non-user expandable storage. There is a dual SIM slot but, no space for a microSD card. However, 128GB storage should suffice for most people, if not 64GB. Powering the smartphone is a 3400 mAh battery with SuperCharge compatibility.

Honor also claims that the Honor 10’s dual-camera setup has a lot of AI capabilities. The company is betting big on the device’s AI capabilities, which Honor is calling “AI 2.0.” According to Honor, AI 2.0 can detect dynamic pictures more accurately. The phone’s AI 2.0 can also process Prisma-like image effects twice as fast as the iPhone X.

The smartphone has a dual-camera setup on the back, consisting of a 16MP RGB sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and a 24MP Monochrome sensor. The rear cameras record 4K videos at 30fps. The notch on the display, along with the sensors and an earpiece, also houses a 24MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture. The front-camera only records 1080P videos at 30fps.

The Honor 10 has a great build quality and design with impressive specifications. The smartphone will take on the OnePlus 6 in the Indian market.

May 15, 2018
Honor 10

Huawei’s sub-brand Honor has launched the Honor 10 at an event in London.

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Latest News

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Videos

May 15, 2018

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Vs Realme 1

OPPO has unveiled its new sub-brand in India, Realme. Under the brand, the first smartphone, Realme 1 was launched on May 15th. The smartphone will be available in three variants, one with 3GB RAM/32GB storage, second with 4GB RAM/64GB storage and the third with 6GB RAM/128GB storage. It is an Amazon-exclusive device and the first sale will be on the 25th of May and commence at 12 noon. The smartphone has a starting price tag of Rs 8990 for the 3GB RAM variant.

At the launch event, the Realme 1 was constantly compared to a few Redmi devices such as the Redmi Note 5 and Note 5 Pro. The company’s name itself sort of resembles Redmi and that cannot be a coincidence. At a starting price of Rs 8990, the Realme 1 is cheaper than the likes of Honor 9 Lite and Redmi Note 5. However, the company has decided to give a few features a miss for the Realme 1 which can be damming for many consumers.

The Realme 1 has a unique finish on the back which looks much better than the Redmi Note 5. The Note 5 continues to have a similar build quality and design as previous Redmi note devices. Both the smartphones have a single camera setup on the back. The Redmi Note 5, however, has a fingerprint sensor as well while the Realme 1 does not have a fingerprint sensor.

Neither of the two smartphones runs stock Android. The Realme 1 runs ColorOS 5.0 on top Android 8.1 Oreo while the Redmi Note 5 Pro has the MIUI 9 on top of Android 7 Nougat. At least, the Realme 1 runs the latest software here.

The Realme 1 has a 13MP camera on the back along with an 8MP front-facing camera. The Redmi Note 5, on the other hand, has a 12MP primary camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a 5MP secondary camera with beautify 3.0 software.

Specifications

Specifcations	Realme 1	Redmi Note 5
Price	Rs 8990 (base variant)	Rs 9999 (base variant)
Display	6 inch	5.99 inch IPS LCD
Resolution	2160 x 1080 px 18:9 aspect ratio	2160 x 1080 px 18:9 aspect ratio
Battery	3410 mAh	4000 mAh
Chipset	MediaTek MT6771 Helio P60 Octa-core 4 x ARM Cortex-A73 up 2.0 GHz 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 up to 2.0GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 2.0GHz Octa-core
RAM	3GB/4GB/6GB	3GB/4GB
Storage	32GB/64GB/128GB	32GB/64GB
Primary Camera	13MP	12MP f/2.2
Primary Camera Video	1080P	4K @ 30fps
Secondary Camera	8MP Portrait Mode	5MP LED Flash
Add-Ons	Face Unlock	Fingerprint Sensor Face Unlock

May 15, 2018

OPPO Realme 1 Launched In India Starting Rs 8990

OPPO has unveiled its new sub-brand for India, Realme. Under the new brand, the company has launched the Realme 1 in India at a starting price of Rs 8990. The smartphone will be available in three variants, one with 3GB RAM/32GB storage, second with 4GB RAM/64GB storage and the third with 6GB RAM/128GB storage. It is an Amazon-exclusive device and the first sale will be on the 25th of May and commence at 12 noon.

The OPPO Realme 1 is an interesting device with a few peculiar decisions taken by the company. Two of the most popular features of a budget smartphone, dual-camera setup and fingerprint sensor are both missing from the smartphone. This can be a deal breaker for many as a fingerprint sensor has become a norm for any smartphone these days.

The Realme 1 has a 6 inch display with a 2160 x 1080 px resolution. This translates into an 18:9 aspect ratio which has become increasingly common these days.

The smartphone runs on the MediaTek MT6771 Helio P60 chipset coupled with 3GB/4GB/6GB RAM and 32GB/64GB/128GB storage. The onboard storage is expandable via a microSD card in case you run out of the onboard storage provided. Powering the smartphone is 3410 mAh battery which charges via a micro USB slot.

The Realme 1 runs Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box with ColorOS 5.0 on top. The custom skin is very similar to skins by Chinese smartphone makers, there is no app drawer and you’ll barely notice the version of Android because of the heavy customisation. There OPPO Cloud for people to store their data on the internet instead of their devices. Clone Apps will let consumers use two separate accounts of the same app, which can come in handy for a lot of people.

Must Read: Unboxing The Huawei P20 Lite

The smartphone also misses out on a dual-camera setup, again, a feature that has become the norm. It has a 13MP camera on the back along with an 8MP front-facing camera.

At a starting price of Rs 8990, the Realme 1 is a great competitor for the Redmi Note 5. However, you do miss out on a fingerprint sensor on the Realme 1. The sale of the smartphone begins on May 25th via Amazon.

Buy The Realme 1 Here

May 15, 2018
Unboxing The OPPO Realme 1
Realme is an OPPO sub-brand which will launch its first smartphone in India, the Realme 1 on May 15th. The device will be an Amazon-exclusive and its product page has a few details about the smartphone listed already. The smartphone has a starting price tag of Rs 8990 for the 3GB RAM variant.

[section label=”Unboxing”]

Inside the box of the OPPO Realme 1
- Realme 1
- Wall Charger
- Documentation
- Sim Ejector Tool
- Micro USB Cable
[section label=”Initial Impressions”]

The most striking feature of the Realme 1 is its back panel. The smartphone has a “Diamond Black” back which looks quite impressive as it reflects light differently from a different angle. This is thanks to the diamond-like cuts on the metal. It is worth noting that the back has a plain texture and that the cuts are not physical. The smartphone definitely feels hefty and won’t be the most lightweight smartphone you pick up.

To keep up with the competition, the Realme 1 has an 18:9 aspect ratio even though the bezels are quite visible and not the thinnest you’ll ever see. However, the smartphone does not have a fingerprint sensor, which is truly astonishing considering smartphones that cost Rs 7000 also have a fingerprint sensor these days.

The Realme 1 has a 6 inch display with a 2160 x 1080 px resolution. The smartphone runs on the MediaTek MT6771 Helio P60 chipset coupled with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The onboard storage is expandable via a microSD card in case you run out of the 128Gb storage provided. Powering the smartphone is 3410 mAh battery which charges via a micro USB slot.

The Realme 1 runs Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box with ColorOS 5.0 on top. The custom skin is very similar to skins by Chinese smartphone makers, there is no app drawer and you’ll barely notice the version of Android because of the heavy customisation. There OPPO Cloud for people to store their data on the internet instead of their devices. Clone Apps will let consumers use two separate accounts of the same app, which can come in handy for a lot of people.

Must Read: Unboxing The Huawei P20 Lite

The smartphone also misses out on a dual-camera setup, again, a feature that has become the norm. It has a 13MP camera on the back along with an 8MP front-facing camera.

The OPPO Realme 1 looks apart from the competition but misses out on a few key features. Stay tuned for a full review of the Realme 1!
May 15, 2018
Google One Brings Expanded Storage, Live Support To Google Drive

Ever since the Google I/O 2018 concluded, the company has been hard at work introducing new features to its services. YouTube got a new feature called ‘Take A Break’ recently while Gmail has also received some exciting new features. The company has also decided to rebrand its cloud storage service and call it Google One as well as introduce new plans. It is worth noting that it isn’t the Drive that is being rebranded but, the storage plans.

As part of the new moniker, Google has unveiled new expanded storage plans, access to live support and more storage sharing plans. The company has added a new, 200GB plan that costs US$ 2.99 per month in the US. This plan will be available along with the existing plans that start at US$1.99 for 100GB and goes all the way up to US# 299.99 for 30TB. Interestingly, Google also dropped the price of its 2TB plan from US$ 19.99 to US$ 9.99.

These storage plans are already live in the US along with other new features. In the coming months, everyone in the US will be automatically upgraded to Google One plans. The company has claimed that Google One will roll out globally in the coming months which includes India as well. As of now, the plans in India have not been upgraded and the 100GB plan remains the cheapest at Rs 130 per month.

The live support feature is also very interesting. Google already offered 24/7 support for paying business users with a G Suite account, but this is the first time the live support is offered to consumers. It is worth noting that this is an access to Google Experts for help with any Google consumer product and service. You won’t be connected with an AI bot, but a human being with the necessary knowledge and communication skills.

Going forward, users will also be able to share their storage with up to 5 family members. The company says:

Everyone gets their own private storage space as well as the additional benefits of Google One.

The new features are very useful for people who have subscribed to Google Drive. The new plans also make monetary sense for consumers and the 24/7 live support will be appreciated by many. It will be interesting to see when these features are rolled out to the rest of the world.

May 15, 2018
Nokia X Will Run On The Qualcomm Snapdragon 636

HMD Global is preparing to launch its new budget smartphone, the Nokia X in China. It is possible that it will be launched as the Nokia X6, reviving a popular moniker from the days when Nokia was the most successful phone maker. The Nokia X or Nokia X6 has been leaked in abundance so far and the new Geekbench listing confirms an important aspect of the device.

According to the Geekbench listing of the Nokia X6, the upcoming smartphone will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 chipset. The variant listed here has 6GB of RAM but, a 4GB RAM variant is also expected to launch. Nokia is known to keep the OS close to stock Android so it isn’t surprising that the X6 will run the latest version of Android OS, Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box.

The Snapdragon 636 chipset has been quite successful in devices so far. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro was the first smartphone to run on the chipset and has been well-received in India for its performance. The Redmi Note 5 pro competitor, the Asus Zenfone Max Pro also runs on the Snapdragon 636 chipset. The Nokia X6, like the Zenfone Max Pro, will also run close to stock Android OS for an even better performance of the SoC.

Must Read: Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 Vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

The X6 will sport a 5.8 inch TFT display with a 2280 x 1080 px resolution. This translates into a 19:9 aspect ratio, the same as the P20 Lite. There is also a notch on the display, which could be the reason why the smartphone has a taller aspect ratio. The vertically placed dual-camera setup is in the usual Nokia position but, the “Carl Zeiss” branding is missing.

Must Read: OnePlus 6 In White And Black Colour Variants Leaked In Live Image

It is also rumoured that the Nokia X6 will be priced at CNY 1499 (Rs 15,700 approx.), which is a great price for the specifications that the Nokia X6 has. If the X6 is launched in India and HMD Global prices at about Rs 15000, the Nokia X6 could be a great smartphone, especially with its all-glass build and design.

May 15, 2018
Xiaomi Redmi S2 To Launch In India On June 7th

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 was launched in China on the 10th of May. In China, the base model is priced at RMB 999(Rs 10500 approx.) and the other one is priced at RMB 1,299 (Rs 13800 approx.). The Redmi S2 appeared to be another China-exclusive device but, it might soon launch in India. Redmi India has taken to Twitter to announce that another selfie-centric Redmi device will launch in India on the 7th of June.

Every step in your life is defined by a selfie. Find yourself, #FindYourSelfie

The BEST selfie smartphone is arriving soon. pic.twitter.com/OeQaSAI4TZ

— Redmi India (@RedmiIndia) May 14, 2018

The teaser confirms that the soon to be launched smartphone will be a part of Redmi’s Y series. The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 and Y1 Lite were launched in November and were the first “selfie-centric” devices from the company. The Redmi S2, which is expected to launch as the Redmi Y2 will be the third iteration in the series. We expect the RedmS2 (Redmi Y2) to be priced at about Rs 9000. The smartphone will slot between the Redmi 5 and Redmi Note 5.

The Redmi S2 takes a lot of design cues from other Xiaomi smartphones launched in 2018. It has the same vertically place dual-camera setup found on the Mi MIX 2s and Redmi Note 5 Pro. The aluminium unibody design is also familiar along with a circular fingerprint sensor placed on the back of the smartphone.

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 has a 5.99 inch IPS LCD display with a 1440 x 720 px resolution. This translates into an 18:9 aspect ratio which has become the norm for even budget smartphones.

Must Read: Xiaomi Redmi 5 Launched in India For Rs 7,999

Under the hood, the Redmi S2 runs on the Snapdragon 625 chipset, a tried and tested SoC for Xiaomi. That chipset is coupled with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM along with either 32GB or 64GB of storage which is expandable via a microSD card. Powering the device is a 3080 mAh battery, which will charge via a micro USB port. The Xiaomi Redmi S2 runs Android 8 Oreo out of the box with MIUI 9 on top.

To the back of the smartphone will be a 12MP primary sensor along with a 5MP depth sensor. To the front is a 16MP AI-powered camera which is capable of clicking portrait mode selfies using just the software.

The Redmi S2 will be a peculiar launch by Xiaomi. It appears that the company is flooding the sub-10K category with its own smartphones. After the Redmi 5, Redmi 5A and the Redmi Note 5, the Redmi S2 will try to impress the average consumer.

May 14, 2018
Top Tech Deals On Gearbest

India is the second-most populated country in the world and the third largest smartphone market. Despite the potential in the Indian market, there are plenty of great smartphones that either don’t launch in India or launch too late to be relevant at all. Xiaomi, for example, has some great smartphones in China but, rarely launches any in India. The recently launched Xiaomi Redmi S2, for example, is a China-exclusive for now. However, it is available to buy on Gearbest and plenty of other smartphones are on sale as well!

Elephone Smart Band

Price: US$ 9.99 (Rs 681 approx.)

The Elephone Smart band for US$ 9.99 is one of the best deals out there for people looking to buy a fitness band. It has a Heart rate monitor, Sleep monitor, and Step/distance/calories counter. The fitness band will also notify you if there is a notification or an incoming call. At a price of Rs 700, the Elephone smart band is a great deal!

Buy it here

Xiaomi Redmi S2

Price: US$ 154.99 (Rs 10,000 approx.)

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 has a 5.99 inch IPS LCD display with a 1440 x 720 px resolution. This translates into an 18:9 aspect ratio which has become the norm for even budget smartphones.

Under the hood, the Redmi S2 runs on the Snapdragon 625 chipset, a tried and tested SoC for Xiaomi. That chipset is coupled with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM along with either 32GB or 64GB of storage which is expandable via a microSD card. Powering the device is a 3080 mAh battery, which will charge via a micro USB port.

The Xiaomi Redmi S2 runs Android 8 Oreo out of the box with MIUI 9 on top. To the back of the smartphone will be a 12MP primary sensor along with a 5MP depth sensor. To the front is a 16MP AI-powered camera which is capable of clicking portrait mode selfies using just the software.

Buy it here

HOMTOM HT70

Price: US$ 164.99 (Rs 11,100 approx.)

The HOMTOM HT70 is built like a tank and has the battery capacity of one. The smartphone has a 10000 mAh battery which means it is a smartphone cum power bank

It has a 6 inch display with a 1440 x720 px resolution. This translates into an 18:9 aspect ratio, common among budget smartphones.

The HOMTOM HT70 runs on the MediaTek MTK6750T chipset coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. The fingerprint sensor’s placement is similar to the Galaxy S8’s as it is right next to the dual-camera setup. The back of the device also houses a 16MP primary sensor and a 5MP secondary sensor. The front has an 8MP camera.

Buy it here

Blackview A20

Price: US$ 39.99 (Rs 2700 approx.)

Entry-level smartphones in India barely impress. The Nokia 1, despite being an Android Go device is not an entry-level device and Indian brands have failed to capitalise on this situation. The Blackview A20, however, could be the answer to entry-level smartphones woes. At an effective price of about Rs 3000, the A20 has a lot going on for it.

It has a 5.5 inch display with a 960 x 480 px resolution. Under the hood, the smartphone runs on the MediaTek MTK6580 chipset with a 1.3GHz quad-core processor. That is coupled with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable storage. There is no fingerprint sensor which is understandable for a smartphone at this price.

The one thing that the Blackview A20 does not skim out on is the number of cameras on the smartphone. It has a dual-camera setup on the back consisting of a 5MP primary sensor and a 0.3MP secondary sensor. The front of the device houses a 2MP camera.

Buy it here

May 14, 2018
Moto C2, C2 Plus Renders Leaked

Lenovo-owned Motorola recently launched new devices in its G and E series of smartphones. The company has had a lot of success with budget smartphones like the Moto G5 Plus, Moto E4 and more. In 2017, Motorola launched the Moto C and Moto C Plus, two very affordable smartphones at a starting price of Rs 4795. The second iteration of the C series, expected to launch soon, the Moto C2 and C2 Plus have been leaked.

According to the renders, the Moto C2 and C2 Plus will have a design very similar to the Moto E4, which was launched last year. The C2 won’t have a fingerprint sensor while the Moto C2 Plus will have a front-facing home button which will house the fingerprint sensor. The design language is similar to last year’s Moto smartphone which means we won’t see an 18:9 aspect ratio here. The bezels are also thick all around the display.

Considering the price point of the two smartphones, the images do reveal possibly well-built devices. The back of both the smartphones house a single camera with an LED flash. Interestingly enough, the front-facing camera has an LED flash as well. This has also become increasingly common these days although it does seem like an add-on rather than a necessity.

Apart from the design, the renders do not reveal anything else. The previous Moto C smartphones ran on MediaTek chipsets and we expect the same with the new generation. It will be interesting to see if the Moto C2 will be an Android Go device, considering the Moto C had 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. Apart from the Nokia 1, there aren’t many Android Go smartphones available in India.

Xiaomi’s Redmi 5A, which is priced at Rs 5999 was the 5th bestselling smartphone of Q1 of 2018 and the C2 smartphones will have a stiff competition from other budget smartphones in the highly congested Indian market. Motorola is yet to release the recently launched Moto G6 and E5 series in India. This means the launch of the Moto C2 and C2 Plus could be saved for the third or fourth quarter of 2018.

May 14, 2018
Apple iPhone Catches Fire In CCTV Footage

Ever since the Samsung Galaxy Note 7’s firegate controversy, smartphones catching fire gets more attention than usual. A few months ago, we saw a video of a man biting his smartphone’s battery before getting a new one. The battery obviously exploded because it was punctured. This goes to show that batteries in smartphones can explode if damaged even slightly. In a new incident of an iPhone bursting into flames, there was no biting involved.

The CCTV footage appears to be of a repair shop, which means it is fair to assume that the iPhone was there for a repair. The incident took place in Las Vegas, USA and was recorded by a surveillance camera. The video shows a man working at his desk when, suddenly, an object on the desk explodes. While the exact source of the explosion is not visible in the video, KTNV has reported that it was an Apple iPhone 6s.

It is worth noting that this is not an iPhone-exclusive issue. As we have learned in the past, no smartphone is explosion-proof and that has nothing to do with the smartphone maker. Lithium-ion batteries can explode if they’re damaged or defective. Lithium-ion batteries are made up of layers, with positive and negative electrodes are wrapped around each other. These positive and negative electrodes are insulated from each other.

Since the incident occurred in a repair shop, it is possible that the battery of the iPhone was already damaged. It is also entirely possible that the battery could have been damaged during the repairing process. As we have seen in the past, a slight puncture can cause batteries to explode. Apple has also conceded that prolonged exposure to heat can cause long-term damage to your iPhone’s battery. It is also possible that the iPhone battery had been replaced with a third party battery that caused the explosion.

Whatever the reason may be for the explosion, it does serve as a good reminder to always take care of your smartphones and not damage the battery.

May 14, 2018
OnePlus 6 Official Price Leaked Ahead Of May 16th Launch

The OnePlus 6 is one of the many smartphones launching in the month of May. We have already seen the launch of the LG G7 ThinQ, Xiaomi Redmi S2 while the Nokia X, Apple iPhone SE 2 is also expected to launch this month. There isn’t much left to know about the OnePlus 6 as several leaks have revealed what to expect from the device. However, Amazon Germany appears to have leaked the official price of the OnePlus 6 just a few days before its launch.

According to the Amazon listing, the OnePlus 6 will be available in 64GB and 128GB storage variants. This is odd, considering the OnePlus 6 is also expected to be available in a 256GB storage variant. The OnePlus 6, according to the website, will be sold for 519 Euros (Rs 41000 approx.) for the base model and 569 Euros (Rs 45000) for 128GB storage variant. The pricing around the world is a little complicated and this doesn’t mean that the direct conversion to INR will be the price in India. Different regions have different taxes and rules, hence the price varies. The price of the OnePlus 6 is expected to start at Rs 34999 in India.

Must Read: OnePlus 6 In White And Black Colour Variants Leaked In Live Image

The Avengers Edition will also be launched along with the OnePlus 6 and is expected to be available in just the 256GB storage variant. Considering OnePlus’ pricing strategy for the OnePlus 5T Star Wars Edition, the Avengers Edition could be marginally pricier than the regular 256GB storage variant.

A lot seems to have changed with the OnePlus 6. The metallic back will be replaced by a glass back which means we could see wireless charging as well. The smartphone will have a notch on the display which hasn’t pleased everybody. However, OnePlus has conceded that there will be an option to hide the notch via software.

The flagship smartphone will launch on May 16th in London followed by its India launch on May 17th. The smartphone will go on sale on May 21st via Amazon exclusively.

May 14, 2018
Top Tech Deals During The Amazon Summer Sale

The Amazon Summer Sale has commenced and there are some really good deals on everything ranging from household products to clothes. However, it’s the tech the matters the most! iGyaan lists the top tech deals that are ideal for anyone looking for a smartphone to a smart speaker.

Honor 7X

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The budget smartphone from Huawei’s sub-brand was launched in December 2017. The 4GB RAM variant usually retails for Rs 16999 but, is available for Rs 14999 during the sale. There are also no cost EMIs available for users.

At the time of its launch, the Honor 7X was the only budget smartphone to offer an 18:9 aspect ratio. Since then, even though devices like the Redmi Note 5 Pro and Zenfone Max Pro have launched, the Honor 7X is still an impressive device.

The Honor 7X has a 5.9 inch LTPS IPS LCD display with a 2160 x 1080 px display. It runs on the HiSilicon Kirin 659 chipset, Mali-T830 MP2 GPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB onboard storage. The onboard storage is expandable up to 256GB via microSD card. The device is powered by a 3340 mAh battery and runs Android 8 Oreo with EMUI 8.0 on top.

The smartphone has a dual camera setup at the back. One of the cameras is equipped with a 16MP sensor while the other one is a 2MP depth sensor. The camera setup at the back has PDAF and records 1080P videos at 30fps. On the front is an 8MP camera which also records 1080P videos.

Moto G5s Plus

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Despite the Moto G6 series of smartphones launching recently, the Moto G5s Plus is still the latest budget smartphone from Motorola in India. The smartphone retails for Rs 16999 but, will be available for Rs 12999 during the sale. There are also no cost EMIs available for users.

The Moto G5S Plus has a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top

The smartphone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, an octa-core processor clocked at 2.0GHz with 4GB RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which can be expanded up to 128GB via a microSD card. The G5s Plus is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery TurboCharge capabilities. The Moto G5S Plus runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat with little customisation done by the manufacturer resulting in stock Android OS experience.

The Moto G5S Plus features rear-mounted 13MP dual-cameras with an f/2.0 aperture. On the front is a wide-angle 8MP camera with a single LED flash and a panoramic mode. The rear cameras capture videos in 4K at 30 FPS and the front camera records videos in 1080P at 30 FPS.

Xiaomi Redmi 5

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The Xiaomi Redmi 5 was recently launched in India after the success of the Redmi Note 5 Pro and Note 5. Launched at a price of Rs 7999, it’ll be available for Rs 7499 during the sale.

The Xiaomi Redmi 5 has a 5.7-inch 1440 x 720 px display with an 18:9 aspect ratio.

Redmi 5 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 chipset, a 1.8GHz octa-core processor, Adreno 506 GPU, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage which will be expandable via microSD card. Powering the device is a 3300 mAh battery which, Xioami claims has a standby time of up to 12 days.

The Redmi 5 has a 12MP camera at the back with 1.25-micron pixel size. To the front of the device is a 5MP camera with Beautify 3.0, which is Xiaomi’s software for enhanced selfies.

Amazon Echo Dot

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The Amazon Echo Dot is one of the most affordable smart speakers in India available right now. The speaker retails for Rs 4499 but will be available for Rs 2999 during the sale. For Rs 3000, the Echo Dot is an ideal smart speaker for users just starting to get the hang of a smart home.

The Amazon Echo Dot is the smallest Echo sibling and has all the functionalities that an Echo possessed but, with a lower sound quality. The device measures 83.5 x 83.5 x 32 mm and weighs 163 grams. A good thing about the Echo Dot is that it can be connected to other speakers for a better soundstage and still retain its core ‘smart’ features.

Even though the Google Home Mini has launched in India and the Assistant is getting some crazy new features in the future, Alexa cannot be discarded as many smart home products are Alexa-compatible. For Rs 3000, the Echo Dot is a great start.

TCL 39 inch LED TV

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The Indian TV industry, especially the smart TV industry was disrupted by the launch of the Xiaomi Mi TV 4. Since then, we have seen a reaction from other TV makers and TCL also launched a few smart TVs in India recently. However, it continues to sell its LED TVs as well and the 39 inch Full HD TV is available for Rs 16999 during the sale. There are also no cost EMIs available for users.

The TCL LED TV is not a smart TV and for some people, it might be a good thing. As much as we want to believe that the television industry is on the verge of extinction, it is not true. A lot of people still watch TV and don’t really care about smart features. Rarely any content on TV is 4K which means a Full HD display should suffice for many.

Day 2 Deals

Boat Dual Port QC 3.0 Car Charger (Rs 399): Buy it here

House of Marley EM-JE041-CP Earphones (Rs 999): Buy it here

Photron Tripod with Pan Head (Rs 700): Buy it here

TP-Link Wi-Fi Range Extender (Rs 1299): Buy it here

Wireless Earbuds (Rs 500): Buy it here

May 12, 2018
BlackBerry KEY2 To Launch On June 7th

BlackBerry, once one of the most famous phone makers in the world has endured rough few years since the emergence of Android and iOS. The company tried competing with the behemoths using its own BlackBerryOS but, faltered. The company then adopted Android OS and gave it its own to launch smartphones like the BlackBerry KEYone. The Canadian smartphone maker will launch a follow-up to its famous Android device, the BlackBerry KEY2 on June 7th.

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— BlackBerry Mobile (@BBMobile) May 11, 2018

The company took to Twitter to announce the launch event. The launch event will take place on June 7th in New York at 10 am local time. The company has not disclosed any other details about the smartphone except for the name. The image does hint at the texture of the back panel of the device. Similar to the KEYone, the KEY2 could also have a textured back panel which certainly looks and feels different from most smartphones on the market right now.

Back in November 2017, the possible specifications of the KEY2 were leaked on Geekbench. According to the listing, the BlackBerry KEYone successor will run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. This won’t be stock Android as BlackBerry is known for its security features and the KEY2 will also have those features. The device will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset coupled with 6GB of RAM.

BlackBerry KEYone

The BlackBerry KEYone had a very interesting keyboard. The KEY2 will also stand out in the sea of thin bezels and tall smartphones with its full-size keyboard. It will be interesting to see if the company decides to reduce the bezels and go for a modern design with thin bezels and then also have a slider keyboard. That would make the KEY2 a very bright prospect for people who like a physical keyboard but don’t want an archaic looking smartphone.

May 12, 2018