The OnePlus 5 and 5t have seen their fair share of ‘limited edition’ releases in 2017. In September, OnePlus teamed up with French artist and design, Castelbajac to launch the limited edition OnePlus 5 Castelbajac in Paris. In December, the OnePlus 5T Star Wars limited edition was launched in India. However, between these two limited edition releases, China saw the launch of a Lava Red colour variant of the OnePlus 5T.
OnePlus 5T and OnePlus 5T Star Wars Limited Edition
It appeared that this would remain a China-exclusive and never see a global release, just like many other exciting products. However, the Chinese manufacturer might be launching the Lava Red colour variant of the OnePlus 5T in India on the 26th of January. According to a report, a “Source close to OnePlus ” has conceded that the device might be launched for the Indian audience as well.
OnePlus has identified the Indian market and is covering extra yards to make the Indian consumers feel special. The Star Wars edition of the OnePlus 5T was an India-exclusive device and the company went all-out to promote it. A new colour variant will give the consumers another incentive to buy the OnePlus 5T as no other brand, as of now, offers a red colour variant of its device in the same price bracket. The iPhone 7 and the Xiaomi Mi A1 are the only other prominent devices that also retail in a red colour variant.
The Lava Red colour variant of the OnePlus 5T will only be available in the 8GB RAM/128GB storage variant which is priced at Rs. 37999 in India. It will be interesting to see if the Indian consumers will have to cough up more money for the new colour.
OnePlus 5 Castlebajac Edition
Not just the Lava Red variant, the company will soon launch the Sandstone variant of the OnePlus 5T. iGyaan reported that a video uploaded by OnePlus on its official YouTube account hinted towards a new variant of the OnePlus 5T which will be reminiscent of the iconic sandstone finish on the OnePlus One and OnePlus Two. Now, it appears that the device will be launched on the 5th of January. The Sandstone variant will be launched in China first and it is expected that this variant will see a global launch soon, unlike the Lava Red edition. Stay tuned for more updates on this!
In the tech world, consumers recognise a brand through years of sequential sub-brand products. Companies like Samsung and Apple have consistently launched smartphones in their ‘Galaxy’ and ‘iPhone’ lineup. LG, however, might be in the works of shaking things up a bit with its upcoming LG G7 (tentatively named) flagship smartphone.
LG G6
An anonymous company official has conceded that the company is planning to rebrand its flagship ‘G’ lineup with the upcoming device expected to be launched at MWC 2018.
LG is preparing a new brand strategy for the G series in the first half of the year. Numbering the phone with a two-digit number and rebranding the phone with a new name are some of the options on the table.
This isn’t the first time that LG is renaming a phone from the company’s lineup. In 2012, LG launched the Optimus G and by 2013, just one year from the original launch, the company had decided to remove the ‘Optimus’ nomenclature and launched the subsequent smartphone with the ‘LG G2’ moniker. Similarly, the short-lived ‘Vu’ series was transformed into the ‘V’ series which was launched back in 2015.
Another company official from LG, while talking about the decision of rebranding, claimed that this decision on the cards:
Rebranding flagship models is nothing new, and Samsung and Apple have done so for their own flagships.
LG G2
LG flagship phones have historically flown under the radar thanks to the popularity of the Samsung Galaxy ‘S’ lineup and Apple iPhones. LG is also known to not invest too much in its smartphones’ marketing, where Samsung and Apple rule the roost. However, while Apple and Samsung only changed the numbering of their phone lineup, simply jumping from iPhone 8 to iPhone X, and Samsung skipped the Note 6 to jump to Note 7, LG’s change seems to be more core level based. The company needs to create strength around its flagship phones and by choosing a newer name that may help the brand connect with consumer better is what LG probably needs. The current lineup of phones from the company, especially flagships have suffered from poor recall value of the brand. LG may be starting a new marketing strategy, or simply making the name more approachable.
While the next flagship phone from LG, presumed to be the LG G7 for now, is just around the corner, it will be followed up by the mega launch of the Galaxy S9 and the S9+ and LG might need an extremely sound strategy to stand out during the new launches. The LG G7 is expected to launch with updated specifications and compete with the likes of the Galaxy S9 in the early part of 2018.
The LG G7 is expected to maintain the 18:9 aspect ratio and presumably cut down on bezels compared to its older sibling, the LG G6. Unlike 2016, where the LG G6 was launched with the Snapdragon 821 instead of the Snapdragon 835, the LG G7 is expected to be launched with the Snapdragon 845, same as the Galaxy S9 and S9+. LG proved with the V30 that it can produce smartphones with great cameras and the G7 is expected to further improve on that aspect. 2018 will also see 6GB of RAM becoming the norm in Android phones and the LG G7 could be a part of the clan and launch with at least 6GB of RAM.
Huawei Honor launched the Honor 7X in India at a starting price of Rs. 12999. Up until then, that price segment was dominated by the likes of the Xiaomi Mi A1 and Moto G5s Plus, both of which offered similar specifications and software experience.
Before the Honor 7X was launched in India, the Xiaomi Mi A1 was soaring high at a price tag of Rs. 14999 which was cheaper than the Moto G5s Plus, however, a few days after the Honor 7X was launched, the price of the Mi A1 decreased. In order to keep a level playing field, Xiaomi reduced the price of the Honor 7X to Rs. 13999 and right now, it is available for Rs. 12999 on Flipkart. With the price tag no longer a factor, let’s see which phone comes out on top.
Design
Hands down, the Honor 7X wins in the design department. The Xiaomi Mi A1 is not a bad looking phone but, when kept next to each other, the Mi A1 looks dated. The Honor 7X has a modern design with thin bezels and even though the company could’ve used the bottom bezel to house a fingerprint sensor instead of its branding, the Honor 7X looks sleek and more pleasing to the eye than the Xiaomi Mi A1.
Display
The Honor 7X has a 5.93-inch LTPS IPS LCD display with a 2160 x 1080 px resolution and 407ppi. The Xiaomi Mi A1, on the other hand, has a 5.5 inch LTPS IPS LCD display with a 1920 x 1080 px resolution and 403ppi. Despite a taller display, the Honor 7X has a slightly high pixel count than the Xiaomi Mi A1. In terms of display, the Honor 7X wins the battle again thanks to its 18:9 aspect ratio which comes in handy while multi-tasking and content consumption in general. The Xiaomi Mi A1 has the 2016 standard 5.5-inch display which cannot seem to hold up against the Honor 7X.
Software
After photos and sound, software is the most subjective aspect of a smartphone. Just like some people prefer bass-heavy sound over a flat soundstage, some people prefer the bells and whistles of a custom skin over stock Android OS. There is no denying that the Xiaomi Mi A1 will always be ahead when it comes to software updates but, EMUI on the Honor 7X has come a long way since its inception as well. Both the phones offer a different software experience for different sets of people.
Performance
The Xiaomi Mi A1 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which can be expanded up to 128GB via microSD card. The Honor 7X is powered by the HiSilicon Kirin 659 chipset, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage (for the Rs. 12,999 variant) which can also be expanded up to 256GB via microSD card. Just as you would expect, bot the devices handle day-to-day tasks with ease although the 18:9 display makes normal usage much more fun on the Honor 7X. During gaming again, the display of the Honor 7X comes into play as it enhances the user experience while the Xiaomi Mi A1’s experience is adequate but, nothing to ride home about.
Benchmark scores tell a similar story. In Geekbench, the Xiaomi Mi A1 scores 883 in single-core and 4267 in multi-core set. The Honor 7X on the other hand scores 909 in single-core and 3511 in multi-core tests.
Camera
Photos are extremely subjective and the same case is in this comparison as well. Watch our full comparison for photo samples and decide for yourself. Here are a few sample shots from both, the Xiaomi Mi A1 and Honor 7X.
Honor 7X
Honor 7X
Honor 7X
Honor 7X
Xiaomi Mi A1
Xiaomi Mi A1
Xiaomi Mi A1
Xiaomi Mi A1
While specifications on paper might not tell the whole story, the two phones are a solid option in the price category. The Mi A1 has a dated design but stock Android OS while the Honor 7X has a modern design, thin bezels but a heavily skinned custom OS.
Specifications
Honor 7X
Xiaomi Mi A1
Price
[amazon_link asins=’B0784BZ5VY’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’igyaan-21′ marketplace=’IN’ link_id=’d3211805-ec8b-11e7-b2e3-2fce9ec0930c’] Starting At Rs.12999
Rs. 13999
Display
5.93-inch
LTPS IPS LCD
5.5-inch
LTPS IPS LCD
Resolution
2160 X 1080 px
407ppi
1920 x 1080 px
403ppi
Battery
3340 mAh
3080 mAh
OS
Android 7.1 Nougat
EMUI
Android 8.0 Oreo (Beta)
Stock Android OS
Chipset
HiSilicon Kirin 659
Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
GPU
Mali-T830 MP2
Adreno 506
RAM
4GB
4GB
Storage
32GB/64GB (Expandable up to 256GB)
64GB (Expandable up to 128GB)
Primary Camera
16MP + 2MP depth sensor
12MP (f/2.2) + 12MP (f/2.6) telephoto lens
Primary Video
1080P @ 30fps
4K @ 30fps
Secondary Camera
8MP
5MP
Add-ons
Fingerprint Sensor
Tall display and bezel-less design
We are continuing our countdown of listing out the best phones launched in 2017. We have covered two price segments of under Rs. 10000 and Rs. 20000 already. Let’s take a look at the top phones launched in 2017 under Rs. 40000.
Moto X4
Starting off with the most inexpensive phone on the list, the Moto X4 has a lot of features that its closest competitors don’t, like an IP68 rating and a dual-camera setup together. At a starting price of Rs. 20999, the Moto X4 is a great device for people who want a great camera and a water resistance.
The Moto X4 has a 5.2 inch 1920 x 1080 px IPS LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass on top for protection.
The Moto X4 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, 2.2 GHz octa-core processor and Adreno 508 GPU, along with 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage which can be expanded up to 2TB via microSD card. The phone has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.
The smartphone runs stock Android 8.0 Oreo and is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery with TurboCharge capabilities.
The 4 in Moto X4 signifies that the new smartphone will be able to share the sound with up to 4 devices, thanks to the presence of Bluetooth 5.0.
The Moto X4 has a dual-camera setup at the back. The main camera is a 12MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, and the 8MP secondary camera with an f/2.2 aperture is equipped with a wide-angle lens. The dual-cameras allow users to have depth effect shots, bokeh effect shots, ultra-wide angle shots, and selective focus shots. On the front of the device is a 16MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and an LED flash. The cameras record 4K videos at 30 FPS.
Honor 8 Pro
Competitively priced, great performance, big battery, and a dual-camera setup, the Honor 8 Pro was launched as a competitor of the OnePlus 5. The Honor 8 Pro has 5.7 inch 2560 x 1440 px display which is ideal for media consumption via VR.
The Honor 8 Pro has 128 GB of storage along with 6GB of RAM. The Honor 8 Pro runs on the Kirin 960 chipset which is an octa-core chip – four high-performance Cortex A73 cores clocked at 2.4GHz and four low-power Cortex A53 cores clocked at 1.8Ghz.
The phone also has a large 4000 mAh battery and fast charge capabilities, with long battery modes built into Honor’s user interface. The camera setup consists of two cameras, 12+12 MP shooters, where one is a monochrome camera while the other is RGB. The front camera is an 8 MP shooter with an f/2.0 aperture.
Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
Priced similarly to the Moto X4, the Galaxy A7 (2017) has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance as well.
It has a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display and a 1920 x 1080 px resolution.
Under the hood, the device has an Exynos 7880, Mali-T830MP3 GPU, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of onboard storage which can be expanded up to 128GB via a microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is housed inside the physical button which sits below the display.
The device runs Android 6 Marshmallow and is powered by a decent 3000 mAh battery which is charged via a USB C port.
The Galaxy A7 (2017) has a 16MP camera on both the front as well as the rear. These cameras have an f/1.9 aperture which has been teamed up with Light+ technology.
OnePlus 5
OnePlus 5 might have become the forgotten sibling but, at the time of its launch, the device had a lot going for it. A sturdy built, nice display and flagship specifications at almost half the price, the OnePlus 5 was the go-to phone for a lot of consumers. However, five months after its launch, the company launched the OnePlus 5T with a modern design and the same price. The company subsequently announced that it will stop the manufacturing of the OnePlus 5 although, software support will continue until the launch of Android P.
The OnePlus 5 has a 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 px AMOLED display with a 1920 x 1080 px resolution.
Under the hood, it has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, Adreno 540 GPU, 6GB or 8GB of RAM, 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage which cannot be expanded. The fingerprint sensor is placed below the display which also acts as a home button.
The smartphone is powered by a 3300 mAh battery with OnePlus’ own Dash Charge technology.
The OnePlus 5 has a 16 MP wide camera with an f/1.7 aperture along with a 20 MP telephoto camera with an f/2.6 aperture. On the front is a 16MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture.
OnePlus 5T
The OnePlus 5T is the better-looking of the two phones by OnePlus. It was launched in November and has reduced bezels around a tall 18:9 display. The OnePlus 5T also has a new Face Unlock feature which will soon be rolled out to the OnePlus 5 as well. The OnePlus 5T has the same specifications as the OnePlus 5 and is also priced exactly the same.
The other big difference between the two is in the camera department. Unlike the OnePlus 5, the OnePlus 5T no longer has a secondary telephoto lens at the back. Instead, OnePlus has decided to focus on the device’s low-light photography capabilities. The cameras do not have OIS and OnePlus has decided to go for EIS on the dual camera setup at the back. The device has a 16MP camera with an f/1.7 aperture coupled with a 20MP sensor with the same f/1.7 aperture and field of view, ie no optical zoom. On the front is a 16MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture.
Nokia 8
The Nokia 8 was a significant smartphone for HMD Global. It was the first ever Nokia branded flagship running Android OS. At the time of its launch, everyone expected it to be priced over Rs. 40000 but, the device launched in India at a price of Rs. 36999.
The Nokia 8 sports a 5.3 inch 2560 x 1440 px display and 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection.
Under the hood is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset and a 2.45GHz octa-core processor, the Adreno 540 GPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is housed inside the home button below the screen.
Powering the device is a 3,090mAh battery with QuickCharge 3.0 support via USB Type-C port. The Nokia 8 runs on stock Android 7.1.1 OS and the company has promised monthly security updates and yearly Android updates.
The Nokia 8 boasts a Zeiss powered dual camera setup at the rear – a primary 13MP RGB (colour) sensor with optical image stabilisation paired with a 13MP secondary monochrome (black and white) sensor and an f/2.0 aperture. The dual-camera setup is capable of recording videos in 4K at 30 FPS and has a portrait mode for bokeh effect. On the front is a 13MP camera which can also record 4K videos at 30FPS.
Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro
Another Samsung device with an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, the Galaxy C9 Pro is priced under Rs. 30000 which makes it a very good phone for users who prefer Samsung’s build and design.
The Galaxy C9 Pro has a 6-inch Super AMOLED display with a 1920 x 1080 px resolution.
Under the hood, it has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 chipset, 6GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which can be expanded via microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is again housed inside the physical home button which sits below the display.
The Galaxy C9 Pro has a massive 4000 mAh battery which charges via a USB C port.
The Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro has a 16MP camera on both the front as well as the rear. These cameras have an f/1.9 aperture and record 1080P videos at 30fps.
Honor View10
The latest entrant in the affordable flagship segment, the Honor View10 is expected to be priced under Rs. 40000 and pose competition to the likes of the OnePlus 5T and Nokia8. The only smartphone in this category that concentrates on Artificial Intelligence, this phone has everything an affordable flagship should have, and the bells and whistles of the Kirin 970 are a bonus.
The Honor View10 has a 5.99-inch IPS LCD display with a 2160 x 1080 px resolution which translates to an 18:9 aspect ratio. The Honor View10 has minimal side bezels and thin top and bottom bezels.
Under the hood, the device has the Kirin 970 chipset with a Neural Processing Unit, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB onboard storage. The onboard storage can be expanded up to 256GB via microSD card. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom of the device along with a USB Type C port. The front of the device also has a home button which houses the fingerprint sensor.
The Honor View10 also has facial recognition which is becoming more prominent since the launch of the iPhone X. The facial recognition works similar to the Face ID on the iPhone X, the accuracy of which, will be extensively tested in the coming weeks.
Because of its facial recognition technology, the Honor View10 also has iPhone X-like animojis, which Honor claims are much more accurate than iPhone X since it tracks the user’s tongue as well.
Powering the device is a 3750 mAh battery and supports 5V / 4.5A fast charging.
The Honor View10 has a dual camera setup at the back and has a single camera at the front. The back of the devices houses a 16MP RGB sensor and a 20MP Monochrome sensor with both having an f/1.8 aperture. The primary camera setup records 4K videos at 30fps. At the front of the phone is a 13MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 is the second iteration of Xiaomi’s ‘Mix’ lineup. The original Mi Mix created quite a stir when it was launched back in 2016 thanks to its bezel-less design. It was the first phone at that time to sport such a design and ever since then, every smartphone maker has followed suit and made thinner bezels for their phones.
The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 has a 5.99 inch 2160 x 1080 px LCD display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The Mi Mix 2 has a 12% reduced bottom bezel and a screen-to-body ratio of 80.8%. The device features a cantilever piezoelectric ceramic acoustic speaker and ultrasonic proximity sensor.
Under the hood, the flagship smartphone has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, Adreno 540 GPU, 6GB RAM and storage options of 64GB, 128GB or 256GB. The onboard storage will not be expandable due to the absence of a microSD card slot. The fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the device just below the camera.
The device is powered by a 3,400 mAh battery which is considerably smaller than the previous generation Mix’s 4,400 mAh battery.
The Mi Mix has a 12MP Sony IMX386 sensor with 1.25-micron pixels, an f/2.0 aperture 4-axis optical image stabilisation, 5-piece lens, and facial recognition. On the front is a 5MP which features facial recognition as well.
The LG G6 followed the pattern of every great LG Android smartphone to fly under the radar. At the time of its launch, the LG G6 was already behind the Galaxy S8 and the S8+ because it had the Snapdragon 821 chipset while the Samsung devices were powered by the Snapdragon 835. Even though the chipset is old. there is no denying that the LG G6 has one of the best cameras in this segment along with an edge-to-edge design and features like wireless charging.
The LG G6 has a 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with a 2880 x 1440 px resolution.
Under the hood, the device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset, the Adreno 530 GPU, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage which can be expanded via microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the phone which doubles up as a home button.
Powering the device is a 3300 mAh battery which charges via a USB C port.
To the back, the LG G6 has a dual-camera setup. One of them is a 13MP normal lens with an f/1.8 aperture while the 13MP wide-angle lens has an f/.2.4 aperture.
Essential Ph-1
The Essential Ph-One was launched to a lot of fanfare as the company’s founder of Andy Rubin, popularly known as the father of Android. The company promised that it would have all the essential elements of a smartphone, especially a great camera. The phone had a small notch at the top of the display for the camera and a small chin with nearly no bezels on the rest of the three sides of the display.
Post the launch of the phone, it was heavily panned by critics for its poor camera. The lack of the headphone jack didn’t do it any good either. However, ever since it launc, the company has pushed out a lot of updates and at a price of US $499, the Essential Ph-1 is a great device.
It has a 5.71 inch IPS LCD display with a 2560 x 1312 px resolution.
Under the hood, it has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of onboard storage which cannot be expanded.
Powering the device is a 3040 mAh battery which charges via a USB C port.
It has a dual 13MP camera at the back with an f/1.9 aperture. One of them has an RGB sensor while the other one has a monochrome sensor. It records 4K videos at 30fps and with the latest software update, clicks portrait photos as well. On the front of the phone is an 8MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture.
BONUS: HTC U Ultra
At the time of its launch, the HTC U Ultra was priced at Rs. 59900. At that price, the device was aksing a lot from its potential customers but, the price of the phone has now dropped to under Rs. 30000 and if you are a fan of HTC’s hardware, then thid device is a decent option.
The HTC U Ultra has a 5.7 inch 2560 x 1440 px Super LCD5 display.
Under the hood, the device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset, Adreno 530 GPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which can be expanded via a microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is placed on the front of the device.
Powering the U Ultra is a 3000 mAh battery.
It has a 12 MP UltraPixel rear camera that facilitates fast focus and less blurred shots at night. The front camera has a 16 MP UltraPixel Sensor.
OnePlus might be bringing back a fan-favourite in the coming weeks. On its official YouTube channel, OnePlus released a video of average London citizens explaining what they’re feeling about the product inside a mystery box. The video proceeds with people giving their own versions of what could be inside the box and a few people point out that it felt like the sandstone OnePlus One from back in the day.
OnePlus Two
The OnePlus One was a groundbreaking smartphone in more than one ways. It became famous for providing flagship specifications at less than half the price of an average flagship. But, another standout feature of the phone was the choice of easily replaceable back panels of the phone. The one that became the most prominent was the Sandstone finish panel. OnePlus continued the trend with the OnePlus Two but, with the OnePlus X and then the OnePlus 3, the company moved on to more conventional finishes for their phones with brushed aluminium built.
The OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T again saw a shift in design and finish of the phone. However, in December of 2017, the Chinese smartphone maker launched the OnePlus 5T Star Wars limited edition variant with a back panel that had a similar finish to the original OnePlus One Sandstone finish. Although not entirely sandstone, the slightly textured back was definitely reminiscent of the old OnePlus devices.
The OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T have already been launched in limited edition variants in 2017. It could be possible that OnePlus is looking to attract a few forgotten consumers with an offering which is as close to the OnePlus One (barring the price) as it could get. The OnePlus 5T has a great modern design with thin bezels and a tall display, and with the addition of that signature Sandstone finish, the OnePlus 5T could be a great phone for a lot of people who prefer the feel of the OnePlus One but, also want the latest specifications on a budget.
Xiaomi appears to be preparing its users for the future with the new beta build of MIUI 9. Ever since the iPhone X removed the home button, it has become increasingly inevitable that smartphones in the coming years will solely rely on gestures of navigation with the OS.
With the latest beta update, Xiaomi has added ‘full display gestures’ that appear to be inspired by the iPhone X a lot. For example, in order to reach the home screen, the user has to swipe up from the bottom of the screen while swiping from the bottom to the top and pausing for a second brings up your recent apps. Other gestures include swiping from the left or right of the screen to the middle to take the user to the previous page. Over the years, Xiaomi has taken “inspiration” for Apple for its platform. From the MIUI layout to “MiDrop,” the not-so-subtle hints have always been there. Being one of the first Android smartphone makers to shift to all display gestures similar to the iPhone X will only strengthen the previous argument.
Over the years, Android’s take on navigation within the OS has been different from that of iOS. While Android phones have had three navigation buttons, iOS has had a physical home button which solved multiple purposes like multitasking, invoking Siri and other gestures like swiping from the left or right of the screen to the middle to take the user to the previous page. So, when Apple introduced these gestures in the iPhone X, the transition was a lot smoother thanks to the presence of gestures in the past iPhones.
Android, on the other hand, has used the three buttons, the home, back and multitasking button for every little navigation within the OS. These have either been software buttons or physical buttons, with nowadays OEMs offering the choice of both the navigation systems. When Android does shift to only gestures, the transition for users might not be as natural and organic as it was for iOS users.
A few Xiaomi Mi 7 renders were leaked with conflicting reports. Some suggested that the device will have an in-display fingerprint sensor while the other report claimed that Xiaomi is working on an iPhone X-like Face ID system. One thing in common, however, was the all-screen design of the phone. Xiaomi phones have had on-display as well as physical and touch capacitive navigation buttons. Introducing navigation via gestures a few months before the launch of the Mi 7 might hint at an all display design of the Mi 7 and the company’s foray into gesture-based navigation with Android.
Xiaomi Mi 7 Renders
For now, users with the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2, Mi Mix, Redmi 5, and Redmi 5 Plus can preview these gestures on their devices.
Apple recently agreed that it deliberately slows down iPhones in order to prolong the life of old batteries in iPhone 6 and later. Ever since the news broke out, there have been a lot of questions being asked about the honestly and transparency between a company and its consumers. Evidently, Android phone makers were also questioned about the same and a few of them have come out and denied slowing down their phones for any cause.
Speaking to PhoneArena, an LG representative stated they “never have never will” do such a thing, adding that the company cares what the customers think.
Samsung said in a statement:
Product quality has been and will always be Samsung Mobile’s top priority.
The spokesperson makes further explained that the battery life of Samsung phones goes through multi-layer safety measures which include software algorithms. The CPU performance is not reduced through software updates to keep the battery lifecycle longer.
Previously, HTC and Motorola had come out and cleared the air around their own products. An HTC spokesperson said that “is not something we do.” While talking to The Verge, a Motorola representative said:
We do not throttle CPU performance based on older batteries.
The aftermath of Apple’s confession has lead to a lot of consumers of both Android and iOS to doubt the intentions of its smartphone manufacturer. However, these stern statements should go a long way in clearing out any doubt the consumers had in their minds.
As curtains draw in 2017, it is time to look back at the top smartphones launched in 2017 under Rs. 20000. We already checked out the best phones launched in the Rs 10000 price segment. So, does your favourite phone make the cut? Let’s find out.
Moto G5 Plus/Moto G5s Plus
The Moto G5 Plus was launched in early 2017 and received great reviews for its camera performance. Even today, the Moto G5 Plus’ camera is considered one of the best in its price category. The Moto G5s Plus was the updated variant of the Moto G5 Plus with the same hardware and a dual-camera setup.
The device has a 5.2 inch IPS LCD display with a 1920 x 1080 px resolution.
Under the hood, the bith the devices have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor with a 2.0 GHz octa-core processor, Adreno 506 GPU, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is housed inside the home button which sits below the display.
Powering the device is a 3000 mAh battery which charges via a micro USB port.
Just like every other Moto Android phone, the smartphone runs stock Android 7.1 Nougat.
[amazon_link asins=’B071HWTHPH’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’igyaan-21′ marketplace=’IN’ link_id=’67eeaba3-ec9b-11e7-827d-05eeb7ed2208′]The Moto G5 Plus has a 12MP f/1.7 camera with dual-focus pixels and can record 4K videos at 30fps. On the front of the phone is a 5MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture. The Moto G5s Plus has a dual-camera setup at the back. Two 13MP cameras placed horizontally with an f/2.0 aperture and 4K video capture. On the front is a wide-angle 8MP camera with a single LED flash and a new panoramic mode.
Xiaomi Mi A1
At the time of its launch, the Xiaomi Mi A1 turned quite a few heads for its stock Android OS and a dual camera setup at the price point.
The smartphone has a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px LTPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass on top for protection along with an aluminium unibody build.
The Xiaomi Mi A1 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, 8x ARM Cortex A53 2.0GHz 64-bit processor, 4GB RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card. Handling the graphics under the hood is the Adreno 505 GPU. The pyrolytic graphite sheet will help in heat management as well, Xiaomi claims. The Xiaomi Mi A1 has an IR blaster to control appliances in your home or office.
The fingerprint sensor sits at the back of the device below the camera. Xiaomi has also included a dedicated headphone amplifier for better music listening experience.
Powering the device is a 3080 mAh battery and 2A charging through the Type C port.
Even though the phone has stock Android 7.1.2 Nougat, Xiaomi has retained a few apps, such as the Mi camera app since the Google Camera app doesn’t support dual-camera functions right now.
The smartphone features dual sensors at the back, a 12MP telephoto lens with an f/2.2 aperture (26mm) and 12MP wide-angle lens with an f/2.6 aperture (50mm) setup with 1.25-micron pixel size. The telephoto lens allows the user to take bokeh effect shots with blurred background and a 2X optical lossless zoom. For landscape shots, Xiaomi has introduced a wide angle lens while on the front is a 5MP camera.
Huawei Honor 7X
The Honor 7X has a lot to offer especially when its price is considered. The device is available at Rs. 12999 and has a dual camera setup along with a nearly bezel-less design. Without a doubt, the Honor 7X is the best-looking smartphone in this price category.
The Honor 7X has a 5.9 inch LTPS IPS LCD display with a 2160 x 1080 px display which translates into an 18:9 aspect ratio.
Under the hood, the Honor 7X has 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 which charges via a micro USB slot. Since the device has thin bezels, the fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the below the dual-camera setup.
The Honor 7X runs Android 7.0 Nougat with EMUI 6.0 on top which gives a user more options for customising their phones.
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.
Xiaomi Mi Max 2
The Xiaomi Mi Max 2 has a 6.4 inch 1920 x 1080 px display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top for added protection.
Under the hood, the phablet has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, Cortex-A53 octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB onboard storage options.
The smartphone is powered by a massive 5300 mAh with QuickCharge 3.0 and runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Xiaomi’s custom skin MIUI 8 on top. The phablet has a one-hand usage mode as well. The fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the device and sits just below the cameras. The Mi Max 2 switches to dual-audio speakers when in landscape mode.
On the optics front, the Mi Max 2 has a 12-megapixel camera with an f/2.2 aperture, equipped with the Sony IMX386 sensor with PDAF and dual-LED flash. On the front, the phablet has a 5MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture.
The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) is the only phone in the list which has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. So, if you want a rugged phone but, can’t spend more Rs. 20000 then the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) should be the ideal phone for you.
It has a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display with a 1920 x 1080 px resolution.
Under the hood, the Galaxy A5 (2017) is powered by the Exynos 7880 chipset, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage which can be expanded via a microSD card.
Powering the device is a 3000 mAh battery while the fingerprint sensor is housed inside the home button.
The device has a 16MP primary camera with an f/1.9 aperture that records 1080P videos at 30fps. To the front of the Galaxy A5 (2017) is another 16MP camera with an f/1.9 aperture.
Every passing year, the quality of budget smartphones increases and 2017 was no different. The smartphones under the Rs. 10000 price bracket have become better with little compromises in quality. As 2017 draws to an end, let’s take a look at the top phones launched under the Rs. 10000 category:
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
Hands down, one of the most famous smartphones to be launched in 2017, the Redmi Note 4 set the standard for budget phones in India. To Xiaomi’s own admission, the Redmi Note 4 is its most successful phone in India and it still offers a lot in terms of performance in this price category.
The Redmi Note 4 has a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px IPS LCD display.
Under the hood, the device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, Adreno 506 GPU, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage which can be expanded up to 128GB via microSD card.
Powering the device is a massive 4100 mAh battery which charges via a microSD card. The fingerprint sensor, in typical Redmi fashion, sits at the back of the phone just below the camera sensor.
The Redmi Note 4 has a 13MP rear-facing camera and a 5MP front-facing camera.
Moto E4 Plus
The Moto E4 plus has a 5.5 inch 1280 x 720px IPS LCD display along with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and an oleophobic coating.
The Motorola Moto E4 Plus is powered by 1.4GHz quad-core MediaTek MTK6737M processor and has 3GB of RAM with 32GB of internal storage along with microSD card expansion.
The phone also runs Android 7.1.1 out of the box and should be updated to the next generation Android by the company, as the UI is mostly stock with some Moto features including the Moto display, some gestures and One-Key Navigation. The front also has a fingerprint sensor along with notification led light.
The Moto E4 Plus is powered by a massive 5000 mAh battery.
For optics, the front has a 5 MP camera with a front flash while the main camera is a 13 MP, f/2.0 with 720p video capture at 30fps.
Lenovo K8 Plus
The Lenovo K8 Plus has a 5.2 inch 1920 x 1080 px IPS LCD display with three touch capacitive navigation buttons below. The device an oleophobic coating to resist fingerprint smudges and a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for protection.
Under the hood, the smartphone has the MediaTek Helio P25 chipset, a 2.6 GHz octa-core processor, Mali T880 GPU, 3GB RAM with 32GB onboard storage which is expandable up to 128GB via microSD card. Similar to the K8 Note, the K8 Plus has a dedicated microSD card slot along with two nano-SIM card slots.
Powering the device is a 4,000 mAh battery and it runs stock Android 7.1.1 Nougat after Lenovo decided to drop the Vibe Pure UI and go the stock OS route. The device has an all-metal unibody design and the fingerprint sensor sits at the back.
The Lenovo K8 Plus sports a vertically placed dual-camera setup, much like the recently launched Lenovo K8 Note. It has a primary 13MP Pure cell sensor mated with a 5MP Samsung BSI sensor dual camera with an f/2.0 aperture and dual LED flash. The smartphone is capable of depth effect shots, bokeh effect shots, and dual ISP images. On the front is an 8MP wide-angle lens with an f/2.0 and an LED flash. Both the front and back camera record 1920 x 1080 px videos at 30 FPS.
Moto G5
Arguably the best camera phone in the price segment, the Moto G5 was launched back in March of 2017 and still holds up well in this price segment.
It has a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px IPS LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass on top.
Lenovo-owned Motorola launched the Moto G5 along with the Moto G5 Plus in India in February 2017. Even though in August, Moto G5s and Moto G5s Plus were launched as an incremental upgrade, the Moto G5 at this price is a great option. With stock Android OS and a more than capable Snapdragon 430 chipset, the Moto G5 fits the bill for a lot of consumers. It has 3GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage which can be expanded via microSD card.
It is powered by a 2800 mAh which charges via a micro USB slot.
The Moto G5 has a 13MP f/2.0 camera with phase detect autofocus with a 5 MP front camera. The rear camera records 1080P videos at 30fps while the front camera also records 1080P videos.
The Redmi 5A has a 5 inch LCD display with a 1280 x 720 px resolution.
The Redmi 5A is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset, quad-core CPU clocked at 1.4GHz, along with 2GB/3GB of RAM, 16GB/32GB of onboard storage which can be expanded up to 128GB via microSD card.
The dual-SIM Redmi 5A is powered by a 3000 mAh battery.
The device runs Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box with Xiaomi’s custom MIUI 9 skin on top.
The Redmi 5A has a 13MP rear camera with an f/2.2 aperture, burst mode, panorama mode, HDR mode, and more. To the front is a 5MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture. The smartphone records 1920 x 1080 px videos.
The smart speaker segment is becoming increasingly crowded nowadays. While the products started as a pricey investment into smart home tech, the likes of Amazon Echo Dot or the Google Home Mini can be bought for US $49 or less. However, one company is stepping into the segment which is known for making cost-effective smart home products but, mainly keeps them in its native market of China. Xiaomi, the famous Chinese smartphone maker has introduced the Yeelight Voice Assistant, a smart speaker which will reportedly cost about US $30.
The new smart speaker will be powered by Microsoft’s own voice assistant Cortana, which could be mainly due to the partnership between Xiaomi and Microsoft to use some of Microsoft’s services in Xiaomi’s products. However, it is believed that the smart speaker will be powered by both Cortana and Amazon Alexa, which will definitely make the smart speaker a much more compatible smart speaker.
Apart from it being a smart speaker, the Yeelight Voice Assistant looks strikingly similar to the Echo Dot. With a similar colour combination of white with a blue light, the speaker grill on top and the size and shape of the speaker, anyone will be forgiven for mistaking it as the Echo Dot in the first glance.
The Yeelight Voice Assistant is a 2-watt speaker with six microphones to make it easier for it to pick up the user’s voice. The smart speaker also has a long-range voice activation capability wherein it can be activated from up to 5 meters of distance. Xiaomi claims that this possible thanks to an advanced voice wake-up algorithm.
Powering the smart speaker is a Cortex A53 quad-core processor with 256MB of RAM and an equal amount of internal storage space. This storage is likely for caching personal preferences or other specific user details.
The smart speaker, as of now, is only listed on the company’s crowdsourcing platform for a price of US $30 or roughly Rs. 1800.
When the Samsung Galaxy Note7 was recalled due to serious battery issues, many thought that the ‘Note’ lineup would be scrapped due to the amount of bad press it had attracted. However, in August of 2017, the South Korean tech giant launched the Galaxy Note8. The device had everything, from a great camera to the excellent S Pen integration. It seemed like the days of ‘BatteryGate’ have been left behind by the company.
However, over the past few days, Samsung’s help forum has various posts about user’s Galaxy Note8 not charging. The issue seems to occur after the phone battery is fully drained to 0% and shuts down. When users try to charge the phone again, it doesn’t charge at all.
One of the posts read:
I’ve tried 3 different power cables and cords but nothing. I charged overnight and still nothing. Completely dead. Phone still looks brand new because I bought a rugged case for it. I’ve treated it like a newborn baby so it must be defective.
It appears that Samsung is aware of the issue. Samsung employees active of the help forum are offering repairs and replacement devices for customers with phones that aren’t charging. So far, the issue is not being reported in enough devices for it to be a huge issue. But, considering what happened with the Galaxy Note 7, it won’t be surprising if Samsung moves ahead with caution when it comes to even the tiniest of battery-related issues.
Samsung has launched the world’s biggest curved monitor in India. The monitor is available at Rs. 150,000 on Samsung Shop and will soon be made available at all leading retail outlets.
The ultra-wide monitor has a 49-inch QLED display with a 3840 X 1080 px resolution and a 32:9 aspect ratio.
The monitor has a 144Hz refresh rate and the brightness of the monitor goes up to 600-nits. The monitor has minimal bezels around the display and a 178-degree viewing angle.
The ‘Easy Setting Box S/W’ application on the desktop lets user partition the screen into displays of various sizes and functional configurations for smarter multitasking.
For people who spend long hours in front of the screen, the monitor uses Eye Saver Mode and Flicker Free Technology which enhances eye comfort. Eye Saver Mode obstructs Blue light wavelengths that stimulate the retina more than what any other colour does, thereby reducing eye-fatigue.
You can click here to buy the new Samsung 49-inch curved monitor.
2018 will be a huge year for smartphones, irrespective of the price category they’ll be in. This year saw a lot of mid-range smartphones having flagship features like bezel-less designs and dual-camera setups. While we already know all about the flagship chipset from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 845, there isn’t clarity as to what the mid-range smartphones will be powered by.
A new, however, has revealed the possible specifications of three new upcoming chipsets from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 670, 640 and 460. Three chipsets which possibly power a lot of mid-range phones in 2018.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 will succeed the Snapdragon 660 as the most powerful mid-tier chipset that Snapdragon will have to offer. While the Snapdragon 660 was built on a 14nm process, the Snapdragon 670 will move to a 10nm process similar to the Snapdragon 845. The chipset will have an octa-core processor with four Kryo 360 cores clocked at 2 GHz and four Kryo 385 cores clocked at 1.6 GHz. It’ll also feature an Adreno 620 GPU.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 640 will offer something different than every other chipset, a 6+2 core combination CPU. It will have two Kryo 360 cores clocked at 2.15 GHz and six Kryo 360 cores clocked at 1.55 GHz. This is possible thanks to ARM’s DynamIQ, which allows for mixing and matching for Cortex-A75 and A55 CPU cores. With DynamIQ, there can be a total of eight cores in a cluster which is exactly what we’re seeing in the Snapdragon 640. Similar to the Snapdragon 670, the 640 will also be made on the 10nm process.
The Snapdragon 460 will likely power smartphones under the Rs. 15000 price bracket. According to the leak, it will have four Kryo 360 cores clocked at 1.8 GHz and four Kryo 360 cores clocked at 1.4 GHz. It will be built on the 14nm process, unlike the other two chipsets.
Whether early-2018 entrants adopt any of the chipsets is yet to be seen as not a lot of mid-tier smartphones of 2017 even used the Snapdragon 660 chipset.
A week ago, the news of Apple accepting to deliberately slowing down iPhone batteries broke out. What was in the beginning, just a few conspiracy theories, soon became reality and iPhone users demanded answers from the company. In the aftermath of Apple accepting the allegations, it was sued for forcing people into buying iPhones.
In a post on its website, Apple has apologised to its consumers and said that a number of changes will be made to regain the trust of its consumers. The post goes on to announce that the company is slashing the price of replacing an out-of-warranty battery as well.
We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologize. There’s been a lot of misunderstanding about this issue, so we would like to clarify and let you know about some changes we’re making.
Apple conceded that it would cut the price of an out-of-warranty battery replacement from US $79 (Rs. 5000 approx.) to US$29 (Rs. 1850 approx.) for an iPhone 6 or later, starting next month. Along with that, iOS would be updated with features to let users see whether their battery is in poor health and is affecting the phone’s performance.
First and foremost, we have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades.
For years, iPhone users claimed to notice a discernible system slowdown with some iOS updates. However, the issue came in the spotlight thanks to a widely circulated Reddit thread.
Following that, Geekbench founder John Poole did some performance testing on various iPhones running different versions of iOS. Poole found that Apple does, in fact, limit performance on older iPhone models with lower-capacity batteries in the interest of battery life and preventing unexpected shutdowns.
Apple continues to insist that it’s never artificially slowed down phones, just that it’s aggressively managing phone performance to maximize the lifespan of iPhone batteries. In another article that Apple published, it explains:
This feature’s only intent is to prevent unexpected shutdowns so that the iPhone can still be used. This power management works by looking at a combination of the device temperature, battery state of charge, and the battery’s impedance.
Only if these variables require it, iOS will dynamically manage the maximum performance of some system components, such as the CPU and GPU in order to prevent unexpected shutdowns.
The silver lining here is that the consumers have a clear picture and the decision of changing batteries on their old iPhones will now be cheaper than what it was before.
Xiaomi will soon launch its new flagship phone in 2018 and multiple reports are claiming that the new flagship will have a radical new design. Whether these renders will be a reality in the coming months is yet to be seen.
A report claims that the Xiaomi Mi 7 will drop the famed fingerprint sensor and replace it with Face ID-like facial recognition technology. Unlike a few other Android phones that have launched since the inception of the iPhone X, the Mi 7, apparently, will not have a backup fingerprint sensor for payments and accounts security. This means that the phone will have very thin bezels and a small notch at the top which will house the front-facing camera and the other sensors necessary for a Face ID-like biometric system.
A conflicting report has claimed that the Chinese smartphone maker will embrace the next phase of fingerprint technology, wherein the sensor will be placed underneath the display. The report claims that the phone will have extremely minimal bezels, much thinner than what we have seen on any device so far. This report conflicts from the previous one but, hints at the same bezel-less design.
Xiaomi shook the smartphone industry in 2016 with the launch of the Xiaomi Mi Mix with minimal bezels around the display. Since then every smartphone maker has followed suit and thin bezels have now become a norm. It will be interesting to see if Xiaomi takes the bold decision and drops fingerprint sensor in favour of facial recognition, something that has picked up speed since Apple adopted it for the iPhone X.
