Author: Vipul Vij

Google Launches Android Go Oreo Edition For Budget Smartphones

Google has launched a version of Android 8.0 Oreo which is best suited for Android phones with 1GB of RAM or less.

At the Google I/O event in May 2017, Google promised to launch a custom version of Android tailor-made for lower-end devices. On the 5th of December, Android Go (Oreo edition) was officially launched and made available to smartphone manufacturers and developers.

As Google said, the idea behind Android Go is to create a version of Android software which is designed to run better on phones with either 512MB or 1GB of RAM. In the world of OnePlus 5T with its 8GB of RAM or Galaxy Note8’s 6GB RAM, it is easy to forget that there are lower-end smartphones currently available in the market which have 1GB of RAM or less.

Recently, the Nokia 2 launched in India at a price of Rs. 6999 with 1GB of RAM and running Android 7.1 Nougat. Android Go’s launch means that HMD Global will be able to push out an Android 8.0 Oreo update for the Nokia 2 faster since the build is already optimised for phones with such specifications.

Nokia 2

Google has claimed that Android Go’s Oreo edition will be a variant of Android Oreo that a manufacturer can just set by ticking off a configuration flag. What this basically does is that it sets up the phone to use the “Go” versions of a handful of Google apps such as the main Google app, Google Assistant, Google Maps, Gmail, and others. Google claims that the smaller apps and slimmer OS can as much as halve the amount of storage that’s taken up by default on a new phone running default OS.

Google will also introduce a few other data saving features on Android Go. For example, in Chrome, everything will get run through a Google server that reduces file sizes before it gets delivered to the user’s phone. The new Datally app will also be pre-installed to keep a track of cellular data.

Considering India’s budget smartphone segment, it might be one of the first few countries to receive Android Go.

December 5, 2017
Google Assistant Is Coming To The JioPhone

Google has announced that the JioPhone will be the first feature phone which will have Google Assistant support.

JioPhone

The Indian market has over 500 million feature phones and Google plans to reach out to many of such feature phone owners through its AI assistant. It isn’t clear yet if JioPhone is the only feature phone in Google’s roadmap or is it the first of many.

JioPhone is a 4G feature phone that runs KaiOS, a custom operating system based on Firefox OS. The JioPhon, launched earlier this year is available for free (with a deposit) and even has its own voice assistant, HelloJio.

Google is bringing a customised version of the Google Assistant with Hindi voice support, that is adapted to the device’s 2.4-inch QVGA colour screen. While the interface will be much different than the one found on Android and iOS devices, the core functionalities of the Google Assitant are expected to be the same.

Google might end up working with Nokia well to bring Google Assistant to its line of feature phones as well but, that is not confirmed yet.

December 5, 2017
Android 8.1 Oreo To Start Seeding Today

Android released the developer preview of Android 8.1 Oreo on the 25th of October and has now announced that the official update will start seeding on the 5th of December. Google has kept its promise to release Android 8.1 to the public by the end of the year.

The Android 8.1 will roll out to the Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel C, Nexus 6P, and Nexus 5X starting today.

The second developer preview was released last week, which included the much-awaited developer access to the Visual Core image processing chip inside the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL feature. Because of this access, camera app developers will be able to improve their apps to take full advantage of the hardware found on Google’s new smartphones.

The update also fixes the infamous hamburger and beer emoji found on the Google keyboard app. So, if a consumer was offended by the previous emojis, then they can breathe a sigh of relief.

With Android 8.1 Oreo out for Pixel and Nexus devices, it begs the question, where is the Android 8.0 Oreo update for other Android devices? So far, only a handful of devices from other OEMs have received an update to Android 8.0 Oreo update.

One of the main new updates in Android 8.1 Oreo is in its back-end processing. The new feature would automatically flag apps as “inactive” and deprioritise the generation of cache files for that app. The phone will only consider an app as “inactive” if it hasn’t been recently used in the foreground and the app package isn’t being used by another app package in the background.

December 5, 2017
Google Pixel 2 Prices Dropped To Rs. 39999 Starting December 7th

The Google Pixel 2 will be available at a price of Rs. 39999 from the 7th of December. Launched at a price of Rs. 61000 the Google pixel 2 is available at a discount of Rs. 11001, and starting December 7th buyers will get additional Rs. 10000 cash back for each Pixel 2 purchase. This offer is available during Flipkart’s big shopping days. Bringing the price of Google’s 2017 flagship down to Rs. 39999 for the 64 GB variant.

Unlike its bigger sibling, the Google Pixel 2 has strayed away from controversy thanks to its AMOLED display instead of the p-OLED display found on the Pixel 2 XL. The Pixel 2 at a price of Rs. 39999 is a great deal for someone looking to get a flagship device with optimised Android and quick updates for the next few years.

Following the design language of last year’s Pixel phones, the smartphone features a 5 inch 1920 x 1080 px OLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top for protection.

Under the hood, the device has typical 2017 flagship specifications. It has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, 2.4GHz octa core processor, Adreno 540, 4GB RAM and 64GB/128GB onboard storage.

The fingerprint sensor sits at the back of the device but, this time around the “glass window” is smaller. The two-tone colour of the phone is also reminiscent of the original Pixel from 2016. Google claims that the fingerprint sensor is the fastest on a smartphone. The Pixel 2 is water resistant as well.

Powering the device is a 2700 mAh battery and it runs Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. As is with with every Google phone, the new Pixel 2 will be first in line to receive Android P update in 2018.

Google has decided to go for a single camera setup similar to last year’s Pixel phones. The rear-facing camera is a 12.2 MP sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and 1.4 micron pixel size. On the front is an 8MP camera with an f/2.4 aperture. Google has introduced new features in the camera department like the addition of AR.

This year, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL use a technology called “dual-pixel” which divides every pixel into two. Google says Pixel 2 has greater high dynamic range, optical image stabilisation, and a portrait mode that doesn’t use a second camera but dual-sensor image technology. The Pixel 2 XL uses both OIS and EIS simultaneously for better clarity and stable images and videos. The portrait mode works on both rear and font facing cameras, just like the new iPhones.

December 5, 2017
Apple AirPods Sales Expected To Double In 2018

Multiple reports have claimed that the Apple AirPods dominate the truly wireless earbuds segment in the US. A new report from KGI Securities has claimed that AirPods will continue to experience an exponential growth. In 2018, Kuo believes that Apple will sell upwards of 28 million units, a figure which would effectively double AirPods sales year over year.

Apple doesn’t break out individualised sales figures for specific accessories, but estimates for 2017 sales are somewhere in the 13-14 million range.

We believe demand for AirPods has been strong, and note that the shipping time of the product on Apple’s official shopping website has shortened to 1-3 days, mainly thanks to an improved assembly process and increased capacity from Luxshare as the new assembler […]

We expect AirPods to remain one of the most popular Apple accessories in 2018, with shipments likely to rise 100% YoY to 26-28mn units next year.

Apple’s decision to remove the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus last year was met with widespread scepticism as majority of smartphone users still use wired headphones and headphone makers had not yet entered the realm of lightning post or USB C headphones.

The AirPods was Apple’s solution to that and an indication that Apple is well and truly on its way to make a port-less iPhone. The ease of connecting the AirPods to your Apple devices proved decisive in its record sales in the past year, even though there are better sounding headphones at a cheaper price available in the market.

Following Apple’s footsteps, a lot of big companies like Samsung and recently, Sony released their versions of the truly wireless earbuds and prolific headphone makers like B&O have also entered the premium earbuds market.

A report by Gartner revealed that the sales of truly wireless earbuds will hit the 150 million sales mark in 2017.

December 5, 2017
Nokia 9 And Nokia 8 (2018) To Be Launched On 19th January

Nokia 9 is highly anticipated as the successor the Nokia 8, and it appears that the Nokia 9 could be launched as early as the 19th of January. A new report from China claims that the Nokia 9 and a new iteration of the Nokia 8, named Nokia 8 (2018) will be launched on the 19th of January. It is worth noting that HMD Global has not announced or hinted at any new launch as of now.

The report also claims that both the phones will be customised for the Chinese market hence, may come with special ROM where Google services may be replaced by local alternatives.

The leaked specifications of the Nokia 9 include 5.5-inch QHD display. Whether this display will have an 18:9 aspect ratio is yet to be seen but, considering the phone is launching in 2018 and will be a flagship device, the bezels might be shrunken and considerably thinner than the ones found on the Nokia 8.

Chances are that the Nokia 9 will be launched in two variants, one with 6GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage while the other version of the phone may have 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

The 64GB variant of the Nokia 9 may be priced at around CNY 3,699 (Rs 35,965 approx.) while the 128GB storage variant might be priced at CNY 4,199 (Rs 40,826 approx.).

The Nokia 8 (2018) is expected to be priced similar to the Nokia 8 which was launched in India back in September at a price of Rs 36999.

Both the Nokia 9 and Nokia 8 (2018) are expected to have dual cameras at the back and have IP67 rating for water and dust resistance.

While the Nokia 8 entered the Indian market a few weeks after its global launch, it will be interesting to see if HMD Global follows a similar pattern if and when the Nokia 9 and the Nokia 8 (2018) are launched.

December 5, 2017
Indian Government Lists 42 Chinese Apps That Are Dangerous To National Security

The Indian government has continued its effort in curbing the danger that some apps on the internet might possess. The Indian intelligence agencies have listed about 42 mobile applications that have the potential to carry out a cyber-attack against the country. The agencies have reportedly issued a warning to the Indian Army and paramilitary against their usage.

As per reliable inputs, a number of Android/IOS apps developed by Chinese developers or having Chinese links are reportedly either spyware or other malicious ware. Use of these apps by our force personnel can be detrimental to data security having implications on the force and national security.

Army personnel have been asked to immediately uninstall the 42 mobile apps as well as format their smartphones. This is not the first time that the government has issued warnings against Chinese apps. Recently, UC Browser came under the scanner as well.

Xiaomi in a statement has said:

At Xiaomi, we take security and privacy very seriously. Our global e-commerce platforms and user data for all international users is located on Amazon AWS data centers in California and Singapore.

We are currently investigating the advisory and would like to assure Mi Fans that we are fully committed to storing and transferring our users’ data securely at all times

Following is the list of all the apps that have been deemed unsafe by the advisory:

Weibo, WeChat, SHAREit, Truecaller, UC News, UC Browser, BeautyPlus, NewsDog, VivaVideo- QU Video Inc, Parallel Space, APUS Browser, Perfect Corp, Virus Cleaner (Hi Security Lab), CM Browser, Mi Community, DU recorder, Vault-Hide, YouCam Makeup, Mi Store, CacheClear DU apps studio, DU Battery Saver, DU Cleaner, DU Privacy, 360 Security, DU Browser, Clean Master – Cheetah Mobile, Baidu Translate, Baidu Map, Wonder Camera, ES File Explorer, Photo Wonder, QQ International, QQ Music, QQ Mail, QQ Player, QQ NewsFeed, WeSync, QQ Security Centre, SelfieCity, Mail Master, Mi Video call-Xiaomi, and QQ Launcher.

Truecaller has responded to the allegations:

In response to certain reports, we would like to clarify that we are a Sweden based company. We are not sure why the app is on this list, but we’re investigating. Truecaller is not a malware, and all our features are permission based and are disabled by default.

This is not the first time that Chinese apps have come under the scanner. The fact that even Xiaomi’s apps, one of the most successful brands in India, have come under the scanner is shocking as well as alarming. Xiaomi was previously accused of sharing personal data of Indian users with the Chinese.

December 4, 2017
Ford Sues John Cena For Breach Of Contract

One of the most famous superstars in the Hollywood John Cena has been sued American car-maker Ford.

Last year, Ford handpicked 500 applicants out of total of about 7,000 aspirants to purchase the company’s new Ford GT. Some of those chosen were high-profile clients, such as John Cena. It was done as a marketing gimmick to show how cool and amazing the new car is. That, however, loses a bit of sheen when a celebrity goes ahead sells that car in less than a month since getting it.

That is exactly what John Cena did. He received the car on the 23rd of September, and sold it less than a month later, on the 20th of October. At the time of purchase, Cena had signed a contract with Ford which stated that he will keep the car for at least 2 years, which he didn’t.

The agreement, which John Cena signed, reads:

By signing this Order Confirmation Form you are verifying the following: … (B) You understand that being selected for the opportunity to purchase this vehicle is non-transferable and agree not to sell the vehicle within the first 24 months of delivery.

John Cena later confirmed in a phone conversation with Ford that he had sold the car, and promised to work with the company to make things right. However, Ford has said that this has not turned out the way it should have and is now suing Cena for damages. This is what the lawsuit reads:

Mr. Cena has unfairly made a large profit from the unauthorized resale flip of the vehicle, and Ford has suffered additional damages and losses, including, but not limited to, loss of brand value, ambassador activity, and customer goodwill due to the improper sale.

It will be interesting how this legal battle pans out.

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December 4, 2017
Samsung Galaxy S9 Will Retail With The DeX Pad

It appears that along with the Galaxy S9 and S9+, Samsung is also working on a new version of its DeX dock. According to a recent report, it won’t be a dock this time around, and just like the Samsung wireless charger, it will be a pad. Also, it will retail along with the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ which might make it a great deal.

Samsung Galaxy S9 renders

The report claims that with Android 8.0 Oreo, the display of the connected phone can be used as a mouse, and that it will also get the option of being used as a keyboard. This feature will negate the need of carrying a mouse and keyboard to use the DeX pad, which is currently the case with the DeX dock.

Image courtesy – Sammobile

As much as the DeX pad or dock is an interesting accessory, it is, at the end of the day an accessory. Much like the Bixby button, the Dex is something which will never replace a real PC users machine.

It will also be interesting to see if this deal will be a factor in the price of the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The way smartphones are priced these days and the increasing price of every new generation of smartphones, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ may reach the thousand dollar barrier just like the iPhone X.

December 4, 2017
Nokia 3 Will Skip Android 7.1.2 Nougat And Get Android 8.0 Oreo Update Instead

Android phones, apart from Google’s own Pixel and Nexus lineup have a notorious image for not receiving timely software updates. Mid-range phones go two years without seeing the light of day to any kind of software upgrade. The Nokia 3 was the first Nokia-branded Android pohone to go on sale in India and it appears that the phone is in line to receive Android 8.0 Oreo update soon.

HMD Global’s Chief Product Officer, Juho Sarvokas confirmed this on Twitter.

Thanks! We will transition straight to Oreo

— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) December 2, 2017

The Nokia 3 has the MediaTek MTK 6737 chipset, quad-core 1.3GHz chipset and currently runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the Box. It has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage which can be expanded up to 128GB via microSD card.

The phone has a 5-inch display with a 1280 x 720 px resolution. The Nokia 3 has a Polycarbonate back and an aluminium frame.

Both the front and rear cameras have an 8 MP sensor.

December 4, 2017
Qualcomm Sues Apple Again For Infringing Palm OS Patents

The Apple-Qualcomm legal battle seizes to fizzle any time soon. After Apple filed a counter-suit against its bitter tech-rival, Qualcomm has responded with a new patent infringement lawsuit against the Cupertino-based tech giant.

Qualcomm wants the iPhone X banned because it claims that Apple infringed the chip maker’s patents, including some relating to improving bandwidth in devices, saving power and enhancing photos from the rear-facing camera. Qualcomm has also claimed that Apple copied some elements of the Palm OS, which Qualcomm obtained the rights to in 2014, when it bought many of Palm’s other patents.

In its filing of the suit, Qualcomm said:

All of these Palm inventions – owned by Qualcomm – have vastly improved the functionality of mobile devices and the user experience, and all of them are widely found in Apple products without license or permission.

However, Qualcomm has claimed that this is not in response to Apple’s latest lawsuit. In fact, this lawsuit was in the company’s plan for a long time and the timing is just a coincidence. Donald Rosenburg said:

You can’t react that quickly to file lawsuits. We were in the process of filing three new district court cases in San Diego today, and one new ITC case in Washington, D.C. Those involve a group of 16 patents that are additional to the ones we have already sued them on, and five of those 16 are ones we are suing them on in the ITC seeking an exclusion order.

This is a new lawsuit by Qualcomm in quick succession. Back in October, it claimed that Apple was giving rival processor company Intel information about its chips.

December 4, 2017
Redmi 5 And Redmi 5 Plus With Bezel-Less Displays To Be Launched On 7th December

The Xiaomi Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus are scheduled to be launched on the 7th of December at an event in China. While the launch is just a couple of days away, there are plenty of leaks that have revealed key specifications of the smartphone.

In a promotional video released by the Chinese smartphone maker, the Redmi 5 and 5 Plus are shown with thin bezels and tall 18:9 displays with the launch date revealed as the 7th of December.

In a recent leak via TENNA, it was revealed that the Redmi 5 and the Redmi 5 Plus will have a 5.7-inch and 5.99-inch display, respectively. While the Redmi5 will have a 1440 x 720 px resolution, the Redmi 5 Plus will have a higher 2160 x 1080 px resolution.

Under the hood, the Redmi 5 will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 chipset while the bigger sibling, the Redmi 5 Plus will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset. While both the phones will; have 32GB and 64GB onboard storage variants, the Redmi 5 will also have a 16GB storage variant.

Excerpt from the promotional teaser

The Redmi 5 will be poweredby a 3200 mAh battery and the Redmi 5 Plus will be powered by a massive 4000 mAh battery. The fingerprint will sit at the back of the phone which has become common in Redmi phones.

Both the smartphones are expected to feature a 5MP front-facing camera that will be equipped with an LED flash and a rear-mounted 12MP camera.

The Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus are speculated to be respectively priced at 699 Yuan ( US $105 approx.) and 999 Yuan (US $151 approx.) for the base variants.

With the Redmi series being one of the most successful smartphone lineups in India, it won’t be a surprise if Xiaomi launches at least the Redmi 5 in India immediately after its China launch, or after the Redmi Note 5 launch in India.

December 4, 2017
Huawei Nova 2S Images Leaked

Huawei will launch the Huawei Nova 2S at an event on the 7th of December. New images have leaked of the upcoming smartphone that reveal the design and the placement of all the ports. It is worth noting that there is a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom of the device.

According to recent leaks, the Nova 2S will have a 6-inch display with a 2160 x 1080 px resolution which translates to an 18:9 aspect ratio.

Under the hood, the device will have the Kirin 960 chipset and 6GB of RAM. There is no information about the storage options however, expect a minimum of 64GB onboard storage when the phone is launched. A new report suggests that in order to improve heat management, the device will have an under clocked version of the Kirin 960 chipset.

Despite the tall display and thin bezels, Huawei has placed a home button on the front of the phone. It is safe to assume that the physical home button also houses the fingerprint sensor since there is no fingerprint sensor at the back of the phone.

The device will run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box with Huawei’s custom skin EMUI 8.0 on top.

Another interesting thing about the phone is its four cameras. It appears that the smartphone will have a 20MP + 16MP camera setup at the back and a dual 20MP setup at the front.

December 4, 2017
Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) Will be Launched As Galaxy A8+

The Samsung Galaxy S9 will not be the only Samsung phone with an infinity display to be launched in early-2018. Numerous reports have claimed that Samsung’s Galaxy A series will also get the infinity display in 2018 and a new leaked image appears to reiterate that.

The images show that the upcoming Galaxy A8+ will indeed have an infinity display although, the top and bottom bezels are prominent and is by no means even close to what the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy Note8 looked like. The details given on the website reveal that the smartphone has the model number SM-730.

Earlier reports have suggested that Galaxy A7 (2018) or the Galaxy A8+ will have a 5.7-inch 2160 x 1080 px AMOLED display.

Under the hood, depending on the market, the device will either have the Exynos 7885 or Snapdragon 630. The device is also expected to have two variants, one with 4GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage and the other 6GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage.

Galaxy A8+ is expected to have a 16MP main rear camera and a 16MP front-facing camera.

It is also expected to run Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box with an update to Android 8.0 Oreo scheduled for some time later in 2018.

December 3, 2017
Here’s Everything We Know About The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 So Far

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 has been one of the most successful smartphones of 2017. As this year reaches its summit, the anticipation around the upcoming Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 will increase exponentially. The Redmi Note 4 was launched in January of 2017 and it is widely expected that the Redmi Note 5 will also be launched at a similar time to maintain consistency.

There have been multiple leaks about the Redmi Note 5 and conflicting reports have somewhat clouded what actually could be the Redmi Note 5.

The most reliable leak so far was an image of the Redmi Note 5 showing off an 18:9 aspect ratio display with key specifications revealed on the screen of the phone.

According to the image, the Redmi Note 5 will have Snapdragon 625 chipset. The phone also has a 5.99 inch display with a very 2017-like 18:9 ratio and Full HD+ (2160 x 1080 px) resolution.

The phone shows 54GB of storage available, meaning that the variant in question here is the 64GB unit. There is at least one camera with a 12 MP sensor and the smartphone runs on Android 7.1.2 Nougat. The device appears to be powered by a 4000 mAh battery and due to thin bezels, the fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the phone, much like the Redmi Note 4.

It is highly unlikely that Xiaomi will go for the Snapdragon 625 chipset since it is the same chipset found on the Redmi Note 4. A year later, consumers would expect more and this doesn’t fall in line with the Redmi Note series. The Chinese smartphone maker could go for the Snapdragon 636 chipset which will enable mid-range devices to have bezel-less displays with FHD+ resolution.

In terms of optics, there have been few reports suggesting that it will have a dual-camera setup while some reports suggest that it will have a single 16MP camera at the back and 5MP camera at the front.

The price of the phone is expected to be under the Rs 15000 mark when it launches in India next year.

December 3, 2017