Author: Yashonil Gupta

Xiaomi Delays The Release Of Its Foldable Smartphone Over Market Insecurity

Foldable smartphones are expected to be the technology trend for the year 2019. Samsung and Huawei have both showcased their first devices capable of folding into half. These handsets are the Galaxy Fold and the Mate X respectively. While the former was deemed ready for sales a few weeks ago, incidents questioning the smartphone’s durability surfaced online. This led to Samsung recalling the units in a bid to fix the issues plaguing them. While the market waits patiently for the Galaxy Fold to show up again, the major blow of the incidents seems to have been suffered by Xiaomi.

The Chinese smartphone OEM showed off its foldable smartphone in a series of teasers and videos over the past few months. It was also reported the device could make its way into the market in a few months at half the price of the Galaxy Fold and the Mate X. However, due to the increasing market insecurities over Foldable Smartphones, Xiaomi seems to have pushed back the release of its foldable handset.

Investors in the Xiaomi supply chain, had revealed that while the launch of the device was earlier planned in the month of June, our original source claims it has been postponed for later in the summer. This will allow Xiaomi to further test their foldable device.

Due to the unfortunate incidents with the durability of the Samsung Galaxy Fold, and the following negative sentiments regarding foldable smartphones; Xiaomi is delaying the release, and further testing their product, and also making sure that the insecurity over the Galaxy fold failure will not impact the sales of their foldable device. Our source claims that the company may wait till another manufacturer releases a foldable device, before they unveil the phone in its entirety.

The company was claimed to have sourced foldable displays from the display maker Visionox. A patent for a foldable Xiaomi device was also discovered around the same time. The rumoured handset by the company is also expected to feature the Snapdragon 855 SoC, up to 8GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage.

Also read: OnePlus 7 Unboxing And Hands On Video

The major attraction with the foldable Xiaomi smartphone is claimed to be its price. Our source told us that the device could retail at half the price of the already announced handsets from Samsung and Huawei, retailing in at about US$ 999 and arriving in India at a lucrative price tag of Rs 74,999.
The handset is now expected later in the Summer, possibly after Samsung re launches the Galaxy Fold, and while Huawei Mate X is also expected in the month of July.

May 31, 2019
Huawei Mate 20 Pro Added To The Android Q Beta Program Again

Huawei was recently barred from doing any business with American companies; after the US government included it in an entity list earlier this month. However, the company was later given a 90-day extension to finish all pending business after which the ban will be in its full effect. Due to this, smartphones from Huawei lost the Android license provided by Google and were also removed from the Android Q Beta Program. Now, Google has added the Huawei flagship device from last year, the Mate 20 Pro back to the list of handsets supporting the upcoming Android Q Beta update.

Huawei Mate 20 Pro Android Q

As mentioned above, the official website of Android has added the Mate 20 Pro smartphone by Huawei back to its Android Q Beta Program. The device was removed from the listing because of the ban placed by the US government; restricting any business between an American company and the Chinese OEM. With this, the handset joins the limited list of devices including the Asus Zenfone 5Z, LG G8, Nokia 8.1 to be a part of the Beta program. While the Mate 20 Pro was also removed from the Android Enterprise recommended devices and Google’s list of Android handsets last week; the listing in both cases have not restored the name of the Huawei flagship yet.

Also read: A 16 Year Old Dies After Allegedly Playing PUBG Mobile For Six Hours

The addition of the Huawei Mate 20 Pro back to the Android Q Beta Program may be due to the 90 day extension period in effect. And since the smartphone has been added to the listing once again, it may insinuate that the handset will receive the stable update of Android Q after all. Unfortunately, it is not known if the company’s latest flagship smartphone, the P30 Pro; launched back in the month of March will receive the Android Q Beta update. However, an official announcement regarding the same is expected soon.

Watch the Unboxing and First Look of the Huawei Mate 20 Below:

May 31, 2019
OnePlus 7 Unboxing And Hands On Video
OnePlus launched its latest flagship smartphones, the OnePlus 7 Pro and the OnePlus 7 at multiple events around the world; on the 14th of May. While the former has been made available for sale in most markets and targets a premium price bracket; the latter has just been announced to go on sale starting next week and is more affordable than ever. Here is our experience with the unboxing and hands-on of the latest flagship killer of OnePlus for 2019, the OnePlus 7.
Click here to buy.

Video

What’s In The Box?
- OnePlus 7
- Power Adapter
- Type-C Cable
- Quick Start Guide
- Welcome Letter
- Safety Information and Warranty Card
- LOGO Sticker
- Case
- Screen Protector (pre-applied)
- SIM Tray Ejector
Design

The design of the OnePlus 7 is reminiscent of its predecessor, the OnePlus 6T. The device measures 157.7 × 74.8 × 8.2 mm and weighs in at 182 grams. It has a robust build with glass on both the front and back which is held together with a metal chassis. The front of the smartphone has negligible bezels on all sides with a waterdrop notch on top of the display.

The OnePlus 7 houses the power button along with the mute switch on the right side of the smartphone. The left has the volume rockers along with the SIM card tray. Over at the rear of the device, on the attractive gradient coloured back panel the vertically placed dual rear camera with an LED flash is present. The company branding is placed on the bottom of the rear of the handset.

Display

The OnePlus 7 has a 6.41-inch Optic AMOLED display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 px. The display on the smartphone is the same as its predecessor, with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. It supports features such as Reading Mode, Night Mode and Video Enhancer. The display on the OnePlus 7 as mentioned above, has a waterdrop notch on top to maximise the screen real estate. It also houses the in display fingerprint scanner which is reported to be 1.5 times faster than the previous generation.

Processor

One of the key highlighting features of OnePlus 7 is its chipset. The smartphone is kitted with the Snapdragon 855 SoC which is also present on devices including the Galaxy S10 lineup (US Variant) and the Xiaomi Black Shark 2. The chipset is manufactured using a 7 nm fabrication process which makes it highly power efficient in comparison to the 10nm Snapdragon 845 that the OnePlus 6T incorporates. The Snapdragon 855 consists of an Octa-Core Kryo CPU and the Adreno 640 GPU.

Memory and Storage

The OnePlus 7 is available in two storage variants, the base model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB internal storage; and the top tier variant with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard memory. It is also one of the world’s first smartphones after the OnePlus 7 Pro to feature UFS 3.0 2 lane storage. This should provide it with class-leading read and write speeds along with the LPDDR4X RAM which should result in fast performance.

Camera

In terms of optics, the OnePlus 7 has a dual rear camera setup consisting of an f/1.7 aperture equipped 48MP sensor; with an f/2.4 aperture equipped 5MP depth sensor. The primary lens uses the ubiquitous Sony IMX 586 sensor also found in smartphones such as the Redmi Note 7 Pro and the Honor View20. For selfies, the OnePlus 7 has an f/2.0 aperture equipped 16 MP sensor housed in the waterdrop notch on top of the display.

In terms of video recording, the rear cameras of the device are capable of shooting at 4K resolution at up to 60fps. Video from the front camera is restricted to 1080p resolution at 30fps. Additionally, the camera supports features such as HDR, Portrait Mode and Studio Lighting.

Battery and Other Features

The OnePlus 7 is powered by a 3700 mAh non-removable battery which is the same size as its predecessor. For fast top-ups, the battery supports 20W fast charging via the bundled Dash charger inside the box. The device runs on the company’s homegrown OxygenOS which is based on top of the latest Android 9 Pie.

Connectivity and Colour Options

Connectivity options on the OnePlus 7 include dual 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS and bottom mounted USB Type C Port. The USB Type C supports the USB 3.0 standard, which should make the read and write speeds on the device faster than before. The OnePlus 7 will available in two colour options at launch namely, Mirror Grey and Red.

Price and Availability

Also read: Amazon Textract Service Intended For Transcribing Data Is Now Live

The OnePlus 7 will go on sale starting the 4th of June at 12 noon exclusively on Amazon India. In terms of pricing, the base variant with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage has been priced at Rs 32,999; while the variant with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard memory will cost Rs. 37,999 for prospective buyers.
May 31, 2019
A 16 Year Old Dies After Allegedly Playing PUBG Mobile For Six Hours

Chinese conglomerate Tencent released the game PUBG Mobile for Android and iOS last year. The game was the mobile adaptation of the renowned battle royale title PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG). Since its release on smartphones, the game has seen an unexpected spike in its popularity which eventually led to a few cities in India going as far ahead to ban PUBG Mobile completely. Now, reports have surfaced that a 16-year-old boy from Madhya Pradesh has died; after allegedly playing the battle royale game for six hours on a stretch.

About the case

According to the report from a reputable media house, 16-year-old Furkan Quereshi of the Neemuch town in Madhya Pradesh died; after playing PUBG Mobile continuously for six hours. The incident occurred after he lost a game, became agitated and started shouting at his teammates. It is then claimed that he collapsed on the floor, after which when his family took him to the hospital, the doctors declared him dead on arrival. The boy started playing the game after lunch on the 26th of May, and the aforementioned incident happened at around 7 PM. His brother claims that he was addicted to PUBG Mobile, playing close to 18 hours in a day.

Also read: Amazon Textract Service Intended For Transcribing Data Is Now Live

According to the doctor who examined Furkan, his heart was healthy as he was a swimmer; but the excitement of the game PUBG Mobile might have caused a surge in the adrenaline. This is reported to have caused a cardiac arrest in the boy, taking his life. The police have filed a case and an investigation; to further determine the cause of death of the boy is underway. The doctor, along with the family of the boy has pleaded for a ban on the game entirely across the country.

May 31, 2019
Samsung Galaxy M40 Design Revealed By The Company Before Launch

Korean electronics giant Samsung will launch its latest smartphone called the Galaxy M40 on the 11th of June. It will the most premium device in the online-only Galaxy M series which was introduced back in the month of January. While the key details about the new handset from Samsung have been leaked in the past, its design has been shrouded in mystery. Now, the company has revealed what the Galaxy M40 will look like on its official website.

Galaxy M40

As mentioned above, the Galaxy M40 will be a mid-range offering from the Samsung and will take over from the Galaxy M30 (Review); as the most premium smartphone in the Galaxy M lineup. The image shared by the company on its website reveals the device in its full glory. The front of the handset has an almost bezel-less Infinity O display. It houses the hole punch camera on the top left side of the display to maximise the screen real estate. The right of the smartphone houses the volume rockers and the power button.

Over at the back, the Galaxy M40 has been revealed to sport a triple camera setup with an LED flash. The fingerprint sensor along with the company branding is also placed on the back of the handset. The upcoming handset will run on a Snapdragon 6 series SoC. While what chipset the Galaxy M40 will sport is anyone’s guess, past leaks have hinted towards the 11nm Snapdragon 675 SoC. The chipset is comprised of an Octa-core CPU, the Adreno 612 GPU and is also present in the Galaxy A70 and Redmi Note 7.

Galaxy M30

Also read: Screen Protector For The Google Pixel 4 Already Available For Pre-Orders

Previous leaks have revealed the Galaxy M40 will have a 6.3-inch LCD display with a FullHD+ resolution. It is also expected to be the first device in the Galaxy M series to run on the OneUI; based on top of current Android 9 Pie out of the box. For memory and storage, the upcoming smartphone will feature up to 6GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. It is also expected to be powered by a massive 5000mAh battery with support for some kind of fast charging. Unfortunately, details about the pricing of the device still remain shrouded in mystery; although it is expected to be priced under Rs. 25,000 in India.

May 30, 2019
Screen Protector For The Google Pixel 4 Already Available For Pre-Orders

Google is expected to launch its latest iteration of flagship smartphones in the month of October this year. These devices, allegedly called the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, will succeed the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL from 2018. While there is still a considerable amount of time before the company announces the upcoming handsets, early details about them have already started to trickle in leaks and renders. Now, a smartphone accessory maker Skinomi has listed screen protector for the Google Pixel 4 on its website. In the listing, a render of the handset’s front panel is also visible, which reveals its design.

Google Pixel 4

The images showcased on the website of Skinomi exhibit the design of the Pixel 4. It has been reported that Google will opt for a punch hole display for its upcoming smartphone, whose claim is further strengthened by the renders. Also evident from the pictures is the lack of considerable bezel around the device’s display, giving it a modern look. The screen protector for the handset has two cutouts on the top and bottom, which may be for the front-facing stereo speaker setup; which was introduced to the lineup with the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL in the year 2017. Notably, the listing on Skinomi’s website claims the screen protector will be shipped starting 20th November 2019. It can be pre-ordered now for a price of US$ 8.95 (Rs. 625).

Also read: Screenshots Of Ark OS, The Android Replacement By Huawei Leaked

While the render falls in line to the previous leaks regarding Pixel 4, it is recommended to be taken with a grain of salt. Because of the seemingly far launch date of the upcoming smartphone, the image may turn out to be fake. However, considering how much Google received flak for the design of its previous devices, it may not be all that surprising if the company finally decides to take the aforementioned design into consideration. As previously mentioned, the company is expected to unveil the Pixel 4 in the month of October at the Made by Google event.

May 30, 2019
Screenshots Of Ark OS, The Android Replacement By Huawei Leaked

Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei was barred from doing business with any American company a while ago. Because of the sanctions placed by the American government, it lost access to softwares like Android and Windows from its devices. The company was then granted a 90-day breathing window to fulfil all unfinished business with US companies. It was then reported that Huawei has secretly been working on its own Operating System (OS) for mobile devices in a bid to replace Android. According to the latest reports, the company has filed the name “Ark OS” with the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA). This application was filed on the 24th of May.

Ark OS

Reportedly, Huawei filed a claim at the DPMA for the design of certain elements of an interface. In the patent application, the company also shared screenshots of the menus inside the said interface. The images are starkly different from what the company has been doing with the current Android skin called EMUI. The applications showcased in the screenshots are allegedly Android-based. This insinuates that the purported Ark OS will support Android apps natively and will give an option to download them using a third party store.

Also read: Amazon Echo Show 5 Launched In India, Features A 5.5 Inch Display

The screenshots of the alleged Ark OS also repeatedly mention the name of the “Android Green Alliance”. This is a Chinese association formed up of companies like Tencent and Alibaba. It was formed a few years ago in an attempt to introduce quality and design standards of their apps in the Android OS. While it is not known what role will the Alliance play in the Ark OS; it may set up a standard for testing the quality of applications eligible to exist on the app store on the upcoming OS. Unfortunately, Huawei has not announced when its Android replacing OS might debut. But it is expected to make an appearance before the 90-day deadline for the company gets exhausted.

May 30, 2019
The Pokemon Company Announces Three New Apps For Android & iOS

The Pokemon Company which is the organisation responsible for licensing and managing the Pokemon franchise has announced three new applications for mobile devices. In a press conference held on the 28th of May, the company announced the future projects for the world famous franchise. These applications include the Pokemon Sleep, Pokemon Masters game and the Pokemon Home app.

Pokemon Home

The Pokemon games are known for their diverse nature. From the multitude of titles on the Nintendo consoles to games like Pokemon Go on mobile devices. With the upcoming Home app, trainers will be able to bring their Pokemon together. It is a cloud-based software that will let users manage their collected monsters across a variety of games. Additionally, the option of trading with friends or anyone around the world will also be provided. The Pokemon Home App is expected to launch early next year on Android, iOS and Nintendo Switch.

Pokemon Sleep

With Pokemon Sleep, users will be able to wake up with Pokemon every morning. With an accessory called Pokemon Go Plus, users will be able to track their sleep and be rewarded for good sleeping habits. For tracking the sleeping patterns, the device will use an embedded accelerometer to track the sleep times and then sends this information to a smartphone via Bluetooth. It will also be capable of being used to play Pokemon Go during the day. Pokemon Sleep is scheduled to launch for mobile devices in the year 2020.

Pokemon Masters

Also read: New MediaTek SoC Is All Set To Bring 5G Network On Budget Devices

One of the most exciting titles in the list, Pokemon Masters has also been announced for Android and iOS devices. It is made in a collaboration between the Pokemon Company and DeNA. In the upcoming game, players will able to fight alongside and with many famous trainers from the famous video games of the past. The company claims the gameplay will be optimised for mobile and touchscreen devices. The game will also seamlessly work with Pokemon Home, so the monsters caught will be transferrable. Pokémon Masters is scheduled to launch in 2019 with more details about this new mobile game expected next month.

May 29, 2019
YouTube Music And YouTube Premium On Discount For Students In India

American video-sharing website YouTube released the Music and Premium service in India back in the month of March. The former is a music service that leveraged YouTube’s vast library of songs to provide a replacement for music streaming services. The latter is an ad-free, feature-laden paid YouTube subscription. Now, the company has announced new student plans for the services which let eligible college students get discounted access to YouTube Music and YouTube Premium.

About The Plans

The latest student plans for YouTube Music and YouTube Premium services are applicable for students from accredited universities in India. Students can apply for membership starting Rs. 59 per month for Music Premium and Rs.79 per month for Premium. This plan is applicable starting Wednesday, the 29th of May. This is significantly lower than the Rs 99 per month fee for the former and Rs. 129 per month for the latter. As mentioned above, YouTube Music is a music streaming service from the popular video sharing platform. Besides offering official songs and albums, there is a range of different covers and remixes users may not be able to find elsewhere. While the ad-enabled version is free to use, the aforementioned amount can be paid for an ad-free experience.

Also read: Intel’s Showcases Twin Screen Gaming Laptop At Computex 2019

YouTube Premium, on the other hand, is a feature-rich version of the traditional YouTube, offering features that weren’t previously available on the platform. The YouTube Premium subscription has all the benefits of YouTube Music but adds on a background play mode ad-free videos on the platform, more downloadable videos available and access to YouTube Original content. Interested users can check out the latest plans on this page here. Students, to fulfil their eligibility will have to provide some kind of student identification. Presently, YouTube is also providing a month of free trial to select members.

May 29, 2019
Leaked iOS 13 Screenshots Reveal Dark Mode, New Reminders App

American technology giant Apple is all set to begin the annual World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) from the 3rd of June. The company uses the event to showcase its newest software to developers and enthusiasts. Like every year, it is expected that the next iteration of Apple’s operating system for its iPhones, iPads and iPods will be introduced at the event. Purportedly called the iOS 13, it is expected to bring about significant changes in the operating system, some details of which have leaked in the past. Now, a reputed source has obtained some screenshots alleged to be of the iOS 13. These confirm the presence of a native dark mode and an overhaul of the Reminders app.

iOS 13 Leaked Screenshots

The leaked screenshots of the iOS 13 as mentioned above, confirm the presence of a native dark mode. While this feature has been leaked to be present in the software several times in the past, the images all but confirm it will be provided as an option. Turning on this setting will reportedly switch the system applications to a greyscale shade. Darker colours are easier to use at night and provide the device with a different appearance; so the feature has been highly anticipated in iOS for quite a while now. The second change visible from the leaked images is the new screenshot editor. Instead of showing a grey background after a screenshot, the upcoming iOS 13 will have a blurred version of the wallpaper; with more intuitive tools on the bottom. On iPad, this tray holding the tools can be dragged around the screen.

Also read: Apple WWDC 2019, Launches, What To Expect

The Reminders application on iOS 13 will also be receiving a major design overhaul. On the iPad, it will have a large sidebar with boxes corresponding to “Today”, “Scheduled”, “Flagged” and “All”. This will also include a search box with a collection of the list of reminders. Apple is expected to announce the beta version of the software on the 3rd of June; with a wider rollout to follow later in the year. With iOS 13, the company may phase out devices older than 2015’s iPhone 6s.

May 29, 2019
Apple iPod Touch For 2019 Launched With Apple A10 SoC

Apple introduced the first generation iPod touch in the year 2007. The device revolutionized how people consumed music on the go with a portable music player that supported touch input. The company has announced the newest member of the lineup on the 28th of May with the launch of the seventh generation iPod touch. It is the successor to the sixth generation iPod touch introduced in the year 2015. The latest device boasts of improved performance and a better software support.

iPod Touch

The design on the seventh generation iPod touch is reminiscent of its predecessor, with a 4-inch display surrounded by considerably thick bezels and a home button on the bottom. Like the previous generation, the new device also has a single rear and front-facing camera. The biggest change in the latest iPod is that it is kitted with the the A10 SoC. This processor was last seen in the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus which were launched in the year 2016.

While the A10 chipset is not the most powerful one available from Apple, it will still able to run newest games on Apple Arcade, the company’s game subscription service, and support group Facetime video calls. The iPod Touch is also capable of running AR intensive applications for shared AR, persistent AR, which is tied to a specific location, and image detection. The portable music player will be available in six colour variants, namely; space grey, white, gold, blue, pink and (PRODUCT)RED.

Pricing & Availability

Also read: Nvidia’s Studio Laptop Lineup Aims to Compete With 15-Inch MacBook Pro

The latest generation of iPod Touch has been priced at Rs 18,900 for the 32GB storage version. The variant with 128GB internal storage has been priced at Rs. 28,900 while the top end 256GB storage model of the device will cost Rs 38,900. It will be available from Apple Authorised Resellers and select retail stores.

May 28, 2019
Samsung Galaxy M40 With Infinity O Display To Launch On 11th June

Samsung introduced the online-only Galaxy M series of smartphones back in the month of January. The devices introduced in the beginning were the Galaxy M10 and Galaxy M20 which were soon joined by the Galaxy M30 in the month of February. It was later reported the company will expand the lineup by launching the Galaxy M40. Key details about the device have been leaked in the past few weeks. Now, Samsung has officially announced the smartphone will be unveiled on the 11th of June at 6 PM in India. The teaser for the device is already live on the company’s website.

Galaxy M40

The Galaxy M40 will be a mid-range offering from the company and will take over from the Galaxy M30; as the most premium smartphone in the Galaxy M lineup. The teaser of the device reveals it will have an Infinity O display on the left to increase the screen real estate. This implementation was last seen in the company’s Galaxy A60 launched last month. More details in the teaser reveal the upcoming handset will run on a Snapdragon 6 series SoC. While what chipset the Galaxy M40 will sport is anyone’s guess, past leaks have hinted towards the 11nm Snapdragon 675 SoC. The chipset is comprised of an Octa-core CPU, the Adreno 612 GPU and is also present in the Galaxy A70 and Redmi Note 7. For biometric security and rapidly unlocking the handset, the teaser also reveals the smartphone will have a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. In terms of optics, the device will have a triple rear camera setup, details of which are unknown at the moment.

Samsung Galaxy M30

Also read: Google Pixel 3 And 3 XL Receive A Massive Price Cut Of Rs 28,000 In India

Past leaks have revealed the Galaxy M40 will have a 6.3-inch LCD display with a FullHD+ resolution. It is also expected to be the first device in the Galaxy M series to run on the OneUI; based on top of current Android 9 Pie out of the box. For memory and storage, the upcoming smartphone is likely to feature up to 6GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. It is also expected to be powered by a massive 5000mAh battery with support for some kind of fast charging. Unfortunately, details about the pricing of the device still remain shrouded in mystery; although it is expected to be priced under Rs. 25,000 in India.

May 28, 2019
Early OnePlus 7 Pro Users Complain About A High Pitched Noise On Voice Calls

OnePlus launched its latest flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 7 Pro on the 14th of May. The device was announced alongside the regular OnePlus 7 and features top tier specifications at a comparatively lower price than similarly specced handsets. A few days ago, early buyers of the device complained about phantom touch issues while using certain applications. Now, reports of another problem, this time pertaining to a high pitched noise from the earpiece of the OnePlus 7 Pro have surfaced online.

OnePlus 7 Pro Earpiece Issue

As mentioned above, early buyers of the OnePlus 7 Pro have been reported to face issues while using the voice call function of the handset. Some users claim they hear a high pitched noise emanating from the earpiece of the device. Since the discovery, more users have started complaining about a similar problem on the official OnePlus forum. While this issue is most prevalent when on a voice call, in some cases the sound can still be heard even when the smartphone is on standby. Unfortunately, it is not known if the problem is with the global variant of the handset or just for a particular demographic.

Also read: Oppo Reno Launched In India, Features 10x Lossless Zoom And Shark Fin Style Pop Up Camera

The problem with the earpiece of the OnePlus 7 Pro may be a software issue; as a user on the forum has claimed that they faced a similar issue with the OnePlus 3T which was launched in the year 2016. This problem apparently dissolved after a software update seeded by the company. It is thus believed OnePlus, as soon as it acknowledges the issue, will push an Over The Air (OTA) update to fix it. A temporary fix of the noise from the earpiece is claimed to be turning off the Wi-Fi of the smartphone. It can be done either through the notification toggle or by going into Settings, navigating to the Network and Internet option and disabling Wi-Fi.

May 28, 2019

Redmi K20 & K20 Pro Launched

After much hype and speculations, Xiaomi’s subsidiary Redmi has launched its latest smartphones, the Redmi K20 and the Redmi K20 Pro. While the former is a mid-range offering, the latter is a flagship-grade device from the company, featuring top tier specifications at a competitive price. The handsets have been launched in China alongside the company’s first laptop called RedmiBook 14. Furthermore, the pricing of the Redmi 7A budget smartphone which was announced a few days ago has also been revealed at the event.

Specifications

As mentioned above, the Redmi K20 and the K20 Pro are the latest smartphones from the company. The devices have a glass design on the front and back with a metal chassis for reinforcement. They have an attractive gradient coloured design on the back. The handsets have a 6.39 inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 px. To maximise the screen real estate, they both have a pop-up mechanism on top to house the front-facing camera. For biometric security and unlocking the smartphones, the Redmi K20 series has an in display fingerprint scanner along with support for face unlock technology.

Under the hood, the Redmi K20 is kitted with the 8nm Snapdragon 730 SoC. The chipset is comprised of an Octa-core CPU and the Adreno 618 GPU. The more premium Redmi K20 Pro runs on the flagship grade 7nm Snapdragon 855 SoC which has an Octa-core CPU and the Adreno 640 GPU. In terms of optics, both smartphones have a triple rear camera setup consisting of an f/1.75 aperture equipped 48MP sensor, an f/2.4 aperture equipped 13MP ultra wide angle sensor; and a tertiary f/2.4 aperture equipped 8MP telephoto sensor. For selfies, an f/2.0 aperture equipped 32MP sensor is housed in the pop-up mechanism on top of the handsets.
Both the Redmi K20 and the K20 Pro are powered by a 4,000 mAh battery. However, the former supports 18 W fast charging while the latter supports 27 W fast charging. Both devices run on MIUI 10 which is based on top of the latest Android 9 Pie. The smartphone will be available in three colour variants namely, Blue, Red and Black.

Pricing & Availability

Also Read: Unreleased Moto Z4 Accidentally Sold On Amazon, Buyer Posts Video On YouTube

The pricing of the Redmi K20 and K20 Pro corresponding to the different storage variants is listed below.

Storage	Redmi K20 Price	Redmi K20 Pro Price
6GB RAM + 64GB ROM	CNY 1999 (INR 20,200)	CNY 2499 (INR 25,200)
6GB RAM + 128GB ROM	CNY 2099 (INR 21,200)	CNY 2599 (INR 26,200)
8GB RAM + 128GB ROM		CNY 2799 (INR 28,200)
8GB RAM + 256GB ROM		CNY 2999 (INR 30,300)

The price of the two variants of the previously announced Redmi 7A is as follows:

2 GB + 16 GB: CNY 549 (INR Rs 5,500)
2 GB + 32 GB: CNY 599 (INR Rs 6,000)

May 28, 2019

The Laptop With World’s Six Most Dangerous Malware Sold For US$ 1.3 Million

What would you want to pay for a laptop that is a decade old and runs Windows XP? Oh, and add the fact that it has six of the world’s most dangerous malware installed in it. If you are having trouble answering the question, let us do the work for you. The laptop in question, framed as an artwork called Persistence of Chaos by Guo O Dong has been sold at an online auction for a whopping price of US$ 1,345,000 (INR 93,694,852).

About The Laptop

The laptop in question here is a Samsung NC10-14GB 10.2-Inch Blue Netbook which was introduced back in the year 2008. It was created by internet artist named Guo O Dong and was commissioned to do so by a cybersecurity firm known as Deep Instinct. The device as mentioned above runs 6 pieces of malware that are considered most dangerous in the world. All the malware installed in the laptop has been reported to have caused financial damages totalling US$ 95 Billion. The artwork has been kept isolated and is airgapped, which refers to it as it is kept away from the internet to prevent the spread of the malware.

Also read: OnePlus 7 Pro Nebula Blue Edition To Go On Sale For The First Time In India

The artist claims the intention behind the laptop was to make physical the abstract threat the digital world poses. The malware(s) inside the device are the ILOVEYOU virus, which was distributed via email and caused US$15 Billion in damages; the MyDoom, spread by Russian spammers and causing US$ 38 Billion in damages. The third is the SoBig worm, which was reported to have caused US$ 37 Billion in damages. Other malware includes the WannaCry, DarkTequila and BlackEnergy viruses, which also have been notorious in causing financial damage to consumers. For those curious, you can visit this link to watch the live stream of the laptop kept in its enclosure because apparently, that is a thing now.

May 28, 2019

Author: Yashonil Gupta

Huawei Mate 20 Pro Android Q

Video

What’s In The Box?

Design

Display

Processor

Memory and Storage

Camera

Battery and Other Features

Connectivity and Colour Options

Price and Availability

About the case

Galaxy M40

Google Pixel 4

Ark OS

Pokemon Home

Pokemon Sleep

Pokemon Masters

About The Plans

iOS 13 Leaked Screenshots

iPod Touch

Pricing & Availability

Galaxy M40

OnePlus 7 Pro Earpiece Issue

Specifications

Pricing & Availability

About The Laptop