Author: Yashonil Gupta

Samsung Working On A Smartphone That Can Fold Both Ways

Korean electronics giant Samsung unveiled its first foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold back in the month of February. While the device was claimed to be ready for prime time, just before its launch, problems with its durability started surfacing online. Due to this, the company had to recall the review units of the handsets and postponed the Galaxy Fold’s launch date to several months. While the world is still waiting to see the smartphone in action, latest patent filings by Samsung reveal it is ready with another foldable handset, the latest of which folds both ways.

Samsung Foldable Smartphone Patents

Samsung filed a patent back in the month of January this year at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). It was for a foldable device and the method for controlling it. The patent was finally published on the 8th of August and has been included in the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) database, which means that Samsung holds the right to the patent worldwide. Noteworthy, it is just a utility patent and not a design one. This suggests that the design aspects provided by the source can still change. That being said, the design reflected in the renders of the Samsung Galaxy Foldable handset has a bi-directional slide mechanism. This is like the Motorola Razr foldable device concept renders, with the addition of the latest one being able to fold in both directions.

Also read: Realme XT Confirmed To Arrive Before Diwali With A 64MP Quad Camera

The patents and the image provided in it also indicate a single camera cutout on the back. The hinge or the mechanism that makes the folding possible is a huge strip on the middle of the device. This reminds of the hinge present on the Royole FlexPai, the world’s first foldable smartphone. As the patent images show that the Samsung handset can be folded both sides, this would make it easier to protect the display, thus increasing durability. While it is not certain when the dual foldable smartphone will hit the markets if at all, but if it does see the light of the day, it looks like a viable competitor to the likes of the Huawei Mate X and the Motorola Razr.

August 21, 2019
OnePlus TV To Be Unveiled In September, Will Be India Exclusive At Launch

Last year, Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus announced that it is ready to dive into the television business by launching an LED TV soon. A year has since passed and details about it started surfacing online. While it was known that the OnePlus TV will be launched this year, no exact date was revealed by the company. Until now, as a senior OnePlus executive has revealed that the device will be launched in the month of September and will be available exclusively in India initially.

OnePlus TV

In an official blog post on the 20th of August, the CEO and co-founder of OnePlus, Pete Lau has announced the latest details about the OnePlus TV. It has been confirmed that the upcoming television will be launched next month; i.e September. According to the company, the reason for it being exclusive to India at launch is that OnePlus has seen unprecedented success in India because of the community. To share that success, it is trying to bring its latest venture into the country first. The television will later be made available in other regions like North America, Europe and China.

Also read: Realme 5 Pro Vs Redmi Note 7 Pro: Which One To Choose?

Previous leaks have revealed the OnePlus TV will be an LED television and will be available in sizes ranging from 43 to 75 inches. It is rumoured to be a smart TV, which suggests it will run on an Operating System and will be capable of connecting to the Internet. While it is not confirmed, some reports claim the OnePlus TV will be unveiled on the 26th of September. Notably, this is the same day the OnePlus 7T Pro has been leaked to be shown off. Pricing and availability of both the devices remain in question, though we might not have to wait long to get those answered.

August 21, 2019
Flipkart Launches Its Video Streaming Service To Take On Amazon Prime Video

The video streaming service market in India has risen substantially in the last few years. What used to be dominated by YouTube has split into various applications featuring TV shows and movies spanning different genres. The latest addition in the space is one of the biggest e-commerce players in the country, Flipkart. The company has launched its own video service in the Indian market via its mobile shopping app. While it has not explicitly said so, the company aims at giving Amazon’s Prime Video service a run for its money with the latest service.

Flipkart Video

The latest video streaming service from Flipkart is visible in the Android application for the shopping website. With the current version 6.17, two new options have been added to the hamburger menu on the top left of the home screen. While the former is an Ideas section meant to help the users in terms of their shopping needs, the latter is the Video section; which is comprised of various movies and TV shows from key media players in the streaming segment such as Arre, Dice Media, TVF and Voot. Flipkart has said in the past that it will not focus on creating original video content initially, but may get into the idea if more people are interested in the platform.

Also read: YouTube Original Series Will Be Free To Watch From 24th September

The video streaming service offered by Flipkart will be free to watch for any registered user of the application. The platform is ad-supported, which means even later, users will not have to pay anything to consume the content offered. While the service is only available for Android users as of now, it is expected that an iOS update pertaining to the Ideas and Video service will be released soon. With the entry of a major enterprise like Flipkart in the video streaming market of India, we expect the competition to heat up in the following months.

August 17, 2019
Top Tech Best Budget Tech Gadgets and Accessories: August 2019

Another month, another Top Tech. It is the month of August and this time we will check out the best gadgets and accessories you can buy. These range from travel accessories to nifty gadgets that can be used in daily life. Check out the video and the detailed list of products for this month below.

Tantra Bluetooth Receiver

The first item on our top tech list is the Bluetooth Reciever from Tantra. As the name suggests, it is capable of making a non-Bluetooth capable device like a car stereo or a speaker, Bluetooth enabled. It plugs on to your existing device’s AUX port and is rechargeable. It may be just the right product for people looking to make their old audio devices Bluetooth enabled.

G20 Laptop Table

The laptop table from Gizga is an interesting piece of hardware. It is an adjustable laptop table which has wheels which make it easy to move around. With an adjustable height, Users can easily adjust it according to their comfort. It offers solid construction and good looking design, which is difficult to find in the price range.

Transparent USB 3.0 Hub

Aside from looking really cool, the transparent USB 3.0 hub is truly a top tech gadget. It has four USB 3.0 ports which can be used to extend your PC or laptop’s capability of supporting more devices. While it does not require any power source to work, a port is conveniently provided if and when needed.

Aluminium Laptop Dock

The laptop dock by Tarkan is the next top tech item in our list. It is built really well and can hold your laptop or tablet for easy docking. There are adjustable screws on the bottom which can be used to fit a device that is too thin or too thick. When not using it to hold your laptop, it can also function as a nifty book holder, fitting two thick books easily.

Bluetooth 5.0 Headphones

Bluetooth Headphones are all the rage these days and for good reason. With many smartphone manufacturers removing the 3.5mm headphone jack, the need for wireless audio is on the rise. The Torrent headphones on our top tech list are the most affordable to support Bluetooth 5.0. This gives them a more stable connection and wider range over older standards of Bluetooth. Aside from being future proof, the sound quality of the headphones is really good for the price, with deep bass and average highs.

Folio Laptop Sleeve

The Folio laptop sleeve by Tizum is the next item on our latest top tech list. As the name suggests, it is a laptop sleeve meant to protect your device from being scratched while travelling. It features a dual-tone design and looks fairly premium. The sleeve has soft-touch material on the inside to make sure your laptop stays protected while it is in there.

Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard

The foldable Bluetooth keyboard by Saco looks like something from a Sci-Fi movie. It features a triple folding designed which can be opened to reveal a full-sized Bluetooth keyboard with a trackpad. The foldable aspect of the device makes it very portable and frankly, a very cool gadget to travel with. Additionally, having a trackpad which supports multi-touch input and gestures makes it easier and more intuitive to work with. With a plethora of features and the cool foldable aspect, it is truly a top tech item.

NeverWet Water Repellent Spray

Its monsoon season and while there are many things to love about it, there is one major thing to hate too. If you like wearing fabric shoes, chances are you may be extra precautious in rains. The NeverWet spray by Rustoleum may be just the right product in our top tech list for you. We tried spraying it on fabric shoes and after it dried off, water just jumped right off the surface of the shoe. The hydrophobic coating on top of the fabric is claimed to last for a while, making it the perfect companion for the rains.

Sandisk USB 3.0 Pen Drive

Next up on our top tech list is a USB 3.0 pen drive by Sandisk. Claiming speeds of up to 150 Mbps, we managed to achieve close to 130 MBps, which is great for a drive of this price. It is also built really well, featuring a metal construction and a nimble size. In fact, we loved the pen drive so much that we have managed to make one of them a Windows Bootable drive to easily install Windows off it.

Bonus Items:

Sandisk USB 3.1 Pen Drive

If the speeds of the aforementioned pen drive by Sandisk are not enough for you, we have a better top tech product in-store. The Sandisk Extreme Go is a USB 3.1 pen drive which claims a maximum speed of up to 200 MBps. We managed to achieve almost 170-180 MBps in our testing which is impressive. There are multiple storage capacities offered for the drive and it is quite a small package too, making it a perfect storage option.

Orico Hard Drive Case

Also read: Realme 5 Is The Worlds First Quad Camera Smartphone Under INR 10K

The Orico Hard Drive Case, as the name suggests is a sturdy and durable case for your hard drives. Featuring a durable plastic construction, it is offered in multiple colours. While our unit was designed mainly for 3.5-inch drives, we found that even 2.5-inch drives can also be placed inside without much hassle, and it will offer a similar amount of protection.

August 16, 2019
Apple To Launch The iPhone 11 On September 10

American technology giant Apple is expected to launch three new iPhones later this year. These smartphones will be the successor to the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and the iPhone XR from last year. While the design and key specifications of the handsets have already been leaked multiple times in the past, no information on when the devices will see the light of the day was known. Until now, as a new report reveals that the alleged iPhone 11 series will be launched on the 10th of September.

iPhone 11

The aforementioned report arrives via leaked screenshots found in the latest developer betas of iOS 13 and iPadOS. The images showcase the home screen of an iPhone and an iPad respectively with the Calender application showing the date as Tuesday, the 10th of September. While the image doesn’t confirm anything, what’s interesting is that the name of the file is “HoldForRelease”, which indicates that it is indeed the launch date of the upcoming iPhone 11 series.

The date is further backed by the fact that in a similar leak last year, an image was found in iOS 12 Beta hinting at a launch date of 12th of September for the 2018 iPhones. That is indeed the date when the smartphones were unveiled, so the latest leak makes some sense. The image also has a screenshot showcasing another date, September 23. This is believed to be the date when Apple releases the iOS 13 stable builds for all the supported devices.

iPhone XR

Apple historically has stuck to launching the latest version of the iPhone on the second Tuesday or Wednesday for the past few years. So, the launch date of 10th September, which is the second Tuesday of the month makes the leak credible. The upcoming iPhone 11 series, which may consist of three devices is speculated to be a minor update over their predecessors.

Also read: Compact Huawei Nova 5T With 5.5 Inch Punch Hole Display To Launch Soon

Alongside a new triple camera array for the two premium handsets and a dual-camera setup for the iPhone XR successor, they are expected to run on a new SoC, purportedly called the A13 Bionic. The forthcoming smartphones have also been leaked to be powered by a larger battery and better speakers. Since the launch date seems to be drawing close, we may not have to wait long to confirm our suspicions.

August 16, 2019
Samsung To Launch A Smartphone With Graphene Battery In 2021

Most electronic devices today like smartphones, cameras and smartwatches use a lithium-ion battery to power them. The technology has been around for several decades now and has evolved drastically in the last few years. however, just like any other piece of technology, it has too reached a saturation point; where it is almost impossible to increase its efficiency to hold a charge longer and replenish it fast enough. Not to mention that they have always been a fire hazard and this a potential safety concern. Now, the latest reports reveal that Korean electronics giant Samsung is planning to change the future by launching a smartphone with a graphene battery soon. This news arrives from serial gadget leaker Evan Blass who claims the handset may be ready by the year 2021.

About The Report

Renowned gadget leaker Evan Blass has shared on Twitter that the modern-day batteries on smartphones are suboptimal. To counter the many problems of the Lithium-Ion batteries Samsung is planning to launch a device with a graphene battery by next year or by 2021. The new technology will allow for super-fast charging, capable of fully charging the handset within a half-hour. Furthermore, Samsung may be planning to change the battery technology to save another Galaxy Note 7 fiasco from happening again.

While the company is working on the said smartphone as of now, Blass says that there still is a need to increase the battery capacity while keeping the cost down. Due to the many advancements in Lithium technology, the batteries are very affordable to manufacture today. Shifting to a new material may thus result in increased cost of materials and research.

About Graphene

Also read: Motorola To Soon Unveil A Notchless Smartphone With Popup Camera

Graphene is an allotrope of carbon like graphite and diamond and has many advantages for use in battery technology. It is the thinnest, strongest compound known to man and is the best conductor of heat at room temperature. Graphene is also one of the best conductors of electricity ever discovered, which makes it one of the best choices to be used in battery technology. Add the fact that it is more reliable and safer to use than Lithium-Ion batteries. While it is not confirmed exactly what smartphone Samsung will use the technology in, if the reports turn out to be true, it may be a revolutionary step in technology history.

August 13, 2019
Google To Launch The Nest Hub In India Next Week, Pricing Leaked

Google launched its first smart display, the Home Hub in the month of October last year. The device is a part of the Made by Google lineup and was rebranded as the Nest Hub at the Google I/O 2019. While it has been close to a year that the device has been available in a few international markets, it never made its way to the Indian shores. Until now, as the latest leak reveals that the Google Home Hub will be introduced next week in the country. Along with the information, the pricing of the device has also been revealed.

Google Nest Hub

The Google Nest Hub, which was known as the Home Hub previously features a 7-inch display which can be used to display various information, playing videos and surfing the internet. It also acts as a digital photo frame and displays pictures taken from the Android smartphones or Google cloud of the home-owner. In terms of connectivity, the Nest Hub uses Wi-Fi to connect to the internet. Like all other Google Home devices, the Nest Hub also has built-in speakers and Google Assistant integration built-in. This means that users can say the catchphrase “Ok Google” to use the various functions of the display hands-free. Reports have also revealed that when introduced in India, the upcoming device will be priced Rs. 8,999, which is close to the new discounted price of the Nest Hub in the US, which is US$ 129 (Rs. 9,200).

Nest Hub (L) vs Nest Hub Max (R)

Also read: Google Pixel 4 Camera Sample Reveals Extraordinary Zoom Capabilities

At the price mentioned above, the Google Nest Hub will be competing with the Amazon Echo Show 5, which also retails for the same price in India. While the former has a larger display than the 5.5 inches of the Echo Show, it does not have a camera for video calls that the latter boasts of. Also, the company has introduced the Nest Hub Max in the month of May. The latest device is an upgraded version of the Nest Hub with a larger display, better speakers and a camera intergration. Unfortunately, it looks like only the smaller device out of the two is going to make its way in India for now.

August 12, 2019
Samsung Launches The Galaxy A10s With Dual Rear Cameras

Samsung has quietly launched its latest budget smartphone, the Galaxy A10s through a blog post. As the name suggests, the device is an upgraded variant of the Galaxy A10 which was launched back in the month of February. The latest handset boasts of notable improvements in terms of battery and camera performance.

Galaxy A10s

The Samsung Galaxy A10s measures 156.9 x 75.8 x 7.8mm and weighs 168g. Like its predecessor, the smartphone features a polycarbonate body with a glossy coloured back. It has a 6.2 inch TFT display with a resolution of 1520 x 720 px. To maximise the screen real estate, it also has an Infinity V style notch on the top of the display, just like the Galaxy A10. For biometrics and rapidly accessing the handset, a fingerprint scanner is present on the rear along with the support for face unlock. The addition of the fingerprint scanner is a newly added feature, as it was not present on the previous generation of the Galaxy A10s.

Under the hood, the Samsung Galaxy A10s is kitted with an unknown Exynos SoC. The chipset is comprised of an Octa-core CPU and an unnamed GPU. In terms of optics, the smartphone has a dual rear camera setup, which is an upgrade from the single rear camera found on its predecessor. The primary lens is an f/1.8 aperture equipped 13MP sensor; which is combined with an f/2.4 aperture equipped 2MP depth sensor. For selfies, an f/2.0 aperture equipped 8MP camera is present on the notch on top of the display. The handset will ship with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage, the latter of which is expandable via microSD cards of up to 512GB in capacity.

Also read: Google Pixel 4 Camera Sample Reveals Extraordinary Zoom Capabilities

One of the major upgrades in the Galaxy A10s over the Galaxy A10 in the battery size. The latest smartphone is powered by a 4000 mAh battery, a significant bump of 600 mAh over the previous handset. The device runs on the latest Android 9 Pie which is skinned with Samsung’s OneUI on top. It will be available in four colour variants, namely Red, Black, Green and Black. Unfortunately, Samsung has not announced the pricing and availability of the Galaxy A10s. However, since the smartphone has already been announced, we expect the information to follow soon enough.

August 12, 2019
Google Pixel 4 Camera Sample Reveals Extraordinary Zoom Capabilities

American technology giant Google is expected to launch two new smartphones in its Pixel lineup later this year. Dubbed the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4XL, these devices will be the successor to the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL from last year. While there is still some time for the handsets launch, the company has already revealed the design and key features of the Pixel 4 series through a series of tweets and blog posts. Now in a new reveal, first camera samples from the upcoming flagship smartphone have allegedly been showcased on photo-sharing website Instagram. The image shared reveals that the handsets may sport extraordinary zoom capabilities.

Pixel 4

https://www.instagram.com/p/B09mBnqHozR/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

The reports reveal that the Director of Design at Google, Claude Zellweger posted an image on his Instagram page which was clicked inside the company’s Design Studio. On being complemented by another Google executive, he revealed that the image has been shot at 20x zoom mode from a Pixel smartphone. Judging from the details and the quality of the image, it was deduced that it is not taken from an existing Pixel device, as they lack the hardware and software prowess to do so. Hence it is expected that the picture was clicked by the upcoming Pixel 4. It was revealed in the past that the upcoming Google flagship may sport a secondary telephoto lens. It is thus possible that the image is taken from the said lens, further enhanced using the company’s software magic.

Also read: Huawei Mate 30 Series Launch Date Leaked, To Feature The Kirin 990 SoC

The Pixel 4 series by Google will be one of its most significant upgrades yet. The company has already confirmed how the back of the smartphones will look. It is also certain that the devices will be equipped with a Soli radar chip and advanced facial recognition; all of which will be fitted inside a thick forehead bezel. While the rest of the specifications are anyone’s guess, it is expected that the handsets will run on the Snapdragon 855 SoC, combined with up to 6GB of RAM. While not confirmed, it has been leaked that the devices may feature a high refresh rate display, similar to the one found on the OnePlus 7 Pro. Like all its predecessors, the Pixel 4 lineup may be introduced in the month of October, wherein all our pending questions will be answered.

August 12, 2019
Huawei Mate 30 Series Launch Date Leaked, To Feature The Kirin 990 SoC

Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei is best known for its two flagship smartphone lineups, which include the P and the Mate series of devices. While the first half of the year is reserved for the launch of the former, the latter generally sees the light of the day in the second half. So riding high with the success of the P30 series launched back in the month of March, it is expected the company will follow up with the purported Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro in the following months. Leaks in the past have contributed to leaking the design of the smartphones and the features they will sport. Now, new reports reveal when the upcoming flagship handsets from Huawei will launch, along with information about their specifications.

Huawei Mate 30 Series

As mentioned previously, the Huawei Mate 30 series will be the new flagship smartphones by the company. According to the latest report from a Russian publication, the forthcoming devices may be introduced on the 19th of September this year. Along with the launch information, the report also revealed both the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro will run on the latest Kirin 990 chipset from the company. This is supposed to be a 7nm SoC which is significantly powerful and efficient than the Kirin 980 powering the Mate 20 and P30 Series.

Also read: Apple iPad Pro 2019 Rumoured To Feature A Triple Camera Setup

Past leaks of the Mate 30 and the Mate 30 Pro have revealed they will have a similar design to their predecessors, with a slight reduction in front bezels. The devices will also feature an all-new camera setup, which is speculated to consist of two 40MP sensors. They may also sport the 5x optical, periscope style camera from the P30 Pro, but nothing is certain yet. Unfortunately, more details like the pricing and availability of the handsets are still shrouded in mystery. But with just over a month left in the rumoured launch date, we may not have to wait long to confirm our suspicions.

August 12, 2019
Samsung Introduces A 108MP Camera Sensor For Smartphones

Korean electronics giant Samsung has introduced a new camera sensor for smartphones. This has been launched under the company’s ISOCELL lineup and features a whopping 108MP resolution. Dubbed the ISOCELL Bright HMX, it is a result of a collaboration between the chaebol and the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi; which is no surprise as the latter has already revealed a while ago that the latest sensor will be first seen in a Xiaomi device due to launch later this year. The mass production of the camera sensor is due to begin at the end of August.

About the sensor

As mentioned above, the Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX is the latest smartphone camera sensor from the company. It is next in the lineup of the brand’s high-resolution sensor lineup and bumps up the maximum resolution to 108MP (12032 x 9024px), from the 64MP sensor launched earlier this year. In terms of specifications, the newest sensor has a large size of 1/1.33 inch, making it the first to adopt a size that large. It uses pixel binning Tetracell technology to produce 27MP images. For videos, the ISOCELL Bright HMX is capable of shooting 6K (6016 x 3384px) videos at 30 fps.

Also read: 10 Things To Do First When You Buy A OnePlus Smartphone

Other notable features of the new Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX include Smart-ISO; which selects the level of amplifier gains according to the brightness levels in the surrounding. With a resolution rivalling most modern DSLR cameras, Samsung aims at redefining mobile photography. However, how the newest sensor performs remains to be seen until a smartphone featuring it is released in the markets. Like previously mentioned, Xiaomi has already placed dibs on the Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX, so it will be seen in a Mi or Redmi branded device first. When the smartphone launches is anyone’s guess, but it is speculated to make its debut either later this year or early next year.

August 12, 2019
Huawei Unveils HarmonyOS, Its Android Replacing Operating System

At the Huawei Developer Conference (HDC) in China on the 9th of August, Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei has unveiled the long-rumoured HongMengOS. Called the HarmonyOS for the global market, the new operating system has been positioned as a replacement to Android. While HarmonyOS has been primarily designed for IoT (Internet of Things) products like smart speakers, displays and wearables; the company claims that if it is no longer allowed to use Android in the future, the new operating system can be used for Huawei smartphones.

HarmonyOS

As mentioned above, the HarmonyOS by Huawei is its operating system for IoT devices. Said to be in development since the last few years, the rumours of it started appearing when the company was barred from doing business with any American company in the month of May. In its presentation, the Consumer Business Group CEO Richard Yu revealed that the new software is microkernel-based, which is apt for IoT devices. Huawei claims that HarmonyOS is not only faster than Android, it is also much safer. The new platform is also open source, which means anyone can access, modify or enhance it.

Also read: Upcoming Realme Smartphones To Feature Quad Cameras, Will Launch Before Diwali

While it is hard to believe otherwise, the HarmonyOS by Huawei is not aimed at being an Android competitor. The company is placing the operating system against Google’s Fuchsia, which is a similar microkernel-based software in development for a while now. One advantage of the newest platform by Huawei is that it can run on multiple devices, ranging from different screen sizes. It is speculated that the company will launch various products this year featuring the OS, ranging from smart TVs to maybe even a smartphone. However, it has assured that at least for the near future, the Huawei smartphones will continue to support Android, saving HarmonyOS for a rainy day.

August 9, 2019
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Benchmark Scores Leaked On Geekbench

American technology giant Qualcomm, who is best known for making mobile processors, released its latest flagship smartphone SoC (System on Chip) last year. Dubbed the Snapdragon 855, the chipset has been since seen in almost every major flagship handset released this year so far. The company has also released a mid-cycle refresh of the Snapdragon 855 by launching the Snapdragon 855 Plus a few weeks ago. It is expected that Qualcomm will release a successor to the processor, purportedly called the Snapdragon 865 in the month of December.

While early details about the upcoming SoC was leaked previously, not much else was known at the moment. Now, the Snapdragon 865 has surfaced on benchmarking platform Geekbench, which reveals the benchmark scores of the upcoming chipset.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 865

On the popular benchmarking website Geekbench, the results of the Qualcomm Kona chipset have appeared. The previous leak of the Snapdragon 865 revealed that it has been codenamed Qualcomm Kona. So this means that the scores are of the upcoming flagship chipset. In the website’s single-core test, the SoC has managed to score 4160; while on the multi-core test, it records a score of 12946.

This is slightly higher than what the smartphones running the Snapdragon 855 could achieve, so it suggests that the upcoming chipset will provide a performance boost in flagship devices. Furthermore, the device used to run the test has been found to be running 6GB of RAM and Android 10, the latter of which is yet to hit the market.

Snapdragon 855 Plus

Also read: Honor Band 5 Launched In India, Features A Heart Rate Monitor And AMOLED Display

The Snapdragon 865 SoC from Qualcomm is speculated to be an iterative update over its predecessor. The chipset has been leaked to have two variants, out of which at least one will support 5G connectivity. It may also support LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 3.0 storage similar to the Snapdragon 855.

Like the previous generations, it is expected that Qualcomm may announce the Snapdragon 865 in the month of December. The first smartphone to sport the latest flagship chipset from the company has usually been a Samsung device; so the upcoming processor may debut with the Galaxy S11 due next year.

August 9, 2019
Samsung Launches The Galaxy Book S With Snapdragon 8CX SoC
Korean electronics giant Samsung has launched the Galaxy Book S at the Galaxy Unpacked event on the 7th of August. The successor to the Galaxy Book 2 and the next generation of the company’s always connected notebooks, it boasts of notable improvements in performance and design over its predecessor. The device has been launched alongside the company’s latest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+.

Galaxy Book S

As mentioned above, the Galaxy Book S is Samsung’s latest computing device. It measures 305.2 x 203.2 x 11.8mm, weighs 0.96 kg and features a premium anodized aluminium chassis. The laptop has a 13.3-inch touchscreen display with a FullHD resolution. It runs on the Windows 10 OS and promises a full PC experience. For biometric security and easily accessing the laptop, it has a fingerprint sensor which supports the Windows Hello authentication feature.

Under the hood, the Samsung Galaxy Book S is kitted with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx SoC. It is manufactured using the 7nm fabrication process and has an Octa-core CPU, combined with the Adreno 680 GPU. The company claims that because of using an ARM-based processor, the device should last for around 23 hours on continuous video playback. In terms of memory and storage, it has 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM combined with either 256GB or 512GB of internal storage. The device also supports memory expansion via Micro SD cards of up to 1TB in capacity.

Also read: Motorola One Pro Official Renders Spotted Online

In terms of connectivity, the Galaxy Book S features LTE Cat.18 via a nano-SIM card. It also has Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 and a single USB Type C port for charging and data syncing. The device will go on sale later this year at a starting price of US$ 999 (Rs. 70,800). Here is a roundup of all the major specifications of the Samsung Galaxy Book S.
- 13.3-inch FullHD Touchscreen Display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx, 7nm Octa-core
- 8GB LPDDR4X RAM
- 256GB / 512GB, microSD slot up to 1TB
- 720p HD Webcam
- 42Wh Battery, 23 hours video playback
- LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, Fingerprint scanner
August 8, 2019
Lenovo Z6 Pro Receives BIS Certification, May Launch In India Soon
Chinese smartphone maker Lenovo launched its latest flagship smartphone, the Z6 Pro in its home country back in the month of April. The device is the successor to the Z5 Pro GT launched last year and features notable improvements over its predecessor in terms of design and performance. While it was expected that Lenovo may introduce the handset in the Indian market soon, no announcement regarding it was made from the company. Now, the latest leak reveals that the Z6 Pro may be launched in India soon, as it has gained the mandatory BIS certification in the country.

About The Certification

The Bureau of India Standards (BIS) has certified the Lenovo Z6 Pro with the model number L78051. BIS is a national standard body of India which is responsible for providing certification to certain products. It is often seen as a means for providing a third-party guarantee of quality and reliability of the products. While the BIS certification is voluntary in nature, the government of India has made it mandatory for certain products citing public health hazards.

Lenovo Z6 Pro

The Lenovo Z6 Pro is the company’s first flagship smartphone of the year. It has a glass design on the front and back with an attractive gradient rear panel. The handset has a 6.39 inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 px and support for HDR10 standard of video technology. To maximise the screen real estate, it has a waterdrop notch on top of the display. For biometrics and security, the Z6 Pro has the sixth generation optical in-display fingerprint scanner and support for face unlock.

Under the hood, the Lenovo Z6 Pro runs on the Snapdragon 855 SoC which is manufactured using the 7nm fabrication process. The chipset is comprised of an octa-core CPU and the Adreno 640 GPU. For efficiently cooling the internals of the smartphone, the company has employed an advanced liquid cooling system. In terms of optics, the device has a quad rear camera setup comprising of an f/1.8 aperture equipped 48 MP sensor; combined with an f/1.9 aperture equipped 16 MP ultra-wide sensor; an f/2.4 aperture equipped 8 MP telephoto sensor and a 2 MP depth sensor. For selfies, a 32 MP selfie camera is housed in the waterdrop notch on top of the display. The Z6 Pro may be available in the following storage variants when launched in India.
- 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM
- 8GB RAM and 128GB ROM
- 8GB RAM and 256GB ROM
- 12GB RAM and 512GB ROM
Also read: LG Teases An Upcoming Dual Screen Smartphone Ahead Of IFA 2019

The Lenovo Z6 Pro is powered by a 4000 mAh battery with support for 27W fast charging. It runs on the company’s current ZUI 11 on top of latest Android 9 Pie and supports Dolby audio to ensure better sound output from the smartphone. The device is available in two colours, namely Red and Blue. In terms of pricing, it is expected that the Z6 Pro will be priced similar to its Chinese counterparts when launched in India. This suggests a starting price of Rs. 30,000 which may go up to around Rs. 50,000 for the top-end variant.
August 6, 2019