Author: Yashonil Gupta

The Real Reason Android Tablets Failed

When Apple released the iPad in 2010, it toppled the industry owing to the groundbreaking design and technology the device incorporated. It is still considered as the time which led to the advent of tablets. Many Android manufacturers including Samsung and Motorola, tried to cash in on the trend at the time but failed. The market for Android tablets hasn’t really caught on since. So, what can be the reason for the tremendous success of the Apple iPad but the dismal failure of Android tablets?

History Of Tablets

Interestingly, the first tablet with touch input was neither running iOS or Android. While it is debatable, the Microsoft Tablet PC, announced in the year 2000, is considered to be the first tablet. It ran Windows XP and supported touch input. But the product failed abysmally, owing to the poor user experience and an uninspired design. The Apple iPad, released in 2010 by Steve Jobs is considered the reason tablets got popular in the first place. At the time, Android OS was relatively new and unpolished, so the success of the iPad was foreseen. However, manufacturers on the Android side tried catching up to the competition and we got the first Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Released in 2010, the Galaxy Tab had a 7-inch display and ran the Samsung’s TouchWiz UI on top of Android 2.2 Froyo. The Operating System lacked any sort of optimization like on the iPad which resulted in an unrefined, laggy experience. Google tried to fix the optimization issues by releasing a new Operating System built around them. Called 3.0 Honeycomb, this allowed developers to build applications that could match the size of tablets and that did not feel out of place. Many manufacturers, like Motorola with its XOOM tablet, LG with its G-Slate and Acer’s Iconia Tab were all running the new OS by the year 2011.

Android Tablets: Jumping Ship

While Honeycomb was a promising OS, unlike iOS, most developers didn’t get on board to develop apps for it; due to the variety of screen sizes available, which made Honeycomb a rarity on devices because of poor app support. By the year 2011, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich was a thing, which had better compatibility with most apps, was also supported just fine on tablets.

Then arrived the Samsung Galaxy Note in 2011. The smartphone featured a 5-inch display which was considered massive at the time for mobile devices. A new term, called ‘Phablet’ was coined then. It meant a device which is a combination of a smartphone and a tablet. The device wasn’t doomed with poor app support, ran a more common version of Android and was more pocketable than tablets. So to make things more confusing, tablets which were already a device between a smartphone and laptops was slowly replaced by phablets, a mix of the smartphone and tablets.

The Ultimate Doom

Google tried updating its Android OS along to support both smartphones and tablets. It also released the Nexus 7 and Nexus 9 Tablets in 2013 and 2014 respectively to try reviving the slowly fading market. It did work for a while, but using Android apps on tablets was still far from perfect experience. Many applications were not designed for big screens so it ended up looking like a stretched out version of its smartphone counterpart.

Smartphone makers meanwhile were more focussed on making the screen size bigger or on phablets. And by the year 2017, the race to a bezel-less future started. This led to ever-increasing screen sizes, reaching up to 6.5-inch displays on average. With the line blurring out between tablets and smartphones. Apple also understood the same and tried marketing the iPad as a media device and the iPad Pro as a replacement to a computer. The Android tablet makers, who tried mimicking the same, couldn’t make it work. This was again, due to poor software optimizations and abysmal app support. It didn’t help that they used mobile processors which weren’t powerful enough for computing.

The last attempt by Google at developing an Android tablet was 2015’s Pixel C, which was cut off from receiving software support starting last year’s Android 9 Pie. This meant Google finally accepted that Android tablets wouldn’t work. They were fine as media devices, but give them anything more, and you’d be disappointed. All is not grim though, as company’s like Samsung, Huawei, Lenovo and Xiaomi still make tablets which have decent specifications and work well as a primary media consumption device.

Looking Forward

With Google accepting the fate of Android Tablets, it suggested that the era of the devices will finally meet its maker. Surprisingly, that didn’t happen as the company released the Pixel Slate last year. It ran ChromeOS, Google attempt at making a web-based operating system for PCs with humble hardware. The ChromeOS was designed in a way where Android apps can be used with ease and it offered a better software experience. While the tablet received wretched reviews for its poor software optimization, it did showcase one thing. The Pixel Slate revealed the next step for Android tablets, existing as ChromeOS devices.

There are again problems with ChromeOS. The Android application support is limited and the software can be buggy. But more often than not, it shows promise which Android tablets didn’t do. The OS is light and fast on mediocre hardware. It also gets fast software updates and has the potential to be a good computing device for a lighter workload. But to affirm the position of tablets, it needs more manufacturers onboard.

Also read: Top Tech Gadgets & Accessories For The Month Of March

To make a tablet successful, you first need a use case for it. The iPads have theirs, non-Android tablets like the Fire tablet have things like excellent app support for Amazon’s apps and an affordable price. Android apps mainly failed because they didn’t manage to find their footing. They are larger than a smartphone, but you can’t take calls on it’s like you do on the former. They are smaller than a laptop, but you can’t do any heavy work like you can on a computer. Unless a tablet, whether it is running iOS, Android or ChromeOS cannot define its existence, it can’t survive. That is what led to the demise of Android tablets.

March 22, 2019
Xiaomi Mi A3, Mi A3 Lite To Have In-Display Fingerprint Scanners

Xiaomi launched the Mi A2 Android One smartphone last year. The smartphones under the initiative by Google run clean, stock UI with promised software updates for at least two years. While the company also launched the Mi A2 Lite alongside the device, it made its way into the Indian market as the MIUI running Redmi 6 Pro. Xiaomi will most likely launch the successor of the Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite this year. Fresh reports claim the new smartphones, presumably, the Mi A3 and Mi A3 Lite will have an in-display fingerprint sensor.

The Findings

A report claimed that Xiaomi is testing the hardware of three devices. The first two smartphones discovered are codenamed “bamboo_sprout” and “cosmos_sprout“. All the Google Play certified devices under the Android One program usually carry the “sprout” suffix which leads to believe the Android One certification of the said handsets. Another smartphone, codenamed “pyxis” has been reported to be arriving with the aforementioned smartphones. This is reported to be the Chinese variant of the Mi A3 Lite. Notably, Xiaomi has released an MIUI enabled version of its Android One smartphones for the Chinese market. The first one was the Mi 5X, which was the Chinese variant of the Mi A1. Likewise, the Mi A2 was launched in the country as the Mi 6X.

All three smartphones, namely the Mi A3, Mi A3 Lite and the Mi 7X are being reportedly tested with “fod” which is a vendor term for an in-display fingerprint scanner. This leads the speculation that the aforementioned devices will have this feature. As the handsets are supposed to be affordable, the sensor will most likely be optical as an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner like in the Samsung Galaxy S10 require an upscale OLED display.

Specifications

While specifications of the Mi A3 and the Mi A3 Lite aren’t known yet, they are expected to feature a similar design language to the current Xiaomi and Redmi lineup. A glass sandwich design is expected like the Redmi Note 7 and Note 7 Pro. There may be a waterdrop notch on the front surrounded by minimal bezels on all sides. Under the hood, the Mi A3 may run on the 11nm Snapdragon 675 like the Redmi Note 7 Pro or the newly announced Snapdragon 712 SoC. The Mi A3 Lite may have the 14nm Snapdragon 660 chipset like the Redmi Note 7.

In terms of optics, the Mi A3, A3 Lite and the Mi 7X are all expected to have a 32MP selfie camera. This is the same size of sensor found in the Vivo V15 Pro but Xiaomi’s solution will reportedly use pixel binning to combine four pixels into one to create an effective 8MP resolution for images. Unfortunately, there is no information regarding the rear cameras but the smartphones may feature a dual camera setup. The Mi A3 and the 7X are expected to have a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor at the back like the Redmi Note 7 Pro.

Pricing & Availability

Also read: Nokia Phones Accidentally Sent Sensitive User Data To China

The Xiaomi Mi A3 and A3 Lite are expected to launch in the second quarter of 2019. Expected prices of the smartphones hint at a price of around Rs. 13,999 for the Mi A3 Lite and Rs. 17,999 for the Mi A3 in India.

March 22, 2019
Netflix Starts Testing Rs. 250 Monthly Subscription Plan In India

Netflix, ever since its venture into the video streaming business in 2007 has changed the way movies and TV shows are consumed. The company started its operations in the Indian market in the year 2016. To ascertain growth, it also started handing out free trials and even tried its hand in media production. Unfortunately, the monthly plans were still considered too expensive in the country which made the service inaccessible for most Indians. In the latest bid to change the aforementioned problem, Netflix has started testing out a monthly subscription plan worth Rs. 250 per month for mobile users.

Netflix To Get More Affordable

The new Rs. 250 monthly subscription plan for Netflix will only be applicable for mobile consumers in the official app. Like the most affordable plan currently, it only can be used to stream on one mobile device at once. The plan allows streaming in Standard Definition (SD) quality, which generally refers to as streaming in 480p resolution. This more affordable subscription plan is aimed at making the streaming platform accessible to more users in India.

The current plans for Netflix in India start from Rs 500 per month for the base plan. This offers SD quality video on one device at a time; this device can be either a computer, TV or mobile device. The next plan is available for Rs. 650 which allows HD streaming and two devices support at the same time. The most premium subscription is the Rs 800 per month plan, which bumps up the resolution to Ultra HD and streaming on four devices simultaneously. With the new subscription, Netflix is targeting the ever increasing mobile customers in India.

Also read: Inbox App By Gmail Officially Making Its Exit On April 2

Even with the new Rs 250 a month subscription plan, Netflix is still considerably more expensive than its competitors in India. For example, Amazon Prime Video is available at Rs. 129 per month or alternatively Rs. 999 per year. Hotstar, another video streaming platform is available starting Rs 199 per month. Both these services, despite having a significantly smaller media library is more affordable than Netflix. It is expected that the company will see a notable increase in subscriber count with the new plan.

March 22, 2019
Galaxy A90 To Have A Notchless Infinity Display, Confirms Samsung

Latest Update

Did you know that Samsung Galaxy A90 (renamed A80) is the first launch of the Snapdragon 7150, which is the one with a single core higher than the Snapdragon 845.
— Xiaomishka (@xiaomishka) March 24, 2019

A reliable leakster on Twitter claims that the Galaxy A90 will feature the Snapdragon 7150 SoC which is unreleased as of now. Noteworthy, the source claims that chipset has a higher single core performance than the Snapdragon 845 which is present on most flagship smartphones from the yesteryear including the OnePlus 6T and the Google Pixel 3.

Original Story

Samsung is expected to announce three new smartphones in its refreshed Galaxy A lineup in the month of April. These smartphones are rumoured to be the Galaxy A90, Galaxy A60 and Galaxy A40. While the latter two have been thoroughly leaked, there wasn’t much information about the former. A fresh listing on Samsung’s Indonesian website seemingly confirms the presence of a “Notchless infinity screen” on the upcoming Galaxy A90.

Samsung Galaxy A90

The Galaxy A90 will be the most premium smartphone in the current Galaxy A lineup. It has been leaked time and again to feature a sliding/rotating mechanical camera setup with minimal bezels on the front. The design of the device is expected to be similar to its sibling the Galaxy A50, albeit with a glass back and more premium finish. Notably, all the current handsets in the Galaxy A lineup have a Super AMOLED display, perhaps the Galaxy A90 may be no different. For biometrics and security, it will have an in-display fingerprint sensor and will support face unlock technology.

It has been leaked that the Galaxy A90 will run on the 10nm Snapdragon 710 SoC. The chipset has an Octa-core CPU and Adreno 616 GPU. The smartphone will feature the latest Samsung OneUI on top of Android 9 Pie. Like the last year’s Galaxy A9, it is also expected to have a quad-rear camera setup, details of which are unknown at the moment. For memory and storage, the smartphone may feature up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

Pricing & Availability

Also read: Motorola One Vision To Have A 3500mAh Battery With 18W Fast Charging

The Galaxy A90 will be the most premium smartphone of the Galaxy A lineup. The device may be launched at Samsung’s event on April 10. Unfortunately, no information regarding the pricing is available yet, but it is expected to cost around Rs 29,999 in India.

March 22, 2019
Motorola One Vision To Have A 3500mAh Battery With 18W Fast Charging
Motorola launched the Moto One Power in India last year. It was a part of a new lineup of products by the company under Google’s Android One program. Devices that are Android One certified offer clean, stock Android OS and are guaranteed to receive software updates for at least two years. A new handset from Motorola under the initiative has leaked through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the United States. The smartphone has been listed as the model number XT 1970-1; which suggest it is the next device in the Moto One lineup. Reports claim it will be called Moto One Vision and will launch soon. It was previously leaked as the Moto P40 which is assumed to be its China specific name.

Moto One Vision

The Moto One Vision is rumoured to embody a new design language by Motorola. The renders of the smartphone were leaked previously which reveal it will have a glass sandwich design with a glossy back. The front of the device has a 6.2 inch IPS LCD display with minimal bezels on all sides, and a punch-hole cutout for the front camera on the top left side of the display. The design on the front is reminiscent of the Galaxy A8s which was launched in the month of December last year. For biometrics and security, the Moto One Vision will have a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, housed in the Motorola batwing logo.

Under the hood, the Moto One Vision has been leaked to run on the 11nm Exynos 9610 SoC by Samsung. Notably, this is the same chipset that is kitted inside the Galaxy A50 which was announced last month. The smartphone will be available in China with the 11nm Snapdragon 675 SoC. In terms of optics, the renders reveal it will have a dual rear camera setup consisting of a 48MP sensor with an f/1.75 aperture; and a secondary 5MP depth sensor. For selfies, there will be a 12MP sensor housed in the punch-hole cutout on the top left of the display. For memory and storage, the device is expected to be available in the following variants:
- 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM
- 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM
The leaked FCC listing reveals that the Moto One Vision will have a 3500mAh battery with 18W fast charging support. As mentioned earlier, the smartphone will be Android One certified; and will run on the latest Android 9 Pie. As far as connectivity is concerned, the Moto One Vision is confirmed to have Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac dual band and NFC support.

Pricing & Availability

Moto One Power

Also read: Apple Launches Updated AirPods With New H1 Chip & Wireless Charging

The Moto One Vision’s leaked FCC listing hints that the launch of the smartphone is imminent. Unfortunately, no details are available regarding the pricing of the device. But, taking the price of its predecessor into consideration, it may launch under Rs 20,000 in India.
March 22, 2019
Xiaomi Mi Band 4 Gets Bluetooth Certification, To Launch Soon

Xiaomi Mi Band is one of the most popular fitness bands available in the market currently. It offers a mix of competitive features at a lucrative price. Its latest iteration, Mi Band 3 was launched in India last year. It was expected that Xiaomi will release a successor to the fitness band this year with updated specs and features. Fresh leaks reveal that a Mi Band 4 is indeed in the works and may launch soon. The fitness band has been certified by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG).

Mi Band 4

The Mi Band 4 is expected to be a significant upgrade over its predecessor. The listing mentions the presence of Bluetooth v5.0 Low Energy, which is an upgrade over the v4.2 Low Energy found on the Mi Band 3. This change suggests better connectivity on the new fitness band by Xiaomi. Unfortunately, other details about the wearable device aren’t available yet, but going by the company’s track record, It may feature a bigger display than the 0.78 OLED touchscreen display found in the previous version.

The listing also mentions NFC in the name of the Mi Band 4, so the fitness band may have the connectivity feature built in. However, the NFC variant may only be released in certain global markets. Another new addition on the band is expected to be better and more expansive fitness tracking capabilities. The fitness band is reported to have Electrocardiogram (ECG) capabilities like the one found in Apple Watch Series 4. But unlike the Apple Watch, the fitness band from Xiaomi might have a limited ECG functionality owing to its affordability.

Also read: Nokia 9 PureView To Launch In India Soon

Xiaomi has been known to price its devices aggressively, and the Mi Band 4 is expected to be no different. The Mi Band 3 and its predecessors were launched at a price of Rs. 1,999 in India. It is this suggested that the upcoming Mi Band 4 will also be priced similar.

March 20, 2019
Nokia 9 PureView To Launch In India Soon

Nokia launched its latest flagship smartphone, the Nokia 9 PureView on February 24. It is the first device to feature a Penta-rear camera setup. It was also expected that the company will launch the handset in the Indian market soon after the launch. A new teaser posted by the official account of Nokia India hints at what could be the launch of the flagship smartphone in the country. The text shared along with the video on social networking website Facebook reads “Get ready to capture the most breathtaking pictures with the all new Nokia 9. Stay tuned!” This suggests that the launch of the device is imminent.

Nokia 9 PureView

On the front of the device sits a 5.99 inch POLED display with a resolution of 2880 x 1440 px. The display panel has an 18:9 aspect ratio and pixel density of 538 ppi. It has minimal bezels on the sides with a significant forehead and chin bezel. For biometrics, the Nokia 9 Pureview has an in-display fingerprint scanner.

Under the hood, the Nokia 9 PureView runs on yesteryear’s 10nm Snapdragon 845 SoC. The chipset has an Octa-core CPU and Adreno 630 GPU. The highlight of the smartphone is its optics. The rear camera setup consists of five 12 MP sensor and an LED flash. Out of the five cameras, two are RGB sensors while the remaining three are mono sensors. For selfies, the device has a 20MP front-facing camera.

The Nokia 9 PureView is powered by a 3320mAh battery with wireless charging support. The smartphone runs on the latest Android 9 Pie and is Android One certified which implies it will receive software updates for at least two years.

Pricing & Availability

Also read: Motorola To Launch The Moto G7 In India On March 25

The Nokia 9 PureView is expected to be unveiled in India in the month of April. While no information on what the device will be priced is known, the United States price of US $ 699 (Rs. 48,112) would insinuate it would be priced under the Rs. 50,000 mark.

March 20, 2019
Motorola To Launch The Moto G7 In India On March 25

Motorola launched the four latest smartphones in the Moto G7 lineup in February. The devices were launched in Brazil and included the Moto G7 Play, G7 Power, G7 and G7 Plus. While the Moto G7 Power has been available in India for a price of Rs. 13,999 since last month, there was no other smartphone of the range in sight. The company has now confirmed that the Moto G7 will launch in India on March 25.

Features & Specifications

The Moto G7 measures 157 × 75.3 × 7.92mm and weighs in at 174 grams. Design-wise, it has glass on both the front and back of the handset. The smartphone has a 6.2-inch IPS LCD display with 2270 x 1080 px resolution and a waterdrop notch up top. The device has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face unlock technology.

Under the hood, the Moto G7 runs on the 14nm Snapdragon 632 SoC which consists of an Octa-Core CPU and Adreno 506 GPU. The rear of the smartphone has the dual rear camera setup which is comprised of a 12 MP sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and 5 MP secondary sensor. For selfies, the handset has an 8MP camera housed in the notch on the top of the display.

The Moto G7 is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery which supports fast charging up to 15W with the bottom mounted USB Type-C port and runs on the latest Android 9.0 Pie. The handset also has P2i nano-coating which is certified to protect against liquid spills. Connectivity options include 4G VoLTE, 802.11 ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2. The device is available in two colour options namely Clear White and Ceramic Black.

Pricing & Availability

Also read: Moto Z4 Play Passes Through FCC, Launch Imminent

The Moto G7 will launch in India on March 25 and is expected to go on sale soon after from major online and offline carriers. While the pricing of the smartphone isn’t known yet, it costs US$ 299 (Rs. 20,585) in the United States. It is expected that the device is priced similarly in the country.

March 20, 2019
Moto Z4 Play Passes Through FCC, Launch Imminent

Motorola launched the first smartphone in the Moto Z lineup back in the year 2016. The devices offered modularity in the form of accessories the company called “Moto Mods”. An unreleased handset from the company has passed through the Federal Communications Commission or FCC, revealing a few specifications of the smartphone. The model number listed on FCC’s website is XT1980-3, which corroborates with Moto Z devices in the past. It is likely that this device is the Moto Z4 Play, which has been leaked in the past.

Moto Z4 Play

The Moto Z4 Play will be a mid-range offering from Motorola. While the listing reveals some specifications of the device, not all details of the smartphone are available at the moment. Design wise, it is expected to have a similar design to the Moto Z3 Play, complete with thinner bezels and a waterdrop notch on the front. The front of the smartphone is expected to resemble the Moto G7 which was announced last month in Brazil. Like other smartphones in the lineup, the Moto Z4 Play is also expected to support Moto Mods with the proprietary magnetic connector at the back. The display on the smartphone may be a 6.2-inch Super AMOLED panel with a resolution of 2280 x 1080 px. For security and biometrics, there may be an in-display fingerprint scanner and face unlock support for easier authentication.

According to the reports, the Moto Z4 Play will run on the 11nm Snapdragon 675 SoC. The chipset has an Octa-core CPU and Adreno 612 GPU. In terms of optics, the Moto Z4 Play might have a single rear camera, which is expected to be a 48MP Sony IMX 586 sensor. In terms of memory and storage, the smartphone will have 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The FCC listing reveals that the Moto Z4 Play will have a 3600mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging.

Pricing & Availability

Also read: Samsung Galaxy A40 Listed For Pre-Order In Netherlands

The FCC listing of the Moto Z4 Play suggests that the launch of the smartphone is imminent. The device is expected to launch in the second quarter of 2019 at a reported price of US$ 450 (Rs. 30,996).

March 20, 2019
Samsung Galaxy A40 Listed For Pre-Order In Netherlands

Samsung is expected to announce three new smartphones in its Galaxy A lineup on the 10th of April. A fresh listing on a Dutch website lists one of the devices, the Galaxy A40 up for pre-order. The listing reveals the key specifications and the price of the device in Europe. Galaxy A40 is the latest budget entrant by the company and will sit between the Galaxy A30 and Galaxy A50, both of which were launched in India on February 28.

Galaxy A40

The Samsung Galaxy A40 measures 144.3 x 69.1 x 7.9 mm and has a polycarbonate back. The rear of the smartphone is reminiscent of the Galaxy A30 and the Galaxy A50, complete with a gradient design which the company calls ‘Glasstic’. Over at the front, there is a 5.9 inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2280 x 1080 px. There is a waterdrop notch on top which Samsung refers to as ‘Infinity-U’ display. The Galaxy A40 has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports face unlock technology.

For performance, the Samsung Galaxy A40 is kitted with an Exynos 7885 SoC which is manufactured using 14nm fabrication process. The chipset has an Octa-core CPU and a Mali G71 GPU. In terms of optics, the smartphone has a dual rear camera setup consisting of a 16MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture and a 5MP ultra-wide sensor with an aperture of f/2.2. This is the same setup found in the Galaxy A30. For seflies, there is a 25MP camera housed in the notch. Notably, this is the same sensor used in its elder sibling, the Galaxy A50. For memory and storage, the Galaxy A40 has 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage.

The Samsung Galaxy A40 is powered by a 3100mAh battery with fast charging support via the bottom mounted USB Type-C port. The device runs on the latest OneUI on top of current Android 9 Pie. The smartphone also supports microSD card up to 512GB. It is available in four colours namely, Black, Blue, White and Coral.

Price & Availability

Also read: Qualcomm Announces QCS400 SoCs series For Smart Speakers And Soundbars

The price mentioned on the Dutch website for the Samsung Galaxy A40 is € 249 (Rs 19,520). Unfortunately, there is no information on when the smartphone will go on sale, but it is expected to be announced in the month of April.

March 20, 2019
Redmi Note 7, Note 7 Pro To Go On Sale In India Once Again Today

Xiaomi’s subsidiary Redmi launched the greatly awaited budget smartphones, the Redmi Note 7 and the Redmi Note 7 Pro in India on February 28. The smartphones offer a new design language for the series, combined with competitive specifications and a lucrative price. Both smartphones will once again go on sale in the country today.

Where To Buy?

The Redmi Note 7 will be available at a price of Rs 9,999 for the version with 3GB RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. The variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage has been priced at Rs 11,999. The Redmi Note 7 Pro will be available at a price of Rs 13,999 for the version with 4GB RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. The variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage has been priced at Rs 16,999. Both smartphones will be available to order via flash sales on Flipkart and Mi.com from 12 noon on March 20.

Click here to buy the Redmi Note 7 Pro

Click here to buy the Redmi Note 7

Redmi Note 7 & Note 7 Pro

To recall, the Redmi Note 7 and Note 7 Pro are budget offerings from the company and feature a modern design with Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and the rear. Both smartphones have a 6.3 inch LCD display with a small waterdrop notch up top, referred to by the company as ‘Dot Notch’. The display panel has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio with a resolution 2340 x 1080 px and pixel density of 409 ppi. There is a fingerprint scanner on the back of the devices and they also support face unlock technology.

The main difference between the two smartphones is under the hood, while the Redmi Note 7 runs on the 14nm Snapdragon 660 SoC which consists of Adreno 512 GPU and an Octa-Core CPU; the Note 7 Pro has an 11nm Snapdragon 675 SoC which also consists of an Octa-core CPU and the Adreno 612 GPU. While both smartphones have dual rear cameras, the optics differ significantly. The Redmi Note 7 has a 12MP main sensor with an aperture of f/2.2 and a secondary 2MP depth sensor; while the Redmi Note 7 Pro has a 48MP main camera with an f/1.8 aperture and a 5MP depth sensor. Both the devices have a 13MP front-facing camera housed in the notch on top of the display.

Also read: Apple Upgrades The iMac With New Processors And GPU

In terms of battery, both the Redmi Note 7 and Note 7 Pro are powered by a 4000mAh battery with support for fast charging via the bottom mounted USB Type-C port. They both also run on the latest MIUI 10 on top of the current Android 9 Pie, have an IR blaster on top, support microSD cards up to 256GB and have the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Click here to buy the Redmi Note 7 Pro

Click here to buy the Redmi Note 7

March 20, 2019
Apple Upgrades The iMac With New Processors And GPU

Apple has released an update to the existing lineup of its iMacs. These computers have been upgraded with up to Intel Core 9th Generation processors and AMD GPUs. Notably, this update is applicable to the 21.5 inch and 27 inch iMacs across all models. This update arrives after they were last updated in 2017, nearly two years ago.

Updated Apple iMacs

The new iMacs have substantial hardware upgrades from the inside. The 21.5 inch iMac now has the 8th Generation Intel Quad-core i3 or the six core i5 CPU. In terms of graphics, the computer has either a Radeon Pro 555X GPU or a Radeon Pro 560X by default. There is also a configurable custom model with up to a six-core Intel i7 processor, 32GB RAM and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 GPU with 4GB memory. Notably, the specifications options of the 21.5 inch iMac are the same what Apple did with the refreshed Mac Mini.

The 27 inch iMac gets an even more significant upgrade, with a default six-core Intel i5 processor. There is also an option to upgrade to the latest 9th Gen Intel processors which have a six and eight core CPU variant. Apple claims that this will provide up to 2.4 times faster performance than the previous generation. GPU options include a Radeon Pro 570X, 575X and 580X for prebuilt variants. For the custom configuration build, there is an option of the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 GPU with 8GB of memory. The graphics performance of the 27 inch iMac is claimed to be 50 percent faster than the previous generation.

Both the sizes of the new iMacs have the macOS Mojave preinstalled. It is the latest version of the operating system by Apple. Both sizes also retain the display with a 4K resolution. These displays have support for the P3 wide colour gamut and have a peak brightness of 500 nits.

Pricing & Availability

Also read: What Are VPNs, And Should You Use One?

The new 21.5-inch iMac with Retina 4K display starts at US$1,299 (INR 119,900 in India) and the new 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display starts at US$1,799 (INR 169,900 in India). Both will be available starting next week, through Apple Authorised Resellers in the country.

March 19, 2019
What Are VPNs, And Should You Use One?

The Internet has become an essential part of life in today’s day and age. It is really difficult to imagine what our lives would have been like if the invention of the internet didn’t happen. But if one stops and thinks how much of our life is shared through the medium; or how much of the data shared can be traced back to the user by someone with malicious intents, a feeling of trepidation is natural. To ensure that the data shared over the internet is secure and private, many people use a VPN. But what is it and should everyone get one?

What is a VPN?

Virtual Private Networks or VPNs for short is used to connect to another computer, usually called server anywhere on the internet. It then seems that the user is browsing through a private server. To explain it further, a VPN creates a virtual tunnel which is encrypted, so any data shared over the internet passes through the heavily encrypted tunnel; thus making it extremely difficult to track the user. The device that has the VPN installed will gain the IP address of the server, masking the original address and therefore, the user.

Why Is VPN Useful?

There are many scenarios where a VPN can genuinely be useful. But to realise whether you need it or not, one has to understand the advantages of using a VPN service, some of which are highlighted below.

Security over public networks: Each one of us has connected to a public Wi-Fi network or a shared network connection at least once. The threat of connecting to one remains higher than ever; as public or shared connections doesn’t restrict other people connected to the same network to spy on you. A VPN acts like taking you off the grid while still connected over the same network.

Anonymity over the internet: Using a VPN makes it extremely difficult to track the user’s IP address, which helps in making them anonymous. The service also allows switching between servers based on countries. This, while not being totally foolproof, lets them gain at least some anonymity, making internet usage a tad bit safer.

Keep prying eyes away: Be it the movies or an overgrowing paranoia, the fear of being tracked over the internet is growing substantially. In spite of using a private network, organizations like the Internet Service Provider (ISP) and the government; who have more access to the internet than regular people, can still track a person. Using a VPN might not eliminate the chances of them doing that entirely, but it reduces them to a great extent.

Bypassing censorships: There is no telling when someone’s favourite website is banned because of censorships. So if a website like Reddit or YouTube is banned in a country, it can be bypassed using a VPN service and can be used normally.

Prevent throttling: Conversations about Net Neutrality aside, major ISPs are known to favour a handful of websites over others. They also can throttle or restrict speeds to a particular website. Using a VPN bypasses that, and thus allows an unrestricted, fast internet.

So Should You Get A VPN?

The question of whether a VPN service is good for you or not depends on your usage, and ultimately how much do you value your privacy. Most quality VPNs offer paid subscriptions and the ones that are free offer dicey security support. The speeds of the free VPNs can also be slower than their paid counterparts. Another problem the service has is that while it advertises security over the internet, it doesn’t prevent the user from cookies employed on most websites, which can track data even after the particular website is closed. VPNs also don’t or simply can’t provide full anonymity as even after the connection is encrypted, the service can do only so much to keep you anonymous.

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One should decide if they value their internet privacy as a reason, which honestly, everyone should. To get started, there are many great options available if you want to try using a VPN service. Most of them also offer free trials to dip your feet once before diving all in. Some of the well-known VPN services available in the market are TunnelBear, NordVPN, StrongVPN, ExpressVPN and CyberGhost and Cloudfare’s 1.1.1.1.

March 19, 2019
Samsung Galaxy A20 Launched In Russia

Samsung has launched a new member in the Galaxy A series of smartphones, the Galaxy A20 in Russia. The device was launched alongside the Galaxy A30 and Galaxy A50 in the country. Interestingly, the two latter handsets have already been launched in India last month. The Galaxy A20 has been announced courtesy Samsung Russia’s press release.

Galaxy A20: Design & Features

The Galaxy A20 features a polycarbonate body with a similar design language to the Galaxy A10 and the Galaxy A30. While the front of the smartphone resembles the former handset, the back is similar to the latter. The device measures 158.4 x 74.7 x 7.8 mm and has a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1560 x 720 px. The front has minimal bezels all around the display with a small Infinity-V style waterdrop notch on top. The rear of the smartphone houses a fingerprint sensor which allows it to securely unlocked. Additionally, it also supports face unlock technology.

Under the hood, the Galaxy A20 is kitted with the Exynos 7884 SoC which consists of an Octa-core CPU. The device has a dual rear camera setup comprised of a 13MP sensor with an aperture of f/1.9 and a 5MP sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. For selfies, it has an 8MP camera with f/2.0 aperture housed in the notch on top of the display. The smartphone is available with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage which is further expandable by up to 512GB with microSD support. The Galaxy A20 is powered by a 4000mAh battery, which is an upgrade over the 3400mAh found on the Galaxy A10.

Pricing & Availability

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The Galaxy A20 has been launched in Russia for the price of RUB 13,990 (Rs. 14,999) and is already up for sale from Samsung Russia’s official website. The smartphone may be launched in global markets soon.

March 19, 2019
Xiaomi Redmi Go Launched In India

Xiaomi at an event has launched the Android Go based smartphone, Redmi Go in India. It is the first smartphone from the company to run on the Android Go platform from Google. The devices under the initiative generally have low-end hardware and a skimmed down variant of the Android operating system which provides an optimised performance. Notably, the Redmi Go was first launched back in February in the Philippines.

Design & Features

The Redmi Go is the most affordable smartphone in the company’s portfolio. It has a polycarbonate body with significant bezels on the front. It measures 40.4 x 70.1 x 8.35mm and weighs 137g. It has a 5 inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1280 x 720. The display has a pixel density of 296 ppi and a maximum brightness of 380 nits.

Under the hood, the Redmi Go has been kitted with the Snapdragon 425 SoC which is manufactured using the 28nm fabrication process. The chipset has a Quad-core CPU and Adreno 308 GPU. In terms of optics, the smartphone has an 8MP primary camera at the back with an aperture of f/2.0. For selfies, there is a 5MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture on the front. For memory and storage, the Redmi Go is available with 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage.

The Redmi Go packs in a 3000mAh battery with support for 5W charging. The smartphone runs on the Android 8.1 Oreo Go edition out of the box. It also has a dedicated microSD support for memory expansion up to 256GB. The Redmi Go also supports more than 20 regional languages and supports the Google Assistant in Hindi.

Pricing & Availability

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The Redmi Go has been launched at a price of Rs. 4,499. The smartphone will be available starting March 22 online on Flipkart and Mi.com. Offline sales will be handled by the company’s Mi Home outlets.

March 19, 2019