Author: Yashonil Gupta

Huawei Foldable 5G Phone To Launch on February 24

Huawei promised to release a foldable smartphone in early 2019. It also promised to release a 5G device in the same time frame. Looks like Huawei is going to fulfil both those promises at once as it has announced a foldable, 5G smartphone on Twitter. The Huawei Foldable 5G smartphone will be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on February 24.

Come with us to explore #ConnectingTheFuture LIVE from #MWC @GSMA. Are you ready to reveal the unprecedented? #HuaweiMWC #MWC2019 pic.twitter.com/ErPD7eKMh1
— Huawei Mobile (@HuaweiMobile) February 1, 2019

This will be Huawei’s first foldable phone. This will also be the company’s first 5G phone. From the teaser, we can’t make out much details, but it seems like the foldable phone will fold inwards, much like the Royole FlexPai. The phone may also very well be the first 5G compatible phone.

Flexible Smartphones And 5G

Flexible smartphones seem to be the rage these days. Companies like Samsung, Oppo and Xiaomi putting all their resources to get the formula right. We have seen the demo of a foldable phone by Samsung at its developer’s conference November last year. It is speculated to be unveiled at the Unpacked event that is supposed to happen on February 20.

The concept of 5G on the other hand, is in a very nascent stage. Every cellular provider has promised the idea of 5G, but the timeline on when we will see a an actual 5G connection is vague. But it is expected that after many smartphone makers move to 5G modems in their products; we would soon see these providers switching gears and making it readily available.

Read more: Less-Feature Rich Galaxy S10 Variant Wont Be Called ‘Lite

The very idea of a foldable phone seems cool and exciting, but the question that still remains is, who is it for? The use case for a foldable phone hasn’t yet been defined. 5G on the other hand, could have many possible use cases and that makes it one of the trends to look out for in 2019.

February 1, 2019
Xiaomi To Launch The Redmi Note 7 On February 12 In India

Xiaomi has been on a roll these past few months. The company has seen tremendous success in the country. Adding one more successful device to its portfolio, the company is all set to launch the Redmi Note 7 on February 12. Xiaomi has been teasing the launch for quite some time, but we finally have some confirmation, according to a report by 91mobiles.

It's gonna be legen… wait for it… dary! #?W8? pic.twitter.com/qUYb4a9myp
— Xiaomi India (@XiaomiIndia) January 29, 2019

The Redmi Note 7 may not be the only product to be launched at the event, scheduled in New Delhi. According to reports, the Chinese smartphone maker may also launch the Mi Sports Shoes at the event. The shoes are speculated to be the rebranded version of the Mijia Sneakers 2.

Redmi Note 7 Specifications

The Redmi Note 7 will be the next device in the Note series of devices. The devices are known for their value for money specifications and features. Redmi Note 7 has already been launched in China and features a 6.3 inches IPS LCD display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 px. The phone has a waterdrop notch, a first for Xiaomi and the phone will be the first since Redmi has been created as a separate brand. the device also runs on Android 9 with MIUI on top.

The Redmi Note 7 also has a glass sandwich design. The phone runs on a Snapdragon 660 chipset with Adreno 512 GPU. It is available in 3 variants in China, 3GB RAM with 32GB Storage, 4GB of RAM with 64GB of Storage and 6GB RAM with 64GB of Storage. Redmi may bring either of these or all of the variants in India.

The phone’s highlight feature however, is the 48MP camera at the back. The sensor is a Samsung ISOCELL one made to capture more detail and better low light shots. The 48MP camera is accompanied by a 5MP depth sensor and a 13MP front camera. The phone is powered by a 4000mAh battery with support for QuickCharge 4. It also has a reversible, Type-C connector which is a first for Redmi series.

Redmi Note 7 Price

And while the specifications suggest otherwise, the Redmi Note 7 will be affordable. The Chinese price of the device is 999 Yuan (about Rs 10,000) for the 3GB/32GB variant, 1,199 Yuan (about Rs 12,500) for 4GB/64GB variant and 1,399 Yuan(about Rs 14,500) for the 6GB/64GB variant.

Mi Sport Shoes

The Mi Sports shoes are nothing to write home about. The shoes are made out of breathable fabrics and may arrive in four colours. They also have a “3D knitted upper portion”. The shoes are speculated to be priced at Rs 2,999.

Read more: Xbox One Consoles Bricked By An Unknown Bug On Wednesday

The Redmi Note 7 seems like a capable device and may be another breakout success for Xiaomi. There is also speculations that the Redmi Note 7 Pro may also make its debut but nothing has been confirmed yet. The device is priced well and has great specifications going for it. Lets hope the device is easily available without a barrage of flash sales.

February 1, 2019
Apple Blocks Google’s Internal Apps On iOS

Just after a few days of banning Facebook’s notorious internal apps on its iOS, Apple has now blocked Google for the same. The company can no longer run its internal apps on Apple’s platform following a privacy scare. This was reported by TechCrunch and Bloomberg’s Mark Bergen.

The main reason cited behind this decision is Google and Facebook’s use of these apps to monitor users activity. Apple’s move to block Google’s developer certificate comes just a day after Google disabled its Screenwise Meter app following press coverage. Google’s app also relied on Apple’s enterprise program. The program enables the distribution of internal apps within a company.

According to a statement by Google “We’re working with Apple to fix a temporary disruption to some of our corporate iOS apps, which we expect will be resolved soon.” This statement was given to Mark Bergen. Since that, Apple seems to have revoked Google’s apps.

Facebook’s Beef with Apple

This news comes days after Facebook was caught installing root certificates on iOS devices. These would help the company steal the usage data of the users. This was being done in exchange of an amount up to US $20. Apple also took necessary action against Facebook on the matter.

It was time for Apple to take a stand too, as the issues concerned privacy, a part where Apple claims to stand out. Incidents like these would’ve shown the company in a bad light. Since the news broke out, Facebook, in a statement to Bloomberg said “We can confirm that we have our enterprise certificate restored and we are working on getting our internal apps back up and running.”

Also read: Samsung Breaks Terabyte Threshold for Smartphone Storage

February 1, 2019
Nokia 8.1 With 6GB RAM And 128GB Storage Launched

Nokia launched its mid-tier flagship 8.1 last year. The phone was a mix of good specifications, a good camera and a decent price tag. One thing that was lacking from the device was a little more RAM. It seems like the wait is over as Nokia has announced the 8.1 with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage. The phone is priced at Rs. 29,999.

The Nokia 8.1 is the successor to the much successful 7 Plus which helped cement Nokia’s place in the affordable smartphone segment. The phone has made some striking changes to the predecessor. From the build to the specifications, those phones cannot be more different.

Nokia 8.1 Specifications

The Nokia 8.1 is a well-rounded device with a mix of good price-to-performance ratio. The phone has a 6.18-inch screen with a resolution of 2246 × 1080px. It has an 18.7:9 aspect ratio and a 86.5 per cent screen to body ratio. The phone runs on a Snapdragon 710 coupled with an Adreno 616 GPU. It is now available in 2 versions, one with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, and another with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage. The phone has a 3500mAh battery. Optics for the 8.1 include a 12+13MP camera setup at the back with OIS and a 20MP sensor at the front.

Featuring a metal unibody with glass front and back, It also has a promise of 2 years of Android updates with 3 years of monthly security patches. The phone runs on Android Pie out of the box. For the price of Rs 29,999, the Nokia has to compete with the likes of the Poco F1 and the Zenfone 5z. Both the other smartphones feature better specifications for the price.

Read more: Xiaomi Redmi Go Official Price Announced

Nokia 8.1 looks like a good device with the specifications it offers and the price its available in. Fans of stock Android and regular updates will like the phone. Given the track record for Nokia, the 8.1 may be another success story for HMD Global. And the newly released version makes things even more interesting.

February 1, 2019
Samsung Galaxy S10 To Get Celeb Alarm Feature

What if you could wake up by the sound of your favourite celebrity? It may be a dream come true for most people. Looks like Samsung is all set to make this wish come true for the buyers of their next device, the Galaxy S10. Samsung filed for patents on January 29 which show a feature named ‘Celeb Alarm’ which had the description as a ‘software for use in providing alarm services with voices of entertainers; downloadable ring tones and graphics for mobile phones.’

The feature seems like a novelty and may actually prove to be so; much like most of Samsung flagship’s from yesteryears. The company has tried to use a lot of gimmick to make their software stand out from the crowd, like the ugly, knockoff version of Animoji. Pulling the description of this feature apart, it is time to remember when Amazon Alexa offered the same feature.

Whose Voices Will It Have?

Which celebrity will grace the Galaxy S10’s Alarm clock is not yet known. But if past is any indication, there could be some big names in there. Considering Samsung’s reputation, a good list of movie stars may lend their voices to it. When Alexa launched this feature in the US, it had names like Alec Baldwin and Missy Elliot who did the talking for it.

Samsung has had tie ups with popular celebrities before, so it wouldn’t be the biggest deal ever. But there is no denying the fact that this feature is still a gimmick and wouldn’t be the sole reason to buy the device.

Read more: Microsoft Launches The Surface Pro 6, Surface Laptop 2 In India

The Samsung Galaxy S10 series is all set to make its debut next month, on February 20. Most of the details about the device is already out.

January 31, 2019
Samsung Galaxy S10+

The Samsung Galaxy S10+ is the bigger sibling to the Galaxy S10. The phone comes with some enhancements to the phone like a bigger display, dual front cameras and a bigger battery. The phone also has a punch hole display to house the dual cameras over the front. The Samsung Galaxy S10+ is also the most expensive Samsung phone available worldwide currently.

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January 31, 2019
Samsung Galaxy S10

The Samsung Galaxy S10 is the latest flagship by the company. The S10 is the latest attempt by the brand to avoid the notch and get an all display phone. The phone uses an Infinity-O display which makes use of a punch hole display for the front camera. The phone has some top tier specifications with the price matching it.

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January 31, 2019
Honor View20

Honor View20 is the latest entry by the company as their flagship smartphone for 2019. The smartphone is one of the first phones in the world to come with a punch hole camera in the display. The device features a glass sandwich design with an attractive laser etched finish at the back. The phone goes head-to-head against the OnePlus 6T in India.

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Videos:

January 31, 2019
Samsung Galaxy M10

Galaxy M10 is the most cost-effective smartphone in the latest Samsung M Series, and with an impressive price tag, we have to say. With a decent spec sheet and a crisp look to go along with it, Samsung is clearly targeting the entry-to-mid segment of the smartphone arena. And being the most competitive arena so far, Samsung is clearly doing an impressive job. With a pleasant waterdrop notch and an Infinity V-Display, the phone has a good set of features at an attractive price point.

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Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QusBqg6uU6c#action=share

January 31, 2019
Microsoft Launches The Surface Pro 6, Surface Laptop 2 In India

Microsoft has updated the Surface lineup of devices in the Indian market. On Monday, the company launched the Surface Pro 6 and the Surface Laptop 2 in the country. This makes it Microsoft’s third launch in the last few months, coming after the Surface Go, which was launched a while ago. The Microsoft Surface lineup of devices are soon making their way in the country.

Microsoft Surface Pro 6

The Surface Pro 6 is the most premium windows tablet in the market and one of the best devices for multimedia and work. The Tablet is equipped with a 12.3 inch Quad HD LED Backlit PixelSense Multi-touch Display with either the 8th Generation Intel Core i5 or i7. It is available in 3 variants. And all the three variants come with 8GB of RAM. The pricing for all the three versions are Rs. 83,999 for the Core i5, 128GB SSD variant. The Core i5, 256GB version comes at Rs. 1,10,999. The i7, 256GB SSD version costs Rs. 1,39,999. The device will be available on Flipkart.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 2

The Microsoft Surface Laptop got raving reviews when it launched in 2017. With the 2nd generation of the device, Microsoft hasn’t changed much. There is a new Matte Black colour and upgraded specifications. The Surface Laptop 2 comes with 8th Gen Intel processors. Rest of the features remain the same. There is the same 13.5 inch display as last gen.

There are 3 variants of the Surface Laptop 2 in India. The Core i5, 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD storage start at Rs 91,999. Bumping up the storage to 256GB on this variant will cost Rs 119,999. There’s a top-end variant with Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD storage that costs Rs 2,03,999. The device will be available on Flipkart and some offline channels.

Read more: Honor View20 Launched In India, Kirin 980 And 3D Camera In Tow

The Microsoft Surface devices are one of the best ones in the market for productivity and multimedia purposes. Let’s see if these devices find their success in India.

January 30, 2019
Facebook Paying Users in Exchange For Their Data

Facebook and controversies go hand in hand. Just last year, it was caught in a huge privacy scandal that brought Facebook a lot of hate; as it compromised the data of a lot of users. Looks like Facebook is caught in a similar scandal again. Reports show that Facebook is seeking people to test its research app. This is to spy on them in exchange of money.

Facebook did that to get data on its competitors, so the best way they thought they could accomplish it by asking the users for their data directly. The Facebook Research App, available for both Android and iOS. This App is installed through a website, which then installs certain certificates on your device. These certificates transfer data like your phone and web activity back to Facebook. This was compensated by an amount up to $20.

Spotted first by TechCrunch, The program is administered through beta testing services Applause, BetaBound and uTest; to cloak Facebook’s involvement. The program is referred to in some documentation as “Project Atlas”- a fitting name for Facebook’s effort to map new trends and rivals around the globe.

Facebook’s Affair With Data Theft

In its report, The publication said “The strategy shows how far Facebook is willing to go and how much it’s willing to pay to protect its dominance — even at the risk of breaking the rules of Apple’s iOS platform on which it depends. Apple could seek to block Facebook from continuing to distribute its Research app, or even revoke it permission to offer employee-only apps, and the situation could further chill relations between the tech giants.”

Read more: Honor Rolls Out Its Wearable Portfolio In India

Facebook has had a reputation for not caring about users privacy over the years. When it acquired the mobile data counter Onavo, it helped them track user app data. This led to Apple banning the app last year. The app is still available on Android. Over that, this incident doesn’t help the reputation of Facebook and may tarnish it further. Facebook hasn’t released a statement yet.

January 30, 2019
Pixel 3XL Lite Spotted Again On Geekbench

The Pixel 3 series was praised all over because of its amazing camera and clean software. What that phone didn’t win any awards for, was the boring design and the high price. Looks like Google is trying to win back the lost audience through the Pixel 3XL Lite. Although there have been many leaks regarding the phone, but it seems like we are getting quite close to the final launch of the device.

The Pixel 3XL Lite was again spotted on Geekbench. The listing was uploaded on January 28. What’s interesting about this is it shows the name of the device as Pixel 3a XL. This could be the final name Google is thinking about using or just again a code name. The listing confirms this is indeed the lite version because of the code name Bonito. The Lite version of the series had code named Bonito and Sargo.

Pixel 3a XL Specifications

The listing on Geekbench reveals some of the specifications of the upcoming Pixel device. The phone will have 4GB of RAM which is weird as the last listing reported the RAM as 6GB. It is a possibility that there may be 2 versions of the phone. The listing does not reveal the processor but the specs suggest it is a Snapdragon 710. The 710 is a mid-range chipset which is what this phone is going to be.

The camera is expected to be the same one as its bigger siblings. One thing that will change is there may be only one lens on either side. The phone will also see the comeback of the headphone jack. The 3.5mm jack was ditched by Google at the launch of Pixel 2 series. The metal and glass body is also substituted by a plastic one.

Also, looking at the scores of the phone, it seems like Google may have minimised the capacity of the chipset again. This is because the phone scores 1640 in single core and 4973 in multi core. This is not new to Google, as it always under clocks its phones.

Read more: Antutu Releases AI (Artificial Intelligence) Benchmarking Tool

In conclusion, the Pixel 3XL Lite or the Pixel 3a XL series, whatever it ends up being called, looks like a compelling option. The phones may be a great option for people looking for a good camera on a budget. The success of the phones may depend on what Google ends up pricing the devices. The devices are expected to be announced in May, in Google I/O 2019.

January 30, 2019
Samsung Smart Clothing With Health Diagnosing Features

Samsung is a huge company. It also is one of the market leaders in innovation. There have been many industry firsts by Samsung which is what we have for you today. Samsung in 2017 applied for a patent at the World Intellectual Property Office or WIPO for short; for an ‘Electronic apparatus and method of controlling the same’. And it was of Samsung Smart Shirts with Health Diagnosing Features.

The patent was approved on January 24, 2019. The patent shows a Samsung Smart Shirt with sensors. These sensors help in diagnosing a person’s physical condition.

What this means is, that the shirt will also be able to scan the person’s lungs for any respiratory problems. The patents show sensors inside the shirt which can measure the breathing patterns of the users. The shirt will also be connected to a smartphone. The Smartphone will receive diagnostics and advices based on your condition.

This is not the first time Samsung has used or showcased smart wearable technology. In 2018 winter Olympics, Samsung showed off the Smartsuit. It was a wearable which skaters could wear to practice and train. The application for smart wearable is increasing every year; as more and more respiratory problems come to light.

Application of Such Technologies

The images were uploaded by Samsung on WIPO’s official site. These Images show the tech in action. Also, each side of the lung has 3 sensors which take the reading. Any irregularity in the breathing pattern or sounds from the lungs is notified. It seems like that Samsung is serious about user’s health. Most noteworthy use for this may be in training and sports.

Read more: Redmi Go: Everything We Know

There is also a patent for infants and kids which could be useful. One possible way to do it is to make the fabric comfortable to wear. The sensors also will have to be big enough to fit. It is not known if Samsung will release the product. Maybe they will only bring it out for the athletes. Or maybe they would bring a consumer version of it.

Finally, It seems like an interesting technology by Samsung. But it is yet to be seen if this makes it to the shelves.

January 30, 2019
Redmi Go: Everything We Know

Xiaomi has never seen better days in the country. The brand sales and reputation have never been better. And Xiaomi, in its traditional fashion is still doing what they do best, launching budget phones at never seen before prices. Now it seems like Xiaomi is all set to enter the sub Rs 5,000 market with the Redmi Go. This is what we know about the Redmi Go.

Design

The Redmi Go will be an ultra-budget smartphone, so its not a surprise to see it come with huge bezels and a plastic body. The phone is very basic and minimalistic appearance. The phone will sport a single camera at the back. From the looks of it, the device looks a lot like the Redmi 5A.

Display

The Redmi Go will have a 5-inch LCD display with a 1,280 x 720 resolution and a 16:9 ratio. This is neither modern or futuristic but being a budget phone, The Redmi Go will have a decent display for the price and the 16:9 aspect ratio is still relevant and reliable.

Processor

The Redmi Go will come with a Snapdragon 425 SoC coupled with an Adreno 308 GPU. The Snapdragon 425 is a Quad-Core processor and a quite dated one. The SoC has 4 x Cortex A53 Cores clocked at 1.4GHz. The performance of the device should be fine for normal and light workloads.

Memory and Storage

The Redmi Go is an ultra-budget smartphone, so it should be no surprise that it comes with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of Internal Storage. The phone will support MicroSD expansion up to 128GB. The phone wouldn’t be a powerhouse or a media machine obviously, but it should be good for normal, day-to-day tasks.

Camera

The Redmi Go won’t be a camera centric smartphone, but it is expected to have a serviceable camera. The specs known so far are an 8MP f/2.0 sensor at the back with a 5MP f/2.2 sensor over at the front. The phone would be good for basic things like clicking pictures and video calling.

Battery and Operating System

The Redmi Go will have a 3000mAh battery with support for 5W charging. The phone will not support fast charging because of the price it will be available at. The Phone will ship with the Go edition of Android Oreo.

Connectivity and Other Features

Read More: WhatsApp To Soon Introduce Fingerprint Locking and Dark Mode

The Redmi Go comes with a dual sim feature with 4G available on both. The phone will have Bluetooth 4.1 and a MicroUSB port for charging and data transfer. The phone doesn’t have a fingerprint sensor so it may rely on some form of face unlock.

Overall, the Redmi Go looks like a basic cheap smartphone by Xiaomi and would definitely sell well if priced reasonably within the sub Rs. 5,000 bracket and available without a barrage of flash sales. Xiaomi has tasted quite the success in the country and the Redmi Go seems to be just another success story.

January 29, 2019
Samsung Galaxy M20

The Galaxy M20 takes an entirely different approach than what we have seen Samsung doing. Samsung Galaxy M20 is the first smartphone from the brand to sport a notch. The notch is a teardrop design which is considered the least intrusive among the other notches. Other than that, there is a small chin at the front, giving it an all screen look. The phone boasts of a modern design, with a blend of good specifications and an aggressive price to boot.

Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-Bqw9Bv8fk&feature=youtu.be

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January 29, 2019