Apple has officially launched the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus (Product) RED variants at a starting price of US$ 699. The new iPhones start shipping to countries like the US, Australia, New Zealand etc from the 13th of April. However, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus (Product) RED won’t hit the Indian shores until May. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus (Product) RED will be available in both 64GB and 256GB storage variants and will start retailing at a price of Rs 67940.
Apple’s Vice President of Product Marketing Greg Joswiak said:
This special edition (PRODUCT) RED iPhone features a stunning red and black color combination and also offers customers the opportunity to make an impact in fighting the spread of HIV and AIDS. We are proud to support (RED) with this bold new iPhone and hope customers think it is as special as we do.
Apart from the exciting new colour, the new iPhones do not add any new functionalities. However, one thing that differs from last year’s iPhone 7 (Product) RED variants is the front of the iPhones. This time around, the thick bezels are black in colour, while the 2017 (Product) RED iPhones had white coloured bezels. Many iPhone users wanted black bezels and Apple has rectified that with the 2018 (Product) RED iPhones.
The new colour variant launch is a part of Apple’s partnership with (RED), an advocacy group dedicated to combating HIV/AIDS in Africa. It was founded in 2006 by Bono, frontman of the iconic band, U2 and ONE Campaign activist Bobby Shriver. In fact, Apple has launched a number of special RED iPads, iPods, cases and for the first time, in 2017, launched the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in the special edition colour.
Apart from the new iPhone 8 and 8 Plus colour, Apple has also launched a new Folio case for the iPhone X. The new iPhone X (Product) RED Folio case will retail for Rs 7900 and will be available from Apple Authorised Resellers.
Smartphone makers drop the prices of their existing smartphones right before a new launch. The launch of the Moto G6 series now seems imminent in India as the Moto G5s has received a heavy price cut. The Moto G5s was launched in India in August 2017 for a price of Rs 13,999 and is now available for Rs 9999. Motorola is expected to launch the Moto G6 series in Brazil on the 19th of April.
The Moto G5s was launched along with the G5s Plus in India. At a price of Rs 13999, and now, Rs 9999, the Moto G5s offers the Snapdragon 430 chipset and a stock Android operating system.
The Moto G6, Moto G6 Play, and the Moto G6 Plus might have an 18:9 aspect ratio display. Though these phones have a narrower bezel, the company might squeeze in a front-facing fingerprint sensor. The Moto G6 and the Plus moniker will have a dual camera setup. Whereas the Moto G6 Play will have a single camera. In fact, these smartphones resemble design of the Moto X4, which was launched in India in November 2017. All three smartphones are expected to run on Android 8 Oreo.
Early Moto G6 Play Render
The Moto G6 and G6 Plus might be priced similarly to the Moto G5s and the G5s Plus. With the Moto G6 series, the company is also reviving the Play moniker after a gap of one generation, which will be priced similarly to the Moto G4 Play.
Huawei’s sub smartphone brand Honor will launch the Honor 10 in London on the 15th of April. Similarly, according to a press-invite, the company will launch the smartphone in Shanghai, China on the 19th of April. The Honor 10 is the successor to the Honor View10, which might borrow some of the design and camera traits from the recently launched Huawei P20 smartphone.
Going by the invitation, the company will launch the Honor 10 initially in its native country (China). Later on, the smartphone will be launched globally in London similar to the Honor View10. The smartphone might have a glass back with a Twilight finish, which was seen on the Huawei P20 and the P20 Pro. The smartphone might also boast the AI camera capabilities similar to the P20 series of smartphone.
The OnePlus 6 is expected to launch close to the end of April in China. Just like the Honor 10, the OnePlus 6 will also eventually make its way to global markets such as India. In fact, the Honor View10 was launched a few days after the OnePlus 5T was unveiled, however, it went on sale in India almost two months after the OnePlus 5T. The Honor 10 will have a lot of similarities with the OnePlus 6 like an iPhone X style notch and an all-glass design. The OnePlus 6 might cost Rs 34,000 for the entry-level model. However, the Honor 10 is expected to be priced slightly lower than the OnePlus 6.
Huawei recently launched its 2018 flagship Android smartphone, the Huawei P20 Pro. Apart from its design which is inspired by the iPhone X, the most exciting feature of the device is its camera capabilities. The P20 Pro is the first-ever smartphone to have a triple-camera setup on the back. Its global price is EUR 899 (Rs 71000 approx.) but, it is expected to have a lower price tag in India.
Over the years, camera performance of a smartphone has taken precedence over other features. A crappy camera can be the downfall of an otherwise great smartphone. The Essential Ph-1 is a great example of that. Similarly, a great camera can uplift a smartphone with other visible flaws. The 2016 Google Pixel smartphones did not have a great design, add-on features like wireless charging or water resistance. However, they had the best camera on the market which overshadowed much of their flaws.
So, we took the top flagship smartphones on the market right now and put their cameras through the paces. The smartphones in question here are the Huawei P20 Pro, the Galaxy S9+, Apple iPhone X and the Moto Z2 Force.
Camera Samples
Huawei P20 Pro
Apple iPhone X
Samsung Galaxy S9+
Moto Z2 Force
Specifications
Huawei P20 Pro
Samsung Galaxy S9+
Apple iPhone X
Moto Z2 Force
EUR 899
64GB: Rs 65900
256GB: Rs 72900
64GB: Rs 82999
256GB: Rs 97999
Rs 34998
6.1 inch
OLED
6.2 inch
Super AMOLED
5.8 inch
Super Retina OLED
5.5 inch
P-OLED
2244 x 1080 px
18.5:9 Aspect Ratio
1:1,000,000 Contrast Ratio
Xiaomi India has inaugurated three new smartphone assembly plants in India. These new plants are located in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, which are capable of producing one smartphone in two seconds. Additionally, the company has also launched its first-ever PCBA (Printed Circuit Board Assembly) unit located in Tamil Nadu.
Manu Jain, Vice President, Xiaomi Global and Managing Director, Xiaomi India said:
In 2015 we extended our long-term commitment to the Indian market by joining the ‘Make in India’ programme. Today we are deepening this commitment with three more smartphone factories and our first SMT plant dedicated towards local manufacturing of PCBA units.
Xiaomi is one of the pioneers in the country to start local assembly of PCBAs, and I believe we will continue to play a key role in transforming India into a global manufacturing hub.
Xiaomi started to assemble it’s smartphones in India in 2015 under the ‘Make In India’ initiative from the Central Government. As of now, 95% of the Xiaomi smartphones sold in India are ‘Made in India’. To be precise these devices are assembled in India by importing components from China. Making/Assembling a smartphone locally will help the company to save tax and will enable faster distribution of these devices. With these new smartphone assembly plants, the company creates employment to 10,000 people. Additionally, 95% of the employment will be reserved for females.
Xiaomi has partnered with Foxconn to manufacture PCBA units using the Surface Mount Technology in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. PCBA units constitute for the 50 percent of the cost of a smartphone and by assembling in India, the company will save a ton of money on import duties. Xiaomi will produce 100% of PCBA units used in Xiaomi smartphones launched in India will be manufactured in India by the end of Q3 2018.
Samsung has launched the Galaxy S8 in a new Burgundy Red colour variant at a price of Rs 49990 in India. The new colour variant will be available across all leading retail outlets with an additional Paytm cashback of Rs 10000 from the 13th of April. Whether the new colour variant will be available online via Flipkart or Amazon is not yet clear. After the launch of the Galaxy S9 and S9+, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ received a heavy price cut and the new colour variant is available at the same price as the other Galaxy S8 colour variants.
The Samsung Galaxy S8, even after a year since its official launch, continues to be a strong seller for Samsung. For consumers looking for a flagship Samsung device but, do not want to spend heavily on the S9 or its bigger sibling, the Galaxy S8 makes perfect sense. It is now available at a much lower price compared to its original price tag and still has one of the best display and build quality on the market.
Samsung Galaxy S8 Midnight Black
With the new Burgundy Red colour, the consumers have another option to choose from. This new colour variant also gives Samsung an upper hand over other sub-50K smartphones like the Nokia 8 Sirocco. It is worth noting that the Galaxy S8 is out of stock on Flipkart and offline retailers are the only source to buy a new Galaxy S8 from. The Galaxy S8 Plus, on the other hand, is still available on Flipkart.
Lenovo-owned Motorola is expected to launch the Moto G6 series of smartphones in Brazil on the 19th of April. The Moto G6 series is one of the most anticipated budget smartphone series from the company, which will compete with the likes of Redmi Note 5, Note 5 Pro and the Honor 7X. According to the latest tweet from the smartphone tipster Roland Quandt, the Moto G6 Plus will have a 5.93 inch FHD+ 2160 x 1080 px IPS LCD display. Interestingly, the smartphone has a front-facing fingerprint sensor, similar to the Moto G5s Plus and the Moto G4.
The leaked image of the alleged display panel for the Moto G6 Plus reveals an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone might have prominent bezels on the top and bottom of the device with a Motorola logo on the bottom. The display unit has a cutout for an earpiece, front-facing camera and a front-facing flash unit. Additionally, the leaked display panel also has a camouflaged cutout for sensors like ambient light and proximity sensors.
The company has seen a lot of success by offering latest stock Android operating system and the brand might continue the same with the Moto G6 series as well. Similarly, the smartphone might run on Android 8 Oreo out of the box with no third party customisations. The Moto G6 series of smartphones might have an all-glass design, similar to the Moto X4.
The launch of the OnePlus 6 is getting closer every passing day. One of the most anticipated smartphones of 2018 has gained even more attention since the company came out and announced that the OnePlus 6 will indeed sport an iPhone X like notch. A statement that has sparked a whole new conversation about smartphone design and the importance of the notch. Until now, we have learned that the OnePlus 6 will have an all-glass design with a 19:9 aspect ratio. And now, a bunch of renders of the smartphone re-affirm the same. The images also reveal the OnePlus 6 will launch in three colour variants, Blue, White, and Black.
These renders mainly focus on the design aesthetics of the smartphone. According to leaked renders, the smartphone might have a dual 2.5D curved glass on the front and back with Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The renders show a dual vertical camera bump with an oval-shaped fingerprint sensor, similar to the one found on the Samsung Galaxy S9. Additionally, these renders also have a red coloured Alert Slider, which will gain camera controlling functionality. The renders also show a display with a notch and a chin on the bottom of the display. However, do note that these are just renders and the actual device might look completely different.
The pricing details of the OnePlus 6 have also been leaked. If the leak turns out to be true, the OnePlus 6 will be the priciest OnePlus device yet. The 64GB variant of the smartphone is expected to be priced between Rs 33,999- 36,999 while the 128GB model will cost between Rs 38,999-42,999. The company is also expected to launch a limited Avengers Edition OnePlus 6 smartphone with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage which could cost up to Rs 48999.
In March 2017, Apple launched the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus (Product) RED. The new colour variants kicked off another smartphone trend of OEMs launching special edition red variants of their popular devices. It now looks like that Apple will continue its Product RED series with the launch of the iPhone 8 (Product) RED.
According to a report by MacRumors, it has viewed a memo from Virgin Mobile, which says that Apple will announce the new iPhones on the 9th of April. While the memo confirms the new variants will be available for preorders, it doesn’t specify whether the iPhone X (Product) RED will be included or not.
The new colour variant launch is a part of Apple’s partnership with (RED), an advocacy group dedicated to combating HIV/AIDS in Africa. It was founded in 2006 by Bono, frontman of the iconic band, U2 and ONE Campaign activist Bobby Shriver. Over the years, Apple has launched a number of special RED iPads, iPods, cases and for the first time, in 2017, launched the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in the special edition colour.
Just like 2017, the difference between a regular iPhone 8/8 Plus and iPhone 8 (Product) RED will just be the colour. The specifications will remain the same.
There won’t be any launch event as Apple has not publicised or sent invites to an event yet. Similarly to last year, Apple will send out a press release to announce the new colour variant. It also appears that AirPower will be a part of the announcement. AirPower was announced along with the iPhone X launch and is a wireless charger for the iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. Interestingly, all the mentioned devices can be charged simultaneously using the AirPower.
The Xiaomi-backed Black Shark gaming smartphone has gained importance over the last few weeks. There were several leaks and rumours about the device which might launch in China on the 13th of April. And now, a Weibo user has posted a new real-life image of the Black Shark Smartphone. The device in the leaked has the name ‘Black Shark’, written on the back in green colour which is similar to the green-coloured branding of the Razer Phone.
The post has an alleged rear view of the Xiaomi’s Black Shark smartphone. This does not look anything like a typical smartphone at all with a rugged design. In fact, the smartphone has a Samsung Galaxy S7 Active style built quality, which is expected to be made out of plastic. Additionally, the leaked image also reveals that the smartphone has a dual rear-camera setup with an LED flash. Up, on the top of the smartphone looks like add-on accessories, which should offer Nintendo Switch like joystick experience.
Unlike most of the latest smartphones, the Black Shark will not be slim. Instead, it has a rugged shell, which might house a big battery, with at least 4000 mAh capacity. Considering the build, the smartphone is expected to have an IP68 certification with water and dust resistance. Finally, the Xiaomi’s Black Shark might challenge the likes of the Razer Phone. Finally, the smartphone looks narrower and taller, which hints that the device is likely to have a taller 18:9 aspect ratio display.
We have seen numerous leaks and official teasers of the OnePlus 6 this week. The smartphone is expected to go live by the end of April 2018. Additionally, we also learned that there will be a limited edition Avengers OnePlus 6 model with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. OnePlus 6 is also expected have an all-glass design with a taller 19:9 aspect ratio display with a notch. The smartphone will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset with 6/8GB RAM and 64/128/256GB storage.
Nokia
HDM Global launched three new smartphones in India, including the Nokia 6 2018, Nokia 7 Plus and the Nokia 8 Sirocco. The Nokia 6 2018 is the successor to the Nokia 6 2017, which is priced at Rs 16,999.Unlike the Nokia 1 and the Nokia 6 2018, the Nokia 7 Plus and the Nokia 8 Sirocco are the two premium smartphone priced at Rs 25,999 and Rs 49,999, respectively.
Google Home
Google India is all set to launch the Google Home and Google Home Mini Smart Speakers in India. The Google Home Mini is expected to retail for Rs 4,499 and the Google Home is expected to retail for Rs 9,999. These Smart Speakers are expected to launch exclusively on Flipkart.
Xiaomi Black Shark
The Black Shark is an upcoming gaming smartphone from the Xiaomi-backed company Black Shark. The smartphone will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset with gaming-centric features. Lastly, the smartphone is expected to launch in China on the 13th of April 2018. After weeks of leaks, the company finally released an official teaser of the device on Weibo.
Samsung Galaxy A6, Galaxy A6+
The Samsung Galaxy A6 and the A6+ could be the upcoming mid-tier smartphones from Samsung with a taller display. The Galaxy A6 is expected to be powered by the Exynos 7870 Octa-core chipset, whereas the A6+ moniker runs on the Snapdragon 625 Octa-core processor. These smartphones are expected to have 5.6 inch and a 6.0 inch Super AMOLED display with 2220 x 1080 px resolution.
Xiaomi Mi 7
The Xiaomi Mi 7 will be the upcoming flagship smartphone from Xiaomi, with an In-Screen Fingerprint sensor. The smartphone is also expected to have an iPhone X style notch. The device will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset and this could be the first flagship Xiaomi smartphone to have OLED display.
Google Pixel 3
Google recently released Android P developers beta. According to a traces found in the firmware package, Google is also preparing for the launch of the Google Pixel 3. The Google Pixel 3 is also expected to have a display with an iPhone X style notch.
Honor 10
Honor is expected to launch the Honor 10 smartphone in London on 15th of May. The smartphone is also expected to have similar specifications as of the recently launched Huawei P20. However, unlike Huawei P20, the Honor 10 will be an affordable model with an expected price tag of RS 35,000 (US$ 500).
Moto G6 Series
Motorola is all set to launch the Moto G6 series of smartphones in Brazil on the 19th of April. The company is expected to launch the Moto G6, G6 Play and the G6 Plus with 18:9 aspect ratio display. However, the Moto G6 and the G6 Plus are expected to have an FHD+ 2160 x 1080 px resolution screen, whereas the G6 Play will have an HD+ 1440 x 720p resolution display.
LG G7 ThinQ
The LG G7 ThinQ is the upcoming flagship smartphone from Korean smartphone maker. The smartphone is also expected to have a glass back with a dual camera setup. Similarly, the smartphone will also have an iPhone X style notch. The LG G7 ThinQ is speculated to use an one of a kind M+ LCD display to offer better brightness.
In March 2016, Apple launched the iPhone SE along with Apple Watch Series 1 and the 9.7 inch iPad Pro. The iPhone SE was considered as the successor of the iPhone 5s and reverted to a 4 inch screen after Apple had moved on to bigger smartphones with the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Even two years since its launch, the iPhone SE continues to be a strong seller because of its update software, better hardware and a compact form factor. In the world of 6 inch phablets now being called smartphones, a powerful 4 inch smartphone is a great option.
iPhone X
The iPhone SE, at the time of its launch, was priced at Rs. 39000 in India which was much less than the introductory price of the older gen iPhones in India. In a price-sensitive market like India, the availability of an iOS device that did not compromise on hardware and also offered a compact flagship design helped Apple penetrate further into the Indian market. The Indian market had a certain section of society that thrived to buy a new iPhone while the rest of the population resorted to Android devices thanks to its wider availability and cheaper price tag.
The iPhone SE allowed people to enter the Apple ecosystem. Not just in terms of sale, the iPhone SE was groundbreaking for Apple because it was the first (and so far the only) iPhone that was manufactured in India. This helped Apple keep the price of the iPhone SE much lower than its predecessors. Apple began manufacturing the iPhone SE in India in May of 2017 and since then the price of the iPhone SE has significantly lowered. Currently, the iPhone SE retails for Rs. 18499 for the 32GB storage variant.
The iPhone SE lineup was not refreshed in 2017 and instead, Apple launched three new iPhones later in the year in September. The iPhone X being the most significant of the three. Ever since the launch event in September, there have been rumours that the ‘SE’ lineup will see a new iteration in 2018. So far, we have seen conflicting reports about the design of the iPhone SE 2 while it is quite clear that the specifications will resemble that of the iPhone 7.
Launch
Soon after the September launch event hosted by Apple, there were rumours that the iPhone SE 2 would launch in March, just like the iPhone SE. However, the March 27th event focussed primarily on education and Apple launched a refreshed entry-level iPad. The next big Apple event is the World Wide Developer’s Conference that will commence on the 1st of June. Again, WWDC is not known for product launches as it focusses on software and app developers. The HomePod is the only notable unveiling that happened at WWDC 2017. It doesn’t seem likely that Apple would launch the iPhone SE 2 at WWDC 2018.
There have been reports that the iPhone SE 2 will be an India-exclusive device which means that the company could launch it a few months before the September launch event. However, there is no fixed date for the launch of the iPhone SE 2 so far.
Name
This is probably the most straightforward aspect of the iPhone SE 2 we know of. Apple has followed a set naming pattern for its iPhone lineup so far and will, in all probability, continue to do so with the ‘SE’ lineup. The iPhone SE 2 will succeed the iPhone SE, hence, it would make sense for Apple to name its the “iPhone SE 2.”
Design
The design of the iPhone SE 2 is where most of the contradictions appear. Soon after the iPhone X was launched, reports claimed that Apple will unify the design of all the future iPhones including the iPhone SE 2. If so, we could see a major design overhaul with the SE 2 and might be one of the best-looking budget smartphones in India. An iPhone X design would also mean the introduction of Face ID and the departure of the Home Button.
iPhone SE 2 Concept
Apple would be able to fit in a larger display in the same compact form factor which would be appreciated by many. However, implementing Face ID will increase the cost of production which would, in turn, increase the final price of the smartphone. An increase in price would take away one of the most exciting factors of the iPhone SE 2, its affordability. Hence, it is fair to assume that Apple could retain the design of the original SE and just upgrade the specifications and cameras.
Display
The size of the display of the iPhone SE 2 will largely depend on what design language Apple decides to follow. Recent reports suggest that the iPhone SE 2 will have a design very similar to the iPhone SE, which means the SE 2 will retain the 4 inch display. In such a case, we expect Apple to bump up the resolution a bit from iPhone SE’s 1136 x 640 px resolution.
With the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, Apple also introduced the True Tone display technology for iPhones. With True Tone, the display adjusts to the environment, in theory, reproducing better colours. Apple is expected to do the same with the iPhone SE 2 to maintain some sort of commonality with its current line of iPhones.
Under The Hood
When the iPhone SE was launched in March 2016, it was powered by the Apple A9 chipset. This was the same chipset that also powered the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus which were launched in September 2015. If Apple follows the same pattern with the iPhone SE 2 could have the Apple A11 Bionic chipset that is also found on the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and the iPhone X.
However, it is more likely that the SE 2 will have the Apple A10 Fusion chipset under the hood. This is the same chip that powers the new 9.7 inch iPad and the iPhone 7 lineup. Coupled with the A10 chip will be 2GB of RAM and a minimum of 32GB of storage. The iPhone SE 2 will also retain in other storage variants, possibly 64GB and 128GB.
Camera
With the iPhone SE, users got the same primary camera found on the iPhone 6s, which was launched a few months before the iPhone SE. This means that the iPhone SE 2 could have the same camera setup found on the iPhone 8. So far, there are no reports claiming that the iPhone SE 2 will have a dual-camera setup hence, we don’t expect the iPhone 8 Plus camera setup to make its way to the SE 2.
iPhone 8
On the front, the iPhone SE 2 will have an improved version of the front-camera found on the iPhone SE. Even though the iPhone SE was launched two years ago, ist front camera still holds up pretty well. This means that the iPhone SE 2 is expected to have a good camera performance if and when it is launched.
Conclusion
The Apple iPhone SE 2 appears to be ready for a launch in 2018. It is yet to be confirmed whether Apple will launch the smartphone at a separate event or at one of it upcoming launch events. Irrespective of the date of launch, the iPhone SE 2 is highly anticipated all over the world. Especially in price-sensitive markets like India, to be able to buy an iOS device at an affordable price is a great prospect for consumers.
HMD Global recently launched their flagship smartphone, the Nokia 8 Sirocco in India for Rs 49,999. Nokia 8 Sirocco is a successor to the Nokia 8, which comes with a premium all-glass design. Samsung’s last year flagship, the Galaxy S8 currently retails in India for Rs 49,990, which is a head to head competitor to the Nokia 8 Sirocco.
The Nokia 8 Sirocco is the first smartphone from HMD Global to have a curved display with wireless charging capability. The smartphone is also IP67 rated for water and dust resistance. However, the Nokia 8 sirocco does have some shortcomings. The smartphone is powered by the last generation processor, the Snapdragon 835. Also, for a 2018 flagship, the smartphone still sports a 16:9 aspect ratio, even though the Nokia 7 Plus, priced at Rs 25999, has an 18:9 aspect ratio. We can only imagine its popularity had it been powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. Despite the 16:9 aspect ratio, it has a great build and design.
Nokia 8 Sirocco
Though the Samsung Galaxy S8 is a year old flagship, it still makes sense to compare it with the latest flagship offering from Nokia. The Galaxy S8 and the Nokia 8 Sirocco are equally powerful. The Galaxy S8 and S9 have a similar design with common features like IP68 certification, wireless charging and the same Infinity Display. In fact, the difference between the Galaxy S8 and the S9 is limited to camera and processor.
The Nokia 8 Sirocco might have an edge over the Galaxy S8 in terms of camera. The Nokia 8 Sirocco has a Zeiss branded dual camera setup with a 12MP RGB sensor with an f/1.75 aperture and a 13MP telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture. The smartphone supports bokeh effect and 2X lossless zoom, whereas the Galaxy S8 misses out on both the features.
Apple recently launched the 6th Gen Apple iPad 2018 at an educational event in Chicago. The iPad 2018 is a successor to the company’s cheapest 5th Gen Apple iPad 2017. In terms of design and aesthetics, both iterations of the iPad have a same metal unibody design. The cellular LTE models have a plastic antenna band and the Wi-Fi only models have a complete metal unibody design. However, both models miss out on a laminated display, which creates an air gap between the display and the touch panel.
The Apple iPad 2017 currently retails for Rs 25,990 for the 32GB storage variant. Similarly, the Apple iPad 2018 will be available from late April for a price of Rs 28,000. So, what are the upgrades that one can get by paying additional Rs 2,000?
The 5th Generation and the 6th Generation Apple iPads come with a 9.7 inch 2048 x 1536 px resolution display with 264 ppi. Though these have the same display, the 6th generation iPad supports input from Apple Pencil, which is missing on the 5th Gen iPad. The Apple Pencil will retail for Rs 7600 in India. Additionally, the 6th Generation Apple iPad is powered by the Apple A10 chipset, whereas the 5th Generation iPad is powered by the Apple A9 chipset. Both the iPads have 32GB and 128GB storage options with 2GB RAM.
The OnePlus 6 is following the pattern of its predecessors. Up until a few weeks ago, there was barely any chatter about the OnePlus and now, we appear to be close to its official launch. As of now, the company has confirmed that the OnePlus 6 will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset and also support gestures for navigation. And now, OnePlus has released a new teaser hinting towards advanced functionalities of its infamous Alert Slider. According to the teaser, the Alert Slider on the OnePlus 6 will let users focus on a subject while using the camera app.
The alert slider on the OnePlus 6 is expected to have dual click support similar to the one found on the Sony Xperia XZ2. However, unlike the Xperia XZ2’s dedicated shutter button, the alert slider may not double as a shutter button. It is worth noting that OnePlus is the only Android smartphone maker to consistently use an alert slider since the OnePlus 2. It is one of the features that has been appreciated by many OnePlus users. With more functionalities being added to the slider, it appears the Alert Slider will gain more popularity with the OnePlus 6. It will also be interesting to see if the slide to focus feature will work with third-party apps like Snapchat, VSCO etc.
Lately, we have learned that the OnePlus 6 Premium could cost up to Rs 48,999. The Premium version is expected to have 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. In fact, this is expected to be the OnePlus 6 limited Avengers Edition. Unlike every year, the company is might launch three flagship models with different storage and RAM combinations. The 6GB RAM and 64GB storage will be priced between Rs 33,999-36,999, and the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage will be priced between Rs Rs 38,999-42,999, respectively.
With the OnePlus 6, the company will re-introduce an all-glass design. In fact, the smartphone is also expected to support wireless charging as it has a glass back panel. Apart from the OnePlus 6, the company might also launch a pair of Bluetooth earphones. Huawei also introduced its own pair of truly wireless earbuds, the Freebuds at the P20 Pro launch. In fact, the leaked document does speak about these earphones, but no pricing has been mentioned.
