Huawei is prepping up for the launch of the Huawei P20 and the Huawei P20 Pro on the 27th of March. Up until now, almost all the specifications of these devices have been leaked. However, a new document suggests that the company might launch a special Huawei P20 Pro edition (maybe Porsche design) with a whopping 512GB of onboard storage.
The device is officially listed on TENAA, with model number NEO-AL00. According to the listing, the device will have 512GB of storage with 6GB of RAM. This could be the first mass-produced smartphone to have half TB of storage.
Huawei P20 Pro Specs
The smartphone is expected to have a 6.1 inch 2240 x 1080 px OLED display with a notch on the top. Under the hood, the smartphone will be powered by the Kirin 970 chipset with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. In fact, the smartphone is expected to support native face unlock algorithm similar to the iPhone X.
The device is also expected to offer a wide range of AI capabilities, which might improve the smartphone photography.
The smartphone is likely to house a triple lens primary camera setup with RGB + wide angle + telephoto lens combination. On to the front, the smartphone is likely to have dual camera setup. In fact, the dual front-facing camera can aid the facial recognition system as well. The device will run on Android Oreo 8.1 with custom EMUI on the top.
It is time to now look forward to the iPhone X successor in 2018. Each year, there are a handful of launches that eagerly waited, and the iPhone launch is one of them. So far, we have seen multiple reports corroborating that Apple will launch three iPhones in September. However, we have assumed that the LCD variant will be the cheapest and the iPhone X Plus will be the priciest.
A new report by a senior analyst at Digitimes, Luke Lin says otherwise. Lin has been keeping a keen eye on the supply chain of Apple and believes that the like-for-like iPhone X successor will indeed be the most affordable iPhone in 2018. Although there will be an iPhone with an LCD display, it won’t be the cheapest. As the pricing will largely depend on the display type, RAM, and storage of all the 2018 iPhones.
iPhone X Plus Concept
The successor to the iPhone X will stick to the 5.85 inch screen size with an OLED display panel. However, Apple managed to get the bill of materials down 10% from the US$ 412.75 of the current model. The OLED display accounted for a big chunk of that. Next up will be the 6.1 inch iPhone with an LCD display. The 6.45 inch iPhone X Plus with an OLED panel will be the priciest iPhone in 2018.
Obviously, there will be more than just the display and RAM differences between the three iPhones. Apple will use different camera configurations and maybe, the iPhone X Plus will have a few exclusive features to justify its possible exorbitant price tag.
A couple of months ago, Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the most trusted Apple analysts released some information about the 2018 iPhone lineup. The iPhone X 2018 (tentative name) will have the same 5.85 inch OLED display found on the current iPhone X. It will have a 2,700 to 2,800mAh battery, supplied primarily by Unimicron. The 2018 iPhone X will also be powered by a new chipset and is expected to feature advanced Face ID.
iPhone X
The iPhone X Plus will have a 6.5-inch OLED display in a body that might not be much bigger than the iPhone 8 Plus’. It is expected to have a 3,400 to 3,500 mAh battery supplied Unimicron.
Microsoft is in the final stage of launching the next big software update for Windows 10 called ‘Spring Creators Update’. The company is yet to announce the launch date of the update. However, according to a source, the update will go live on the 10th of April. In fact, this date collides with Windows 10 Creators Edition launch date. There are a lot of changes and new features included in the upcoming major software update from Microsoft.
The update will be first tested with a set of users in the initial wave. Later on, the update will be made available for the rest of the users. In fact, the update might take months to land on your device. If you are an eligible Windows Insider, then you will be able to test the RTM (Release To Manufacturing) build before April.
New features
The spring update will have plenty of new features. The update will improve the user experience on Microsoft Edge browser, new action centre, and a task view feature. Similarly, there are minor UI refinements, which improves the overall user experience. The most interesting feature of this update is the new Timeline feature.
The task view will be renamed as Timeline, which allows a user to go back up to 30 days to edit a document or pick up a task. These apps/tasks will be listed according to time. However, every app will not support this feature. Most of the Microsoft applications like Word, Edge, Powerpoint will support this feature from the beginning.
Xiaomi only recently rolled out MIUI 9 for almost all of its smartphones here in India. The Chinese smartphone maker was commended for not leaving old devices in the dark and even the Redmi 1s, launched over three years ago, received the MIUI 9 update. However, the support will end there for a lot of these smartphones. Xiaomi has announced that the new MIUI 9.5 update will start seeding in late-March. It will gradually reach about 30 Xiaomi devices by the end of April 2018.
MIUI 9.5 Update Timeline
Late-March: Redmi Note 3 Special Edition, Redmi Note 3 Qualcomm, Redmi Note 4 Qualcomm/Redmi Note 4X, Mi Max, Mi Max Prime, Redmi 3S, Redmi 4 Prime, Redmi 4A and Redmi Note 4 MTK.
Early-April: Redmi Note 5A Prime/Redmi Y1, Redmi Note 5A/Redmi Y1 Lite, Redmi 5A, Redmi 5 Plus, Redmi Note 5/Pro, Redmi 5, Mi Max 2, Mi 5/Pro, Redmi 4X, Mi 6 and Mi MIX 2
Mid-April: Mi Note 2, Mi 5s, Mi MIX, Mi Note 3, Mi 5s Plus, Redmi Note 2, Redmi 3, Redmi 4, Mi 3, Mi 4
The company has not announced any new features that will be a part of the new MIUI update. However, there are a few users who have been using a stable build of MIUI 9.5 on Redmi Note 4 units. The new update will bring in features like Notification Shade, Quick Reply and the February security patch.
Despite the latest MIUI update, none of the Xiaomi smartphones barring the Mi MIX 2 run on Android 8 Oreo. However, after Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 5 in China running Android 8 Oreo, it looks like at least the 2018 Xiaomi lineup will get a software upgrade.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, Note 5 Pro and Redmi 5 have an 18:9 aspect ratio, like the Mi MIX 2. There is a possibility of these devices also getting support for gesture-based navigation with a future Android 8 Oreo update.
OnePlus is known for introducing flagship smartphones at an affordable price. All this started with the OnePlus One, which was priced at US$ 350 or Rs 24999. Until now, the company has done a commendable job by launching latest hardware at a cheaper price than its competition. However, this might change soon. A leaked photo of a presentation suggests that the OnePlus 6 will retail for $749. It isn’t clear yet what currency the figures are in.
The presentation slide has listed the Apple iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy S9+, Huawei P20 and the OnePlus 6. Do note that, the models listed on the presentation represent the costliest model of the respective devices. According to the presentation, the iPhone X retails for US$ 1517, Galaxy S9+ retails for US$ 1200, and the price of the Huawei P20 is yet to be revealed. The last product in the slide is the OnePlus 6, which is listed to be powered by the Snapdragon 845 Octa-core chipset with 8GB RAM and 256GB onboard storage. In fact, this could be the first OnePlus device to have 256GB storage.
The listing also reveals that the phone will have a dual camera setup (20MP + 16MP) similar to the one found on the OnePlus 5T. Finally, the last column talks about the pricing of the device. According to the listing, the OnePlus 6 with 256GB storage will retail for $749. However, similar to the iPhone X and Galaxy S9+, we might also see different RAM and storage models, priced near the US$ 500 mark.
The OnePlus 6 is expected to have a glass back and a display notch, similar to the recently launched Oppo R15. The use of a display with a notch and a glass panel will increase the manufacturing cost. Hence, this could explain the price surging.
Reliance Jio has launched a new JioFi Hospot in India with the model number JMR815. This is the fourth iteration of the JioFi, which comes with a new shape and a bigger battery. The JioFi JMR815 Hotspot is available exclusively on Flipkartfor Rs 999. Just like every other JioFi device, this one is also network locked. Which means, it works only with Jio network.
JioFi JMR815 Hotspot Features
The JioFi JMR815 Hotspot has a tag “designed in India”, which means the research and development (R&D) has been done locally. Besides, the device now supports a maximum theoretical download speed of 150Mbps and upload speed of 50Mbps. The device has two physical buttons with an LED indicator for battery, signal and Wi-Fi strength.
The JioFi Hotspot supports a maximum of 32 connections at a time with 31 wireless networks and one over USB. However, considering the maximum speed, we do not recommend connecting more than two devices at a time. The connected users can make voice or video calls using Jio 4G apps. In fact, one can initiate a voice call even on a non-SIM supported tablet. Under the hood, the device is powered by the ALT3800 chipset, which supports Band-40, Band-5, and Band-3.
The JioFi Hotspot also comes with a dedicated micro SD card slot, which can read micro SD cards up to 64GB. The connected users can access the files stored on the micro SD card instantaneously.
The JioFi JMR815 has a 3000 mAh battery. In fact, this is the biggest battery on any JioFi device. The battery takes 3 and a half hour to charge and can last up to an entire day with 8+ hours of active time.
Samsung has launched the Galaxy Tab Active 2 in the US, which is the successor of the Samsung Galaxy Active. There aren’t a lot of rugged tablets on the market, and this one from Samsung tried to fill that gaping hole. However, it doesn’t possess the best specifications out there by any stretch of the imagination. The rubber-like material will absorb the shock keeping the internal hardware and display intact. The tablet is priced at US$ 450 for the Wi-Fi version and is available on Samsung’s official website. Similarly, there is an LTE version, but the price is yet to be known.
Like most of the rugged devices, this is made to withstand various environmental conditions. Subsequently, the device is MIL-STD-810 certified with IP68 water and dust resistance rating. The retail package also includes a rugged S-Pen, which works even in wet conditions. The Galaxy Tab Active 2 can be mounted to a professional grade vehicle, which can charge via pogo pins. The pogo pins connect with the device magnetically to give a firm grip. In fact, the pogo pin looks similar to Apple’s MagSafe charger.
Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 Specs
The Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 has an 8 inch 1280 x 800 px resolution display with a 19:10 aspect ratio. Under the hood, the device is powered by the Exynos 7870 Octa-core chipset with 3GB RAM and 16GB storage which is expandable up 256GB using a micro SD card.
The Galaxy Tab Active 2 runs on Android 7 Nougat with Samsung Experience UI on the top. It is powered by a 4450 mAh user replaceable battery with fast charging capabilities via USB type C port.
The tablet has an 8MP primary camera with a single tone LED flash, which can record 1080p video @ 30fps. Similarly, the device has a 5MP front-facing camera.
Google has launched a new service called ‘Play Instant’. It essentially allows users to try out apps and games before downloading or purchasing them. Users don’t have to download a separate app for this service as it blends in with the new Play Store app. The feature will be compatible with all Android devices.
This is another step by Google to save data and storage. The company recently announced Android Go as well. It is a much more toned down version of Android, meant to work on devices with less than 1GB RAM. The new service means that users can now try out new apps before wasting a lot of data. For people who are low on storage, they can analyse an app and decide whether they should free up space on their smartphone or not.
Android Go
While it sounds archaic to have a smartphone running out of storage, there are still a lot of people who use entry-level Android devices that have 8GB of onboard storage. For such people, Play Instant is a great service. Interestingly, there are a few games that are a part of this service right now. At the time of writing, Google had listed six games that can be tried out without installing.
Simultaneously, Google has also introduced the new Play Games app. While it doesn’t have a UI overhaul, it now features an ‘Arcade’ tab. This is where users can discover new games by watching trailers of new and old games. The idea is for Play Games and Play Instant to tie in together and allow users to try out every game. That, however, is still in a distant future.
OnePlus has been actively promoting its upcoming launch of the OnePlus 6. The company has already struck a deal Sony to release an exclusive OnePlus 6 Avengers Edition. On social media, OnePlus has slowly teased a few features of the OnePlus 6 which are a first for the company. The buzz around the OnePlus 6 is certainly palpable as we move closer to the official launch. So, with the launch a couple of weeks away, what do we know about it so far?
Price
The OnePlus 5, at the time of its launch, was criticised for its price tag. The smartphone was priced higher than the OnePlus 3T and still didn’t offer features like wireless charging or water resistance. However, with a revamped design, the OnePlus 5T sort of justified the price tag. Looking at the recent leaks, it appears that the OnePlus 6 might cost up to a whopping Rs 48999. The base variant, however, could be priced between Rs 34999 to Rs 36999.
Design
The design is where the OnePlus 6 is expected to take things a “notch” further. OnePlus has confirmed that the OnePlus 6 will have a notch on the display while maintaining a thick chin at the bottom. Carl Pei, co-founder of OnePlus has revealed that getting rid of the chin meant that the company had to curve the display from the bottom, which Apple did. However, that would have increased the manufacturing of the smartphone a lot.
The company also confirmed that the OnePlus 6 will have an all-glass design, something the company has shied away from since the OnePlus X. Whether this means the device will also have wireless charging has not been confirmed yet. iGyaan received an exclusive image of the OnePlus 6 in a test case. The test case hides the bezels of the device but, the notch is visible in the image. If you zoom in on the top left corner of the image, the date on the desktop shows 23rd April, which is when our source sent this photo to us. A few people on Twitter thought the notch was photoshopped, but, if you zoom in, you can see the front camera and the earpiece, despite the image being clicked in dark.
Display
The OnePlus 6 will have a 6.28 inch Optic AMOLED display with a 2280 x 1080 px resolution. This weird resolution is a result of the notch. OnePlus is expected to retain the Optic AMOLED display. The company has been adamant about its use of a 1080P panel over 1440P and it doesn’t seem like the stance will change anytime soon.
Under The Hood
As has been OnePlus’s strategy with the OnePlus 6, it has confirmed a few specifications of the smartphone as well. The OnePlus 6 will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset and have up to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. This is the first time that a OnePlus device will have 256GB of storage. The limited edition OnePlus Avengers Edition will only be available in the 256GB storage model. As has been the history, the storage will not be expandable via a microSD card.
The OnePlus 6, again, as confirmed by the company, will be water resistant. This also a first for OnePlus. The exact ceritifcation of the smartphone has not been confirmed right now.
OnePlus 5
Camera
The device will have a dual-camera setup on the back and a single camera on the front. While the leaked image of the OnePlus 6 revealed a vertically placed setup, the OPPO R15 has a setup similar to the OnePlus 5T. Apart from that, the 6 is expected to retain the OnePlus 5T camera implementation. Going by the industry trend, it could have a few “AI capabilities,” similar to the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2s.
Conclusion
The OnePlus 6 will launch on the 16th of May in London followed by its India launch in Mumbai on the 17th of May. The smartphone will subsequently go on sale in India on the 21st of May via Amazon exclusively. If the price of the OnePlus 6 is not too expansive and is closer to the launch price of the OnePlus 5T, the 6 could be one of the best smartphones of 2018. However, a lot will depend on how the smartphone performs since specifications are not the only thing that matters.
The 2017 iPhone lineup saw a huge shakeup. The iPhone X was a big departure from what we were accustomed to seeing and the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus also offered great upgrades over the previous generations. Another big difference between the iPhone 8 and iPhone X was the colour variants. While the iPhone X is only available in a Silver and Space Gray, the iPhone 8 is available in Space Gray, Silver and Blush Gold.
It now seems that the iPhone X will also be available in the Blush Gold colour variant. Prominent leaker on Twitter teased the iPhone X with a few pictures of the production unit. He has not mentioned a timeline for the introduction of the new colour variant. But, with a few Apple events scheduled, the launch could happen very soon. The pricing of the iPhone X Blush Gold colour will be the same as the regular iPhone X available in the market right now.
The Blush Gold colour is a mix of Gold and Rose Gold. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are the only two devices available in this colour as of now. If the iPhone X is indeed launched in this colour, it looks like the upcoming 2018 iPhone lineup will be launched in Blush Gold as well.
Apple iPhone X Specs
The Apple iPhone X has a 5.8-inch 2436 x 1125 px OLED True Tone Super Retina display.
Under the hood, the smartphone has the Apple A11 Bionic chipset with a neural engine, a hexacore processor, 3GB of RAM and storage options of 64GB, and 256GB.
iPhone X
The phone runs on iOS 11. It is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery and supports wireless charging as well. The iPhone X is also IP67 certified for water and dust resistance, and wireless charging.
The iPhone X has dual 12-megapixel rear cameras, and it’s equipped with dual optical image stabilization. In between the two cameras is a quad-LED True Tone flash. Both the front and back cameras have the portrait mode.
HTC Desire 12 and the Desire 12+ are the first set of non-flagship smartphones from company to have an 18:9 aspect ratio display. These devices offer a glass back, glass front, and a metallic mid-frame. The Desire 12 has a 5.5 inch HD+ 1440 x 720px resolution display, powered by MediaTek Quad-core chipset, whereas the Desire 12+ has a slightly bigger 5.7 inch display powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 Octa-core chipset.
Xiaomi has launched two new affordable in-ear earphones in India on the 20th of March 2018. The Xiaomi Mi Earphones are priced at Rs 699 and the Mi Earphones Basic are priced at Rs 399.
These earphones are exclusively available on Mi.com and are on sale right now. The earphones are compatible with both Android and iOS devices.
Xiaomi Mi Earphones
The Mi Earphones are made using 20 steps process to create a metallic chamber with dynamic bass. Similarly, the headphones have undergone CD cutting and diamond engraving. These earphones use 3rd generation balanced damping system to enhance the sound quality. These are the lightest earphones from Xiaomi, which measures at 14 Grams.
There is an in-line microphone with a button to answer calls. Similarly, the built-in microphone has a 58dB(A) signal to noise ratio. The Kevlar fibre cable is supposed to be extremely durable and prevent tangling and discolouration. Additionally, the retail package includes three earbuds.
Xiaomi Mi Earphones
Xiaomi Mi Earphones Basic
The Xiaomi Mi Earphones Basic has the same metal chamber. However, unlike the standard version, it misses out on dynamic-bass. The ear tips have an angle to offer comfortable hearing. A user can pause, play, or answer a call using the single button with a microphone. The AUX jack has a 45-degree angular design to offer long-lasting durability.
HTC has officially launched the HTC Desire 12 and Desire 12+ in Europe. These are the first set of non-flagship smartphones from HTC to feature taller 18:9 aspect ratio display with a premium glass design. The price of the Desire 12+ ranges between 235 Euros and 249 Euros (depending on the market). Similarly, the Desire 12’s price ranges between 185 euros and 199 Euros (depending on market).
HTC Desire 12
The Desire 12 and 12+ looks similar to the HTC U11+. Subsequently, both the mid-range smartphones sport an 18:9 aspect ratio and thin bezels. Although, the top and bottom bezels are quite prominent despite the tall display.
HTC Desire 12+ Specs
The HTC Desire 12+ has a 5.99 inch HD+ 1440 x 720px IPS LCD display with 18:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood, the device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 Octa-core chipset with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. The storage is user expandable up to 400GB using a micro SD card.
The smartphone has a dual primary camera setup with a 13MP RGB sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. It is worth noting that the Honor 9 Lite has a similar design and primary camera setup. Similarly, the device has an 8MP front-facing camera. Both the camera units can record videos up to 1080p @ 30fps. Like most of the mid-tier smartphones, the HTC Desire 12+ has a rear-facing fingerprint sensor. The device runs on Android 8 Oreo with custom HTC SenseUI on the top with 2965 mAh battery, which charges via micro USB port.
HTC Desire 12+
HTC Desire 12 Specs
The HTC Desire 12 is a miniature version of the Desire 12+ with a few other changes. Unlike the ‘Plus’ variant, the Desire 12 misses out on a fingerprint sensor and dual camera setup. The device has a same HD+ 1440 x 720ppx IPS LCD display with a smaller 5.5 inch screen size. The device is powered by MediaTek 6739 Quad-core chipset with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. Similarly, the storage is user expandable up to 400GB using a micro SD card.
The smartphone has a same 13MP primary camera but misses out on the depth sensor. Even the front-facing camera has been downgraded from 8MP to 5MP.The smartphone runs on Android 8 Oreo with custom HTC SenseUI with a 2730 mAh sealed-battery.
HMD Global launched the Nokia 7 Plus at Mobile World Congress 2018. This is the first non-flagship series smartphone from the company, which has an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone comes with a dual Zeiss branded camera setup and a 16MP front-facing camera. The Nokia 7 Plus is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Octa-core chipset with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage.
Xiaomi has launched the Xiaomi Redmi 5 in India on the 16th of March. The Redmi 5 is the cheapest smartphone from the company with an 18:9 aspect ratio display. The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 Octa-core chipset with 2/3/4GB RAM and 16/32/64GB storage. The smartphone has a 12MP primary camera and a 5MP front-facing camera.
