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Xiaomi Launches Mi A1 With Dual Cameras And Stock Android In India

Xiaomi has announced the new Mi A1 at an event in New Delhi at a price of Rs 14,999. The phone will be available in Black, Gold and Rose Gold colour variants. The Mi A1 will be the first Xiaomi smartphone to feature stock Android OS in association with Google’s Android One program. The company has also confirmed that the device will receive Android 8.0 Oreo update before the end of 2017 and will be in line to receive to Android P update next year.

The smartphone has a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px LTPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass on top for protection and aluminum unibody build. Powering the device is a 3080 mAh battery and 2A charging through the Type C port. The Mi A1 runs pure Android 7.1.2 Nougat OS. Even though the phone has stock Android OS, Xiaomi has retained a few apps, such as the Mi camera app since the Google app doesn’t support dual-camera functions right now. The phone has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, 8x ARM Cortex A53 2.0GHz 64-bit processor, 4GB RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card. Handling the graphics under the hood is the Adreno 505 GPU. The pyrolytic graphite sheet will help in heat management as well, Xiaomi claims. The Xiaomi Mi A1 has an IR blaster to control appliances in your home or office. The fingerprint sensor sits at the back of the device below the camera. Xiaomi has also included a dedicated headphone amplifier for better music listening experience.

In terms of optics, the smartphone features dual sensors – 12MP with an f/2.2 aperture (26mm) and 12MP with an f/2.6 aperture (50mm) setup with 1.25-micron pixel size. Out of the two cameras at the back, the primary one is equipped with a telephoto lens and the secondary camera has a wide-angle lens. The telephoto lens allows the user to take bokeh effect shots with blurred background and a 2X optical lossless zoom. For landscape shots, Xiaomi has introduced a wide angle lens while on the front is a 5MP camera.

The Xiaomi Mi A1 is priced at Rs 14,999 for the 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage variant and will be available on Flipkart, mi.com, Mi Home stores and offline partner stores. The smartphone will go on sale from September 12 at Noon online and offline. Xiaomi has teamed up with Airtel to give up to 300GB of 4G data to new and existing Airtel customers on the purchase of the Xiaomi Mi A1.

September 5, 2017
Samsung Galaxy J7+ Launched With Dual Cameras

Samsung J7+ became the smartphone maker’s second Android device to feature a dual-camera setup when it was launched on September 3. The smartphone is available in Thailand right now and will go on sale on September 18 for a price of TBH 12,000 (Rs 24,900 approx.)

The Galaxy J7+ features a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px AMOLED display with an ‘Always On Display’ feature. As compared to the 3,600 mAh battery of the Galaxy J7 (2017), the new Galaxy J7+ is powered by a smaller 3,000 mAh battery. The smaller battery is a major downgrade and with the dimensions of the two virtually identical, it looks like the decision was taken to accommodate the dual cameras. Under the hood, the device has the MediaTek Helio P20 chipset, 4GB RAM with 32GB onboard storage which is expandable up to 256GB via a microSD card. The smartphone runs Android 7.1.1 with Samsung’s custom UI on top.

In terms of optics, the smartphone features a dual-camera setup at the back. The 13MP primary camera with an f/1.7 aperture and a secondary 5MP camera with an f/1.9 aperture work together to create bokeh effect shots with blurred out backgrounds. The second camera captures depth information to provide post-shot focusing capabilities. On the front of the device is a 16MP camera with an f/1.9 aperture and a single LED flash.

The Galaxy J7+ also features Samsung’s AI assistant, Bixby albeit, no dedicated Bixby button. Thanks to the large bezels, the physical home button sits below the display and houses a convenient fingerprint sensor.

There is no official word from Samsung about the Galaxy J7+’s availability in India, yet. The Samsung Galaxy J7+ is an upgrade to the previous gen Galaxy J7 and Galaxy J7 Pro in terms of camera performance, at least on paper, but, the smaller battery and no real slimming down of the phone maybe backward move by Samsung. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments!

September 4, 2017
Apple’s New iPhones Will Be Called iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone Edition

Apple made the launch of the new iPhone official with a press invite saying, “Let’s meet at our place.” The much awaited September 12 event will be held at the Steve Jobs Theatre in Cupertino. Apple is expected to launch the three new iPhones.

Until now, rumours hinted that Apple will go with the traditional naming strategy and name its new iPhones the iPhone 8, iPhone 7S and the iPhone 7S Plus. But as the launch approaches, a new report surfaced stating the latest iPhone line up might be called the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone Edition.

The iPhone maker typically upgrades its iPhones with an “s” model, but Apple seems to be making a lot of big moves and changes this year, with a redesigned iPhone and a new name for its smartphone lineup.

The ‘10th Anniversary Edition’ iPhone will reportedly have Qi wireless charging at a reduced rate which will be compatible with current Qi chargers and will be available in limited numbers. While the earlier reports had suggested that it might not be compatible with existing Qi charging mats despite being based on Qi tech.

You may also like: Everything We Know About The iPhone 8

It is also speculated that the flagship iPhone Edition will feature a stainless steel chassis with rear glass casing and a near bezel-free display with a top notch housing the front facing camera and facial recognition sensors. The smartphone is also reported to replace the Touch ID with facial recognition and feature AR capabilities.

Apple is also expected to launch a new Apple TV, an LTE enabled Apple Watch and new features of the iOS 11.

September 2, 2017
Samsung’s Gear Sport, Gear Fit 2 Pro And Icon X 2018 Unveiled At IFA 2017
Samsung announced the Gear Sport smartwatch, the Gear Fit 2 Pro fitness band and the Icon X 2018 wireless earbuds at the IFA 2017 in Berlin. All three wearables emphasize upon fitness features like the ability to swim in salt water with the Gear Sport and Fit 2 Pro. Though the Icon X 2018 earbuds launched with the ability to interact with Bixby, Samsung skipped the voice assistant’s support in the smartwatch and the fitness band .

Samsung Gear Sport

The new Samsung Gear Sport pushes further into fitness by adding few new features like 5 ATM water resistance for swimming, capacity to store 500 Spotify songs along with the already present heart rate tracker, GPS, and a rotating control bezel. Though the pricing details are still unavailable, the Samsung Gear Sport is expected to cost between $200 and $300.

Following are the specifications of the smartwatch –
- 1.2-inch circular AMOLED
- Tizen OS
- 20mm watch straps
- 4GB storage
- Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi, NFC
- GPS/GLONASS/Beidou
- 300 mAh battery
- 5 ATM water resistance, MIL-STD-810G dust, and shock resistance
- Works with Android 4.4, iOS 9.0 or later
Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro

The Gear Fit 2 pro, unlike its earlier variant, comes with a 5 ATM swim-ready water resistance. The fitness band appears to be competing with Garmin and Fitbit with features like onboard GPS, offline music storage for Spotify and improved heart rate and fitness tracking.

The tracker is priced at $200 in the US. As far as features are concerned, here’s a list of few of them –
- 1.5-inch curved Super AMOLED touch display with Gorilla Glass 3
- Tizen OS
- 4GB of onboard storage
- Support for Spotify music downloads
- 50 meter (5 ATM) water resistance, MIL STD 810G dust resistance
- Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi
- GPS/GLONASS/Beidou
- Heart rate tracking
- Barometer
- 200mAh battery
- Works with Android 4.4 or iOS 9.0 and later
Samsung Icon X 2018

Samsung unveiled an updated version of the Icon X headphones at the IFA 2017. The Icon X 2018, much like the original wireless headphones include heart rate monitoring along with the increased battery life. Instead of a 90 min battery life( in the Icon X), The new Icon X 2018 now has 5 hours of battery life when streaming audio from a phone. In addition, Samsung has made a chargeable battery case with the included USB-C cable. Other features include tapping the headphone which activates the Running Coach feature – provides aural feedback on your progress.

The new Icon X headphones also support Samsung’s voice assistant which can be accessed by tapping and holding the earbud to access voice control on your paired Galaxy phone. The Icon X 2018 headphones are designed to work only with Samsung phones running Android 4.4 and above. The headphones have internal storage of 4GB per bud. As for specifications,
- Colours available – Black, Gray, Pink
- 4GB of Onboard Storage (per earbud)
- Bluetooth v 4.2 connectivity
- Accelerometer, IR, Capacitive Touch
- OS compatibility Android 4.4 or later
- Battery – Earbud: 82mAh / Charging Case: 340mAh
Samsung usually hosts two separate events at IFA every year, one for its electronics and one for mobile. This year, the company decided to host one event combining the announcement for both smartphones and electronics. Samsung also hosted another major event in New York, where it revealed the Galaxy Note 8.
September 2, 2017
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Pre-Registrations Begin In India

The launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note8 in India isn’t too far as pre-registrations begin for the device on Samsung’s official website. The Samsung Galaxy Note8 will be priced at Rs 74,999 in India.

The Samsung Galaxy Note8 was globally unveiled in New York on August 23 and it seems like the phone will be in India in the coming day, less than a month after its global announcement. The Samsung Galaxy Note8 succeeds last year’s Galaxy Note7 which was globally recalled due to a battery fault. The Galaxy Note8 hence packs a smaller battery as Samsung chose a safer route this time around. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be available in only two colours in India – Midnight Black and Maple Gold.

The Samsung Galaxy Note8 has a 6.3 inch 2960 x 1440 px Super AMOLED display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio, similar to the Galaxy S8 and S8+. The phone runs Android 7.1.1 with Samsung’s custom UI on top and is powered by 3,300 mAh with QuckCharge 3.0 capabilities. Under the hood, the Galaxy Note8 has the Exynos 8895, 2.3GHz Quad-Core (Custom CPU)+1.7GHz Quad-Core (Cortex-A53) processor, Mali-G71 MP20, 6GB RAM and 64GB/128GB/256GB storage options for the Indian market. The onboard storage can be expanded up to 256GB via microSD card. In a disappointing move, Samsung retained the awkward placement of the fingerprint sensor right next to the dual cameras at the back.

Talking about cameras, the Galaxy Note 8 is the first phone from Samsung to feature dual-cameras with a 12MP dual-camera setup, the primary camera has a wide-angle 12MP lens with an f/1.7 aperture and the secondary camera has a 12MP telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture. The telephoto lens enables a 2X lossless optical zoom and has features such as the Bokeh effect, much like the iPhone 7 Plus. The dual-cameras are capable of capturing 4K videos at 30 FPS On the front is an 8MP camera with an f/1.7 aperture and captures 4K videos at 30 FPS.

What makes the Note series stand out from the flagship crowd is the S-Pen. The new Galaxy Note 8 comes with a new S Pen with improved functionalities. The Galaxy Note8 and the S Pen are both also IP68 certified water and dust resistant. The S-Pen comes with a host of new features such as Smart Select, which allows you to easily select, clip and copy the content that you like. You can also send .gif messages via the S Pen. The S Pen will be available in Midnight Black and Maple Gold colours.

September 2, 2017
Reliance JioPhone Pre-Bookings Hit 6 Million

The JioPhone with 4G-enabled features was introduced on 21 July 2017 at Reliance Industries 40th AGM. The JioPhone was launched at an “effective price” of Rs 0 and was made available for pre-booking from August 24, but due to huge demand, pre-booking process for JioPhone has been halted for few days.

Meanwhile, Jio has confirmed that millions have booked the JioPhone. Even though, no specific number has been stated yet, few reports claim that Reliance Jio received about six million pre-bookings for its 4G feature phone in a short window of just over a day.

The pre-order window which opened on August 24 evening had to be closed early on August 26 due to increasing customer demand and traffic on Jio’s official website. Apart from the one’s who were able to book their JioPhones online, reports confirm that about 10 million users have registered with retail outlets for offline bookings.

Reliance Industries Chairman, Mukesh Ambani, had announced during the annual general meeting that the company plans on selling five million JioPhones every week. And in another report, a source mentioned that the company has the capacity to deliver about 150 million phones in the next six months at five million devices a week.

As the demand for the Jio feature phone exceeded the initial target of five million phones per week, the telecom company decided to suspend the booking window from Saturday till further notice.

“Earlier JioPhone was supposed to reach our store around the first week of September. But now there will be some delay and JioPhone will arrive a little late,” says a Reliance Digital store retailer.

The JioPhone, as Mukesh Ambani announced, will be effectively for free with one time refundable deposit of Rs 1500 on return of the handset. To rival with the “India ka smart phone”, other telecom companies like, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone are also reported to be in talks with phone makers to introduce their own 4G smartphones in the Indian market.

September 2, 2017
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Leaks With Snapdragon 836 And Android 8.0 Oreo

Xiaomi has already announced that the Mi Mix 2 will be officially launched on September 11. However, two new images have leaked, and they reveal a few key specifications of the upcoming smartphone.

The images are of the ‘About Phone’ section of the settings menu of the supposed Mi Mix 2. The images reveal that the Mi Mix 2 will have the yet-to-be announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 836 chipset under the hood. The chipset has featured in quite a few rumours lately. The images also show that the Mi Mix 2 will run Android 8.0 Oreo with Xiaomi’s custom skin MIUI 9 on top of it. The smartphone will have 256GB onboard storage and a 6.2 inch 2960 x 1440 px display.

If the Mi Mix 2 does launch with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 836 chipset, it will beat the Google Pixel 2 lineup to be the first smartphone to be powered by this chip. In terms of the optics, the screenshot lists a 20MP rear-facing camera which can be assumed as the primary camera as the Mi Mix 2 is dubbed to feature a dual-camera setup at the back. Other rumours about the phone suggest a 3,400 mAh battery and 6GB of RAM.

As always, these leaks are to be taken with a pinch of scepticism as the MIUI 9 based on Android 8.0 Oreo is not out yet. Also, Qualcomm has not announced the Snapdragon 836 chipset and with the launch less than 10 days away, it seems highly unlikely that Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 will have the chipset.

It’s worth noting that Xiaomi will launch the Mi Mix 2 a day prior to the launch of Apple iPhone 8 and feels confident that it won’t be overshadowed by the mighty iPhone.

Mi MIX 2 ? ? ? #excited pic.twitter.com/W68XIqk6Gx

— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) August 30, 2017

September 2, 2017
Samsung Gets Self-Driving Car Testing Permit From California

Samsung is the latest company to join the self-driving car race. The firm received an approval from the US government to test autonomous vehicles on state roads in California, according to the listings on the Department of Motor Vehicle’s (DMV) website. Companies like Apple, Bosch, Delphi, NVIDIA, Waymo, as well as automakers like BMW, General Motors, and Volkswagen were also amongst the ones who were granted testing permits for Autonomous Vehicle from the California DMV.

Samsung has already been granted approval to test self-driving technology vehicles in its home country of South Korea. Surprisingly, the South Korean firm used Hyundai vehicles for its testing, even though Samsung owns about 20 percent of Renault Samsung Motors.

Regardless, the company has already revealed modified Hyundai cars, equipped with test hardware built by Samsung which includes sensors and AI-powered computer modules.

Back in 2015, Samsung announced that the company’s new division would focus on self-driving software technology, rather than manufacturing the entire vehicle. Similar reports have emerged about Apple shifting its focus from autonomous cars to autonomous systems.

Samsung’s latest move of testing autonomous systems seem like an effort to keep up with its tech rivals in the automotive space. For now, the firm maintains a San Jose office, from where it could carry out California-based tests.

September 1, 2017
Top Tech And Accessories Under Rs 2000

From headphones to memo writers, our top tech under Rs 2000 list has everything! Here are the top 10 tech and accessories under Rs 2000 for your next shopping spree.

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Amkette GamePad Pro 2

This gamepad is ideal if you’re an ardent smartphone gamer, or just like a controller over touch controls on your smartphone. The rubberised grip makes it comfortable to handle for long gaming sessions and the Bluetooth connectivity gives you an option to place your phone a little further is you like.

Portronics Ruffpad

This nifty little gadget is ideal for you if you are someone who forgets what they need to buy for the house. It has a magnetic back so you can stick this memo taker on your fridge and keep an updated shopping list right in front of you. The Ruffpad has an easy delete button and a battery that’ll last you up to one year.

Reos Lite Smart Bulb

Smart bulbs are fast becoming an essential tech to have at your home or office. This Reos Lite smart bulb costs Rs 1499 and connects via Bluetooth to your smartphone or tablet. One of the features of the Reos Lite bulb is that it can be synced with your music player and the colour of the bulb changes colour according to the current song.

AmazonBasics Waterproof Speaker

The AmazonBasics waterproof speaker produces great sound for its price and if you are into outdoor music sessions, this speaker is waterproof as well. The speaker also has rubberised exterior for impact resistance and has a battery life of up to 12 hours of music playback.

Fitmate Z1 Fitness Tracker

This fitness tracker has a touchscreen and even monitors your sleep. Its fitness feature includes steps, a pedometer, distance, calories record, sleep monitor and move alert. You can even set an alarm on Fitmate Z1 fitness tracker and it has a battery life of up to 7 days.

Xiaomi Smart Power Strip

This is a power strip you would need at your home. It’s the new-age power strip that does more than just charging your appliances. It connects to an app which enables you to timely switch it off to avoid over-charging and electricity consumption. It also lets you measure the electricity it has consumed.

Click here to buy

Audio Technica ATH-AX1iSWH

The Audio Technica over ear headphones cost about Rs 1700 and offer a great price-to-performance ratio. It is available in 5 different colours on Amazon India. The headphones have a 36mm driver to produce the sound and the cushioned ear pads are comfortable for long hours of music listening sessions.

Mi In Ear Pro Headphones

If you are on the look out for a pair of in-ear type earphones, then the Mi Pro earphones fit the bill for you. The earphones are made out of a high-quality metal alloy and come with a 1.25-meter cable. The earphones have a total sensitivity of 98 decibels and a speaker impedance of 32 ohms.

Click here to Buy

Zakk iDisk Memory Cable

The Zakk iDisk is a great little memory device for your iPhone which also doubles up as charging cable. It has a 32GB memory and you can store all kinds of media in it if your iPhone doesn’t have enough onboard storage left. The companion app allows you to directly take pictures from the app and store in the memory cable.

Xiaomi Wireless Mouse

This little mouse is your perfect travel companion. If you hate using your laptop’s trackpad and carrying a chunky wired mouse is even more annoying, then Xiaomi Portable Mouse is tailor-made for you. It requires 2 AAA batteries to run and compatibility won’t be an issue.

Click here to buy

September 1, 2017
Blackberry To Launch Waterproof Phone Without A Physical Keyboard

Blackberry launched its KEYone in February 2017 with its signature Qwerty keypad, which was rather well received in the market, as compared to company’s other devices. But it seems like Blackberry might be redesiging its upcoming smartphone in hopes of broadening its appeal to more than just keyboard devotees.

TCL, the current manufacturer for the BlackBerry brand, is reported to launch a full touchscreen device under the BlackBerry name at some time in October. While the details of the yet to be announced smartphone are scarce, it has been speculated that as the smartphone will be sans physical keyboard, the devices’ touchscreen will be similar to the the TCL’s previously launched smartphones, DTek50 & DTek60.

Upholding Blackberry’s reputation of building sturdy devices, TCL’s François Mahieu hinted that the main feature, apart from the full-touchscreen, will allegedly be IP67 water and dust-proofing. The smartphone’s battery is expected to last for more than 26 hours of usage.

Mahieu believes that durability and longevity will be the major USPs of the device. The company hopes to build a long-lasting phone which will allegedly outlive the Apple iPhone. The smartphone will probably run the latest Android and in terms of making the device stand out from the crowd, Mahieu seems quite confident that BlackBerry’s history of creating secure devices will enable TCL to deliver the “most secure Android phone in the world.” He further claims that a number of iPhone and Galaxy users will “make the switch” to BlackBerry this October.

After a rather bold statement, Mahieu explained, “We are there to play,” and “we’re just playing with different cards,” which includes strengths of battery life, security and durability.

According to statements made by Mahieu, the Chief Commercial Officer, TCL seems to be banking on water and dust-resistance to catch consumers attention. As for the pricing, the fully touch screen smartphone is expected to cost less than Blackberry’s flagships.

The smartphone is expected to see the light of the day in October, but it might be a while before the phone is available in Indian market, just like the Blackberry KEYone which was available in India in August, despite its initial February release.

September 1, 2017
Sony Launches The Smart Speaker LF-S50G To Rival Amazon Echo, Google Home

Sony has launched its first smart speaker, the LF-S50G powered by Google Assistant at a price of USD 199 (Rs 12,700 approx.). The smart speaker will enter the market dominated by the likes of Amazon Echo and Google Home.

The inclusion of the Google Assistant means that it will work almost identical to the Google Home and has plenty of power to fill “the average room” with sound, Sony claims. The smart speaker looks very similar to the Apple HomePod with a white speaker mesh wrapped around a metal frame. It is, however, a little taller and slimmer than the Apple HomePod, and there’s a slender silver base which houses the power port and two buttons. It has two microphones, which is same as Google Home, however, Apple’s HomePod has six and the Amazon’s Echo has seven for improved audio recognition. Both microphones on the Sony LF-S50G are positioned on the top of the speaker, with a rubberized cap to ensure splash resistance.

Since the speaker is powered by Google Assistant, it’ll work for timers, Google searches, your calendar, controlling your smart home, and more. The top of the smart speaker also supports gesture controls. A rotation of a finger clockwise over the top of the speaker will increase volume, and movement in the opposite direction reduces it. You can also skip back and forth between songs by moving your palm over the top of the speaker, left to right to skip forward, and the other way to skip back a track. The smart speaker is equipped with a 360-degree speaker setup, a downward woofer, and an upward tweeter, delivering sound in all directions.

The smart speaker from Sony boasts something that the Amazon Echo and Google Home miss out, a small matrix-dot display. It can provide you with useful info such as the time and the volume level and, seamlessly disappears in the speaker mesh if you do not want it.

Sony says the LF-S50G release date is set for mid-October with a retail price of $199 (Rs 12,700) and will be available in Blue, White, and Black colour variants, but, there is no word about the speaker entering the Indian market, yet.

September 1, 2017
Sony Xperia XA1 Plus Launched With Helio P20 Chipset And 23 MP Rear Camera

Sony has launched the Xperia XA1 Plus at IFA 2017. The company pitched the third smartphone in the Xperia XA1 series as a ‘super mid-tier smartphone’ with a 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 px display, 23MP rear camera, and a 3,430mAh battery.

In terms of design, the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus inherits the traditional all metal, thick bezel design as seen in its earlier variants. The smartphone’s power button on the right-hand side also doubles as a finger print scanner. The XA1 Plus features a 5.5-inch 1920×1080 px display, whereas the earlier models, the Xperia XA1 and the XA1 Ultra featured a 5-inch display and a 6-inch display, respectively.

The Sony Xperia XA1 Plus has the same MediaTek Helio P20 chipset with Mali T-880 GPU used in the XA1 and the XA1 Ultra. The smartphone is available in two variants, a 4 GB RAM variant and a 3 GB RAM variant which will only be available in the US and South America. The XA1 Plus has 32 GB of onboard storage which is expandable up to 256 GB via a microSD card. The smartphone runs Android 7.1 Nougat, unlike the newly launched Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 compact, which run the latest Android 8.0 Oreo. The Xperia XA1 Plus is powered by a 3,430 mAh battery and comes with Qnovo adaptive charging and Pump Express+ 2.0 quick charging support.

On the camera front, the XA1 Plus features Sony’s 23MP camera with an f/2.4 aperture, same as the one found on its XA1 siblings. On the front, the smartphone has an 8 MP camera.

The Sony Xperia XA1 Plus is available in three colour variants, black, blue and gold. Unlike a lot of smartphones from Sony itself, the Xperia XA1 Plus misses out on water resistance.

Sony is yet to announce the price for the mid-range Xperia XA1 Plus, which is due to go on sale globally in late September.

September 1, 2017
Sennheiser Debuts 3 New Earphones Including 10-Hour Wireless Option

Sennheiser has launched three new earphone models at the IFA 2017 in Berlin yesterday.

The trio of new earphones include Sennheiser’s wireless CX 7.00BT, a wired IE 80 S and another wireless model, the HD1 Free.

HD1 Free

The one that top’s the list is the new addition to Sennheiser’s HD1 Wireless earphones, the HD1 Free. On the design front, the new HD1 Free are significantly slimmer as compared to Sennheiser’s first HD1 In-Ear Wireless. Apart from the slimmer design, the HD1 Free will feature custom machined steel in-ear sound tunnels, magnetic earpieces, a three button remote and microphone for calling and playing music. The wireless earphones can last 6 hours on a single charge, support Bluetooth 4.2, AptX, and AAC and come with a leather carrying case. Pricing details are yet to be announced but the Sennheiser’s HD1 Free will be available for purchase from October.

CX 7.00BT

Featuring a minimal neckband-style design, the CX 7.00BT last 10 hours on a 1.5 hour charge. These in-ear earphones support NFC for one-touch pairing and can be used as both wired or wireless earphones. The CX 7.00BT I includes four sizes of ear adapters and unlike the HD1 Free, the CX 7.00BT support Bluetooth 4.1. The earphone’s multi-connection capability allows simultaneous pairing with up to 2 devices and has 3-way calling support. The CX 7.00BT in-ear wireless earphones are available at Amazon at a price of Rs. 11,990.

IE 80 S

An update to the previous IE 80 variant, the newly launched IE 80 offers enhanced fit and customization. The latest model of the IE 80 comes with a “unique” equalizer function, interchangeable cables and ear tip options. An additional smart remote cable with one-button control and an inline microphone for making calls or controlling music is also available. The IE 80 S comes with a carry case for storing the earphones and accessories and will go on sale from September.

September 1, 2017
Sony launches Wireless WF-1000X Earphones At IFA 2017

Sony has launched a pair of wireless earbuds at the IFA 2017 in Berlin along with the Xperia XZ1, XZ1 Compact and the Google Assistant powered smart speakers.

The Sony WF-1000X has a 3-hour battery back up and cost USD 199 (Rs 12,700 approx.). The earbuds weigh at 7 grams without the charging case and about 70 grams with the case. The earbuds connect to an audio source via Bluetooth 4.1. The Sony earbuds also feature NFC and a Noise Canceling switch button. The charging case takes 3 hours to charge with the earbuds in it. The earbuds automatically turn off when not in use, to prevent battery drain and feature Adaptive Sound which automatically detects your activity such as traveling, walking, and waiting, then adjusts ambient sound settings to you.

The smart sound feature allows you to switch between different modes to let ambient noise in order to keep listening to your music and also not miss out on important conversations or announcement. You can customise these modes via the Sony Headphones Connect app.

The Sony wireless earbuds are priced closer to the Apple AirPods at USD 199 than the B&O Beoplay E8 and even offer features such NFC and Noise Cancellation. As far as its availability in India goes, there is no official word on it and the price in India is also expected to be different than the global markets.

September 1, 2017
Sony Xperia XZ1 And XZ1 Compact Officially Launched With Android Oreo

Sony has officially unveiled its high-end flagship, the Sony Xperia XZ1, and its smaller sibling, the XZ1 Compact at the IFA 2017 in Berlin. A successor to the Xperia XZ Premium, both the Xperia XZ1 and the compact variant with a full metal frame, hasn’t strayed too far away in terms of design.

Both the Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact will run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box and will be amongst the first devices to launch with the latest Android OS.

The newly launched smartphones are equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, similar to the one found in XZ1 Premium. Both the XZ1 and XZ1 Compact have 4GB RAM with 64GB and 32G onboard storage respectively. Both the phones are powered by a 2,700mAh battery.

The Xperia XZ1 has a 5.2-inch, 1920 x 1080 px HDR display(while the XZ1 Premium featured a 4K display), while the smaller variant, XZ1 Compact has a 4.6-inch 1280 x720 px display. Both the smartphones feature Gorilla Glass 5 for durability and are rated IP68 for water resistance. The devices sport a boxy all-metal design which helps with antenna performance, claims Sony.

Sony has used its “Motion Eye” camera system in both the devices. According to Sony, “Motion Eye” system uses a 1GB memory-stacked camera which has five times faster image processing that other smartphones. Ditching the trend of the dual camera setup, Sony went with a single camera at the back with a 19MP 1/2.3″ Sony IMX400 camera lens with an f/2.0 aperture. It includes features like Predictive Capture which will click the picture seconds before you actually hit the shutter button. Sony has used SteadyShot electronic stabilization for video instead of optical image stabilization for images.

The primary camera can also record super slow motion 720p video at 960fps in addition to recording 4K videos at 30fps. On the front, the XZ1 has a 13MP camera, while the XZ1 Compact has a wide angle 8MP camera.

An additional camera feature in the Xperia XZ1 is the 3D scanning mode, which allows the camera to scan an object and save the image as a 3D image.

Sony will be launching Xperia XZ1 and the XZ1 Compact with Android 8.0 Oreo, making them the first phones aside from the upcoming Google Pixel 2 devices and Nexus lines running the OS. The smartphones will be available in Black, Snow Silver, Horizon Blue, and Twilight Pink. The Sony XZ1 will be available for purchase from 19th September at a price of US $699.99 via Amazon or Best Buy, while the XZ1 Compact will be available for sale from 4th October at a price of US $599.99.

September 1, 2017