iGyaan Network

Category: Brands and Companies

All Brands and Company Names

  • Samsung Launches The Galaxy Note8 With Dual Cameras And IP68

    Samsung Launches The Galaxy Note8 With Dual Cameras And IP68

    In an event in New York, Samsung has just launched its new iteration of the Note series, the Samsung Galaxy Note8 at a price of GBP 869 (Rs 71,100 approx). After the Samsung Galaxy Note7 was recalled globally due to a fault in the battery, causing it to catch fire, the South Korean electronics giant made a comeback of sorts with the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

    The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has been launched in four colours – the Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Deep Sea Blue and Maple Gold.

    Just like the Galaxy S8 and S8+, the new Galaxy Note 8 features a glass front and back and the AMOLED display has curved corners and a long aspect ratio. The new 2017 Samsung Galaxy Note has a 6.3 inch 2960 x 1440 px 18.5:9 aspect ratio Super AMOLED display with an 83.1% screen-to-body ratio and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back of the device.

    The Galaxy Note 8 runs Android 7.1.2 Nougat and Samsung has promised an update to 8.0 Oreo in the near future. The phone is powered by a non-removable 3,300 mAh battery with QuickCharge 2.0 through the USB Type C port and because of the glass at the back, the phone also supports wireless charging as well. Just like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, the fingerprint sensor sits at the back of the device right next to the dual-cameras. The iris scanner and face unlock features also return to the Galaxy Note 8 for further security.

    As is with all Samsung flagship devices, the Galaxy Note8 will ship with two different chipsets, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, 2.45 GHz octa-core processor with Adreno 540 GPU for USA and China, and the Exynos 8895, 2.3GHz Quad-Core (Custom CPU) + 1.7GHz Quad-Core (Cortex-A53) with Mali-G71 MP20 for the remaining markets. The device will have 6GB RAM and onboard storage options of 64GB/128GB/256GB which will be expandable via microSD card up to 256GB.

    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 Note 8 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. Another interesting feature is the Screen Off Memo, wherein you can quickly jot down important notes and details without going through the hassle of unlocking the device and opening the Notes app. The S Pen will be available in Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Deep Sea Blue and Maple Gold colours.

    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.

    Samsung has also launched a host of Galaxy Note 8 compatible accessories today. The Samsung signature flip cover, a wireless charging pad in two colours, a back cover with a felt touch finish in 4 colours and a half-and-half gripper like the one launched for the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

    The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be available starting in mid-September, in major markets including US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and in India.

     

     

  • Apple iPhone X’s 3D Sensing Camera Module Leaked

    Apple iPhone X’s 3D Sensing Camera Module Leaked

    As the iPhone 8 reportedly enters production phase, new leaks from its assembly have surfaced online. A few days back, an image leak showcasing the alleged iPhone 8’s OLED display assembly, lightning and power flex cables emerged.

    The latest component on display appears to be the iPhone 8’s 3D sensing camera module which is expected to replace Apple’s iconic TouchID. The leaked 3D camera module will most likely be used to recognise users’ face and the feature will be called “Face ID”. Another anticipated feature is the iris scanner. Multiple listings have stated that the the new iPhone is expected to have iris scanner as an added security feature.

     

    But Apple isn’t amongst the first to use this technology. Smartphone makers like Samsung and LG have already integrated facial recognition and iris scanner in their flagship devices. However, Apple’s “Face ID” for unlocking the iPhone is expected to be much faster and ‘practically instantaneous’ as compared to the rival systems.  Assuming that Apple is dropping the Touch ID, reports claim that “Face ID”  will be just as fast, if not faster, than the fingerprint sensing technology.

    Another challenge faced by Apple while embedding the facial recognition tech could be constantly environmental conditions. As the facial detection technology will have to cope with constant changes in the environment around the face. It is yet to see if ‘practically instantaneous’ system will be capable of handling the scanning, recognition and the storage of a user’s facial biometric information.

    It will be interesting to see how Apple will pull off a seamless and instant facial recognition system which is secure and reliable for the upcoming iPhone 8. Apple’s redesigned flagship is expected to launch in September.

  • Moto G5S Plus Confirmed For Launch In India On August 29

    Moto G5S Plus Confirmed For Launch In India On August 29

    Motorola India has been teasing the launch of the Moto G5S Plus for the past few days and the company recently tweeted the Moto G5 Plus’ successor will launch in India on 29 August.

    Although the the Moto G5S Plus listing has gone live on Amazon India confirming it to be an Amazon exclusive, no information about the launch of Moto G5S in India has been revealed yet.

    The Moto G5S Plus will be available in Lunar Grey and Fine Gold colour variants featuring a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for protection. The smartphone comes with a unibody metal design and sports a 2.5D curved glass panel on the front. Similar to it’s younger sibling – the Moto G5 Plus, the G5S Plus will be powered by a 3,000 mAh battery with turbo charging capabilities. The power adapter can supposedly provide 6 hours of usage time with 15 minutes of charging.  The device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, a 2.0 GHz octa-core CPU coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card up to 128GB.

    The Moto G5S Plus’ widely speculated feature, the rear mounted 13MP dual-camera with an f/2.0 aperture and dual tone LED flash, comes with video stabilization and 4K video recording at 30 FPS. The dual camera has features like Bokeh, selective focus shots and exposure management. On the front is an 8MP camera with a wide-angle lens and LED flash along with a new panoramic mode.

    The physical home button on the front also doubles up as a fingerprint sensor, much like the previous Moto phones. Additional features such as Night Display and Quick Reply have also been added as part of a more meaningful software experience for the customers, the company claims.

    The Moto G5S Plus price hasn’t been confirmed yet but speculations predict that the smartphone will be priced around Rs 17,999.

  • Apple Working On A Self-Driving Employee Shuttle

    Apple Working On A Self-Driving Employee Shuttle

    The latest reports suggest that Apple may be working on a self-driving shuttle for its employees. The new self-driving shuttle project is codenamed “PAIL,” short for Palo Alto to Infinite Loop. The shuttle will reportedly run from Apple’s current campus to its new one. Surprisingly, Apple will supposedly use another automaker’s commercial vehicle for the project, rather than building the vehicle itself. The company will then use the vehicle to test the autonomous driving technology it develops.

    Apple was earlier reported to be working on a self-driving car initiative, nicknamed – Project Titan. The iPhone maker started the Project Titan in 2014 and hoped to shake up the auto industry like it did with the mobile business. In 2015, Apple’s COO Jeff Williams said: “The car is the ultimate mobile device, isn’t it?”. However, the company gave up on the self-driving automobiles pretty soon, indicating that Apple might have underestimated the complexity of the task. But it seems like Titan wasn’t the last of Apple’s efforts to venture into the auto industry.

    Timothy D. Cook, CEO of Apple Inc. in an interview, mentioned that Apple is “focusing on autonomous systems.” Many tech companies like Apple have made similar efforts to build a self-driving car. Waymo, a division of Alphabet, is also focusing on building software for cars made by traditional manufacturers.

    Given the company was granted a permit for testing self-driving cars, but gave up on the dream too soon, we hope, (Apple employees certainly do) that PAIL turns out to be more than just a concept. It has been said that under Bobby Mansfield’s (a hardware engineer at Apple) guidance, the team is more focused and the morale has improved. But it seems that the smartphone maker would need more than just improved morale and focus, as Apple is hardly the only company working on self-driving technology.

  • Micromax Launches Canvas Infinity With A Bezel-Less Display For Rs 9,999

    Micromax Launches Canvas Infinity With A Bezel-Less Display For Rs 9,999

    Micromax in an event on 22 August has launched the Canvas Infinity with a bezel-less display for Rs 9,999.

    The Canvas Infinity features an all-metal design with plastic top and bottom ends and a brushed metal finish to accommodate the antennas. The device sports a 5.7-inch 1440 x 720 px IPS LCD display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a 2.5 curved glass on top. Interestingly, LG recently launched the Q6, which also sports an 18:9 display and is priced at Rs 14,990. The Canvas Infinity is powered by a 2,900 mAh battery and runs Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box, the company has promised an update to newly launched Android 8.0 Oreo in the coming months. The smartphone has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset with a quad-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz, Adreno 308 GPU, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. The internal storage is expandable up to 128GB via microSD card.  The fingerprint sensor is placed at the back below the camera.

    In terms of optics, the smartphone sports a 13MP rear-facing camera with an f/2.0 aperture, Super Pixel Mode, and an LED flash. The Super Pixel mode allows you to take multiple pictures and stitch them together for finer details in the final image. On the front is a superior 16MP camera with real time bokeh effect and Auto Scene Detection. This feature smartly detects the lighting conditions and changes camera settings before you click a picture. Micromax has taken advantage of the tall display and added “preview on the go” feature which allows you to preview pictures that you click without leaving the camera app, much like what LG does with the camera app.

    Micromax has clearly tipped this phone to ride on its “bezel-less” display and a competitive price. The Micromax Canvas Infinity will be available on Amazon India exclusively for Rs 9,999 with registrations starting today and sales beginning from September 1. The company has also announced that the smartphone will retail offline later on.

  • Mini Google Home To Take On Echo Dot

    Mini Google Home To Take On Echo Dot

    Google is reportedly planning to compete with the Amazon’s smart speaker, Echo Dot by releasing a miniature version of its own Home smart speaker. The unveiling of the miniaturised Google Home is expected to be at a hardware event planned for the upcoming Pixel sequel.

    Planning to rival the Amazon’s Echo Dot, the Google Assistant powered smart speaker will allow you to access voice command interfaces for audio systems, connecting multiple Home units, playing music etc.

    It is still unclear as to what all features Google’s smaller Home Speaker will come with but we are hoping that the voice-activated Assistant hub will host the similar features like its sibling. Some of which are expected to be hands free calling, accessing smart home devices, personalised experience by disguised voice feature, getting real-time answers related to traffic, weather reports etc.

    No specific details about the mini Home speaker’s pricing, dimensions and feature set have been spilled yet. But given the massive popularity of Amazon’s Echo Dot which is priced at $50, a smaller, cheaper version of Google Home makes much more sense, as the original Google Home costs $129.

    You may also like : Amazon Echo Dot, Prime Music Might Be Arriving In India This Diwali

    It has also been reported that Google will also launch the new Pixel-branded Chromebook at the Pixel event. This will be the first Chromebook after the launch of the original Chromebook Pixel in 2015. At present, no information about the specifications for this laptop has surfaced. It has been widely reported that the new Pixel Chromebook is a byproduct of Google’s Project Bison, but, it appears not to be the case . Google may be planning to target the higher-end notebook market once again. It is safe to say that the new Pixel-branded Chromebook is intended to be a serious contender to Apple’s MacBook lineup and Microsoft’s Surface Pro.

  • Android 8.0 Oreo Launched – What’s New?

    Android 8.0 Oreo Launched – What’s New?

    Google officially launched the next generation of its Android OS, 8.0 Oreo during the first Solar Eclipse in the USA since 1917. Developers have had access to a preview version of Google’s latest mobile operating system since mid-March, with updated versions releasing in May, June, and July. Rumours of the new version being named Oatmeal Cookie were put to rest when Google launched Android 8.0 Oreo through a live stream.

    So, what has changed from Android 7.0 Nougat to 8.0 Oreo? Let’s take a look

    User Interface

    Users can now organise notifications into custom channels and modify the alerts for the entire channel. This can be specifying the sounds if the notification triggers a vibration, and if the notification is allowed to override the do not disturb setting. An autofill framework in the operating system makes the repeated filling of forms easy for the user. This can range from sign up information to a new service, or credit card information to make a payment. The feature will prevent frustration and repetitiveness by allowing users to quickly fill in a form. Users will have to opt-in for the Autofill framework, after which new and existing applications can make use of the feature.

     

    Picture-In-Picture Mode and New Notifications

    A new picture-in-picture feature allows users to continue operating the device without interruptions for things like watching a video. Another interesting change in the UI this time around is Adaptive Icons. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) can specify a look and feel for the UI by choosing between various icon shapes. Different shapes can be used on some models. The feat is achieved by applying masks over a base layer. The supported shapes are Circle, Squircle, Rounded Square and Square. Adaptive icons can be created using Android Studio.

    Behind The Screen

    Each application is now allocated a cache budget. When the system is low on resources, the applications that exceed the cache budget the most will be the first to have their cached files deleted. Content refreshing is now a more streamline experienced. Also, there is now an easier way for applications to check if they are displaying the latest content on the screen. Developers can also set custom triggers to update the content when it is stale or outdated, even without a specific request from the user. There are also background execution limits, which ensures that applications running in the background don’t use up a lot of system resources.

    Media playback should be significantly improved for users, as now there is fine-grained control to scrub to a particular frame in a video. Applications can also now mix multiple audio and video tracks at once, for streaming purposes. This can be useful in gameplay videos where users can capture the screen, themselves through the front-facing camera, the audio from a game, and any commentary from the user.

    A smart sharing feature allows the operating system to guess the context of a photo, and pick the best application to hand the image over to. For example, if you click a selfie, social networking applications are pulled up but, if you click a photo of a receipt, expense tracking applications will open up. The more you use your phone, the more your smartphone will learn about your behaviour and act accordingly. A smart copy feature enables similar functionality but for text, where the smartphone recognises if the text copied is an address, a phone number or name of an entity, and suggest opening a relevant app. For example, if you copy a phone number, a floating bar will suggest opening up the Dialer app or the Contacts app.

    Connectivity

    Android 8.0 Oreo has support for Wi-Fi Aware, an energy-efficient way by which supported hardware can discover and chat with each other without a Wi-Fi hotspot or an internet connection. There is also a support for the new Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) 5.0 standard.

    It is expected that the first smartphone to run Android 8.0 Oreo will be the new Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 while the Pixel and Pixel XL will get an update soon after the launch.

    Expected devices to receive Android 8.0 Oreo update

    Nexus 

    Nexus 5X

    Nexus 6P

    Samsung

    Samsung will push out the Android 8.0 update when it launches the Samsung Galaxy S9 next year. Devices expected to receive the update are-

    Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, Galaxy Note 8.

    HTC

    HTC has already announced that the U11 will get Android 8.0 Oreo update in December.

    HTC 10, HTC U Ultra, HTC U11.

    OnePlus

    OnePlus 3, OnePlus 3T, OnePlus 5.

    Motorola

    Moto Z2 Play, Moto Z2 Force, Moto G5, Moto G5 Plus, Moto G5S, Moto G5S Plus.

    LG

    LG G6, LG V20.

  • OnePlus 5 Slate Gray Colour Now Available In 8GB RAM Variant

    OnePlus 5 Slate Gray Colour Now Available In 8GB RAM Variant

    OnePlus had recently launched a limited edition Soft Gold colour variant for the OnePlus 5. The Chinese smartphone maker has now announced that the OnePlus 5 will be available in Slate Gray colour for the 8GB RAM/128GB storage variant. The new variant is available to buy on Amazon India and the OnePlus’ native online store.

    Up until now, only the Midnight Black edition was available in the 8GB RAM variant. The Slate Gray and the newly introduced Soft Gold had been limited only to the 6 GB RAM variant. However, now the Slate Gray colour will be available in the 8 GB RAM model while the Soft Gold remains currently confined to the 6 GB RAM variant.

    When OnePlus teased a new colour variant for the OnePlus 5, it was widely anticipated that a RED variant would be introduced. Keeping OnePlus 5’s design and the dual camera setup’s uncanny resemblance to the iPhone 7 Plus in mind, a RED colour variant was not a far-fetched idea. All of that, however, was just speculation as the Soft Gold variant was announced on 7th August.

    The OnePlus 5 sports a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top for protection. The smartphone runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat with OnePlus’ Oxygen OS on top. The 2017 flagship has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset with a combination of either 6GB RAM and 64GB of storage or a whopping 8GB RAM and 128 of storage which can not be expanded. The OnePlus 5 also features dual cameras on the back, one of the main cameras is a 20 MP sensor with an f/2.6 aperture, while the other is a 16 MP camera with an aperture of F/1.7 . The secondary telephoto lens is used for 2X lossless optical zoom and an Apple-esque ‘portrait mode’.

    OnePlus recently rolled out OxygenOS update 4.5.7 which seemingly enabled EIS (electronic image stabilisation) in 4K video in the OnePlus 5 and even featured a new Slate font. However, soon after the update, there were reports of the device facing stutters during gaming and battery drain issues for Jio users. These complaints along with previous reports of a jelly scrolling effect prompted OnePlus to abort the 4.5.7 update. OnePlus later announced that it has started rolling out 4.5.8 update fixing the issues while still featuring EIS in 4K video and the new font.

  • iPhone 8 OLED Display And Power Cable Leaked

    iPhone 8 OLED Display And Power Cable Leaked

    Apple is prepping for the September launch of the widely anticipated iPhone 8. Though the launch is nearer than ever, the smartphone still doesn’t seem to be catching a break from leaks and rumors. An image leak shows iPhone 8’s OLED display assembly, lightning and power flex cables, further corroborating the existing reports.

    These images, though blurry give a close look of the iPhone 8’s internals.  The display panel picture confirm the curved edges and bezel less design. No physical home button could be seen on the images, indicating that the iPhone 8 will feature a virtual home button and most likely launch without Apple’s iconic Touch ID.

      

    The OLED panel image also displays the notch on the top of the smartphone which houses the sensors and the dual-cameras used for 3D mapping for FaceID. The  HomePod firmware leak had confirmed that the iPhone 8 will arrive with facial recognition technology. The smartphone’s front camera, which was rumored to feature 4K video recording at 60 FPS can also be seen in the leak.

    The display has always been a major component of the iPhone (or any smartphone) and Apple may finally be throwing OLED panels into the mix, all thanks to Samsung ramping up its manufacturing facilities after Apple termed the latter as the sole provider of the iPhone 8’s display.

    Apart from the display assembly, the image leak also includes lightning and power flex cables.There have been multiple reports suggesting that Apple will launch the iPhone 8 with wireless charging capabilities.

    The smartphone is expected to run on the Apple A11 Chipset and will be available in 128GB and 256GB variants for the iPhone 8. To be launched with iOS 11, the smartphone is speculated to range from US $ 1,100 to US $ 1,200.

  • Xbox One X Project Scorpio Edition Launched

    Xbox One X Project Scorpio Edition Launched

    Microsoft has launched its new gaming console, the Xbox One X in June 2017 at the Entertainment Expo. The Xbox One X, Microsoft’s much awaited Project Scorpio is touted to be the world’s first true 4K gaming console. The console will be available to buy in the US from November 7 for $499 (Rs 32,000). At the same time, the company announced a limited period Xbox One X Project Scorpio Edition for consumers who’d prefer a more cosmetically enhanced version of the Xbox One Day One Edition.

    The limited edition console, as mentioned earlier, features a slightly more gradient design, and the Project Scorpio code name etched on both the console as well on the controller. Microsoft confirmed that all initial Xbox One X units up for grabs will be a Project Scorpio Edition, and will sell for the same price as the Xbox One Day One Edition.

    The Xbox One X is a mid-cycle Xbox refresh from Microsoft but, has enough horsepower under the hood to grant it the label of being the most powerful gaming console in the world when it arrives in November.

    Since the new console runs on the Scorpio engine, it is backward compatible to run all 900px and 1080px Xbox one and 360 titles at upscaled 4K. Which means all existing Xbox One titles should look better on the Xbox One X due to enhanced visual fidelity, anisotropic filtering, and faster loading times. The new console will also work with all current Xbox One accessories, Microsoft has confirmed.

    4K will largely be the buzzword, all Scorpio-exclusive games will super sample down to 1080p and all Scorpio-exclusive game modes will be available for all users regardless of their display. Technically, players will not require a 4K-ready monitor to use the Xbox One X. The console will use supersampling to improve visuals on 1080p screens while offering true 4K UHD playback on 4K screens.

  • Apple iPhone 7s And 7s Plus Will Still Have Significant Bezels

    Apple iPhone 7s And 7s Plus Will Still Have Significant Bezels

    Apple is expected to launch the new iPhone 7S models alongside the iPhone 8. Though the redesigned iPhone 8 has had its fair share of leaks, but we haven’t seen a whole lot of information for the iPhone 7S and 7S plus. Newly surfaced CAD images offer a pretty close look of the yet to be revealed iPhone 7S and 7S Plus.

    Both the devices have the similar haptic home button at the bottom, volume buttons on the left and the power button on the right. The iPhone 7 iteration has the sensors placed at the top of the screen and so does the the 7s and 7s Plus. According to the leaked images, the iPhone 7S Plus will feature a dual camera setup, whereas the 7S will have a single lens camera.

     

    Sticking with same LCD panels used by Apple, the 7s and 7s Plus will feature the Apple logo at the back. Not much is expected to change on the design front, apart from the few tweaks like a glass back on the 7S.

    The S models are known to receive internal upgrades and same applies to the iPhone 7S iterations. Apple is expected to upgrade both iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus with the A11 Fusion chip and hopefully increased RAM. It is widely reported that Apple’s long awaited wireless charging feature will be arriving with the next iPhone lineup. But for now, Apple seems to be sticking to the same size display on the front with the thick bezels on the top and bottom.

  • Amazon Echo Dot, Prime Music Might Be Arriving In India This Diwali

    Amazon Echo Dot, Prime Music Might Be Arriving In India This Diwali

    Looks like Amazon’s Echo Dot will be there to share the workload this Diwali. From placing online orders for sweets and firecrackers to selecting outlets for Diwali shopping, the smart speaker will do it all.

    According to latest reports, Amazon’s much famed Echo Dot may go on sale in India this Diwali, along with the Prime Music service. The Alexa powered smart speaker does a host of things on the tip of your command such as, ordering pizza, booking Uber rides, etc . The Amazon Echo Dot, which costs $50 in the USA, might be priced at Rs 3,000 in India, whereas, its bigger sibling, Amazon Echo may not arrive in India due to its heftier price tag.

    Amazon’s Prime Music services will rival Apple Music and Google Play Music in India with a library of over 2 million songs available to all the Amazon Prime customers. The Amazon Prime subscription is available in India at Rs 450 per year, but, there are reports that the subscription fee will go up in the coming months. The Echo Dot, currently available in the United States and several other markets, supports a range of music integrations and other skills. Though most of the music services supported by Amazon, including Spotify and Pandoro are not yet available in India, but the soon to be arriving Echo Dot will support services like Prime Music and Gaana.

    Aside from the basic features, Amazon Echo Dot will enable users to control the smart lights in their home/office via voice commands. With the help of Alexa, Amazon’s AI assistant, users can get answers to trivia questions, play music, order food, book cab rides, check your calendar and much more by just calling out “Alexa.”

    Jan Dawson of Jackdaw research says, “The big challenge with Echo will be language support since it’s basically only worked in English so far, and they’ll need to localize for Indian pronunciations and idioms (not to mention other local languages eventually too).” Amazon began hiring people in India for Alexa and Echo device late last year, according to job postings on the website. Furthermore, the company has been offering  several incentives to the developers such as free t-shirts and other goodies for writing Alexa-enabled skills.

    Meanwhile, Google Home, the smart speaker from Google has been unofficially available on Amazon India for Rs 17,999 and so is the Amazon Echo Dot eBay for Rs 3,000. With smart home systems not prominent in India right now, time will tell how the Echo Dot is received by the consumers. A majority of the consumers in India still shy away from paying for media consumption, hence the arrival of Prime Music with Echo Dot to rival Apple Music and Google Play Music will be an interesting battle.

  • Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Batteries Recalled

    Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Batteries Recalled

    Samsung doesn’t seem to catch a break as far as their batteries are concerned. Last year, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 was recalled after the smartphone’s battery randomly started overheating and catching fire. Samsung is again on the radar as Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued  a recall on certain Galaxy Note 4 batteries. The CPSC fear that these batteries might have a tendency to overheat, posing a risk of burns and fire hazards.

    Although Samsung has had a past with faulty batteries, the same might not be the case with the recalled Galaxy Note 4 batteries. It has been reported that the affected batteries were found in refurbished Note 4s which were distributed by particularly FedEx Supply Chain as replacement phones for an AT&T’s insurance program. It was further revealed that the faulty batteries were not genuine Samsung parts. Though the device was launched in 2014, the affected batteries were distributed between December 2016 and April 2017.

    A company spokesperson said,”FedEx Supply Chain has recalled a batch of lithium batteries that were installed in the mobile devices,” and “As some of the batteries may be counterfeit. We are closely engaged with our customer to make sure all of these lithium batteries are safely and quickly returned, and will replace those lithium batteries free of charge for consumers.” CPSC estimated a recall of approximately 10,200 faulty batteries, unlike the Galaxy Note 7’s 3 million recalled complete devices.

    Post the Note 7 recall,  Samsung has been taking extra measures to ensure safer batteries and has even instituted an eight-point battery check . Considering the upcoming launch of the Note series successor, the Galaxy Note 8, on August 23, these steps seem wise and somewhat mandatory. Regardless, the current scenario (definitely not an ideal one), may not be what Samsung hoped for just a few days before the Note 8’s crucial launch.

  • Asus Zenfone 4, Zenfone 4 Pro , Zenfone Selfie and Selfie Pro Launched

    Asus Zenfone 4, Zenfone 4 Pro , Zenfone Selfie and Selfie Pro Launched

    The Taiwanese smartphone maker has announced the ZenFone 4 lineup consisting of 4 devices – the ZenFone 4, ZenFone 4 Pro, ZenFone 4 Selfie and the ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro. Asus also announced that the ZenFone Zoom S will be available in India for Rs 26,999. The pro variants have similar hardware with higher-end chipsets and a few other upgrades over the base variants.

    Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie

    Designed with a focus on front facing pictures, the smartphone sports a 5.5 inch 1280 x 720 px IPS LCD display and a 3,000 mAh battery. The ZenFone 4 Selfie runs Android 7.0 Nougat with Asus’s ZenUI 4.0 on top. Powering the device is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 chipset with 4GB RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which is expandable via a microSD card of up to 256GB. As the name suggests, the smartphone’s USP is its selfie-taking capabilities. The device sports a 20MP + 8MP dual-camera setup on the front along with an a LED flash. The rear of the phone houses a 16MP camera with PDAF and a LED flash. The fingerprint sensor is housed in the home button which sits below the screen and between two touch capacitive navigation buttons.

    Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro

    The ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro is an upgraded variant of the ZenFone 4 Selfie with a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px full HD IPS LCD display and the same 3,000 mAh battery. Under the hood is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset with 4GB RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which is expandable via a microSD card of up to 256GB. The fingerprint sensor is housed in the home button which sits below the screen and between two touch capacitive navigation buttons. As with the base variant, selfies are the highlight here, with a front-facing 12MP Sony IMX362 sensor and a 5MP secondary camera for wide-angle selfies, which the company calls “welfies”. It features the same 16MP camera with PDAF and a LED flash at the back.

    Asus ZenFone 4

    The Asus ZenFone 4 sports a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px fullHD display and runs on a 3,300 mAh battery. The fingerprint sensor is housed in the home button which sits below the screen and between two touch capacitive navigation buttons. The ZenFone 4 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset and will be available in two variants- one with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage and the other with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. The onboard storage can be expanded up to an additional 2TB via microSD card. The device sports a dual camera setup with a 12MP primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture and an 8MP wide angle lens and can record videos in 4K at 30 FPS. On the front is an 8MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture.

    Asu ZenFone 4 Pro

    The new flagship features a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px full HD AMOLED display and a 3,600 mAh battery. The Zenfone 4 Pro has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 with 6GB RAM and storage options of 64GB or 128GB. Much like the Zenfone 4 there is a dual camera set up at the rear with the main 12 MP camera with an f/1.7 aperture, OIS and laser autofocus and a secondary camera with a 16 MP sensor which enables 2X lossless optical zoom. The rear-facing dual camera setup records videos in 4K at 30 FPS. On the front is an 8MP camera with an 87.4-degree wide field of view. The fingerprint sensor is housed in the home button which sits below the screen and between two touch capacitive navigation buttons. You get the standard flagship connectivity options including the Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth v5.0, NFC and USB 2.0 with Type-C port and there are dual speakers as well.

    All the phones currently run Android 7.0 Nougat with Asus’s custom ZenUI 4.0 skin on top.

    Specifications ZenFone 4 Pro ZenFone 4 Selfie ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro
    Price $599 $279 $379
    Dimensions  156.9 x 75.6 x 7.6 mm 155.7 x 75.9 x 7.9 mm  154 x 74.8 x 7 mm
    Weight 175 grams 144 grams 145 grams
    Display Size and Type 5.5 inch AMOLED 5.5 inch IPS LCD 5.5 inch IPS LCD
    Display Resolution 1920 x 1080 px 1080 x 720 px 1920 x 1080 px
    OS Android 7.0 Nougat with ZenUI 4.0  Android 7.0 Nougat with ZenUI 4.0  Android 7.0 Nougat with ZenUI 4.0
    Battery 3,600mAh 3,000mAh 3,000mAh
    Chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
    Processor 2.4GHz octa-core 1.4GHz octa-core 2GHz octa-core
    RAM 6GB 4GB 4GB
    Storage 64GB/128GB 64GB 64GB
    Expandability microSD card

    up to 2TB

    		 microSD card

    up to 256GB

    		  microSD cardup to 256GB
    Rear Camera 12MP primary sensor with an f/1.7 aperture
    16MP secondary telephoto lens for 2X lossless optical zoom    		 16MP with PDAF 16MP with PDAF
    Rear Camera Video 4K at 30 FPS 1080P at 30FPS 1080P at 30FPS
    Front Camera 8MP with an 87.4-degree field of view  20MP + 8MP  12-megapixel Sony IMX362 sensor and 5MP secondary wide angle lens
     Other features Fingerprint sensor  Fingerprint sensor  Fingerprint sensor
    Colour variants Pure Black

    Moonlight While

    		  Pure Black

    Mint Green

    Gold

    Pink

    		 Black

    Gold

    Red
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Dummy Unit Images Surface

    Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Dummy Unit Images Surface

    Samsung Galaxy Note 8 renders are a thing of past. It’s time to move on to a much more realistic Galaxy Note 8 dummy. Samsung’s flagship device is less than a week away from its official launch and the dummy  gives a good look at exactly what to expect from the unreleased phone.

    The latest leak shows the Galaxy Note 8 from various angles – rear, front, bottom and sides. The dummy of the smartphone appears to be in line with the past rumours and leaks. As earlier speculated, the Galaxy Note 8 dummy features an Infinity display, similar to the Galaxy S8. The images show a horizontally placed dual lens camera along with the heart rate sensor and the rear-facing fingerprint sensor.

    [carousel arrows=”display” buttons=”display” caption=”display” interval=”0″]
    [panel title=”Dummy Back “][/panel]
    [panel][/panel]
    [panel][/panel]
    [panel][/panel]
    [/carousel]

    Earlier reports claimed that Samsung will also be introducing the new and improved S- Pen and according to the recent image leaks, it is expected that the stylus and the device will be of same colour. Although, the widely speculated S-Pen could not be spotted in the images, but, we did find a dedicated Bixby button right next to the volume buttons. The power button is on the opposite side. The images confirm that Samsung is following Galaxy S8’s suit in terms of design elements for the upcoming Galaxy Note 8.

    The listing also state that the Galaxy Note 8 will run Android 7.1.1 Nougat with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI on top. The smartphone will have a Exynos 8895/Snapdragon 835 chipset along with 6GB RAM and 64GB of onboard storage, expandable with an additional card, upto 256 GB.

    It wasn’t long ago when Samsung’s yet to be launched Note 8 was leaked in live images and soon after, two colour variants, “Midnight Black” and “Deep Blue Sea” were revealed. This is pretty much as close as it gets to the real thing, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be unveiled in New York in a few days. The Note 8 is expected to be priced at US$ 999 at the time of launch.

iGyaan Network
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.