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New Redmi Phone And MIUI 9 Global ROM Coming To India On 2nd November

Xiaomi has announced that its latest version of custom skin, MIUI 9 will be launched in India on the 2nd of November along with a new smartphone which will focus on selfies. MIUI India took to Twitter to announce that MIUI 9 will enter the Indian market on the 2nd of November.

We listened to your requests. Global MIUI 9 is coming to India on 2nd Nov. Are you excited? #LightningFast ?
500 RT & we'll reveal more. pic.twitter.com/FCdpM286Zv

— Xiaomi HyperOS India (@XiaomiHyperOSIN) October 27, 2017

This means that all eligible Mi and Redmi phones will eventually receive the MIUI 9 Global Stable ROM update very soon. Xiaomi’s MIUI 9 brings in a lot of new features like split screen, faster app launching speed, application prioritisation and more. It will be interesting to see if the Smart Assistant launched with MIUI 9 in China will make its way to India or not.

Just saying #YourBestSelfie pic.twitter.com/ZPvFdgpskX

— Redmi India (@RedmiIndia) October 26, 2017

The next big announcement was from the Twitter account of Redmi. Redmi confirmed that the new phone launching will not be the Mi Note 3 or even a new Redmi Note phone.

The Xiaomi Mi Note series has been hugely popular in China and after the success of the Redmi Note series, it was speculated that the Mi Note series will also debut in India albeit a higher price tag. Xiaomi teased the launch of the Mi A1 in a similar way back in August and it looks like the new phone will be an India-centric phone and compete with other mid rangers that claim to have the “best selfie camera.”

Xiaomi recently launched the Redmi 5A in China earlier in October which is the successor to the Redmi 4A. In August, Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 5A in China, with a 16MP front camera which focuses on selfies. It might be possible that these two phones will be launched with new names and start a new lineup of mid-ranged selfie phones in India.

October 28, 2017
eFIFA World Cup 2018 Announced By FIFA and EA Sports

The term “professional gamer” is still a new phrase people are getting used to and eSports has become more and more successful over the years and is not slowing down any time soon. On the 27th of October, FIFA and EA Sports announced that they intend to replicate one of the world’s greatest athletic events in the world of gaming, introducing FIFA eWorld Cup 2018.

Announcing the tournament, Todd Sitrin, SVP and GM of the Competitive Gaming Division at EA said:

Last year was a pivotal achievement for competitive FIFA, engaging millions of competitors and spectators through world football and global competition. In partnership with FIFA, we’re accelerating the growth of competitive gaming through the EA SPORTS FIFA 18 Global Series on The Road to the FIFA eWorld Cup 2018, producing more competition, attracting more competitors and connecting with more fans than ever before.

From November 2017 to July 2018, there will be a series of qualifying tournaments where players can compete for their spot in the tournament. There also will be official league-qualifying tournaments for existing teams and pro players to win their spot. By the end of the season, FIFA and EA Sports will host 128 teams (64 on PS4 and 64 on Xbox One) from across the globe in the FIFA 18 Global Series Playoffs. From there, the top teams will qualify for the Global Series Tour, the FIFA eWorld Cup Grand Final.

So, how good are you and your friends at FIFA? Head on to the official website to learn more about the competition.

October 28, 2017
WhatsApp Is Rolling Out The Delete For Everyone (Recall) Feature For All Users

After months of being in beta testing, it appears that WhatsApp is finally happy with its recall feature. WABetainfo now reports that the new feature called ‘Delete for Everyone’, has started rolling out to some Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone users. It only works if both the recipient and sender have the latest version of WhatsApp installed and it also works on WhatsApp Web version.

The website notes that the rollout is slow and may take some time to reach out to all the users. The feature is said to work for all kinds of message like texts, images, videos, GIFs, voice messages, contact, files, location, quoted message, and status replies on WhatsApp.

It is worth noting that the feature works only within 7 minutes of sending the message, after that, the message can’t be recalled. Deleted messages will be replaced by “This message was deleted for everyone.” Once the sent message is deleted by the sender, WhatsApp will remove the message from the chat page as well as from the notifications window.

One of the most widely requested feature on the most successful instant messaging apps is finally rolling out to all the users. Because the roll out will happen in phases, don’t get anxious if you haven’t received the update yet.

October 27, 2017
Sony Xperia R1 And R1 Plus Launched In India At A Starting Price Of Rs 12990

Sony has launched two new mid-range smartphones, the Xperia R1 and Xperia R1 Plus in India. Both the phones will be sold offline and will be available across all Sony Center and major mobile stores across India from the 10th of November. The devices are priced at Rs 12990 for the Xperia R1 and Rs 14990 for the Xperia R1 Plus, and both the phones will be available in Black and White colour variants. The design of the phones reminiscent of all the Sony Xperia phones launched since the Xperia Z with a rectangular shape and blockish design.

Both the phones have identical specifications with the only difference being in the RAM and storage. Both the devices have a 5.2 inch TF display with a 1280 x 720 px resolution. the smartphones are powered by 2620 mAh battery and run Android 7 Nougat out of the box. Under the hood, the devices have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 chipset. The Xperia R1 has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage while the Xperia R1 Plus packs 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The storage is expandable via microSD card.

Both the devices have a 13MP rear camera with autofocus, Exmor Sony sensor, and LED flash. There’s an 8MP front camera on both the phones.

The company has also confirmed that interested customers can register for the phones starting 27th of October on Amazon. Sony promises has promised that pre-registered customers will be entitled for a special offer.

October 27, 2017
OnePlus 5T Official Promotional Poster Leaked

OnePlus 5T rumours refused to fizzle out and as we get closer to the alleged launch date, these leaks will just increase in number. However, that doesn’t mean every leak can be taken on its face value, and it is important to anakyse some leaked images. The latest one that is doing the rounds on the internet is that of the promotional poster of the launch event.

As can be seen in the image, the poster looks as legitimate as it gets. However, it is fair to say that this image is nothing but a well designed hoax. Remember the Ultra Pixel? The caption as well doesn’t seem like something a brand would go for. The word footprint is a term largely used within the tech industry and isn’t a word laymen use to describe a phone. The rumoured specifications do seem to be on point and feasible for a 6-month upgrade.

Just like the OnePlus 3T, the OnePlus 5T is expected to be an incremental update rather than a drastic new upgrade in terms of hardware. The 5T is expected to have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset as it is the current flagship chipset. The dual cameras at the back are also expected to be the same as found on the OnePlus 5. The OnePlus 5T will have a 6 inch AMOLED display with a 2160 x 1080 x resolution which translates to an 18:9 aspect ratio.

The smartphone is expected to run Android 7.1.1 Nougat with OnePlus’ Oxygen OS on top. The 2017 flagship will have 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 5T is also expected feature 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 a ‘portrait mode’ for blurred background images.

Co-founder of OnePlus, Carl Pei recently held a poll on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/getpeid/status/915818321471311872

The overwhelming response in favour of the headphone jack should at least guarantee that the OnePlus 5T if launched, will have the beloved 3.5mm headphone jack.

October 27, 2017
Last Chance To Get Amazon Prime Membership At Rs 499, Price To Increase To Rs 999

Amazon introduced its prime membership along with its Prime Video service in India in 2016 at a yearly charge of Rs 499. At that price with Amazon’s fast delivery and a decent amount of streaming content, the deal is a steal. But, this won’t be for too long as the membership charges will increase to Rs 999 from the 31st of October.

Prime is designed to make your life better every single day. Tens of millions of members around the world enjoy the many benefits of Prime. In India, Prime members enjoy unlimited free 1 day and 2 day delivery over 11 million products online, free standard delivery without minimum purchase, exclusive deals on bestselling products and instant access to Amazon Prime Video with the latest movies and TV shows. Amazon Family, offers members who are young parents a 15% off on diaper subscription all year-round and soon adding to this bouquet of many benefits, Prime members will have instant access to a strong catalogue of songs across International and national selection with Amazon Prime Music.

Amazon Prime Video services has lesser content than Netflix or Hotstar but, the convenience of 1-day or 2-day delivery across the country makes it a good deal.

You can buy the membership here.

October 27, 2017
Google Pixel 2 XL Screen Issues To Be Resolved Via Software Update

Google launched the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL globally on the 4th of October and showed signs of getting serious about its hardware. Google talked highly about its new phones’ integration of software, hardware and AI. The bigger sibling, the Pixel 2 XL has a pOLED display and over the course of past few weeks, several issues pertaining to its display have surfaced online. Issues like black smearing and screen burn in were heavily reported and Google responded with a simple, “We are actively investigating” the issues. Now, Google has released a blog post in which the company has said that the display issues will be resolved via a software update and the warranty period for all Pixel 2 owners has been extended to two years.

Our current investigation of burn-in, which started as soon as we received the first user report on October 22, confirms that the differential ageing is in line with that of other premium smartphones and should not affect the normal, day-to-day user experience of the Pixel 2 XL.

Regardless, we use software to safeguard the user experience and maximise the life of the OLED display, and we’ll make ongoing software updates to optimise further. We’re very confident that the Pixel 2 delivers an exceptional smartphone experience, and to give users peace of mind, every Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will now come with a 2-year warranty worldwide.

This should come as a relieve to people who have bought the Pixel 2 XL or had plans to buy one. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL pre-orders have begun in India and will be sold online via Flipkart.

October 27, 2017
OnePlus 5T Camera Samples Tweeted By OnePlus Co-founders

OnePlus 5T might be real or a mythical creation of a bored mind with a Twitter handle. We will never know for sure until OnePlus either announces it or denounces it. Till then, we have some more speculation to ponder upon. The two co-founders of OnePlus, Carl Pei and Pete Lau shared two images from the camera of what might be the upcoming OnePlus 5T.

Impressive photo. Must be a great camera ? pic.twitter.com/rixfXiqaFS

— Pete Lau (@PeteLau) October 25, 2017

https://twitter.com/getpeid/status/923201137582501890

Both the tweets have the same caption, “Cool photo, must have come from a great camera ?.” This indicates that the Tweets were planned and definitely a promotion or a teaser of what be coming. If these pictures were clicked by the OnePlus 5, the co-founders would not have been cryptic about it. The two images are taken in low-light conditions and suggest that the next OnePlus smartphone will have some serious improvements in low light shooting capabilities. The possibilities include a software-based enhancement, a larger sensor and a wider aperture.

All of this can be construed according to the reader’s convenience. It might actually be a sign that the OnePlus 5T is real and the company is jumping on the hype train to increase anticipation of the upcoming phone or, the two co-founders took advantage of the situation and decided to have a little joke with all the optimists of the Twitter world.

October 27, 2017
Apple iPhone X Pre-Orders Begin Today

Apple launched the iPhone X on the 12th of September in the US and announced that the phone will be available to pre-order from the 27th of October in markets such as India. Priced at Rs 89000 for the 64GB variant, the Apple iPhone X will be the most expensive iPhone ever launched in India and the pre-orders begin at 1. Reports suggest that due to the intricate manufacturing process of the FaceID technology, Apple has only been able to produce half the iPhone X’s it expected to make in 2017. This means that the demand will be high and you will have to be extremely diligent to successfully pre-order the iPhone X when the bookings go live.

The iPhone X has a 5.8-inch 2436 x 1125 px OLED True Tone Super Retina display with minimal bezels around it. The phone runs iOS 11 and is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery which charges through the Apple signature lightning port placed at the bottom of the phone. Under the hood, the smartphone has the Apple A11 Bionic chipset with a neural engine, a hexa-core processor, 3GB of RAM and storage options of 64GB, and 256GB. As is with every iPhone, the onboard storage can not be expanded via a microSD card. The small bezels mean there is no physical home button, which is now replaced with gestures for navigation. Siri is activated by pressing the now larger lock/unlock button. The iPhone X is also IP67 certified for water and dust resistance.

The iPhone X has dual 12-megapixel rear cameras, and it’s equipped with dual optical image stabilisation. The sensors are both larger and faster, according to Apple, and the main camera is equipped with a wide angle lens and has an f/1.8 aperture while the secondary telephoto lens has an f/2.4 aperture. In between the two cameras is a quad-LED True Tone flash. Both the front and back cameras have the portrait mode. The rear cameras have the portrait lighting feature, just like the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

You can pre-order the iPhone X here.

October 27, 2017
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti Launched At A Starting Price Of Rs 39000

NVIDIA has launched the new GeForce GTX 1070 Ti in India and will be available worldwide from the 2nd of November. The starting price of the GPU is Rs 39000 in India.

The GeForce GTX 1070 Ti is packed with 2,432 cores and 8 GB of memory running at 8Gbps for a total bandwidth of 256 GB/s. It delivers double the performance of the famous GeForce GTX 970.

The base clock speed of the GeForce GTX 1070 Ti is 1607 MHz. The typical Boost Clock speed is 1683 MHz. The Boost Clock speed is based on the average GeForce GTX 1070 Ti card running a wide variety of games and applications. Note that the actual Boost Clock will vary from game-to-game depending on actual system conditions. GeForce GTX 1070 Ti’s memory speed is 8 Gbps data rate. The GeForce GTX 1070 Ti reference board measures 10.5” in length. Display outputs include one HDMI, one DVI and three DisplayPort connectors. One 8-pin PCIe power connector is required for operation.

GeForce GTX 1070 Ti-based graphics cards will begin shipping November 2 from the NVIDIA GeForce Partner Network, including ASUS, Colorful, EVGA, Gainward, Galaxy, Gigabyte, Innovision 3D, MSI, Palit, PNY and Zotac.

October 26, 2017
Dell XPS 15 Launched In India Starting At Rs 1,15,000

Dell has launched a new laptop in its XPS lineup, the Dell XPS 15 in India at a premium starting price of Rs 115,000.

The Dell XPS 15 has a 15.6 inch display with thin bezels and a 1920 x 1080 px resolution. The keyboard is backlit and has a fingerprint sensor for secure login. The laptop has a builti-n 56Whr or 97Whr battery and retails with a 130W AC adapter for charging. Under the latop can be customised in a lot of ways. The cheapest variant has the 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ Quad Core Processor (6M cache, up to 3.8 GHz), 8GB DDR4-2400MHz RAM, and 256GB PCIe Solid State Drive. To handle the graphics, this variant has the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 with 4GB GDDR5. The laptop runs Windows 10 Home edition and the higher the price of the variant, the version of the Windows 10 changes. For video calling, the laptop comes equipped with a Widescreen HD (720p) webcam with dual array digital microphones.

The laptop starts at a price of Rs 1,15,000 and goes up to Rs 1,43,990. The laptop can be bought from the official website of Dell India.

October 26, 2017
Moto Z 2018 And Moto Z Kingsman Edition Launched

Motorola has launched two premium priced phones, the Moto Z 2018 and a special Kingsman edition Moto Z in China. The special edition Moto Z Kingsman is priced at a whopping CNY 999 (US $1500). The Moto X 2018 and Moto X Kingsman are really just the Moto Z2 Force with a different name. Except for the price of the Kingsman edition and a few extra accessories in the box, nothing is different.

The Moto Z 2018 and the Moto Z Kingsman have the same specifications. Both the phones have a 5.5 inch ShatterShield display with a 2560 x 1440 px resolution. Powering the device is a 2730 mAh battery and runs a stock version of Android 7.1 Nougat. Under the hood, the smartphone has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, Octa-core (4×2.35 GHz Kryo & 4×1.9 GHz Kryo) processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB onboard storage which is expandable up to 256GB via microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is housed inside the home button which is placed below the display.

The Moto Z 2018 Kingsman Edition has a few extra accessories in the box. The special package contains a VIP card, a TurboPower battery mod, a wireless charging mod, a USB Type-C to 3.5mm adapter, a leather flip case, a 45th anniversary notepad, a pair of USB Type-C Hi-Fi headphones, and (surprise!) a warranty card. The special edition smartphone is only going to be offered in black.

Both variants of the Moto Z 2018 have a dual camera setup with dual 12MP sensors with an f/2.0 aperture. One camera shoots in monochrome, and the other shoots in colour, similar to what we saw on Huawei devices and recent Nubia M2. The smartphones also have laser AF, phase detection but no mention of optical image stabilisation. Similar to Apple’s portrait mode, the dual-lends setup has allowed Moto to implement a depth-of-field effect on the Moto Z 2018.

The phones have entered the Chinese market but, it still seems highly improbable that the flagship Moto Z2 Force or the Moto Z 2018 will hit the Indian market as the company shied away from launching the Force variant in Indian in 2016.

October 26, 2017
Xiaomi Mi Note 3 To Be Launched On 2nd November

Xiaomi has enjoyed a successful festive period in India and managed to sell over 4 million handsets. Now, Xiaomi is gearing up to launch a new selfie camera centric smartphone in India on the 2nd of November at an event in Delhi.

Brace yourself, the best selfie smartphone is coming soon! A brand new series ?

RT if you are excited!#YourBestSelfie pic.twitter.com/YSysiqoosE

— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) October 26, 2017

The above image reveals that Xiaomi is planning to launch a new series of smartphones in India which will presumably focus on the selfie camera. The phone in question here could be the Xiaomi Ni Note 3 which was launched in China on the 11th of September and features a portrait mode for the front camera.

The Xiaomi Mi Note 3 has a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 px IPS LCD display with a pixel density of 403ppi and a 94.4 percent NTSC colour gamut. The smartphone is powered by a 3,500 mAh battery with QuickCharge 3.0 through USB TYpe C port and runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat with Xiaomi’s custom MIUI 9 on top. Xiaomi has boasted about the phone’s ‘Adaptable AI Beautify’ feature, which the Chinese smartphone maker claims is a result of over half a year’s R&D. The feature uses AI-based algorithms to beautify selfies and has a different algorithm for men and women. Under the hood, the Xiaomi Mi Note 3 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset, 6GB RAM, and 64GB or 128GB onboard storage options. The onboard storage can not be expanded. The fingerprint sensor is placed under the glass at the front device, just below the display.

Unlike the Mi Mix 2, the Mi Note 3 features a dual-camera setup at the back. One of the cameras has a 12MP wide angle lens with an f/1.8 aperture while the other 12MP camera has a telephoto lens with an f/2.6 apertureThe primary 12MP camera has a wide angle lens and an f/1.8 aperture. On the front is a 16MP camera with AI capabilities to produce selfies personalised to the user’s face after studying the bone structure and lighting around the face.

The price is yet to be revealed and considering Xiaomi’s competitive pricing strategies so far, the Mi Note 3 could be priced between Rs 24000 to Rs 26000.

October 26, 2017
OPPO R11S Renders Are Uncannily Similar To The OnePlus 5T

OPPO has announced that the new OPPO R11S will be launched on the 2nd of November at an event in China. Even before the announcement was made, there were several renders leaked which revealed a design shift from the OPPO R11 launched earlier in 2017. What’s interesting though, is that the new press renders resemble another speculated device, the OnePlus 5T.

In the images above, you can see what the OPPO R11S might look like from all the angles. You can’t help but notice the similarities between the R11S and the OnePlus 5T here with the aspect ratio, screen size, and camera and fingerprint placement.

This however, should not come as a surprise as the OnePlus 5 looked identical to the OPPO R11 with the same dimensions, camera placement and finish of the phone. It is worth noting that OPPO is the parent organisation of OnePlus.

The launch of the OPPO R11S could signal a trickle down effect and the OnePlus 5T with a much awaited 18:9 aspect ratio and thin bezels could see the light of day in the coming weeks. The OPPO R11S is expected to have a 6-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and 2160 x 1080 px resolution. Under the hood, the smartphone is expected to have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset, 4GB RAM and 63GB onboard storage. The OnePlus 5T is expected to have the same hardware as the OnePlus 5 and also the same camera specifications.

The OnePlus 5T is expected to be launched on the 20th of November while the R11S is confirmed for a 2nd of November launch.

October 26, 2017
OnePlus 5T Launch Set For 20th November

Another day, another OnePlus 5T rumour. The speculated ‘T’ iteration of the successful OnePlus 5 has been in the news for various leaks and renders. Now, it appears that the OnePlus 5T might be launched somewhere between the 11th of November and 20th of November and will indeed have a display with an 18:9 aspect ratio.

I take this back. Just heard from someone I consider reliable that they are indeed working on an 18:9 model for end of November release. https://t.co/8pc7Z51Xli
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) October 25, 2017

Got a second, reliable confirmation here, claiming a post-11/20 release. https://t.co/KDvBH8y7NO
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) October 25, 2017

Just like the OnePlus 3T, the OnePlus 5T is expected to be an incremental update rather than a drastic new upgrade in terms of hardware. The 5T is expected to have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset as it is the current flagship chipset. The dual cameras at the back are also expected to be the same as found on the OnePlus 5. The OnePlus 5T will have a 6 inch AMOLED display with a 2160 x 1080 x resolution which translates to an 18:9 aspect ratio.

The smartphone is expected to run Android 7.1.1 Nougat with OnePlus’ Oxygen OS on top. The 2017 flagship will have 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 5T is also expected feature 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 a ‘portrait mode’ for blurred background images.

Co-founder of OnePlus, Carl Pei recently held a poll on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/getpeid/status/915818321471311872

The overwhelming response in favour of the headphone jack should at least guarantee that the OnePlus 5T if launched, will have the beloved 3.5mm headphone jack.

There have been some hints which can be interpreted into a new phone launch. OnePlus has the habit of stopping the production of its current device to accommodate the launch and manage the supple of its upciming smartphone. Keeping that in mind, it has been noted that the OnePlus 5 has been out of stock in a lot of markets for over a month now and there is no word from the company about its availability.

If the launch date turns out to be true, OnePlus might be sending out press invites soon and that should definitely shed more light on whether the OnePlus 5T is true or just a hoax like the Ultra Pixel.

October 26, 2017