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Top Alternatives To The OnePlus 7 Pro
On the 14th of May, OnePlus launched its latest smartphones which include the OnePlus 7 Pro and the OnePlus 7. Both devices are loaded with high-end specifications, prominently the former pack’s certain features that help it pull it ahead of the pack. If you are looking for a flagship-grade device and for some reason do not want to buy the OnePlus 7 Pro. Here are some of the alternatives that could be your choice.

Also, for reference following are the specifications of the OnePlus 7 Pro
- Screen Size- 6.67 inch Fluid AMOLED, 3120 x 1440 px, 516 ppi, 90 Hz Refresh Rate
- Rear Camera- 48 MP (f/1.6) + 16 MP (f/2.2) + 8 MP (f/2.4)
- Front Camera- 16 MP, Pop Up Camera
- Battery- 4,000 mAh, 30 W Fast Charging
- Chipset- Snapdragon 855
- Screen Protection- Corning Gorilla Glass 6
- SD Card Support- N/A
Price: Rs 52,999 (8 GB + 256 GB)

Galaxy S10 Plus

The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is apparently one of the most the obvious alternatives to the OnePlus 7 Pro. It offers sensational performance with a dignified design and is made from premium materials. It sports a 6.4 inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a punch hole that houses dual selfie cameras. There are certain features that steer the Galaxy S10 Plus ahead of its competitor. The said features include upto 512 GB storage option (1 TB: In USA), memory expandability via microSD card, a 3.5 mm audio jack, slightly larger battery with 4100 mAh capacity, IP68 certification, support for wireless charging along with reverse wireless charging.
- Screen Size- 6.4 inch Dynamic AMOLED, 3040 x 1440 px, 522 ppi
- Rear Camera- 16 MP (f/2.2) + 12 MP (f/1.5) + 12 MP (f/2.2)
- Front Camera- 10 MP (f/1.9) + 8 MP (f/2.2)
- Battery- 4,100 mAh, Upto 15 W, Wireless & Reverse Wireless Charging
- Chipset- Exynos 9820
- Screen Protection- Corning Gorilla Glass 6
- SD Card Support- up to 1 TB (uses SIM 2 slot)
Price: Rs 91,900 (8 GB + 512 GB)

Huawei P30 Pro

Huawei’s latest flagship, the P30 Pro is also a worthy contender to the newly launched OnePlus 7 Pro. The key highlighting feature of the P30 Pro is the quad rear camera setup which supports upto 50x zoom. Notably, the camera setup includes a ToF (Time Of Flight) sensor which the OnePlus 7 Pro misses out on. The sensor allows the device to capture depth information which allows in clicking pictures and videos with better bokeh effect. Also, the P30 Pro has a larger 4200 mAh battery which is 200 mAh battery larger than the 4000 mAh cell on the OnePlus 7 Pro. However, the distinguishing feature of the P30 Pro is support for 40 W charging which can charge the device to 70% in 30 minutes.
- Screen Size- 6.47 inch OLED, 2340 x 1080 px, 398 ppi
- Rear Camera- 40 MP (f/1.6) + 20 MP (f/2.2) + Periscope 8 MP + TOF 3D Camera
- Front Camera- 32 MP
- Battery- 4,200 mAh, 40 W Fast Charging
- Chipset- Kirin HiSilicon 980
- Screen Protection- N/A
- SD Card Support- Nano SD card (upto 256 GB, uses SIM 2 slot)
Price: 8 GB + 256 GB- Rs 71,990

Xiaomi Redmi K20

Xiaomi will launch it latest flagship, the Redmi K20 aka the Killer 20 on the 20th of May. The device is confirmed to feature Snapdragon 855 SoC like the OnePlus 7 Pro. Earlier this week, the Xiaomi shared the Antutu result of the upcoming smartphone which registers an impressive score of more than 4,50,000. In comparison, the OnePlus 7 Pro registered an Antutu score in the range of 3,60,00 and 3,70,000. Certainly, the difference between the benchmark result among the two devices is significant. However, we will have to wait until the official announcement of the K20 to verify the results. Notably, the K20 is destined to cost less than its competitor which will give it another advantage in a price sensitive market like India. Following are the specifications of the Redmi K20 as per leaks
- Screen Size- 6.39 inch OLED, 2340 x 1080 px, 403 ppi
- Rear Camera- 48 MP + 13 MP + 12 MP + 8 MP
- Front Camera- 20 MP
- Battery- 4,000 mAh, 27 W Fast Charging
- Chipset- Snapdragon 855
- Storage: 16 GB +256 GB
Price: TBA

ZenFone 6

The ZenFone 6 was released on the 16th of May and with the latest flagship, Asus has certainly managed to turn a lot of heads. Under the hood, it features the Snapdragon SoC and undercuts the OnePlus 7 Pro in terms of price with a considerable margin. Also, it has a smaller form factor which makes it more portable than the OnePlus 7 Pro that has a notable footprint. The feature that makes the ZenFone 6 stand out is its unique flip-up dual rear camera that also doubles as the selfie camera. Besides, the camera setup can actively track an object as the camera flip can independently manoeuvre accrediting to its mechanised hinge. Stable to most modern Asus smartphones, the ZenFone 6 is powered by a mammoth 5,000 mAh battery which paired with modest specifications will churn out a longer battery backup. Reportedly, the smartphone will soon launch in India and it will be exclusively available on Flipkart.com.
- Screen Size- 6.4 inch LCD, 2340 x 1080 px, 403 ppi
- Rear/Front Camera- 48 MP (f/1.8) + 13 MP (f/2.4)
- Battery- 5,000 mAh, 18 W Fast Charging
- Chipset- Snapdragon 855
- Screen Protection- Corning Gorilla Glass 6
- SD Card Support- up to 1 TB (dedicated slot)
Price: 8 GB + 256GB= €599 (Rs 47,000 approx) [Indian Price: TBA]

Black Shark 2

Also reported to soon launch in India, the Black Shark 2 is a true alternative to the OnePlus 7 Pro if you are a gaming enthusiast. Primarily built to be a gaming smartphone, the Black Shark 2 offers certain benefits over the OnePlus 7 Pro. The Black Shark 2 supports dedicated gaming accessories which include gamepads with physical buttons. The said accessories offer a level of control which is hard to achieve via the on-screen controls. To provide the users with an advantage over the competitors, the display panel has a polling rate of 240 Hz which can register touch input at a rate.
- Screen Size- 6.3 inch AMOLED, 2340 x 1080 px, 403 ppi
- Rear Camera- 48 MP (f/2.2) + 12 MP (f/2.2)
- Front Camera- 20 MP
- Battery- 4,000 mAh, 27 W Fast Charging
- Chipset- Snapdragon 855
- Screen Protection- N/A
- SD Card Support- N/A
Price: 12 GB + 256 GB – ¥4199 (Rs 42,800 approx) [Indian Price: TBA]
May 20, 2019
Huawei Smartphones To Stop Receiving Android Updates As Google Suspends Business Relations With Huawei

Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei has time and again faced backlash for its ties with the Chinese government. It has been accused of stealing its user’s data and sending it back to the home country for spying purposes. In what could be a major blowback to the company’s imperative business, American technology giant Google has suspended the majority of its business with the company. This insinuates that going forward, Huawei and it’s subsidiary Honor’s devices will not receive Android security updates. They will also lose access to the search engine giant’s popular services such as Maps and YouTube.

What Does This Mean?

For Huawei users' questions regarding our steps to comply w/ the recent US government actions: We assure you while we are complying with all US gov't requirements, services like Google Play & security from Google Play Protect will keep functioning on your existing Huawei device.
— Android (@Android) May 20, 2019

The aforementioned suspension of business will take place between Huawei and Alphabet, the parent company of Google. With this in effect, the existing and future smartphones from the former will stop receiving monthly security updates from Google. These are important for keeping the device up to date and safe from newly discovered malware. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the handsets from the Chinese OEM will also lose access to services like the Google Play, YouTube and Google Maps. Notably, the suspension does not affect the existence of Android on Huawei smartphones. This is because the suspension is not applicable on open source software and as is implied, Android is an open source software. But, the Chinese company will only be able to use the public version of the operating system and not the one made available by Google.

Also read: 5 Of The Weirdest Gadgets Ever Designed

The suspension of business by Alphabet on Huawei takes place after the United States government added the latter to its trade blacklist. It was added to the aforementioned list on Thursday and it means no American firm can engage in business with the Chinese company until explicitly given permission by the US government. In a post on microblogging website Twitter, the official account of Android has assured existing Huawei users that the suspension does not affect existing devices from the company. Present users of all Huawei and Honor handsets will keep featuring the Play Store and receive app updates via the software.

May 20, 2019
Full Specifications Of The Huawei P20 Lite (2019) Leak
Continuing the practice of labelling new smartphones as updated editions of older models, Huawei will soon launch the Huawei P20 Lite (2019) edition. Before the official announcement of the smartphone, its full specifications and design renders have been revealed by a reliable tipster Roland Quandt.

Huawei P20 Lite Design and Features

In comparison to its predecessor, the upcoming Huawei P20 Lite (2019) has an all new design. It measures 159.1 x 75.9 x 8.3 mm and tips the scale at 178 grams. The device features a 6.4 inch LCD display with a punch hole that houses the 16 MP selfie camera. The bezels around the display are fairly thin which provide the device with a high screen to body ratio. Under the hood, the smartphone packs the Kirin 710 SoC which consists of an Octa-Core CPU and the Mali G51 GPU.

The right side of the Huawei P20 Lite (2019) is occupied by the volume rocker and the power button while the left side is free from any ports or switches. Moving to the bottom side, it is occupied by the USB type C port, loudspeaker grille and the 3.5 mm audio jack. The rear panel of the device is made out of glass and it harbours company branding, fingerprint sensor and a quad camera setup. The rear camera setup consists of an f/1.8 aperture equipped 24 MP sensor, an 8 MP sensor and dual 2 MP sensors.

Connectivity options on the upcoming Huawei P20 Lite include Bluetooth 4.2, 802.11 ac Wi-Fi, NFC and the aforementioned 3.5 mm audio jack and USB type C port. The device is powered by a 4,000 mAh battery and runs on the latest Android 9 Pie which is skinned with EMUI 9.1. The smartphone will be available in three colour options which are as follows:
- Midnight Black
- Crush Blue
- Charming Red
Also Read: Intel Working On A Smartphone With A 360 Degree Camera

Conclusively, the specifications of the device will be verified once it is officially announced by Huawei. Going by the specifications, it will be sub US $ 300 or Rs 20,000 smartphone.
May 18, 2019
5 Of The Weirdest Gadgets Ever Designed

Countless gadgets are released each year, with only a select few making it big. Nonetheless, many other gadgets which intend to solve a higher purpose might fail at the same. For instance, who wants to eat toast with his/her own picture imprinted on it? Well, some people do, because it’s apparently still being sold in the US and is the first gadget in our list. Speaking of lists, given below are some really weird gadgets that have been launched in the past years.

Selfie Toaster

Yes, a toaster exists that can customize your slice of bread with an image of your face. Even though it’s requirements may be very controversial, there is a reason why the US company “Burnt Impressions” still ships these novelty appliances for $75 per unit. Users can get the toaster to imprint their selfies onto a slice of bread via a custom laser-cut metal grilling plate, that is also made by the company. However, buyers have to upload their photograph at the time of purchase, which means that you will be stuck with staring at one image on a bread slice.

Pavlok

In an era of smartwatches and fitness trackers, there is a wearable that strives to make a mark as well. While conventional fitness trackers keep a track of how many steps you have walked in a day, the Pavlok has an entirely different motive, although for the betterment of many out there. The motive is pain. This may seem bizarre, but the Pavlok gives you a rather nasty zap if you are involved in a bad habit, such as biting your nails, smoking or cracking your knuckles. The body associates the pain signal to the bad habit you have cultivated, helping in lessening the same. Thankfully, the intensity of the shock can be controlled by the wearer, which can range from a slight tingle to an uncomfortable shock.

MoodMetric

There are times when some unwanted gadgets from sci-fi movies make their way into the real world, making you wonder if they actually are meant for the same. Such is the case with the “MoodMetric”, which is a ring that measures the body’s signals to determine the state of the mind of the wearer. The data is then relayed to the wearer’s smartphone, where he/she can gain insights regarding his/her mood. However, it is very unclear why a person will need a gadget to find out what their mood is like.

Sony Rolly

After the iPod hit the market and took it by storm, a lot of companies (including Sony) started experimenting on portable music players to hit the right chord. The aforementioned Japanese company made its entry with the launch of the Sony Rolly, which was a portable music player with a twist, literally. The music player was shaped like a football, and the best part was the fact that it danced to music. Costing at about US$ 399 at the time of launch, Rolly could twist, turn, roll and perform a host of other moves in sync to the music, all while flashing multi coloured lights. However, it didn’t even have a headphone jack at the time. Almost an year later, Sony discontinued the Rolly music player.

Belty, The Smart Belt

Also Read: Scientists Discover Viruses That Can Target And Destroy Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

First showcased at the CES 2015, the smart belt intended to simplify some things that had to be manually simplified, simply saying. Belty could directly connect to a smartphone via an app that tracked the waist size of the wearer. Moreover, the wearer could use the application to tighten or loosen the belt on the move, which would save them the embarrassment of doing so in public. However, it’s been a long time since its announcement, and the company does not plan to release such a product in the immediate future.

May 18, 2019
This Avengers: Endgame Theory Tries To Make Sense Of The Confusing Time Travel
Marvel Entertainment’s latest superhero saga Avengers: Endgame hit theatres on the 26th of April. The movie has since progressed to becoming one of the highest earning titles of all time, amassing over US$ 2 Billion at the worldwide box office. If you have seen the movie, loved it but didn’t understand the time travel bit, you might not be alone. While superhero movies rarely try taking the logical route, the part where they explained time travel in Endgame was murky at best. A user on Reddit has tried to dissect the plot and has derived a pretty convincing theory of what transpired in the Avengers: Endgame movie for all of us to understand. There are massive spoilers ahead for the film, so tread carefully.

Avengers: Endgame Time Travel Theory

To understand the theory better, the user claims we have to establish some principles. The first one is that travelling through time does not create alternate timelines. This was explained by Bruce Banner aka Professor Hulk in the movie when talking to Clint Barton aka Hawkeye. He explains that when someone travels to the past, their present then ends up being the past which cannot be altered. The things that have happened will happen but if you try and change the history, you will just become a part of it. The second principle is that only the absence of the infinity stones can create alternate realities. This bit was explained by the Ancient One to Bruce Banner at the time of the Battle of New York. She established that the infinity stones “control the flow of time”, such that if one stone was removed from the timeline, it would cause a different branch of reality to be created without changing what happened in the original reality.

This led to Bruce promising that he will make sure the stones are replaced at the exact moment they were taken, so the creation of an alternate reality is spared. The theory then explains when Captain America travels back to return the stones, he helps the Avengers in the year 2012 look for Loki in time for the 2012 movie’s ending. When the Power Stone is returned, Star-Lord just wakes back up and steals it in the year 2014. This stops any alternate realities from being created as the stones are replaced the exact moment they were taken.

The third principle states collective Infinity Stones have no power over life. It cannot snap life force away from someone and cannot create life force where there is none. This makes the movie’s big bad Thanos wrong about them. If you have already grabbed a pitchfork and are claiming he altered the life of Vision in Avengers: Infinity War, know this; Vision was a vessel for the Mind Stone and while behaved like a sentient being, he also has mentioned he hasn’t eaten anything yet. Not to forget his body is literally made synthetically by Ultron and the Avengers.

The stones can be used, however, to decimate someone using their energy/radiation directed towards the particular person. So when Thanos snaps, the people aren’t really gone, they have just been transported through space and time to the year 2023 when they are called back by Hulk’s reverse snap. Getting confusing? Here is what the individual stone was used for in the snap.
- Space Stone: Altering Space for the Snap
- Time Stone: Altering Time for the Snap
- Power Stone: Needed for powering the Snap
- Soul Stone: Capturing billions of souls for the Snap
- Mind Stone: Computing the magnitude of the Snap
- Reality Stone: Altering the reality after the Snap
The above explanation indicates that when Iron Man snaps the gauntlet containing the stones at the end of the movie, Thanos and his army were transported back to the year 2014 with the Mind Stone wiping their memory. As for Nebula who was shown as shot in a previous scene, she can be replaced for parts later. While the purple giant might not have a memory of what happened in 2023, he did sense defeat and failure, which explains his calm demeanour in Infinity War. The last scene too, where Captain America goes back in time to live with Peggy Carter, that has already happened.

Also read: 10 Avengers Endgame Facts That You Probably Didn’t Know

This explains why no photos of proofs of her husband have been shown in previous movies because Old Man Cap was hiding in plain sight. While this theory is as crazy as it sounds like, the writers for Avengers: Endgame have themselves confirmed the part; where Steve Rogers is Peggy’s husband all along. You can check out the detailed insight into this theory on Reddit and might end up disagreeing with it, but this fan theory seems like the most plausible way to understand the time travel mess in Endgame. What do you think of this theory? Tell us in the comments below.
May 18, 2019
Rare Gene Mutations may prevent Coronary Heart Disease

As per statistics, more than 370,000 people die of coronary heart disease annually. The disease refers to a narrowing of the coronary arteries that supply oxygen and blood to the heart. As per latest research reports, a kind of rare gene mutation may prevent major heart diseases. Previously, scientists have abstained from targeting apolipoprotein B (APOB) gene because it carries a risk of fatty liver disease. However, naturally occurring mutation suggests otherwise.

The study was co-led by a researche from the Boston University of Public Health (BUSPH). The study unearths that protein truncating variants in the aforementioned apolipoprotein B (APOB) gene are directly linked to lower triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels, which significantly lowers the risk of coronary heart disease by almost 72 percent.

What is FHBL?

Familial hypobetalipoproteinemia (FHBL) is a disorder that deprives the body of the ability to absorb and transport fats. The protein truncating genomes in the APOB are the major causes of the disorder. The people with FHBL are usually at a high risk of developing fatty liver disease. Using genetics, the researchers can target the gene responsible for the same and thereafter greatly reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

Also Read: PUBG Mobile Season 7 Released, New Weapon, Skin Among Other Features Added

The researchers sequenced the APOB gene in different members of almost 29 Japanese families with FHBL. Eight of the Japanese families had the previously mentioned protein-truncating variants in APOB, and the rest of individuals with one of those variants had lower LDL cholesterol levels than individuals who did not have an APOB variant. This clearly indicated that the carrying gene variants in APOB greatly reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. This discovery may lead to a massive reduction of such cases across the globe in the future.

May 18, 2019
Call Of Duty Mobile Closed Beta Now Rolling Out In India, All Features Revealed
When the mobile battle royale version of the popular FPS game Call of Duty was announced, fans were quite excited to witness the game in action on their smartphones. The company started accepting pre-registrations for the the same back in March 2019, and after two months, the closed beta of the game is now available for closed beta testing in select countries, including India. Moreover, new features of the battle royale game have been revealed by Activision.

Confirmed Features By Activision

Call of Duty has been confirmed with a host of new features, including several multiplayer modes as follows:
- Free-For-All
- Team Deathmatch
- Hardpoint
- Frontline
- Domination
Except the Free-for-all mode which supports 8 players, all the other game modes support a total of 10 players per match. In the future, the game can be updated with popular game modes from the PC version of CoD (Call of Duty) such as Search and Destroy and Kill confirmed.

automatically when the crosshair is focused on the enemy, whereas in advanced mode, the player has to fire the weapon manually. Moreover, players can choose how they hold each weapon by default. For instance, shotguns can be set to hip-fire by default, while rifles can be set to ADS (aim down sights) by default. Apart from tweaking the HUD, players can customize their aiming sensitivity via a total 17 different sliders.

A total of seven maps have been announced by the developer, 5 of which are listed below:
- Crossfire: Small desert town, good for shotgun-based gameplay
- Standoff: Set in the border town between China and Kyrgyzstan
- Crash: Features blind corners and great sniping spots
- Killhouse: Great for small teams, set in a warehouse interior
- Firing Range: Set in Cuba, this map will be a house to hectic domination games
The other two maps are Nuketown and Hijacked.

Also Read: PUBG Mobile Season 7 Released, New Weapon, Skin Among Other Features Added

As mentioned previously, the game will be available on both iOS and Android devices. If users have pre-registered for the game and haven’t received an email from the company yet, they just need to wait. As per Activision, the access to Call of Duty: Mobile will be rolled out in batches. The game is looking to go head-to-head against other battle royale games like Fortnite and PUBG Mobile.
May 18, 2019
A New Google Tool Discovered Which Tracks All Of The User’s Purchases

American technology giant Google has been accused of breaching the internet privacy of users; and collecting their data to serve them advertisements online multiple times in the past. The company has released statements denying the claims but latest reports from a reputed media source reignite the accusations. It alleges the search engine behemoth also tracks the entire purchase history of its users ever since they signed up for Gmail, its email service.

Gmail Purchase History

The report affirms Google has been tracking the purchase history of Gmail users via the confirmation or order receipts when they make a purchase. Notably, this only works if the outlet or place the person has made a purchase from has their email address. The company has clarified in a statement that it has built this tool to help its users easily view and keep track of their purchases, bookings and subscriptions in one place. It claims the information can only be seen by the user and no one else. The information about user’s orders can also be saved in other Google’s services. The aforementioned revelation is expected to be a huge privacy controversy, as the information is not stored locally but instead on the company’s cloud services.

Deleting The Data

Also read: PUBG Mobile Season 7 Released, New Weapon, Skin Among Other Features Added

While Google storing your purchase data on its servers might sound like a grim situation, luckily, there is a way to delete the information. Users can go to this page and check their purchase histories. To delete the data, users need to click on the order details and select the option on the bottom of the page. Unfortunately, deleting the details is only possible if the original email containing the receipt or order detail is deleted, which might be inconvenient for some users.

May 18, 2019
NASA is Planning to Send Women To The Moon, Mission To Be Called Artemis

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the US is planning to get women to the surface of the moon by the year 2024. In light of recent reports, it has been declared that the mission will be named Artemis, after the Greek Goddess of the Moon. This lines up perfectly with the fact that the first moon missions were named Apollo, after the Greek God of Sun and Light. NASA’s famous Apollo Missions introduced the Moon’s surface to the first men who walked on it, namely Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in 1969.

NASA Administrator stated that it is very fortunate that after almost 50 years after the first moon mission, the Artemis program will carry the next man and the first ever woman to the surface of the moon. He further added that within the next five years, the milestone will most likely be successfully shattered.

Also Read: Scientists Discover Viruses That Can Target And Destroy Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

NASA announced the name of the mission report on May 13 2019, shortly after it unveiled its updated budget request for touching down on the moon by 2024. The program is still in its early stages. Reportedly, NASA has been working on space vehicles and capsules for a long time now, and even though they have not been occupied by any astronauts till date, NASA will commence test runs soon. A lot of new hardware, such as Lunar Landers are also being manufactured for the Artemis mission, which will soon become a reality.

May 18, 2019
Intel Working On A Smartphone With A 360 Degree Camera

American technology giant Intel is known for its desktop processors and computer components. Now, fresh leaks suggest the company may be working on a unique smartphone which it may introduce soon. According to reports, Intel applied for two patents in the year 2016 for a smartphone design with a 360 Degree Camera system. This was later published on the official website of the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) on the 14th of May.

Intel Smartphone With 360 Degree Camera

The patents reveal two smartphone designs, with both of them showing a near bezel-less smartphone; with some minor differences in design. The first one has a full screen without any borders. A flexible display seems to be on use in the device on the front and back which extends all the way to its sides. The standout feature of the image is the placement of the cameras. The displays on both sides have an off centre placed camera which is a lot like the one found in the Galaxy S10 series of smartphones. The significance of the number 360 written on the back is expected to be related to the capabilities of the setup. Reports claim the handset will utilise both cameras to capture images and video in 360 degrees.

Also read: PUBG Mobile Season 7 Released, New Weapon, Skin Among Other Features Added

More images from Intel’s patent reveal a similarly designed smartphone with components placed differently. In one image, a device with a single rear camera in the centre and two cameras, placed on the left and right respectively is visible. The handset in question here may also utilise the 360-degree camera technology as the one showcased earlier, as it also has a similar text on the back. The patents imply the company is working on a smartphone with a similar design. Unfortunately, it is not known when it will be launched or if Intel will end up selling this. This could also simply be a concept design, and proof of concept from Intel.

May 18, 2019
Oppo Patents Smartphone With Rotating Selfie Camera

With the intention of providing a full-screen experience to users, smartphone brands are incorporating different styles of front cameras in their devices. For instance, the OnePlus 7 Pro has a pop-up camera, whereas the Samsung Galaxy A80 has an innovative rotting camera setup. Following a similar trend, Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo seems to be working on a smartphone with a rotating camera module.

About The Patent

After the launch of the Oppo Reno with the unique shark-fin design, the company has been granted a patent which depicts a smartphone with a rotating camera system. The patent was filed by Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications in the end of the year 2018 with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office). The design was titled as a “Mobile Terminal” and was published on May 16, 2019. As mentioned previously, the patent exhibits a camera module design that can rotate 180 degrees around a pivotal axis.

The complete camera system consists of a total of 3 cameras, with two cameras placed together on one side and a single camera on the other side. Both the sides accommodate an LED flash. As per the patent, both the dual camera and single camera system can act as a selfie camera as well as the primary rear camera module. However, the patent provides no information regarding the fact whether both the cameras can be utilized simultaneously or not.

Also Read: Redmi 7A Budget Smartphone Leaked On TENAA, Launch Imminent

The camera system extends upwards via a 180 degree rotation. This will be possible with the help of a motor, although manual operation may be included as a feature as well. Similar to the ASUS Zenfone 6, the camera module can be held midway so as to capture the images from the desired angle. This feature can be used to shoot panoramic images as well. Since a variety of smartphones with similar design statements are expected to launch in the near-future, Oppo may follow suit as well.

May 18, 2019
Xiaomi Will Soon Launch An Ultrabook Laptop Called The RedmiBook 14
Xiaomi has never confined itself in terms of the number of products it offers. It has an ever-expanding portfolio of products ranging from consumer electronics to clothing to even electric scooters. A fresh report claims that the company will soon launch an ultraportable laptop which will carry the RedmiBook 14 moniker. To further strengthen the claims, the specification sheet of the laptop has also been leaked.

RedmiBook 14 Features and Design

Mi Notebook Air

Even though the source lacks real-life images of the RedmiBook 14, it reports the upcoming device will have a silver metal body that measures 309.6 mm x 210.9 mm x 14.8 mm and weighs 1.3 Kg. As the name suggests, it will sport a 14-inch display that has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 px. Under the hood, it will pack an 8th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU which has dual cores and four threads.

The RedmiBook 14 will run on the Windows 10 64 bit operating system. In terms of memory and storage, it will be available in two storage variants which are as follows:
- 4 GB DDR4 RAM + 128 GB SSD
- 8 GB DDR4 RAM + 256 GB SSD
The upcoming device also has a MicroSDHC card reader which can either be used for increasing the inbuilt storage or transferring data. For easy operability, it will have a full size island-style backlit keyboard with numeric keypad. An island style keyboard has isolated keys that decreases the chances of mistyping. Like most modern smartphones, it will also have a fingerprint sensor for securely unlocking the device.

RedmiBook 14 Price And Launch

Mi Notebook Air

Also Read: OnePlus 7 Pro: Unboxing and Hands On

Xiaomi is yet to reveal the official launch date of the RedmiBook 14. However, the source claims it will be released in the month of July later this year. The precise price of the ultraportable laptop will be revealed at the time of the official launch. Though coming from the house of Redmi it will be priced aggressively.
May 18, 2019
Everything We Know About The Redmi K20
It has been long speculated that Xiaomi’s subsidiary Redmi will launch a flagship smartphone. This device has been revealed to be called the K20 and will be the first flagship offering by the company since it separated from its parent company back in the month of January. Redmi has been dropping hints and teasing the handset left and right, in addition to which the previous leaks of the K20 have revealed almost every key detail about it. Here is what to expect from the upcoming flagship smartphone from Redmi.

Redmi K20

As mentioned above, the Redmi K20 will be the first flagship offering by the company. It has gone all out in promoting the smartphone on the Chinese social networking website Weibo. To maintain the hype regarding it, the retail packaging and official case of the K20 has been showcased.

Previous leaks reveal the device will have a 6.39 inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 px. The front of the device will be protected using the Corning Gorilla Glass 6 which should make it resistant to scratches and drops from a considerable height. To maximise the screen real estate, a pop-up mechanism to house the front-facing camera is expected. For biometric security, the company has confirmed the handset will have an optical in display fingerprint scanner.

The past leaks claim the Redmi K20 will be kitted with the 7nm Snapdragon 855 SoC. It is comprised of an Octa-core CPU and the Adreno 640 GPU. In terms of optics, images of the case exhibit a vertical camera setup. This has been leaked to be a triple camera arrangement comprised of an f/1.8 aperture equipped 48MP primary sensor; combined with an f/2.4 aperture equipped 13MP ultra wide sensor; a tertiary f/2.4 aperture equipped 8MP telephoto sensor. For selfies, an f/2.0 aperture equipped 20MP front-facing camera may be housed in the pop-up mechanism on top of the handset. For memory and storage, the device is expected to be available in a plethora of options, which are listed below.
- 6GB+64GB
- 6GB+128GB
- 8GB+128GB
- 8GB+256GB
Also read: OnePlus 7 Pro: Unboxing and Hands On

The leak also insinuates the Redmi K20 will be powered by a 4000 mAh battery with support for Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4+ technology. The company has confirmed the smartphone will have a 3.5mm headphone jack and support for NFC. In terms of colour options, the device will be available in three colour options namely, Carbon Fiber Black, Glacier Blue and Flame Red. It is expected to be unveiled on the 20th of May at a lucrative price tag. The handset will compete with the latest OnePlus 7 Pro and the company has been throwing jabs at the latter while teasing the K20.
May 18, 2019
PUBG Mobile Season 7 Released, New Weapon, Skin Among Other Features Added

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) Mobile since its launch last year, has seen unprecedented popularity. The title has witnessed six successful seasons, the last of which ended on the 15th of May. In a post on microblogging website Twitter, the official account of PUBG Mobile announced the start of the next season in the game. It has officially begun starting 17th of May and adds a host of changes, especially for Royale Pass holders.

PUBG Mobile Season 7

The new Season of PUBG Mobile as mentioned above kicks off starting the 17th of May. New features and additions added to the game include new gun skins, costumes and accessories. A new parachute and aeroplane trail also has been added in a bid to refine the gameplay experience. While the above-mentioned features are all but exclusive to people holding the Royale Pass or purchasing the entry to the season; the game has also added a new weapon called Skorpion. It is a machine pistol that is capable of firing 9mm rounds. It will be available in all the maps inside the game.

Also read: OnePlus 7 Pro Launched With 90Hz Display And Snapdragon 855 SoC

Another addition to PUBG Mobile is called the EZ Mission License, which unlocks and lets users play challenges a week in advance. It is also capable of letting users skip 10 mission requirements for Week 8. This will, in turn, earn them a chance to get the elite chest. However, the License is only available if the PUBG Mobile Season 7 Royale Pass is purchased. Buying 3 Passes simultaneously during Season changes will let users have the EZ Mission License for free. Other minor changes in the update include a tuned subscription feature, new category tab in the ship and better audio to reduce interruptions. The update has been rolled out with the version number 0.12.5 which will be globally available starting May 17.

May 17, 2019
Redmi Note 7s Camera Samples Revealed, Show Off Daylight And Low Light Shots

Redmi is making an aggressive entry into the budget-midrange smartphone segment in India. The company received positive reviews for its latest devices, the Redmi Y3 and the Redmi 7, which targeted the budget smartphone segment. As per previous leaks and reports, Xiaomi is gearing up for the release of the Redmi Note 7s on May 20. Ahead of the launch of the same, camera samples of the Redmi Note 7s have been revealed by the company, which confirms that it will feature a dual rear camera system.

The samples include a multitude of images, which are captured in different lighting conditions. The daylight-captured images depict a sharp image with good colour contrast. The images captured in a low light showcase a decent amount of details with low noise. Since both the Redmi Note 7 and Note 7 Pro feature Night Mode, the upcoming device is expected to sport a similar option as well.

Also Read: OnePlus 7 Pro Launched With 90Hz Display And Snapdragon 855 SoC

In terms of optics, the smartphone is expected to feature a dual rear camera module with a 48MP primary sensor and a 2MP secondary sensor. The watermark on the revealed images confirm this speculation. For selfies, the smartphone will have a 13MP front camera that is expected to be housed in a waterdrop notch up front. Under the hood, it is expected to be kitted with the Snapdragon 660 chipset, which consists of an octa-core CPU and the Adreno 512 GPU. Xiaomi is expected to keep the specifications of the Redmi Note 7s similar to the Chinese variant of the Redmi Note 7. As far as the price is concerned, it is expected to be priced between INR 10,000 and INR 15,000.

May 17, 2019