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OnePlus 7 Pro: Unboxing and Hands On
The highly anticipated OnePlus 7 Pro has finally been launched. It is the successor to the OnePlus 6T which was launched in the Q4 of 2018. The OnePlus 7 Pro has an all new design and significantly bumped up specifications. Here is our experience with the Unboxing and Hands-On of the newly launched flagship.

What’s In The Box?
- OnePlus 7 Pro
- Quick Start Guide
- 30 W Warp Charge Adapter
- USB Type C Reversible Cable
- SIM Ejector
- Protective Case
- Screen Protector (pre-applied)
Design

The design of the OnePlus 7 Pro has been thoroughly revamped in comparison to its predecessor. The device measures 162.6×75.9×8.8 mm and tips the scale at 206 grams. It has a robust build with glass on both the front and back which is held together with a metal chassis. The front of the smartphone has negligible bezels on all sides with no obstructing notch in sight.

The OnePlus 7 Pro has a pop-up selfie camera which is similar to the one present on the Vivo V15 Pro. The rear of the handset has an attractive gradient coloured panel which houses the company branding and triple camera setup. The right side of the smartphone is occupied by the power button and the sound profile selector while its left side is occupied by the volume rockers. Disparate to its predecessor, the new device has SIM Card slot on the bottom.

Display

The OnePlus 7 Pro is fitted with a gorgeous 6.67 inch Fluid AMOLED display that tapers towards the sides. The display panel has a praiseworthy QHD+ resolution of 3120 x 1440 px and a pixel density of 516 ppi. Another notable feature of the display is it’s 90 Hz refresh rate which provides for an enhanced viewing experience.

Furthermore, the display of the smartphone is laminated with Gorilla Glass 5 which safeguards it against scratches and accidental drops. Like the OnePlus 6T, the new device also features an in-display fingerprint sensor along with support for face unlock and the conventional pattern lock.

Processor

One of the key highlighting features of the OnePlus 7 Pro is its chipset. The smartphone is kitted with the Snapdragon 855 SoC which is also present on devices including the Galaxy S10 lineup (US Variant) and the Xiaomi Black Shark 2. The chipset is manufactured using a 7 nm fabrication process which makes it highly power efficient in comparison to the Snapdragon 845 that the OnePlus 6T incorporates. The Snapdragon 855 consists of an Octa-Core Kryo CPU and the Adreno 640 GPU.

Memory and Storage

The OnePlus 7 Pro is the world’s first smartphone to utilise the UFS 3.0 2 lane storage standard which has very high read and write speeds. It also packs high-speed LPDDR4X RAM which contributes to nimble performance. The smartphone is offered in three storage variants which are listed below:
- 6 GB RAM + 128 GB ROM
- 8 GB RAM + 256 GB ROM
- 12 GB RAM + 256 GB ROM
Camera

Talking about the cameras on the OnePlus 7 Pro, it has a single front-facing selfie camera and triple rear facing cameras. The front camera is an f/2.0 aperture equipped 16 MP sensor that resides in the aforementioned pop up mechanism. OnePlust claims that the front camera elevator mechanism has been tested over 3,00,000 times and assures unaltered functionality for 5 years if it is used 150 times a day.

To further protect the elevating module, the mechanism can instantly retract itself when it is in freefall which is detected using the accelerometer and the gyroscope on the device. The triple rear camera setup of the OnePlus 7 Pro is vertically arranged in an elongated capsule-like module that slightly protrudes out of the back panel. The setup consists of an f/1.6 aperture equipped 48 Sony IMX586 sensor, an f/2.4 aperture equipped 8 MP telephoto sensor and an f/2.2 aperture equipped 16 MP ultra wide sensor that has a field of view (FOV) of 117°.

Battery and Other Features

The OnePlus 7 Pro is powered by a large 4,000 mAh battery that supports 30 W Warp Charge. The Warp Charge 30 was first introduced with the limited McLaren Edition of the OnePlus 6T. The smartphone runs on OxygenOS 9 which is built on top of the latest Android 9 Pie. It also packs dual Stereo speakers which are Dolby Atmos certified that deliver loud and clear audio output. To keep the temperatures of the device in check while running resource hungry tasks like games, the OnePlus 7 Pro has 10 layer Liquid Cooling System.

Connectivity and Colour Options

Connectivity options on the OnePlus 7 Pro include dual 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS and bottom mounted USB Type C Port. It also has a whole host of sensors which include an Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity sensor, Ambient Light Sensor, Electronic Compass and a Laser Sensor which is used by the rear camera setup. The OnePlus 7 Pro is available in three colour options which are listed below:
- Nebula Blue
- Mirror Gray
- Almond
Price and Availability

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

The OnePlus 7 Pro is available in three storage variants for which the price is as follows:
- 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM: Rs 48,999
- 8GB RAM + 256GB ROM: Rs 52,999
- 12 GB RAM + 256 GB ROM: Rs 57,999
Colour availability:
- Mirror Gray [6 GB + 128 GB, 8 GB + 256 GB]: 17 May
- Nebula Blue [8 GB + 256 GB, 12 GB + 256 GB]: 28 May
- Almond [8 GB RAM + 256 GB Storage]: June
May 17, 2019
OnePlus 7 Pro Launched With 90Hz Display And Snapdragon 855 SoC
OnePlus at an event on the 14th of May has launched the OnePlus 7 Pro flagship smartphone. It was announced alongside the regular OnePlus 7, the Bullets Wireless 2 and the OnePlus Warp Car Charger. The device was launched in three locations, namely New York in the US, London in the UK and Bengaluru in India simultaneously.

OnePlus 7 Pro

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The OnePlus 7 Pro as mentioned above, is the latest flagship offering from the company and the beefed-up variant of the OnePlus 7. The smartphone measures 162.6 x 75.9 x 8.8mm and weighs 206 g. It has an all-glass design on the front and back with a metal chassis for reinforcement. The device has a 6.67 inch Fluid AMOLED display with a resolution of 3120 x 1440 px which gives it a pixel density of 516 ppi.

The display on the OnePlus 7 Pro has a maximum refresh rate of 90Hz which is also seen in handsets like the Asus ROG Phone and Nubia Red Magic 3. To maximise the screen real estate, the smartphone has minimal bezels on all sides of the display and utilises a pop-up mechanism to house the front-facing camera. For biometric security and rapidly unlocking the device, it features an in display fingerprint scanner with support for face unlock technology.

Under the hood, the OnePlus 7 Pro is kitted with the 7nm Snapdragon 855 SoC which consists of an Octa-core CPU and the Adreno 640 GPU. In terms of optics, the smartphone has a triple rear camera setup comprised of an f/1.6 aperture equipped 48 MP primary sensor; and an f/2.4 aperture equipped 8 MP telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom; the third sensor used is an f/2.2 aperture equipped 16 MP ultra wide angle lens with a Field of View (FoV) of 117 degrees.

It can capture 4K videos at 60fps and supports Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) for smoother footage. For selfies, an f/2.0 aperture equipped 16 MP camera is housed in the pop-up mechanism on top of the display. Video from the front camera is capped at 1080p resolution at 30fps. In terms of memory and storage, the handset will be available in the following variants.
- 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM
- 8GB RAM and 256GB ROM
- 12GB RAM and 256GB ROM
The OnePlus 7 Pro is powered by a non-removable 4000mAh battery with support for 30W Warp Charging technology. The smartphone uses a new X-axis Haptic Vibration Motor which the company claims will provide it with better haptic feedback than the OnePlus 6T. In terms of connectivity, the device supports Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC. The OnePlus 7 Pro also boasts of Dual Stereo Speakers and Audio tuned by the Dolby Atmos technology. It is the first globally available smartphone to feature the Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 3.0 standard, which should result in fast read and write speeds. It will be available in three colours at launch, namely Mirror Grey, Nebula Blue and Almond.

Pricing & Availability

Also read: OnePlus 7 Pro: Unboxing and Hands On

The OnePlus 7 Pro has been launched for a price starting Rs. 48,990 for the variant with 6GB of RAM and 128GB internal storage. The version with 8GB RAM and 256GB version has been priced at Rs. 52,990. For the version with 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage, customers will have to shell out Rs. 57,999. The smartphone will be available in India starting the 17th of May exclusively on Amazon and select retail stores offline.
May 17, 2019
Redmi 7A Budget Smartphone Leaked On TENAA, Launch Imminent

Xiaomi’s subsidiary Redmi launched its latest smartphones, the Redmi 7 and Redmi Y3 back in the month of April. Both devices cater to the budget smartphone market in India and have been received well with the audience. Now, fresh leaks have surfaced revealing another budget handset from the company is in the works. The smartphone, alleged to be the Redmi 7A has been leaked on Chinese certification TENAA’s website. The listing exposes the design of the upcoming device.

Redmi 7A

The Redmi 7A, as mentioned above, will be a budget offering from the company. It will succeed the Redmi 6A smartphone which was introduced last year. The listing on TENNA unveils what the upcoming device will look like. From the images, it is comprehended the handset may feature a polycarbonate design. Its front is dominated by a display, the size of which is unknown at the moment. Unlike the latest devices by Redmi, the 7A doesn’t sport a waterdrop on top. It instead has considerable bezels on all sides with a company branding at the chin. The front camera, along with the earpiece and other sensors, presumably the light and proximity sensors will be housed on the top bezel.

Also read: Samsung Galaxy M40 With Punch Hole Display To Launch In India In June

The right of the Redmi 7A houses the volume rockers and the power button beneath it. The left side of the smartphone remains empty save for the SIM card tray which may feature a dual SIM slot. Over at the back, the device will have a single rear camera with LED flash. Like current handsets from the company, it will also have the Redmi branding on the bottom but unlike those smartphones, the branding will be vertically placed. Unfortunately, the listing does not mention further details about the 7A like its specifications, launch date and price. But as it has been granted certification in China, it is expected to be announced soon in the country.

May 17, 2019
Samsung Galaxy M40 With Punch Hole Display To Launch In India In June

Earlier this year, Samsung launched the Galaxy M lineup of smartphones in India which are sold exclusively via online channels. The devices in the lineup are packed with worthy features and carry a lucrative price tag. Accrediting to which, they have been warmly welcomed by the Indian consumers. The current lineup of Galaxy M smartphones includes the Galaxy M10, the Galaxy M20 and the Galaxy M30. Previously, Samsung was reported to add a more premium device in the lineup which will carry the Galaxy M40 moniker. Fresh reports claim that the anticipated device will launch in the month of June in India at an expected price of Rs 25,000.

Galaxy M40 Features

According to the source, the upcoming Galaxy M40 will be kitted with the Snapdragon 675 SoC which is also present on devices like the Galaxy A70 and the Redmi Note 7 Pro. Distinctly, this is the first time that a Galaxy M smartphone will be kitted with a Qualcomm chipset as the previously launched devices feature Exynos SoCs which are manufactured in-house by Samsung.

Noteworthy, the Galaxy M40 is reported to have a punch hole display like the flagship grade Galaxy S10. Similar to the Galaxy M30, the future device will also have a triple rear camera setup. The source did not provide any specific details about the camera sensors but they are predicted to have similar sensors to that of the M30. The camera setup of the former consists of a standard sensor, an ultra wide sensor and a depth sensor.

Also Read: Xiaomi Wants You To Buy Phones From A Vending Machine

Staple to the Galaxy M lineup, the Galaxy M40 will also pack a large battery. Leaks from the past claim that it will be powered by a mammoth 5,000 mAh battery which is likely to support fast charging. More details about the device are expected to surface as Samsung officially talks about it in the near future.

May 13, 2019
Amazon’s Honor Days Sale 2019: Top Deals On Smartphones
If you have been waiting to buy an Honor smartphone for a while, now is your best chance. Amazon is holding the Honor Days sale from the 13th of May to the 17th of May; wherein many devices from the company go on sale at a lucrative price. Furthermore, the company is providing an offer in which any customer buying an Honor smartphone; can also purchase the Honor band at a special price of Rs. 2099 down from Rs. 2399. You can check out the deals below.

Honor View20

The flagship smartphone from the company, Honor View20 is its first device to sport a hole-punch display. It has a 6.4 inch IPS LCD display with a FullHD+ resolution. It runs on the flagship grade Kirin 980 SoC coupled with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM and an internal storage option of 128GB and 256GB. Optics in the smartphone include a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor and a Time of Flight (ToF) sensor at the back and a 25MP selfie camera. It is powered by a 4000mAh battery.

Regular price:
- 6GB + 128GB: Rs. 37,999
- 8GB + 256GB: Rs. 50,999
Amazon Honor Days Price:
- 6GB + 128GB: Rs. 32,999 (including Rs.5000 Amazon pay cash back)
- 8GB + 256GB: Rs. 40,999 (including Rs.5000 Amazon pay cash back)
Honor Play

One of the fastest smartphones in the price range, Honor Play is powered with Huawei’s last year’s flagship Kirin 970, AI processor and GPU Turbo enabling great speed and efficiency. It boasts of dual primary cameras of 16MP + 2MP with AI scene recognition and 16MP AI selfie. Up to 6GB of RAM will ensure phone runs smoothly, even the most memory intensive applications show no signs of lag. 64GB of internal storage will be open for expansion up to 256GB via a microSD card. The phone comes with large 3750 mAh battery to support its 6.3-inch FHD+ screen with IPS LCD display having a resolution of 1080 x 2340 at 409 PPI.

Regular Price:
- 4 GB + 64 GB: Rs. 21,999
- 6 GB + 64 GB: Rs. 25,999
Amazon Honor Days Price:
- 4 GB + 64 GB: Rs. 13,999
- 6 GB + 64 GB: Rs. 15,999
Honor 8X

Honor’s latest mid-range smartphone in India, the 8X has a 6.5 inch IPS LCD display with 396 ppi pixel density. It runs on the Octa-Core Hisilicon Kirin 710 chipset and is powered by a 3,750 mAh battery. The phone has 20 MP + 2 MP dual rear cameras and a 16 MP selfie camera. The device has 4 GB of RAM paired with 64 GB of ROM which is expandable up to 256 GB via a microSD card.

Regular Price:
- 4 GB + 64 GB: Rs. 17,999
- 6 GB + 64 GB: Rs. 19,999
Amazon Honor Days Price:
- 4 GB + 64 GB: Rs. 12,999
- 6 GB + 64 GB: Rs. 14,999
Honor 8C

Honor 8C is the company’s budget offering in the Indian market. It has a 6.26-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of FHD+. The device runs on the Snapdragon 632 SoC combined with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. In terms of optics, there is a 13 MP + 2 MP dual rear camera setup and an 8MP sensor for selfies. It is powered by a 4000 mAh battery.

Regular Price: Rs. 12,999

Amazon Honor Days Price: Rs. 9,999

Honor 7C

The Honor 7C is another well-received budget smartphone from the company. It has a 5.99 inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1440 x 720 px. The smartphone runs on the Snapdragon 450 SoC which is coupled with 3/4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of internal storage options. In terms of optics, the device has a 13MP + 2MP dual rear camera setup and the front-facing camera is an 8MP sensor. It is powered by a 3000 mAh battery.

Regular Price:
- 3 GB + 32 GB: Rs. 12,999
- 4 GB + 64 GB: Rs. 14,999
Amazon Honor Days Price:
- 3 GB + 32 GB: Rs. 7,999
- 4 GB + 64 GB: Rs. 9,499
Honor 9N

The Honor 9N is a mid-range device from the brand and was launched last year. It has a 5.84 inch TFT display with a resolution of 2280 x 1080 px. The smartphone runs on the Kirin 659 SoC which is coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of internal storage options. In terms of optics, the device has a 13MP + 2MP dual rear camera setup and the front-facing camera is a 16MP sensor. It is powered by a 3000 mAh battery.

Regular Price:
- 4 GB + 64 GB: Rs. 13,999
- 4 GB + 128 GB: Rs. 19,999
Amazon Honor Days Price:
- 4 GB + 64 GB: Rs. 9,999
- 4 GB + 128 GB: Rs. 11,999
Honor 9 Lite

The Honor 9 Lite is the company’s budget smartphone first announced in the year 2017. The device sports a 5.65 inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 2160 x 1080 px. It runs on the Kirin 659 SoC and is coupled with 4GB of RAM and internal storage of 64GB. In terms of optics, the smartphone has a dual 13 MP + 2 MP rear camera setup and has a dual 13MP + 2MP front-facing camera setup for selfies. It is powered by a 3000 mAh battery.

Regular Price: Rs. 16,999

Amazon Honor Days Price: Rs. 9,999

Honor 10 Lite

The Honor 10 Lite is a mid-range smartphone from the company and teh watered-down variant of the flagship Honor 10. It has a 6.21 inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 px and a waterdrop notch on top. The handset runs on the Kirin 710 SoC which is coupled with 3GB/4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of internal storage. In terms of optics, the device has a dual camera setup comprised of a 13MP + 2MP sensor and a single 24MP front-facing sensor for selfies. It is powered by a 3400 mAh battery.

Regular Price:
- 3 GB + 32 GB: Rs. 13,999
- 4 GB + 64 GB: Rs. 16,999
Amazon Honor Days Price:
- 3 GB + 32 GB: Rs. 10,999
- 4 GB + 64 GB: Rs. 12,999
May 13, 2019
Flagship Redmi Smartphones Will Be Called K20 & K20 Pro, Storage & Colour Variants Tipped
Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi has been speculated to launch a flagship smartphone for a while; since it separated from its parent company in the month of January this year. It was leaked a while ago that the company is planning on launching two devices instead of one in the month of May. Now fresh reports and leaks have surfaced which reveal the upcoming Redmi smartphones will be called the Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro. Details about the storage and colour variants of the handsets have also been leaked.

Redmi K20, K20 Pro

The upcoming smartphones from Redmi, the K20 and the K20 Pro will be the first flagship offering from the company. The latest leak reveals the devices will be available in three colour options namely, Carbon Fiber Black, Glacier Blue and Flame Red. For memory and storage, the handsets are expected to be available in a plethora of options, which are listed below.
- 6GB+64GB
- 6GB+128GB
- 8GB+128GB (Exclusive to K20 Pro)
- 8GB+256GB
While the leak doesn’t mention further details about the smartphones; the previous leaks provide the required information. The Redmi K20 series is expected to have a 6.39 inch AMOLED display with an FHD+ resolution. To maximise the screen real estate, a pop-up mechanism to house the front-facing camera has been revealed to be present on the devices. For biometric security and rapidly unlocking the handset, an in display fingerprint scanner with support for face unlock technology will be present on the smartphones.

Also read: AMD Ryzen 3000 With 16 Cores, Support For DDR4-5000 RAM To Launch Next Month

The Redmi K20 series is expected to run on the 7nm Snapdragon 855 chipset, which comprises of the octa-core Kryo 485 processor and the Adreno 640 GPU. In terms of optics, the smartphones may feature a triple rear camera setup, comprised of a 48MP primary sensor; an 8MP ultra wide angle sensor; and a tertiary 16MP telephoto sensor. For selfies, a 32MP sensor is expected to be present in the pop-up mechanism of the devices. It is also speculated that the handsets will feature the 3.5mm headphone jack and NFC (Near Field Communication) technology. It is expected that Xiaomi will announce the K20 series as the Poco F2 in certain global markets with a price under Rs. 30,000 in India.
May 13, 2019
AMD Ryzen 3000 With 16 Cores, Support For DDR4-5000 RAM To Launch Next Month

American semiconductor giant AMD is expected to launch the new generation of its Ryzen desktop processors; at the Computex show scheduled in a few weeks. The event is one of the largest computer and technology trade shows in the world. While details about the next generation of Ryzen CPU were shrouded in mystery, fresh reports citing information about the processors have been shared on microblogging website Twitter.

AMD Ryzen 3000

The AMD Ryzen 3000 as mentioned above, will represent the next generation of CPUs for desktops. In a tweet, a tipster revealed the processors will have up to 16 cores and will have a base clock speed of 3.3GHz. In terms of overclocking, it can be clocked up to a maximum speed of 4.2Ghz according to the leak but considering the past few iterations; AMD might provide the option of taking it even further. Furthermore, the leak reveals the chipset was tested on a motherboard based on the soon to be released MSI X570 platform controller. MSI has been teasing the support for the new Ryzen processors in its motherboard for a while now.

Also read: Live Images Of The Realme X Spotted Ahead Of May 15 Launch

Another leak, shared by the author of the DRAM Calculator for Ryzen processors on Twitter; showcases another important detail about the Ryzen 3000 CPU. According to him, the upcoming chipset will support a whopping 5000 MHz DDR4 Memory Speeds. All the known details so far about the Ryzen 3000 hint that it will be manufactured using a 7nm process; and will be based on the company’s latest Zen2 architecture. It is a refresh of the Zen+ and Zen architecture that AMD had been using for a while. All the aforementioned changes to the Ryzen lineup insinuates it will be a worthwhile upgrade over its predecessor; and may lead to AMD gaining an advantage over its rival Intel for a while.

May 13, 2019
Xiaomi Wants You To Buy Phones From A Vending Machine
Chinese conglomerate Xiaomi is an unconventional company when it comes to their business strategies. It was the first company in India to exclusively sell smartphones online which allowed to offer feature rich smartphones at lower prices in comparison to its competitors. Furthermore, in order to expand its offline growth the company opened thousands of small stores in areas like villages across the country. Another unorthodox initiative taken by the company is the newly installed electronics vending machine which the company is referring to as a Mi Express Kiosk.

Xioami India’s senior executive, Manu Kumar Jain on his Twitter account shared images of the aforementioned vending machine. Called the Mi Express Kiosk, it sells smartphones and smartphone accessories. The machine has been installed in Manyata Tech Park which is located in Bengaluru and the company reports to bring more of these to different locations soon.

In terms of design, the Mi Express Kiosk resembles a traditional vending machine with a see-through glass pane that displays the offered products. To buy a certain product, the user can select options with the help of a large touch screen display which is placed on the top right side of the unit. The mode of payment that the Mi Express Kiosk supports include Cash, Debit or Credit Card or even UPI transfer. The idea of a machine selling electronics does seem innovative but the fact cannot be denied that vending machines never really took off in the country. Primarily due to the following reason:
- Users perceive purchasing products from machines a complicated process.
- Security is another factor that has limited the adaptation of vending machines. With cases arising from ATM’s being looted, vending machine with expensive electronics would be looted if security is not in sight.
However, Xiaomi has designed a simple UI that is easy to use. Also, the machines are likely to be installed in generally safer locations like malls and airports. To conclude, only time will tell whether these machines take over the country with storm or fail miserably.

Also Read: Apple To Open Largest Store In The Indian Subcontinent In Mumbai

What are your thoughts on the Mi Express Kiosk? Will you buy a smartphone from a vending machine?

Do let us know in the comments below!
May 13, 2019
Apple To Open Largest Store In The Indian Subcontinent In Mumbai

American technology giant Apple is known for providing a premium shopping experience to its customers. Part of the experience is grand nature of the renowned Apple Stores. Now, the company is all set to open its largest store in the Indian subcontinent. It has finalised the location at a high-end mall in the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra.

About the Store

As mentioned above, the new Apple Store in Mumbai will be one of the company’s biggest retail market place; and the largest in the Indian subcontinent. Early reports claim it will measure a whopping 4,500 square foot in area. Sources claim the location finalised for the Apple Store is the Palladium shopping mall in Mumbai. It is a known premium destination and may fall perfectly in line to the grandeur the company wants for its flagship retail store in the country. The latest retail market place will fall under the large format Apple Premium Reseller (APR) category. This essentially means that the company has planned to open and run the store in collaboration with a local business partner who will only sell Apple products.

Also read: Android’s Digital Wellbeing Slowing Down Pixel Smartphones, Here’s How To Turn It Off

While it has been speculated that the company will open its signature Apple Store in India, many regulations of the Indian government have prevented it from doing that. The rules state if a foreign company wants to open a retail store in the country, it has to source at least 30 percent of the products locally. While the iPhone maker has since met the requirements by manufacturing multiple products in the country; it still has not been granted certification for a retail store. Notably, the aforementioned reason is one of the biggest why electric automaker Tesla has strayed away from the Indian market. The first Apple owned store is expected in the capital New Delhi, in the Connaught Place area by the year 2020.

May 13, 2019
Live Images Of The Realme X Spotted Ahead Of May 15 Launch

Oppo’s subsidiary Realme is set to launch it latest mid range smartphone, the Realme X which will be unveiled on the 15th of May in China. Days before the official announcement, the live images and the official teaser of the smartphone have been leaked on Twitter which reveals its design and key features.

Realme X Looks

For starters, the Realme X has a refreshing design with a gradient coloured back that harbours the dual camera setup and company branding. Like the previously launched Realme 3 Pro, the top most camera in the arrangement has a Golden ring around it which provides the smartphone with a distinctive look.

Moving forward to the front, the Realme X accommodates a large screen display with negligible bezels on all sides except for the bottom chin which is comparatively thicker. It also features an in-display fingerprint scanner which is slowly becoming the industry standard for both midrange and premium smartphones. Noteworthy, it also has a motorised pop up style selfie camera which helps the device to offer a high screen to body ratio. The teaser does not exhibit any specifications of the upcoming device but they can be derived from past leaks and previously discovered Geekbench listing.

Realme X Specifications

The Realme X sports a 6.5 inch AMOLED display that has a resolution of 2340 x 1080 px. The smartphone measures 161.2×76×9.4 mm and tips the scale at 191 grams. Under the hood, it is kitted with the Snapdragon 710 SoC which is also present on the Realme 3 Pro. The Realme X is powered by a 3680 mAh battery and it runs on the latest Android 9 Pie which will be skinned with ColorOS. In terms of optics, the Realme X has a dual rear camera setup consisting of 48 MP + 5 MP sensor and a 16 MP selfie camera housed in the popup notch.

Also Read: Android’s Digital Wellbeing Slowing Down Pixel Smartphones, Here’s How To Turn It Off

In order to verify the leaks, we won’t have to wait for long as the launch of the smartphone is imminent and will take place on the 15th of May.

May 13, 2019
Honor 20, Honor 20 Pro Will Have Quad Rear Cameras, Official Teaser
Huawei’s sub brand Honor will soon launch its latest smartphone duo. Dubbed as the Honor 20 and the Honor 20 Pro, the handsets will be unveiled on the 21st of May at an event which will be held in London. Days before the official announcement, the company has shared a couple of teasers which reveal camera details of the upcoming devices.

Honor 20 Lineup Camera Details

The teaser images shared by Honor exhibit four piercings on the ear and the lip which suggest the Honor 20 smartphones will have quad rear cameras. Furthermore, the placement of the piercings on the ear indicates the sensors will be arranged in an L-shape.

Furthermore, the second teaser reveals the type of sensors the camera setup of the smartphones will be comprised of. The bubble on the top has a fully focussed image which hints of a standard lens. The image in the second bubble has a wide field of view which hints of an ultra wide sensor. The third bubble with a close up of a leaf corroborates of a macro lens. Finally, the fourth bubble shows two birds which hints the presence of a telephoto zoom lens. Even though the current teaser does not reveal the specifications of the smartphones, they can be derived from past reports.

Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro Specifications

Honor View 20

According to past leaks, the Honor 20 and the Honor 20 Pro will run on the Kirin 980 SoC which is also present on smartphones like the Huawei P30 and Honor View 20. The chipset consists of an octa core CPU along with the Mali G76 GPU. The devices will reportedly be powered by a 3,650 mAh battery which will support 22.5 watt fast charging. They will be offered in three storage varaints which are as follows:
- 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM
- 8GB RAM + 128GB ROM
- 8GB RAM + 256GB ROM
Also Read: Android’s Digital Wellbeing Slowing Down Pixel Smartphones, Here’s How To Turn It Off

To conclude, detailed specifications and the price of the upcoming smartphones will be revealed once they are officially announced by the company on the 21st of May.
May 13, 2019
Android’s Digital Wellbeing Slowing Down Pixel Smartphones, Here’s How To Turn It Off
Google launched its flagship smartphones, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL last year in the month of October. The devices were praised for their camera and software experience but were also criticised heavily due to random lags and slowdowns. It is speculated that due to the company installing a meagre 4GB of RAM in the handsets, the issue was all but overdue. In a fresh report, users on social media website Reddit have claimed they have fixed the memory problems with the Pixel 3 smartphones; and its predecessors by disabling a feature known as Digital Wellbeing.

Slowdowns on Pixel Smartphones

The thread on Reddit dedicated to the Google Pixel smartphones unanimously arrived at the conclusion; that the Digital Wellbeing feature is the culprit behind the slowdowns and lags that is plaguing Pixel smartphone since last year. While not confirmed by the company, users claim they have turned off the feature and saw a drastic change in the performance of their devices. It is not known what handsets are affected due to the issue, but users have reported improvements in performance up to the original Pixel smartphone when Digital Wellbeing is turned off. The cause of the slowdowns is reported to be the constant usage of the device’s RAM by the feature due to it running in the background at all times.

What Is Digital Wellbeing?

With the introduction of its latest Android 9 Pie Operating System in the year 2018; Google also announced a feature similar to the screen time on the iOS platform. Dubbed Digital Wellbeing, it helped the users track their smartphone and app usage and can restrict it remotely. It has been regarded as a useful feature and made available to all devices in the Pixel and Android One lineup since its launch. Notably, the feature is all set to be updated with new functionalities with Android Q. With the release of the next Android iteration, smartphones supporting Digital Wellbeing will gain access to the Focus Mode. It is claimed to work better at restricting the users at spending more time with smartphones.

Also read: Asus ZenFone 6Z With Dual Slider Leaks In Video

But, with the problems of slowdowns and unexpected lags in Pixel 3 smartphones due to the Digital Wellbeing feature; it is considered the best move to turn it off. To turn off the feature from your device, follow the instructions below.
- Open settings on your smartphone
- Navigate to the Digital Wellbeing option
- Touch the three-dot icon at the top right and pick the “Turn off usage access” button
- Confirm the decision on the next “Usage access” screen by choosing Digital Wellbeing and toggling the “permit usage access” option to off.
May 13, 2019
Asus ZenFone 6Z With Dual Slider Leaks In Video

Asus is set to launch its latest flagship grade smartphone, the ZenFone 6 on the 16th of May. Previously, the Geekbench score and the teaser of the upcoming handset were spotted online. Days before the official announcement, a video of the alleged smartphone has been shared by a Spanish Youtuber. It exhibits a unique looking smartphone with a slider design. Noteworthy, the slider on the smartphone slides both upwards and downwards which is dissimilar to other slider incorporating smartphones like the Mi Mix 3 and the Honor Magic 2.

ZenFone 6 Official Teaser

Upon close inspection, it was discovered that the smartphone in the video shared by the Youtuber is unlikely to be ZenFone 6. As the official teaser shared by the company declared the smartphone has a bottom mounted 3.5 mm audio jack which the device in the said video misses out on. Apparently, the handset in the video is made by Asus and instead this could be the beefed up variant of the flagship handset which might be called the Asus ZenFone 6Z.

ZenFone 6z Design

Now that it is clear that the device in video is not the ZenFone 6 and rather could be the ZenFone 6Z. Let’s talk about its design!

The alleged ZenFone 6Z has slider design with a large screen display on the front that has a considerably high screen-to-body ratio. The rear of the smartphone seems to be made out of glass which has a high gloss finish. Its rear panel harbours the Asus branding, fingerprint sensor and the dual camera set up along with an LED flash. The bottom of the device is occupied by a USB C port which is flanked by two narrow slits which may be the cutout for the loudspeaker and the microphone.

Also Read: Samsung Is Once Again The Number One Premium Smartphone Maker In India

Talking about the slider mechanism, the screen when slid downward reveals a dual front camera setup which surprisingly also has two LED flashlights. On the contrary, the mechanism when slid up reveal a secondary speaker and two touch buttons which control the shutter button and brightness setting. All in all, the smartphone looks unique and distinguished than the bunch. However, we will have to wait until the 16th of May that is when the company will lift off the curtain from the ZenFone 6 lineup.

May 11, 2019
2019 iPhone XR To Be Offered In Two New Colour Options

California based, Apple is expected to launch its latest smartphones in the month of September this year. Like yesteryear, the company is expected to launch three handsets which will succeed the iPhone XS, the iPhone XS Max and the iPhone XR. The two upcoming flagship grade smartphones are assumed to carry the iPhone XI and iPhone XI Max moniker, while the name for the more affordable 2019 iPhone is unknown as of now. Earlier this month the renders of the less feature rich, 2019 iPhone XR were shared on Twitter which revealed its design from all angles. A piece of fresh news concerning the handset has surfaced online.

The source claims that the 2019 iPhone XR will be offered in two new colour options which will replace the Coral and Blue colour option from the current generation. Instead, the upcoming smartphone will be offered in Green and Lavender colours. While the four other colour variants, Yellow, White, Black and Red will remain as is. Even though the blog does not reveal any features of the upcoming device, they can be derived from past reports.

2019 iPhone XR Design And Features

For the larger part, the design of 2019 iPhone XR remains unchanged in comparison to its predecessor. However, the apparent change the future smartphone will have is the presence of dual rear camera setup. The rear camera setup will be arranged in a square ridge that protrudes slightly from the back panel. As per the renders, the front fascia, the positioning of ports on grilles will also be same on the 2019 iPhone XR as the current generation device.

In terms of hardware, the device will be shipped with the updated Bionic chipset which will assumedly be called ‘Apple A13’. Also reports from the past claim, the anticipated handset will have a 12 MP selfie camera which is a significant update over the 7 MP on the 2018 model. Noteworthy, the forthcoming device is also reported to be shipped with an 18 W fast charger which is great news for people who are usually running out of battery.

Also Read: Full Specifications Of The Motorola One Vision Leak Online

To conclude, all the rumours and claims will be clarified once the company officially unveils the smartphone. Going by Apple’s previous launch cycles, the 2019 iPhone XR and the flagship grade iPhone XI and iPhone XI Max will be launched in the month of September.

May 11, 2019
Best Smartphones In India Under Rs 15,000; May 2019
Smartphones have gradually become the necessity of a modern man. Primarily, due to the reason it enables a user to perform certain simple tasks that would have been difficult without the presence of one. Talking about India, the market is densely populated by OEMs from all around the globe. Consequently, the simple process of selecting the right smartphone based on the needs of a given user can be highly overwhelming. This article will be of great help to users who plan to buy a sub 15,000 Re smartphone in the country.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro – Fan Favourite

Hands down, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro is one of the best mid-range smartphones that is currently on offer. The device made its global debut in India in the month of February and it created seismic waves accrediting to its value for money. It features a 6.3-inch FHD + display with a dot notch up top. The said notch houses the selfie camera that has a resolution of 13 MP. Under the hood, it features the Snapdragon 675 SoC which is both power efficient and powerful. The Redmi Note 7 Pro also has a dual camera setup which is comprised of a 48 MP sensor and a 5 MP sensor. It runs on the latest Android 9 Pie (MIUI 10) and is powered by a 4,000 mAh battery which supports 18 W fast charging. However, users need to separately purchase the fast charger. See full specs of the Redmi Note 7 here.
- Screen Size- 6.3 inch LCD, 2340 x 1080 px, 409 ppi
- Rear Camera- 48 MP (f/1.8) + 5 MP (f/2.4)
- Front Camera- 13 MP
- Battery- 4,000 mAh, Upto 18 W, Fast Charger Sold Separately
- Chipset- Snapdragon 675
- Screen Protection- Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- SD Card Support- up to 256 GB (uses SIM 2 slot)
Price: Rs 13,999 (4 GB + 64 GB)

Click here to buy the Redmi Note 7 Pro

Realme 3 Pro – Balanced Offering

The Realme 3 Pro, as the name suggests, is the elder sibling of the Realme 3 and it was launched in the month of April. It offers a well-balanced package of features like a 6.3 inch display with FHD+ resolution and 20 W Vooc charging. Praiseworthy, the fast charger is shipped in the box with the handset which is disparate to numerous other OEMs. In terms of optics, the smartphone has a dual rear camera setup consisting of 16 MP + 5 MP sensor and a 25 MP front-facing selfie camera. Notably, the company claims the Realme 3 Pro can also capture 64 MP images which are achieved with the help of software processing. The smartphone is kitted with the Snapdragon 710 SoC and is powered by 4,045 mAh lithium battery. As previously mentioned it also supports 20 W fast charging. See full specs of the Realme 3 Pro here.
- Screen Size- 6.3 inch LCD, 2340 x 1080 px, 409 ppi
- Rear Camera- 16MP (f/1.7) + 5 MP (f/2.4)
- Front Camera- 25 MP
- Battery- 4,045 mAh, 20 W Vooc Charge, In Box Fast Charger
- Chipset- Snapdragon 710
- Screen Protection- Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- SD Card Support- up to 256 GB (dedicated slot)
Price: Rs 13,999 (4 GB + 64 GB)

Click here to buy the Realme 3 Pro

Galaxy M30 – Best For Media Consumption

The Samsung Galaxy M30 has made its way to the list accrediting to its key highlighting features which include the 6.4 inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display and a mammoth 5,000 mAh battery. It also supports 15 W fast charging and thoughtfully Samsung ships the device with a fast charger. Furthermore, unlike any other offering in this list, the Galaxy M30 has a triple rear camera setup which consists of a 13 MP PDAF sensor, a 5 MP ultrawide sensor and a 5 MP depth sensor. It also has a front camera with 16 MP resolution that is housed in the notch above the display. The smartphone features the Exynos 7904 chipset which might not be as capable as the Snapdragon 675 or the Snapdragon 710 in terms of gaming. However, it performs flawlessly while performing day to day tasks like watching videos online and navigating between apps. See full specs of the Samsung Galaxy M30 here.
- Screen Size- 6.4 inch Super AMOLED, 2340 x 1080 px, 394 ppi
- Rear Camera- 13 MP (f/1.9) + 5 MP (f/2.2) Ultrawide + 5 MP (f/2.2)
- Front Camera- 16 MP
- Battery- 5,000 mAh, Upto 15 W, In Box Fast Charger
- Chipset- Exynos 7904
- Screen Protection- N/A
- SD Card Support- up to 512 GB (dedicated slot)
Price: Rs 14,990 (4 GB + 64 GB)

Nokia 6.1 Plus – Great User Experience

The Nokia 6.1 Plus made its debut in the month of August last year and has been a popular choice amongst consumers. The unique selling point of the Nokia 6.1 Plus is its butter smooth user experience which is as good as a flagship-grade smartphone. Distinctively, it runs on the stock version of Android OS which provides it with the said user experience. Furthermore, it is Android One certified which ensures the device will receive the latest Android updates for at least two years. The smartphone sports a 5.8 inch display that has a pixel density of 432 ppi. Like most modern smartphones, it also has a wide notch above the display which accommodates the earpiece and a 16 MP selfie camera. Talking about rear cameras, it sports two sensors that have a resolution of 16 MP and 5 MP. The Nokia 6.1 Plus packs a 3,060 mAh battery which supports 18 W quick charge 3.0. The device is kitted with the Snapdragon 636 SoC which is definitely not the most powerful but the bloat-free stock Android provides for stutter-free user experience. See full specs of the Nokia 6.1 Plus here.
- Screen Size- 5.8 inch LCD, 2280 x 1080 px, 432 ppi
- Rear Camera- 16 MP (f/2.0) + 5 MP (f/2.4)
- Front Camera- 16 MP
- Battery- 3,060 mAh, Upto 18 W, Fast Charger Sold Separately
- Chipset- Snapdragon 636
- Screen Protection- Corning Gorilla Glass 3
- SD Card Support- up to 400 GB (Uses SIM 2 slot)
Price: Rs 14,999 (4 GB + 64 GB)

Click here to buy the Nokia 6.1 Plus

Honor Play- Wild Card Entry

After a surprising price cut of more than Rs 5,000, the Honor Play has become a lucrative option in the sub 15K price bracket. Predominantly, due to the Kirin 970 which is a flagship-grade SoC, also present on the high-end P20 and P20 Pro from Huawei. Additionally, it sports a 6.3 inch LCD display that has a pixel density of 409 ppi. Similar to several options from this list, the Honor Play has a dual camera setup consisting of 16 MP + 2 MP sensor and a 16 MP selfie camera. It is powered by a 3,750 mAh battery which also support 18 W fast charging. The previously mentioned Kirin 970 chipset is manufactured using 10 nm fabrication process which makes it highly power efficient. The processing prowess of the SoC can mostly be noticed in resource hungry applications which include games, especially PUBG Mobile. See full specs of the Honor Play here.

Price Rs: 13,999 (4 GB + 64 GB)
- Screen Size- 6.3 inch LCD, 2340 x 1080 px, 409 ppi
- Rear Camera- 16 MP (f/2.2) + 2 MP (f/2.4)
- Front Camera- 16 MP
- Battery- 3,750 mAh, Upto 18 W, In Box Fast Charger
- Chipset- Kirin 970
- Screen Protection- N/A
- SD Card Support- up to 256 GB (uses SIM 2 slot)
May 11, 2019