Category: Latest

All the Latest, News, Reviews, Updates, How To, Mobile Phone news, Global and International News, From Cameras to Automobiles, from TV To PC and a lot more! Constantly updating!

Microsoft May Launch Surface Buds To Take On Apple AirPods

When Microsoft first launched its wireless Surface headphones, they received positive reviews globally. The headphones have a minimalistic design and offer best-in-class gesture controls. As per the latest reports, Microsoft is working on a pair of Truly Wireless Earbuds, which will supposedly go up against the hugely popular Apple AirPods. The aforementioned earbuds from Apple were first released in December 2016 and have since become the gold standard for wireless earbuds.

Microsoft Surface Headphones

As per sources, the Truly Wireless Earbuds from Microsoft are codenamed “Morrisson”. Reports say that Microsoft is planning to expand its wearables lineup from the Surface headphones to the in-ear Truly Wireless Earbuds, which are speculated to feature passive noise-cancellation. Moreover, they are expected to sport a minimalistic design to the aforementioned Surface headphones.

Apple AirPods

Sources also reveal that the American technology company will aim towards integrating gestures with the Surface buds, which will greatly improve any form of interactions between the smartphone and the earbuds, such as reading content on the handset. Furthermore, just like Apple’s AirPods Siri Integration and Galaxy Buds‘ Bixby assistant, the Microsoft Truly Wireless Earbuds are expected to be equipped with Cortana, Microsoft’s Voice Assistant.

Also Read: Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL Price Leaked, Launch Imminent

Competition And Availability

Samsung Galaxy Buds

As previously reported, Amazon is also expected to release its own version of Truly Wireless Earbuds in the upcoming months, which will be equipped with the Alexa voice assistant. Considering Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri are the most popular voice assistant in the market right now, Cortana-based Surface buds may have to face some serious competition from the same. Some exceptional features may be able to turn the tide when Microsoft’s Cortana TWS earbuds hit the market by the end of the year 2019.

April 16, 2019
Future Android Updates To Be Delivered Via The Google Play Store

Google’s Operating System Android is one of the most popular softwares in the world. Its popularity can be justified with the wide variety of devices it is compatible with. However, despite the popularity, one Achilles Heel the OS has faced time and again is the disparity in software updates. While smartphone OEMs like Google, Essential and Nokia have been known for pushing updates constantly, the majority of devices lack the latest version of the software. A post on the social media website Reddit insinuates Google is looking forward to changing that.

In the post, the user claimed they received an Android software update through the Google Play Store, Android’s application store. This is an unconventional way of dealing with an update, as in the past all the new iterations to the AndroidOS were delivered through the settings menu. The new type of software update was seen in testing on the latest Android Q Beta 2.

Future Android Updates

While it is not set in stone, the aforementioned change could revolutionise the way future software updates are delivered. While the user on Reddit claimed it was a relatively small update package; it may be an indication that the new way of pushing changes in software through the Google Play Store would be limited, at least initially to monthly security patches. This suggests heavier files, like the ones packing major changes to the software, could still be delivered via the settings menu, as the conventional method.

Also read: Free To Play Forza Street Out On PC, Will Also Launch On Android And iOS

Delivering monthly security patches through the Google Play Store may be a monumental move on Google’s part. Because of this, smartphones which were abandoned and would not receive updates otherwise; would have a chance of receiving an update. This would make the AndroidOS one step closer to a privacy focussed software.

April 16, 2019
Free To Play Forza Street Out On PC, Will Also Launch On Android And iOS

One of Microsoft’s most popular games, Forza is all set to make its appearance on mobile devices. The game is known for combining the open-world racing scenario with amazing visuals and even more iconic vehicles. In the month of October 2018, Forza Horizon 4 was launched, and the game received rave reviews globally. The game publisher is now bringing a free-to-play version of the racing game, Forza Street to Windows 10. Praiseworthy, the game will also be available on iOS and Android devices later in 2019.

https://youtu.be/qpNB7rS0wdo

In early 2018, Microsoft released a racing game called “Miami Street”. Forza Street is actually a rebranding of the aforementioned game, but with new and significant upgrades, such as a whole new narrative, upgraded parts, an audio overhaul and refreshed animations. The game was announced by Turn 10 Studios on April 16 2019, and it made its way to Windows 10 on the same day.

Forza Street Mechanics

Unlike conventional racing games, Forza street incorporates timing-based gameplay, which requires the player to press/click the space bar or left mouse button to accelerate. In order to slow down, all the player has to do is to let go of the button. This means that the player doesn’t have to steer the car, however, accelerating and decelerating around corners can be craftier than the whole steering process. Depending on the accuracy of speeding up and slowing down, the racer is provided with boosts, which can be used to speed up the vehicle.

Earning Credits And Unlocking Rewards

Winning races can be very rewarding to players, as a lot of credits are earned by finishing first. Players can use those credits to upgrade existing car parts, purchase new ones, or to unlock new cars. The game is completely free-to-play, however, it may be referred to as pay-to-win, as microtransactions can enable users to unlock their dream car way earlier than someone who is grinding for the same.

Also Read: High Court Directs Indian Government To Review PUBG Mobile For Objectionable Content

Albeit a simple game, Forza Street is still a treat for all racing fans. Some races can be even completed under a minute, making this a good game for those who are on-the-go. And on top of that, it’s not a paid game, so it doesn’t hurt to try out the game’s mechanics. Click here to download the game from the Microsoft Store.

April 16, 2019
High Court Directs Indian Government To Review PUBG Mobile For Objectionable Content

On April 14, the Bombay High Court directed the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MEIT) to test out the features of wildly popular mobile game PUBG and take necessary action in regard to the objectionable content in the game. The PIL (Public Interest Litigation) was represented by the father of the 11-year old boy from Mumbai, Ahad Nizam, who previously alleged that the game has elements that promote aggression, violence and immoral conduct in daily life. The PIL suggests that the game should be banned in schools for the same reason.

In response to the litigation, Government pleader Poornima Kantharia stated that most schools do not permit usage of mobile phones and the game itself. Furthermore, a division bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice NM Jamdar raised a notable question against the petition, stating that parents should keep the addiction of their children to PUBG in check. Moreover, parents should stop their children from playing PUBG Mobile if the game legitimately contains objectionable content.

As the player count of PUBG Mobile increases day-by-day, the PIL is seeking to get the game completely banned from schools. The PIL is also seeking directions to the MEIT to put together an Online Ethics Review Committee to regulate all online content that may considered as “unsafe”. Consequently, the Bench directed the Secretary of the Information & Technology Ministry to test the game in its entirety and take required action against concerned authorities and service providers in case the content does not comply. The court has adjourned the case for now and will continue the hearing after the vacations.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Fold PreSale Goes Live In The US

A lot of cases have been spotted nation-wide when indiscretion regarding the game has led to fatal consequences. Previously, 2 students were mauled by a train while they were engrossed in the Battle Royale game. In another incident, a 25-year old mistook acid for water while playing PUBG and had a narrow escape in the hospital. The game was banned in Gujarat recently, and the Police arrested students multiple times for playing the game in public. Clearly, PUBG Mobile is intended to be played by children over 16 years of age, as is mentioned on all the application stores. However, insufficient discretion is maintained regarding the same.

April 15, 2019
Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL Price Leaked, Launch Imminent

It has been leaked multiple times that Google will release a specced down version of its Pixel 3 lineup of smartphones this year. The devices were allegedly called the Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3a XL. Not long ago, a listing on Google’s website mentioned the Pixel 3a lineup. This suggests the handsets are closer to launch than ever. Now, a user on social networking website Reddit has leaked the Canadian pricing of the upcoming mid-range smartphones from Google.

Pixel 3a/3a XL

The Pixel 3a lineup will be Googles first mid-range offering. The smartphones have been previously leaked to sport a design that is reminiscent of their elder siblings. However, the material of choice is expected to be polycarbonate instead of metal and glass on the Pixel 3 & 3 XL. The front is expected to be dominated by a 5.6-inch OLED display on the Pixel 3a while the Pixel 3a XL will have a 6 inch OLED display. For biometrics and security, both the devices will have a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Google Pixel 3XL

Under the hood, the Pixel 3a and 3a XL are expected to run on the 10nm Snapdragon 670 SoC. The chipset is comprised of an Octa-core processor and the Adreno 612 GPU. For optics, a 12 MP rear camera is expected in both the smartphones, while the front camera will have a resolution of 8 MP. In terms of memory and storage, the devices are expected to have 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB of onboard storage.

Past leaks suggest that both the smartphones in the Pixel 3a lineup will be powered by a 3000 mAh battery with support for fast charging. Like its elder siblings, they are expected to run on the current Android 9 Pie with a stock interface and will receive fast software updates. The leaked images also confirm the presence of a 3.5mm headphone jack on at least one of the two devices.

Pricing & Availability

Google Pixel 3XL

Also read: Nubia Patent Suggests A Flexible Smartphone Screen With Dual Notch

It was earlier rumoured the company will launch the Pixel 3a smartphone duo at Google I/O next month. The leak of the pricing of both the devices insinuates their launch is imminent. It has been revealed the Pixel 3a will start at CAD 649 (Rs. 33,900). While the Pixel 3a XL will start at CAD 799 (Rs. 41,600). One word of caution though, these are reportedly the carrier pricing, the final price may be lower.

April 15, 2019
Nubia Patent Suggests A Flexible Smartphone Screen With Dual Notch

Nubia last created waves when the company unveiled its wearable smartphone, which has a bendable display. Known as the Nubia Alpha, it has a 4-inch flexible display and can be worn on the wrist similar to a smartwatch. The company has also launched some distinctively powerful gaming smartphones in the past, including the Nubia Red Magic. A recently published patent reveals that the Chinese technology company is also working on a flexible smartphone, which will supposedly have a dual-notch design.

About The Patent

Previously, a smartphone with a bottom notch was patented by Xiaomi. The device had both the front cameras housed in the bottom notch and had a high screen-to-body ratio. However, the design patent granted to Nubia is a bit different. The overall patent consists of two different designs. Both the designs were filed in the month of March 2018 and were published by the Global Design Database of the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) on April 12, 2019.

Nubia Flexible Smartphone Design

The design patent contains a total of 16 images, which are quite similar to each other. All of them show different variants of the Nubia flexible smartphone display. The screen depicted in the patent has an elongated design, which may lead to a taller smartphone. Eight of the 16 variants have 2 notch designs: one on the top and the other on the bottom of the display. The first four of the dual-notch designs exhibit a centrally placed notch on both the ends, whereas the other four models have a notch which are placed away from the central axis of the smartphone, albeit symmetrically. The notch designs that are depicted in the pictures have a variety of shapes, including a U-shaped notch, a V-shaped notch, a semicircular notch and a fourth trapezium-shaped notch.

The other eight models also depict a foldable screen, but with a significantly different notch design. Six of the eight designs have a dual-notch design, with both the notch designs placed next to each other. The designs use a combination of the previously mentioned notch shapes to maximize the screen-to-body ratio. Out of the sixteen models, only two have a single notch which can house a single front camera.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy A2 Core Goes On Sale In India

Since the ZTE subsidiary has been working on flexible screens for a long time now, a Nubia flexible smartphone featuring the dual notch design might make its way into the market in the not-so-distant future. Moreover, the futuristic design may push Nubia towards the big leagues, where it can compete with the likes of other foldable smartphone brands such as Samsung and Huawei.

April 15, 2019
Honor 20, 20 Pro Flagship Smartphones To Launch On The 21st Of May
Honor, a subsidiary of telecommunications giant Huawei launched its flagship smartphone, the Honor 10 last year. The device offered top tier specifications at a more affordable price than the competition. In a fresh invite sent by the company, it has teased the launch of the successor of the aforementioned handset. Honor has confirmed through the invite that multiple variants of the smartphone will be launched, allegedly the Honor 20 and the Honor 20 Pro. The devices will be launched in London, the UK on the 21st of May.

Honor 20 / 20 Pro

The Honor 20 and the Honor 20 Pro will be the newest flagship smartphones by the company. They are expected to have a similar design language as its predecessor, complete with glass on the front and back with a metal chassis. While key details of the former aren’t known, the latter was leaked in detail earlier. The leak reveals the Honor 20 Pro will have a 6.1 inch OLED display with a FullHD+ resolution. To keep the screen to body ratio as high as possible, the devices may feature a waterdrop notch on the top of the display. For biometrics and security, the handset will have an in-display fingerprint sensor with support for face unlock technology.

As the Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro will be the company’s flagship offerings, they are expected to be kitted with the 7nm Kirin 980 SoC. The chipset has an Octa-core CPU and Mali G76 GPU. In terms of optics, the smartphones are expected to have a triple rear camera setup. It will consist of a 48MP sensor, combined with a 20MP ultra-wide angle sensor and an 8MP telephoto sensor. For selfies, the devices will have a 32MP camera housed in the notch on the top of the display. In terms of memory and storage, while the details about the Honor 20 aren’t known yet, the Honor 20 Pro is expected to be available in the following variants.
- 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM
- 8GB RAM and 128GB ROM
- 8GB RAM and 256GB ROM
The Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro will be powered by a 3650mAh battery with support for 22.5W fast charging. For enhanced gaming and CPU performance, the smartphones will support the company’s CPU/GPU Turbo technology.

Pricing & Availability

Honor View 20

Also read: Samsung Galaxy A2 Core Goes On Sale In India

While the pricing of the less feature-rich Honor 20 isn’t known; The latest leak of the Honor 20 Pro claims it will start at CNY 2999 (Rs. 31,000) for the version with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. The variant with 8GB of RAM and 128GB onboard memory will cost CNY 3399 (Rs. 35,200). Top end variant of the device with 8GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage will retail at CNY 3799 (Rs. 39,400). As mentioned above, Honor will launch the smartphones on the 21st of May in Europe. It is expected to make its way into the Indian market soon after the announcement
April 15, 2019
Samsung Galaxy Fold PreSale Goes Live In The US

When Samsung first announced the Galaxy Fold at the Galaxy Unpacked event on February 20, 2019, it astounded people from around the globe. Although the device was launched next to the Samsung Galaxy S10 lineup, it got its fair share of the spotlight at the event. Even though the smartphone had a high price tag, consumers and fans were very excited to get their hands on the first foldable smartphone from the company. As per latest news, Samsung is beginning the Pre-Sale for the same in the United States.

The registrations for the first Pre-Sale of the smartphone began on April 12 2019, and as per Samsung’s official registration site, the reservations are already full. All the users in the US who have completed the registration process will receive the instructions via email to order the Galaxy Fold by using the private preorder process which begins on April 15 2019. Furthermore, select Samsung stores are expected to have the devices in stock by April 26, which is also the official launch date of the device. Interested customers had enough time to pre-order the device, even though the people who reserved it in the first place were not necessarily obliged to pre-order the same.

Galaxy Fold Features And Specifications

The Samsung Galaxy Fold features an attractive interlocked-gear design, which enables it to fold around the hinge. The larger 7.3-inch display used in the smartphone is referred to as an “Infinity Flex” display by Samsung, and it has a resolution of 2152 x 1536 px. On the other hand, the smaller secondary 4.6-inch display features a HD+ resolution.

The Galaxy Fold runs on the 7nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset, which comprises of the octa-core Kryo 485 CPU and the Adreno 640 GPU. The device packs 12GB of RAM and 512GB ROM. Another interesting feature of the Galaxy Fold is the presence of two separate battery packs with a combined capacity of 4,380 mAh. Furthermore, the device supports wireless charging.

Also Read: Huawei P30 Pro To Go On Sale In India For The First Time Today

The non-5G variant of the Samsung Galaxy Fold is priced at US$ 1,980, which roughly translates to INR 1,37,100. Samsung will also include a 5G model of the Galaxy Fold in the lineup, which will obviously be priced at a higher point. The device is available in four colours: Cosmo Black, Space Silver, Astro Blue, and Martian Green. The Galaxy Fold will go up against the likes of the Huawei Mate X and Motorola foldable smartphone, which are expected to make an appearance soon.

April 15, 2019
Samsung Galaxy A2 Core Goes On Sale In India

Samsung has launched its latest smartphone, the Galaxy A2 Core in India. The device is the newest entrant in the company’s Android Go lineup after the J2 Core which was launched a while ago. Handsets under the Android Go initiative generally feature humble specifications, usually around 1GB of RAM and run an optimised version of Android which is certified to work smoothly for a longer period of time.

Galaxy A2 Core

The Samsung Galaxy A2 Core is the most affordable smartphone in the company’s current lineup. It features a polycarbonate body which isn’t surprising to see in a smartphone in this price range. The handset has a 5 inch TFT display with a resolution of 960 x 540 px. As it is a budget device, there are significant bezels around the display. There is no physical fingerprint scanner present on the smartphone. It instead relies on conventional methods to unlock the smartphone, like pattern lock, numerical pins and passwords.

Under the hood, the Galaxy A2 Core runs on the 14nm Exynos 7870 SoC. The chipset is comprised of an Octa-core CPU and Mali T830 GPU. In terms of optics, the smartphone has an f/1.9 aperture equipped 5 MP rear camera with an LED flash and an f/2.2 aperture equipped 5 MP front-facing snapper. For memory and storage, the smartphone will be available with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The device also supports memory expansion via microSD cards of up to 256GB.

The Galaxy A2 Core is powered by a 2600 mAh battery. In terms of connectivity, the smartphone has support for 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2 LE and GPS. Contrary to previous reports, the device runs on the latest Android 9 Pie Go edition.

Price & Availability

Also read: Motorola Razr Foldable Phone Launch Imminent Suggests Bluetooth SIG Listing

The Galaxy A2 Core will be available for sale starting today from select offline stores. The smartphone has been priced at Rs. 5290 and will be available in two colours, Blue and Grey.

April 15, 2019
Oppo Granted Patent For A Dual Camera Smartphone, Possibly The Reno Lite

The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo announced the Reno smartphone series on April 10, 2019. The smartphone featured the world’s first oblique pop-up camera, known as the SharkFin design. The device was warmly received by the audience. In recent news, the company will also release the budget variant of the Oppo Reno smartphone in Switzerland on April 24 this year, along with the top 5G variant in the lineup. Patents for the aforementioned budget smartphone were granted the company on April 9, 2019.

Oppo Reno Lite

The design patent was first filed on May 3, 2018, and it showed multiple renders of a future budget Oppo smartphone. The patent was published by the Global Design Database of the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office), and was originally filed by Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications. The patent contains sketches as well as colour renders of the possible Reno Lite smartphone.

Design And Features

Oppo Reno Lite Notch Designs

The front panel of the device has a conventional look. A waterdrop notch adorns the display panel, which houses the front camera. Interestingly, the patent images exhibited eight different notch variants, with minimal differences from each other. As mentioned before, the colour renders of only one device variant are present in the patent, indicating that it may be the final design of the smartphone. The device has a vertically placed dual rear-camera setup, with the LED flash placed at the bottom of the module.

The left side of the smartphone houses two buttons, which appear to be the volume rockers. The right side of the device accommodates what appears to be the power/lock button. One microphone is present at the top of the smartphone, whereas the other microphone is placed at the bottom of the device, right next to the USB Type-C port, the speaker grille and the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Expected Availability

Oppo Reno Lite – Back Panel

Also Read: Honor 8S Budget Smartphone Render, Specifications Leak Online

Additional features include the fingerprint scanner on the rear panel, which is placed just below the dual rear camera setup. The phone has a bit of a chin, which is clearly highlighted in the renders. The Oppo range of smartphones will be globally unveiled on April 24, where the company will announce the price and availability for the same. Reports say that the company will probably launch the smartphones at a very competitive price, which will enable the lineup to go up against the Galaxy A smartphone series by Samsung.

April 15, 2019
Motorola Razr Foldable Phone Launch Imminent Suggests Bluetooth SIG Listing
Motorola is soon expected to launch the modern avatar of its flip phone, the Moto Razr from the year 2004. There have been rumblings about a contemporary foldable Moto Razr for quite some time – some of it directly from the company. The upcoming smartphone was previously speculated to launch in the month of February, which apparently did not happen. However, a fresh listing of the Moto Razr on the Bluetooth SIG website suggests that its launch is imminent.

Bluetooth SIG And Its Significance

Bluetooth SIG, short for Bluetooth Special Interest Group is the standards organisation that supervises the development of Bluetooth standards and the licensing of the Bluetooth technologies to manufacturers. It is mandatory for smartphone OEMs to get its devices certified with the organisation before they are launched. Consequently, the fresh listing of the Moto Razr suggests that its launch is imminent. In accordance with past claims, the listing also reveals, the upcoming smartphone will initially be offered via the Verizon telecom provider from the US.

Motorola Razr Features and Price

Although the Bluetooth SIG does not reveal any specifications of the Moto Razr, they were leaked in the past. The upcoming smartphone will reportedly feature a 6.2 inch OLED inner display that has a pixel density of 2142 x 876 px. It will also have a smaller cover display that has a pixel density of 800 x 600 px. The smartphone will be kitted with the Snapdragon 710 SoC which consists of an Octa-Core CPU and Adreno 616 GPU.

The upcoming foldable Moto Razr will reportedly be powered by a 2730 mAh battery which will support fast charging. In terms of memory and storage, it will be available in two storage options which are as follows:
- 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM
- 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM
Also Read: Samsung Galaxy A80 India Launch Early Next Month With Aggressive Price

The official price of the handset will only be publicised at the time of its official launch. However, past reports claim that it will be priced at US$ 1200 (Rs. 83,544). Making it significantly more affordable in comparison to other foldable smartphones including the Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Huawei Mate X.
April 15, 2019
Huawei P30 Pro To Go On Sale In India For The First Time Today

Huawei, the world’s second-largest smartphone maker launched its latest photography-centric flagship smartphone, the P30 Pro in India on the 9th of April. The handset was originally launched last month in Paris and has some industry-first features. The newly launched device succeeds the Huawei P20 Pro which was launched in 2018.

Pricing & Availability

The Huawei P30 Pro is the most expensive smartphone from the company to be launched in India till date. It has been priced at Rs 71,990 in the country. Notably, the company is offering the Huawei Watch GT along with the smartphone for an extra Rs 2,000 for initial buyers of the device. Noteworthy, the aforementioned smartwatch usually retails for a price of Rs 15,990.

Huawei P30 Pro

To recall, the Huawei P30 Pro features a similar design to the Huawei P20 Pro. It has a significantly larger, 6.47 inch OLED display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 px. Unlike the regular P30, the display edges are tapered to the sides, similar to the ones seen in the Mate 20 Pro. For safely and swiftly unlocking the handset, it has an in-display fingerprint scanner and support for face unlock technology.

The Huawei P30 Pro is kitted with the 7nm Kirin 980 chipset, which consists of an Octa-core CPU and the Mali G76 GPU. In terms of optics, the smartphone has a quad rear camera module comprising of an f/1.6 aperture equipped 40MP primary sensor, an f/2.2 aperture equipped 20MP ultra-wide sensor, a third f/3.4 aperture equipped 8MP periscopic telephoto lens with an f/3.4 aperture and a fourth ToF (Time of flight) sensor. The periscopic lens provides lossless 5x zoom capability, which is the highest amongst any smartphones right now. For selfies, it has a 32MP front camera housed in the notch up front.

Also read: Samsung Galaxy A80 India Launch Early Next Month With Aggressive Price

The P30 Pro is powered by a large 4,200 mAh battery, which supports Huawei’s 40W SuperCharge Wired Charging. The device also supports Reverse wireless charging. Moreover, it is IP68 dust and water resistant.

April 15, 2019
Samsung Galaxy A80 India Launch Early Next Month With Aggressive Price

Samsung launched the Galaxy A80 and the Galaxy A70 smartphones at an event on the 10th of April. The former features a distinctive sliding, rotating camera setup which became the talk of the town soon after the announcement. Our sources have revealed that the innovative Galaxy A80 will soon launch in India which could be as soon as next month. Distribution partners in the company’s supply chain tell us the smartphone will be aggressively priced, possibly retailing around the Rs. 30,000 price bracket.

Samsung Galaxy A80

The Samsung Galaxy A80 features a modern and unique looking design. It has a ‘3D Glass’ design on the back giving it an attractive look and feel. The front of the smartphone is dominated by a ‘New Infinity’ 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 px. It has minimum bezels around the display with no obstructions like a notch or a hole-punch in view. Like the previously announced Galaxy A50, the device has an in-display fingerprint sensor for securely unlocking the handset.

The Galaxy A80 runs on the newly announced 8nm Snapdragon 730G SoC. The chipset has an Octa-core CPU and the Adreno 618 GPU. In terms of optics, the smartphone, as mentioned above has an innovative sliding, rotating triple camera setup. This offers the device the capability of capturing images and videos from the front as well as the rear of the handset. The setup consists of an f/2.0 aperture equipped 48MP sensor; combined with an f/2.2 aperture equipped 8MP sensor and a 3D Time of Flight (ToF) sensor for capturing depth information. Talking about memory and storage, the Galaxy A80 has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

The Galaxy A80 smartphone is powered by a 3700 mAh battery which supports fast charging up to 25W. The device runs on the latest OneUI by Samsung on top of the current Android 9 Pie. It is available in three colour variants, namely Phantom Black, Angel Gold and Ghost White.

Pricing & Availability

Also read: Honor 8S Budget Smartphone Render, Specifications Leak Online

While the Galaxy A80 will be available for sale globally starting May 28, it may be launched sooner in India, according to our sources. It is also known that Samsung will price the smartphone under Rs. 40,000. The company may initially sell the device in limited quantities. This is because it is sceptical of the reception a smartphone with mechanical parts will receive. Noteworthy, similar handsets from Oppo and Vivo were not highly successful because of the presence of moving parts.

April 15, 2019
Honor 8S Budget Smartphone Render, Specifications Leak Online

Huawei’s subsidiary Honor is widely known for launching smartphones offering contentious specifications at a lucrative price tag. The company is very well known in markets like Europe, China and India. Now, fresh leaks of an upcoming budget device from the company called the Honor 8S has surfaced revealing its design and specifications. Going by its specifications, it will compete with devices like the Xiaomi Redmi 6A.

Honor 8S

The upcoming smartphone from the company, Honor 8S will be the successor to the Honor 7S launched last year. The renders reveal the 8S will sport a polycarbonate body with a textured back panel. Leaked specifications reveal the device will have a 5.71 inch IPS display with a resolution of 1520 x 720 px. Renders of the handset exhibit a waterdrop notch on top of the display to maximize the screen real estate. Since it will be a budget smartphone, a physical fingerprint scanner is not present anywhere on the device. The handset will instead rely on conventional unlock methods like patterns, numerical pins and passwords.

Reports unveil the upcoming Honor 8S smartphone will run on the MediaTek Helio A22 SoC. The chipset has an Octa-core CPU and a PowerVR GPU. In terms of optics, the smartphone will have a single 13 MP rear camera. For selfies, a 5MP camera is housed on the top of the display. For memory and storage, the handset is expected to feature 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The Honor 8S smartphone will be powered by a 3020 mAh battery with support for fast charging via a micro USB port. Leaked renders reveal the device will be available in three colours, namely Black, Gold and Blue.

Pricing & Availability

Also read: Xiaomi Redmi Y3 With A 32MP Selfie Camera Will Launch On the 24th Of April

The leaked images and specifications of the Honor 8S insinuate it will be launched soon. Unfortunately, pricing of the smartphone isn’t available as of yet. But it is expected to be priced at Rs 5,999 in India.

April 15, 2019
Facebook, Whatsapp, And Instagram Restore Services After Widespread Outage

On April 14 2019, a multitude of users faced issues while connecting to popular social media website, Facebook. The connection issues were not limited to Facebook, however, because Instagram and Whatsapp users were confronted with similar problems. This is not the first case when Facebook services have been down for a long time. Previously, in the month of March 2019, Instagram and Facebook faced a global outage that lasted for a long period of time (more than 24 hours). This time, the outage lasted for a shorter duration, but questions were still raised regarding Facebook’s vulnerability to external attacks.

Facebook’s spokesman stated that the company is acknowledging the issue faced by users and that all steps are being taken to resolve the issue. Apologizing for the inconvenience, the spokesman refused to divulge the cause of the outage. Rumours are floating around, which state that the reason for the outage of Facebook services was most likely a DDoS (Denial of Service) Attack. In a Denial of Service attack, multiple network nodes try to disrupt the server by accessing it at the same time.

Downdetector Reports

Downdetector.com indicated that at the peak time, over 12,000 users reported issues with Facebook connectivity throughout the world. Regarding other applications, Instagram had an outage count of over 7,000 users, whereas Whatsapp peaked at 3,000 user reports. The live outage map on the website clearly exhibited that the majority of issues arose from the Asian and European continental regions.

Also Read: OnePlus 7, OnePlus 7 Pro To Launch On The 14th Of May

Considering the popularity of the social media website, a downtime of even a few minutes is a cause of issue amongst its users, and when this happens on a regular basis, it turns into a matter of concern. A lot of people in the US did not face a similar issue, which hints towards the fact that maybe the Asian and European data centres for the company were attacked or disrupted because of some reason. Users may still face outages in the future, but as of now, the issue has been resolved as per the company.

April 15, 2019