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Samsung’s latest mid-range offering, the Galaxy A8+ will be launched in India on the 10th of January at an event in New Delhi. The device will be an Amazon exclusive since the e-commerce website already has a dedicated page live. The price of the smartphone has not been revealed yet but, considering the price of the phone in Vietnam, it is expected to be launched under the Rs. 35000 price bracket for it to be competitive in the Indian market.
In India, the “under Rs. 40000” category is getting increasingly competitive. Ever since the OnePlus 5 and then the OnePlus 5T was launched in the price bracket, devices like the Nokia 8 and Mi Mix 2 have also been launched in this price category. Recently, the Honor View10 was launched at a price of Rs. 29,999 which is much more affordable than any other budget flagship.
The Samsung Galaxy A8+ has a 6-inch Super AMOLED display with a 2220 x 1080 px resolution which translates to an 18.5:9 aspect ratio.
Under the hood, it has an octa-core (2.2GHz Dual + 1.6GHz Hexa) processor while the chipset is still unspecified, it could be the Exynos 7885 SoC as found in the leaked video. The Galaxy A8+ has two variants, one with 4GB RAM and 32GB storage and the other with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. Just like every other smartphone from Samsung, the onboard storage can be expanded up to 256GB via microSD card. The smartphone is IP68 rated for water and dust resistance and supports Samsung Pay for contactless mobile payment.
Powering the Galaxy A8+ is a 3500 mAh battery which is charged via USB Type-C port.
One thing that might come as a surprise, especially for phones launching in 2018 is the OS. The Galaxy A8+ will run Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box with Samsung’s own custom skin on top.
The Galaxy A8+ is also the first of Samsung phones to have a dual-camera setup on the front. The Galaxy A8+ has a 16MP + 8MP camera setup with an f/1.9 aperture on the front. The Live Focus feature lets users chose whether the background should be in focus or blurred to a soft bokeh. The phone will switch between the two front cameras to get the effect the user needs. To the back of the phone is a 16MP camera with an f/1.7 aperture and digital stabilisation.
Even at a price of under Rs. 35000, the Galaxy A8+ will have competitors like the OnePlus 5T and Honor View 10. One of the few things going for the Galaxy A8+ is its IP68 rating and a front-facing dual-camera setup whose importance again, will depend on a consumer’s priorities.
Ever since the OnePlus One was launched back in 2014, the Chinese smartphone maker’s devices have been considered to be the flagship killers. Year after year, the company has launched Android phones with high-end specifications at nearly half the price of devices by other tier brands. While 2017 saw a lot of flagship devices being launched under Rs. 40000 bracket, the OnePlus 5 and then the OnePlus 5T priced at Rs. 32999 for the 64GB variant remained a fan favourite.
However, Honor has recently announced the price of its Honor View10, the Kirin 970-powered affordable flagship phone. At a price of Rs. 29,999 the Honor View10 has a high-end chipset, dual cameras, nearly bezel-less display and an emphasis on AI. All of that, and it is still cheaper than the OnePlus 5T. So, does the Honor View10 take the crown of the best affordable flagship? Let’s find out:
Design
Both the OnePlus 5T and Honor View10 share a similar design language. Both the devices sport a tall display, thin bezels and dual-cameras at the back. The dual-cameras on both the devices protrude a little which means that a case might be necessary to protect the camera glass. The OnePlus 5T and Honor View10 have matte finishes to the back which means the devices can be a bit slippery but, both the companies provide a clear case inside the box.
OnePlus 5T
Display
The OnePlus 5T is a refreshed variant of the OnePlus 5 with a modern 18:9 aspect ratio and thin bezels. The Honor View10 also has thin bezels and a tall display and even manages to retain the front-facing fingerprint sensor, something that the OnePlus 5T had to give up for smaller bezels. Both the devices have a resolution of 2160 x 1080 px, however, while the Honor View10 has an IPS LCD panel, the OnePlus 5T has an Optic AMOLED panel.
Software
After photos and sound, software is the most subjective aspect of a smartphone. Just like some people prefer bass-heavy sound over a flat soundstage, some people prefer the bells and whistles of a custom skin over stock Android OS. There is no denying that the OnePlus 5T will always be ahead when it comes to software updates but, EMUI on the Honor View10 has come a long way since its inception as well. The Honor View10 has a slight advantage thanks to the NPU present in the Kirin 970 chipset. Honor has been able to add some nifty features that take full advantage of AI. For example, thanks to Honor View10’s facial recognition software, the phone only displays a preview of notifications on the lock screen only when it recognises the face, otherwise, the notifications remain hidden.
This is just a small example of what implementation of AI does to the overall user experience. However, if you are a stock Android enthusiast then the OnePlus 5T is ideal for you.
Performance
Honor View10
Both the devices are powered by two flagship chipsets. The OnePlus 5T has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, 6 or 8GB of RAM along with 64GB or 128GB of storage. The Honor View10 has the HiSilicon Kirin 970 chipset, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. The storage on the Honor View10 can be expanded up to 256GB via a microSD card while the OnePlus 5T doesn’t provide an option for expanding the onboard storage.
Both the devices run day-to-day tasks with ease and even high-end gaming is buttery smooth on either device. If you want a device for heaving gaming, then neither of the phones will disappoint your gaming needs. Thanks to the tall displays on both the devices, multitasking is a joy and the snappy processors made sure both the devices held up well in extreme multitasking situations.
Camera
Photographs are extremely subjective, and both the devices have a dual camera setup at the back albeit, different implementations. The OnePlus 5T, unlike its predecessor, has a 16MP and 20MP setup with an f/1.7 aperture which OnePlus claims, will result in better low-light photographs. The Honor View10 has a 16MP RGB sensor and a 20MP Monochrome sensor with both having an f/1.8 aperture. Here are a few camera samples of both the devices:
OnePlus 5T
OnePlus 5T
OnePlus 5T
OnePlus 5T
Honor View10
Honor View10
Honor View10
Honor View10
Specifications
OnePlus 5T
Honor View10
Price
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At the end of the day, the OnePlus 5T and Honor View10 are two great phones with best in class specifications and an affordable price tag. Honor seems to have struck gold with its pricing and the real question here is whether stock Android is worth the extra money or not. If yes, then the OnePlus 5T should be your choice. But, if you are on a tight budget, the Honor View10 has a lot more to offer in terms of user experience and will cost less than the OnePlus 5T.
The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XLwere launched back in October to really high expectations from Android enthusiasts. While the 2016 Pixel devices had their shortcomings, the software experience and camera performance was unparalleled. Hence, a lot was expected from the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, especially after Google talked up the software and AI integration during the launch event.
While stock Android OS on the devices has been excellent, the phones have been marred by prolonged hardware issues that the company can’t seem to contain. Over the course of the past two months, the negative press around the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL has been immense and another issue regarding the Pixel 2 XL has come up, which has further infuriated Pixel 2 users.
Affected users have reported the latest voice messaging issue on the Pixel User Community of the Google Product Forums. Multiple users have stated that when they send a voice clip recorded on a Pixel 2 XL suffering from this particular bug, the recipient receives the same clip with a minimal volume.
I experienced the unusually low volume for outgoing voice messages in WhatsApp on two Pixel 2 XLs. The same behaviour was observed with Google Allo voice messages.
Google is apparently aware of the issue and will soon release a fix. Community Manager Orrin Hancock responded to the reports saying:
Want to let you all know that we are aware of this [issue], and looking into it. I might be reaching out for bug reports and other info privately.
Thi issue is a part of a larger problem which Google faces right now because of its hardware frailties. While the company’s smart speakers have been doing really well in the market, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL have failed to capture the imagination of its audience because of its price tag and the numerous software and hardware bugs that are constantly reported online.
While the Pixel 2 has had a relatively smoother sailing, the Pixel 2 XL has faced a lot of the consumer wrath because of its below-par OLED display and other issues that hinder a user’s experience. Recently, after the Android 8.1 Oreo update rolled out, some users were reportingthat they had to physically switch on the display during an incoming call. A thousand rupee feature phone lights up during an incoming call and such severe issues should not be faced by people who pay thousands for their smartphone.
The OnePlus 5 was launched back in June of 2017 and within five months of being launched, was replaced by a better-looking variant, the OnePlus 5T. The company subsequently announced that manufacturing of the OnePlus 5 will be stopped but, the device will continue to get software support up to Android P, at least. A few days ago, after testing the beta version of Android 8 Oreo on the OnePlus 5, the company was about to seeding the stable build with OxygenOS 5.0.
However, on the 3rd of January, the company cancelled the rollout due to some bugs found in the stable build of Android 8.0 Oreo. Here’s what exactly a OnePlus staff member said on the company’s official forums:
Because of a bug on Oxygen 5.0, we have cancelled its global release. And we’re preparing for Oxygen 5.0.1, the partial release will go alive soon.
The company has seemingly fixed the update and is now rolling out a new update with OxygenOS 5.0.1 and contains new fixes, presumably for those issues that caused the cancellation of the first build. The new fixes in question are for bugs related to the third-party camera application. It is also worth noting that this update is not compatible with devices with an unlocked bootloader.
The OnePlus 5, at the time of its launch, received a lot of flak for being identical to the iPhone 7 Plus. The company emphasised a lot on the device’s camera performance and upon its release, many people found it lacking. Another factor that hindered the popularity of the OnePlus 5 was its rise in price. The company launched the device at a price of Rs. 32999 for the 6GB RAM variant which was higher than the price of the OnePlus 3T and the OnePlus 5 did not have features like an IP rating or wireless charging.
The OnePlus 5 still has the best in class specifications and with stock Android OS, the phone’s performance is up there with top flagship devices of 2017. With OnePlus 5T taking over the reins, it must be satisfying for OnePlus 5 owners to start receiving an update to the latest Android software available in the market. OnePlus recently announcedthat the OnePlus 5 will soon receive an update with Face Unlock feature which was a OnePlus 5T exclusive till now.
HMD Global’s pricing strategy for its mid-range and budget smartphones in India has baffled everyone. The Nokia 6 was launched in India in early-2017 and was heavily panned for its excessive pricing. However, it appears that HMD Global has learned its lesson and will be willing to rectify such costly errors with its new budget smartphone, the Nokia 6 (2018).
In China, the device starts at a price of CNY 1499 (Rs. 14600 approx.) and if HMD Global goes the Nokia 8 route and launches the device at Rs. 14000 or less, the Nokia 6 (2018) could be a great contender in the budget category of Android phones. In this category, the Xiaomi Mi A1 and Moto G5s Plus also offer a stock Android experience and feature metal build although, both the devices also have a dual-camera setup at the back unlike the new Nokia 6.
Early images of the Nokia 6 (2018) reveal a nice design with good colour options, however, a few choices made by Nokia are questionable. Many other OEMs have resorted for a rear-facing fingerprint sensor due to the tall display and thin bezels but, the Nokia 6 (2018) maintains the 16:9 aspect ratio and the thick bezels while moving the fingerprint sensor to the back. This decision would’ve been justified had the smartphone moved to an 18:9 aspect ratio and cut down the bezels significantly.
Moto G5s Plus
A few design tweaks aside, the Nokia 6 (2018) is a significant update over the Nokia 6 of 2017. But, will it be the new fan favourite if and when it is released in India? Let’s find out:
Specifications
Nokia 6 (2018)
Xiaomi Mi A1
Moto G5s Plus
Price
Starting at CNY 1499 (Rs. 14600 approx.)
Rs. 13999
Rs. 14999
Display
5.5 inch
IPS LCD
5.5 inch
LTPS IPS LCD
5.5-inch
IPS LCD
Resolution
1920 x 1080 px
1920 x 1080 px
1920 x 1080 px
Battery
3000 mAh
3080 mAh
3000 mAh
Chipset
Snapdragon 630
Snapdragon 625
Snapdragon 625
Processor
2.2GHz
Octa-core processor
2.0Ghz
Octa-core processor
2.0 GHz
Octa-core
RAM
4GB
4GB
4GB
Storage
32GB/64GB (Expandable up to 128GB)
64GB (Expandable up to 128GB)
64GB (Expandable up to 128GB)
Primary Camera
16MP
f/2.0
12MP wide-angle f/2.2 + 12MP telephoto lens f/2.6
13MP + 13MP with f/2.0
Secondary Camera
8MP
f/2.2
84-degree wide-angle lens
5MP
8MP
f/2.0
Wide-angle lens
The Nokia 6 (2018) has a slightly better chipset than the other two smartphones but, it also launched more than four months later. With the Xiaomi Mi A1, you get Android One which means that the Mi A1 will get future software upgrades to Android P as well.
While companies claim that all their smartphones will get software updates for at least two years, you’ll be hard-pressed to bet on Android P update coming to the Moto G5s Plus. The Nokia 6 (2018) already runs Android 8 Oreo and hopefully, will get an update to Android P as well in early 2019.
Let’s not forget that the Honor 7X is cheaper than both the Mi A1 and G5s Plus with equally good performing chip and cameras. A lot will depend on the price of the Nokia 6 (2018) when it launches in India.
With so many viable options in this price category, the question that arises is whether the new Nokia 6 has enough to offer that will persuade potential buyers towards it or not. Also, will the absence of a dual-camera setup on the Nokia 6 (2018) be a deal-breaker for many suitors?
The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ are expected to be either launched at MWC or at a special event later in March. While there have been a few reports that predicted an early launch, possibly at CES 2018, the company conceded that an early launch is not on cards. That leaves us with just over a couple of months for all the leaks that will seemingly “confirm” what the devices will look like.
Plenty of leaks and rumours have only been reported and this new leak of a screen protector has revealed something that has been speculated for a while now. The image shows that the bezels on the Galaxy S9+ (and presumably Galaxy S9) will be only slightly smaller than that found on their predecessors. While many believed that the new Galaxy ‘S’ devices will have a radical new design, multiple leaks have since, quashed those claims and it appears clearer than ever that the Galaxy S9 devices will look very similar to the Galaxy S8 devices.
One great news for Galaxy S9 and S9+ aspirants is that the fingerprint sensor will be repositioned. As much as we had liked an in-display fingerprint sensor, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will not adopt that technology yet and instead, place the fingerprint sensor below the camera, which is a much more ergonomic placement for the sensor.
While the Galaxy S8 and S8+ barely had any differences barring the screen and battery size, this year’s devices will have much more noticeable differences. The Galaxy S9 will continue to have a single camera at the back while the Galaxy S9+ will have a dual camera setup which could be vertically placed, unlike the Galaxy Note8.
Horizontally placed dual cameras on the Galaxy Note8
Both the devices are expected to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset for the American and South Korean markets while the rest of the world will have the Exynos 9810 chipset-powered Galaxy S9 and S9+. The Exynos 9810 chipset has a lot of emphasis on AI, which means that the company is counting big on its facial recognition technology to challenge Apple’s Face ID.The display size will remain the same as that of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ with slightly thinner bezels.
With 2017 witnessing thousand dollar flagship phones, the Galaxy S9+ could be priced similarly to the iPhone X while the Galaxy S9 will remain a bit more affordable than its bigger sibling.
Xiaomi recently launched the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus in China. The two budget smartphones sport a modern 18:9 aspect ratio and are expected to launch in India soon. Ever since the Redmi 5 Plus was launched, there were rumours that Xiaomi will launch the Redmi 5 Plus in India as the Redmi Note 5 and drop the ‘Note’ series in China altogether.
Let’s unbox the Redmi 5 Plus and see what we get inside the box:
Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
Documentation
Sim ejector tool
Micro USB cable
Wall charger
Clear Case
First impressions
The first thing you notice about the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus is the tall display and relatively thinner bezels around. By no means is it a bezel-less display but, the curved corners make the display look better. The form factor of the device is surprisingly comfortable especially considering that it houses an almost 6-inch display. The phone, although a bit slippery, is comfortable and if you’d like to protect from the get-go, the company provides a clear case inside the box.
Specifications
It has a 5.99-inch display with a 2160 x 1080px resolution which again, translated to an 18:9 aspect ratio.
Under the hood, the Redmi 5 Plus has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, 2.0GHz octa-core processor, Adreno 506 GPU, 3GB or 4GB of RAM, and 32GB or 64GB of onboard storage which will be expandable via microSD card. The fingerprint sensor sits at the back of the device which has become a Redmi signature irrespective of thin or thick bezels.
The Redmi 5 Plus is powered by a massive 4000 mAh battery which, according to Xiaomi, has a standby time of up to 17 days. The device has a micro USB port for charging and data syncing along with a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The device has a 12MP primary camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a 5MP secondary camera with beautify 3.0 software.
The Redmi 5 Plus is a solid offering at the price it is available for, and with a modern design combined with the performance of a Xiaomi phone, the device makes a good case to be a go-to budget smartphone.
The tablet industry has been going through a dwindling phase where Apple and Samsung are the only two companies consistently bring out tablets that interest the buyers. Samsung is continuing the trend of tablets with the launch of the Galaxy Tab A 7.0. The new tablet is Samsung’s most affordable tablet yet, priced at Rs. 9500. The tablet will be available across retail stores and Amazon from the 5th of January 5.
With the launch of the Galaxy Tab A, the South Korean tech giant also believed that the tablet industry will see a rise in 2018. Vishal Kaul, Director at Samsung India, said the segment has seen de-growth in the past quarters, but the company has been able to expand its market share:
Tablets are more of companion devices and we have been focusing on the various use cases of this form factor. The Galaxy Tab A 7.0 is our first 4G tablet in the sub Rs 10,000- category and we are confident it will do well.
With Galaxy Tab A 7.0, we are providing our customers a device that is the perfect blend of refined design, superior display great performance and non-stop entertainment.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A has a 7-inch TFT display with a 1280 x 800 px resolution.
Under the hood, the tablet is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB of RAM, and 8GB of onboard storage which can be expanded via a microSD card. There is a physical home button on the front of the tablet with two capacitive navigation buttons on either side, similar to a lot of other Samsung mobile devices.
Powering the tablet is a 4000 mAh battery which the company claims will provide up to 9 hours of video playback. You might think the tablet was launched in 2015 because it runs Android 5.1 Lollipop out of the box.
It has a rear-facing 5MP camera and a front-facing 2MP camera.
Tablets, over the past few years, have reached a state of obsolete where Apple appears to be the only company bringing innovation into its tablet lineup. Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab A 7.0 will enter a price segment where no other other prominent smartphone maker has a tablet, and that might be its best bet.
Nokia 6 was launched back in January of 2017 and was Nokia’s foray into the Android market. At the time of its launch, many felt that the Nokia 6 did not offer much when compared to its peers and especially its own price. HMD Global will hope to rectify its errors with the new Nokia 6 (2018) which was launched today at an event in China. The 32GB variant of the Nokia 6 (2018) is priced at CNY 1499 Rs. 14600 approx.), while the 64GB variant comes with a price tag of CNY 1699 (Rs. 16600 approx).
The Nokia 6 (2018) maintains the 16:9 aspect ratio but, get rids of the front-facing fingerprint scanner and the touch capacitive keys. This move is a bit surprising since other smartphone makers usually resort to rear-facing fingerprint sensors due to the lack of bezels around the display.
The Nokia 6 (2018) has a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with a 1920 x 1080 px resolution.
Under the hood, the new iteration of Nokia 6 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 chipset, a 2.2GHz octa-core processor, the Adreno 508 GPU, 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB or 64GB of onboard storage. The onboard storage can be expanded up to 128GB via a microSD card. The fingerprint sensor now sits on the back of the device while the capacitive navigation buttons are replaced with software buttons.
Powering the smartphone from Nokia is a 3000mAh battery that supports fast charging technology. The Nokia 6 (2018) runs Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box which will be close to stock OS.
The back of the phone also houses a 16MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture along with a dual-tone LED flash. To the front of the smartphone is an 8MP with an f/2.0, and an 84-degree wide-angle lens.
There is no word on the smartphone’s availability in the Indian market as of now. If HMD Global does launch the device in India, the price of the phone will be a major factor as devices like the Xiaomi Mi A1 and Honor 7X are already well established in the market.
In late-December, OnePlus started teasing the launch of another variant of the OnePlus 5T. It was expected that the company will launch a new phone with a sandstone finish, that became famous thanks to the OnePlus One and OnePlus Two. On January 5th, the company launched the OnePlus 5T Sandstone White at the same price as the original OnePlus 5T.
The OnePlus 5T Sandstone White is essentially the OnePlus 5T Star Wars Edition minus the promotional bells and whistles. Right from the red colour alert slider to a different hue around the fingerprint sensor, the Sandstone White is the same Star Wars Edition but, for other markets. The Star Wars Edition OnePlus 5T that we unboxed, was an India-exclusive device hence, it is fair to assume that the Sandstone White variant won’t be entering the Indian market anytime soon.
OnePlus 5T Star Wars Edition
The Sandstone White is no way close to what the OnePlus One looked or felt like. Even though the back is textured, it is just not as grippy as the original OnePlus One and its sandstone finish back panel. However, a textured aluminium back will always be grippier than a brushed aluminium back found on the original OnePlus 5T. This also gives OnePlus 5T buyers a different colour option other than the Midnight Black which has become increasingly common.
Apart from the Sandstone White, the OnePlus 5T in a Lava Red colour is expected to be launched in India in late-January. A new report claims that in order to utilise the holiday sales, OnePlus will launch the OnePlus 5T Lava Red in India on January 23rd. It also supports the argument by stating that Amazon (OnePlus’ preferred online partner) rarely launches a device on a national holiday or weekend.
OnePlus 5T Midnight Black
Considering the company’s pricing strategy for the Sandstone White variant, the Lava Red colour could enter the Indian market with the same price tag as its Midnight Black sibling. If so, then the new colour could well become the new fan favourite.
The Nokia 6 was launched back in January as HMD Global owned Nokia began to enter the Android market slowly. In India, the device was surprisingly priced close to Rs. 15000 even though it was powered by the Snapdragon 430 chipset, usually found in devices priced close Rs. 10,000. Apart from the Nokia 8, no other Nokia device was priced competitively including the recently launched Nokia 2. HMD Global would want to change in the coming months and a revamped Nokia 6 could be the first device to do so.
For weeks, there have been speculations that the Nokia 6 (2018) could be launched on the 5th of January in two variant, one with a 16:9 aspect ratio while the other one with an 18:9 aspect ratio display. A few images appear to have leaked of the former variant of the Nokia 6 a day before its apparent launch. The leak reveals a new accent colour of the Nokia 6 (2018) with gold rims on a black phone. The display of the smartphone in the images appears to have a 16:9 aspect ratio with thick bezels.
According to the recent leaks of the Nokia 6 (2018), the device will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 chipset, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage.
To the back of the smartphone will be a 16MP camera and the front of the device will house an 8MP camera. Powering the device will be a 3000 mAh battery although there is no clarification regarding the charging port on the device.
The device will be running Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box which will be disappointing since Android 8.0 Oreo was officially launched over four months ago. The Nokia 6 (2018) will maintain the stock-ish operating system that Nokia Android phones are known for.
The date of launch of the Nokia 6 (2018) is still a speculation and there is no guarantee that these images are credible. More details about the smartphone will be known as we move closer to the imminent launch of the Nokia 6 (2018). Now, will that launch happen on January 5th or not is yet to be seen.
The Honor View10, launched in early-December at an event in London will go on sale in India on 8th of January at a price of Rs. 29,999. The price of Rs. 29,999 makes this the most affordable budget flagship available in the market right now. The OnePlus 5T and the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 are priced at Rs. 32999. Registrations for the device started on the 28th of December and it will be available in two colour variant, Midnight Black and Navy Blue.
The Honor View10 has a 5.99-inch IPS LCD display with a 2160 x 1080 px resolution which translates to an 18:9 aspect ratio. The Honor View10 has minimal side bezels and thin top and bottom bezels.
Under the hood, the device has the Kirin 970 chipset with a Neural Processing Unit, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB onboard storage. The onboard storage can be expanded up to 256GB via microSD card. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom of the device along with a USB Type C port. The front of the device also has a home button which houses the fingerprint sensor.
The Honor View10 also has facial recognition which is becoming more prominent since the launch of the iPhone X. The facial recognition works similar to the Face ID on the iPhone X, the accuracy of which, will be extensively tested in the coming weeks.
Similar to the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, the Honor View10 also concentrates a lot on AI. For example, while on a call, AI will differentiate between the user’s voice and background noise to make sure the user’s voice is clearer. This is thanks to the presence of the Kirin 970 chipset which has a Neural Processing Unit on board.
Because of its facial recognition technology, the Honor View10 also has iPhone X-like animojis, which Honor claims are much more accurate than iPhone X since it tracks the user’s tongue as well.
Powering the device is a 3750 mAh battery and supports 5V / 4.5A fast charging. Honor claims the phone will be 50% charged in 30 minutes thanks to Honor Super Charge technology.
The Honor View10 has a dual camera setup at the back and has a single camera at the front. The back of the devices houses a 16MP RGB sensor and a 20MP Monochrome sensor with both having an f/1.8 aperture. The primary camera setup records 4K videos at 30fps. At the front of the phone is a 13MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture.
At an extremely competitive price of Rs. 29999, the Honor View10 will definitely test the resilience of the OnePlus 5T which has so far been a popular choice for people looking for an affordable flagship Android device. The Honor View10, just like the OnePlus 5T has a flagship chipset, dual cameras but, also has all the bells and whistles of AI, which are missing from the OnePlus 5T.
Apple has been in the news for the past few days, getting bad press over the Battery vs Performance slowdowns of the previous generation of iPhones. Although the company clarified its stance and revealed the intentions behind such a drastic step, consumers are still baffled and the company will have to do a lot of work in order to win their trust back. One step that the company took in that direction was reworking its battery replacement program.
One the 29th of December, the company released a statement announcing its new battery replacement wherein the charges of replacing an out-of-warranty battery were much less than what it was before. According to the old program, it cost US $79 plus taxes to replace a battery but, it will now cost US $29 plus taxes. While this seems like a reasonable trade-off for the consumers, the company might be facing a significant drop in iPhone sales in 2018.
According to Barclays analyst Mark Moskowitz, customers opting for a battery replacement instead of upgrading an iPhone could be a “mild headwind” for iPhone unit sales, potentially resulting in millions of fewer iPhone purchases during the year. He believes that up to 78% of iPhone users are eligible to upgrade their batteries.
In our base case scenario, 10% of those 519M users take the $29 offer, and around 30% of them decide not to buy a new iPhone this year. This means around 16M iPhone sales could be at risk, creating ~4% downside to our current revenue estimate for C2018.
It is to be seen whether the sales will see such a significant hit because it costs less to replace a battery. There are many other factors that influence a consumer to upgrade to a new phone like new features, better camera, or even a new design.
Apple has said that a new battery in an affected iPhone will restore its old performance since the software tweak kicks in only when it notices a significantly degraded battery health. This was the prime reason behind Apple cutting down the cost of replacing an out-of-warranty. Apple has stated that the throttling of performance was never done to influence a consumer into buying a new iPhone but, there is no denying that it is an inevitable consequence of its actions. Perhaps, the company would have been better off by being transparent about such a huge issue and its steps to curb the side effects.
Samsung will soon launch its new Galaxy A8+ in India. Amazon India has listed the two devices which means that the device will be sold in India as an Amazon exclusive. However, the website doesn’t reveal anything related to the price or date of launch of the smartphone. But, with Amazon listing the device on its website, the launch of the phone might not be too far away. Although the listing only mentions the Galaxy A8+, the Galaxy A8 could also be launched in India.
In Vietnam, the Galaxy A8+ is priced at VND 13,490,000 (Rs. 38040 approx.) and will go on sale on the 6th of January. The Galaxy A8, on the other hand, is priced at VND 10,990,000 (Rs. 30980 approx.) in Vietnam. It is fair to assume that the two devices will be priced under Rs. 40000 in India and compete with the likes of the OnePlus 5T and Honor View10.
The Galaxy A8 and A8+ are the first budget-oriented Samsung phones to feature the infinity display. The Galaxy A8 has a 5.6-inch display while the bigger sibling, the Galaxy A8+ has a 6-inch display. Both the phones have a Super AMOLED display panel with a 2220 x 1080 px resolution which translates to an 18.5:9 aspect ratio.
Galaxy A8
Under the hood, both the devices have an octa-core (2.2GHz Dual + 1.6GHz Hexa) processor while the chipset is still unspecified, it could be the Exynos 7885 SoC as found in the leaked video. The Galaxy A8 has 4GB of RAM with two storage options of either 32GB or 64GB while the Galaxy A8+ has two variants, one with 4GB RAM and 32GB storage and the other with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. Just like every other smartphone from Samsung, the onboard storage can be expanded up to 256GB via microSD card. Both the smartphones are IP68 rated for water and dust resistance and support Samsung Pay for contactless mobile payment.
Powering the Galaxy A8 is a 3000 mAh battery while the Galaxy A8+ has a 3500 mAh battery. Both the devices are charged via USB Type-C port.
One thing that might come as a surprise, especially for phones launching in 2018 is the OS. Both the phones will run Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box with Samsung’s own custom skin on top.
Galaxy A8+
The Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+ are also the first of Samsung phones to have a dual-camera setup on the front. Both the phones have a 16MP + 8MP camera setup with an f/1.9 aperture. The Live Focus feature lets users chose whether the background should be in focus or blurred to a soft bokeh. The phone will switch between the two front cameras to get the effect the user needs. To the back of the phone is a 16MP camera with an f/1.7 aperture and digital stabilisation.
At a price of under Rs. 40000, the two phones will face stiff competition from the budget flagship phones like the OnePlus 5T and Honor View10. The Galaxy A8 and A8+ do have an IP68 rating and front-facing dual cameras which the other two phones, and it’ll be interesting to see if these features will be enough to persuade consumers into opting for Samsung’s offerings over the others.
The Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018) is expected to be launched soon. The specifications of the device were leaked a few weeks ago and then, a Russian e-commerce website listed the Galaxy J2 (2018) along with a few specifications. However, the most notable development in the saga of Galaxy J2 (2018) happened when Samsung listed a case for the device on its Russia website.
The listing reveals the same build and design of the Galaxy J2 (2018) which has been leaked over the past few weeks. Another aspect to note here is the capacitive buttons next to the physical home button. The design of the buttons is reminiscent of what we’ve seen from the software buttons found on the Galaxy S8, S8+ and the Galaxy Note8 devices. This further implicates the device listed on the website is, indeed, the upcoming Galaxy J2 (2018). The listing also reveals that Samsung will launch the device in an array of colours like Coral Blue, Gold, Pink and Black.
The device will have a 5-inch Super AMOLED display with 960 x 540 px resolution.
Under the hood, the device is expected to have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset, 1.4GHz quad-core processor, Adreno 308 GPU, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of onboard storage which will expandable via microSD card.
Powering the device is a user-replaceable 2600 mAh battery. The J2 (2018) has dual-SIM support, Bluetooth 4.2, LTE Cat.4 (up to 150Mbps down), and 802.11n Wi-Fi.
Both the primary and secondary cameras have an LED flash, according to the renders. On the back is an 8 MP camera and the front houses a 5MP camera. The device is expected to be launched in early-2018 in Russia with a subsequent global roll-out.
